Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm

Percy Bysshe Shelley once said, â€Å"Power, like a desolating pestilence, pollutes what’er it touches. † He meant that when somebody acquires a reasonable amount of control or power over others, that dominance will eventually corrupt them. The corruption can quickly get to the point of extreme savagery emerging over respectable leadership, causing the people who are being ruled to suffer great hardship. This is exemplified in the novel,  Lord of the Flies,  by William Golding and in the film,  Animal Farm,  directed by John Halas and Joy Batchelor.In Lord of the Flies Jack begins as an innocent young choir boy who later on rises as a leader and turns into a vicious savage when the power goes to his head. Similarly in Animal Farm Napoleon initially promotes equality for all, but soon becomes corrupt and desires full power and control above all of the animals other after he gains authority. Both texts show that people will do almost anything to obtain and keep po wer whether it is fear or violence. In Lord of the flies Ralph is originally elected as the leader of the island, this was due to Ralph summoning the rest of the boys using the conch.The conch represents power, civilisation and order in the novel as it gives whoever is holding it the power of speech. As the boys became less civilised and more savage the conch started to deteriorate so did the boys society. Ralph led the boys with fairness, order and rules. He set jobs for the boys and listed goals he considered important to achieve. The main goal he set was to be rescued he considered a signal fire the best way to get the attention of a passing ship. Jack thought that gathering meat and hunting was the most important goal.Jack became leader of the hunters this was his first step into gaining absolute power. On the first hunt Jack was unable to kill the pig. This shows that at this point Jack still had morals and was not yet corrupt. Eventually Jack was able to kill a pig this shows Jacks loss of innocence and the start of his corrupt behaviour. Jack’s power soon escalates he offers the other boys meat, which is deemed as important by nearly all of the boys except for Ralph and Piggy. Jack soon starts his own tribe all the boys, bar Ralph and Piggy join up.This gives Jack what he had hoped for all along absolute power over the island. Jack and the boys now participates in daily hunts this shows Jacks corruption at its largest extent as after each hunt Jack becomes more and more savage and his power constantly grows along with it. Jack also uses fear of the beast to gain more power. Jack gave a sense of security and safety from the beast so the boys wouldn’t leave his tribe. Jack also controls the hunters who are the strongest and most savage on the island.The other boys are too afraid to leave Jack’s tribe as they fear they will be hunted. In Animal Farm, Snowball is originally elected as leader after their evil human owner is overthrown. S nowball treats all the other animals equally. Snowball and the other animals write 7 rules which must be followed by all animals. The seventh and most important rule is â€Å"All animals are equal†. This is very similar to Golding’s use of the conch in Lord of the Flies as, the society starts to corrupt the pigs change to rules to keep up with their corrupt ways.From the beginning of the film Napoleon one of the pigs wants to become sole leader of the farm, even though this would completely contradict the beliefs which all animals agreed on from the start. Showing that Napoleon is a power hungry character from the start, this resembles Jack and his need for power. Napoleon then uses a pack of trained dogs to kill Snowball after an argument. This is Napoleons first use of violence to gain power, this violence generates fear amongst the other animals giving him an easy rise to power.This resembles Jack and his use of fear to gain power. This is also the beginning of Napo leons rise to complete power. He uses his superior intelligence to convince the other not so intelligent animals that Snowball was a liar and a thief without any proof. While Jack does not possess the intellectual superiority he is still able to convince most of the boys to join his tribe. Once Napoleon and the other pigs move into the old farm house things start to get much worse, as they enjoy the life of luxury the house offers.They even go to the extent of changing one of the 7 rules from â€Å"No animal shall sleep in a bed† to â€Å"No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets. This is clear abuse of power as Napoleon changes the agreed upon rules only benefiting himself and the other pigs. This is again similar to the conch as Jack shows complete disregard for the rule of the conch. That rule of course being, if somebody is holding the conch they talk and everybody else listens. Napoleon soon realises if he trades with people outside the farm then he will be able to gai n even more power.This similar to Jack as he realises that he will be able to generate more power if more people join his tribe. The pigs need the chicken’s eggs to meet their half of a deal, the chickens refuse as the whole point of the original rebellion was to make use the animals were not used again. This is similar to the way Piggy and Ralph act as they refuse to join Jack’s tribe because it goes against what they decided on at the beginning of the novel. The pigs then try to take the chickens eggs by force, but the chickens purposely break their own eggs.This is another example of Napoleon abusing his power because he thinks because of his power he can do whatever he wants. This is similar to Jack taking Piggy’s glasses as the glasses provided a window to more power. Napoleon makes up a speech claiming the chickens are traitors and that they must be punished to death. This shows that Napoleons greed, corruption and thirst for power has grown to such an ext ent that he is willing to kill anybody who defies his orders. The animal now fear for their lives when they are told they will be used for trade nobody defies this order.This closely mirrors Jacks way of leadership, however instead of killing them, Jack often orders them to be physically beaten. The pigs again change the rules reducing all seven into one single phrase â€Å"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others†. This rule states what had been evident the whole time that the pigs are superior, or more equal, than any other animal who are all equally below the pigs. This resembles the conch, when the conch was broken it symbolised the death of democracy and thus showing the island was run as a pure dictatorship.Meaning Jack was â€Å"more equal† than his counterparts. The pigs eventually become so powerful that they begin to resemble the humans they replaced, even wearing clothes and walking around on two legs. The pigs have made a full circ le becoming as powerful and corrupt as the humans before them. The use of different film techniques also give the viewer the impression the pigs have power, several times a low shot is used looking up at the pigs. This is a textbook technique used to give power or dominance.In addition there is the use of a high shot looking down at the other animals to show weakness and inferiority. Jack from Golding’s  Lord of the Flies  and Napoleon from Orwell’s  Animal Farm  each demonstrate the tormenting effects that positions of authority can cause, especially when asserted for the wrong reasons. In the case of these two characters, power fell into the wrong hands, and as a result, the subjects suffered under oppressive rule, while the leaders reaped the benefits with no mercy.

Gym Goers

Three Categories of Gym-Goers NAU: Composition 1 Three Categories of Gym-Goers People go to the gym to benefit their lifestyles by getting back in shape, right? Most people that go to the gym do not fit into any other category other than â€Å"normal†, meaning that there is nothing specific about them that stick out. Then there are those who definitely stick out with certain qualities you just can’t seem to escape from. There are always different categories gym-goers fall into and they are starting to stand out more and more.The different categories you will find at the gym are; the coach, the loud meathead showoff, and the social butterfly. The first category is â€Å"the coach†. The coach is the guy that thinks he knows everything about anything. Typically these types of people are yelling from across the gym that â€Å"you can do it! † or â€Å"you’re not doing that right† then goes on to tell you the exact steps about the exercise as if y ou wanted their help. These people will have on the best work out clothes and shoes you can get because they think they make you perform better.Right when you think they are gone and have left you alone, there they are right by your side again coaching you through your workout. Nothing is worse than when you are running and someone comes up and tries talking to you, but these people are there telling you that you need to go faster and start nagging on the way that you are running. You might give them dirty looks in the mirror and try to tell them to go away, but you can’t talk or yell at them because you can’t breathe from all the running. The second category is â€Å"the loud meathead showoff†.Many of times these types of gym goers are the people wearing shirts that show off their muscles and always are looking in the mirror flexing. They are constantly screams â€Å"oh yeah! † and grunt very loudly to make sure everyone in the gym hears them to draw att ention. They are the type of people that will go right next to someone while working out making sure they are doing everything ten times better than that person. You see these people usually with buddies that do the same thing and they will grunt face to face while flexing at each other and saying â€Å"WHOO! They might come over to you while you are doing pull-ups, grab the bar, and do five pull-ups to your one while they grunt loudly. They tend to hang out in a group at the end of their work out and have a protein shake and converse about who lifted more, how many reps they did, and when they will meet tomorrow for their next work out. The third category is â€Å"the social butterfly†. Usually, this is the person that goes to the gym with hopes of working out but never actually does so because they are too busy talking to everyone. They know absolutely everyone at the gym by first and last name and what they do for a living.They try their hardest to be involved in every jo ke and conversation. They might start on the treadmill but then they see someone, get off the treadmill, and have an hour conversation with that person. They are almost always the nicest person in the gym and will come over while you are stretching to say hi so they can avoid working out. They are the people that are at the gym for a few hours and claim that they did an hour of cardio and an hour of weight training just to make their selves feel better about the fact that they talked to people the whole time they were there.They will usually spend about thirty minutes on one machine just because they are having a conversation about the new iphone with the person next to them. If they would spend as much time working out as they did flapping their jaws they would be in great shape. No one really likes these people while they are working out, but somehow they are always at every gym you attend. I only wrote about three types of gym-goers, so imagine how many other categories there are and what you would name them. Take a look next time and see who you can spot out. I guarantee you’ll find at least one of these people lurking around your gym.

Limitations on Freedom during the Cold War Essay

Limitations on Freedom during the Cold War - Essay Example It also explores the reactions of Americans in each era. The main similarities between the Cold War and the Red Scare are that they were both based on â€Å"fears† against the â€Å"leftist† other and they also led to reckless accusations and curtailment of freedoms of association and speech. The fear of communism both stimulated the Cold War and the Red Scare. It was during the Red Scare that the federal government exercised its full power against the labor and political left-wing parties. During the Red Scare, a national anti-radical hysteria ensued, because there were fears for a Bolshevik revolution in America. This Bolshevik revolution threatened to reshape the American way of life and basic social institutions, such as home and family. From 1916 to 917, the Industrial Workers conducted several strikes, which the media portrayed as leftist and anti-democratic. The government systematically arrested and detained people who were suspected as spies and among those aff ected were labor organizations, anti-war activists, members of different communist organizations, journalists and writers, African American activists, and other groups that fought for just wages, better benefits, and child labor laws. On January 2, 1920 alone, 10,000 people were arrested without warrants. The Congress, however, could not tolerate such wide-scale abuses of constitutional rights and by 1922, the Red Scare ended.

