Desegregation of Public Schools in Boston Essay

Desegregation of Public Schools in Boston - Essay Example On the other hand, desegregation in Boston has brought about mixed responses. The opponents of desegregation argue that busing has resulted in an increased white-flight, considerable decline in white enrollment, increased racial imbalance, low levels of educational quality and paved way for more of racial tensions and violence in the Boston public schools (Buell & Brisbin 151-160). Many white-flight studies have pinpointed that school desegregation has resulted in white enrollment drop off and that court-ordered busing was partly instrumental in the â€Å"steep decline in white enrollments during the first two phases of Judge Garrity’s program† (Buell & Brisbin 152). On the other hand, one can never undermine the positive impacts of desegregation on the lives of many black and other minority Bostonians. This paper seeks to explore how desegregation of public Schools in the 1970s has affected the Bostonian society and in doing so the paper addresses key issues pointed ou t by the opponents of desegregation. ... A comparison of the statistics regarding the racial imbalance in Boston Public Schools according to District Court Guidelines in 1975 and 1980 reveals this. In 1975 schools with too many whites were 20 (35 in 1980); schools with too few whites were 47 (44 in 1980); schools with too many blacks were 43 (21 in 1980); schools with too few blacks were 24 (37 in 1980), schools with too many others were 41 (34 in 1980) and schools with too few others were 52 in comparison with 57 schools in 1980 (Buell & Brisbin 155). As evident from these statistics desegregation has considerably reduced racial isolation in the Boston schools. The opponents of desegregation also hold that the system has declined educational quality and has increased high school drop-out rates. For them, desegregation enhances racial achievement gaps as they believe that the pace of white instruction needs to be slowed so as to accommodate such black slow learners (Buell & Brisbin 161). It is also worthwhile to analyze the teacher perceptions of educational quality and to know whether the percentage of high school graduates pursuing higher education has undergone any positive changes. While the number of high school graduates has considerably increased most senior faculties are not so happy with the student performance since judicial intervention: â€Å"almost half of the senior faculty saw decline while only 13 percent reported improvement† (Buell & Brisbin 163). On the other hand, the magnet schools specially designed for desegregation came out with so many success stories of Boston busing and very often the media and press evaluated desegregation progress based on

Louisa May Alcott-Term Paper Essay Example for Free

Louisa May Alcott-Term Paper Essay Many authors use experiences from their life as a guide to their writing. It’s a way to express their feelings and emotions, and it’s something in which they can be passionate. Writers and authors think on a different level than anyone else. They are constantly thinking of different ideas for novels, poems or stories. The best writing comes from those who use their own lives as a basis for their writing. They know what to write about and how to describe it perfectly. The best thing about writing from experience, I think, is that, since it’s still a fictional story, you can have an idea about what you want to write about, but you’re still able to add the interesting and fun details you want to. I believe that Louisa May Alcott has written from her own life experiences. In Eight Cousins, Rose Campbell’s father passed away and she went to live with two of her aunts and her uncle, closely surrounded by her seven male cousins, as well as their mothers. She was a sickly girl and the only cure her uncle could think of was to get active, whether it was considered ladylike or not. When the two first met, he immediately got her to be outside more and to spend a little less time thinking about her health. Alcott was perceived as a tomboy and would often play outside, climbing trees or running around. She had a boy neighbor, about her age, with whom she would often play. The two were almost inseparable for a while, and he was described by Alcott as the brother she always wanted. Continuing in Eight Cousins, Rose befriended the maid of the household, Phebe, and eventually adopted her as her own sister. Rose believed in a good education, as did Alcott, and would teach Phebe all sorts of different school subjects on her own time. Rose was well educated in Latin and loved to read. She very much enjoyed school, and was extremely smart, though most of the young women in her time weren’t educated. Both Rose and Phebe looked forward to the times when they would get to study together. Phebe was never educated before, though she wished to be, and really appreciated Rose for teaching her. â€Å"For women such as Alcott, the world in which they live included women who needed to move beyond the traditional domestic ideal.