Analysis of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

The rights set forth in â€Å"The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms† are all of paramount importance in a democratic country such as Canada. However, the implementation and interpretation of the C. C. R. F. is fundamentally flawed. The ambiguity of certain sections allow for a vast range of interpretations by the Supreme Court justices, the unelected judiciary brach has the power to fundamentally alter the Canadian Criminal code without the consent of the legislative brach, and the legislative branch has the power to overrule most parts of the Charter under the principle of legislative supremacy.These principles effectively render the charter useless is serving its purpose. The Charter itself is a short document with only very general statements about the nature of the rights and freedoms it provides. Under section 2(a) of the C. C. R. F all Canadian citizens are granted the right to â€Å"freedom of conscience and religion†. However, this can present itself to be difficult in a multicultural society such as Canada, thus, religious beliefs and more importantly their sincerity can become difficult to asses.Also, religious beliefs may come into conflict with other fundamental rights. In the case of A. C. v. Manitoba (Director of Child and Family Services), a Jehovah’s Witness couple refused blood transfusions for their 14-year-old daughter after doctors decided they were necessary. The child was made a ward of the state in order to administer blood transfusions. The Supreme Court of Canada had do determine wether the child’s right to life or the parent’s religious freedom was of greater importance. The court ruled that this was a legitimate limitation on religious freedom.Furthermore, the freedom of the judiciary brach to set precedents equal in importance to the law, especially on the controversial issues mentioned in the C. C. R. F. , actually diminishes Canada’s democratic nature. Because they are not elected, ju dges do not have to be sensitive to the will of the electorate, thus limiting democracy. The Supreme Court has made a number of controversial decisions without the consultation of any legislative body or Canadian citizens. One of the most significant being R. v. Morgentaler, which effectively made abortion legal in Canada.The court ruled that â€Å"The abortion provision in the Criminal Code violated the right of women, under section 7 of the charter to â€Å"security of the Person†. However, a 2010 Angus Reid poll found that only 40% of Canadians think abortion should be permitted. The Supreme Court of Canada fundamentally altered the Canadian Criminal Code and clearly acted against the will of most Canadians. However, to ensure â€Å"legislative supremacy†, Section 33 was written into the C. C. R. F. Section 33 states that â€Å"Parliament or the legislature of a province may expressly . . that the Act or a provision thereof shall operate notwithstanding a provisio n included in section 2 or sections 7 to 15. † Thus, should they chose the Federal of Provincial governments can suspend many of the rights guaranteed in the C. C. R. F. One recent example is when In March, 2000, the Alberta Legislature passed Bill 202, which amended the province's Marriage Act to include an opposite-sex-only definition of marriage as well as the notwithstanding clause in order to insulate the definition from Charter challenges.It was later overruled by the Supreme Court of Canada, however, under a different Supreme Court Bill 202 might have prevailed. In conclusion, the ambiguity of the C. C. R. F allow for different interpretations, the judiciary brach has the power to alter the Criminal Code without the consent of the legislative brach, and the legislative branch has the power to overrule most parts of the Charter under the principle of â€Å"legislative supremacy†. These principles effectively render the charter useless is serving its purpose of ens uring a fair and just country for Canadians.

1984 George Orwell Dramatic performance analysis Essay

â€Å"No one is free, even the birds are chained in the sky.† – Bob Dylan A spotlight moves through the audience, searching, staring deep into the minds of the victims as they sit unknowing of their fate. Democracy has fallen and there is no hope. The lights fade and there is silence. The stage is empty. Big Brother is watching. George Orwell’s novel 1984 springs to life with this stage adaptation presented by the highly entertaining theatre company Shake and Stir. In the totalitarian society of 1984, lies, myths and false information dictate the population and this is portrayed beautifully in the theatrical presentation of the novel. 1984 tells the story of Winston, a man with no hope, the party controls his life, his not his mind. He believes that the party is spreading false truths to retain power over the people, and to rebel, he commits ‘thought crime’ by thinking and writing about taking down the party and destroying the power that they possess. Little does he know, the party is onto him. Orwell uses this as a comparison to the real world. It is his view that the If communist governments take over the world there will be no escape from their supreme rule. He instead believes in democratic socialism where there are still free elections. Socialism stops privatization by establishing collective ownership of major factors of production. And if there is no privatization the theory is there will be no corruption. Well executed dramatic elements of role, mood and symbol, as well as the set and costumes of 1984 are what make it an outstanding piece of theatre and one that is effectively designed, not only through live presentation but with the aid of audio and visual pre-recordings. Like Shake and Stir’s previous Orwell reboot, Animal Farm, 1984 is presented through elements of realism as well as minimalism through the miming of objects and the use of imaginary sets. The roles in the performance are uniquely developed and different for each performer. Winston is not just the lead character, but also a twisted representation of humanity, the real life population, and what we would do in that situation. His convincing portrayal surpassed any expectation. The  audience watches Winston throughout the play develop as a person as his hate for The Party develops. In the beginning of the play Winston is going through his everyday routine, which involves falsely proclaiming love for the party, which helps him survive. As the play continues Winston loses all hope and his he begins to not care about getting caught. This character development is captivating for the audience who identify Winston as the person they should emotionally connect with. The minor roles of Tom Parsons and Syme create an interesting feel to the play. Once they are killed off or ‘evaporated’, they appear in a number of different roles such as guards in the Ministry of Love or policemen arresting Winston and Julia. This double use of cast members creates a simplistic feel that stops the play from becoming overcrowded and complicated. Julia’s role in the performance plays a significant part, as she is the only female present throughout the play. Her personality screams hope for a better life in contrast to the other actors’ characteristics of doom, dismay or love for The Party. Julia’s development through the play is subtle but well executed. She begins as just another resident in Oceania but transforms into the only symbol of confidence and hope presented in the show. This helps to further develop Winston’s character by Julia’s influence rubbing off on him. O’Brien’s character is the final observable role in 1984. O’Brien is an inner party member and the only one the audience physically witnesses. For all we know, he could run the whole operation, as he seems to be very powerful when Winston is in the Ministry of Love by even showing mind reading powers. O’Brien is different to the other characters not only in his physical stature and age (being distinguishably older) but also in his appearance. He wears a suit but in the same uniformed ‘overall’ fashion as the rest of the cast. This part of the role represents his power (the suit) while still being controlled by ‘Big Brother’ (the work overalls). The significance of the hierarchy is fundamental to Orwell’s idea that Winston has no power and even inner party members are not fully in control. The mood in 1984 explodes in the audiences face from the first second. Despair, heartbreak, torture and tyranny were feelings that the audience was expected to feel during the performance. The dark set aided the mood in its  endeavor to achieve these feelings. The tension was evident as soon as Julia and Winston started their romance with hovered movements and purposefully dropped lines playing a pivotal role. Not only was there sexual tension between the couple but tension created by the held suspense for the pair to inevitably get caught. The audience was mesmerized by the fact that the pair could have their secret love affair and not be found out. Every time they practiced â€Å"thought crime,† the audience would think; this is it, they are going to be captured. But only when audience members feel as if maybe they will get away with it do they violently get captured. This suspense is what gives the play its spine tingling mood. Not only was the mood set to entice and intrigue audience members, 1984 also made people think with its deep and meaningful symbolism. The sash that Julia wore was meant to be for the ‘Anti Sex League’, but it had so much more meaning than this. It was a distinguishing factor between her and the men that surrounded her. It was also a reason for Winston to look at her and therefore fall in love with her. But the major symbolism behind the sash was her defiance against Big Brother. When she wore it she seemed different and interesting, she stood out from the bland background from which she dwelled and that was why it was significant. From the very start of the show, symbolism was flowing through each individual’s mind subconsciously. The spot light at the start of the show, symbolized Big Brother’s watch over the people and in this case, the audience. It may not have seemed significant, but it was making an impression in the audience’s heads before the y even knew what the play was about. Props were also used symbolically. The notebook that Winston wrote in was a symbolic way to spew his thoughts onto paper and for the audience to audibly hear what Winston was thinking. This was imperative for the narrative to add extra meaning and depth. The last section of symbolism in 1984 was the room that Winston rented out. It was an oasis, an escape from the torture that was life. The room was lit brighter than the rest of the set and felt warm and comforting; it was a last look at a previous life, one without Big Brother. The authenticity of the room gave it contrast from the rest of the set made it stand out that little bit more, but it was inevitably the  downfall of Winston and Julia’s relationship. This irony was well mastered and presented by the cast. Not all creative prowess was based on the characters in 1984. The set was outstanding in creating an environment that really did feel post apocalyptic. Not only did it have the rotating part to open up into a different room but also it proved multi-purposeful. It served as a jail, a lonely street, the comforting home and a torture cell as well as the woods, all without changing the background. This was possible because of the creative genius that was the television screens. They completely revolutionized the feel of the play and created a strong atmospheric impression upon the audience. Not only did they serve as a look into Winston’s mind but they also painted a beautiful picture of his dreams. As well as being a depiction of Winston, they portrayed security cameras and television screens to enhance the story even further. This technological addition to the performance made the already insightful story even more profound. Shake and Stir have done an inestimable justice to Orwell’s 1984. With the role of characters structurally thought-out down to the finest points, the mood was set and designed to divide the minds of audiences and make them question reality at the present. They created symbolism that was insightful and thought provoking while still being detectable. Stunningly raw sets merged with large screens that created a post apocalyptic world in front of the eyes of viewers. Audience members leave the theatre wondering†¦ â€Å"Is Big Brother watching?†