The Rise of cash crops in America due to the carribean Research Paper

The Rise of cash crops in America due to the carribean - Research Paper Example 4). The role of planting and the increasing demand for cash crops provided the impetus for increased labor requirements in American soil, supplied by slaves in the Caribbean. In return, cash crops traded for salves â€Å"where slaves were exchanged for sugar, rum, salt, and other island products. The ships returned home loaded with products popular with the European people, and ready to begin their journey again† (The Caribbean Education Online, 2006, par. 1). In this regard, the research aims to proffer issues that would examine the influence of the Caribbean on American cash crops. Many people from the Caribbean immigrated to the United States in the 1700s and 1800s and brought with them the popularity of the cash crop business. The discourse would initially delve into cash crops, in general; and cash crops in the United States in the 18th century. With its increasing demand, the route by which these crops were traded, known to be the triangular trade, would likewise be explained. The Caribbean’s role in the trade would also be presented prior to an analysis of the significant aspects or factors that led to the increased demand and production of cash crops in America during the period under study. As previously defined, cash crops are agricultural crops grown for the purpose of selling or trading them for money. This kind of crops was differentiated from subsistence crops which were defined as crops â€Å"fed to the producers own livestock or grown as food for the producers family. In earlier times cash crops were usually only a small (but vital) part of a farms total yield, while today, especially in the developed countries, almost all crops are mainly grown for cash. In non-developed nations, cash crops are usually crops which attract demand in more developed nations, and hence have some export value† (Webster, 2010, par. 3). During the 18th century, â€Å"the colonies of the

Aviation Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Aviation Industry - Essay Example His efforts in transforming this air carrier gained him the recognition of having been successful in influencing the pre-deregulation airline industry. However, most people are still skeptical on his contributions claiming that his strategy becomes detrimental to Continental and brought damages in its operation. In managing the airline, Lorenzo used a highly centralized decision making approach. It should be noted that he solely the airline is solely run by Lorenzo and even though he assigns executives to oversee the different functional areas, he often bypassed them and implement his own decisions. His administration also emphasizes the goal of profitability by cutting down operational costs. This move had jeopardized employee morale and commitment leading to massive labor union strikes. Lorenzo should also be noted by introducing new practices in the pre-deregulation aviation industry. He has been apt in targeting the middle and lower social strata by revamping the typical marketing strategy. Lorenzo introduced "Peanuts Fares" which is the first CAB-approved low fare scheme, provided consumer benefits like forbidding pipe and cigarette smoking in planes, and utilized the advancement of technology through computerized airport check-in. After beingAfter being forced to leave the Continental Airways in 1990, Gordon Bethune took over. The new executive has been recognized to have brought the major turnaround in the airline. From being financially distressed, Continental Airways had become one of the most admired business organizations. In direct contrast with Lorenzo, Bethune implemented a decentralized management style which empowers employees to make significant decisions. He improved employee morale by treating them as strategic partners which are instrumental in attaining organizational goals. He also recognized employee contribution by rewarding them. His move for profitability is seen by eliminating unprofitable routes and outsourcing maintenance which helps the airline to focus on its core competence. 2. Early aviation got its start with those men in their crazy balloons. Describe in detail the beginning of balloon age, its uses, and the impact it had on aviation today. (10 points) The first successful human flight in history occurred aboard a hot air balloon it took place in France, 1783. Jean de Rozier and Francois d' Arlandes flew 5 miles in a hot air balloon which was invented by Monthgolfier brothers, they were inspired by the lifting power of hot air rising from a fireplace. The first hot air balloon was powered by a wood fire; it was not steerable; and flew wherever the wind took it. The first recorded circumnavigation of the globe in a balloon was accomplished by Betrand Piccard and Brian Jones, it took them 19 days and flew over 26,000 miles. The first successful solo-flight around the world was achieved by Steve Fossett after six attempts. Initially, hot air balloons are solely used for showmanship. The succeeding years proved that hot air balloons can be utilized for military purposes. It should be noted that hot air balloons are used during the French Revolution and American civil war. In order to maximize its uses, the military brought structural changes like

Personal assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Personal assessment - Essay Example Though he sometimes fails to identify a problem, he has always more than 1 solution for it. He goes step by step when faced with a problem. When faced with a complex or a difficult problem that does not have an easy solution When trying to foster more creativity and innovation among those with whom he works, he is very supportive and appreciates ideas coming out of people. He knows how to motivate people to get the best out of them. Therefore I agree with his abilities in this respect. In a situation where it is important to obtain more power , my colleague keeps himself involved in events and activities. He tries to improve himself and tries to think out of the box in order in order to generate creative ideas. He refuses to come under anyone’s influence and does not agree to other people’s terms. When someone needs to be motivated, he does not believe in rewarding people, though he is always there to help them out. He takes charge of the situation when productivity is insufficient. He does compliment those who deserve it. When he sees someone doing something that needs correcting, he is not one of those who sit back after giving their views. He is always encouraging people to challenge his perspective and ask him questions. I slightly disagree with the fact that he cannot take the criticism into account in situations when someone complains about something he has done. In fact, he asks the other person to adjust his behavior. With respect to situation in which he desires to make my team perform well, regardless of whether he is a leader or member, I disagree slightly with his competence in doing so. He does not encourage his team enough to make some serious innovation and achieve the best possible results. With regard to his ability to lead change, I disagree with his abilities, because when he is leading change he does not keep any track of things that go wrong. It would be a lot better if he was more

How Introduction of E-Commerce Changed the Business World Research Paper

How Introduction of E-Commerce Changed the Business World - Research Paper Example The creation of a customer-centric website is a daunting task for business organizations. The main challenge is knowing the information needed by the customer and presenting them in a user-friendly way. The commercialization of the internet began with the National Science Foundation's (NSF) removal of internet access restrictions for commercial purposes. It should be noted that before 1991, usage of the internet became exclusively limited to academics and researchers. However, the lifting of the restriction proved to be a major catalyst as entrepreneurs learned that internet access business is commercially feasible. Another factor which contributed to the commercialization of the internet is the browser wars commenced by the launching of the Netscape. This was further fueled by the entry of a host of firms into commercial ventures utilizing advanced technologies which use the TCP/IP standards (Greenstein 1). This paper will look at different concepts and issues in e-commerce. The next section will be followed by a brief history of HTML and comparison between XML and HTML. This report will also discuss the challenges of creating a customer-centric website, test the touchpoint consistency of McDonald's, and explore two famous types of online marketing. HyperText Markup Language's (HTML) history can be regarded to "have had a life span of seven years," starting from its introduction as a simple language in the with only a small number of tags to the recently more complex forms which enables various animations, images, sounds, and other amazing tricks. The origin of the HTML is often associated with the inventor of the web Tim Berners-Lee who created the web using HTML as the publishing language (Raggett 22). As the main creator of the HTML, he was the first one to use this innovation and a great factor in the encouragement of other people to "build upon" his idea and work on developing further software for displaying HTML and setting up HTML documents for access. Together with Dave Raggett, Tim also worked on developing the HTML for mass consumption, identifying and creating the features which are preferred by users.

Analyse website traffic data Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyse website traffic data - Essay Example However, there have been significant improvements since 30/06/2006 reaching a figure of 80,000, on that date. By Hour of Day: the activity tends to increase by around 7.A.M. and reaches its zenith by around12.59 PM. Noon. The activity tapers down after noon and reaching its lowest ebb at 11.PM. The highest activity recorded is at 12.59 PM and the lowest at 3 PM. Activity by day of week: The activity by day tends to increase after Sundays with Wednesdays registering the most peak activity of hits. It is lowest during the weekend on Saturday recording 2494 hits on that day of the week. One of the main reasons why some of the results may not be valid may be due to the presence of invalid or incomplete data, due to technical or other reasons. Therefore a certain provision for errors has to maintain while collating statistical datas. On certain occasions, there may be mismatch between the total website hits in the summary and the website hits in the daily visitor activity. This is because the summary indicates only passed or validated requests, whereas the daily activity indicates all activities, valid or invalid. Website traffic helps to evaluate the positive and negative areas of websites. â€Å"However, the data receive from host company can be overwhelming if it is not able to understand how to apply it to particular business and website. It is essential to examine the most basic data - the average visitors to the site on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.† (Johnson, Cameron, 2007). Color choices and layout and design aspects could be regimented. Additionally the website needs to be updated on regular basis and newer and better features incorporated so that the visitors and hits could be conspicuously increased over a period of time. The use of â€Å"CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and XHTML (eXtensible HyperText Markup Language) to design and

Latino Narrative Film Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Latino Narrative Film - Research Paper Example Speaking about Latin cinema of that period, it is worth mentioning that common historical destiny of the all countries of the continent largely led to the commonality of the social problems that most of the Latin countries faced with. It also determined the interrelation and spiritual affinity, which found the expression in the cinematograph. In most general terms, the Latin cinema is closely connected with the national reality and national identity (Shaw, and Dennison 6). The current paper will consider and compare two examples of the Latino cinematography, Romero (1989) and Innocent Voices (2004), brightly representing the national idea and national values in the context of the civil war in El Salvador. Due to the different social statuses of the main heroes, these two stories appear to be different, but the common problem of national oppression makes them alike. The comparison of the films will be conducted with the enclosing of the historical context, short description, reasons a nd methods of imaging, the authors used in both movies. Before starting to analyze the movies and understand the relevance of the problems discussed in films, it worth considering the historical background. The suggested movies tell their stories that developed during the civil conflict in El Salvador in 1970’s – 1980’s. ... king measures of this, but was ensuring the interests of large landowners and foreign monopolies that naturally led to the roll of the public moods â€Å"to the left†, to communism. The electoral frauds during the 70’s and the violent suppressions of public demonstrations against resulted in the bitterness of national mind. In the 70’s the left powers of El Salvador were increasingly inclining to use the force, when democratic methods did not help. The main part of the activities of sabotage and â€Å"hit-and-run† attacks in the 70’s was carried by the several revolutionary leftist groups. In the leadership of these groups there was a constant discussion on the ways of combating: whether to use force or to agitate among people. The leader of the communist party, Salvador Cayetano Carpio, stood for the violent methods and the introduction of the Vietnamese tactics of the long struggle against the governing regime. In the early 70’s Carpio left the Communist party and created the Farabundo Marti Liberation People's Forces (FPL) (Manwaring, and Prisk 39). The energy of Catholic clergy and the creation of the nation-wide organizations such as trade unions and peasant federations led to broadening of the base of the left forces and the creation of the conditions to seize the power. A large number of converted to communism came from the universities. There was an external factor of the socialistic revolution in Cuba contributing to the strengthening of the tension on the governing regime. The latter in El Salvador was conservative and economically dropping behind. Moreover, most of its money means was received as a help from the United States (Murray 14). From the beginning of 1980’s there started an intensive integration of the â€Å"left† radicals. Already in 1980