†(â€Å"Unsexed†) Rose was part of the family living in a house with a maid. She was expected to clean up after herself, as was everyone else, but she went beyond that, offering to cook or clean, even when the help wasn’t asked of her. She made sure she was educated and healthy, yet still humble at the same time. Rose always wanted to help. In Eight Cousins, it was prominently noted that once Rose went to live with her aunts, uncles, and cousins, there was a major improvement in her. â€Å"In an era when women had few options for earning money, Alcott determined to overcome her family’s poverty through her prolific writing.† (â€Å"Louisa† 3) Alcott’s family struggled when it came to money, but after moving several times, things got a little easier, especially when Alcott herself started making money on h er works. â€Å"In the later juvenile novel Rose in Bloom, the theme of women’s rights is interwoven throughout the lives of its characters.†(â€Å"Louisa† 3) Alcott never married, and part of the reason was that she didn’t want to give up her independence. This was an era where women weren’t given as much respect as men, and hardly had any freedom for themselves. Alcott was very much a pro-women’s rights advocate. She did everything she could to try and get a say in society. She joined clubs and groups, and protested against the treatment women were given. â€Å"Alcott was always a strong advocate for social reforms including abolition, prison reform, and temperance, but her primary efforts were directed towards the cause of women’s suffrage.† (â€Å"Louisa† 3) In Rose in Bloom, Rose returned from a two year voyage overseas and decided that she was going to leave her mark in this world. She was a wealthy girl, so she used a lot of her money to open up homes for women and children in need. Rose too believed that women deserved an equal say in this world. â€Å"Her juvenile stories emphasize self-sacrifice and devotion to duty.†(â€Å"Louisa† 2) â€Å"Such novels have remained extremely popular for over a century† (â€Å"Louisa† 1) Alcott was a classic writer and she used her writing as a way to speak up for herself. Both Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom can be considered almost auto-biographical, but her main story that related to her own life was Little Women, for which Alcott is most famous. Little Women was about four girls who went through their life experiencing different events along the way. When Alcott was writing, she received a request from her publisher to write a novel about a typical American girl. She was skeptical at first, but then agreed. Alcott used herself, as well as her three sisters, as her inspiration for the four main characters. â€Å"The heroine of Little Women, for example, is a rebellious young woman who strives for independence and personal achievement as a writer, but ultimately modifies her dreams when she gets married- a fact that has caused this novel to be regarded as antifeminist by some critics.†(â€Å"Louisa† 1) Although not all of the things that happened in the book happened to her, many of the events did occur in her own life. â€Å"A prominent theme in much of Alcott’s fiction is the conflict experienced by women who must choose between individuality and the bonds of family responsibilities and social traditions.†(â€Å"Louisa† 1) Alcott went beyond what was expected of her and chose to be an individual. She didn’t appreciate how women were treated, so she stood up for herself and used her books and writings to tell about it. â€Å"Her subversive sensational stories not only defied 19th-century values of womanhood, but also rebelled against the teachings of her father, Bronson Alcott, who believed in traditional ‘femininity’ and sentimentalism, in a search for human perfectionism.†(â€Å"Louisa† 2) Alcott truly used her life and feelings as her basis for writing, which is evident in her books. I believe that is why she turned out to be such a great writer. She wrote from her heart and wasn’t afraid to let people know who she really was. WORKS CITED Alexander, Lynn. Unsexed by labor: middle-class women and the need to work. bNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2011. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7008/is_4_22/ai_n32064431/pg_11/?tag. Ditchfield, Christin. Louisa May Alcott: Author of Little Women. Scholastic Inc., 2005. Print.

