Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The handmaids tale Essay Example for Free

The handmaids tale Essay Moira is a strong and independent woman who is not like other handmaids and therefore has a vast array of roles through out the play. Moira is an autonomous woman who rejects the responsibility and job of the handmaid and as a result of this the narrator uses her proper name. Moira allows the narrator to express her feelings so the reader can see her from different angles and see her different characteristics. One of Moiras main features is her rebelliousness, which the reader sees through the past, present and the future. For example when Moira and Offred where both in college, Moira was the one who wanted to go out, have a good time. She wanted Offred to come with her even though she knew that she was expected to hand in an assignment the next day I had a paper due the next day. She rebelled against the system in college she did the opposite of what was expected from her. Even when she was brought into the centre where they train all the handmaids she was wearing jeans, she stood out from the rest and was clearly rebellious. She is a Feminist heroine who all the other handmaids look up to. She is an individual, a leader and a figurehead. She has a dramatic impact on the rest of the handmaids, she influences them giving them hope and inspiration. Due to Moiras presence the aunts seem less fearsome and frightening, she exposes them for what they real are. She does by the way she escapes; she doesnt just run she actually ties one of them up and shows that they can be physically hurt. This reminds the handmaids that the aunts are only human and in a way it reassures them. To all the other handmaids she is a heroine but from Gileads perspective she is a loose women. Moira defies the Gilead regime so much that she tries to escape and on her second attempt she succeeds and as a result of this Moira never actually becomes a proper handmaid. This is just another example of Moira being a heroine and showing the reader her revolutionary nature. Even when Moira has disappeared from the scene she is still making a dramatic impact on both the handmaids and the reader. She is even more of a role model Moira was our fantasy. She inspires the other handmaids and gives them hope for the future. However, her escape also has a reverse affect it causes Offred to feel lonely and abandoned so much that she begins to reminisce about her time she spent with Moira in college. Even past memories inspire and motivate Offred that she comes to realise that they can control her body but not her mind. Moira also portrays the motherly figure within the novel an example of this is when Janine starts to cry and wants to go home. If the aunts where to find out she would be punished severely. Moira steps in and takes charge she is the dominant one and is like a mother. However, she is not sensitive or caring instead she slaps Janine. This shows the reader that although she is very rebellious she is aware of the rules and she knows how far she can go. She is also caring but in a violent way, although she slaps Janine she saved her life. Although the other Handmaids are probably jealous they do look up to her. When she was tortured everyone stole and took a big risk to bring Moira packets of sugar. Moira cant really do much with packets of sugar but it shows that they care and is also a sign of respect. When Moira and Offred where in college together Moira was a lesbian, which again is rebelling against human nature, she was an obvious lesbian she wore long dangly earrings. When Moira escaped she manages to get a job at a place called jezebels working as a prostitute. This is everything that Gilead stood against and is now what she has become. This again shows the reader and Offred Moiras radical nature. Even when Moira stayed at Jezebels she remained a lesbian. In conclusion Moira is a significant character that plays a major part in the past, present and the future of the novel. She is a clear revolutionary and finds new ways to break the rules. She is an individual, the uniforms that the handmaids had to wear were supposed to take away their individuality but Moira was too passionate and determined and she wouldnt let it. She was a leader who inspired others and gave them hope for the future. Moira always wanted to be the centre of attention, which may be while she was so rebellious. She lived the dream of all the other handmaids by physically getting to the aunts and then escaping. However, towards the end of the book she was a bit disappointment. She was working in jezebels wearing a bunny costume, which is very demeaning and in a way shows sign of defeat. She is more or less everything that the aunts said that they were trying to protect the other handmaids from. She is almost at the lowest of the low. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Margaret Atwood section.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Enron and its Shortcomings Essay -- essays research papers