Progressive Case Study

Progressive Case Study Progressive Auto Insurance company is among many other competing firms in the industry. Some of the others include State Farm, Allstate, and GEICO. They are currently the third biggest private auto insurance industry. From the time they came into existence they have strived for being the most innovative company in the market and shared the values of â€Å"fair, fast, best. † Beginning in 1957 Progressive mainly dealt with standard drivers but soon after they developed a strategy that benefitted them greatly.For the next 25 years they started to focus on the nonstandard driver, who are the drivers that insurers would not cover. Particularly they segmented motorcyclists who had recently received a DUI. They priced the premiums high which resulted in high profitability. They found out that the motorcyclists were actually a lot lower risk than other companies originally perceived. Starting in 1990, they started a practice of immediate response which reduced trauma for the person involved and also helped them in getting an accurate quote for the damages.They also introduced the gold card which reduced the time it took for people to respond to Progressive. In 1995, Progressive became the first insurance company to expand its business to the world wide web essay writer website. The biggest innovative move they made was in 2000 when they introduced the concierge service which included full service repair and customer service at their own shops. Starting in 2006 Progressive was enjoying high profitability due to unanticipated accident frequencies.Thus many companies cut their prices to keep up with the competition. The problem with this is severe underwriting losses. They tried the tactic of reducing prices below their competitors in hope to gain market share but this was the opposite result for them. The CEO Glenn Renwick recommended slowly returning to the underwriting profits of 4% rather than the drastic price drops which could hurt the m if the accident frequencies increased.JD power and Associates gave Progressive a sub par score for overall customer satisfaction of 14. They also fared low on brand awareness ranking in at 57% unaided brand awareness. Their competitors were at GEICO(79%), Allstate(69%), and State Farm(74%). Although they increased their advertising from 8 million in 1997 to 263 million in 2006, they were lagging behind the leading competitors in the field. Although Progressive have been striving as an innovative insurance company they have been lacking behind a few leading companies.It appears that they may need to narrow in on their strengths and cut out some of their programs to make sure they are ensuring high customer satisfaction. After learning that there are many risks out there, people want to know that they will be in good hands after a major disaster or incident. People will always rely on insurance companies because there numerous risks out there that people face everyday. With these co mpanies people feel at ease about the everyday risks that they constantly endure.

Paraphrase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Paraphrase - Essay Example because of the carelessness of Sprint, he sustained an injury in the left ankle, pain, nervousness, emotional distress, and anxiety of body and mind; which are disabling, progressive and permanent. According to OSHA standards, there must be regulations concerning the guarding of floor and wall holes that may harm any individual within the workplace. According to the guidelines, when a floor hole cover is not in place, then the hole ought to be protected by a removable standard barricade or someone must be allocated at the given spot, to warn other individuals (www.osha.gov). Despite this, Sprint did not consent to the negligence claim based on lack of OSHA standards. Moreover, an employee of Sprint completed an incident report the same day (May 28, 1997) the accident took place, but it was protected by the work product and attorney-client privileges. The verdict was Sprint was not at fault, and Mr. Ratcliff was completely at fault. This was in favor of Sprint. This was based on the fact the sufficiency of evidence claim was meritless as Mr. Ratcliff stepped into a hole that was visible and his claimed injury was caused before the incident and mental condition. According to the testimony of Mr. Bondurant, he was splicing wires with his feet in the opening when the incident took place. Moreover, multiple witnesses saw him working in the hole, and they knew where the hole was. Nevertheless, the trial court did not neglect its judgment in acknowledging evidence of workers compensation claim, as well as the exclusion of an incident report. In addition, the court’s exclusion of OSHA regulations was a not a detrimental mistake. Mr. Ratcliff announced his financial condition into the case when asked by his lawyer on direct examination concerning his failure to get medical attention, and he uttered that he could not â€Å"afford that option†; this is an exception to the general rule of inadmissibility of collateral source expenses. The defense was able to attack this

Research Paper - Canadian Art - The Group of Seven Essay

Research Paper - Canadian Art - The Group of Seven - Essay Example The original group members comprised of Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, F.H. Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. Macdonald, and F.H. Varley. Interestingly, they started out as magazine illustrators. Their main objective was to adhere to a uniquely Canadian method of painting landscapes (Smith, n.d.). In particular, Harris was an art student in Berlin before he came back to Toronto (Smith, n.d.). He started drawing inspirations from the Laurentians and the Alogonquin Park (Naasgard, 2008). He became specifically fascinated by the northern part of Canada because of its extensiveness and seeming mystique. It was in 1912 that Harris met Macdonald, Jackson, and eventually the rest of the unit members (Naasgard, 2008). The rest of the Group of Seven’s history sprang from there. It was inevitable though that some members would come and go. Johnston for instance, went away after their first art show and was replaced by A.J. Casson (Smith, n.d.). This makes Casson truly a part of the Group of Seven. Moreover, the group opened itself to other members who want to join in their exhibit. They didn’t have to be landscape artists in specific. Even a woman, in the person of Emily Carr, was one of those the group invited. What was important for the Group of Seven was that both members and non-members promote a different way of depicting Canadian art. In general, the Group of Seven art was characterized by a joyful and attractive style. Their works featured an original way of depicting landscapes by producing visuals of the Northern part of Canada that were not explored before. The colors that were often seen in the paintings included browns and burst of oranges (Adamczyk, 2008). But in the case of Harris, he also incorporated his uniqueness by the way he stripped some details off from his painting. To point out a few, he had the tendency to portray trees losing their

Changes after King's speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Changes after King's speech - Essay Example However, there is a serious claim from several critics of the social policy in America that the situation of the blacks has not changed considerably and blacks are still affected by large scale discrimination and similar tendencies. Therefore, many critics are still in disagreement about the condition of blacks in America since the great speech by Martin Luther King occurred on August 28, 1963, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. In this paper, the main focus has been an investigation of the impact of Martin Luther King speech in determining the situation of blacks who were affected greatly by discrimination and racial injustice. Therefore, it is important to note that the works and speech of Martin Luther King was in the background of severe attacks and violence on the blacks and there were several instances of discrimination and racial injustice against this group. Decades after the influential speech by King, there is a strong view that the situation of the black s has not changed considerably and discrimination against the community still exists in America today. ... The society of the Martin Luther King period is greatly understood as a fragmented community in which the situation of the blacks was not at all comfortable. There was discrimination against the blacks in every sphere of social life and the realization about this fate of the people made King perform his great activities of Civil Rights Movement and make the significant speech of "I Have a Dream". "The militancy of the civil rights movement forced Americans to recognize that the United States was a fragmented society. The forms of oppression, exploitation, and physical abuse had produced routine conditions of fear and anger among African Americans Segregated schools, buses, lunch counters, swimming pools, rest rooms, and drinking fountains were among the many aspects of public life that restricted the freedom of movement of black Americans. Discrimination in voter registration, housing, college admissions, and employment were among the aspects of public life by which blacks were releg ated to an inferior status." (Neal, 149-50) Therefore, the situation of the blacks in connection to social and racial justice was not desirable and the Civil Rights Movement was a protest against all the elements which resulted in the discrimination and racial injustice against the blacks. The blacks were no more willing to further endure the humiliations imposed on them due to the policies of the state and this resulted in acute crisis for those committed to upholding the status quo. At this time, the nation became traumatized by the developments of confrontation in its internal contradictions. The influence of Martin Luther King, the transformational orator, in affecting the condition of the blacks is beyond questions. Martin Luther King is regarded as one of

International Arbitration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Arbitration - Research Paper Example It is not a surprise that the research compares the two, though they are more of a single state, China and Hong Kong have different ways of tackling international cases and in this research states the differences and similarities, the advantages and disadvantages that arise because of those differences and similarities. In Hong Kong, the court ensures minimum interference in international arbitration and everything to do with supervising legal matters of international arbitration is done by the Hong Kong International Arbitration Center and the other bodies within it. The company took over all the responsibilities in international arbitration that would have been carried out by the Hong Kong court. The case is different for China where the People's court is also in part responsible for dealing with international arbitration though it also has an independent body with which it works. So this is meant to give all these details and come up with the best means of court's involvement in international arbitration and cases of the like. Research results will be based on the literature that is available about the two states but also on the answers and responses that will be received from the interviews and questionnaires that will be distributed. This research is meant to explain China's and Hong Kong's courts' supervision and assistance in internationa... The research will also try to compare the local arbitration procedures to international procedures in order to assist in getting a difference between the procedures of handling local cases and those of handling international cases. The research aims at pointing out areas that need improvement and therefore come up with suggestions to improve the Chinese court's involvement in international arbitration as compared to Hong Kong's. The Objective of the Research With detailed information on the involvement of the court of the people's republic of China in international arbitration, this research will also bring to light the position of Hong Kong's court in international arbitration. Just as for the people's republic of China so shall it be for Hong Kong, the research seeks to find out Hong Kong's courts involvement in terms of supervision and assistance in international arbitration. From the findings a comparison will be made of the two involvements i.e. the involvement of the court of People's Republic of China in international arbitration and the involvement of the Hong Kong court in supervising international arbitration. Therefore the main objective of this research is to compare the involvement of the two courts in international arbitration, analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the degree of the court's involvement in international arbitration and from these come up with suggestions on what the court could do to improve international arbitration. Both for the people's republic of China and for Hong Kong. The Scope of the Research The scope of the study will be the court of the People's Republic of China and the Hong

