Of Mice and Men Essay

Two Itinerant migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Smalls, are best friends, they have a unique relationship, almost one of father and son opposed to two adults, George looks after and cares for Lennie due to his limited metal abilities, which is often getting them into trouble, hence the reason they were chased out of town from their previous employment, They find work in a ranch in Northern California where they hope to save enough money to settle down and own a piece of land to attain the ‘American Dream’, which suggests that America is the land of prosperity and opportunity but as easy as dreams are made these dreams can also be easily shattered. At the ranch the atmosphere appears to be dangerous, when they are confronted with the bosses’ son Curley whom takes an instant disliking to Lennie, as he feels inferior to larger men, Curley’s Wife also opposes a problem, as she is very flirtatious. As they begin to settle in the ranch, their dream begin to take shape, when two other ranch hands are enticed and would like to be a part of it, the pair are overwhelmed that their dream is slowly turning into a reality. But the story turns when Lennie is left alone, and his love to stroke things ends up with him killing Curley’s Wife, the story then takes an emotional twist, when George is then faced with the dilemma to take his friends life, to save him from the lynch mob sent by Curley. Setting In the opening of the book during the first two pages it describes the tranquil peaceful surrounding of Northern California, â€Å"hillside bank runs deep and green† (pg18) this portrays the beautiful surrounding which is the disturbed by the arrival of two characters. The writer, John Steinbeck shows this by â€Å"rabbits hurried noiselessly for cover† (pg19) suggests the arrival of these two characters has disturbed the tranquil setting; this gives the reader the message that these characters bring trouble. At the end of the book, when both characters George and Lennie are sitting by the river bank, Steinbeck gives the reader the sense of panic by the quotations he uses, as Curley’s mob draw nearer, the writer first describes the atmosphere as â€Å"Shadow in the valley, blue and soft†(pg 144), this suggests that there is a calm before the storm. As more time passes the atmosphere around these two characters gets intense, â€Å"evening breeze blew over the clearing†, (pg 145), the atmosphere is changing around them, Steinbeck is creating a build up, causing a suspense that something is going to happen. When George shoots Lennie the atmosphere then is described as â€Å"the brush seemed filled with cries†, (pg 148) which symbolizes the loss of George, As this is such a great loss for him, losing his best friend, shows the love of their friendship was so strong that George could not let Lennie, die at the hands of Curley’s mob, You get the feel of their friendship, when both men are having a conversation about the dream, before Lennie is shot, â€Å"For the rabbit George†,(pg146), this suggests that George put Lennie is a false sense of security, so that he was in a happy place before he died, this shows how strong their friendship is. Characters George and Lennie George and Lennie are the two main characters, George is described as a small intelligent but uneducated man, George is ambitious who has big dreams in life. Lennie is a large man of statue with great strength and a big heart but his limited mental abilities, means he relies on George for his survival, he is a calm character and like a child he likes to hear stories from George, he doesn’t understand the consequences of his strength, resulting with him often getting the pair in serious trouble. George and Lennie have a unique relationship, you get a contrast of the love hate relationship between the two, There are quotes in the book where George suggests that he could get along better without Lennie, â€Å"I could get along easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail†(pg24), this suggests that George feels that Lennie holds him back in life, but then in another quote when George is speaking to another character, he becomes defensive this shows that he cares about what people think of Lennie †what’s funny about it† and â€Å"He ain’t no cuckoo†(pg67) , this shows the contrast that on the one hand George believes Lennie slows him down in life, but then he feels that he has to care and protect Lennie. Narrative There is the use of slang and non Standard English throughout the book, the dialect used, is that of the slang used by an Itinerant workers at that time, this is effective because it helps to add to the realism of the story and creates a strong impact upon the readers. In book the narrative changes from third person to first person requently this is effective because you get both views and makes the story seem more believable and for the reader to sympathize with the characters. The use of figurative language in ‘Of Mice and Men’ creates the atmosphere of reality. In the beginning of the book the Narrative is in third person style, Lennie is described as â€Å"Sloping shoulders†(pg19) And George is described as â€Å"Strong features†,(pg19) this is effective because, it makes the reader visualize what these characters look like, instead of having a bias view from a first person account. The first person accounts are effective because, In a first person account you can believe the passion of that person for example† He’s dumb as hell†, (pg 65) this is more genuine as it makes the reader believe what the characters views are.

Perioperative handouts

Perl-operative Nursing Phases of Perl-operative period 1. PRE- operative phase 2. INTRA- operative phase 3. POST- operative phase PRE-Operative Phase Begins when the decision to have surgery is made and ends when the client is transferred to the operating table INTRA-operative Phase Begins when the client is transferred to the operating table and ends when the client is admitted to the post-anesthesia unit Post-operative Phase Begins with the admission of the client to the PACIFIC and ends when healing is complete Activities in the Pre-pop 1 . Assessing the clients 2. Identifying potential or actual health problems 3.Planning specific care 4. Providing pre-operative teaching 5. Ensure consent is signed Activities during the Intra-pop 1 . Assisting the surgeon as scrub nurse and circulating nurse Activities in the POST-pop 2. Assessing responses to surgery 3. Performing interventions to promote healing 4. Prevent complications 5. Planning for home-care 6. Assist the client to achieve optimal recovery TYPES of SURGERY 1 . According to PURPOSE 2. According to degree of URGENCY 3. According to degree of RISK Effects of Surgery on the Client Stress response (Neuroscience response) is activated Resistance to infection is lowered due to surgical incisionVascular system is disturbed due to severing of blood vessels and blood loss Organ function may be altered due to manipulation Factors influencing Surgical Risk Age Nutrition Fluid and Electrolyte balance General health status: infection, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary problems, liver dysfunctions, renal dysfunctions or metabolic disorders Medications affecting Surgery Anticoagulants like aspirin and UNSAID should be discontinued 2 weeks Tranquilizer may cause hypertension and shock Antibiotics like encyclopedias may intensify effects of anesthesia Diuretics may cause electrolyte imbalance antiphon may cause hypertension Psychological support Assess client's fears, anxieties, support system and patterns of coping Es tablish a trusting relationship with client and family Explain routine procedures, encourage fertilization of fears and allow clients to ask questions Provide for spiritual care if needed Preoperative teaching Assess client's level of understanding of surgical procedure and its implications Answer questions, clarify and reinforce explanations given by the surgeon Explain routine pre-pop and post-pop procedures Teach coughing and deep breathing exercise, splinting of incision, turning side to did.Explain its importance in preventing complications Assure client that pain medication will be given Pre-operative teaching Physical Preparation Obtain hex of past medical conditions Perform baseline head to toe examinations including vital signs Ensure that diagnostic exams are performed CB, Electrolytes, APT/APT, Urinalysis, EGG, Blood typing, Chest Cray Prepare client skin Shower with antibacterial soap to cleanse skin Skin prep if ordered: shave or clip hairs and cleanse appropriate areas to reduce bacteria on skin Administer enema if ordered Promote adequate rest and asleep Instruct client to remain NP after midnight to prevent vomiting and aspiration Pre-pop elimination Laxatives, enemas or both may be prescribed the night before surgery Have the client void immediately BEFORE transferring them to the OR Foley catheter may be inserted as ordered Legal Responsibility Surgeon obtains operative permit (Informed consent) 1. Surgical procedure, alternatives, possible complications, disfigurements 2.Part of nurse's role as client advocate to confirm that clients understands information given Informed Consent An active shared decision making process between the provider and the recipient of are. 3 conditions 1 . Adequate disclosure of the diagnosis, nature and purpose of treatment, risk and consequences, probability of successful outcome and prognosis if treatment is not done. 2. Patient must demonstrate a clear understanding and comprehension of information being provid ed 3. Recipient of care must give consent voluntarily, not persuaded or coerced to undergo the procedure. Consent are not needed for emergency care if; 1. There is an immediate threat to life 2. Experts agree that it is an emergency 3. Client is unable to consent 4. A legally authorized person cannot be reachedPreparation Immediately before surgery Obtain a baseline vital signs Provide oral hygiene and remove dentures Remove client's clothing and dress in clean gown Remove nail polish, cosmetics, Jewelry Instruct to empty bladder Check identification band Intra-operative phase interventions Determine the type of surgery and anesthesia used Position client appropriately for surgery Assist the surgeon as circulating or scrub nurse Maintain the sterility of the surgical field Monitor for developing complications Preparing the surgical site Purpose of prepping is to reduce the unit of organisms available to migrate to the surgical wound. Task is the responsibility of the circulating nur se Principle of scrubbing from the clean area to dirty area is observed at all times Anesthetics Anesthetics are drugs that are used to cause complete or partial loss of sensation. The numerous anesthetics can be broadly classified as : 1. General 2.Local anesthetics General Anesthesia Loss of sensation with loss of consciousness Skeletal muscle relaxation Analgesia Elimination of somatic, autonomic and endocrine response including coughing, gagging and vomiting Protective reflexes are lost Amnesia, analgesia and hypnosis occur Administered in two ways: Inhalation Intravenous IV anesthetics Produces rapid, smooth induction, may be used alone in short procedures Common IV anesthetics: methodical, Sodium tapeline (Penetrate), modally Disadvantages: poor relaxation, respiratory and myocardial depression in high doses, bronchiole's, laryngitis's, hypertension and respiratory depression Dissociation Agents Produce state of profound analgesia, amnesia and lack of awareness without loss of consciousness Astatine (Catalan) Side effects: tachycardia, hypertension, respiratory depression, hallucinations Precautions: decrease verbal, tactile and visual stimulation during recovery periodNarcoleptics Produces state of narcoleptic analgesia characterized by reduced motor activity and analgesia without loss of consciousness Fontanel citrate (Innovator) SE; hypertension, brickyard, respiratory depression, skeletal muscle rigidity, twitching Precaution: reduce narcotic dose to prevent respiratory depression Local Anesthesia Local anesthetics are drugs that cause a loss of sensation in limited areas of the body to abolish pain. They are powerful nerve blockers injected locally. Systemic absorption of the anesthetics can produce numerous side effects. Examples of Local anesthetics: The â€Å"CANINES† Loading Debasing Procaine Terracing The side effects of local anesthetics Local effects- local irritation and skin breakdown CONS effects if systemic absorption occurs- heada che, restlessness, anxiety, dizziness, tremors and blurred vision.GIG system- nausea, vomiting Cardiac- arrhythmias, peripheral vacillation, myocardial depression, and rarely, cardiac arrest Nursing Responsibilities Maintain emergency equipment on standby to provide life-support in cases of severe reactions Ensure that drugs are available for managing hypertension, cardiac arrest ND CONS alterations. Provide adequate hydration to patients receiving spinal anesthesia. Position the client supine for up to 12 hours after spinal anesthesia to minimize spinal headache Provide safety and comfort measures such as side-rails up, frequent skin care and supportive care Give health teaching to explain things the patient needs to know to allay fears. Stages of Anesthesia Depth Usually trained individuals with the special equipments ready for life support administer the agents The patient undergoes through a predictable stages known as STAGES of ANESTHESIA: 1 to 4