Euthanasia Essay Introduction Essay Example for Free

Euthanasia Essay Introduction Essay Introduction According to the American Cancer Society (2015), it is estimated that there were 589,430 cancer deaths among men and women. Everybody has the right to autonomy and the autonomy factor of the individual plays a vital role when euthanasia is chosen to be used. It can be a very difficult time for the patient’s family and friends but it is the patient who is deeply suffering from the situation. Euthanasia is not a practice that is legal across America; instead it is only legal in 5 states which include Washington, Oregon, Montana, Vermont and New Mexico. When understanding the use of euthanasia, it is very important to recognize the patients’ perspective. A physician must understand exactly what the mindset of the patient and their family before they proceed. This particular study researches and examines the autonomy aspect on the use of euthanasia from the patients’ perspective. It is also important to recognize that there are patients that are afraid of the legalization of euthanasia and the ones that decide to choose this option. Background Euthanasia is a practice used on patents to end their life in order to end the pain and suffering that is caused by cancer. Euthanasia has caused a lot of controversy over the years due to moral and religious reasons. However, there are patients all over the world that are suffering daily from the unbearable pain which is making them even consider the use of euthanasia. Some may argue that it is the autonomy of the patient should be the final ruling on whether or not euthanasia should be used. Others may say that although patient autonomy should be considered as an important factor on the use of euthanasia but it is viewed as a form of medical abuse. Over the years the aspect of patient autonomy has shifted dramatically in which it now strongly overpowers paternalism. In this particular study, the researchers felt that is was important to fully understand the viewpoint of the cancer patients and what they truly feel about the use of euthanasia. Every patient has their own perspectives of euthanasia and this research  aims to target the thoughts that revolve around the minds of these individuals. This can be a very complicated type of study because it is a very sensitive topic but the researchers feel that the in-depth interviews can reveal crucial information. There are many facts and information known about euthanasia but very little is actually noted by health professionals. Patients and Methods According to the researchers, there were a total of 66 informants that were interviewed for this study. It was also mentioned by the researchers that the study was â€Å"initiated in 1997, but due to one researcher’s own fatal disease, the project was postponed, but then restarted, with additional interviewing, in 2007† (Karlsson et al, 2011, p.35). The requirements were that patients had to be â€Å"over 18 years, suffering from cancer in a palliative phase†¦ no obvious disorientation and not currently suffering from a psychological crisis† (Karlsson et al, p.35). The patients were selected from five different units which consisted of various organizations and clinics. Each interview that was conducted was based on set topics that included matters based on the informants’ perspectives on euthanasia and its legalization in Sweden. It was also specified that each interview were examined in a qualitative manner and â€Å"tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim, ranging in size from 800 to 10,000 words† (Karlsson et al, p. 35). Results After conducting the interviews, researchers have come to a conclusion that there were many patients that had neutral opinions on the use of euthanasia. Furthermore, there were some patients who might actually consider euthanasia. Many also thought it was unnecessary to continue living with such harsh health conditions. With this study it was also realized that the perspectives on euthanasia were not particularly similar between the terminally ill patients. It was a very interesting discovery because there were patients that had two totally different viewpoints. The issue of trust is a very important factor when trying to determine their thoughts on euthanasia. The relationship between the family, patient and the physician were also brought up by the patients. These patients have very different views on the value of trust where some have complete trust, trust with some  doubt, and absolutely no trust in the physicians and their family. Ethical considerations Before the actual research was conducted it was first approved by regional board of ethics. It was stated by the researchers that â€Å"The selected patients were provided with written information of the study by staff members, and if interested, they were approached by the researcher, receiving further information† (Karlsson et al., p. 35). It is important for health care officials to fully recognize the different perspectives and thoughts on euthanasia. Autonomy is a very large part of the decision and it is very important to consider their individual rights. Providing information to the patient and their family can always be helpful in their final decision. Because there are so many different viewpoints on euthanasia, it is very important for the health care providers to individually understand each patient’s needs. Conclusions This research can be critical to changing the personal thoughts of health care professionals. Although, this topic is a very complicated issue, this research tends to clarify many aspects of euthanasia. It was concluded that some patients wanted to make the final decision, others wanted guidance and help from the family, and some wanted the health care professionals to make the final decision. The trust factor plays a huge role in the use of euthanasia as these terminally ill patients may not always have right mindset to make a decision. Patient autonomy is considered to be more important nowadays in the field of health work as doctors and physicians have less influence on the decisions of the patients. Overall, with this study it shows the importance to recognize the various mindsets of these individuals. References American Cancer Society. (2015). Estimated Deaths for the Four Major Cancers by Sex and Age Group. Estimated Deaths for the Four Major Cancers by Sex and Age Group. Karlsson, M., Milberg, A., Strang, P. (2011). Dying cancer patients’ own opinions on euthanasia: An expression of autonomy? A qualitative study. Palliative Medicine. Vol. 26. Pgs 34-42.