Cliente Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cliente Project - Assignment Example As the patient is having obesity, so the physician has decided to suggest physical training facilities. It has been expected that the physical exercise will be suitable for restoring the patient’s condition. As the patient is having high blood pressure and diabetes, the clinical exercise testing is preferably suitable for the patient’s health condition. The cardiorespiratory testing is considered to be one of the important diagnoses for those patients who are suggested for Clinical Exercise Testing. Cardiorespiratory testing is important for those patients affected by hypertension or high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and obesity. Thus, the client is suitable for the cardiorespiratory testing. 4. GXT test includes HR rates, BP level and physical description such as height and weight of the clients. The test diagnoses the vulnerability of the heart dieses. GXT termination is helpful to identify the VO2max of the client by the exercised prescription. The 1 RM (repetition maximum) is the test of gold standard test which is concerning with the group mussels. For the upper body, the 1 RM is 300 lb barbell weight. The 1 RM upper body is 80% of 1 RM x 300 lbs barbell = 240 lb barbell. Adult patients are facing several changes on their health. The changes majorly affect the psychology of the patients. Adults of age group within 60 face problems related to obesity, blood pressure, blood sugar or diabetics and hypertension. The heath condition of the client is estimated based on the strength and weakness of the client’s profile. The client is of 60 years of age and does not have any major injury or major health related issues. The height of the patients is ascertained to be 6’0†. Though the client is little obese, but he does not want to make so much effort to lose the weight. Additionally, the patient is having regular exercise, which may have a good impact on

Proven research based teaching methods to meet the needs of students Essay

Proven research based teaching methods to meet the needs of students with Learning Disabilities in the middle grades - Essay Example on project in Syracuse, New York, directed by William Cruickshank and his colleagues, 1961), they reflected the traditional service-delivery model of the times - the self-contained special education classroom. Until the passage in 1975 of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), few states recognized learning disabilities as a handicapping condition that required the provision of special education services (Baker et al., 1995). But EHA changed all that. With a mandate to serve and with federal guidelines for diagnosis, publicly funded special education programs for students with learning disabilities became commonplace; the number of students classified as learning disabled (LD) and provided with special education services in public schools rose from 797,212 in 1976-77 to 2,214,326 in 1991-92 U.S. (Department of Education, Tenth Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1988) On the other hand, in an ideal world, teaching and development would be inextricably linked. As teachers observed childrens intellectual, social, and academic growth, they also would seek to foster such progress. Routine observations with respect to childrens abilities would be complemented with consideration of how instruction or the classroom environment supports learning. This activity, the close observation of learning in response to instruction, is an exercise in problem solving and constitutes an essential element of diagnostic assessment. Whether in the classroom or the clinic, the interest is not simply to categorize a child under a particular label or diagnostic scheme but also to uncover the kind of instruction and educational setting that will lead to continued development. More specifically, the teacher must construct (a) an understanding of the childs current abilities, (b) a description of the kind of instruction the child should receive to make

Does the idea of equal opportunity demand or prohibit cultural and Essay

Does the idea of equal opportunity demand or prohibit cultural and religious exemptions in the multicultural society - Essay Example On the other hand, it should be noticed that in most countries around the world the development of various legal and social ethics is based on certain principles the most important of which is equality; the specific principle is often used by governments internationally in order to justify their decisions on a variety of issues related with people’s daily life. The principle of equality is further divided into sub-principles like the equal opportunity one. Generally, it could be stated equal opportunity should prohibit the exemptions related with culture and decision within modern societies; of course, there are cases where such exemptions should apply – when the criteria for the development of these exemptions cannot be related with the principle of equal opportunity (e.g. specific religious exemptions based on the existed religious rules of a particular region). In order to evaluate whether the principle of equal opportunity can be used in order to impose or prohibit cultural and religious exemptions in modern society it is necessary to refer primarily to the general framework of equal opportunity – as developed in modern states influenced by the relevant theoretical and empirical studies on this field. Other issues, like the relationship between the state and the church and the involvement of culture in the development of specific social principles could be also examined. In order to understand the importance of equal of opportunity within the modern society and its interaction with various social and cultural principles and ethics, it is necessary primarily to refer to its meaning and its characteristics. In accordance with a definition published by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2002, online version) equality of opportunity is a political ideal that is opposed to caste hierarchy but not to hierarchy per se; the background assumption is that a society contains a hierarchy of more and less desirable, superior and inferior positions’. The

The Future of the Spanish Language in the Unted States Essay

The Future of the Spanish Language in the Unted States - Essay Example Surveys have showed that nearly all US Spanish speakers are indeed Hispanic and this population is increasing at a tremendous rate within the United States. It was in the year 1989 that the Hispanic populace was around 20.1 million within the country which was in essence a 39 percent increase to the figure that was calculated in 1980 Census, at 14.5 million. The rate at which the US population increased during this period was estimated at 9.5 percent but the Hispanic population grew at 7.5 percent. Some studies suggest that Hispanic immigrants who move towards the United States in the wake of seeking better opportunities in life do not make an effort to learn English. They rather focus on their own language – a fact that both works to their advantage and disadvantage at the same time. (Estrada, 1988) The benefiting aspect is that they remain in constant touch with what is happening back home and they can move out and gain acceptance within their own society. The limitation of not learning English is that since English is a universal language, they must out on similar opportunities to gain jobs and the like within United States. One important pointer for consideration lies in the fact that Spanish language is taken up by a teenager if his/her parents force him/her to take up the language within the realms of the United States. Since the young ones have been born and bred within the States itself, they do not feel the inclination to learn Spanish and thus do a great disservice to their own language. They are more inclined to find out more or just have a somewhat easy understanding of the English language as it facilitates them in their day to day tasks and activities. (Garcia, 1983)

The Changing Urban Geography of the Inner East End and the City of London Essay Example for Free

