Essay on King Hammurabi’s Efforts to Unify Mesopotamia

During this era, ancient Mesopotamia was under the rule of theocratic monarchies. It was believed that the sole ruler was governing specifically for the gods and catering to their wishes. Mesopotamians were polytheistic, or worshippers of multiple gods, and extremely devout in their faith. They believed that the gods determined all situations and occurrences. As a ruler, King Hammurabi found Mesopotamia to be tremendously divided. At the time of his rule, Mesopotamia was dissected into separate city-states that were often feuding. The creation of King Hammurabi’s code of laws was a means to provide unification for all of the people of Mesopotamia. It was King Hammurabi’s hope that a central system of laws would bind the separate†¦show more content†¦This can be seen with law 200, which stipulates that if one is to knock out the teeth of someone in equal social class status, the same will be done to him. This law also demonstrates the immense importance that was placed on social class. The judiciary system deemed punishments based on the offender and victim’s social classes. This can be seen with laws 197, 198, and 199. Although the crime is the same in all these three laws, breaking someone’s bones or damaging his eyes, the punishment is drastically reduced with decreasing social class of the victim. The subject matter of the laws clearly signify the importance that ancient Mesopotamian society placed upon agriculture. Law 53 notes that if a man’s dam is faulty and breaks and then subsequently floods the surrounding fields, he is at fault. As punishment, the man’s dam will be sold to pay for the damage. Law 53 elaborates on this law, noting that if the man can not replace the damaged grain of the surrounding fields, his possessions will be equally divided between those whose crops have been damaged in the wake of his error. These laws are quite strict in their punishment, noting the vitality that agriculture was to an average Mesopotamian’s wellbeing and livelihood. King Hammurabi’s laws were also quite personal. The laws delvedShow MoreRelatedThe Birth of Civilization18947 Words   |  76 Pages1 The Birth of Civilization Mohenjo-Daro Figure. Scholars believe this limestone statue from about 2500 B.C.E. depicts a king or a priest from Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus valley in present-day Pakistan. Does this figure seem to emphasize the features of a particular person or the attributes of a particular role? Hear the Audio for Chapter 1 at www.myhistorylab.com CRAIMC01_xxxii-031hr2.qxp 2/17/11 3:22 PM Page xxxii EARLY HUMANS AND THEIR CULTURE page 1 WHY IS â€Å"culture† considered a defining

Women In Slavery Essay Example For Students

Women In Slavery Essay The Perils of SlaveryA recurring theme in, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, is Harriet Jacobss reflections on what slavery meant to her as well as all women in bondage. Continuously, Jacobs expresses her deep hatred of slavery, and all of its implications. She dreads such an institution so much that she sometimes regards death as a better alternative than a life in bondage. For Harriet, slavery was different than many African Americans. She did not spend her life harvesting cotton on a large plantation. She was not flogged and beaten with regular accurance like many slaves. She was not actively kept from illiteracy. Actually, Harriet always was treated relatively well. She performed most of her work inside and was rarely ever punished, at the request of her licentious master. Furthermore, she was taught to read and sew, and to perform other tasks associated with a ladies work. Outwardly, it appeared that Harriet had it pretty good, in light of what many slaves had succumbed to. However, Ironically Harriet believes these fortunes were actually her curse. The fact that she was well kept and light skinned as well as being attractive lead to her victimization as a sexual object. Consequently, Harriet became a prospective concubine for Dr. Norcom. She points out that life under slavery was as bad as any slave could hope for. Harriet talks about her life as slave by saying, You never knew what it is to be a slave; to be entirely unprotected by law or custom; to have the laws reduce you to the condition of chattel, entirely subject to the will of another. (Jacobs p. 55). In the earliest part of Harriets life the whole idea of slavery was foreign to her. As all little girls she was born with a mind that only told her place in the world was that of a little girl. She had no capacity to understand the hardships that she inherited. She explains how her, heart was as free from care as that of any free-born white child.(Jacobs p. 7) She explains this blissful ignoranc e by not understanding that she was condemned at birth to a life of the worst kind oppression. Even at six when she first became familiar with the realization that people regarded her as a slave, Harriet could not conceptualize the weight of what this meant. She says that her circumstances as slave girl were unusually fortunate, because after her mother passed away she was left with Margaret Horniblow, whom Harriet was clearly fond of. Mistress Horniblow was the one who taught her to read and spell, and treated Harriet like she was her own daughter. Mistress never worked Harriet to hard or prevented her from having fun as little white girls did. Mrs. Horniblow kept her promise that Harriet should never suffer from anything. So, under the care of her mistress, Harriets life was a happy one. Still the affects of slavery had not taken hold of her. This went on until her mistress died and Harriet for the first time was exposed to her value as property. It is clear that Harriet Jacobs ha s spent the better part of her life trying to reconcile the feelings she has towards her first mistress.On one hand, Harriet loves her mistress deeply for the way she treated Harriet. On the other hand, how could someone that apparently cared for her so much leave her with such an unpredictable fate? It seems that Harriets ignorance of her status as property is challenged greatly at this point. In Harriets retrospect as an older woman she seems to not have feelings of love and affection to her