Enron’s overall business practices are not ethical. One business practice of Enron that I think poses an ethical issue is their attitude towards its employees. They create a highly competitive and a result oriented business atmosphere. They used a system where they would rank employees every half a year and fire employees who ranked on the bottom 1/5 of the scores. This kind of attitude where only results matter and if you don’t produce anything good you will get fired will only hurt the company. This promotes unethical behavior and getting what needs to be done to get good results no matter what and if you do well you will receive big bonuses. This approach towards Enron’s employees did not have very good utilitarian reasoning. This doesn’t help employees morale and psychological satisfaction. The cost of this kind of approach was very low because in fact you will weed out the slackers but the results Enron had where employees afraid to question unethica l situations in Enron in fear of their jobs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another section of Enron’s business practice that is definitely not ethical is their accounting methods. In a technical aspect their accounting methods were fine, but this was only because of a loophole. Andrew S. Fastow was described as a financial whiz kid because of these loopholes that he knew how to take advantage of. Some of these things that he, and Enron, were able to take advantage of were the setups of special purpose entities. They would setup these special purpose entities and have either their friends or employees to invest in these special purpose entities so that Enron my say that their debts and liabilities are actually under the special purpose entities and not of Enron. This made it look like Enron didn’t have as much debt as it should have had. A second practice in the accounting methods that were not ethical was their manipulation of their revenue. What they did was to make either their earnings more or inflating their stock. They would make sure that any potential deals that could make money in the future they wrote down in the books in the present, which is not a good accounting practice. Also they used sham swaps with other companies that would buy products and services with each other to make it look like they where making sales and money, when in fact that all they did was trade some assets and wrote a sale.... ...d of the day. Enron’s legal responsibility was low while their economic responsibility was relatively high. They wanted to make money but they where doing it the illegal way, and because of this their social responsibility was just terrible. In the end of the company no matter what was done all the illegal actions were catching up to them and this showed to the world how irresponsible Enron was. They were not socially responsible to any of their stakeholder. The stocks fell and their company went into bankruptcy, many people lost money. Employees lost their jobs and life earnings, and because Enron was a huge company the end of Enron had a ripple affect. All other companies that worked with Enron lost business and they might have had to cut back on costs. Customers lost because they didn’t have the services of Enron, a company that deals with electricity, water, broadband, pulp, paper, and lumber. Creditors had to write off loads of bad debt because Enron would not be able to pay it back. Companies should take a look at Enron’s approach to business and learn that you need to responsibly balance all three responsibilities of business to have a successful business in today’s world.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Newsweek

Sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. This is true, at least to some degree, in the study of these articles. They deal with three issues: Politics, Race and Sports and Entertainment. People are still interested in politics, though Congress, with a 14% approval rating, more people are annoyed than interested. However, the importance has not diminished. Also, race is still an issue. The 1964 and 1968 articles on race deal with the upcoming elections and how African Americans are expected to vote. Also, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr and the political undertones that they will carry is also heavy on the minds of the country. In sports, the Olympics and the Boston Marathon command small attention. What is seen as one of the biggest differences from the 1964 and 1968 Newsweek articles in comparison to the 2007 Newsweek, that that a larger percentage of the magazine in 2007, deals with Sports, Entertainment and popular culture. Even for such a respected magazine as Newsweek, the editors cannot escape the exponential increase in popular culture at the expense of real news, which the country seems to hunger for on an hourly basis. In the November 2, 1964 issue of Newsweek, the issue revolves around the Presidential election that is about to come later that week. The political tension is not as heavy as in past elections since everyone believes that the result will be a landslide. President Johnson is expected to beat Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater by a very large margin. Goldwater, a Republican, is hoping to court the morality vote and to point to Johnson as being soft on communism. President Johnson , in a speech in Belleville, IL talked about the dangers of nuclear war and that, like his predecessor before him, President Kennedy, believes that the next war will be one in which there are no survivors. â€Å"We would not gain total victory in the next war, but total destruction and the survivors would be the judges of the dead.† (Meyers, 1964 pg. 23) He is referencing the dangers of a nuclear war. The war in Vietnam is gaining strength and troop levels are rising. The article points to the promise that if elected, President Johnson would help to â€Å"avoid a war in South East Asia.