The Changing Urban Geography of the Inner East End and the City of London Essay Tower Hamlets have been inhabited for 2000 years, with a detailed history going back to the Roman invasion of 43AD. The world famous Tower of London stands on the River Thames on the western boundary of the borough. It dates from the reign of William the Conqueror in the 11th century and in the past 900 years it has been used as a fortress, royal palace, zoo and state prison. Much of borough was marshland at this time. As London expanded and the pressure for development intensified, the land was gradually drained and reclaimed. A cluster of small communities was established, known locally as the hamlets around the tower which is the origin of the boroughs name. The areas population spread south from Spitalfields and Whitechapel as works to prevent flooding of the Thames allowed many new houses and wharves to be built at Blackwall, Poplar, Shadwell and Wapping. These areas grew as centres of shipbuilding and repair. Lime kilns to make mortar for the building industry were established, giving their name to Limehouse. The construction of Bow Bridge over the River Lee in Henry 1s reign improved access to the tide mills on the east bank. It wasnt until the 16th century that the area really began to thrive. During that century Whitechapel was a bustling suburb of London, becoming a centre for trades, such as metalworking, brick making and tanning, not allowed in the City because of danger, noise and smell. The dissolution of the monasteries by 1536 freed land for building and London grew rapidly. The split between east and west London became marked with the west attracting courtiers, gentry and professional classes and the east the trades, industry and commerce. Shipbuilding spread rapidly along the riverside and became concentrated on the Isle of Dogs. Some say it was so named because Henry VIII exercised his hunting dogs there but it may well have originated from Isle of Docks. Factories and rows of terraced houses consumed the rural landscape of the 18th century, except for pockets of land saved for parks and gardens, in particular, Victoria Park, Stepney Green, Bethnal Green Gardens and Island Gardens, which remain to this day. The maritime character of the hamlets around the Tower was transformed in appearance during the 19th century, with the building of huge warehouses and high walled docks. The West India Dock, which opened in 1802, was the first enclosed dock built on the Thames for cargo handling and within 26 years the East India, London and St. Katharine Docks were all working. As the workshops, docks and factories of East London made a major contribution to the development of London as world trading centre, it was very much at the expense of workers who endured damaging working conditions. Two famous East London strikes played an important part in organising unskilled workers into unions. In 1888, Annie Besant led the match girls at Bryant and Mays factory in Bow, in their fight for better conditions. The following year saw Ben Tillet, Tom Mann and John Burns lead the dockers strike to raise wages to 5d per hour, less than 3p in todays currency. Philanthropists of every description were drawn to the East End. Dr Barnardo trained at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel and founded his first home for orphans in Hope Place, Stepney in 1866. The first Ragged Day School was set up in canal-side warehouses at Mile End and is now a museum about the East End and the lives of its children. Salvation Army founder William Booth began preaching on the Mile End Waste in 1865. In 1869 the Baroness Burdett-Coutts built a gigantic covered market called Columbia, in Bethnal Green. Of the many political figures in the boroughs history, George Lansbury Councillor, Mayor of Poplar, Member of Parliament and Leader of the Labour Party from 1931 to 1935 did much to try and improve conditions for local people. Sylvia Pankhurst headed the militant East London branch of the Suffragette movement based on Old Ford Road. The borough is historically famous for providing refuge to those fleeing persecution. In the 18th century, the area was occupied by the silk weavers largely descended from the Huguenot refugees (French Protestants escaping from Catholic persecution in France). A hundred years later, Jews fleeing the pogroms in Eastern Europe founded a thriving community. At the same time, a Chinese community was established in Limehouse as a result of merchant trading. Throughout its history, Tower Hamlets has continued its trend of welcoming people of different faiths and cultures. During the 20th century newcomers from Bangladesh settled in Spitalfields and the surrounding areas, along with Somali and Vietnamese refugees. With its culture and cuisine, the predominant Bangladeshi community gives such life and vitality to the area that it has been dubbed Banglatown. This is in stark contrast to the mid 20th century period when much of the area was destroyed by bombing during the Second World War. The borough suffered more than any other part of London during the war twenty four thousand homes and much of its industry were destroyed. The post war period was also a difficult time as the traditional dock industries fell into rapid decline, leaving substantial areas of land and buildings vacant and derelict. But Tower Hamlets has a history of responding to the demands of time. After several decades of failed schemes and plans, part of the borough (all of the Isle of Dogs and most of Wapping) was designated an economic development zone. As a result the years since 1980 have seen massive expansion of new industries and employment, and an extraordinary landscape-changing transformation has taken place. Empty warehouses have been converted and derelict sites have been replaced by towering office blocks and contemporary housing complexes, many with award-winning glass and steel designs. The borough has altered greatly over the centuries, but much of its history survives today in the original street patterns, place names, architectural heritage and the absorption of people from many different backgrounds into todays growing community. The Tower hamlets were built in 1963 when the boroughs of Stepney, Poplar and Bethnal Green were merged together. This area is nowadays known as the East End of London. The fresh Docklands and Riverside developments are slowly changing the area away from being just a working-class area. For the last 400 years the residents in this area have generally been craftsmen, labourers and those who worked for the richer city dwellers. The Tower Hamlets became an extremely important industrial area, in the unloading, storing and processing of goods coming into London. However the working conditions in these areas have traditionally been very appalling. The major industry during the Second World War in this area was the docks, but the Tower Hamlets were extremely badly damaged during the Blitz. This had a disastrous effect on the docks, and this saw the decline of them. The London City Council produced a post-war rebuilding scheme, even after a huge amount of people had migrated out of the area. This resulted in the area becoming more residential than industrial. The area in the borough contained post-war Edwardian and Victorian terraces, and at this time it was not very aesthetically pleasing, and did not attract a great deal of visitors to the area. The Tower of London however, is a huge place in Britains history dating back to 1067, and holds the Crown Jewels. The Tower Bridge is continually refurbished for the reason that it attracts a huge number of tourists the whole year round. After the closing of the docks, a enormous urban generation took place, which meant that some of the area was rebuilt completely and to a very high standard, an example of this being Canary Wharf, which holds numerous high rise office buildings. There are now also attractive housing developments and a much better service and leisure infrastructure. Spittalfields Spitalfields lies at the heart of the East End of London and is famous for its bustling street markets. Many people are drawn to Spitalfields for the wide variety of eateries found around the markets. Brick Lane is known for its curry restaurants, and with its predominant Bangladeshi community. The area is historically famous for providing refuge to those fleeing persecution. In the 18th century, the area was occupied by the silk weavers largely descended from the Huguenot refugees (French Protestants escaping from Catholic persecution in France). A hundred years later, jews fleeing the pogroms in Eastern Europe, founded a thriving community. Nowhere is the unique history of the area better depicted than in the history of the local mosque. The mosque in Brick Lane has been a place of worship for different faiths for hundreds of years. It was first built as church by the Huguenots but changed use to become a synagogue when a jewish community replaced the protestant population. This shows how the immigrants who came into this area has changed considerably. First it was the Hugenos who came in 1700s to Fournier Street and brought the silk industry with them. They came due to the persecution of French protestants in France in the late 1600s. The Eastern European Jews who migrated in the 1881 due to persecution changed the area to a synagogue, while the Bangladeshis built it into a mosque in the 1950s. By the middle of the 20th century the jewish community had mostly moved on and the building was converted again, this time into a mosque to serve the Bangladeshi community. With its culture and cuisine the Bangladeshi influence gives a cosmopolitan feel to Spitalfields. The influence is so striking that the area has been dubbed Bangla Town. Architecturally, the narrow lanes and alleyways of Spitalfields typify the bustling street life of Charles Dickens London. Spitalfields covered market was built in 1682 and is a fine example of the hamlets architecture. It now houses a lively crafts and antique market with an international and organic The nearby Brick Lane Market developed during the 18th century for farmers selling their livestock and produce outside the city boundary. Today the market offers wide array of fruit and vegetables, clothes and household goods. Petticoat Lane Market is renowned for its clothing and leather goods. To the south of Spitalfields is Whitechapel Road, which is world famous as the only East End street on the Monopoly board. More locally the road is famous for the East London Mosque, The Royal London Hospital and museum and the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. However on the topic of housing, Spitalfields is not of very high standard. The inner city, which is predominantly Bangladeshi, has a very low owner occupation rate, but this has increased dramatically in the last 30 years, showing how much it has come forward in the last few decades in terms of both size and standard. A reason for this is the law introduced which allowed people to buy from the council, which allowed the houses to be refurbished through gentrification. Despite this, Spittalfields is still a rather poor area, with high housing densities, no central heating and other serious characteristics of deprivation. Former Bishops Gate goods yard is a very rundown area and shows the great decline in the area. It has been in decline for the last 25 years and is now used as a car park, which is typical for areas around the area. The new Church on Commercial Street is a strong reflection of the change in land use of the area as a large majority of churches were bombed during the Second World War and this is being redeveloped. As we go further into the city of London away from the East End we see that there are increasing more new office blocks being developed with 10 -12% in Canary Warf and many in Exchange Square. The reason for this is because companies save a lot of money, over 100% in fact making Exchange Square a popular area. Also, because of limited space, the law has come out allowing only British based companies to buy shares so many companies move to London and so land values are increased. Also an illustration of change in land use is Devonshire Square where East India Company Warehouses, which was a major trade company, are being converted into offices. This is unusually not near the docks but reason for its placement is due to the large space available. Also the buildings have had conversion to higher ceilings for air conditioning and cables for IT which again highlights the modernisation of the area. The Guild Hall is the heart of Londons government. It has had a lot of refurbishment since the 12th century and is the wealthiest local authority in Britain. It receives à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½6 million per annum from Natwest Bank from tax. It has responsibility for numerous things such as many open spaces around London (e.g. Burnham Beeches), for hygiene in markets, control of London University and controls part of London and Heathrow. These reasons show how this area of London is so significant and important. A very important wealthy area is the area of Guild Hall. The Big Bang attracted many foreign companies, which brought more wealth into the London economy. Over $450 billion a day pass through London in the foreign exchange which is obviously a huge amount of money, showing London is a very important city of the world. This proves the fact that London is the worlds second largest economic city, and earns $1.8 trillion in stocks shares. One of the reasons for this is because London is in the centre of the worlds time zones, so it open when other leading cities are open, such as New York and Tokyo, which is very advantageous. As well as that, London is the centre of the car manufacturing, which is the world largest manufacturing industry. The stocks and shares began in the Mansion Square, and the Bank of England is also located here. The London Mayors Office is also situated here. We appreciate how much the land use and people in London have changed over time, and the reasons for this actually occurring.