The Rise Of A Mercantilist Economic System History Essay

The Rise Of A Mercantilist Economic System History Essay The rise of a mercantilist economic system in Europe forged a unified relationship between government and its people by superseding feudalism and developing a merchant class that bridged the gap between the peasant and ruling classes. Britain, France and Spain, in particular, reaped the rewards of mercantilism by forming a powerful array of nation states. Although mercantilism stands in stark contrast with the principles of a free-market economy, it was nonetheless the driving force behind European imperialism from the 15th through the 18th centuries. The emergence of a merchant class developed a link between power and wealth. Mercantilism in Europe helped to centralize power, replacing the feudal arrangement of yesteryear. As critics like Adam Smith would point out, mercantilism was not without its drawbacks. The only two countries that corralled enough wealth to be considered hegemonic, the United States and Britain, did so in the nineteenth century, well after the fall of mercanti lism. Smith opined that economies should be self-regulating, and that mercantilism, through its rigid governmental constraints, prevented economies from truly flourishing. Despite an abundance of critics, the mercantilist economic system undoubtedly had a tremendous impact on Europe and the rest of the globe. Mercantilism was the foundation from which capitalism was born. European mercantilism first emerged in the latter part of the Renaissance in about 1595 and didnt fade away until the late 1800s. Queen Elizabeth I, desperate to quell the powerful Spanish Empire, ordered her Admiralty to reform foreign trade. Her reforms proved highly effective as England would go on to become the most powerful imperial empire in world history. England exploited the mercantilist economic system of importing precious metals and raw materials in exchange for manufactured goods. The French would later mimic Englands economic system. Mercantilist countries used the rule of law to attain a positive balance of trade through their colonies. Stiff tariffs were imposed on imports and colonies were restrained in their ability to manufacture goods. Instead they were forced to purchase products from their mother countries. For example, gold and silver were extracted from the colonies and shipped to European merchants, greatly enriching Europe. The power of the state depended on the amount of gold and silver in its coffers, because this international currency made it possible to build ships and pay for armies. (A Concise History of Economic Thought,Vaggi Groenwerth, 2003). Beginning in the 16th century, control over land, and trade routes became the most important part of collecting wealth for the most powerful countries. The growth of the mercantile system of Europe was largely spurred by the general discontent people had with the Roman Catholic Church. Mercantilism was, to a large extent, spawned by the Reformation. The lifestyle regulations imposed on Catholics allowed for very little self-actualization; a source of great embitterment for the masses who were fed up with the feudal system. Mercantilism brought upon the rise of the merchant class, a transfer of wealth that brought with it a sense of hope for much of Europe. The spread of alternatives to hard-line Catholicism like the Anglican Church coincided with the growth of mercantilism. In the 1600s England began to notice the Spanish becoming a rising power, due in large part to their influence in colonial America. England knew that whoever maintained the strongest blend of colonial influence and military strength would control the all- important trade routes and foreign territories. England, in an effort to squelch rising countries, began to strengthen their control over colonies, demanding that all trade go through them. The growing sense of competition between world-powers fueled the spread of mercantilism. The major players in this face-off were England, France, Holland and Spain. England reigned supreme as the victorious imperial power thanks to dominant military wins over Portugal and Spain in the sixteenth century, then Holland in the seventeenth and France in the eighteenth century. One of the major objectives of mercantilist countries was to create a bond between the powerful aristocracies and the rising merchant classes. The purpose of this alliance was to damage the economies of competing nations. Mercantilist theory suggested that government should enact a wealth-collecting agenda by protecting against foreign imports. Prior to the rise of mercantilism, the military was only formed during specific times of conflict. During the era of mercantilism, however, armies and navies became full-time enterprises as conflict had become a way of life. Gold and silver were the means by which goods and services could be obtained, and funding a strong military was an essential part of the equation. The merchants were willing to finance their governments in exchange for protection against foreign competition. Large central government and mercantilism go hand-in hand: the merchants needed the government and vice-versa. Mercantilist theorists believe that the net total of global wealth was already