mistress but does have appreciation for the knowledge that she gained from her. The next stage of Harriets life contains the realization of what slavery is. It was at this time that her true education began. The days of happy frolic were gone, the anguish of slavery was all that lie ahead. Everywhere, Harriet looked there was atrocities happening. Before, when she lived with Margaret Horniblow, she was taken care of. Now all she had was her grandmother. By the time she had spent a couple of ye ars with the Norcoms (Flints) several people that were close to her had died. At the time of these deaths she was obviously very mournful. She even rebelled against God, who had taken her bother parents as well as her loving mistress. However as time went on and the more she experienced the evils of bondage her view of death began to change.This first change came about when her grandmother suggested of her parents fate by saying, Who knows the ways of God? Perhaps they have been kindly taken from the evil days to come.(Jacobs p. 10) She was further subjected to this kind of outlook on death, when she witnessed a dying slave girl giving birth to a white baby, beg for the Lord to come and take her. The belief that death brought peace and freedom seemed to be a common sentiment among slaves who lived such an unrewarding and oppresses life. Many of them had very little to live for. Whereas, the conflict in Harriets mind must have been very divisive, because she valued so much about life . If it wasnt for her Grandmothers presence and the joy and self-determination she brought to Harriets life then maybe accepting death as a blessing may have come easier with Harriet. Sometimes death did seem more appealing than life to Harriet while she was under mastery of Dr. Norcom. Jacobs never actually describes the specifics of her continuous raping by Dr. James Norcom, but it is easy to draw the most gruesome conclusions of what this predator must have done to the innocence of Harriet. I think a cause of focus is the question of, why Harriet was so vague in writing the violations brought against by Dr. Norcom? A big factor may have been the puritanical ways of America at that time. It seems that people did not write about those types of things, no matter what. However, I think Harriets upbringing was an important reason of why she was so elusive in her description of the raping. Clearly her Grandmother was a huge influence on Harriet. With that influence Harriet was taught not to talk about such things. She was even afraid to tell her Grandmother about what was going on. I was very young and felt shamefaced about telling her such impure things, especially as I knew her (Grandmother) to be very strict on such subjects. Harriet said.I think this stayed with Harriet over the years. When Harriet found love in the midst of her torture, she was again torn between the value of life and the freedom of death. She still had the deep love for her Grandmother and certainly adored her brother, but they were not enough to shed the dark clouds that lay over her head. No love was actually enough to free her from her misery. However, she fell in love with a young man that gave her hope that she explains only love can bring. She romanced about her affair by saying, I loved, and indulged the hope that the dark clouds around me would turn out a bright lining. I forgot that in the land of my birth the shadows are too dense for light to penetrate.(Jacobs p 37) This relationship also brought Harriet hope for freedom once again. The young man who was Harriets love interest was free born and wished to marry her. However, after Harriets attempts to pursued he r master to sell her to the young neighbor failed she was left worse off than before. Dr. Norcom was so cruel he forbade Harriet anymore contact with the young man. Harriets next love came when she gave birth to her first child. Her son Benny was conceived as a way to get around Dr. Norcoms reign of terror. However, this is a subject that was very painful for her. She conveys to the reader that she has great regret for the length she went to stop her Master. Along with her own guilt she carries the memories of her Grandmothers reaction to the news of her pregnancy. Clearly this was a very traumatic time in Harriets life. In light of these difficult events Harriet once again found love and hope in her new born son. When I was most sorely oppressed I found solace in his smiles. I loved to watch his infant slumber: but always there was a dark cloud over my enjoyment. I could never forget that he was a slave. (Jacobs p. 62)The Perils of SlaveryA recurring theme in, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, is Harriet Jacobss reflections on what slavery meant to her as well as all women in bondage. Continuously, Jacobs expresses her deep hatred of slavery, and all of its implications. She dreads such an institution so much that she sometimes regards death as a better alternative than a life in bondage. For Harriet, slavery was different than many African Americans. She did not spend her life harvesting cotton on a large plantation. She was not flogged and beaten with regular accurance like many slaves. She was not actively kept from illiteracy. Actually, Harriet always was treated relatively well. She performed most of her work inside and was rarely ever punished, at the request of her licentious master. Furthermore, she was taught to read and sew, and to perform other tasks associated with a ladies work. Outwardly, it appeared that Harriet had it pretty good, in light of what many slaves had succumbed to. However, Ironically Harriet believes these fortunes were actua lly her curse. The fact that she was well kept and light skinned as well as being attractive lead to her victimization as a sexual object. Consequently, Harriet became a prospective concubine for Dr. Norcom. She points out that life under slavery was as bad as any slave could hope for. Harriet talks about her life as slave by saying, You never knew what it is to be a slave; to be entirely unprotected by law or custom; to have the laws reduce you to the condition of chattel, entirely subject to the will of another. (Jacobs p. 55). In the earliest part of Harriets life the whole idea of slavery was foreign to her. As all little girls she was born with a mind that only told her place in the world was that of a little girl. She had no capacity to understand the hardships that she inherited. She explains how her, heart was as free from care as that of any free-born white child.