Study On Malcolm X Little

Study On Malcolm X Little Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in May 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. His father Earl Little was a Baptist teacher who was very outspoken on the Back to Africa movement. This was a movement of Black Nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Malcolms father was murdered in 1937 by white terrorist because of his political and social outspokenness. The death of Earl Little had a severely negative effect on Malcolms childhood and the entire Little family. Malcolms mother went mad under the weight of trying to bring up eight children alone in extreme poverty. His family was broken up and Malcolm went to live in a group foster home. In 1941, he went to live with his half sister in Boston. There he soon entered the fringes of the underworld and at the age of 17, he moved to Harlem where he turned to a life of crime, including drug dealing and armed robbery. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for armed robbery at the age of 20. In prison, Malcolm found an interest in the Nation of Islam, a Black Nationalist religious movement whose members are known as the Black Muslim. He became and advent follower of the leader of the Nation of Islam; Elijah Muhammad who was a strong advocate of the Black Independent state. His teachings were founded on traditional Islamic teachings, Black Nationalism as taught by Marcus Garvey and self help programmes that catered for the need of African American living in poverty. The nation of Islam declared that the whites were evil by nature and predicted that in the near future a great war would take place and all the whites would be destroyed and black people would rule the world. In preparation for this new world, the Nation of Islam stressed personal self restraint from drugs and alcohol, and organized economic self help enterprises. The nation of Islam recruited among the poorest of urban blacks and in prison which was were Malcolm Little converted to the Islamic faith and joine d the Nation of Islam. Malcolm X became a minster and a recruiter for the Nation of Islam and was appointed chief minster by Elijah Muhammad in 1954. Within five years of joining the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X had become a more prominent spokes person for the Nation of Islam than Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm X was a fundamental figure in his generation fighting against white supremacy against the blacks in America. He believed that the western societies were racist by nature and that African Americans should build their own societies and value systems. His course in life was from oppression and victimization to rebellion and revolutionary independence. His journey was from resistance to an informed radicalism. It was a journey from which he ultimately gathered political and historical insight which, combined with his tools of persuasion and skills at leadership, made him at the time of his death arguably the most dangerous figure in Americas history to confront its ruling class. LEADERSHIP AND ITS THEORIES Leadership is about coping with change. Leaders establish a course of action; develop a vision of the future and align the followers by communicating that vision and inspiring them to overcome hurdles. Leadership can also be said to be inspiring people to achieving a set of goal or vision. Great leaders have always been associated with certain trait and qualities which differentiate them from followers. The trait theory attempts to identify the characteristics that distinguish leaders from followers by focusing on their personal qualities and characteristics. Such characteristics include charisma or charm, ambition, drive, courage amongst others. These attributes and characteristics have been associated with great leaders from time in history. T Using the Big Five personality theory, the traits of ambition and energy in leaders are part of extroversion which has been identified as the most important trait of effective leaders. However extroversion has been identified as related strongly to leadership emergence rather than leadership effectiveness. Conscientiousness and openness to experience also are strongly correlated to leadership however not as strong as extroversion. Agreeableness and emotional stability on the other hand were not so strongly correlated with leadership. The Trait Theory suggest that leaders who like being around people and are able to assert themselves, who are disciplined and keep their commitments made, who are creative and flexible are in a better position to be good and effective leaders. Another trait that effective leaders have according to this theory is emotional intelligence. At the core of emotional intelligence is empathy. Empathic leaders can sense others needs, listen to their followers and show empathy to their plight. Malcolm X we have seen and observed that he had basic education because of his race and he was a convicted criminal. However, this did not affect his level of effectiveness as a leader. He was able to transition from a criminal to a spokes man for his people. He exhibited extroversion, conscientiousness, emotional intelligence (empathy) towards to the people and the vision of the group. Upon joining the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X wasnt the most active or longest serving member, he wasnt even high up in the hierarchy of things; however, he distinguished and demonstrated himself as a leader through his discipline, commitment, passion as a follower and his ability to assert himself on the followers of the vision of a Black Nation. These were the qualities that were identified by Elijah Mohammed that led to the selection of Malcolm X as Chief Minister for the Nation of Islam. There were two propositions made by the Ohio State Studies on leadership behaviour which they tagged initiating structure and consideration. Initiating structure includes behaviours that attempt to organize work, work relations and goals, providing structure in the organisation. It involves assignment of tasks to members of the group and expects a certain level of performance from followers. Consideration has to do with having job relations characterized by mutual trust, respect for followers feelings. A leader with high consideration is friendly, approachable and concerned with his followers personal problems. In the life of Malcolm X there were characteristics of a leader high in initiating structure in his organization of the fellow members, assigning task to them in their conduct of meetings and mobilization of new members for the nation of Islam. He also showed high levels of consideration as he commanded a lot of respect from members as he was friendly and approachable and had genuine concern for their well being as exemplified in the case of a member being brutalized by the police. Malcolm X mobilized fellow members of the group to the police station and facilitated the release of the member and ensured that he got medical care. This self sacrificial behaviour and concern for the followers attributes to his effectiveness in leadership. Leaders who have certain traits and display consideration and initiate structuring behaviours appear to be more effective. Malcolm X was able to find a balance between getting the job done and looking after the welfare of the members of the Nation of Islam. This is known as transformational leadership. The essence of Transformational Leadership Theory is the transformation of the attitudes, motivations and the behaviours of followers. Transformational leadership tries to raise the consciousness of followers by appealing to their self interest, moral values, mobilizing them to reform the institution they find themselves and in exchange provide benefits for the people by looking after their welfare. Such was the case of Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam with the African Americans that were oppressed in United States. Malcolm X was inspirational and visionary, he was intellectually stimulating, he gave attention, respect and responsibility to his followers. However transformational leadership theory alone cannot be used to explain the leadership style of Malcolm X, a further theory that can be used is the Charismatic Leadership theory. This is often thought of a sibling of transformational leadership or as a component of transformational leadership. This kind of leadership is best suited into political leadership This Leadership theory is based on the perception of the followers that the leader is an exceptional human being. The followers willing to obey their leader, in some cases they idolize their leader and are highly emotionally involved to the mission of the group. However based on Self concept theory, the above are not a necessary condition for Charismatic Leadership Charismatic leadership generates increased self esteem and self worth for the leader, increased self efficacy and collective efficacy of the whole group, identification with the leader and the whole group and the internalization of the values of the leader. Charismatic leadership depends on the whole situation surrounding the leader, the leaders identity, behaviour, the culture, the followers identity and the groups all entwined. Charisma is likely attributed to leaders that have a vision that is highly controversial but for the ultimate benefit of the followers. These leaders must act in unconventional ways in order to impress the followers. This might include risking their lives for the course and vision they have for the people. Charismatic leadership can be used to describe Malcolm X style of leadership because he openly challenged the ruling class and spoke in a manner that was considered a threat to the American society. Malcolm X was self sacrificing and wasnt motivated by financial reward but the vision of the Nation of Islam which was why his followers trusted him because he was committed to the cause. This leadership style of Malcolm X was influenced by his perceived leader Elijah Mohammed who was a very charismatic leader. Malcolm X encounter with Mohammed was such a transformation in his life that he was ready to lay down his life for Mohammed. He was ready to do anything that Mohammed would ask of him. Malcolm X idolized Mohammed and most likely copied his leadership style as he saw Mohammed as a man sent from Allah. This was because Mohammed exuded such strong convictions and self confidence about his vision for the Nation of Islam and his beliefs that there was a deliverance coming to the people. The praise and recognition received by Malcolm X and his rise to fame by being appointed chief minster by Muhammad further built up his self confidence and a deeper obligation to meeting the set standard by Mohammed. Malcolm X was also influenced by him internalizing the new belief of the nation of Islam by adopting the belief of Mohammed and his vision. Another influence on the transformational/charismatic leadership style of Malcolm X was his environment. In his time America was in a crisis; the blacks were in a crisis, having suffered from racism, oppression and victimization from the ruling class. The African Americans were looking for a leader to give them hope of a better tomorrow and Malcolm X provided that hope. This situation of crisis was an influence in the leadership style of Malcolm X. Comparing and contrasting the leadership styles of Malcolm X and West Indian Archie who introduced Malcolm X to the world of drinking, drugs and armed robbery. Archie had a transactional leadership style, where the leader rewards the follower for performance. Such was the relationship between Archie and Malcolm X. This style of leadership is non inspirational, non motivation and commitment and level of trust is low and in some cases non-existent as seen in the movie. Also comparing Malcolm X leadership style and that of Baines, Malcolm X was a more of a transformational /Charismatic leader while Baines was more of a transactional leader, where the leader offers rewards for compliance and performance. Transactional leadership style motivates followers by appealing to the followers self interest and exchange of benefits. This kind of leadership is necessary but not sufficient for the overall performance of the group. Unlike transformational leadership, transactional leadership isnt concerned about the welfare of the followers or their emotion or their needs but rather on getting the job done. In this form of leadership, followers are only rewarded based on their actions, behaviours and compliance with the expectations of the leader. As such the followers are not very committed to the leader and have a lower level of trust for that kind of leader than the transformational /Charismatic leader. The difference in leadership style as well as beliefs and expectations of Malcolm X and Baines might have led to the conflict that arose between Malcolm X and the leaders of the Nation of Islam. The conflict of interest that arose due to the other leaders enriching themselves at the expense of the vision and the followers was a major turn in the life of Malcolm X as well as the rumours of Muhammads extramarital affairs with young secretaries. Such actions were against the teachings of the Nation. Although at first Malcolm X ignored the rumours, but the women started making their accusations public and this was potentially damaging to the Nation of Islam. After several denials, Muhammad later confirmed the rumours and tried to justify his actions by referring to precedents by Biblical prophets. This was a major betrayal for Malcolm X. FOLLOWERS RELATIONSHIP WITH LEADERSHIP Upon release from prison, Malcolm X became a follower, a follower of Elijah Mohammed, a follower of the Nation of Islam. He played a passive role in this leadership followership relationship as well as when he was peddling drugs on the streets of Harlem with West Indian Archie, he was a recipient of leadership from West Indian Archie This role the follower plays can be described as followers as recipients of leadership. This is essentially a linear relationship between the leader and followers. After he was chosen as the chief minister for the nation of Islam, Malcolm x was still a follower of Mohammed, however he had evolved from a follower as a recipient of leadership to being a moderator of leadership. This is based on the situation theory and depends on the level of maturity and needs of the follower amongst other factors. The leader moves from the telling style to the selling style, the participatory style then finally to the delegating style. Malcolm X exhibited high level of maturity, motivation and had an established relationship with Mohammed which made him a moderator of leadership Followers as moderators of leadership suggests that though followers see themselves as passive in the relationship but the influence the leader has maybe moderated by the level of maturity, ability and motivation of the follower. The leader must take on an active role in the leadership process. There are aspects of followers that leaders need to take into account when leading these are: the followers initial attitude towards the leader, the followers acceptance of the leader, the followers need for emotional support and the followers knowledge and congruence of their values with that of the leader. After becoming the chief spokes person for the influence Mohammed had over Malcolm X -his follower was neutralize meaning that the task oriented or relationship oriented activities made no difference to the attitude and behaviour of Malcolm X. Followers as substitute for leadership originates from the substitutes for leadership theory, which argues that under some circumstances, the influence that a leader exacts over his follower may be substituted or neutralized. In the case of substitution, the activities of the leader are not necessary. However this requires the followers to be highly intelligent and very experienced hence might not have need for a leader as was with Malcolm X. The substitute theory deemphasizes the significance of the leader. Followers are also seen as constructors of leadership because if they do not recognize it as leadership then it isnt leadership. There are three theories that identify the construction process. These are the romance of leadership theory; where the identity and influence of the leader depends on the manner in which their followers perceive them, psychoanalytic theories; which identifies that leadership is influenced by the model of leadership exhibited by parents teachers and other adults in the maturation process from child to adulthood in the case of Malcolm X the influence of his father as a human right advocate to his style of leadership, the social identity theory proposes the extent to which a leader is selected by a group will depend on how representative he/she is to that group. CONCLUSION In conclusion, Malcolm X was a great person because of his honesty and sacrifice. He was a transformation and charismatic leader that influenced millions in his generation and generations after to stand up for their rights and beliefs and freedom. His words and actions are still celebrated in America even today.