An Analysis of P.S. I Love You

Running Head: P. S. I LOVE YOU 1 An Analysis of P. S. I Love You Tammy McDaniel ENG 225 Jonathan Beller August 15, 2011 P. S. I LOVE YOU 2 An Analysis of P. S. I Love You The 2007 film, P. S. I Love You, is a film about learning to let go and move on with your life after the death of a spouse. The Film stars Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby and Gerard Butler, 300. It also stars Lisa Kudrow as Denise, Gina Gershon as Sharon, James Marsters as John, Kathy Bates as Patricia (Hollys mom), Nellie McKay as Ciara (Hollys sister), Harry Connick Jr. s Daniel, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as William. This paper will critique the film, P. S. I Love You, through textual and formal analysis focusing on the following elements.. Storytelling, Acting, Cinematography, Editing, Sound, Style and Directing, Societal Impact, Genre, and Film Criticism and Analysis. By examining the films technical elements, you can gain a better understanding of the directors vision of the film. P. S. I Love You is a 2007 American drama directed by Richard LaGavenese. The screenplay by LaGavenese and Steven Rogers is based on the 2004 novel P. S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern. This film was shot on locations in New York City and county Wicklow, Ireland. (Imdb. com) In this film, P. S. I Love You, Hilary Swank plays Holly, an American who marries an Irishman,Gerry (played by Gerard Butler). Gerry is Hollys soul mate, the love of her life. A few weeks shy of her 30th birthday Gerry dies from a brain tumor. Holly feels so lost without Gerry that for weeks she stays in her apartment and does not want to see or talk to anyone except Gerry. On her 30th birthday her friends come over to force her to celebrate and get out of her slump. A cake arrives mysteriously. When opened Holly finds a tape recorded message from Gerry. He tells her that she will receive a series of letters and that she has to do what each letter says. A different letter will arrive each month for ten months. The letters range from singing Karaoke to P. S. I LOVE YOU 3 going to Ireland with her friends. During the course of these letters Holly is pushed into a new future. Gerry has sent her on a journey to discover who she is without him in her life. Gerry ends each letter with P. S. I Love You. The filmmakers presented this film in chronological order to show how Holly deals with her life without Gerry and how she finds the courage to move on. This film takes place in a years time with a few flashbacks to help you understand the love that Holly and Gerry shared. Some of the settings used in this film include: Holly and Gerrys apartment, Hollys Moms bar, and Ireland. Holly suffers from an internal conflict. She knows that she will have to let Gerry go but, she does not want to. She resolves this conflict by reading Gerrys letters and doing what he asks. The letters in this film are a symbolic gesture of Gerrys love for Holly and him wanting her to move on with her life and not be depressed that he is gone. People who have lost a loved one can understand the internal conflict that Holly suffers from. This makes the movie more real to these people. I think this film ends up being a Situational Irony occurs when we expect one thing to happen and something else does. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011). Through out the entire movie film you believe that Gerry set everything up with the post office so the letters arrive to Holly on certain days. At the end of the film you find the Gerry talked Hollys mom into delivering the letters to Holly. Against her feelings that this was not good For Holly she does what Gerry asks. The dialogue in this film allows you to see how Holly goes from being depressed to being happy with her life. You can tell the difference when Holly is talking to someone that she is slowly letting go of Gerry. I believe that the plot and the character drives the film forward. The plot P. S. I LOVE YOU 4 consists of carefully chosen elements from the tory that the writer feels the viewer needs to know and has arranged into a consciously designed order, leaving out some things and possibly repeating other things more than once. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) I feel that this goes hand in hand with Hollys mom being the one delivering the letters. The character drives the film,because you want to see how Holly handles receiving the letters and following through with what Gerry wants her to do. This is a film that uses flashbacks to help you understand certain things. The flashbacks in this film allows the audience to see just how much Gerry loved Holly. It shows that he loved her so much he wanted to help her move on with her life. He wrote those letters knowing that he was going to die. He wanted to help ease Hollys pain after he was gone. I feel that the flashbacks in this film help the film so much, because without them you would never really know how much Gerry loved Holly. This Film used realism acting. This is acting that does not draw attention to itself but instead gives the impression of genuine human action and emotion. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) I believe that both Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler are wild card actors. Wild card actors are actors that can play a wide variety of characters equally without becoming typecast. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) Both Hilary and Gerard I feel are actors that can do any kind of role. Hilary has done roles from Million Dollar Baby to Boys Dont Cry. Gerard has done roles from 300 to Bounty Hunter. Bot h can do comedy, drama, and romance. Which is what P. S. I Love You is. I thinks that the casting in this film was excellent and I do not feel that anyone was miscast. I feel that it helped quite a bit knowing who these actors were before seeing this movie and I do not feel that their persona distracted from their character. While watching this film I forgot that I was watching Hilary Swank and was just watching Holly. There is a scene in the P. S. I LOVE YOU 5 few weeks after Gerrys death where Holly is lip-syncing to a Judy Garland song. I feel that this scene shows us just how much Holly misses Gerry. She has let herself go. Her clothes are dirty as is her hair. The apartment is a total wreck (trash, food, old take-out, and dirty dishes everywhere). When you see all this you view Holly as a depressed and sad person. At the end of the year Holly is clean and dresses very nice and you view her as happy and enjoying her new life. What drew me to this movie in the first place was the title and the actors. After seeing the movie after taking this class I found that I enjoyed the movie in a different and better way. When you notice small things that you did not notice before this class I feel that you can understand the movie better. When you understand how a movie is made it opens up a lot of different aspects of learning for you. If the director is responsible for the film overall, in a general way, the cinematographer is specifically responsible for its look, in very specific, shot–by–shot terms. He or she is responsible for the images that the camera sees, and by extension the images that the audience will see in the finished film. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) This film uses a variety of different shots. They vary fr om long shots, medium long shots, medium shots, and medium close-up shots. Most directors use several takes, and different camera setups or versions, of the same scene. This allows them to pick and choose the best of what they have shot and to put scenes together in the way that most effectively tells the story they are trying to tell. In order to have a variety of shots to edit together, however, all those different types of shots must be photographed in the first place. (Goodykoontz , 2011) This is the job of the Cinematographer and I feel that this cinematographer did an excellent job doing just that. P. S. I LOVE YOU 6 The cinematographer choice in lighting for different parts of the the movie was superb. For the funeral scene the cinematographer used low-key lighting. For the rest of the film he used high-key lighting. I like movies that a full of color. I have only one black and white movie that I like (Casablanca). The cinematographer uses Saturation color, Desaturation color, and The Golden Hour color in this film. Saturation color is deep, vibrant, bright, pure color. (Goodykoontz , 2011) and is used through most of the movie. Desaturation color has been muted, appearing less intense, which contributes to a more realistic, often–gritty look. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) and I feel is used during some f the funeral scene. The Golden Hour color also known as the magic hour (although it actually lasts only about 20 minutes), is the term used for the time of day just before sunrise and the time just after sunset, when colors appear more warm, almost glowing, and there are no shadows, since the sun is not in the sky. (Goodykoontz , 2011) is used during the outdoor scenes in I reland. All three used in the same movie allows the audience to feel different emotions through out the film. For the apartment a narrow focus is used to make the apartment feel smaller and more claustrophobic. When watching a movie at home I prefer watching it in widescreen compared to full screen. Widescreen allows the audience to feel like they are at a movie theater. Watching a movie on full screen feels like you are missing parts of the movie. The cinematographer wants you to focus on the characters more so than the background, but at times I feel like her wants you to also focus on the background at the same time. An example of this would be when Holly and Gerry meet for the first time in Ireland. You are focused on the characters but at the same time you are also focused on the beautiful scenery of Ireland. That is also the same for when the Holly, Denise, and Sharon are stuck on the boat. P. S. I LOVE YOU 7 The editors use fade-out/fade-in and direct cut shots. An example of a fade-out/fade-in shot would be after the opening scene and after the opening credits. An example of a direct cut shot would be when the girls are stuck in the boat on the lake. The next scene shows another boat coming to save them. The editor also used an establishing shot during the scenes to let you know who, what, and where for a scene. An example of this would be when Holly and Gerry meet for the first time. You know that it is Holly and Gerry in the scene, you know that they are meeting for the first time, you also know that they are in Ireland. There is also a lot of shot/reverse-shots in this movie. An example of this would be when Holly and Gerry are in their apartment at their own dressers arguing. The camera moves from Holly to Gerry through out the entire argument so you can see each of their expressions and you can also see if they make faces at each other because of something the other said. There are two kinds of film sound used in this movie. They are dialogue and voice-over. Dialogue is when two or more characters are speaking to each other. Through dialogue you feel how the characters are feeling and also you understand what is happening. An example of this would be when Holly and her mom are arguing that Holly is obsessed with the letters. You understand that Patricia does not like the letters at all. Voice-over is when a character’s voice narrates the action to help the audience understand what is going on. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) Another form of sound you have in a film is the score or the background music. This music allows the audience to experience a whole other experience during a movie. The score can make you happy, sad, scared, or excited. It also can portray how a character is feeling at the exact moment. P. S. I LOVE YOU 8 To me Richard LaGravenese is a director that likes to tell a story and show meaning in his work. In addition to P. S. I Love You his work includes: Water for Elephants, Freedom Writers, and Living Out Loud. I believe that this film is very well made. I have never seen a movie by this director before I could not tell you about how he approaches the subject matter of the film. I do not know anything about this directors own personal vision, however, by looking at his other pieces of work it seems to me that he runs toward romance and films that tend to have a meaning behind them. For this film I believe his meaning is that after losing a loved one you can move on and have fun again and enjoy your life. This film is a Drama and Romance movie with a sub-genre of comedy. I went into this film thinking it was a romance movie. While watching it a realized that it was a lot more than that. The purpose of a drama is to allow the audience to feel what the characters are feeling. The purpose of a romance is to feel the love that the characters share. The purpose of a comedy is to allow the audience to laugh with the characters. I feel that this is a film that can influence society. I say that because I feel that after seeing a movie like this people would want to have that kind of love. When my sister and I walked out of the theater we both said I want a man to love me like that! This is a film that allows the audience to escape from their daily lives and have a good time. What is more fun than laughing and crying at the same time when watching a movie? To me the answer is nothing is more fun. This film is Rated PG-13 for sexual references and brief nudity. This is definitely not a movie for a child younger than 13. P. S. I LOVE YOU 9 As with all films you will have critics that tell you whether a film is good or not. That critic can be a professional critic, a family member or a friend. I found a phrase and a quote in our text that explains what a critic is. What is a critic? There are many definitions, some of which are unflattering, including as they do charges of jealousy, mean–spiritedness, and flat–out incompetence. Ironically enough, one of the best definitions comes from a character in a film, and in an animated film, at that. In Pixar’s film Ratatouille (2007), Peter O’Toole provides the voice of Anton Ego, a famous food critic feared for his discriminating palate and his withering criticism. When he samples food that has secretly been prepared by a rat, everyone fears the worst (particularly the rat). However, Ego begins his review with a spirited defense of the art of criticism, observations that apply just as much to film criticism as to food criticism. In the movie Ego says, In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations; the new needs friends . . . Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. (Bird, 207) (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) I myself do not read or listen to a critic or a review. If you do and that person said that a movie was bad than you might have missed a very good movie. P. S. I LOVE YOU 10 I watched this movie again with my sister before writing this assignment and as we watched I found myself telling my sister what kind of shots were being used and explaining what a fade-out/fade-in was. Watching this movie after taking these few weeks of class I understood the movie in a different and good way. I believe that the director wanted the audience to feel what Holly does and through his direction I did. After I was finished examining the films different technical elements, I definitely gained a better understanding of the directors vision of the film. In conclusion I want to say that after taking this class and learning all about Storytelling, Acting, Cinematography, Editing, Sound, Style and Directing, Societal Impact, Genre, and Film Criticism and Analysis I am more in tune to how a movie is made and find that I enjoy watching movies a little better now that I understand what goes into it. Sometimes theres only one thing left to say P. S. I LOVE YOU P. S. I LOVE YOU 11 References Goodykoontz, B. Jacobs, C. P. (2011) Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content. ashford. edu/books/AUENG225. 11. 2 IMDB. (2011). P. S. I Love You. Retrieved from http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0431308/combined LaGravenese, R. (Director). (2007). P. S. I Love You. [Motion Picture]. USA:

Slavery Throught The World Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Slavery Throught The World - Research Paper Example The history of human civilization is the most explicit document of the fact that corruptible capacity of power can be enhanced to such an elaborate extent that it finally gives birth to a situation of brutal aggression of one man or a community over another less powerful individual or community. Aristotle in Politics suggested quite prophetically that â€Å"†¦ [the] greatest crimes are caused by excess and not by necessity. Men do not become tyrants in order that they may not suffer cold; and hence, great is the honor bestowed, not on him who kills a thief, but on him who kills a tyrant† (Aristotle, 1932, p. 33). Thesis Statement: Judging the factors that are responsible behind genesis of slavery and helping in to take different shapes according to the changing course of time, it can be said that man’s insatiable hunger to gain power, in terms of money and recognition, his natural desire to survive as the fittest being and finally his indomitable desire to enjoy all the rights that society has enshrined to him even at the cost of depriving others, are main reasons that introduced the evil of slavery on the ideological backdrop of an equal and humanitarian existence. Most of the modern philosophers are of opinion that human interaction and development of human relations, both are dependent on respective person’s perception of power and how they are interpreting scope of such power. Max Weber defines power as an â€Å"†¦ [opportunity] existing within a social relationship which permits one to carry out one’s will even against resistance and regardless of the basis on which this opportunity rests† (Weber; Cited in Patterson, 1982, p. 1). One of the greatest philosophers of recent times and famous post-structuralist, Michel Foucault, though has defined power in a much simple way, suggesting that â€Å"power is a relation between forces, or rather every relation between forces is a ‘power relation’† (Deleuze,and

Introduction to economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to economics - Assignment Example In this way, economic power is widely dispersed. But in a planned or command economy, resources are publicly owned and economic decisions are made through central economic planning. This is because a central planning board determines major economic decisions. In free market economy, the individual freedom is valued and motivation comes from each agent’s self-interest in maximizing their income through individual decision-making. Buyers can freely choose what goods and services to purchase and at what price while sellers can freely decide what goods and services to produce and in what quantity. As to a planned economy, business firms are owned and controlled by the government, so they produce according to the central planning board’s directives. Free market economy is an economic system in which trading and exchange of goods, services and  information  takes place in a free market (Economywatch.com 2011, par.1). This means that under this economic system, markets are guided by the â€Å"invisible hands†. Law of supply and demand set market prices and all individuals in the economy have full knowledge about it. Individual decisions and preferences are communicated and coordinated through the mechanism of the market system. Government is kept from interfering within the economy as any interference may disturb the efficient functioning of the market system. Their role is limited to private property and making appropriate legal framework in which free market functions. The advocates of planned economy do not agree with this as they see the market as imperfect and therefore they recommend government intervention to correct market failures. Production targets for each firm are set by the central planning board including the amount of resources to be allocated. Even the distribution of output is determined and planned centrally. Both free market economy and planned economy have their advantages and disadvantages. The Great Depression was being blamed to the imperfect market system and inefficient business cycle. So, the United States government tried to intervene in the economy but still the effects of economic recession in 2008 was felt by most of the economies in the world. Because of these, most economies of the world are applying the mixed economic system, mixing the characteristics of a free market economy with a command economy. Real world economies are arrayed between the extremes of free market and planned economy (McConnell and Brue 1993, p.31). The United States economy, for example, leans toward free market system which is basically structured with the principles of economic freedom but the government plays an active role in promoting economic stability and growth, in providing goods and services which are either underproduced or not produced at all by the market system and in modifying the distribution of income. While some command or planned economies before like China and India are now economically successfu l after following the principles of market oriented economy system. This means that the mixed economy is more conducive to efficiency in the use of resources, stability of output and employment and rapid economic growth because even if the government has some level of regulatory control over the markets, the decisions are still left to the buyers and sellers in the

Medical Law Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Medical Law Problem - Essay Example The doctor, as a responsible professional, should have thoroughly examined the injured Charles. However, he failed to do so. Based on Charles’ statement regarding pain in his leg, the doctor had proceeded to treat him for that particular injury. Since Charles was a child; the doctor should have exercised greater care and examined him for other injuries. As per the decision in the Wood’s case, failure to examine the patient properly was equivalent to the denial of crucial treatment. Similarly, the doctor’s reliance on Charles’ words regarding the injuries sustained by the latter depicts gross negligence; because, Dr. Green as a skilled professional should have taken decisions regarding treatment, after making an independent assessment of the patient’s condition. Dr. Green had failed to perform a thorough physical examination of Charles, prior to treating him. The deformity caused to Charles is on account of Dr. Green’s clinical negligence. Charles would not have been forced to countenance such adversity if Dr. Green had exhibited greater caution while diagnosing and treating him. The court's approach towards clinical negligence can be evaluated by examining the various tests employed by them while deciding such cases. The Bolam test for medical negligence was introduced with Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee. In this case, it was decided by the House of Lords that the principle of the standard of care was not violated, as long as a responsible body of similar professionals corroborated the medical practice that resulted in damage.

The Persuasive Power of the Media Research Paper

The Persuasive Power of the Media - Research Paper Example In addition to that, the paper seeks to find out which models are most genuine when it comes to explaining the influence of media on society (Wimmer, 2010). Lastly, the paper will apply one of the theories to a current example in the media with the purpose of critiquing the model. The theories Various theories have been put forward to actually explain how media influences people and the power it has to do so. These are Cognitive dissonance theory, Communication accommodation theory, Spiral silence theory, Uses and Gratification theory and Symbolic interaction theory. Cognitive dissonance theory Proponents of this theory argue that experience of dissonance is always aversive and people always tend to ensure that they avoid it completely (Niklas, 2000). Dissonance, in this case, means incompatible believes and actions. In so doing, the theory puts it that people tend to seek and find out something that does not contradict their opinion or belief. They also seek to hear something that i s in line with their thinking and therefore make decisions that do not bring about feelings of dissonance. In explaining the influence that the media has on society, the theory argues that information delivered to the people through the mass media is made to be in line with what those in societies expect. The end process of all this is where the mass media is able to change the beliefs, attitude, and actions of people thereby influencing them. Communication accommodation theory The theory originated from the speech accommodation theory in communication skills. The main interest of this theoretical perspective is to explain what happens whenever two people are communicating and they shift their communication style. The theory argues that whenever people are communicating to others, they will always ensure that they shift their communication style to fit that of others (Stay, 2006). To ensure that this is achieved people always tend to either use convergence or a divergent approach to communicate to the mass.