† In reality, the exact opposite will come to fruition. Due to the fact that the election is near, the next issue of Newsweek, deals with the demographics of the voters and how they voted. Most findings will report that Johnson won most of the demographics since his margin of victory was 486 to 47 in electoral votes. It will remain as one of the most lopsided victories in American political history. What is interesting in this article entitled The Mood of an Avalanche, is the fact that African Americans, individuals who voted for the straight Republican ticket since Andrew Johnson, now voted overwhelmingly for President Johnson. It is reported that 96% of the African American voters voted for President Johnson. (Mulligan, 1964 pg. 24) This is due in part to the fact that Senator Goldwater courted the Segregationist vote in the South to such a degree that African Americans turned away from him in droves. In one Mississippi small town in which there counted only 257 voters, the article reports that all 257 voted for Johnson. This article is important in dealing with race and how it affects the voting demographics since African Americans will vote for the straight democratic ticket from now on. In Sports and Entertainment, the 1964 Olympics is proceeding. In a Newsweek article entitled The Gold Rush, the fact that the Americans are leading the medal total, is a story. However, one of the most famous stories revolved around the Native American runner Billy Mills. Movies would be made about this person. Born into poverty and enduring racism at every turn, Billy Mills would become a champion runner. His main event was the 10,000 meter run. During this event in the Olympics, Billy Mills was pushed by another runner onto the outside of the track. Usually, this serves as a great impediment to the runner. However, Mills, against the prevailing knowledge of track and field, once pushed, continues to run in the middle of the track on the middle lane. This forces Mills to run longer distances than his opponent. However, not only does Mills win, but he creates an Olympic record in the event in the process. It is the inspirational story for the18th Olympics. Fast forward to 1968 and the political scene still deals with President Johnson. However, things have not been going well for him. 1968 would be the year that saw more than 500,000 American troops in Vietnam. Clearly, President Johnson would not be the President to keep America out of the war. In a Newsweek article dated April 22, 1968, the fact that Robert Kennedy is running for President as well and has forced President Johnson to say that he will not run for the presidency that year. His tenure will end on January 20, 1969. The article talks about the influence that a number of different factors and how they will play into the election. The first is Robert Kennedy. The second is the Republican Candidate, Richard Nixon. â€Å"Nixon lost the 1960 election because the 1960 televised Presidential debate, left the country feeling as though Mr. Nixon was not as likable and trusting as John F. Kennedy.† (1968 pg. 32) The question now is, eight years later, how will television affect the election and how will Mr. Nixon respond. There is also a report in the article entitled Politics ‘68, what demographics will vote for which candidate. The demographics are divided into race, gender, religion, occupation and regions of the country. By the end of April, 1968, the country is still reeling from the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. He was killed on the balcony of a hotel on Memphis earlier that month. Riots in most of the country’s largest cities occurred and many people died. â€Å"The arithmetic of the week’s pillage was more than enough. Civil disorders raging from riots to random shop windows breaking, occurred in more than 130 cities and caused an estimated $5 million worth of damage. More than 20,000 arrests and endless injuries have been the result.† (Jules, 1968 pg. 47) 1968 was one of the hardest years for the American public to endure. The assassination of Martin Luther King was one of those reasons and added to the madness of the situation. Many wondered in the article where the Civil Rights movement would turn to next. What leader would take the reigns? To many, people are still asking the same question. In Sports, the 72nd Boston Marathon was reported as being under way in the April 29, 1968 issue of Newsweek. Out of a total of 890 runners, the winner boasted a winning time of 2 hours twenty two minutes and seventeen seconds. This was not a great time. However, it was run by an American, the first American to win the Boston Marathon since 1957. (Jones, 1968 pg. 38) His name was Ambrose Burfoot, aged 21. Burfoot beat all others by a sizable margin but not one which would endure posterity. However, the fact that Burfoot was an American, then as well as now, is an important note as it has been the running feats of foreigners which has dominated the winner’s circle at the Boston marathon. I In the January 8, 2007 edition of Newsweek, the main story is the death of Saddam Hussein. The once feared leader of Iraq who was found hiding in a spider hole in December of 2003, was finally put to death. The article entitled Death of a Tyrant, headlines the life and legend of the man and the reign of terror that he placed upon his people for so many decades. The article also speaks to the trouble which occurred from a secret video tape being smuggled out of the area where Saddam was killed. This was in direct opposition to the orders of both the American and Iraqi forces. Such images was believed to help incite riots among the enemy and was by a public relations point of view, counterproductive. Also, in politics, the death of President Ford was the news for