Movie Fight Club Essay -- Film Films Movies Movie Fight Club Essays

Movie Fight Club   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the following analysis, I will be discussing the movie Fight Club’s two main characters. They are â€Å"Jack† played by Edward Norton, and Tyler Durden played by Brad Pitt. However the twist to the movie turns out that Jack and Tyler are the same person and Tyler is Jack’s real name. Tyler the character is everything that Jack the character is not. The story narration is provided by the protagonist of â€Å"Fight Club,† â€Å"Jack.† The ambivalent protagonist, who only refers to himself as â€Å"Jack.† An ambivalent protagonist, usually the main character, is someone the audience likes, but who possesses character flaws.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The character â€Å"Jack† is a character the audience will feel sympathy for and even come to like. However, it is obvious he has serious problems. â€Å"Jack’s† main problem, what the audience comes to find out, is his alter ego, Tyler Durden. â€Å"Jack† struggles to take control as he sees that Tyler’s acts of vandalism are wrong. However, he cannot stop himself until the very end. However, even before the character of Tyler Durden is introduced it is clear that â€Å"Jack† has personal problems; insomnia, discontent for his job, and a dependency on support groups. â€Å"Jack† is also faced with a moral dilemma as well as constantly being put into danger, another characteristic of the ambivalent protagonist. â€Å"Jack† has the personality of an obedient, yet not very outgoing man. He goes to work, comes home, and wants to simplify his life. He sets up his life as simply as possible. For example, he wears the same white shirt, black pants, and black tie everyday. Jack is a very subservient type of person. For example, he goes to meetings his boss doesn’t want to attend. He hates his job and he hates his life, however he thinks he is ok with the job and his life but is tired of doing the same thing everyday. It is important to see that â€Å"Jack† picks out items that would best represent the type of person he is such as the furniture in his house.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He is a gen-xer that has grown to the point of despair. He can not sleep. He has to have every little clever trinket that he sees. The only way he finds happiness is crashing support groups for those with terminal diseases. He says it is amazing how much people care when they think you are dying.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Durden on the other hand is a man with little scruples. He is not an evil man. He just wants to wa... ... he wanted to be all along and that he didn’t need to live through Tyler anymore. He had conquered the inner conflict of his boring life and by him seeing the credit card companies fall, he had realized that he had undergone the change he wanted to at last.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion the characters go hand-in-hand to the point where the resolve is Jack realizing that he truly had shaken the life he never wanted to be and become the â€Å"Tyler† he always wanted to be. It can be seen as though â€Å"Jack† was a boy being jealous and envious of another boy, â€Å"Tyler†. Tyler was the boy everyone wanted to be like. However, in the end, â€Å"Jack† grew up and took a little bit of â€Å"Tyler† with him, but did not let â€Å"Tyler† take control. The way he commanded at the end when he shot himself, by giving orders to the members and Marla was not something â€Å"Jack† would have done. This lets us know that the character of â€Å"Jack† has grown up and evolved on his way to becoming the complete and ideal character he wanted to be. As the story unfolds it brings these two seemingly opposite characters in a unique relationship, which resolves the movie in a very original way. The irony remains subtle, and is missed by most.

Orwell’s Totalitarian Government in 1984 Essay -- Literary Analysis

George Orwell’s key objective throughout his novel, 1984, was to convey to his readers the imminent threat of the severe danger that totalitarianism could mean for the world. Orwell takes great measures to display the horrifying effects that come along with complete and dominant control that actually comes along with totalitarian government. In Orwell’s novel, personal liberties and individual freedoms that are protected and granted to many Americans today, are taken away and ripped from the citizen’s lives. The government takes away freedom and rights from the people so that the ruling class (which makes up the government), while reign with complete supremacy and possess all power. George Orwell declared himself as a Socialist, and he was a strong believer that people desperately need to maintain a sense of willingness to rebel against the government, in case there is ever need for it (rebellion). Orwell did not fear rebelling and taking a stand for what he believed in. This is evident especially because Orwell wrote this famous novel, that is now classified around the world as must-read literature, to bring awareness to the world, and the potential oppression that could eventually form if things continued in the way they were currently going at the time. Orwell lived in a time when communism was a very clear and present danger that was beginning to be enforced in many parts of the world. During this time, it was believed by many that the central ideas presented by a communist government were ideal for all of society. However, Orwell knew differently. Orwell was able to envision how a seemingly supreme communist government would most definitely come along with the removal of liberties, freedoms, and rights of the people. Or... ...ally become of a world where leaders forced their communist ideas and rules upon all people, and Orwell was brave enough to point out what was inevitable to happen. Works Cited 1. "The Political Ideas of George Orwell | The Socialist Party of Great Britain." World Socialist Movement. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2012. . 2. Orwell, George. 1984, a novel. New York: New American Library, 1949. Print. 3. Arno, The. "Oscar Wilde - Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online. Discuss.." The Literature Network: Online classic literature, poems, and quotes. Essays & Summaries. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2012. . 4. Fuchs, Thomas. A concise biography of Adolf Hitler. Berkley ed. New York: Berkley Books, 2000. Print. Orwell’s Totalitarian Government in 1984 Essay -- Literary Analysis George Orwell’s key objective throughout his novel, 1984, was to convey to his readers the imminent threat of the severe danger that totalitarianism could mean for the world. Orwell takes great measures to display the horrifying effects that come along with complete and dominant control that actually comes along with totalitarian government. In Orwell’s novel, personal liberties and individual freedoms that are protected and granted to many Americans today, are taken away and ripped from the citizen’s lives. The government takes away freedom and rights from the people so that the ruling class (which makes up the government), while reign with complete supremacy and possess all power. George Orwell declared himself as a Socialist, and he was a strong believer that people desperately need to maintain a sense of willingness to rebel against the government, in case there is ever need for it (rebellion). Orwell did not fear rebelling and taking a stand for what he believed in. This is evident especially because Orwell wrote this famous novel, that is now classified around the world as must-read literature, to bring awareness to the world, and the potential oppression that could eventually form if things continued in the way they were currently going at the time. Orwell lived in a time when communism was a very clear and present danger that was beginning to be enforced in many parts of the world. During this time, it was believed by many that the central ideas presented by a communist government were ideal for all of society. However, Orwell knew differently. Orwell was able to envision how a seemingly supreme communist government would most definitely come along with the removal of liberties, freedoms, and rights of the people. Or... ...ally become of a world where leaders forced their communist ideas and rules upon all people, and Orwell was brave enough to point out what was inevitable to happen. Works Cited 1. "The Political Ideas of George Orwell | The Socialist Party of Great Britain." World Socialist Movement. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2012. . 2. Orwell, George. 1984, a novel. New York: New American Library, 1949. Print. 3. Arno, The. "Oscar Wilde - Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online. Discuss.." The Literature Network: Online classic literature, poems, and quotes. Essays & Summaries. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2012. . 4. Fuchs, Thomas. A concise biography of Adolf Hitler. Berkley ed. New York: Berkley Books, 2000. Print.

Comparing Boys and Girls by Alice Munro and A Clean Well-Lighted Place by Hemingway :: comparison compare contrast essays

Importance of Foils in Boys and Girls and A Clean Well-Lighted Place A Handbook to Literature says that the word "foil" literally means a "leaf" or a sheet "of bright metal placed under a piece of jewelry to increase its brilliance" ("Foil"). Thus when applied to literature, the term refers to "a character who makes a contrast with another, especially a minor character who helps set off a major character" (Barnett et al. 1331). For example, a foolish character may place a wise character's wisdom in a stronger light, or a cowardly character may make the hero's actions appear even more courageous. A foil is frequently an antagonist or confidant, but whoever the foil might be, the purpose is to illuminate one or more significant traits, attitudes or actions of a main character ("Foil" NTCE). In the story, '"A Clean Well-Lighted Place," by Ernest Hemingway, the younger waiter is a foil for both the older waiter and the old man who comes to drink in the café. The older waiter is concerned for the old man who has tried to kill himself. He understands that there are many lonely people who need a safe, well-lighted place to escape loneliness at night. The older waiter makes the comment near the end of the story that "each night I am reluctant to close up because there may be someone who needs the café" (1172). The older waiter is sympathetic to the old man because he himself is lonely. He confesses that " I am of those who like to stay late at the café, with all those who need a light for the night" (1172). On the other hand, the younger waiter has a wife to go home to and is irritated at the old man because he will not leave. He even says to the old man, who is deaf, "You should have killed yourself last week" (1170). This cruel remark contrasts sharply with the older waiter's characteristics of compassion, friendliness, and tolerance. In the story, " Boys and Girls," by Alice Munro, Laird is the foil for his sister, the narrator of the story. When the children are young, Laird's behavior contrasts with the maturity and responsibility shown by the girl. While she is busy watering the foxes, he goes off and swings "himself sick . . . going around in circles" or tries to catch caterpillars (987).