Education Policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Education Policies - Essay Example Every successive government views education as a field for change as public opinion and support for educational development is always guaranteed. Therefore, every government promises to lift standards, enhance achievement and schools. While methods and initiatives differ with every political party, the issue of improving schools has been a regular policy objective in many countries (Townsend, 2007). All around the world, governments are trying out to new policies to deal with innovative technologies, new world order and a dynamic global economy. All through the post-war period, there have been numerous efforts to improve the UK education system, frequently with a clear objective to try and make it more effective (Machin & Vignoles, 2006). It is believed that education plays a significant role in facilitating economic growth, equality of opportunity and social justice (Townsend, 2007). Over the last two decades, there has been an unparalleled growth in public interest in education, wh ich has given rise to a number of policies such as SureStart, Every Child Matters (ECM), Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), expansion Higher Education, etc. Trowler (2003:95) defines education policy as â€Å"†¦ a specification of principles and actions, related to educational issues, which are followed or which should be followed and which are designed to being about desired goals.† The definition clearly illustrates that fact that policy is a process, something which is dynamic and not unchangeable. Trowler (2003) further suggests that the ‘dynamic’ comes from: political and educational conflict; interpretation of policy and the practical implication for individuals involved at all levels of the education system. Thus a working and debatable definition of the education policy-making process could be the historical, social and political processes that shape a theme or issue within the education system (Trowler, 2003). Ozga (2000) suggests that policy ca n be viewed directly in terms as the actions of government, intended to secure certain results. Similarly, it can be considered a process rather than a product, entailing negotiation, opposition or resistance among various segments who might not be a part of the formal machinery of official policy making. Ozga (1990) asserts that educational policy is not an impartial creation and it is also not created entirely at a single level without finding the middle ground with others. In theory, McLaughlin (1987) shows that policy implementation studies demonstrates how the transformation of policy into practice is distinguished by â€Å"bargaining and negotiation† and how policy as enacted varies from policy as designed. Research further demonstrates the way officially formulated educational policies are adapted, sometimes altered, when executed in schools and classrooms (Coburn, 2001). Moreover, policies are challenged, interpreted and performed in a variety of areas as words and me anings of policymakers do not always transform directly and clearly into institutional operations. They are inflected, thought over, opposed and misinterpreted, or in a few cases simply prove impracticable. It is also essential not to misjudge the logical rationality of policy (Ball, 2008). State constitutions designate different institutions with task and official authority for education policymaking. In the modern world, constitutional power and responsibility might be the only complete

Phase Contrast Imaging Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Phase Contrast Imaging - Thesis Example The traditional approach is reliant on X-ray absorption as a mere source of contrast, and also outlines chiefly on ray optics to define and interpret the formation of image. As suggested by Yacobi et al, Phase contrast is the most challenging and complicated mechanism for a beginner to imagine, however, at the same time, it is the most powerful mechanism for generating images with ultra-high resolution (Yacobi et al, 1994). Phase Contrast imaging, which is informally known as High Resolution or HR imaging, is a process of imaging in Transmission Electron Microscopy, and is one of the chief components that discriminates Transmission Electron Microscopy from traditional optical microscopy. Nevertheless, phase contrast imaging is often interpreted as synonymous to high-resolution TEM (Williams and Carter, 1996). Moreover, phase contrast microscopy produces high-contrast images of transparent samples such as cells or micro-organisms (Murphy, 2002). This ability commences from the fact that the atoms in a substance disseminate electrons as they pass through them, thereby, giving rise to diffraction in contrast, along with the distinction that is already prese nt in the transmitted beam. Phase-contrast imaging contributes to the maximum imaging technology that has ever developed, and can also enable for resolutions ranging less than one angstrom, thus, allowing the straight viewing of lines of atoms in a crystalline substance. As suggested by Wilkinson and Schut, in phase contrast microscopy, the differences in refractive index are converted into differences in the image intensity (Wilkinson and Schut, 1998). The explanation of phase-contrast images is usually not a clear-cut task by any means. As viewed by Zhang, phase contrast images usually exhibit periodic contrast transformations or reversals (Zhang, 2001). The uncoiling of the differences viewed in the High Resolution image in order to identify the features as a result of which the atoms in the substance can hardly be performed with the naked eye. As an alternative, for the reason that the merger of contrasts as a reason of the multiple diffracting constituents as well as planes and the transmitted beam is diverse, the computer replications are brought in to use so as to identify what kind of distinct disparate structures may create in a phase-contrast image. As a point in fact, a sensible amount of information regarding the sample is required to be comprehended prior to the interpretation of a phase contrast image, for example a speculation about the constituents of the

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus Essay Example for Free

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus Essay Christopher Marlowe, in his play The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, examines the renaissance spirit that aims for secular and materialistic knowledge, and explores its affinity with magic. In our modern era secular knowledge has lost all its associations with magic, and this makes it difficult for modern audiences to appreciate the concerns of Marlowe. Magic has been reduced to a quaint and harmless superstition for most, and therefore the heretic’s heroic pursuit of it, or the Church’s severe condemnation and suppression of it, either has ceased to make any sense. The Bible, indeed most religious scriptures, severely proscribes magic, and paints it as the most serious threat to civilization. This contrasts with the modern attitude in which magic is only meaningless chants and redundant amulets with no efficacy whatsoever. In the original context of the play magic was seen as an active scourge, and was believed to be a way to knowledge that shunned the path of God. The connection between magic and secular learning is revived throughout the play. On several occasions we find Faustus faulting his books for his downfall: â€Å"O, would I had never seen Wittenberg, / never read book! † In his last desperate attempt to gain redemption from the clutches of Lucifer he offers to burn his books. In recent times such knowledge is called materialistic, and at times condemned as such. However, rarely is such knowledge associated with black magic. In Marlowe’s time conceptions were radically different. Indeed all the great pioneers in the renaissance of learning knew the nature of the task they undertook. When Roger Bacon submitted to the Pope his elaborate blueprint aimed at a fundamental new direction in learning – the Opus Majus – he coined the term â€Å"white magic† for it. Christian doctrine taught that magic was a black art, because evil. Bacon explained to the pope that his new experimental way to learning, if properly guided by the authorities, such as the Vatican itself, would not harm, but instead improve society. Bacon stated intention was to â€Å"better demonstrate the inferiority and indignity of Magical power to that of Nature or Art†. Despite Bacon’s optimism, the suspicion that the rise of secular knowledge was releasing into Christian Europe the seven deadly sins was slow to fade. When Goethe retold the Faust story in the early nineteenth century he still held that the protagonist was making a pact with the devil, but added a crucial difference to the ending, where Faust is not subject to eternal damnation after all. In Marlowe’s time ungodly knowledge was manifestly a black art. Therefore Doctor Faustus, symbolizing the renaissance spirit, does not escape eternal damnation. The opening soliloquy of Faustus explains the rationale behind magic concisely and powerfully. A luminary of learning in Wittenberg, he is ruminating in his study over his multitudinous achievements, and yet finds dissatisfaction over and over again. He has mastered Aristotle’s logic, but is it only to win a metaphysical debate, he ponders. He has applied Galen’s medicine and saved Wittenberg from the ravages of the plague. But to what avail, he ponders, if man be mortal in the end. Justinians’s Institutes of law appears now to him a â€Å"mercenary drudge†. In the end divinity is judged to be above all secular arts. But then the biblical doctrine of original sin confronts Faustus squarely. If it is in the nature of man to sin, and by sinning he meets eternal death and damnation, then the doctrine of predestination is meaningless, he thinks: â€Å"What doctrine call you this, Che sera, sera, What will be, shall be? † By refuting religion in the end, Faustus is left at the doors of magic. It promises riches, power and dominion over world, and meets exactly the needs of a soaring ambition that is sated with mere learning for learning’s sake. A sound magician is a demigod,† he expresses. In this way Faustus has come to the logical conclusion of secular knowledge, the aim of which he professes at the beginning, to â€Å"level at the end of every art†. In the process has made clear the link between the spirit of the renaissance and magic. This is why the play is truly a tragedy, and not merely a morality play that teaches the wages of sin. After this soliloquy and Faustus has finally chosen the path of magic, the rest of the play is merely a drawn out dramatization of the inevitable fall. The only remaining tension is in the mind of the protagonist, as it vacillates between moving ahead into the kingdom of Lucifer, and turning back with repentance to God. In fact the latter is not an option at all, which Mephistopheles and Lucifer remind him times over, and he finds out on his own whenever to tries to repent: â€Å"My heart is hardend, I cannot repent; / Scarce can I name salvation, faith, or heaven. † He has sold his soul to the devil with a pact signed in blood, which signifies none other than that he has committed himself to the path of magic. He is damned and destined for an eternity in hell. The 24 years granted by Lucifer is his perdition. They are expended in exercise of meaningless powers over kings and emperors, and a tormenting vacillation between heaven and hell. The latter is in fact the only dynamic in the play after the pact signed in blood. It is the tension of what might have been and what is. The last glimmer of hope for Faustus is when his blood congeals before the pact is signed with it, signifying that the body is resisting that which the mind has already yielded to. But Mephistopheles brings in fire to keep the blood warm and running, and the final disaster is completed. A further dynamic in the play is the realization of the ultimate futility of magic. Faustus has been granted worldly power and glory, by which he impresses and wins favors of kings and princes. But they turn out to be meaningless to him in the end, just as meaningless as his prior accomplishments in the fields of metaphysics, medicine and law. He is quickly sated with his new found powers, and ends up just as dissatisfied as prior to selling his soul. He is tortured by pangs of remorse, and begins to think the glories of heaven far superior. By degrees Faustus is made to learn what hell really is. His first shock is to learn that hell is not really an old wives’ tale after all. In answer to Faustus’ suspicion Mephistopheles interjects, â€Å"But I am an instance to prove the contrary, / For I tell thee I am damnd and now in hell. † Faustus wants to learn more about hell. The first response he gets that it is under heaven. He urges for clarity and Mephistopheles responds: Within the bowels of these elements, Where we are torturd and remain for ever: Hell hath no limits, nor is circumscribd In one self-place; but where we are is hell, And where hell is, there must we ever be: And, to be short, when all the world dissolves, And every creature shall be purified, All places shall be hell that are not heaven. In this description hell is clearly identified with materialistic knowledge and pursuits. â€Å"Within the bowels of these elements† is exactly where materialistic knowledge is sought. The materialistic world order is indeed painted as permanent and indifferent. Against this Mephistopheles points out that the present order will be dissolved and all living souls purified. The materialists stubbornly resist any suggestion that there could be a transcendence beyond empirical world. But Mephistopheles confirms that there is an â€Å"Above†, and after the dissolution and the purification of souls, all places are hell, except for where the transcendental souls reside – i. e. in heaven. By clinging to the lowly elements, through the illusory promise of magic, Faustus has indeed chosen hell as his eternal abode. Doctor Faustus is thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the renaissance, and it is only his overarching enthusiasm for it that leads to his fall. This is why he is a truly tragic figure, and the contemporary audience of Marlowe’s time would certainly have appreciated this fact. Modern audiences will tend not to sympathize with the protagonist, but what is even more shocking is that a large part will be left indifferent. Those of a religious temperament will judge that anyone who consorts with the devil deserves eternal damnation, and will probably fail to appreciate that Faustus was moved by nothing other than a tremendous spirit of learning borne of the Renaissance. The larger part, on the other hand, does not believe in hell at all, and will merely express indignation that so much suffering be heaped on one who dabbles in a few charms, and did no one any harm. To appreciate the tragic element of the play one needs to understand the spirit of the renaissance, as well as have a clear conception of magic. Modern audiences are infused with the former, but have discredited the latter as mere superstition.