Qatar Foreign Policy Towards the Middle East Essay Example for Free

Qatar Foreign Policy Towards the Middle East Essay Qatar is located in Arabian Peninsula in boarders with Saudi Arabia, with only 225,000 citizens in a population of 1. 7 million. Qatar follows a conservative religious ideology, Wahhabism. While some refer to Qatar as the â€Å" Second Wahhabi Emirate,† it is traditionally known as â€Å"the most boring place in the gulf† or â€Å"the country known for being unknown (Roberts, 2012). † However, Qatar emerged as a strong state actor with extended networks of alliances in the world. The mediator role that Doha plays today is crucial in the region, particularly after the Arab Spring (HRW, 2013). Indeed, Qatar supported the Arab Uprisings across the region in 2011. In addition, Qatar invested between $65 billion and $100 billion to the FIFA world cup that it will be hosting in 2022. The Emir founded a number of humanitarian projects in Sudan, South of Lebanon, Gaza and Asia. In this paper, I attempt to answer the question of what are the driving motives of Qatar’s foreign policy in the Middle East? And why, unlike its neighboring countries, Qatar’s leadership supported the Arab appraisals of 2011? Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Al Thani, stated, â€Å"we support those who demanded justice and dignity,† when asked about his country’s role in the Arab revolutions in an interview in 60 Minutes . In response, President Barak Obama thanked the Emir for promoting democracy in the Middle East (Al Thani, 2012). Ironically, Qatar is an absolute monarchy described as an â€Å" authoritarian regime† that is ranked 138th out of the 167 countries by Democracy Index 2011. In addition, the Freedom House lists Qatar as â€Å" not free† (freedom house), (Democracy Index, 2011). Therefore, Qatar’s lack of rule of law, freedom of speech and political rights contradict â€Å"the Emir’s efforts to promote democracy† and delegitimizes his political statements. In relevance to this hypocrisy, Qatar’s foreign policy in general and its support of democratic transitions in the Arab region in specific serves its ambitions to secure itself from threats, maintain its status quo of an independent state and take a leadership role in the region. Political Emancipation and the Saudi Threat: Al Thani family ruled Qatar for more than 150 years. Qatar attained its independence in 1971, when the British-mandate came to an end and after its refusal to join the United Arab Emirates federation. Since that date until the 1990s, Saudi Arabia acted as the de facto protector of Qatar. Consequently, the Emir took policy directions from Al Saud. However, this relationship witnessed a change in the early 1990s as tensions in bilateral relations between the two countries began to arise. After the invasion of Kuwait and Sadam’s threat to attack the Suadi kingdom, Saudi quickly reached out to western coalitions in aim of protection. As Suadi presented itself as weak and unable to defend itself, the Qataris began to doubt Saudi’s ability to protect the Qatari entity and decided to pursue a strong alliance with the US. Therefore, between 1990-1992, Qatar signed a military agreement with the United States to host its military base in Al-Odead. In response, Saudi worked to block Qatar’s pipeline exports of gas to United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Oman. As a result, tensions between the two countries intensified. Later, in 30 September 1992, Saudi attacked the Qatari boarders leaving three soldiers dead (2012). However, the clashes did not stop there. In1995, Shiekh Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince back then, seized power after a bloodless coup d’etat against his father. Of course, Saudi Arabia did not welcome the coup d’etat because of Hamad’s known strong motives to maintain his country’s autonomy. Instead, Saudi financially supported another coup against the current Emir. Then, Qatar detained a number of Saudi and Qatari citizens who cooperated with the Saudi government to bring the ousted prince back into power. These tensions led the Saudi-Qatar relations into a deep freeze until rapprochement happened in 2008 (2012). Since then, Shiekh Hamad Al Thani led the modernization process to create a brand name of Qatar. In its foreign policy, Qatar adopted diplomacy as a foreign policy tool that allows it to take on the mediator role in a number of regional disputes. In addition to its diplomatic activism and small size, the Qatari wealth that is invested in mediation efforts paves the way for Qatar to be a head in the political game today. A Theoretical approach on Qatar’s Mediation: The tribal nature of the Qatari society and the hierarchal system of the government lends the leadership absolute power to form the country’s economic-political agenda and foreign policy. The major two agents that determine the political strategies of Qatar’s foreign policy are its national security and its desire to establish a brand name for itself. Hence, the main key element of Qatar’s foreign policy is mediation, which is apparently is not a new political tool as the â€Å"early Al-Thanis were forced to become experts negotiators quickly in anarchic corner of the Middle East (Roberts). According to Jacob Bercovitch in his book, Studies in International Mediation, countries engage in mediation for various reasons that include â€Å"(a) a genuine desire to change the course of a long-standing conflict to promote peace, (b) a desire to gain access to major political leaders and open channels of communication, (c), a desire to spread one’s ideas and enhance standing and professional status, (d) the wish to preserve intact structure of which they are part, (e) viewing mediation as a way of extending and enhancing their own influence and gaining some value from the conflict (Roberts). Therefore, from this perspective, Qatar’s employs mediation for the enhancement of its professional status and the acquirement of power. From here, Qatar mediated a number of disputes in the region including the Hezbollah dispute with the Lebanese government, the rebellion disputes with the Northern Sudanese government and the Huothis dispute with the Yemeni government. Moreover, Participation in mediations between states is of great advantage to Qatar. Internationally, it promotes a peaceful image as a peacekeeping state in an attempt to gain worldwide respect (Roberts). Peterson argues in his work, Qatar and the World, â€Å"The fundamental advantage, however, is that it assures the legitimacy of the micro state. This in turn leads to the single most important factor: increased awareness of and legitimacy accruing to Qatar- in domestic and external terms- enhances the prospects of the states’ survival†(Roberts). Qatar neutral position and its small size makes non-threatening to other state to except negotiation with compare to Saudi which has interests in regional conflict, which leads political parties to refuse its negotiation, e. . Saudi support of the government in Yemen and rivalry with Hezbollah. On the other hand, Qatar established diplomatic relations with almost everyone. Qatar’s Foreign affairs minister, Shiekh Hamad bin Jasem Al Thani, in an interview on Al –Jazeera, was asked by Ahmed Manosur, Al Jazeera presenter, â€Å"I just want to understand one thing! In Qatar you have relations with the devils and the angels, with the Iranians and the Americans, with the Israelis and Hamas, he continued, how can we understand this policy? (Mansour, 2012). Today, Qatar unlike other state in the region, calls Tehran in the morning and Tel Aviv in the afternoon â€Å"(Roberts). It was the first state in the gulf to host trade office of Israel, established good relations with Hamas, opened communications with Hezbollah, the Emir of Qatar was the first to invite Ahmadinejad to attend the 28th Gulf Cooperation council summit in 2007. While other Arab states alienated Islamists, Qatar was in good terms with Arab oppositions, particularly Islamic groups. For example, Yusuf Al Qaradawi is an influential Islamic leader, resident of Qatar since 1960s is the main guest who taken the Qatari citizenship is Al Jazeera chief religious show. Also, other Arab political dissidents were welcomed and took Qatari citizenship such as Mohammed Hamed Al Hamari from Saudi Arabia who organized Youth Role in Change in the Arabic Gulf; young activists from across the gulf attended the conference (Al Qassemi, 2012). Al Jazeera as foreign Policy tool Part of â€Å"Brand Qatar† project, is to spread ideas and enhance Qatar’s status. The establishment of Al-Jazeera in 1996 came to serve that goal. Al Jazeera is an important tool of Qatar foreign policy, with its slogan the â€Å" The Opinion and the other Opinion† and the channel shameless criticisms to Arab leaders and programs on democracy and political rights. Al Jazeera soon gained the respect of Arab public compare to other media alternatives that are state sponsored (Khtib, 2013). The channel broadcasted the revolutions across the Arab spring countries – except the appraisals in Bahrain . The spread of revolutions were feared by Arab states, yet Qatar seemed to support the revolutions through Al Jazeera. That is said to be reason that inspired the youth in Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen to rebel against their governments and demand freedom and dignity. Nevertheless, The channel neutrality was under question, during the Egyptian elections, Al Jazeera hosted members of MB like Khirat Al Shater, and Moahhmed Mosri. Sultan Al Qassimi, a, wrote about Al Jazeera’s Arabic love ffaires with MB, he discussed some of his observations, that Muslim Brotherhood supports were given the chance to express their views on through the channel while critics towards Muslim Brotherhood were barely heard in the channel (Al Qassemi, 2012). Recently, Waddah Khanfar the director – general of Al Jazeera was replaced with Shiekh Ahmed bin Jasem Al Thani, who holds degree in petroleum (Al Qassemi, 2012). This suggests that Al Jazeea is becoming less free to represents Qatar’s government preferences and its support to Muslim brotherhood. Apparently, Qatar calculations towards the Arab spring were opposite to its neighbors who supported Mubarak regime. It saw an opportunity to ally itself with revolutions to promote for its image as â€Å"Pro- Arab public † and play regional role in Arab-Arab relations despite the policy risks its taking incase these revolutions were not successful. Through Qatar’s Money, Al-Jazeera, regional mediations and international pressure, Doha was successful in making the Arab Spring an opportunity so that it plays valuable role and take a leadership role in the region. Qatar in the Arab Spring: Qatar natural position had to be changed when it realized that change will topple the former leaders to stay at the head of the game head of Saudi, After Mubarak’s fall, Qatar supported Muslim brotherhood in Egypt. Shiekh Hamad Al Thani, the foreign minster of Qatar state that his country won’t allow Egypt to go bankrupt, Doha transferred five billion dollars to Egypt to meet its financial obligations. In addition to the financial support, Al Jazeera members’ Muslim brotherhoods are regularly interviewed to spread their influence. Middle Ease Scholar, Alain Gresh calls Al Jazeera the mouthpiece of Muslim brotherhood (Khatib, 2013). Furthermore, Rashid Al Ghanushi of Al Nahdha party of Tunisia, stated in an interview with Al Arab newspaper that Qatar is a major partner of the Arab spring revolutions hence it’s also a partner in next period of democratic transition and development since it offers development projects to support the economy of the Arab spring states (2012). Qatar had to intervene in Libya and Syria to sustain its leading regional position. It was the first country to lead the international action against Gaddafi. Qatar supplied the rebels with total US$2billion. On the other hand, Qatar involved in arming Syrian rebels like the Free Syrian Army. Also, it was successful in unifying the Syrian opposition. The importance of Qatar involvement in the latter is to counter Iranian influence by allying with opposition while Assad regime is backed by Iran (Khatib, 2013). In contrast to this, Al Jazeera was silent towards the uprisings in Bahrian. Qatar has been selective in backing uprisings there. The reason behind that, is Saudi Arabia influence that views the situation as â€Å"Shi’a uprising â€Å" and regional rivalry with Iran, hence any intervention from Qatar’s side in Bahraini issue would result tensions (Roberts, 2012). In conclusion, Qatar had different view towards the Arab Spring compare to its neighbors. Its objective to play a valuable role in the region, made Doha change its position as neutral state and take foreign policy risks. Although the question of weather Qatar made the right policy decisions or not remains unanswered yet. However, Doha succeeded in playing regional role a head of regional power like Saudi and influenced the Arab countries to take collective action towards Libya and Syria. In addition, Qatar foreign policy faces challenges; among these challenges is the reliance on money donations to support Post Arab Spring countries that would hinder progress in Qatari diplomacy. On the other hand, the lack of democracy and rule of law domestically puts Qatar legitimacy to promote for democracy under question. Moreover, making policy changes internally such as guarantee of political and civil rights to citizens hold parliamentary elections and protection freedom of speech will give Qatar legitimacy and enhance its image in international community.