the week as well. The article details the life of President Ford and how he was able to heal the country after the scandal of Watergate. The article finally gives credit to Ford by saying that pardoning President Nixon was the right thing to do as it helped the country to heal. In Race, the production of O.J. Simpson’s book If I Did It, produced such an outrage that production was stopped. A January 22, 2007 Newsweek article details this. This is a racial issue because the beliefs regarding his innocence or guilt for the 1994 death of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman, was so split on racial lines that it still incites controversy. More than 80% of white Americans believe that OJ is guilty and over 80% of African Americans believe that he is not. (Brunell, 2007 pg. 48) That is why anything that deals with OJ Simpson and the murders, is dealt with on racial lines. The fact that he wrote a book that served as a sort of quasi confession, enraged many Americans and forced his supporters to wonder if he really was guilty of the murders for which he was charged. In Sports and Entertainment, a sad story was detailed in the January 15, 2007 issue of Newsweek. In a time of divisive issues which help to split the country up into racial and political lines, Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter was an individual who everyone seemed to have a positive opinion about. His popular show detailed frequent run ins with some of the world’s most dangerous animals. Over the past few years, he had become highly popular and when speaking of the name of Steve Irwin, most people had a positive opinion of the man. This ended when a sting ray pierces through his heart and killed him. This served as important news all over the country as well as for the rest of the world. What is interesting to note, through a study of these three separate dates, is that many things still stay the same. There are more colorized pictures in the 2007 Newsweek and there are more articles designed towards Sports and entertainment in the 2007 Newsweek, but race and politics are still important. The 1964 and 1968 editions of Newsweek death with both. The elections in 1964 and 1968 served as some of the more important elections in the country’s history. How would the Vietnam War continue? Would the Civil Rights movement continue with the help of the White House and members of Congress? And if not, how would African Americans vote and who did they believe gave the best chance at equality? These issues are much the same in 2007. The Vietnam War has been replaced with the war in Iraq, although not nearly to the same degree as the Vietnam War. African Americans still vote the straight Democratic ticket. In 2000 and 2004, African Americans voted for the Democratic presidential candidate at a rate of more than 9 to 1. The same can be seen in the attempted release of the OJ Simpson book. If I did It. The news of this released such anger from most of the public and incited an argument which brought back, although to a much less degree, the racial tension that was caused from the famous trial and acquittal. WORKS CITED Decklan, M Death of a Tyrant   Newsweek. January 8, 2007 Jones, L. The Gold Rush. Newsweek October 26, 1964 pg. 13 Jules, J. The Death of Martin Luther King Newsweek. April 22, 1968 pg. 45 Kilmer, F Final Hunt for Steve Irwin. Newsweek January 15, 2007 Meyers. J Down to the Wire. Newsweek Magazine November 2, 1964 pg. 23-27 Mulligan, L. The Making of an Avalanche November 9, 1964 pg. 28-21 Nieves, D. OJ’s Troubles Continue Newsweek January 22, 2007 Stevens, K. American Wins Boston Marathon. April 29, 1968 pg. 32 RFK vs. LBJ? Newsweek April 29, 1968 pg. 12

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Women s Status Of Inferiority - 1405 Words

In pre-Islamic societies, women were held in high regards as matriarchal communities widely existed. Their biology, with its ability to reproduce, enabled women to be worshipped for they were the principle of creating life; this fact opposed androcentric theories that state how the â€Å"nature† of women dictated a status of inferiority (Ahmed 11). However, as many scholars and theorists have noted, â€Å"the decline† of women’s status in pre-Islamic societies was likely from urbanization. As warfare increased from city-states expanding their territories, warrior culture generated male dominance, and the reproductive capacity of women were looked to for providing labor power, making them be seen as â€Å"property† (Ahmed 12). In many instances, the rise of urban societies negatively affected women as Leila Ahmed stated in â€Å"Women and Gender in Islam† and as demonstrated in late Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian cultures. The complexities of the se civilizations produced military competitiveness, escalating the aspects of male dominance and classes that further demeaned women (Ahmed 12). However, the rise of Islam rectified the unjust social constructs as women were given more independence, being considered equals and companions to men. In 5000 to 3000 BC, the first city-states developed in southern Mesopotamia by the Sumerian people. This area was near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, both being water sources and factors that helped build civilization. As the Sumerians ascended in theShow MoreRelatedKen Kesey s One Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest1454 Words   |  6 Pagesand the woman s place is in the house. This popular misconception has plagued American society since the time of the founding fathers. It was