Managing Intelligence in National Security

Managing Intelligence in National Security At which stage of the intelligence cycle is failure most likely to occur, and why? The most common, traditional paradigm for managing intelligence ‘flow’ is a cycle of four components: direction, collection, processing, and dissemination. Direction comes from policymakers: heads of government agencies, heads of state, senior government officials tasked with overseeing intelligence, and the like, who provide both specific and general roadmaps to intelligence agencies as to how they should apply their resources to defend national interests both at home and abroad. Collection is the process by which intelligence is gathered in a variety of fashions: via HUMINT – intelligence data collected by personal, human effort ‘on the ground’; electronically, e.g. SIGINT (interception of signals), IMINT (satellite, photographic imagining intelligence), etc. Processing is the analysis of the data obtained in the collection component, the means by which the nature, relevance and relative importance of the collected intelligence is ascertained by mea ns both scientific and intuitive. (Arguably, processing is the most important component of the cycle, but the least amount of money is often budgeted to this component of the cycle.) Dissemination refers to the process by which the relevant information is channeled to the appropriate decision-making party within a timetable commensurate with the importance of the information collected and the results of the processing/analysis. Each of the four components of the cycle is fraught with peril for failure and failure in any one component can be catastrophic. The two arenas where failure is most likely to occur, however, are collection and analysis. Failures in collection are often due to lack of applied resources, whether technological or human. The debate has raged for decades over whether HUMINT is superior to intelligence data gathered by increasingly advancing technological wizardry. Most likely, a healthy application of and symbiosis between the two is critical. There is no substitute for the personal presence of agents, operatives, and contacts on the ground, substantially integrated with useful components of whichever society in which they are placed. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was woefully lacking in human collection efforts in Afghanistan in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and in Iraq during the same time period (though to a lesser extent). Compounding matters was the dearth of CIA field operatives or domestically-based personnel who spoke the common languages of the Middle East – Arabic, Farsi, Pashtun, etc. However, rapid advances in computer technology have enabled the collection of vast quantities o f raw intelligence data – telephone calls, e-mails, radio transmissions, etc., and intelligence agencies who lack such technology will invariably be at a massive disadvantage. Failures in processing/analysis can occur when the collection apparatus has delivered all of the puzzle pieces, usually due to either a collective/institutional, or individual inability to connect the proverbial dots and turn raw data into actionable intelligence conclusions. The 9/11 attacks are a regrettably perfect example of failures in analysis. Discrete entities in the U.S. intelligence community – the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and CIA, as well as other government agencies (the Immigration and Naturalization Service and Federal Aviation Administration) – all possessed nuggets of raw data which if analyzed properly, would clearly have indicated (in fact, some say did definitively indicate) that an Al-Qaida attack on the U.S. using airplanes was imminent. However, these entities failed to share this data and collaborate cooperatively to analyze it. Turf warfare, egos, bureaucratic inertia, and competing political agendas can easily cause fatal paralysis in intelligence processing. The costs of covert action tend to outweigh its benefits. Discuss. The question of whether the costs of covert action outweigh its benefits depend greatly on the context of the covert action; is it an ongoing, multi-year low-intensity campaign involving numerous agendas, or is it an urgent, high-priority single mission designed to achieve a massive single strategic goal? Also, the notion of costs must be defined in relative terms – monetary costs, human costs, opportunity costs; indirect costs (unintended consequences); other abstract and intangible costs such as ethics, legal ramifications, etc. The CIA has long been involved in low-intensity covert actions in a variety of nations, with varying degrees of success. The Iran-Contra affair, in which Reagan administration officials diverted proceeds from the sale of arms to Iran to anti-Marxist Nicaraguan rebels in the mid-1980s, was costly in both monetary terms (hundreds of millions of pounds) and legal terms – a number of Reagan administration officials were subjected to criminal charg es for their roles in facilitating both the operation itself and the cover-up of the operation (the American Congress had passed a law forbidding U.S. government direct aid to the Contras). However, in the wake of 9/11, when the U.S. government concluded that decisive force was required to respond to Al-Qaida’s attack on U.S. soil, the CIA and DoD (Department of Defense) were authorized by President Bush to spend whatever was necessary to execute some of the most bold covert actions – particularly in HUMINT undertaken by American intelligence agencies in decades. HUMINT capacity at the CIA eroded as, ironically, the moral excesses of covert activities of the 1960s-1970s caused a backlash that choked off HUMINT funding priority; also, the end of the Cold War led many policymakers to conclude that the CIA’s resources were better spent on electronic means of collection, as covert action can be prohibitively expensive in both time and money. However, the CIA was authorized and ordered to act boldly and within a matter of weeks, had substantial HUMINT on the ground in Afghanistan both collecting data and coordinating with DoD military planners to levera ge intelligence into actionable military plans. The goal: to defeat the Taliban, who had hosted Al-Qaida in a darkly symbiotic relationship which held the country in a repressive stranglehold and provided safe haven for the training of thousands of would-be terrorists. Mindful of the failure of the Soviet Union’s 1979 invasion of Afghanistan, CIA realized that only an asymmetrical application of covert power (mirroring Al-Qaida’s approach to the 9/11 attacks, ironically) would be effective, as a conventional ground war could be too costly in both manpower and lives on both sides. A shrewd application of HUMINT, technology, and good old-fashioned money engineered the relatively rapid American triumph in Afghanistan in 2001. CIA operatives on the ground descended into Afghanistan with little support, made contact with sympathetic Afghan warlords, dispensed hundreds of millions of dollars to other warlords and tribal leaders, in some cases simply to bribe them into switching sides and fight against the Taliban and Al-Qaida. These same operatives also used hand-held laser GPS equipment to target enemy strongholds and transmit this location data directly to U.S. aircraft, who in turn dropped laser-guided bombs with deadly efficiency. The cost was in the billions, but the victory was swift, decisive, and – given the ramifications of the triumph – extremely inexpensive, relatively speaking. As such, not all covert operations are too costly to make them worthwhile. Discuss the importance of open sources collection in comparison to clandestine collection. Is clandestine collection indeed more valuable? Open-source(s) collection refers to the collection of actionable or otherwise valuable/relevant intelligence data from publicly available sources. Prior to the advent of the Internet, this methodology was not without value, but in many cases prohibitively time-intensive, and less prone to yield results. Though the type of information available to the public at a local library might surprise a layperson, it is dwarfed by what is now available on the Internet to anyone with a personal computer. In some cases, an intelligence analyst sitting at a desk in London can gather valuable, reliable information about conditions on the ground in a city halfway across the globe – weather conditions, local news, political and business developments, cultural idiosyncracies. Other sources of OSINT, as it is termed, include diverse sources as consultations with experts in various fields within academia or the business world, professional associations, professional conventions, to simple thought ful Google searches and reading of blogs. The trend globally is towards an ever-increasing amount of openness of information exchange thanks to the Internet. Increasingly sophisticated ‘sweeper’ data-mining software technology, which is often used to collect and in some cases process large volumes of conventional communication traffic, are being utilized by the CIA to scan millions of websites, searching for key terms, phrases, contexts, which might indicate that human review would be advantageous or essential. Instructions to make improvised explosive devices can easily be posted on websites, and 21st century intelligence collection must conform to this new reality. In comparison, the best use of clandestine intelligence vis-à  -vis OSINT efforts is to obtain highly specialized or esoteric intelligence information that is either intentionally kept confidential (classified government secrets, for example). OISINT processing and analysis can help frame and answer a number of general questions and/or analyze larger patterns and trends, whereas clandestine intelligence can help answer targeted, specific questions that cannot be ascertained by either human or computer OSINT efforts. For example, in response to the intelligence reforms demanded in the wake of the failure to anticipate and prevent the 9/11 attacks, the CIA formed an â€Å"Open Source Center† (OSC) to focus specifically on OSINT. In 2004, OSC used OSINT technology to discover that a new, powerful Chinese submarine had been constructed in an underground location heretofore unknown to the American military and intelligence community. The tip-off? Chinese military bloggers, one of whom posted a photograph of the impressive new Chinese submarine (the Yuan-class attack submarine) on a publicly viewable website. CIA in turn employed HUMINT and electronic surveillance to ascertain where the submarine had been constructed and what its operational abilities might be. In a less dramatic example, OSC searched Iraqi websites for postings related to the use of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), in some cases gathering actionable data which helped avert the use of these deadly terrorist tools. (The inad vertent destruction of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999 by NATO bombs might have been averted by some of the most rudimentary OSINT – having a human operative walk down the street to make sure the military target’s address was correct.) Clandestine collection activities, particularly HUMINT efforts, will always have their place, but in a world where information is available anywhere, anytime, at the click of a mouse, intelligence agencies must dedicate significant resources to OSINT.