(Jacobs p. 7) She explains this blissful ignorance by not understanding that she was condemned at birth to a lif e of the worst kind oppression. Even at six when she first became familiar with the realization that people regarded her as a slave, Harriet could not conceptualize the weight of what this meant. She says that her circumstances as slave girl were unusually fortunate, because after her mother passed away she was left with Margaret Horniblow, whom Harriet was clearly fond of. Mistress Horniblow was the one who taught her to read and spell, and treated Harriet like she was her own daughter. Mistress never worked Harriet to hard or prevented her from having fun as little white girls did. Mrs. Horniblow kept her promise that Harriet should never suffer from anything. So, under the care of her mistress, Harriets life was a happy one. Still the affects of slavery had not taken hold of her. This went on until her mistress died and Harriet for the first time was exposed to her value as property. It is clear that Harriet Jacobs has spent the better part of her life trying to reconcile the fee lings she has towards her first mistress.On one hand, Harriet loves her mistress deeply for the way she treated Harriet. On the other hand, how could someone that apparently cared for her so much leave her with such an unpredictable fate? It seems that Harriets ignorance of her status as property is challenged greatly at this point. In Harriets retrospect as an older woman she seems to not have feelings of love and affection to her mistress but does have appreciation for the knowledge that she gained from her. The next stage of Harriets life contains the realization of what slavery is. It was at this time that her true education began. The days of happy frolic were gone, the anguish of slavery was all that lie ahead. Everywhere, Harriet looked there was atrocities happening. Before, when she lived with Margaret Horniblow, she was taken care of. Now all she had was her grandmother. By the time she had spent a couple of years with the Norcoms (Flints) several people that were close to her had died. At the time of these deaths she was obviously very mournful. She even rebelled against God, who had taken her bother parents as well as her loving mistress. However as time went on and the more she experienced the evils of bondage her view of death began to change.This first change came about when her grandmother suggested of her parents fate by saying, Who knows the ways of God? Perhaps they have been kindly taken from the evil days to come.(Jacobs p. 10) She was further subjected to this kind of outlook on death, when she witnessed a dying slave girl giving birth to a white baby, beg for the Lord to come and take her. The belief that death brought peace and freedom seemed to be a common sentiment among slaves who lived such an unrewarding and oppresses life. Many of them had very little to live for. Whereas, the conflict in Harriets mind must have been very divisive, because she valued so much about life. If it wasnt for her Grandmothers presence and the joy and sel f-determination she brought to Harriets life then maybe accepting death as a blessing may have come easier with Harriet. chem EssaySometimes death did seem more appealing than life to Harriet while she was under mastery of Dr. Norcom. Jacobs never actually describes the specifics of her continuous raping by Dr. James Norcom, but it is easy to draw the most gruesome conclusions of what this predator must have done to the innocence of Harriet. I think a cause of focus is the question of, why Harriet was so vague in writing the violations brought against by Dr. Norcom? A big factor may have been the puritanical ways of America at that time. It seems that people did not write about those types of things, no matter what. However, I think Harriets upbringing was an important reason of why she was so elusive in her description of the raping. Clearly her Grandmother was a huge influence on Harriet. With that influence Harriet was taught not to talk about such things. She was even afraid to tell her Grandmother about what was going on. I was very young and felt shamefaced about telling her such impure things, especially as I knew her (Grandmother) to be very strict on such subjects. Harriet said.I think this stayed with Harriet over the years. When Harriet found love in the midst of her torture, she was again torn between the value of life and the freedom of death. She still had the deep love for her Grandmother and certainly adored her brother, but they were not enough to shed the dark clouds that lay over her head. No love was actually enough to free her from her misery. However, she fell in love with a young man that gave her hope that she explains only love can bring. She romanced about her affair by saying, I loved, and indulged the hope that the dark clouds around me would turn out a bright lining. I forgot that in the land of my birth the shadows are too dense for light to penetrate.(Jacobs p 37) This relationship also brought Harriet hope for freedom once again. The young man who was Harriets love interest was free born and wished to marry her. However, after Harriets attempts t o pursued her master to sell her to the young neighbor failed she was left worse off than before. Dr. Norcom was so cruel he forbade Harriet anymore contact with the young man. Harriets next love came when she gave birth to her first child. Her son Benny was conceived as a way to get around Dr. Norcoms reign of terror. However, this is a subject that was very painful for her. She conveys to the reader that she has great regret for the length she went to stop her Master. Along with her own guilt she carries the memories of her Grandmothers reaction to the news of her pregnancy. Clearly this was a very traumatic time in Harriets life. In light of these difficult events Harriet once again found love and hope in her new born son. When I was most sorely oppressed I found solace in his smiles. I loved to watch his infant slumber: but always there was a dark cloud over my enjoyment. I could never forget that he was a slave. (Jacobs p. 62)Category: History