established, and that countries vied for a greater stake in the pie by exchanging manufactured goods for precious metals. The concept of, buy low, sell high was paramount towards collecting national wealth. The acquisition of non-coined gold and silver, or bullion, was considered the benchmark for economic growth. The growing wealth of European countries, namely England, France and Spain, had a trickle-down effect on their economies. Merchants would become wealthier through mercantilism, and, to a lesser extent, the lives of the labor forces improved thanks to better job security. The transfer of bullion funneled from the colonies of the Americas proved to be a major boon for European mercantilism. Mercantilist writers believed all trade to be a zero sum game, for every transaction there is a winner and a loser, mercantilists sought to handicap the game in order to promote economic success nation-wide. Mercantilism was a Machiavellian, Puritanically dark world view that promoted a general feeling of intense nationalism and ill-will toward competing countries and the colonies they governed. Governments would go as far as to damage entire monetary systems and limit civilian wages in order to reduce imports, and hurt other countries economies. When mercantilist countries did import goods, it was preferred that they deal in raw materials that could be processed and sent abroad in order to acquire more capital. Importing low cost, raw materials to be completed and converted into higher cost, manufactured goods and bartered for precious metals was a lucrative proces s for merchants. Extractive industries, like agriculture, gave way to manufacturing or processing material businesses. Precious metals had the strongest purchasing power for commanding goods and services. During the sixteenth century, the flows of precious metals from the American Colonies of Spain produced high inflation in Europe, but for the mercantilists gold and silver were the substance and the definition of both private and national wealth.(Vaggi Groenwegen, A Concise History of Economic Thought, 2003) As competition in the New World intensified, England began to tighten the screws on her colonies. Mercantilists were acutely aware of the linkage between politics and economics; they believed that power and wealth were closely related, and that both were legitimate goals of national policy. (Theodore Cohn, Global Political Economy, 2005) Although many countries became rich because of the wealth transferred from the New World, not every country capitalized as much as it could h ave. Between 1647 and 1715, the French attempted to mimic the British, but thanks to extreme inefficiency, they fell short. Jean Babtiste Colbert was one of the most well- known proponents of mercantilism. Colbert served as finance minister of France, under King Louis XIV in the seventeenth century. The French used the British mercantilist economic system of as a model for their political economy. Colbert inherited a perilous French economy on the brink of bankruptcy and enabled King Louis to embark on a series of aggressive military campaigns. The term colbertisme was coined by Colbert to describe the method of protecting infant industries. During his 18 years as minister of finance, Colbert issued a total of 150 edicts designed to regulate the guild industry. Colberts successful use of mercantilism was essential in financing the reign of Louis XIV. The Sun Kings reign featured a powerful military force, but the French economy, particularly its agriculture, was over-taxed and stagnant. Thomas Mun was one of the leading mercantilist authors during this time. His most influential works were a pair of pamphlets A Discourse of Trade and, later, Englands Treasure by Foreign Trade. Mun was the director of the East India Company, a monopolistic British charter founded in 1600 that supplied a wide array of goods, ranging from cotton to opium. According to Mun, monetary movements and the exchange rate depend on the condition of the trade balance: the inflows of precious metals reflect the existence of a positive balance of trade and vice versa. (Vaggi Groenwegen, A Concise History of Economic Thought, 2003) Government-imposed monopolies were inherently corrupted; the use of black market dealings were an inevitable byproduct of price ceilings and quotas. As noted above, colonial powers competed vehemently for control over the North American territories they ruled over. Englands greed would cause tensions to boil over, eventually spurring the American Revolution. The initial Navigation Act of 1651, a bill enacted by the Oliver Cromwell-led Parliament, was designed to gain control over foreign exchanges between the English colonies and other countries. Under the bill, all trade flowing in and out of England or her colonies had to be shipped using British ships. The Dutch, who had been thriving thanks to their free-trade market, were crushed and sent to economic ruin thanks to Cromwells protectionist policies. Not only did the Navigations Acts seize control of transnational commerce, it also disabled competing countries from profiting from freight and shipping services. The mercantilists discovered that it was the whole current account balance that mattered, not just the exchange of commodities. (Vaggi