What Went Wrong With Americas Schools? Essay -- essays research papers

What Went Wrong with America's Schools? Education is the key to any countries economic success. For a country to be economically sound, the business and industry within that country must be financially prosperous. In todays high tech world economy, businesses and industries need well educated employees to prosper. Therefore, the deterioration of a countries educational system should be considered a major economic problem. Between 1965 and 1980, the performance of American students dramatically declined, the educational system fell backwards, and it is affecting todays schools, as well as the future of the US's work force. During that 15 year period, US students' test scores severely dropped in comparison to other industrial countries. After 1980, the dropping scores leveled off, and recently, they have begun in increase. But American students must play catch-up with the rest of the world, and todays public school system is not prepared to facilitate the major leap forward that our educational system needs. Before 1965, America's public school system was producing better educated students with less money and fewer supplies than today. Each class was approximately 40% larger than today's classes, and they functioned with about one-third of the real dollar expenditures of present day schools. They taught with fewer books and less equipment, and did not have any of todays audio-visual material and equipment. Then, between 1965 and 1980, real dollar expenditures per student doubled as teacher to student ratio dropped by one forth. Yet, with more money and fewer students per class, student achievement deteriorated in every available measure. In 15 years, national SAT scores declined by 5 points annually. That 75 point drop has put the US behind greatly, and has left todays students with a lot of ground to make up in order to reach other countries test score levels. The cause of this dramatic drop can not been attributed to any one thing. The decline was sudden, sharp, and affected every region and socioeconomic group in the country. Because the 60's and 70's were a time of major changes, nothing that happened in that era can be ruled out. But a few major changes within the educational system have been linked to the decline. &... ...resent increase in learning and test scores, America will be on its way to being a leader in education again. And with a well educated work force, the US economy will continue to grow and prosper. Bibliography Stanley M. Elam, Lowell C. Rose, and Alec M. Gallup, "The 25th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 137-152 William Kristol and Jay P. Lefkowitz, "Our Students, Still at Risk," New York Times, 3 May 1993, p.A-23 Sam Peltzman, "What's Behind the Decline of Public Schools?" USA Today, July 1994, pages 22-24 The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, "More than Survival" 1980 copyright by Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA Gerald W Bracey, "The Third Bracey Report on the Condition of Public Education" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 105-117 Jim Fox, "The Wrong Whipping Boy" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 118-119 What Went Wrong With Americas Schools? Essay -- essays research papers What Went Wrong with America's Schools? Education is the key to any countries economic success. For a country to be economically sound, the business and industry within that country must be financially prosperous. In todays high tech world economy, businesses and industries need well educated employees to prosper. Therefore, the deterioration of a countries educational system should be considered a major economic problem. Between 1965 and 1980, the performance of American students dramatically declined, the educational system fell backwards, and it is affecting todays schools, as well as the future of the US's work force. During that 15 year period, US students' test scores severely dropped in comparison to other industrial countries. After 1980, the dropping scores leveled off, and recently, they have begun in increase. But American students must play catch-up with the rest of the world, and todays public school system is not prepared to facilitate the major leap forward that our educational system needs. Before 1965, America's public school system was producing better educated students with less money and fewer supplies than today. Each class was approximately 40% larger than today's classes, and they functioned with about one-third of the real dollar expenditures of present day schools. They taught with fewer books and less equipment, and did not have any of todays audio-visual material and equipment. Then, between 1965 and 1980, real dollar expenditures per student doubled as teacher to student ratio dropped by one forth. Yet, with more money and fewer students per class, student achievement deteriorated in every available measure. In 15 years, national SAT scores declined by 5 points annually. That 75 point drop has put the US behind greatly, and has left todays students with a lot of ground to make up in order to reach other countries test score levels. The cause of this dramatic drop can not been attributed to any one thing. The decline was sudden, sharp, and affected every region and socioeconomic group in the country. Because the 60's and 70's were a time of major changes, nothing that happened in that era can be ruled out. But a few major changes within the educational system have been linked to the decline. &... ...resent increase in learning and test scores, America will be on its way to being a leader in education again. And with a well educated work force, the US economy will continue to grow and prosper. Bibliography Stanley M. Elam, Lowell C. Rose, and Alec M. Gallup, "The 25th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 137-152 William Kristol and Jay P. Lefkowitz, "Our Students, Still at Risk," New York Times, 3 May 1993, p.A-23 Sam Peltzman, "What's Behind the Decline of Public Schools?" USA Today, July 1994, pages 22-24 The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, "More than Survival" 1980 copyright by Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA Gerald W Bracey, "The Third Bracey Report on the Condition of Public Education" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 105-117 Jim Fox, "The Wrong Whipping Boy" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 118-119

the meaning of a friend Essays -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Never having any guidance, or direction, he has always seemed to work through all obstacles. Langston was a young man, roughly beginning his first year of medical school. Everyone he knew saw it a miricle that he ever made it as far as a bachelors degree, much less a Medical Degree.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Born a â€Å"mistake† never knowing his mother, or father he spent much of his childhood and adolescence running from foster homes east and west, he had never known unconditional love or the feel of a true family. At the age of 24, only one person in his life had ever before cared enough to keep in touch with him. She was a young woman he called Mams. Natalie Green Entered is life when he was around the age of four, as his â€Å"big sister†. She was only 18 and needed community service hours to receive a scholarship, never anticipating that such a loving relationship would grow with the young boy. Mams was an only child to a middle class black family, raised with a father that believe you must earn and work for everything you receive. Even then the nature and history, of Langston’s life, at the age of four, shocked her. For the 12 months they spent together, in St.Louis, every weekend, and twice during the week they escaped from their lives. She took him to plays, book readings, social events, anything she thought would open his eyes to the opportunities surrounding him. As a result Langston was well on his was to success. Even after she left for collage, and he moved to a new â€Å"home†, every birthday, Easter, Christmas, Halloween, and any other special event, Langston would receive a letter or post card with just enough words to make him keep trying. She was the main and only motivation in his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On a Sunny day, in the beginning of September, Langston hopped on his bike and hurried home to his apartment to change clothes and rush to work, his daily routine. The door flung open, his shoes flew across the room, he ran to the bathroom he turned on the shower, then ran into the kitchen, and was then brought to a paused when he noticed the mail he must have overlooked when first entering. The shower still running, he grabbed the mail, not expecting anything in paticular besides the usual junk mail. When suddenly he was suprised to see a peach envelope with purple ink writing, reading Langston Brown ... ...nishment Langston realized those were the closing words of Mam’s eulogy, Langston had been so greif stricken he totally zoned out the entire funeral ceremony, even the lasting momentos she left for him. Mams hadn’t forgotten him, nor not cared for him, for whatever reason she felt she had to die, she wanted Langston to know how much she was proud of him, and how much she believed he was capable of acheiving.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Such a small, yet overlooked aspect. Who knew how much these few words could change Langston’s life. Suddenly he felt powerful and ambitious once again. He no longer blamed himself, or questioned the ways of life, he learned to accept the past and prepare for the future. Though some people looked down on Natalie Green for her â€Å"cowardly† death, contrary, Langston still holds her in the highest respect, for she changed his life in ways he can never repay. She gave him hope and strength when there was no one else around to care if he woke up the next morning. She understood how much he needed her in his life. Natalie Green was his Mams, warm hearted, strong, independent; the most influential, loving person in his life.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

“The Chrysanthemums”: An Early Depiction of Gender’s Role :: Literary Analysis, John Steinbeck

The traditional role of women in the American society has transformed as society has trended towards sexual equality. In the past women were expected to be submissive to the man and were looked upon as homemakers rather then providers. Modern day women enjoy the freedom of individuality and are considered as capable as men in many regards. John Steinbeck’s short story, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums,† portrays a woman’s struggle with accepting her life and role as a female (459). Through the protagonist-female character, Elisa Allen, and the symbolism of chrysanthemums, Steinbeck displays the gender roles that define past generations of women’s lives in the United States. Elisa Allen embodies the image of a simple woman eager to escape the confines of a gender defined role in society. Readers are introduced to Elisa as a 35 year old, strong woman living with her husband, Henry, on a ranch in Salinas Valley (Steinbeck 460). Elisa’s masculinity is highlighted from the attire she is wearing to the strength in her hands. Henry affirms that Elisa is capable in her endeavors when he states, â€Å"you’ve got a gift with things,† in regards to her garden (Steinbeck 460). Even though Elisa is delighted at Henry’s suggestion that she work in the orchard, the idea does not seem to get a second thought (Steinbeck 460). The idea of a woman working in the orchard is dismissed on the premise that the orchard is not a woman’s place. In Elisa’s account with the man in the wagon, her sexuality exudes in her graphic explanation of picking off the flower buds and being under the stars, to the point that she almost physically tou ches the man (Steinbeck 463). Her desire would go unsatisfied, as it would not be appropriate for her to act on her impulse. Elisa is searching for fulfillment in life but finds her role to be trivial. Intrigued by the idea of traveling, as the gentleman in the wagon does, she states, â€Å"It must be very nice. I wish women could do such things.† She is shot down as the man replies, â€Å"It ain’t the right kind of a life for a woman† (Steinbeck 464). This conversation clearly depicts the prevalent inequality of the sexes. Furthermore, once the man leaves in the caravan Elisa cements her urge for something more, looking out at the horizon whispering, â€Å"That’s a bright direction. There’s a glowing there† (Steinbeck 464-465).