guernica Essay Example

guernica Essay On April 27th, 1937, unprecedented atrocities are perpetrated on behalf of Franco against the civilian population of a little Basque village of Guernica in northern Spain. Chosen for bombing practice by Hitlers new war machine, the little city is pounded with high explosives and incendiary bombs for over three hours. Townspeople are cut down as they run from the crumbling buildings. Guernica burns for three days. Sixteen hundred civilians are killed or wounded. This powerful painting captures Picassos horror at the brutal destruction that man commits against man. This monumental work tells the story. Guernica, painted by Pablo Picasso in 1937, is a cubist work depicting the evils of war. It is clear that Picasso abhorred war, and all its aggregates. The mural stands eleven feet tall and is twenty-six feet in length. The immense size of this painting aids in portraying the monumental effect of war on the people of Spain. Using a monochromatic template, Picasso adds to this effect by c reating an eerie and dark mood to reflect the tragedy of war. He uses only grays in his painting, and includes areas of only black and white. Picasso deliberately distorts the proportion of the animals and figures he has created. They look almost like something from a nightmare. When I see this painting I look from left to right, seeingfirst an image of a woman mourning the loss of her newborn baby. Above her is the head of a bull, representing Spain. As I pan across the work, a horse trampling the body of a fallen warrior is shown. A ghost it seems holds a candle to light the scene, but light only shines to the right. Following the light is a woman struggling to walk. To the far right is a person screaming at the end of a dark hall. Picasso has drawn teeth-like figures on the hall to give it the appearance of a mouth. As I look at this painting, I feel I get a real sense of war. It seems that you could look for hours and still have more to see.

Importance of magwitch in Great expectations Essays

Importance of magwitch in  Great expectations Essays Importance of magwitch in  Great expectations Paper Importance of magwitch in  Great expectations Paper Essay Topic: Great Expectations In Great Expectations, magwitch is not always nice. He is described by pip as a convict, and as a violent man He speaks rudely to Pip Keep still, you little devil, or Ill cut your throat! and yet the readers like him. His character is mean yet in someway sensitive and nice. He is violent and mean to Pip yet doesnt do anything to harm him physically. Dickens is ever so clever in the way he keeps us on Magwitchs side right from the begging of the novel, even though Magwitch s clearly presented as the villan at first. Dickens had been very poor when he was young, and had even spent time in a workhouse, his father was also imprisoned, so he knew people like Magwitch very well and he knew that sometimes a person could be driven to do bad things, but still have a heart of gold. Even though the play is written in the 1st person, magwitch shares the leading role with Pip and gradually becomes the favourite character when he is presented again in chapter 39.His presentation in chapter 1 is vi vid and his character is memorable and when he re-appears in chapter 39, the readers realise that it is actually my convict who enables pip to achieve his great Expectations. Magwitch plays a major role in this story, and as it goes on, he starts to become the main character. Although pip is narrating this story, he somehow bases the story around magwitch on his last days and this enables the audience to know him much better. This makes the audience feel sympathy towards Magwitch as they feel they have misjudged him right from the start. Dickens is clever in the way he does this because on Magwitchs and pips 1st encounter, nobody would have thought he could have turned out to be the person he is in chapter 39. He completely alters the readers expectations. Through his characterisation, Dickens shows the audience that criminals like magwitch do the things they do for a reason and deep inside they are actually noble people. Through magwitch, the readers can see that crime was dealt with very harshly during Victorian times. Although Magwitchs crime is rarely mentioned in the novel, we get an Idea of it because of the brutality of his punishment. He is sent to prison and when he escapes, is given no chances and straight away sent to the hulks. Hulks are prison-ships, right cross th meshes. Explains Mrs. Jo to Pip. The hulks were old ships used for prisons. Magwitch was sent to Australia. No one seemed surprised to see him as he entered in what looked like the wicked Noahs ark which meant that his life of crime was known by many and people were used to the type of person he was. He is slowly and calmly taken away by the massive rusty ship and in no time dis-appears into the darkness as if it were all over with him. Pip narrates this with no concern in his voice which shows that in England at that time, everyone knew the punishment they would get if they did a crime. He doesnt in the time he explains of the hulks stop and say to himself how harsh or brutal my convict was being treated which shows just how used to it every one was. It is however not the same for the reader who is at this moment starting to feel sorry for Magwitch as he shows no signs of struggle or regret which shows just how innocent he is. He is taken off to Australia. Australias role in the novel is minimal and is simply there so the character of Magwitch has somewhere to go and make a big and surprising entrance in chapter 39 just like he did in chapter 1. When magwitch sneaks back to England, he tells Pip that hes there illegally. I was sent for life. Its death to come back. This tells us that England was really harsh but criminals understood and accepted that law. At the beginning of the novel, Magwitch is used to create tension and get the readers attention and get them interested in the story. His tone towards pip keeps the reader wanting to read on because they