Lavasa A Case Study Synopsis Environmental Sciences Essay

Lavasa A Case Study Synopsis Environmental Sciences Essay Lavasa is an independent Indias first planned hill city. The under-construction town is just an hours drive from Pune in the Mose Valley and the backwaters of the calm Warasgaon dam area. This as-yet incomplete city has been controversial for multiple reasons including: procurement of land, harm to the environment (water usage), and loans acquired through political corruption. Till November 25 2010, the construction work at Lavasa was in full swing when the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) issued a stop-work order and notice to Lavasa Corporation Limited (LCL).The reason given was that the company had failed to obtain environmental clearance from the Union ministry and had proceeded on the basis of a clearance from Maharashtras environment department. The ministrys Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), constituted in response to the public interest petition moved by the National Alliance of Peoples Movements (NAPM), formed by activists and NGOs, in the high court of Mumba i for new infrastructure projects and Coastal Regulation Zone, said that planning and development of the whole project should be reworked as it violated environment laws, including haphazard cutting of hills. Lavasa challenged the ministrys order in the high court, saying it had taken the requisite clearances from the state and the ministry had no jurisdiction over the project.LCL later applied for post facto clearance from MoEF for the first phase of the project, on February 1; Lavasa is being developed in two phases of 2,000 ha and 3,000 ha. Lavasa: About the project Lavasa Corporation Limited (LCL) is developing a hill station township project located 65 km from Pune in the Mose Valley and the backwaters of the calm Warasgaon dam area, set amidst 7 hills and 60 kms of lakefront. It is touted as independent Indias first planned hill city and is one of the largest Infrastructure Projects in the country. A total of 10,000 hectares (= 25,000 acres) land will be used for the project which includes mostly the farm land and private forests or forest like land. The development plan is spread over 20 years and would complete by 2025. It involves dynamic planning in phases. Phase I: Dasve, Mugaon, Bhoni To establish Lavasa Brand .Development will be mostly mixed use with focus on front-loaded economic drivers Phase II: Focus on meeting residential demand driven through development of economic activities and scaling up of tourism, hospitality, and leisure activities Phase III: Sakhari, Wadaval In addition to residential development, focus on developing a commercial business district Phase IV: Bhode, Mose, Saiv Development of the second commercial business district. Statutory Authorities and their responsibilities There are majorly five agencies that are responsible for framing regulatory framework for environment and pollution control. These agencies have different roles to play as far as framing of policies and their application is concerned. This can be easily differentiated in a tabular form: Ministry of Environment Forests (MOEF), Govt. of India Formulate Strategies Policies Formulate rules acts and seek approval from Parliament Interact with Internation agencies Issue Environmental Clearance Permits Implement Nationa Schemes Monitor the process through Regional Offices Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Govt. of India Prepare Technical guidelines Provide technical backup to MOEF Provide laboratory facility, monitor RD Legal Proceedings Implement registration and other schemes Monitor through Zonal Offices Department of Environment (DOEN), State Govt. Formulate policies strategies formulate rules, acts seeks approval from Legislative Assembly Council Co-ordinate with MOEF CPCB Issue Environmental clearance permits State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), State Govt. Consent management of Industries Legal proceedings Projects Planning Monitring aspects Dayal Committee: A 10-member committee, constituted by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to assess the environment impact of Lavasa project. Environmental concerns violated in Lavasa project An analysis The Lavasa has always been a contentious issue and a controversial project. For years, it has been blamed for the serious environmental damages including flora and fauna and has been criticized by the Ministry of Environment and Forests for quarrying and hill cutting. However, Post reviewing the project, this ministry provided clearance on 9 November 2011 to Lavasa with specific conditions, such as a cessation of hill cutting activities, building of a sewage treatment plant, and anti-poverty CSR measures aimed at the local population. For a one year period from late 2010 to late 2011, construction of Lavasa had to be halted due to orders obtained from the Ministry of Environment and Forests. In late 2010 it ordered Lavasa Corporation to halt further construction for not having gathered proper clearances. Ministry of Environment and Forests found Lavasa to be violating the rules and regulations under the Environment protection act 1986. According to MOEF, LCL (Lavasa Corporation Ltd) is in violation of The EIA Notification, 1994; The EIA Notification, as amended in 2004; and The EIA Notification of 2006. The site visit report has also brought out the nature and magnitude of the environmental damage caused by the project. As such, the construction activity is unauthorized, being in violation of the above three notifications and is also environmentally damaging. Concept: EIA is a tool to assess positive and negative impacts of a project on surrounding area, population, vegetation, flora, fauna, property and overall environment. Components Air Pollution (From Process and Fuel burning) Water Pollution (Industrial process, Effluents and sewage, Treatment and reuse) Land Pollution (Chemical pollution, Waste substances, solid waste, treatment disposal) Noise Pollution Ecology, Flora, Fauna, Fisheries, endangered species Natural Resources (Air, Water, Land, Rivers, Streams, Ponds Lakes, Hills, Forest,) Ecoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ sensitive zone, Sanctuaries, Migration routes. Archeological sites, Roads, Military Establishments, Schools, Hospitals, Other social centers Socioà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Economy, Rehabilitation, Resettlement, Compensations Disaster Management, Risk Assessment Major Socio-Environmental Concerns Ecology Lavasa is in the province of WESTERN GHATS of INDIA which is among Worlds 20 most ecologically sensitive HOT SPOTS. Also, the UNESCO is considering declaring Western Ghats region as the World Heritage Site according to media reports. Western Ghat is a crucial factor for Monsoon of India and other meteorologically important parameters The committee has recorded that Lavasa has caused massive destruction of the ecology of the area, especially causing grave damages to hills, flora-fauna, water body, etc Land Land belong to Adivasi (Tribal) Land which cant be sold or bought without the permission of the District administration to a Non Tribal entity, in fact that Mulshi and Velhe talukas, where Lavasa is based, is not designated as a tribal district. In 1976, the Govt. of Maharashtra implemented land reforms in the area. A case filed at police by one tribe Bandya Bhau Valhekar is pending at Mulshi The project is spread over 18 villages consisting of various Gaothans (villages). There are some adivasi communities in the affected area and that there has been a large scale diversion of ceiling surplus land which was allotted to these Adivasis and Nomadic Tribes. Also Ceiling land belongs to the landless poor people as per Ceiling Act. (THE URBAN LAND (CEILING AND REGULATION) , ACT, 1976, No. 33 OF 1976) Land has been either by cheating or using muscule power, A poor farmer Dnyaneshwar Shedge has filed a complaint against Lavasa in one such matter The 80 odd Katkari families of tribal stock in this area belong to Raigadh District; 47 of them are living in Mugaon village. They used to come for seasonal agricultural labor to assist local farmers with rice cultivation before the paddy fields were lost to the Warasgaon dam. But when the lands were submerged, the displaced farmers began to cut trees for making charcoal. Many of those that Lavasa purchased land from are not local farmers but people who were living in Pune, Mumbai, Dubai or even London. A good chunk of land was originally bought by a real estate firm called Expat Limited before Lavasa Corporation came into existence. Even today some of the investors of Expat have not sold their lands to Lavasa. Due to isolation, people had to walk 5-6 hr over hilly terrain to reach the nearest city in order to sell forest products like bamboo and charcoal. Consequently, this district became very sparsely populated with a total population of 3117 as per the 2001 census. Water resources Effects on downstream users- Pune and further users, Pollution. The back water of the dams were filled with stone crushing material and also that the villagers expressed that the project has adversely impacted their life and they are not willing to part with their land for any of the project activities. The Varasgaon Dam is an important dam for water supply to Pune city. The Water Recourses Department of Government has sanctioned a quota of 1.03 TMC water to Lavasa, which was supposed to be the 1 month utility of water by Pune city. Due to this reservoir very nearly dries up in the hot summer months leading up to the monsoon. There are claims that water from Varasgaon is diverted to Lavasa and will result in problems in water supply to Pune city. Township Objection to the cutting of hills for making roads, on the other hand it says that the roads were not wide enough for the expected traffic A world Class huge convention centre does not go with the concept of a hill station with only 9 meters access road, without adequate parking provisions. Quite a few residential buildings are without adequate open spaces, set back distances, parking spaces etc Height of buildings was increased from G+2 to G+5, which was illegal in the original hill station policy. Social Unrest Land being acquired by hook or crook. Inadequate compensation. State machinery used to coerce farmers. No proper plans to rehabilitate the farmers affected. Lavasa has been granted permissions in quick time by bending / breaking the law. Land leased for 30 yrs by govt. which in fact will never be returned and is as good as sold. Environment and Environmental Laws It was mandatory for Lavasa to seek PRIOR Environmental Clearance from the appropriate authorities under EIA Notifications 1994, 2004 and 2006. However none of them was obtained from the appropriate authorities. NAPM pointed out this to Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) Govt of India which in turn issued a STOP WORK notice to Lavasa on 25th November 2010. Lavasa moved to High Court against MOEF order, however; the High Court rejected Lavasas request to allow continuation of construction work. The works at project site came to halt. MoEF constituted Dayal Committee and further Ravindran Committee which recommended that Lavasa should be asked to pay 5% of the project cost as the Environment Protection Fund in lieu of the environmental damages caused by it. Dayal Committee Report and its outcome The Dayal committee visited the site from 5th-7th January, 2011 and inspected every Construction, every site of the project, assessed the environmental state and accordingly submitted the report to the MoEF which included a list of damages that the LCL has caused to the environment conditions .However the chairman of the committee is being criticized for pointing out very Minor issue and damages to the environment. After three days of on-the-spot assessment, the 11-member team of Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) declared that the Lavasa project had caused no destruction of forests. The statement given by the chairman Mr. Dayal of the committee was Prima facie, forest destruction does not seem to have happened in case of Lavasa. The committee also reported that no reduction in water supply to Pune city was found to have occurred as a result of the project. The Dayal committee apparently gave a clean-chit to Lavasa mainly on two issues: Impact on forests and environment Impact on the water supply to Pune city Differing Issues: MOEF Lavasa Corporation Limited LCL (Lavasa Corporation Ltd) is in violation of (i) the EIA Notification, 1994; (ii) the EIA Notification, as amended in 2004; and (iii) the EIA Notification of 2006. The site visit report has also brought out the nature and magnitude of the environmental damage caused by the project. As such, the construction activity is unauthorised, being in violation of the above three notifications and is also environmentally damaging. The MoEF order is more on jurisdiction than on environment issues. However, having regard to the above but taking into account all the facts and circumstances of the case, particularly the submissions made with regard to the investments already incurred, third-party rights which are accrued, the various steps taken for establishment of a comprehensive hill station development, the employment generated and the claimed upliftment of the area under consideration, MoEF (Ministry of Environement and Forests) is prepared to consider the project on merits with the imposition of various terms and conditions, including the following: The payment of substantial penalty for the violation of environmental laws, which is incontrovertible; Over and above the penalty, creation of an Environmental Restoration Fund (ERF) by LCL with sufficiently large corpus which would be managed by an independent body with various stakeholders under the overall supervision of MoEF; Imposition of stringent terms and conditions, to ensure that no further environmental degradation takes place and that any degradation that has already occurred would be rectified within a time-bound schedule. MoEF does not have objective and measurable norms. Therefore, instead of restricting themselves to environmental issues, it has resorted to questioning state government jurisdiction, Special Planning Authority, MKVDC land transfer, land purchase, Lavasa master plan approval by collector, Hill Station policy, regional development plan, MRTP Act, etc. These haves nothing to do with environmental issues. Naresh Dayal, chairman of the technical committee, after completing his site visit made a statement to the media in Pune that there was no major environmental degradation and yet the report seems to magnify minor environmental issues to justify continuance of the stop work order. There were more than 1,000 villagers supporting Lavasa, whereas those supporting Medha Patkar were a mere dozen. Yet the committee gives more space to highlighting issues of Patkars supporters. Any road under construction in hilly regions requires cutting which looks harsh and bare initially. Reference photographs included in the report only show such roads in the early stages of construction and which were only about 5 km in length. It has conveniently kept out the photographs of over 100 km of roads that have been completed with enhanced green cover. Conclusion: With all the above observations carried out by the government constituted committee, post-facto green signal to Phase-I of Lavasa by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) given on the November 9th , 2011 was widely condemned by many intellectual groups and was declared as a  blot on the democratic process. It also created a shockingly dangerous precedent in the history of environmental action in India. MoEFs improper action has in fact sent shock-waves to eco-activists within the country and also across the world. Although it is not the first time in the long history of Indian Environmental clearance regime that political highhandedness has been used to subvert rule of law and the ends of justice, this case is unique since the  clearance has disregarded well established evidence based on facts collected by no other than the MoEF itself. It is surprising that the Ministrys decision has come in the wake of the case filed by the Maharashtra government against 15 perso ns including promoters of Lavasa Corporation for alleged violations of the Environment Protection Act (EPA), while the Maharashtra Chief Minister on the other hand has recommended that Lavasa be considered for environmental clearance, exposed the  double standards of the state government.