Mental Health And Dementia Health And Social Care Essay

Health is a province of complete physical, mental and societal wellbeing and non simply the absence of disease or frailty ( WHO, 1948 ) .Mental wellness therefore is an built-in constituent of entire wellness. India is a huge state with heterogenous socio-cultural conditions predominating in different part which have an of import bearing on the mental wellness job. Dementia is a syndrome attributed to disease of the encephalon, normally of a chronic or progressive nature, in which there is perturbation of multiple encephalon maps. These damages may include computation, larning capacity, linguistic communication and judgement. It normally considered present merely when there is attendant impact on societal or occupational map. Consciousness is normally unchanged. There may besides be impairment in emotional control, societal behavior or motive. In other words, it is non merely memory loss but a complex status that affects more than one cognitive facet ( Woodford, Henry.2010 ) The word dementedness comes from the Latin word â€Å" demens † intending ‘without a head ‘ . Dementia refers to a group of upsets characterized by neglecting memory and loss of other rational maps ensuing from multiple causes. One of the of import causes of dementedness is Alzheimer ‘s disease. This disease or doddering dementedness is a chronic, progressive and deteriorate encephalon upset accompanied by profound effects on memory, knowledge and ability for ego attention. It normally occurs in the late 60 ‘s. The oncoming of mental symptoms is so insidious, that neither the household member nor the patients can day of the month its beginning. Daily activities are forgotten, assignments non maintain and societal behaviours become changed. Stable matrimonies may be disrupted by sexual injudiciousness. Dementia is a neuro-degenerative unwellness which chiefly affects the aged. Cases besides have been reported in their in-between age. Having said that it can impact younger people excessively. Many a manner, fondness of dementedness to a individual is truly a menace to his or her household, physically, psychologically, economically and socially. Adjusting to the world of Alzheimer ‘s disease ( AD ) in a loved one is a complex and hard procedure. Adjusting to AD is seting to decease because AD is a fatal disease and one that frequently involves a lingering decease, the phases of heartache that household members go through. Looking after the AD patient is a unit of ammunition the clock attempt and largely the nearest household member who plays the function of this attention giving. The attention givers are go throughing through a series of conflicting and dying phases, when the AD advancement. The attention givers are physically disturbed, emotionally down, socially stray and financially broken. Bing a attention giver for an AD patient is one of the most nerve-racking state of affairss one can of all time conceive of. It is so a calamity to see a individual you may hold loved and respected disintegrate before your really eyes. This research purpose to analyze the jobs faced by the Carers of the Alzheimer Patients of Mar Basalio Medical Mission Hospital, Kothamangalam, India.1.2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND1.2.1. What is Alzheimer ‘s disease?Alzheimer ‘s disease is a degenerative disease of the encephalon from which there is no recovery. Slowly and inexorably, the disease attacks nerve cells in all parts of the cerebral mantle of the encephalon, every bit good as some environing constructions, thereby impairing a individual ‘s abilities to regulate emotions, recognize mistakes and forms, coordinate motion, and retrieve. At the last, an stricken individual loses all memory and mental operation.1.2.2. The symptoms of Alzheimer ‘s disease.Mild damage in thought is now believed to be a important mark of early-stage Alzheimer ‘s in older people. The early symptoms of Alzheimer ‘s disease may be overlooked because they resemble marks of natural aging. These symptoms include: Forgetfulness. Loss of concentration. Unexplained weight loss. Motor jobs, including mild troubles in walking. In healthy persons, similar symptoms can ensue from a figure of common aging jobs: Fatigue. Grief or depression. Illness. Vision or hearing loss. The usage of intoxicant or certain medicines. Simply the load of excessively many inside informations to retrieve at one time.1.2.3. Problems faced by the attention giversThe jobs of the attention givers are diverse. Some of the closest relations of the sick persons might to through a grief process- a daze province where they may be in a province of emotional numbness, subsequently a face of denial, where they do non accept the job and so a period of B bargaining ( why me ) where they may seek to intellectualize the agony until adjustment sets in. Those who may non make the phase of accommodation may stay angry and disoriented which could take to mistreating the AD patient physically or mentally. Care givers ill tolerate physical aggression, verbal maltreatment, rolling, fecal smearing, inappropriate micturition, sleep perturbation and restlessness by twenty-four hours. Johns G & A ; Miesen B ( 1992 ) found out that household members experience many negative feelings as they care for a individual holding dementing unwellness. Some feel sad, demoralized and entirely, while some feel angry guilty or hopeless and experience tired. Normally female relation of the ill individual assumes the lead function in attention giving. The primary attention giver is one most affected by the load of attention giving. The emotional reactions experienced by primary attention giver and other household members may be considered in item. Anger is apprehensible for the primary attention giver to experience defeated and angry, angry that this has happened to her, angry that she has to be care giver, angry with others who do n't look to be assisting, angry with the impaired individual for his irritating behaviour, angry that she is trapped in the state of affairs. It is merely humane to be angry when faced with the loads and losingss caused by a demanding unwellness. Expressing the choler to the ill individual frequently makes his behaviour worse. It is helpful to happen out other mercantile establishments for the defeats of the primary attention giver. Embarrassment is another job. Often the behavior of a individual holding AD is inappropriate and awkward. So household members feel abashed. It is common for household members to experience hopeless, demoralized in the face of AD. Depressed people may besides experience dying nervous or cranky. A chronic AD takes its toll on emotions of the attention givers and provides a existent ground for experiencing low. Peoples who care for a individual with AD are frequently tired merely because they are non acquiring plenty remainder. So the primary attention giver may see weariness and is more prone for serious unwellness. As mentioned before, the primary attention giver is the individual is the most to a great extent affected by the procedure of attention giving. As the primary attention giver is frequently a female she may besides hold to take the duty of looking after your kids and her hubby. In many households with an AD patient, the predicament of the primary attention giver is so hapless. Howard Gruetzner ( 1998 ) pointed out some ways for cut downing health professionals emphasis. Care givers need to assist themselves. Alzheimer ‘s household support group is to assist household members cope successfully with the unwellness. Counseling besides can be sought. Care givers may forestall some emphasis by using their forces and societal support resources.1.2.4. Community resources for AD attention1.2.4.1.Alzheimer ‘s household support groups:These groups provide attention givers with support in hooking with the unwellness and in covering with jobs experienced in attention giving. Self-support groups besides can be a beginning of information about the disease and community resource. Participants experience similar jobs and help each other in doing determinations about attention. The emotional accommodation of the household to the unwellness is promoted by such groups.1.2.4.2.Respite CareThis type of service provides household members with occasional alleviation from the force per unit areas of uninterrupted attention giving. Such alleviation can forestall premature institutionalization of the patient as a consequence of the attention givers physical and emotional emphasis. Formal reprieve plans offer services runing from several hours to several hebdomads alleviation.1.2.4.3.Adult Day Care:Some twenty-four hours plans are designed specifically for individuals with Alzheimer ‘s. Day care provides exercising, activities, diversion, support of day-to-day life accomplishment reding, and monitoring of the participants general wellness. Such plans can assist individual with Alzheimer ‘s maintain some abilities that would otherwise deteriorate more rapidly.1.2.4.4. Home Health Care:Some twenty-four hours plans normally ca n supply nursing and forces attention services to patients in their places.1.2.4.5.Community Mental Health Center:Some community mental wellness centres have specialized geriatric plans that can be really helpful in the direction of the Alzheimer ‘s patient and supportive of the household attention giver. These plans can supply a broad scope of services including comprehensive appraisal, psychiatric ratings, single group and household guidance.1.3. Statement OF THE PROBLEMAd occurs in about all states of the universe. But in developing and developing states like India, the pull offing scheme of AD is relatively less than developed states. Every patient needs much more attention and love from his nearest relations, particularly the attention giver. The procedure of working with an AD is one that requires more forbearance and sensitiveness. Unfortunately, most of the attention givers are in province of anxiousness and depression, ever kicking about their psycho bodily perturbati ons, insomnia etc. and ; non get bying with the world and their by increasing their trouble. Though many major research surveies have been done in respect with the etiology, symptoms and behavioural alterations of the AD patients, the jobs of the carers, particularly in India, have been neglected. Through this survey, the research worker aims to analyze the assorted jobs faced by the attention givers of AD patients of Mar Basalio Medical Mission Hospital. The research worker besides tries to understand the relationship between extend of damage of AD patient and direction troubles faced by the attention givers. In add-on to this, besides tries to happen out the extend of societal support system and the header schemes for pull offing attention givers job.1.4. RESEARCH OBJECTIVESTo critically reexamine the assorted literatures related to the Alzheimer ‘s disease. To roll up and analyse the jobs faced by the Carers of Alzheimer patients in Mar Basalio ‘s Medical Mission Hospital. To critically measure the collected informations of jobs faced by the Carers of the Alzheimer patients in the infirmary. To do possible recommendations and suggestions to the Carers and the AD Clinic of Mar Basalio ‘s Medical Mission Hospital, Kothamangalam, India.1.5. Mar Baselios Medical Mission HospitalMar Baselios Medical Mission Hospital is situated in Kothamangalam, Ernakulam territory, Kerala, India. The infirmary is managed by Malankara bishopric of Kothamangalam. The infirmary is an 800 bed multi disciplinary super forte infirmary and employs a squad of good trained, qualified and dedicated staff with a mission to present quality intervention to all people of different walks of life. The hospital direction believes in functioning the community through Christian values and adheres to rules of love and compassion. Mar Basalios Medical Mission Hospital besides offers assorted installations like adjustment and nutrient to the hapless and economically backward people. It besides runs community service programmes by manner of medical cantonments and oculus testing runs for the people of 15 nea rby small towns. The infirmary besides provides consciousness and immunisation programmes in assorted topographic points of the Ernakulam territory. The psychopathology section has an drawn-out AD clinic which focuses on assisting the AD patients and their carers. The section has an Alzheimer ‘s group and renders assorted services to the carers of the AD patients through categories, seminars and specialised group Sessionss. It besides has an extended aggregation of resources including books, brochures and audio-visual AIDSs in order to assist the carers of AD patients. The drawn-out Alzheimer ‘s disease Clinic is making its best to assist the Alzheimer ‘s patients by assisting and back uping their carers.1.6. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDYThe research worker has selected the Mar Basalio ‘s Medical Mission Hospital, Kothamangalam, India for the intent of the research. This is a multi forte infirmary with more than 200 beds. Mar Baselios Hospital is holding a separate research wing and soon making 6 researches in different subdivisions of medical specialties. The infirmary is besides holding an AD Clinic which offe rs services of general sort to the AD patients through their carers. The research worker has the experience of working in this infirmary as a Social Worker in HR Division. During that period, the research worker has observed that the health professionals of the Alzheimer ‘s patients are under considerable psycho societal jobs and the infirmary is doing its best attempts to cover them. But in fact, the infirmary is presenting a general sort of services to the health professional instead than specialized single attending or one to one Sessionss. Hence, the infirmary may non be able to understand the complexness of jobs faced by the health professionals of the Alzheimer patients as the each carer will hold a different narrative to state. The jobs of the carers differ from each other depending upon the copying schemes, support and even personality. Thus it is feared that the health professionals may lose their assurance in the services of Hospital towards the Alzheimer ‘s patients and their attention givers. The research worker at this point would wish to step in and make a research as he felt the demand to understand the complexness of the jobs faced by the health professionals of the Alzheimer ‘s patients who entree the services from the infirmary. By making a research, the research worker tries to understand and critically analyze the different jobs faced by the health professionals who are associated with the Mar Basalio ‘s Medical Mission Hospital, Kothamangalam and lend valuable suggestions to the carers of the infirmary.1.7. RESEARCH QuestionWhat are the different jobs faced by the Carers of Alzheimer Patients of Mar Basalio ‘s Medical Mission Hospital, Kothamangalam, India?1.8. Research MethodThe research is based on the descriptive survey and the research worker will roll up informations through observations and with the aid of ego prepared questionnaires. The processing and analysis of the informations will be done manually. The collected informations will be critically analysed to acquire attain truth of the research survey. The research survey possesses a few restrictions and they are as follows. The survey is estimated to be done in a limited sample of 40 people and therefore, the decision drawn may non be accurate. Besides the handiness of the respondents in clip and their cooperation are considered to be one of the of import restrictions of this survey. The research worker purposes to use a few associates to roll up informations from the respondents. The associates are likely to bias the information which is non favorable for the survey. The peculiar survey is expected to complete in a stipulated clip and all the above mentioned factors are once more dependent on clip.1.9. DecisionAlzheimer ‘s disease is a terrible memory damage causation by encephalon disfunctions chiefly in in-between age people which is the most of import causes of dementedness. Care givers need much more forbearance and attending for looking after their loved 1s. There is so much community resources are available for cut downing the troubles of the attention givers. Through this chapter of debut, the research worker gives an overview of the survey by detailing about the range, background, research method and aim. The undermentioned chapters will cover more about the procedure in item.