dont know what is going to happen to pip on the next page if they close the book. Hold your noise! cried a terrible voice, as a man started up from among the graves. This keeps the readers reading on and wondering what will happen next. Keep still, you little devil, or Ill cut your throat! this tone towards the little young boy instantly starts to create sympathy towards him and the readers instantly grow to love him. A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. A man who had been soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briars; who limped, and shivered, and glared and growled; and whose teeth chattered in his h ead as he seized me by the chin. He says a man constantly as he describes the stranger to emphasise that this is a man hes never met before and just knows him as a man however by chapter 3, hes already referring to him as my convict. Also in chapter 4 when pip goes to take him the stolen food, the audience expect something terrible and mean from magwitch but instead he just takes the food and eats. At this point he begins to speak to Pip in a more affectionate way. Also he is taken away at the end of chapter 5 on the hulks and his last action is to lie for Pip saying that he stole the food and it wasnt Pip. This sends a relief through the readers but the relief later wears off when magwitch is again revealed to pip in chapter 39. Like in chapter 1, pip is surrounded by darkness and slowly magwitch re-appears sending chills through the readers as they have no idea what he has come back for. Pip remembers him straight away for I had seen him with my childish eyes to be a desperately violent man and so do the readers. This comes as a surprise and the readers is forced to quickly remember Magwitchs character as it had been more than 10 years before his and pips encounter. Dickens did this as he knew the readers would want to know what happens next to pip and they would want to find out why magwitch is back. Right from the start, Magwitch was not seen as a gentleman, but instead a convict. His actions in chapter 1 also prove him to be the least gentleman like person in the story. He is impatient Tell us your name Quick! His language is ungentle man like. You bring em both to meOr Ill have your heart and liver out. This causes the readers to judge him as not a gentleman but a convict and they have very little expectations that he will change otherwise. This is because a gentle man was seen as a man who behaved properly, a man of noble and gentle birth and Magwitch seemed to be the complete opposite to all this. However they are surprised when they find out what magwitch has been up to in Australia. I lived rough, that you should live smooth His actions towards Pip in chapter 39 reveal to the readers and to Pip what it is to be a gentle man. At this point Magwitch seems to be more like a gentleman than Pip who has just spoken rudely to Joe for not acting like a gentle man. But now he sees that being a gentleman is not all about talking fancy, or being rich, its all about being polite, kind and loving to those close to you just like Magwitch. Magwitch teaches pip what it is to be a gentleman through his generosity and Pip realises that Joe had been a gentleman all along. Guiltythat I had deserted Joe. I could never, never, undo what I had done. Pip is horrified to meet Magwitch at first. A fearful manstarted up from among the graves. This shows what a fast judge he is towards people and also shows that even before he has met the man coming towards him, he straight away knows that this man is no good. Pip comes to love Magwitch and starts to see him as a good and noble man. The older and more mature Pip describes Magwitch as my convict which shows that there is some sort of friendship between them in the future. Pips first encounter marks him thus, firstly as a convict and then through the cannibal references when he threatens to eat Pips fat cheeks and threatens to have another convict eat his heart and liver. However Magwitch is trustworthy towards Pip and believes him when on their second of the very few encounters they have, pip says that he has brought no one with him, he believes him straight away. Well, said my convict, I believe you Although at the beginning Magwitch uses threatening and abusive language towards pip like You young dog,, Lord strike you dead! He soon starts to see the innocence in pip and starts to relate to him as my boy. Their relationship furthers and Magwitch proves to be the perfect convict. When he is discovered by the police whilst fighting another convict, magwitch defends pip from getting in trouble and takes the blame for all the food and goods pip had stolen from Mrs Joe. This shows that even though Magwitch gets caught, he knows in his heart that it was not Pips fault that he got caught and pip had been loyal to him all along. In chapter 39, Magwitch is again in Pips life after many years. Pip is alone and has no Idea that his convict is about to return to him. This is an important part of the novel as there is no lights around Pip when Magwitch reappears said a voice from the darkness beneath which takes the readers back to their first encounter when Pip was in the church graveyard cried a terrible voice, as a man started up from among the graves and pip was alone and innocent and didnt know what was lurking around him in the dark. Its stormy and wet, stormy and wet; and mud, mud, mud, deep in all the streets, Pip uses a repetition of this words to emphasise the really bad weather thats been going on and on. When Magwitch is up in Pips room he explains to Pip how he never forgot Pips kindness to him and decided to do something for the boy, in part because he reminded him of his lost daughter, who would have been about the same age as Pip. Magwitch sent money to Mr. Jaggers, who passed it to Pip and sought to make the boy a gentleman. Jaggers was not permitted to let Pip know who his benefactor was so pip was as surprised as the readers when magwitch revealed himself as pips benefactor. Up to this point of the novel, Pip and the readers are led to believe that Miss. Haversham is Pips benefactor. She and Estella act superior to Pip and treat him badlyYou can break his heart, replied Miss Haversham. And after all