Rate of Reaction Investigation :: Papers

Rate of Reaction Investigation 2HCL + NA ²S ²O ³ à   + 2NaCL Hydrochloric acid + Sodium thiosulphate à   Sulphur + Sodium chloride + S0 ² + H ²0 + Sulphur dioxide + Water Collision Theory For this experiment we can use the collision theory. Collision theory explains how chemical reactions occur and why rates of reaction differ. When particles collide, they may react. A reaction occurs when particle is facing in the correct direction and the collision has enough energy. If more collisions occur, then the chance of a successful collision is higher. [IMAGE] Aim To investigate the rate of reaction between hydrochloric acid and sodium thiosulphate using variables. Equipment Sodium Thiosulphates Hydrochloric Acid Title marked with a cross - Then we will know when the reaction has taken place. Measuring cylinder - Measure how much of solution you use each time, so it's a fair test. Beaker - Where the reaction will take place Bunsen burner - How the temperature can increase. Tripod - To place the beaker onto. Stopwatch - Measuring how long the reaction takes place. Thermometer - To measure how hot the mixture is. Factors/ Variables Catalyst - A catalyst is a substance which increases the speed of a reaction without being changed or used up in a reaction. The catalysis works by giving the reacting particles something to stick to where they can collide into each other; this increases the number of collisions. Concentration - If the solution is made more concentrated it means there are more particles of reactant between the important particles are more likely. Temperature - When the temperature is increased the particles all move quicker, if they are moving quicker, they are going to have more collisions. We used a thermometer to control this. Particle size/ surface area - As the particle size decreases the surface area increases. The rate of reaction will increase because the acid can attack from different places.

Bibliography of Geoffrey Chaucer ::

Bibliography of Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer was born in the early 1340's, in approximately 1343. Little is known about Chaucer's early life. According to Microsoft Encarta, "there is relatively strong evidence to support the fact that he attended one of the three grammar-schools: either St. Paul's, St. Mary-le-Bow's, or St. Martin-le-Grand's. The next reliable bit of data places him, at around the age of fourteen, as a page in the household of the wife of Prince Lionel, the third son of Edward III. He apparently held this position for a long time" (Mirosoft) According to Grose, "Chaucer's first foray into the King's Business appears in October of 1360, when he couriered letters from the Calais to England during peace negotiations there. For this service he held the official title of clerk of the king attached to the person of Prince Lionel. In this way, Chaucer began to service to his king. In 1368, Chaucer was awarded a royal pension for life, indicating a long and valued service to his liege" (Grose 23). He served as sort of jack-of-all-trades. The only known facts about Chaucer's life between 1358 and 1367 are that he was imprisoned in France during the Hundred Years War and was ransomed in March 1360, for rather large sum. In this time Chaucer also married Philippa Roet, lady-in-waiting to the queen. She bore at least two children. Between 1368 and 1367, Chaucer undertook nearly a dozen diplomatic missions to Flanders, France and Italy. Many were important; indeed many were so secret that they were not mentioned in the histories of the time at all. In 1381, Chaucer was sent to deal with marriage negotiations Bibliography of Geoffrey Chaucer :: Bibliography of Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer was born in the early 1340's, in approximately 1343. Little is known about Chaucer's early life. According to Microsoft Encarta, "there is relatively strong evidence to support the fact that he attended one of the three grammar-schools: either St. Paul's, St. Mary-le-Bow's, or St. Martin-le-Grand's. The next reliable bit of data places him, at around the age of fourteen, as a page in the household of the wife of Prince Lionel, the third son of Edward III. He apparently held this position for a long time" (Mirosoft) According to Grose, "Chaucer's first foray into the King's Business appears in October of 1360, when he couriered letters from the Calais to England during peace negotiations there. For this service he held the official title of clerk of the king attached to the person of Prince Lionel. In this way, Chaucer began to service to his king. In 1368, Chaucer was awarded a royal pension for life, indicating a long and valued service to his liege" (Grose 23). He served as sort of jack-of-all-trades. The only known facts about Chaucer's life between 1358 and 1367 are that he was imprisoned in France during the Hundred Years War and was ransomed in March 1360, for rather large sum. In this time Chaucer also married Philippa Roet, lady-in-waiting to the queen. She bore at least two children. Between 1368 and 1367, Chaucer undertook nearly a dozen diplomatic missions to Flanders, France and Italy. Many were important; indeed many were so secret that they were not mentioned in the histories of the time at all. In 1381, Chaucer was sent to deal with marriage negotiations