believed that the man was expected to be the master, the leader, or the commander in chief, while the woman is supposed to be passive and subservient. Women did not have the right to dictate how they used their money, how they dressed in public, and how they behaved in the presence of men. For a long time, American society suppressed women with these conformationsRead MoreWomen’s Representation in The Great Gatsby Essay1616 Words   |  7 PagesWomen were not equal to men during the era of the 1920’s. In â€Å"The Great Gatsby,† Fitzgerald represents a negative, misogynistic, stereotypical view of the various types of women during the era of the 1920’s. During the that time, women were not portrayed in a positive light., By writing a book centered around that time period, it causes one to wonder the message Fitzgerald was trying to illustrate about women and what he was saying about society as a whole. Fitzgerald represents the view of womenRead MoreEssay On British Imperialism1198 Words   |  5 Pages Used as racial and class justification, Social Darwinism became the foundation of Britain s new imperialism. Colonization was no longer justified on grounds of cultur al or religious superiority but on a biological superiority. As seen in Anne Mcclintock s book, â€Å"Imperial Leather†, British soap used the ideology of social darwinism, to appeal to popular audience. Converting Sir John Everett Millais s popular painting, into a Pears soap advertisement, the ad demonstrates the power of soap asRead MoreAnalysis Of Desiree s Baby By Kate Chopin1446 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of Desiree’s Baby In the story Desiree s Baby by Kate Chopin the plot mainly revolves around race issues and also includes elements of sexism. In terms of race the difference between being white and being black shows vital importance in the characters lives through the story. As Desiree and Armand both originally associate themselves with the white class, once the plot unveils their black heritage they are faced with uncertainty, and ultimately their lives become meaninglessRead More The roles of pride and prejudice in Pride and Prejudice1404 Words   |  6 Pagesinteresting to see how these two nice people were blinded before realizing that they are an ideal couple. Material for situations, characters and themes in Jane Austen?s novels are founded in her own surroundings ? countryside, parishes, neighborhood. Although written in her early twenties, Pride and Prejudice reflects Austen?s thorough understandings of her society on the matters of money, marriage, behaviors and love. Let us look at the general ideas of what pride is and what prejudice is. PrideRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1102 Words   |  5 PagesUnobtainable Freedom In the wake of the Great War, women’s possibilities opened up considerably. In spite of these advances, women still depended on men for finances, activity, and social standing. Women in the 20s struggled to create their own social roles separate from the men surrounding and defining them, revealing the one-sided control in a morally corrupt society. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, juxtaposes the women’s subjective experiences to prove that given the limited scopeRead MoreFemale Characters Of Women s The Crucible 1478 Words   |  6 PagesThe status of women continuously changes, however while going through the play The Crucible, women s’ social standing clearly acts as one of inferiority and subordination to male characters. This contributes greatly to the general structure of the storyline. The role of women taking place in the time of the Salem Witch Hunts in 1692, symbolizes the manipulative ways that female characters can become able to make their way to the top of society in the courts, held to a very high esteem. BackstabbingRead MoreFemale Characters Of Women s The Crucible 1478 Words   |  6 PagesThe status of women continuously changes, however while going through the play The Crucible, women s’ social standing clearly acts as one of inferiority and subordination to male characters. This contributes greatly to the general structure of the storyline. The role of women taking place in the time of the Salem Witch Hunts in 1692, symbolizes the manipulative ways that female characters can become able to make their way to the top of society in the courts, held to a very high esteem. BackstabbingRead MoreThe Legacy Of America During The 1780 S1747 Words   |  7 PagesIn the 1780’s when America was approaching on a new era, Hector St. John de Crevecoeur and Benjamin Franklin believed that America had become the freest and most prosperous nation in the world. They went so far as to say that Amer ica had become a country unlike any other. A country that was free from things such as poverty, inequality, and all other forms of oppression, things that European nations lacked. Over the next century (1800-1900) what we saw in America was not symbols of freedom and equalityRead More Impact of Revolution on women and slavery Essay611 Words   |  3 Pagesstructure, aspects of social culture were influenced by the revolution as well, especially in the areas of slavery and the status of women. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The ideology of the revolution can be looked at as a positive step in the area of slavery. The years following the revolution saw a larger opposition towards the whole principal of slavery. The North during the late 1700’s saw a slow decline in slavery, to the point where it was being ended. Vermont was the first colony to fully abolish