this time, the readers begin to realize Miss Haversham only wants to see to see Pip being tantalized and tormented, just as she torments herself by clinging to the pain of her own rejection at the altar and that all the expectations of Miss Haversham were wrong, it is actually Magwitch whos the gentlemanYes, Pip, dear boy, Ive made a gentleman on you! Its me wot has done it I lived rough, that you should live smooth straight away pip recognises him when I saw him thus engaged, I saw my convict on the marshes at his meal again. It almost seemed to me as if he must stoop down presently, to file at his leg. And knows that his convict is back. I was sent for life. Its death to come back. Magwitch tells Pip and pip tells him that hell do whatever he can to save him, however magwitch gets hurt and as he lies dying in the prison infirmary, Magwi tch appreciates the fact that Pip has been closer to him and more accepting of him in his fall than in his prosperity. Pip informs magwitch about his daughter Estella and tells him that he loves her. This marks a great moment as magwitch dies happily knowing that he really did make a gentleman out of pip. Dickens chooses to do this to show that no-matter all the crime Magwitch may have done in the past, he still has a loving heart and deserves someone to love him and take care of him just like he took care of Pip. This gives the novel a happy and satisfying ending. In my opinion, this novel is very well written. At first, the style of writing and language used was hard to adjust to at first but I soon got used to it. The story line was very interesting and kept the reader wanting to read on. I loved it.

Nutrition in School-Aged Children Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nutrition in School-Aged Children - Assignment Example Some of the children do not have enough to eat each day because they come from poor families. Childhood is a critical time of growth where proper nutrition is necessary. Children with poor diets are prone to illness. The children are at a higher risk for mental, obesity and emotional health problems. They might also fail to thrive academically. Research shows that children with poor nutrition are likely to miss days of school and hence repeat classes. When a school-aged child does not get enough vitamins and minerals, it could lead to lethargy. Research shows that there is an association between child nutrition and the level of IQ of the child. Poor nutrition leads to a lower IQ. Failure to thrive socially and academically due to improper diet can have impacts that last throughout the person’s lifetime (Kelleher, Ireland & National University of Ireland, 2003). In addition, school going children who do not access proper nutrition, are prone to psychological disorders such as l earning disabilities and anxiety. These children are likely to require mental health counseling. Some nutrition habits such as skipping of meals are linked to depression, In conclusion, issues such as nutrition in school-aged children should be addressed. In dealing with this issue illness, injury and death in the children will be prevented. Those in power should affect these questions to help the children. Kelleher, C., Ireland. & the National University of Ireland, Galway. (2003). The national health & lifestyle surveys: Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition (SLAÃŒ N) & the Irish Health Behavior in School-Aged Children Survey (HBSC).  

Community Oriented Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Community Oriented Policing - Essay Example One major aspect of this approach is the effort to prevent crime rather than just addressing it after the fact. By focusing on the role of police and the community in recognizing factors that lead to crime and resolving those issues rather than just relating to a crime scene, prevention of crime can be the final result. The philosophy behind this system is full-service personalized policing, working with citizens to identify and solve problems (California, 2008). Studies have shown that the main strategies commonly used in the police department-rapid response, reactive arrest, and random patrol-do not necessarily deter crime (OJJDP, 2004). No matter how quickly an officer responds to a crime scene, injury is often caused within seconds and response time has no real benefit in preventing the crime. Reactive arrest, in response to observed and reported crime, should discourage an individual from committing a similar crime in the future, but that has not been the case, especially with the number of juveniles engaged in crime. Reactive arrest has little effect on juvenile crime. The third strategy, random patrol, is not what the community considers the best use of police resources. The chance of apprehending a criminal by chance has not warranted random patrols as a system of crime deterrence. WitNew Approaches to Crime Prevention With the present efforts to include members of a community in the prevention of crime, COPPS is being put into place throughout the United States. With quality contacts between police and citizens, less crime will occur and knowing what causes crime will minimize occurrences of crime. Some of the benefits realized by this innovative system are as follows (OJJDP, 2004; California, 2008): Surveillance of residential neighborhoods by residents themselves can deter crime. Police can gain information from informal interactions with residents. Interaction with residents also improves residents' ability to protect themselves. When the public respects the police and are confident of police protection, likelihood of crime is reduced. Community involvement establishes new public expectations of and measurement standards for police effectiveness. Involvement requires constant flexibility to respond to all emerging issues. It decentralizes police services/operations/management. It shifts focus of police work from individual incidents to addressing problems identified by the community. The main areas of concern that might lead to crime in a community are based on population, age, economic standing, type of housing, community interaction, employment and education. One area in which crime is most likely is in low-income housing complexes. This type of housing has incurred low esteem through its lack of attractive design and proper maintenance. There is a sameness about this type of property that does not encourage pride of place. The people who live in these units are often unemployed and lack specific skills. Depression, drug dependency, and alcoholism are apt to exist because of inability of tenants to raise their standard of living. Anderson (2001) offers Spelman and Eck's model of three components necessary for crime to