Female Power, Maternity and Genderbending in Shakespeares Antony and C

Female Power, Maternity and Genderbending in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra The 19th century essayist and literary critic William Hazlitt wrote of Cleopatra, "She is voluptuous, ostentatious, conscious, boastful of her charms, haughty, tyrannical, [and] fickle," which are "great and unpardonable faults" (Hazlitt 2-3). Much of the criticism of Antony and Cleopatra has recycled this judgement, depicting Cleopatra as a villainess uses her eroticism and sexuality to motivate Antony to seek power. Cleopatra is memorable for her propensity for violence as well. While Antony and Cleopatra was written after the death of a violent English queen, Elizabeth I, Shakespeare may have been faced with a dramatic dilemma: how to make a woman seem believably violent and intimidating on the stage. Coppà ©lia Kahn notes that Cleopatra was "Rome's most dangerous enemy" (111),i but how does one make the Queen of the Nile seem like such a threat during a time when women had little social and political power. Shakespeare does several things to accomplish this task: 1) he loca tes Cleopatra's power in a foreign or supernatural realm; 2) he inverts her gender role with that of Antony; 3) he suppresses her maternal qualities; and 4) he allows her to be redeemed only in death. Indeed, it is the only way to handle a difficult woman on the Jacobean stage. Locating Codes of Female Power In Antony and Cleopatra, the Roman values of honor and bravery embody masculinity, while Egypt and the Orient symbolize feminine weakness and fragility. Caesar and Agrippa are depicted as reasonable, logical, and practical, especially in matters of strategy and war. Cleopatra and her servants and eunuchs are consistently referred to in terms of laziness, let... ...ication of her superior intelligence. She understands that, should she live, she will be taken to Rome and will suffer the humiliation of seeing "some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness / I' th' posture of a whore" (V, ii, 216-217). iv In addition, Cleopatra has demonstrated her readiness in the past to ruin Egypt for Antony's sake. Without blinking, she considers "unpeopling" her country in order to send a new messenger to Antony in Rome every day. To mirror Antony's "Let Rome in Tiber sink," Cleopatra says, "Let Egypt in Nile melt." v Of course, her actions indicate that, as a Roman wife, her entire existence must center on Antony only, which means a rejection of anything else, including her earthly children ("What should I stay--"). The point is to emphasize her selfishness and her absolute focus on Antony, a constant of the queen's personality.