Groenwegen, A Concise History of Economic Thought, 2003) British colonial mercantilism was oppressive by nature; American colonies were banned from the global economy and were treated as little more than pawns. The prosperity of mercantilist economies was contingent on the aid of a strong centralized government that regulated foreign and domestic trade. Mercantilist economies became immensely wealthy by coercing a positive trade surplus. It was thought that a country could be strengthened by regulating commercialism by discouraging imports, and maintaining a positive flow of exports. Governments began placing tariffs, quotas and even prohibitions on imports in order to protect domestic business. New businesses would be encouraged with generous tax breaks. As for the trade part of the balance of payments, the government must favour the sale of raw materials abroad because they will be purchased with precious metals, hence adding to the stock of national wealth (Vaggi Groenwegen, A Concise History of Economic Thought, 2003) Improved tools and technologically advanced products were not allowed to be exported to foreign markets in order to maintain superiority over competing states. The same was true of talented workers, who were prohibited from emigrating to other countries, just as foreign diplomats hypocritically recruited other businessmen to come to their home countries. One of the sharpest critics of European mercantilism was economist Charles Davenant, who believed England would become more prosperous if government discontinued their policy of intervening in foreign trade. In 1690, Davenant published An Essay on the East-India Trade, which outlined his belied that a liberal foreign trade policy would increase Englands exports thanks to a larger market. According to Davenant, this increase in the stock of money leads to lower interest rates and to higher prices of land. The increase in the value of landed estates brings about a rise of rent and of tax revenue. As a result of a freer trade every section of the population is better off, but the starting point of the whole story is still the successful export trade of England. (Vaggi Groenwegen, A Concise History of Economic Thought, 2003) Davenants theories, revolutionary for the time, caused vast condemnation in Europe, who believed the risks of an expanded market outweighed the rewards. Ultimately, no alternate system capable of challenging the nationalistic balance of trade theories of mercantilism emerged, and mercantilism continued. Mercantilism began to fade in the 18th century, ending not with a bang, but with a whimper. Adam Smith, a Scottish Oxford graduate, was a revolutionary economist in the mid to late 1700s who was responsible for coining the term mercantilism. One of Smiths major points of contention with mercantilism, as was outlined in The Theory of Moral Sentiments, was his distaste for heavy-handed governmental control of the economy. Smith, who despised mercantilism invented the metaphor, invisible hand which stood for a natural, self-regulation that functioned because of the essential tenets of a free-market economy: self-interest, competition, economic characteristics he believed were possible without governmental intervention. In 1776, Smith wrote in Wealth of Nations: It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages. His writings were the basis of laissez-faire capitalism, in which industry is free from the shackles of government. Smith believed in the natural order of the economy, whereby, rather than have the government fix prices and regulate trade, the economy should be a self-sufficient machine that dictates the price of commodities. When the price of any commodity is neither more nor less than what is sufficient to pay the rent of the land, the wages of the labour, and the profits of the stock employed in raising, preparing, and bringing it to market, according to their natural rate, the commodity is then sold for what may be called its natural price. (Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations, 1776) The brilliance of Smith was not in his ability to produce revolutionary economic theories of his own; his greatness was embodied in his ability to assemble existing concepts into a system. The fundamental problem with mercantilism is its refusal to account for the value of all economic activity. Maintaining a positive balance of trade is not the only indicator of economic health. To the contrary, as has been proven in the United States meteoric growth despite a negative balance of trade since the 1970s, a positive balance of trade means very little, and often leads to inflation. Mercantilism, though largely debased today, played an essential role in the rise of the middle class. Without the spread of mercantilism in Europe, its impossible to project how the world might look today. Its possible that, without mercantilism, we would still be living in a feudal, caste-like system comprised of only governmental elitists and a the peasant class, with very little in between. Mercantilism gave rise to the middle class, the largest group in the West. Open Side Bet Tracking Kevin Fox- NFL: Week 13 Game ($20, W),Vikings+3.5 over Sains W $15 Colts-7 over Ravens ($10, W) Paid? NBA: Blazers+4.5 over Magic ($10, W) Paid? MISC: James+Stephen 3-Point Shootout, over Elliot+Kevin ($5, W) Paid? Total: (+ $60) Paid? Joey Leoni- NFL: Men of Menlo Fantasy Football Money ($100, W) Paid? Total: (+100) Paid? Dominic Diricco NFL: Men of Menlo Fantasy Football Money ($50, W) Paid? Total: (+$50) Paid? Kevin Meehan- NFL: The Sunday Special Fantasy Football Money ($100, L) Total: (-100) Paid? Isaac Baron- MISC: (In Progress) Most Makes of 53s, Isaac must Win at least 8/10, I=3Wins, J=1 Win ($100, T) Total: ($100 Pending) Paid? SID: 112 15 810