The Macro Environment Analysis Economics Essay

The Macro Environment Analysis Economics Essay The macro environment is made up of 6 uncontrollable external factors. These factors influence an organizations decisions, business and financial strategies as well as its overall performance. These factors are : Economic, Demographic, Social Cultural, Natural, Technological, and Political. 3.2 Demographic environment: The demographic factor covers topics such as age, gender, date of birth, average family sizes and so on .Population Growth The United States has experienced a substantial influx of people. Within the last 10 years there has been an increase of over 33 million people, making the U.S. the most heavily populated nation in the world. A steady but constant population growth is expected for the next 50 years. We can expect an increase in the number of American guests at the Marriot Amsterdam. If the marketing strategy is tailored in order to draw more away from Hotels such as the Hilton. The situation in Europe is different than in the USA. The European Union has a total population of almost 500 million inhabitants (27 states of the European Union) whereas Europe has 732 million inhabitants. Within the next 40 years the population is predicted to decrease to approximately 630 million inhabitants in 2050. This can be seen as a threat in the long run because the impact on the industry is that the volume of the market will shrink as the total resident population will shrink.  [i]   3.3Economic Environment Among the importance of people who make up markets is the importance of their purchasing power, level of employment, GDP, and rate of inflation which is determined by the economic environment. Both GDP growth rates increase on a low, but steady level. Due to the recession, it is likely that negative growth rates occur within the next five years for both western economies. Recovery is predicted on a very low level for the year 2012. India in comparison has a quite low GDP at the moment, but is predicted to catch up with big steps of over 100% per decade. With annually GDP growth rates of 6 to 10 percent during the last decade India is one of the world fastest growing economies. The latest recession hardly hit the country but recovery is predicted to take place more rapidly, profoundly and on a far higher level than in western economies. Inflation The inflation is an important indicator for purchasing power in an economy. Symptoms of inflation are increasing prices and therefore consumers decreasing purchasing power.  [ii]   Credit crunch By mid-2008 the financial crisis turned out as a result of the economic turn down, the sub-prime mortgage crisis and the collapse of the housing market.  [iii]   The collapse of the housing market led to a bank collapse resulting in a massive liquidity crisis. This became a worldwide problem: the ongoing credit crunch. Stock markets crashed worldwide. The credit crunch is affecting business as well as consumers.  [iv]   To conclude, this is a threat for any company because consumers are losing their purchasing power in the EU, US, Japan and UK. Besides that, consumers are more careful with their money because they want to save it in case that they will lose their job due to the economic crunch. Saving rate The saving rate reveals insights of the spending patterns of one country inhabitants. This figure shows the personal saving rate of the USA, Canada, UK and Germany. Due to cultural differences the saving rate of Germany and other European countries is traditionally higher than those in Anglo Saxon influenced countries. The more interesting development is the increase of the saving rate in all four countries after the year 2007. This is caused by the credit crunch and the following recession. During times of economic downturn people tend to save money. They are becoming anxious about their jobs and the future. The increase of the saving rate is a potential threat because peoples spending priority lies on essential goods and services rather than on luxury items. The main market would be for business guests and baby boomers who do not mind spending some extra money in order to have the comforts they have become used to. Income level of the target markets Nations vary greatly in level and distribution of income and industrial structure. Our analysis is focusing on industrial economies and their consumers. These economies are seen as rich markets for all sorts of goods and services. Unemployment From 1993 up to 2009 the unemployment rates for as well the EU, UK as for US are increasing and decreasing through the years. Increasing unemployment rates are for each company a threat because when consumers loose their jobs their purchasing power is decreasing.  [v]   The unemployment rate will average 9.2 percent in 2009, 9.6 percent is 2010 in the USA. The forecasting average for 2011 is 8.9 percent and for 2012 8.7 percent is forecast. The rising unemployment rate is a threat for the Hospitality industry in that consumers are more likely to save their money than spend it when unemployed. Even if they want our services they do not have the financial resources available to them. 3.4 Social-Cultural Environment Corporate social responsibility (CSR) was developed as a type of self regulation. Typically integrated directly into the business model of the corporation. The premise is that the corporation that has integrated with CSR will conform to certain pre-determined norms of society when engaging in business. The norms would vary from legal, social, ethical, moral, environmental as well as an increase in concern over the various elements of the public. Elements such as, but not limited to; the community as a whole, customers and employees. Although this moral business concept appears to be sound CSR has come under constant criticism. Many claim the moral aspect of CSR is nothing more than a faà §ade, allowing these companies to, in fact, exploits the situation at hand. The psychological effect of terrorism is also a factor we have to keep in mind. The frequency of travelling is decreased by this occurring factor. 