English Euphemism Essay

Euphemism, as a common linguistic phenomenon in world culture, is widely used in every social class and field. English euphemism, as one of many euphemisms existing in the world, has its own deep origin, which include both the religious origin and the historical, literary origin. This thesis will try to discuss the origin of English euphemism from every aspect of religion, race, politics, literary, and history. Language reflects life, and is always closely related to the society. During the communication, due to some certain restriction of behavior and morality, people tend to use euphemism-used as a kind of lubrication, making the harsh, indelicate words sound tactful and pleasant. English euphemism plays a very important role in people’s social communication. This paper will also expound the social communicative function of English euphemism from the three aspects: evasive function, polite function, and cosmetic function. Having a good understanding of the origin and social function of English euphemism and the English language Culture can avoid many conflicts in the process of social communication . [Key Words] origin; communicative function; evasion; cosmetic function; politeness [Abstract] euphemisms prevalent in the language of the world’s cultural phenomenon, it is widely used in all social strata and fields. Euphemism as a euphemism in one of the many, has its deep roots produced, in which packets of religion and politics, but also literature and history. This paper attempts to religion, race, politics, literature, history, in a bid to explore the emergence of English Euphemisms source. Language reflects life, and always closely linked with social, conversation in the language, due to a certain code of conduct and Ethics constraints, people often use the euphemism —- the ‘lubricant’, making harsh, non – polite euphemism becomes so pleasurable. It is in people’s social communication played an important role. This function of its taboo, courtesy functions and capabilities in three areas to cover up the English language Euphemism illustrates the social communicative functions. Euphemism by fully understanding the origins of English and its social communicative function, and further understand the English language and culture, in order to avoid social communication in the various conflicts. [Keywords:] origin;  communicative function; taboo; politeness; cover 1.Introduction Euphemism is a cultural phenomenon as well as a linguistic concept. Every language has its own euphemism, so does English. It is deeply rooted in social life and has a great influence on social communication. As an indispensable and natural pArt of English language, English euphemism has attracted people’s attention for a long time. Since Euphemism was coined, it has played a very important role in people’s communication. The communication without euphemism is unimaginable. Euphemism is used like lubrication, which makes the communication go on smoothly. This thesis will have an overview of the origin of English euphemism, and state its social communicative function. English euphemism as a linguistic concept, it has close relationships with the western culture, and it truly reflects the life and values of English people and their history. Euphemism is a particularly good medium for access to the force of language that has provided an effective approach to understanding the human mind. The study of English euphemism can help us understand the western Culture and promote the international Development because euphemism is widely used in international negotiations. So there is a great need for us to study English euphemism, including: its origin, its social function, etc. 2. The definitions of English euphemism Euphemism is a universal linguistic phenomenon. Nearly in every language, there are some disgusting words, which make people feel embarrassed. In the process of communication, the unsuitable or too direct words will make people feel uncomfortable, even angry. Then there is a great need for us to use a tactful way to express emotion, exchange ideas. That is to say, to use a pleasant, mild or indirect words or phrases take the place of tabooed words. It is known that euphemism is a form of language intentionally created in social relation to achieve ideal communication. Without them any language would seem to be vulgar and rude, void of politeness and vividness to some extent. As a common communication in the process of people using language, euphemism is an important way for people to coordinate the social relationships. Like a kind of lubrication, euphemism enables people to express what cannot be uttered directly and ensures communication to be  carried smoothly. It is a language Strategy in civilized society for avoiding taboo. It is unimaginable if the communication is without euphemism. The word ‘euphemism’ was derived from the Greek word ‘euphemismos’, which means ‘fair speech’. The prefix ‘eu’ means ‘good, sound well’ and ‘pheme’ means ‘saying’ or ‘speech’. And thus the literal meaning of ‘euphemism’ is ‘to speak with good words or in a pleasant manner’. That is to say, euphemism is used as an alternative to unpleasant expression, in order to avoid possible lose of face, either one’s own face or through going offense, that of the audience, or some of third of party. This unpleasant expression may be tabooed, fearsome, or for some other reasons that speakers can’t or intend not to use some certain expression directly on some occasion. ‘In Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language is’ the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought substituted ‘. Rawson Blunt, a British writer, defined euphemism as’ a good favorable interpretation of a bad word.†[1 ] ‘Encyclopedia Britannica (1994) also defines euphemism as’ a figure of speech in which something of an unpleasant, distressing or indelicate nature is described in less offensive terms†[2] From the above mentioned, we could clearly see that euphemism is characterized by avoidance language and evasive expression. The speakers use words or expressions as a protective shield against the anger or disapproval of natural or supernatural things. It is one form of language and a linguistic phe nomenon 3.The origins of English euphemism 3.1 The religious origin of English euphemism The earliest English euphemisms come from ‘taboo’. The word ‘taboo’ comes from Togan, a kind of Polynesian. It indicates evasive language or action. [3] The emergence of English euphemism is to meet the need of avoiding taboos. In primitive society, people can’t explain such things as ailment and some supernatural phenomena. ‘People have confusion between the name of the things and things themselves. The name is viewed as an extension of things. Just as the idiom says’ Speak of devil and he appears ‘. Naturally the words or phrases related to such things become taboos.’ [4] In the ancient times, people had blind faith in ghosts and Gods they respected. They whispered and even feared them so they did not dare to address their  names directly. They think it profane to name God. Therefore the names of gods become the earliest taboos. To speak name of gods was to evoke the divinity whose power then had to be confronted. Such dangerous practices were reserved for priests skilled in negotiating with the supernatural. So the usual way to avoid is to employ euphemisms. Therefore, for the religious need, a lot of euphemisms about religion emerged. For example, in order not to desecrate God, people in English-speaking country always use some other name for God instead of calling directly, such as ‘Adonai, the Almighty, Caesar’s Cruth, the Creater, Dod, Gad, Land, Lawks, Lawd.’ [5] The opposite side of god is devil, which is more terrible for people. When people refer to them, they tend to use such euphemisms to replace: D, the Big D, the Evil one, the Black one, the Goodman, Jesse, Old boy, Our father, Lord of lords, King of kings, the Light of the world, etc. [6] From the above mentioned, we can find that religion brings many euphemistic terms in the religious matter, especially the naming and addressing of God to the language. 3.2 The racial and national origins of English euphemism It is known to all, the phenomenon of racial discrimination is deeply rooted in America in which ‘equal opportunity’ is flattered by American white people as an equal right enjoyed by everyone. Due to the pressure of social public opinion, although some whites discriminate the black from their heart, they will not expose this kind of prejudice in public. Meanwhile, few people dare to humiliate and persecute blacks publicly for no reason at all. In other words, the way of discrimination becomes tactful. There are many euphemisms emerging for this reason. In the 1930s, ‘nigger’ is still a neutral noun in England, and has no meaning of humiliating blacks. But since this word has the obvious meaning of discriminating the blacks, most of people in England and Americans use some other euphemistic words, such as ‘colored black’ instead. When talking about some other races, it does not often use the direct words that are related to color. People often use some euphemistic expression, such as the geographic name. 3.3 Historical, literary and Political origins of English euphemism From the time the Normans conquered England in 1066, English has emerged many euphemisms. At that time, the main reason to use euphemism is that the language used by the conquered is often disparaged, and is thought as gross language. The upper  class surely doesn ‘t want to lower their status to use such words. In order to avoid using such gross words, they tend to use’ the elegant words’, which originated from Latin. And these words were mixed into English gradually. There are also many euphemisms in literary works. For example, in Hamlet, Shakespeare use the expression ‘The undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns’ (there has never been a mystery travelers to come back off the country) to express his great sympathy for Hamlet . [7] The famous American writer Mark Twain use ‘release’ to express ‘die’ in his work The Adventure of Tom Sawyer. Besides, politics is a fertile area for the appearance and growth of English euphemism, which is cosmetic in expression but deceptive in nature. Euphemisms of this kind are always consciously and deliberately. The cosmetic euphemism can be easily found in American English. Government’s discussion of the Vietnam War was saturated with euphemisms. Villages burned and inhabitants imprisoned were ‘Pacifications’; the war itself was not a war but a ‘conflict’, the ‘bombing’ becomes ‘logistical strike’ or ‘close air support’, and ‘killing’ becomes ‘wasting the enemy’. These euphemisms are used to deceive and to hide the dirty business of war . [8] The use of such Political euphemisms helps government to beautify the action and prevent people from taking any anti-government action. So in order to satisfy the Political needs, many euphemisms come to exist. 4.The social communicative function of English euphemism From the perspective of language communication, euphemism functions to avoid taboos, to show politeness and conceal feelings. Thanks to euphemism, it is easy for people to accept the things that are likely to make others feel embarrassed or unhappy. It is people’s general character to express their ideas as mildly and tactfully as possible. Euphemism helps people to reach this goal. From the moment euphemism came into existence, it has played a very important role in our daily communication, and help establish a good relationship between human beings and even strengthen the social stability. Euphemism are motivated by the desire not to be offensive. People use them to show their politeness, to avoid being offensive and to meet the psychological and beneficial needs of both speakers and hearers in communication. But sometimes they are used to conceal or cover something. Accordingly, euphemism serves three basic communicative functions: evasive  function, polite function and cosmetic function. 4.1 The evasive function of English euphemism The evasive function of euphemism is to evade using taboos, enabling the speaker to talk about tabooed things freely. These tabooed things are believed to be dangerous to certain individuals, or to the society as a whole, or to be disgusting and unpleasant, and cause fear. Such tabooed things include: disease, disabilities, death, sex, body excretion and body elimination process, etc. People can use euphemisms to talk about what cannot be talked directly. Reposted elsewhere in the paper for free download 4.1.1 In terms of disease and disabilities People yearn for health, and fear for specific disease and every sort of disability. So people always use tactful way to express them. For example, sexual or venereal disease such as syphilis, gonorrhoea, ADIS, etc. Are called ‘social disease’, ‘communicative disease’, etc. in English. Besides, disabilities are very sensitive area in every culture. In English, ‘the disabled, the handicapped, the inconvenienced, the invalid, auditory impaired, hard of hearing, talk with one’s fingers’, etc. are put into service. [9] So euphemism plays a very important function in our social communication. Without it, we sometimes cannot continue our talk. 4.1.2 In terms of death Death is an inevitable stage at the end of life’s journey. It is common Experience of human beings. Yet it has been the source of fear-fear of the loss of loved ones; fear of the end of one’s life; fear of the actual process of dying. Therefore, all these fears, worries, and unpleasant feelings combined lead to verbal taboo of death. Euphemisms concerning death are extremely rich. In English, there are more than seventy euphemisms for ‘death’, including ‘to be gone, to be gone to a better world, to be with God, to breath one’s last, to close one’s day, to depArt from the world forever, to depArt to God, to fall asleep, join the great majority, pass away, etc. [10 ] No matter why this word is used in a certain language, people always tend to use less harsh words 4.1.3 In terms of sex, body  excretion and body elimination process Words relating to sex, procreation and excretion are highly restricted to mention because they may evoke disgusting responses of people. Verbal taboo on them is probably motivated by the intuitive disaster, shame. People all have certain feelings of which they are so ashamed that they don ‘t like to admit even to themselves. In people’s daily life or in some formal occasion, if the talk or discussion refers to something about drainage, people will try to avoid using vulgar language. They tend to use some implied or neutral words to make conversation comfortable. For ordinary people, the safest way to avoid mentioning these things that they have to mention in many circumstances is to use another expression-euphemism to replace the true name of such a thing. For example, in English there are many elegant expressions for ‘going to WC’, such as: to wash one’s hand, to spend a penny, to go and see one’s aunt, to answer the call of nature, because nature calls, etc. [11] ‘The topic concerning being pregnant is touchy because it tends to arouse the association with sexual behaviors.’ To beat round bushes’ is very necessary, such as’ with child ‘,’ anticipating ‘,’ excepting ‘for’ pregnant ‘, etc. [12] Talking about sexual intercourse is taboo. Expressions relating to sex have heavily been veiled for the purpose of avoiding awkwardness and offense. So people use euphemistic words to talk about it. For example, people evade saying ‘hip’ directly which is replaced with ‘buttock’, ‘bottom’, ‘one’s thing’, and ‘secret parts’ donates sex organs of both males and females. 4.1.4 In terms of old age English and Chinese have different feelings about ‘old age’. A Chinese is proud of being old, whereas a westerner will feel irritated and even insulted at mentioning his oldness. In English culture, people do not describe others as or to be described as’ old ‘because the old, who no longer work, are ignored by society. Therefore, people create’ the second childhood golden years, senior citizen, gray hair, mature golden age ‘when they refer to’ old age ‘in which it attempts to conceal the fact of becoming old and avoid arousing old people’s sad feeling of aging. [14] 4.2 The polite function of English euphemism. Politeness is another important function that euphemisms serve in the social  life. Politeness is the symbol of human’s civilization and one of the important principles guiding people’s activities. As a kind of significant social activity, language activity must observe this principle, too. When we have to talk something unpleasant, we should choose euphemistic way to express in order not to hurt others. Being polite is a reasonable action that anyone who is keen on face-saving will take. The polite function of euphemism is tried to avoid being harsh or impolite in the communication. In other words, euphemisms are to minimize impolite expressions and maximize polite expressions. For instance, when a teacher comments on a student’s moral conducts and school work in front of the student or his or her parent, he or she should report the fact on one hand, and on the other hand should take into consideration the student’s psychological endurance and the paren t’s face. So the euphemistic way to express might be ‘The student is a bit slow for his or her age’ instead of ‘The student is stupid ‘. [15] The polite function of English euphemism is embodied in every occupational language. Occupational discrimination gives people pressure and emotional irritation. Although euphemisms cannot uproot this kind of phenomenon, at least, they can give them some psychological comfort by upgrading of career name. Therefore, ‘ engineer, manager, etc. ‘have become more and more fashionable.’ Dustman ‘is changed to’ sanitary engineer ‘;’ mechanic ‘to’ automobile engineer ‘,’ gardener ‘to’ landscape architect ‘,’ shoemaker ‘to’ shoe rebuilder ‘[16] In English, there are many adjectives about people’s appearance, such as’ good looking, handsome, pretty, charming, attractive’, etc. They are all commendatory words. When talking about someone who is not pretty, we cannot use ‘ugly’ or ‘awfully’. We had better use some euphemisms such as ‘plain, ordinary, not particularly looking’, etc. instead of them. So euphemism’s polite function can save people’s face in their process of communication. It is so important that we cannot neglect it. 4.3 The cosmetic function of English euphemism Besides the evasive and polite function, euphemism has the cosmetic function. This kind of euphemism is usually used in the government, military, politics and commerce. It refers to using good words to beautify things, which are not beautiful in reality and make the thing be more persuaded and acceptable. Because euphemism has the nature of vagueness, to some extent,  it is deceptive. Traditionally speaking, euphemism plays a positive role in social life. Using it, people can avoid some embarrassed and ungracious occasion. But just as every coin has two sides, euphemism has no exception. Using it suitably can coordinate social relationships, but abusing it will mislead the public, will cover up the essence of things. For example, in modern Western society, the poor is called as’ the needy ‘, later it was changed to’ the culturally deprived ‘, then to’ the underprivileged ‘, at last to’ the disadvantaged ‘. So it will confuse peopl e that this country is so rich that there is no poor people at all. Firstly, the government and the military often use them to disguise the reality from truth. They describe ‘Economic crisis’ as ‘recession’ or ‘depression’; ‘attack’ as ‘active defense’. [17] At the beginning of 20th century , the relationship between labor and capital become strained, and the agitation of striking became a serious social problem. In order to hide the fact, politicians call the strained labor-capital relationship as ‘industrial climate’, striking as ‘industrial action’. If the negotiation between labor and capital is successful, it will be claimed as ‘productive’, on the contrary, it is ‘counter-productive’. [18] Secondly, this kind of euphemism is widely used in commerce. It is often used to play tricks and to deceive the customers. The commercial exaggerates the product’s function and quality. In the same way, the English euphemism is also used to make customers feel pleased . For example, in order to meet the passengers’ sense of dignity, some Airlines call First Class Deluxe Class or Premium Class; Second Class First Class; and Third Class become Business Class, Economic Class, or Tourist Class. Doing like these, it seems that all passengers’ position are promoted. Their purpose is to attract more passengers and gain more profits by using euphemisms in the communication, meanwhile, the customers feel more decent, and it helps customers save face. In short, euphemism of this kind may make an idea more palatable, but they inflate language, reduce precision and often tamper with truth. Some people condemn euphemism as demoralizing because of its hypocrisy, which other consider them useful in the aspect of coordinating social relationships . However, the fact remains that euphemisms are very much a part of the language, and what’s more important for us is not to debate their merits or demerits, but rather to be able to realize that English euphemism can serve for the special social activities  under certain circumstance. 5. Conclusion English euphemism as an essential part of English language, is observed everywhere and widely used in people’s daily communication. On the issue of the origin and social communicative function of English euphemism, this thesis has a tentative exploration. But this kind of exploration is in a state of Development because euphemism is developed all the time. Euphemism roots in every aspect of social life, and is developed with the advancement of society. English euphemism is a mirror of Western Culture in the form of English language. From the moment it was born, it has distinct culture color. Euphemism undoubtedly reflects the inner relationship among the cultural tradition, social values and the form of language. In speech interaction, sometimes, out of politeness or tact, one uses a pleasant, less direct word instead of something unpleasant. Using euphemism is speaker’s active pragmatic Strategy in a certain time and a certain situation. English euphemism promotes the Development of English language, and enriches the vocabularies of English language, giving people a feeling of warm and fresh. In the 21st century, with the development of science and technology, many social problems rise, too. People crave for the gentle, warm and easy understood words. Euphemism emerges ceaselessly just right for meeting this psychological need. As a common communication medium and a rhetoric method, English euphemism will be used wider and wider. Some scholars hold the opinion that it is unreasonable to use euphemism because they have the nature of deceit, especially in politics and government. But we cannot deny the fact that euphemism is very helpful in the process of human communication. Twenty-first century is a period when people of different culture have even more touches with each other. So it is vital for us to have a good understanding of English euphemism. It is unimaginable if the diplomatic negotiation is without euphemism. Using euphemism is a kind of language skill that each of us should master. Bibliography [1] Li Qing. A Tentative Study of English Euphemism-From Pragmatic Perspective. Shandong Normal University, a master’s degree thesis in English Language and Literature. 2003 2.24 P2 [2] Wu Chang-Qi An Analysis of Diplomatic Euphemism from the Perspectives of Cooperative Principles and Politeness Principle. Chongqing University of Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics Master’s degree thesis. 2004.5 P7 [3] Hanyin Yan, Liu Lei. Euphemisms from the psychological view of social communicative function [J]. Science, Shenyang Normal University (Social Science Edition). 2005.3 P146 [4] the same [1] P4 [5] Xiang-Yun Wu. Euphemism social function [J]. Zhaotong Teacher’s College. 2004.2 P30 [6] the same [5] P30 [7] Mao new cultivation. On the basis of English Euphemisms generation [J]. Yunmeng Journal. 2004.3 P3 [8] Sheng-Juan. On the cover of Euphemism function [J]. Hunan Agricultural University (Social Science Edition). 2004.12 P94 [9] HU Chun-mei. On the composition and function of Euphemism [J]. Zhejiang Education College. 2005.1P32 [10] Kong a peak, Wang Yanjun. Euphemism of the communicative functions of English and its applications [J]. Shanxi Journal of Radio and Television University. 2004.P59 [11] the same [10] P59 [12] Bi Xiuying A Study on English Euphemism. Zhengzhou University Foreign Language and Literature master’s degree thesis 2003.11 P34 [13] Fan groups A Study of Culture Connotation of English Euphemism, Hunan Normal University, a master’s degree in English Language and Literature Papers 2005.5 P43 [14] Ya-Ping Wang, Wan Xueqin. Interpretation of the communicative functions of English Euphemisms [J]. Jiangxi education. 2004.6 P37 [15] Muge force. On the very structure of English euphemism [J]. Gansu Science and Technology vertical and horizontal. 2005.2 P133 [16] Tao Qin 3. Discussion on the origin of English Euphemisms and social function [J]. A Journal of Nanjing health. 2003.1 P157 [17] Wang Ping. The Communicative Functions of English Euphemism and its tectonic approach Exploration [J]. Fuqing Branch of Fujian Normal University Journal of .2004.4 P62 [18] the same [10] P59