Shattered by Dick Francis :: essays research papers

Gerald Logan and Martin Stuckey met in a jury room and became immediate friends although they share little in common. Martin is a horse jockey who races at the elite English tracks. Logan, who owns and operates Logan Glass, is a gifted glassblower beginning to earn a well-deserved reputation. Even after the trouble began, Logan never blamed Stuckey nor regretted their friendship. On New Yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Eve, Logan watches Stuckey race at Cheltenham. However, one of the horses Stuckey rides stumbles and falls on top of the jockey, killing him instantly. Before a stunned Logan can leave the track, he receives a videotape from Stuckeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s valet, who says the deceased planned to give it to him after the races. Logan leaves the tape and his storeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s receipt on the store counter to go outside and enjoy the new millennium. When he returns, the tape and his money are gone. A couple of days later, thugs confront Logan demanding the tape. They do not believe him when he tells them he no longer possesses the tape. He also knows he is in trouble unless he recovers the tape and gives it to the proper authorities. Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is the first novel I have read by Dick Francis. When I first picked up the book I thought I was really going to read some garbage because I saw a horse on the front cover. But honestly, the book was average. There are holes in the plot large enough to ride a horse through. For example, would the information that makes the videotape so valuable really be put on a videotape? The primary villains are cartoon-like and there are many instances in which we are asked to believe if glass-blowing is so damn fascinating to all the secondary characters. The plot was negative. I found it to be very unbelievable. It took place on New Yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Eve, Loganà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s best friend dies in a race on New Yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, Loganà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s friend Lloyd Baxter lies unconscious in Loganà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s store supposedly from an epilepsy-attack. Shattered by Dick Francis :: essays research papers Gerald Logan and Martin Stuckey met in a jury room and became immediate friends although they share little in common. Martin is a horse jockey who races at the elite English tracks. Logan, who owns and operates Logan Glass, is a gifted glassblower beginning to earn a well-deserved reputation. Even after the trouble began, Logan never blamed Stuckey nor regretted their friendship. On New Yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Eve, Logan watches Stuckey race at Cheltenham. However, one of the horses Stuckey rides stumbles and falls on top of the jockey, killing him instantly. Before a stunned Logan can leave the track, he receives a videotape from Stuckeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s valet, who says the deceased planned to give it to him after the races. Logan leaves the tape and his storeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s receipt on the store counter to go outside and enjoy the new millennium. When he returns, the tape and his money are gone. A couple of days later, thugs confront Logan demanding the tape. They do not believe him when he tells them he no longer possesses the tape. He also knows he is in trouble unless he recovers the tape and gives it to the proper authorities. Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is the first novel I have read by Dick Francis. When I first picked up the book I thought I was really going to read some garbage because I saw a horse on the front cover. But honestly, the book was average. There are holes in the plot large enough to ride a horse through. For example, would the information that makes the videotape so valuable really be put on a videotape? The primary villains are cartoon-like and there are many instances in which we are asked to believe if glass-blowing is so damn fascinating to all the secondary characters. The plot was negative. I found it to be very unbelievable. It took place on New Yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Eve, Loganà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s best friend dies in a race on New Yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, Loganà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s friend Lloyd Baxter lies unconscious in Loganà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s store supposedly from an epilepsy-attack.