Multistep Synthesis of Benzilic Acid

Multi-Step Synthesis of Benzilic Acid from Benzoin Abstract: The main purpose of this experiment was to convert a secondary alcohol to a ketone, utilizing a mild and selective oxidizing agent. In addition, this converted alpha diketone was then subjected to rearrangement to a carboxylate salt, then acidification, to produce an alpha-hydroxyacid. In this experiment, benzoin was used and converted into benzil, which was then used to synthesize benzillic acid. The yields were not ideal: . 081g of benzil- a 27. 5% yield; . 038g of benzilic acid- a 34. 7% yield. The matching melting points and IR readings, however, confirmed a high degree of purity for each compound: 95. 6 °C for benzil, and 104. 5 °C for benzilic acid, meager . 632% and . 333% discrepancy from literature values, respectively. Finally, the IR absorption frequencies on the attached graphs illustrate the successful removal of the alcohol in the oxidation step and successive return of the alcohol/creation of carboxylic acid, following rearrangement. Multistep syntheses are essential to producing complex molecules.This experiment illustrated the importance of verifying intermediary products are pure, by utilizing different techniques such as IR and melting point. Below is a diagram of the overall reaction. First Reaction: Second Reaction: Introduction: The multistep reaction from Benzoin to Benzillic acid involves multiple organic chemistry concepts, such as oxidation and re arrangement. The first part of the experiment involves the oxidation of benzoin to benzil, utilizing a mild oxidating agent. The process of oxidation is used in all organic chemistry labs and is essential to a wide variety of synthesis reactions.In addition, oxidation reactions are essential in the the biochemistry of most living organisms. This experiment also breaks down oxidizing agents into selective and non-selective agents. For this experiment’s purposes, nitric acid was used, as it is selective towards secondary alcohols, oxidizing them to ketones. The second part of this experiment involves the rearrangement of benzil to benzillic acid or, more generally, the reaction of an alpha-diketone to an alpha-hydroxyacid. This reaction was first conducted by Justus von Liebig in 1838 (1).The basics of this reaction involve the formation of a carboxylate salt from an alpha-diketone; acid is then added to produce an aromatic alpha-hydroxyacid. The reaction conducted in this expe riment is an essential base step in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and certain hallucinogenic drugs. The synthesis of Benzil from Benzoin is shown below: The above reaction shows the condensed oxidation of benzoin to benzil. The following diagram shows the condensed reaction of benzil to benzillic acid. Rearrangement occurs to form a salt, then the salt is acidified to form benzillic acid.Once the products of each step were obtained- benzil and benzillic acid- their melting points and IR readings were obtained. These two measurements were used to prove that the correct product was formed without any impurities. One of the major risks in this experiment is loss of product through multiple filtrations. To minimize this problem, the filtration steps should be carefully and slowly executed. This ensures that the least amount of reactants are lost. In addition, recrystallization can occur too quickly if a hot solution is directly placed in an ice bath, allowing impurities to be trapped within the precipitate’s crystal lattice.To avoid this, the solutions should be given ample time to cool to room temperature before adding the solutions to an ice bath. These precautions were taken to try to reach our goal of a high percent yield of product with little to no impurities. There were no new techniques used in this experiment, however there were old techniques used to provide information/obtain a product. The first technique was crystallization which was useful to obtain a solid product that can then be purified. Another old technique utilized was filtration, via hirsch funnel and vacuum. This technique was used to obtain a purified product, removing impurities.Once the final solid product was obtained in both reactions the melting point procedure was used to determine the level of remaining impurity of the final product, comparing the experimental and expected values found in literature. In conjunction with the melting point procedure, infrared spectroscopy was used to reveal the different functional groups of the products. In other words, the IR machine indicates whether our final product matches up with the desired one, matching carbonyl and alcohol absorption peaks (or the lack thereof) to their theoretical presence (either benzil or benzillic acid).Procedure: 1. 5ml of nitric acid was added to . 30g of benzoin in a conical vial with a stir vane. The mixture was then heated in a 70 degree Celsius water bath, while stirred, for one hour. The mixture in the conical vial was then cooled to room temperature and, using a pipette, the solution was transferred to a beaker containing 4ml of ice water. The mixture slowly crystallized in the beaker and the crystallized product was filtered on a hirsch funnel with vacuum. 5 ml of cold water was used to wash the product and then the product was allowed to dry.The solid product was then collected from the funnel and added to a hot 95% ethanol solution in an Erlenmeyer flask and completely dissolved . Once the solid was dissolved completely, the solution was allowed to cool to room temperature. Once yellow crystals formed, the solution was placed into an ice bath. The product was then collected and filtered again on a hirsch funnel with vacuum. The product was then washed with ice cold 95% ethanol. Once completely dried, the crystals were weighed and the final mass, percent yield, melting point, and IR reading of the crystallized product measured/calculated. 100g of benzil and . 30ml of ethanol were mixed in a conical vial.The solution in the conical vial was then heated to about 100 degrees celsius until the benzil dissolved. Then . 25ml of potassium hydroxide was added dropwise to the vial. The mixture was then heated to 110 degrees for 15 minutes, then allowed to slowly cool to room temperature. The product was transferred with a pipette to a 10ml beaker and cooled in an ice bath for 15 minutes. 1ml portions of ethanol were added once crystallized and filtered. The product w as then transferred to a 10ml beaker with 70 °C water, allowing the product to dissolve. 0. ml of HCL acid was added dropwise and the mixture was allowed to cool and then transferred to an ice bath. The crystals were collected on a hirsch funnel and washed with 4ml of cold ice water.The crystals were dried and collected for final mass, percent yield, melting point, and IR reading. Results and Discussion: Table 1: Mass and Molar Quantity of Starting and Synthesized Materials; Percentage Yield and Both Experimental and Theoretical Melting Points of Products and Percent Discrepancy| Compound| Mass (g)| Quantity (mol x10-4)| % Yield| M. P. EXP ( °C)| M. P. THEO ( °C)| % D| Benzoin| 0. 298| 14| -| -| -| -| Benzil Yield| 0. 081| 3. 5| 27. 50%| 95. 6| 95. 0| 0. 632%| Benzil Start| 0. 1001| 4. 76| -| -| -|   | Benzilic Acid Yield| 0. 038| 1. 67| 34. 97%| 149. 5| 150| 0. 333%| The initial mass of benzoin and its yield of benzil in the first part of the experiment, as well as the star ting mass of benzil and its yield of benzilic acid in the second part.Note that the yield from part 1 was not the same amount used at the start of part 2. Also shown: the converted molar quantity of each mass and corresponding percent yield for the two synthesized compound, as well as their experimental and theoretical melting points and percent discrepancy between these values. As noted, the â€Å"Start† weight of Benzil- in row 3 of Table 1- differs from the â€Å"Yield† weight- in row 2. The yield, itself, was not used in the second part of this experiment: the synthesis of benzilic acid from benzil. Furthermore, an error occurred in the second portion of the experiment and very little acid product was salvaged; thus, the yield shown for benzilic acid is data that has been shared from another synthesis (this product yield was from _____ and his lab partner). Additionally, this alternative product was the one used in determining a melting point. Graph 1 illustrates t he successful oxidation of benzil, as the alcohol has been eliminated. As expected, it also retains a strong peak at ~1657cm-1, indicating the carbonyl groups present in the diketone, although this is a slightly lower absorption than expected. Graph 2 also presents a successful synthesis, as a relatively strong and somewhat broad peak appears around 3390cm-1, suggesting the reemergence of an alcohol and potential presence of the carboxylic acid; that the peak at 1715cm-1 remains strong, confirms his.SAMPLE CALCULATIONSCalculation of Benzil Percent Yield: Moles BenzilMoles Benzoin=. 081g? 210. 23g/mol. 298g? 212. 24g/mol=3. 85? 10-4mol14. 0? 10-4mol=0. 275? 100%=27. 5% Calculation of Benzilic Acid Percent Yield: Moles Benzilic AcidMoles Benzil=. 0380? 228. 25g/mol. 1001? 210. 23g/mol=1. 67? 10-4mol4. 76? 10-4mol=0. 3497? 100%=34. 97% Calculation of Percent Discrepancy in Benzil Melting Point: %D=xTHEO-xEXPxTHEO? 100%= 95. 0? -95. 6? 95. 0? =. 00632Ãâ€"100%=0. 32% Calculation of Perc ent Discrepancy in Benzilic Acid Melting Point: %D=xTHEO-xEXPxTHEO? 100%= 150. 0? -149. 5? 150. 0? =. 0033Ãâ€"100%=0. 33% Both steps of this experiment’s synthesis are considered successful. Though not in the desired quantities, a product of benzil was obtained from benzoin and that of benzoic acid from benzil. The initial step, synthesis of benzil, resulted in a yield of 27. 5%, despite an encouragingly smooth synthesis. The synthesis may have called for a second, more thorough recrystallization to appeal this yield.The recrystallization was performed correctly; however, the mixture was likely not allowed to cool at an ideally slow rate. It was removed from the hot plate and, shortly thereafter, transferred to the ice bath- likely, before it had calmed to room temperature. This could have interrupted the ability for the product to crystallize without impurities being trapped within its lattice. During the second portion of this experiment, a known, pure quantity of benzil w as used to synthesize a 34. 97% yield of benzilic acid. This small yield is likely also due to factors similar to the aforementioned.Additionally, the recorded yield was shared from another synthesis; the original synthesis performed yielded too small and impure an amount of product to effectively determine a melting point and I. R. spectra. This failure may certainly be attributed to an error during the recrystallization, prior to the initial filtration. Proper care was taken to allow the solution to cool very slowly during this second recrystallization. Unfortunately, once the solution was transferred to the ice bath, a large chunk of ice crystals somehow fell over the lip of the flask and into the mixture. Being that the intermediate was relatively water

Would Life Still Be Meaningful in the Absence of an Afterlife?