Advantages and Disadvantages of Having a Big Family Essay

Nowadays more and more people tend to have only one child or not to have children at all. The reasons are different: some of them want to have more time to themselves, some want to get to the top in their career and some just don’t want to have such a big responsibility. Either big or small families have their advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of them. To begin with, children from bigger families are more sociable while the only child in the family may be a little bit too shy. It is said, that children who haven’t got any siblings and get a lot of love and attention from the parents, start taking everything for granted and become spoiled. I think, it depends not on the size of the family, but on parents and the way they are bringing their child up. And on the other side, in bigger families parents may have their ‘favourites’ and love them more than the others. It is completely wrong and may leave some of the siblings sad and miserable. Also, the more children people have, the harder it may be to provide them with food, clothes, education and other necessary things. For me, the option of having a big family is unacceptable. Even one child seems to be too much. I’m not quite mature and I don’t think I ever will be, and I realize what a huge responsibility the family bond is, so I won’t decide to have a child until there remains even the smallest shadow of a doubt. Also, I can’t imagine taking care of someone except myself and how I’m going to sacrifice all my freetime and interests, and hobbies, and lifestyle for the sake of constant cooking, clothes washing and house cleaning. And no matter how many advantages a big family has, I’m not going to change my mind.

A clockwork orange: Futuristic fantasy Essay

A Clockwork Orange is a book with a moral. More than that, it is a warning: a caution to the 1960s society of which Burgess was a part. His predictions of the world to come are bloody and his depictions of militant regimes and totalitarian states are fantastic and profound. But they are not so far from the truth as one would think†¦ Burgess formed his picture of Alex’s world in the world he saw around him in the 1960s. This is most notable in the language that is used. It is absolutely full of Russian words: â€Å"horrorshow†, â€Å"krovvy†, â€Å"ptitsa†, and â€Å"tolchock†. This is of course a reference to the Soviet regime, which ruled over the USSR with an iron fist. At the time the Cold War was in full force, animosity was high and Soviet communism posed a real threat to the western democracies. But it is possible that Burgess was depicting the future world as well as his own. He is suggesting that if his own society were to carry on the way it was in his time, then it could possibly end up being as strict and oppressive as the Soviet regime. It is even a possibility that Burgess believed that the western countries, including his own country, the UK, would fall under the rule of communism and become Soviet states themselves. If this is true, then it suggests to me an admiration for the Soviet regime, not a dislike: he considered that the Soviets were so strong and organised, that western occupation was an actual possibility. But if this happened, Burgess believed it would be the end of the world as he knew it. Throughout the novel he makes subtle references to certain things he believed would not last under state control: art and literature. Alex himself says that â€Å"newspapers [were] not being read much†. Later he describes the â€Å"Public Biblio†, or library, â€Å"which not many lewdies used those days†. The boys wear masks later in the first chapter, and these are also significant. â€Å"Peebee† Shelley is seen as a novelty now; an age-old poet from years ago, long dead and long forgotten. Even Elvis Presley is included with Shelley and Henry VIII, suggesting that he too is simply a remnant of an old society. This had even more significance in the time Burgess wrote the novel, since Elvis was alive and famous and very much a part of modern popular culture. To Alex he is a name that means nothing. Even the remnant buildings of Oldtown are strange to him. They are from a time when people had a choice. The fall of literature and art is synonymous with the abolition of freedom. Literature, art and architecture are forms of expression – and in Alex’s world they do not exist, only in fleeting references and novelty masks. There is the boys’ appearance: the so-called â€Å"heighth of fashion† for their day. In many respects it is similar to fashion of the 1960s. The outrageous styles, indicated by the â€Å"old jelly mould†¦ fitting on the crotch under the tights†, funnily shaped into flowers, spiders and a â€Å"clown’s litso†. And there are also the very bright colours – â€Å"purple and green and orange wigs on their gullivers†. Rather unusually the boys also wear make-up. There are two possible explanations for this. The first is the most obvious: the boys want to be different. They are hitting out against organised state-control. The second reason is much more subtle: at the time Burgess wrote the novel, a sexual revolution was taking place; in particular, women were more free to take on the traditionally masculine practices, such as pursuing a career. Clearly, the boys are doing the same thing: adopting a traditionally female practice. It could be that Burgess is making a social statement: he predicts that in the future, the boundaries determining which gender takes on which role will be less definite. Yet it is still only a suggestion; Burgess’s old-style attitude towards the sexes is fairly clear in the book, since every major character is male. It is a strange combination of past and â€Å"future†. But although the boys want to stand out and not conform, they are ironically conforming within their own group. The weird clothes and make-up are components of their uniform, which exist mainly to control people in a militant fashion. They are fighting fire with fire. And if the make-up is an equality statement, then it is ironic also. The boys do not want to be equal to everyone else – they like to be different. And they do not want equal rights – they believe that they have, or should have, more rights, and can therefore defy the law through acts of violence. The message that Burgess is putting across here is ambiguous. Either he could be saying that too much state control will eventually force a violent revolution, and therefore the government should relax, which is probably the most common belief. Or his warning could be the opposite: he is saying that if the government give in and grant extra rights to everybody, then in the future there will be someone, somewhere, who has, or wants, more rights. I prefer to believe the latter theory. Burgess was not for violent revolution of any kind. A Clockwork Orange is a frightening prediction of the world to come if it continues to grant people so much power, and not a warning of how the world will be if state control continued. Eventually all of this freedom would necessitate state control, as it exists in Alex’s time. Burgess was for a certain degree of control – the use of Russian words in his novel, as explained above, is evidence for this. Although few people would agree with me, that is what I believe. Burgess’s novel was indeed written as a warning to those in his time. But despite the frightening depiction of state control, I do not think Burgess was so opposed to it as some people claim. I would only say that the totalitarian regime of Alex’s time is an example of an extreme form of state control that is certainly wrong, but only because of its severity. Burgess’s warning was not aimed at the government; it was aimed at those who dreamt of revolution. Only one thing is certain: the connotations are clear, and A Clockwork Orange is definitely not just a fantasy novel.