Lady Chatterleys Lover :: essays research papers

Lady Chatterley's Lover The greatness of Lady Chatterley's Lover lies in a paradox: it is simultaneously progressive and reactionary, modern and Victorian. It looks backwards towards a Victorian stylistic formality, and it seems to anticipate the social morality of the late 20th century in its frank engagement with explicit subject matter and profanity. One might say of the novel that it is formally and thematically conservative, but methodologically radical. The easiest of these assertions to prove is that Lady Chatterley's Lover is "formally conservative." By this I mean that there are few evident differences between the form of Lady Chatterley's Lover and the form of the high-Victorian novels written fifty years earlier: in terms of structure; in terms of narrative voice; in terms of diction, with the exception of a very few "profane" words. It is important to remember that Lady Chatterley's Lover was written towards the end of the 1920s, a decade which had seen extensive literary experimentation. The 1920s opened with the publishing of the formally radical novel Ulysses, which set the stage for important technical innovations in literary art: it made extensive use of the stream-of-consciousness form; it condensed all of its action into a single 24-hour span; it employed any number of voices and narrative perspectives. Lady Chatterley's Lover acts in many ways as if the 1920s, and indeed the entire modernist literar y movement, had never happened. The structure of the novel is conventional, tracing a small group of characters over an extended period of time in a single place. The rather preachy narrator usually speaks with the familiar third-person omniscience of the Victorian novel. And the characters tend towards flatness, towards representing a type, rather than speaking in their own voices and developing real three-dimensional personalities. But surely, if Lady Chatterley's Lover is "formally conservative," it can hardly be called "thematically conservative"! After all, this is a novel that raised censorious hackles across the English-speaking world. It is a novel that liberally employs profanity, that more-or-less graphically--graphically, that is, for the 1920s: it is important not to evaluate the novel by the standards of profanity and graphic sexuality that have become prevalent at the turn of the 21st century--describes sex and orgasm, and whose central message is the idea that sexual freedom and sensuality are far more important, more authentic and meaningful, than the intellectual life. So what can I mean by calling Lady Chatterley's Lover, a famously controversial novel, "thematically conservative"?

Gender Equity Essay -- essays papers

Gender Equity From the day that individuals are born stereotypes of males and females are impressed upon them. Most people believe that males are supposed to be competitive, aggressive and logical thinkers among other masculine traits. Females on the other hand should be sociable, passive and emotional thinkers. People all over the world accept all of these stereotypes of females and males. These stereotypes also carry over into the way teachers conduct their classrooms. In education both genders have advantages and disadvantages in different areas. Most people believe that boys receive more attention then girls. Male students seem to talk more then females during class. They also tend to call out answers and therefore are given more attention in one perspective. Teachers also do not correct girls as frequently because teachers think that it will hurt girls’ feelings. When teachers give boys more constructive criticism this stimulates more intellectual growth, (Kleinfield and Yerian, 1995). Female students favor to collaborate during conversations and like to build on other’s ideas. Females always seem to lag behind boys in two school subjects, math and science. For some reason our society have greatly stereotyped women as being inadequate and incapable of possessing these skills. Girls do not become independent problem solvers and do not do well in high-level cognitive tasks. In result girls develop a bad attitude towards math and science and think of it as a male domain (Silvey and Smart, 1982). Teachers also can contribute to this loss of interest in these subjects. Sometimes teachers tend to assist girls with difficult problems to avoid feelings of disappointment. Teachers also seem to call on boys to answer more cha... ...ereotypes about boys and girls, such as mathematics being a male domain. Students should realize that no mater what sex they are anything is possible if they set their mind to it. If students believe these stereotypes and yet they do not fit into that particular mold they might try to hide their strengths of weaknesses. Sometimes students can use these stereotypes as an excuse not to do well in a particular subject or area. Bibliography Barrs, Myra, and Sue Pidgeon. Reading the Difference. Maine: Stenhouse, 1994. Coleman, James S. Equality and Achievement in Education. San Francisco:Westview, 1990. Klienfield, Judith S., and Suzanne Yerian. Gender Tales. New York: St. Martin’s, 1995. Shapiro, June, et al. Equal Their Chances. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1981. Silvey, Linda, and James R. Smart. Mathematics for the Middle Grades. Virginia: Reston, 1982