When people ask about the meaning of their lives, they are more likely concerned as to what worth would their actions be on Earth if there is no specific end to the road that they travel on. Being inherently inclined to the material, Man always seeks reward for everything that we do in our lives. As children, we almost always seek to excel in class in order that we can have the persuasive power to ask our parents for the different goods that we have laid our eyes on. This is human nature, and our nature always invades into our train of thought.   â€Å"What would I get for doing this?† would be the collective question that permeates our minds if we think about the meaning of our lives. To them, the meaning of life is the material end which they believe their individual actions would entitle them to. People seek something tangible, something that can be felt, in determining the meaning of life. Some are also driven by their sufferings, their negative experiences, in questioning why they are here. They want to know to what purpose have they been born into this world, and why do they have to suffer that way. To them, the meaning of life is an answer, a reason that will explain the things that happen to them throughout their lives in this world. I believe that the question about the existence of the afterlife is detrimental to one's quest to finding meaning in his existence. Instead of finding the true value of our lives, we are now preoccupied with how we should act in order to attain the afterlife, and inevitably forget about the fact that we should be living as meaningfully as we could in this world that we have been born into. People, especially those who have found themselves in suffering and in great emotional pain, view the afterlife as a form of escape or a greener pasture that they believe awaits them if they play their cards right in their present lives. However, if we take away that notion, would life for us still be meaningful to live if there is no clear end to which we could direct our efforts to? II. The True Meaning of Life For me, life can still be meaningful despite the apparent absence, or lack of proof thereof, of the afterlife. From my point of view, the afterlife is a figurehead, a symbolic figure, perhaps created by the ancients to address man's question as to the meaning of his life. It is more of an abstract idea rather than a specific â€Å"life† by itself. I define the afterlife for its simplest meaning: â€Å"to live after we have died,† not an exact place that the supposed soul goes to after death. I believe that the idea of â€Å"going to Heaven by doing good† is made especially to cater to man's materialistic nature that everything he does should be given a reward. Obviously, man has been created with a reason. Each of us has a reason, maybe a mission, in this world that we have been born into. Unless we ascertain what that is, we obviously cannot find the meaning for our existence here on Earth. We will continue to ask ourselves why we are still here. But how can we find that answer? Perhaps, the famous adage â€Å"no man is an island† is what I'll consider the most apt and summarized answer to the question of â€Å"Why are we here?† Man exists for the sake of his fellowmen. We are made for the service of each other. That is what man should live for: the good of his fellow human beings and not himself. Every action that we take should be decided with the well-being of our fellowmen in mind, and not just ourselves. The key to finding meaning to our earthly lives is to start shedding our selfish human nature and start living for our fellows. Man's suffering in this world is brought about by his earthly desire to preserve his own self, his discontentment and his desire to hoard all good things in this world for himself. The more material things Man receives, the more he desires, and the more he feels empty because not all things in this world are achievable. Leading such life is meaningless, for there is no point in that life that man can say that his purpose in living has been fulfilled, that he has found his reason for existing. One would probably argue that the key to self-fulfillment and happiness is to achieve all that we have longed for, definitely including money. However, that is materialism, and anything material is temporary and empty. The feeling is passing, and leads to more emptiness and questions, leading to emotional suffering and discontentment. Like Epicurus said, â€Å"the wealth required by vain ideals extends to infinity.† I, for one, would not be able to find happiness even if I had the power to buy everything that this world could offer and money could buy, because there will always be something better than the ones we have. With endless supply of money perhaps, I would be able to buy those things that I could lay my eyes on. However, I still would not be satisfied because then I find something I do not have, and will then long for it again. The process will go on and on until I find that there is no end to the material wealth that the world offers. When we die, all the material things that we have worked for will not go with us to the grave. Materialism is human nature, and like I said, we should overcome human nature if we are to start finding the meaning of life. If I spend my life entertaining every material and carnal urges that I would find, I would be living in vain because in the end it will all come down to nothing. In finding the meaning of life, we should start looking beyond ourselves and start thinking of what is good for the people around us and ourselves as a whole. This constitutes morality, as one does not learn the value of morality without learning to consider what things would be good for him alone, and what things will benefit both him and the people around. When we are morally upright, we will feel a sense of peace and security. For example, an honest man will have nothing to fear from the law than a dishonest thief will. People might say that honesty is actually subjective because the law has loopholes that can be exploited and bent in ascertaining who is honest from the dishonest, but there is the basic law of morality that we are all governed by. A thief may be able to circumvent the due process of law to his favor, but for the rest of his life he will live in fear that someone will come up with some kind of evidence to implicate him. By then, his life would have been meaningless and without peace, spent in fear of the justice that he has evaded. The time allotted for him to exist in Earth would have been wasted, for instead of cherishing every moment that has been granted to him, he instead spends it in dread and apprehension. III. Conclusion The lack of proof that the afterlife exists will not deter me from finding meaning in living my own life, even if my death is the most definite end of my journey. A life of service through acts of kindness and selfless is, for me, the most meaningful life that I can possibly lead. The greatest fulfillment that I could have for myself is the feeling of peace and contentment that I can attain by being satisfied and being thankful for the things that I have, rather than wasting it trying to own the world and finding no peace in entertaining my material nature. To sum it up, the meaning of my life would be the peacefulness that I would get when I look back at my life when I am in my deathbed, knowing that I have done as little wrong as possible in the time that I have lived on Earth. It is the peace I'd feel in knowing that, in living my life, I have not stepped on anyone's rights and lives for my own gain.                     

2012: It’s the End of the World Essay

If you had only one more day to live, how would you want to spend it? Who would you want to spend it with? There are currently 6,773,643,360 people in the world, of course give or take a few, and in a mere 3 years and seven months, every single one of those people may be faced with that same question. Forty-Four months, 1,309 days, 31,416 hours; no matter how you look at it, that’s all you have left, as some would say. Many people have heard of the ancient Mayans, and know that they reigned thousands of years ago. What they may not know is one little invention of theirs could impact the lifespan of every human being today and future. â€Å"The Mayans started their calendar on August 11, 3114 BC, and they conclude it on December 21st 2012 (Greyl 80). † There are many who believe this day will be the end, as we know it; all living creatures will cease to exist. There are possible theories on how the world will end, some scientific and mathematical, and others based on astrology, but no matter the theory, there is a chance you and I will perish with the other six billion humans in 2012. Unnerving? Yes. Realistic? See more: Beowulf essay essay Maybe. This Apocalyptic theory provides scientific evidence to support it, yet scholars are unlikely to believe it. Everything has a beginning and an end but no matter how many facts or possibilities presented, people are going to be unwilling to accept the apocalypse of 2012. End of the world theories have been around for ages; they have come and gone with perhaps some cause for fright, but obviously nothing too damaging. Apocalypse theories are terrifying yet captivating; there are numerous books on the matter, and even the movie business has felt it is something to pay attention to. With all of this information available, people are aware of it, yet they still are not accepting. Apocalypse theories are enticing to humans because we are conscious of the fact we could die at any moment. Humans are selfish by nature, so they are interested in anything that could cause them discomfort or pain. We also like to be in the know, so it would be convenient to be aware of what was going to happen everyday. We would like to have the opportunity to control our lives or try to change the issues upsetting us. Why do you think people pay for fortunetellers and psychics? Any knowledge we can get about the future, the better off we are. This being said, it is clear that people are interested in the theory, yet unwilling to accept it as true. It is my belief the people who are most likely to believe this phenomenon are religious, and believe in The Bible’s Armageddon, the final battle between God and Satin. I will go into more detail about this theory later, but simply those who know The Bible and follow God believe the world will end eventually. They just might not believe the Apocalypse of 2012 because no one, not even Jesus, is supposed to know the date the world will end. On the other end of the spectrum there are the people who find it highly unlikely for the world to end anytime soon, as their thinking is based more on a scientific level. They believe the world was formed through the big bang, and think the only way the world can end is through another universal mishap. Which there are scientific explanations, but the fact is, people just don’t want to believe the world is going to end. Besides, it’s too big of a risk to start planning your life around it. What if the world didn’t end, and you had spent all of you money, quit your job, and ruined all of your relationships? There have been many end of the world prophecies; the entire Y2K fiasco proved to be nothing serious that it is just easier to ignore these predications. I suppose scholars are so unwilling to believe the 2012 apocalypse is because they feel like the little evidence there is, is not concrete. People are basing this off of a civilization that lived about 3,000 years ago and who had no technology to be able to predict some event like this. Simply put, the Mayans put too much religion into their prophecies to be able to make it scientific enough for scholars to take seriously. The prospect of Apocalypse 2012 ultimately serves as a projective test for anyone who contemplates it. The ones most open to post-2012 reality are those who have the least to lose in the coming upheaval. (Lawrence 75). † â€Å"But I think doomsday has a profound if unspeakable allure for those who are unhappy with themselves, their society, their Maker. Accepting that doomsday is imminent provides the believer with immense satisfaction—that he or she possesses the most important knowledge in the world and that all other pursuits are trivial or misguided. It’s a form of vicarious revenge that anyone can take on life’s unfairness (Lawrence 213). †