Little Big Man

Directed by Arthur Penn, Little Big Man is a 1970 movie based on a 1964 novel by Thomas Berger. It stars Dustin Hoffman and Chief Dan George. The story begins as old Jack Crabb tries to recall the events of his long life for a biographer William Hickey. He had been a frontiersman, Indian scout, gunfighter, buffalo hunter, adopted Cheyenne homesteader, and witness and survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. However, among his varied life events, the fact that he was adopted by the Cheyenne gives him an unique perspective on both the white and Native American cultures of the 19th century. The movie unravels the white man’s attempted genocide of the Indian and provides an indirect commentary upon genocide then occurring in Vietnam. However, the movie is most noted for its celebrated toppling of the legend and heroic aura surrounding General George Armstrong Custer and his defeat at the Little Big Horn (Geyring, 1988).Little Big Man (1970) breaks many myths surrounding the w orld of the American West. It raises questions on many of the notions of the West that have come to dominate the popular consciousness. The new elements of Little Big Man that are in opposition to popular myths in western cinema include a decreased use of violence, increased use of non-traditional sexuality, critical views of historical masculine figures, more concern for the feelings of a woman, nontraditional sexuality and more focus on favoring â€Å"realism† over â€Å"romanticism†.Young Jack and his older sister Caroline were orphaned during a massacre of his wagon train. Jack is later raised by the Cheyenne leader Old Lodge Skins and taught the Cheyenne language whereas Caroline runs off.   Jack is given the name â€Å"Little Big Man† when, despite his short statures, he bravely volunteers to fight against the United States Army. After many adventures, he reunites with Caroline for a brief time. Jack finally settled down with a Swedish woman named Olga a nd even opens a general store. However, when his partner   deceives him and puts him in heavy debt, he is forced to close the store. George Armstrong Custer suggests they make a new beginning in the west.   But their stagecoach is attacked on the way and Olga is abducted by the Cheyenne. Jack later on, tragically finds Olga married to Younger Bear. He later marries Sunshine. Custer kills many of the Cheyenne leaders. Unable to take revenge on Custer directly, he leads them to their doom at the Little Bighorn in a smartly planned manner.Westerns Films   are the major defining genre of the American film industry. They usually represent the days of the expansive, untamed American frontier in the 19th century. The western film genre typically portray the conquest of the wilderness and the subordination of nature, in the name of civilization.   Usually, the film is based on forts, desert regions, isolated homestead, jail, small town main street etc. Other iconic elements in weste rns include the hanging tree, stetsons and spurs, lassos and Colt .45's, stagecoaches, gamblers, long-horned cattle and cattle drives, prostitutes with a heart of gold, and more (Dirks, 2007).The western film genre has been associated with America’s historical past.   Usually, the central plot of the western film is simple and based on conflicts between good and evil, white hat and black hat, settlers vs. Indians, humanity vs. nature, and so on (Dirks, 2007). Often the hero of a western meets his equal and opposite self in the form of the villain. Thus typical elements in westerns include enemies (often Native Americans), guns and gun fights, violence and human massacres, horses, trains and train robberies, bank robberies and holdups, runaway stagecoachs, shoot-outs and showdowns, outlaws and sheriffs, cattle drives and cattle rustling and distinctive western clothing (denim, jeans, boots, etc.) (Dirks, 2007).Little Big Man focuses on the settlement of the American West dur ing the middle- and late-nineteenth century. Crabb's is obsessively in search of his own origins. In relating his past, Crabb introduces several sets of parents over the course of the novel, including his birth parents, the Indians, and the Pendrakes. He does not sense any connection in the true sense to these people: â€Å"my Ma was well-meaning but ignorant. My Pa was crazy and my brother was a traitor. Then there was Caroline.They weren't much of a family, I guess, but then I was not with them long†. One also finds that Crabb could not have a family of his own despite two official marriages. He participates in almost every major event in the West at that time, beginning in 1852 and concluding in 1876 with the Battle of Little Bighorn.   Following Crabb in his search for roots the movie traces the complex issues of Western settlement, especially those raised by the collision of cultures and peoples.This breaks the myth of Western movies that the Native Indians are all sav ages and the white people are all decent settlers. Crabb is a White Man and he always remembers it. But he was brought up by the Cheyenne Indians from the age of ten.   When Crabb lives with the Indians, he cannot forget that he is white and while in the company of the whites, he seems more connected with the Indians; he confesses these conflicting attitudes when he runs away from the Pendrakes, his adopted parents in Missouri (Sinowitz, 1999).Crabb is derogatory in his speech and attitude towards both the Native Indians and the whites. When he is captured, he makes remarks such as â€Å"Indians of course invented the habit of smoking, and almost nothing else† and refers to the Indians as â€Å"barbarians.† As he proceeds to compliment them, he says â€Å"you couldn't get away from the fact that they wasn't white†. However, when he is among the whites later in the novel, Crabb realizes that he finds civilization meaningless. These ambivalent notions about the Indian world and civilization are very different from earlier Western type movies where the native Indians were the only villains.In most traditional Western movies, the settlement primarily involved bringing civilization to the West. In Little Big Man, Crabb even points out that the Indians are very mannerly.   He also indicates the barbarity of the whites. Instead of simply reversing the traditional roles of the Indians and whites, the movie shows us that in reality both groups are comprised of civil and savage men and values.In doing so, Penn revises traditional views of Western settlement and the tendency of observers neatly to categorize the roles various groups play in a historical process. The movie does not place any community as superior compared to another. But each culture along with its criticism is brought on an equal plane. The Little Big Man provides an increasingly positive representation of Native Americans who had been treated as â€Å"savages† in earlier films. Contrary to general American Western genre movies, this movie portrays the American Indians in a sympathetic light whereas the soldiers are portrayed as lunatics or violent barbarians (Sinowitz, 1999).Often considered the most American of film genres, the Western has long shaped the way the history of the West has been recorded in American culture.   When Western Movies brought in historical characters, the role they played was minimal. In this movie, we find that historical characters such as Custer and Wild Bill Hickok are treated with more detail. Crabb develops an obsessive hatred and then a strange admiration for Custer, and something of a friendship with Hickok.The film seems to make them more human and realistic with all their flaws and natural talents.   When Crabb meets Hickok, he is performing one of his famous stunts; however, Crabb downplays Hickok's shooting display and later does not really believe the legendary feats of Hickok. The movie reveals that the im ages of Hickok are most those projected by writers and press people. In effect, Crabb uses realistic portrayals of these historical figures to deflate the myths surrounding them (Sinowitz, 1999).In the movie Little Big Man, Penn parodies scenes and incidents from other Western movies (Sinowitz, 1999). There is a near reproduction of the climactic chase at the end of Stagecoach (1939), where John Wayne's Ringo Kid helps fend off an Indian attack on the coach . In Little Big Man, Penn converts this scene into a comic disaster instead of making it into a moment of heroic grandeur (Sinowitz, 1999). While in the movie â€Å"the Ringo Kid† and his companions shoot at Indians with a great deal of accuracy from the fleeing stagecoach, Crabb notes the need to use a shotgun, instead of a rifle from a moving stagecoach.Crabb also informs the reader that the apparent tough man traveling among the passengers on the coach dies of a heart attack before the Indians get close. Western movies such as Ford's The Searchers (1956) show Indians attacking a farm house in the   middle of the night and capturing Edwards's two nieces. In this movie, Crabb stresses that Indians never attack at night. Morever, Western movies generally involve the concepts of taking revenge. In Little Big Man, Crabb finally tracks down his own non-Indian wife and child and finds them   living with his greatest enemy among the Indians. But, knowing that they are content with Younger Bear, Crabb decides to leave them alone.The western films generally have a simplistic moral code.   For example, a white hat represents the good guy, a black hat represents the bad guy; two people facing each other on a deserted street leads to the expectation of a showdown; cattlemen are loners, townsfolk are family and community minded, etc. All western films can be read as a series of codes and the variations on those codes. Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves actually resurrects all the original codes and conven tions but â€Å"reverses the polarities†: the Native Americans are good, the U.S.Cavalry is bad. Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven uses every one of the original conventions, only reverses the outcomes instead of dying bravely or stoically, characters whine, cry, and beg; instead of a good guy saving the day, irredeemable characters execute revenge; etc. Here, in Little Good Man, the original codes and conventions are rewritten. Every person is treated as an individual with his own flaws in personality. Traditional Western movies had cowboy like heroes who were ruthless in their killings. ‘Unforgiven’ however, shows that even the gunslingers of the western had their own feelings and had to deal with a conscience after killing. In Little Big Man, Crabb gives up his gunslinger role the moment he sees Hickok kill another person in self-defense. Thus, there is more of a humanizing treatment to the western protagonists in Unforgiven and Little Big Man.As for the Native Amer ican characters, Little Big Man is more similar to â€Å"Dances with Wolves†. In the movie Dances with Wolves, the main protagonist Dunbar realizes that contrary to his belief that native Indians are barbaric people, they are a remarkable people, who are at one with the land and the earth.   He'd earlier been told that Native Indians were thieves, savages, and barbarians. But after knowing about them, he finds them both noble and intelligent.Dunbar becomes a friend and eventual member of the Tribe. He has found his place in life, and he is content and at peace. Here again we find that the Little Big Man does not place a similar halo around the native Indians. Rather, the movie etches out great characters among them who also have their flaws. Little Big Man differs from Dances with Wolves in the fact that it does not totally glorify the native Indians though it does focus them in a positive light.The reason why Little Big Man provides a neutral perspective towards the native Indians as well as towards the main protagonist Crabb is best explained by the words of authors Michael Ryan and Douglas Kellner in their book â€Å"Camera Politica: the politics and ideology of contemporary Hollywood film†: â€Å"Fundamental social attitudes like patriotism, optimism, trust in government and business, sense of social security and so on were either deliberately overturned by such things as counterculture or undermined by events like Watergate.As a result the generic division which maintained boundaries around proper public dress and behavior or between public morality and immorality were crossed. Idealized cultural representations of public authority could no longer hold in a society in which young people scorned public figures and repudiated authority†. Thus, according to the authors, the neutral perspective is mainly due to the fact that during the period after 1967, America was in turmoil due to the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal. Demarcatio ns between right and wrong were diffused and hence the movie of that period – Little Big Man (1970) – reflects that.Thus the movie â€Å"Little Big Man† marks a changing point in American Western Movies in many ways. This was due to changing times in history during the late sixties and changing perceptions. However, the movie was the first to start the revisionist Western trend in Hollywood, where age old western myths were shattered and new elements were added to this genre.Bibliography:Ryan, Michael. Camera Politica: The Politics and Ideology of Contemporary Hollywood Film.Dirks, Tim (2007). Westerns Films. http://www.filmsite.org/westernfilms2.htmlGehring, Wes D. (1988). Handbook of American Film Genres. Greenwood Press, 1988Meldrum, Howard Barbara (1985). Under the sun: Myth and realism in Western American Literature. Whitston Pub. Co., 1985Sinowitz, Leigh Michael (1999). The Western as Postmodern Satiric History: The Little Big Man. CLIO. Volume: 28. Issue: 2.