3.5 Natural factors Macro factors are those factors that the company cannot influence itself, but these factors can certainly have a great impact on how the company is will perform. The Marriott hotel in Amsterdam lies in the center of the Netherlands with a sea climate. This means that all year round the weather will be mild with no extreme summer or winters. While these factors might not directly influence the performance of the hotel, others can. When looking at the volcanic eruption, which took place in the midst of April 2010, airlines cancelled all flights and passengers were stranded. While this at first presented a boom in occupancy due to stay-overs, the long run presented problems as many meeting were cancelled. This presented a downfall in revenue; fortunately problems were solved after 2 weeks when the eruption ceased. The hotel can of course never fully predict certain circumstances but after this experience should be prepared for it. Besides weather factors that will put pressure on business, the trend is shifting towards producing eco-sustainable business. Producing and running your business in a nature friendly way. When looking at the hospitality industry we can give examples as not overly washing linen, using soap dispenser, recycled paper/pens, dividing trash, light sensors, special heating systems, laundry detergent. 3.6 Governmental Due to relatively recent events there has been a major force affecting the hospitality industry. Of course due to the shrinking world phenomenon business travel has become more and more of a necessity but recreational travel has dropped substantially. In hospitality, even before the attacks the picture didnt look good. According to Smith Travel Research, U.S. hotel occupancy was 61.9% year-to-date through June 2001, a drop of 2.7% compared to the same period of 2000. RevPARs declined 0.4 % to $58.99. Preliminary figures indicate that occupancy rates and RevPARs were down 2%-4% in August of this year, compared to August of 2000 (Smith Travel Research). Another strong political force which will affect the Marriot is the increasing worldwide attitude towards smoking. Currently, the Netherlands has an approach of only specialised areas or small, private establishments are permitted to allow smoking in their premises. Smoking in public places or train/bus stations is also prohibited. By o ffering a specialised and separate area (the Cigar Bar) there is a greatly increased likelihood of attracting a larger customer base. This is due to catering to a larger customer base demographic. 3.7 Technology Improving productivity is the main goal of technology. Especially for information technology (IT). In studies there is proven that there is a relationship between IT investments and the productivity and performance of the business. Due all the new technology that has appeared over the years. Front office applications, restaurant and banquet management systems, and guest-related interface applications. We assume that these rapid changes in technology will continue. vii 3.8 Conclusion Threats: US dollar exchange rate for Euro will drop by 5% in 2011. 10% increase of energy prices in 2011. Smoking prohibition. Rapid change in technology Opportunity: Small growth in European economy of 1% in 2011. Slow recovery of US economy and rise of GDP of 2% in 2011. Corporate market in Europe will show a growth of 2%-5%. 10% increase of Chinese travelers in 2011. International tourism in the Netherlands will grow 5%. Rapid change in technology Micro Environment 4.1 Market structure Marriott hotel has a monopolistic competition, which means that the company faces a large number of firms each having a small proportion of the market share and slightly differentiated products. The main demand for the Marriott hotel is leisure and business guests. Customers: Segmentation Amsterdam The Netherlands Business transient 53% 36% Leisure individual 22% 37% Tour groups 8% 7% Conference 12% 15% Others (crew) 5% 5% Total 100% 100% Business Transient: Based on the following assumptions and information the Marriott can expect an increase of business transients compared to the previous years. The main points are as follows: 10% growth in 2010 in produced revenue of ASEAN (Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam), India, Turkey and Brazil. UKs GDP economy expects to rise 2.7% and economy is recovering slowly. (http://www.finfacts.ie/irishfinancenews/article_1019481.shtml) American economy expects a rise in GDP of 2% and economy is recovering slowly. European economy will grow in 2011 with 1% The above information shows that the economies in the major segments for the Marriott are increasing. Thus, companies will have to send their employees again on business trips. One downside of this assumption is decrease of the US dollar exchange rate of 5%. Therefore especially the American business guests will be more then price sensitive and expect to have more service included (e.g. internet). However as we are expecting that the British pound is increasing in 2011 we can assume that the British guests (20% of guests staying at the Marriott Amsterdam) will continue to travel. Individual Tourists: Based on the following assumptions and information received the Marriott can expect an increase of Individual Tourists compared to the previous years. The main points are as follows: EU citizen are expected to have a growth of 5% Expected growth of short breaks and weekend trips to cities. As the GDP in the USA and UK are expected to rise, it can be assumed that it will have a positive correlation on the standard of living of citizens of that country. Only the US market will not increase tremendously as the exchange rate for the US dollar will decrease by 5 %. However the British Pound is expected to rise compared to the Euro. Conference Participants: Based on the assumption and information received the Marriott can expect an increase in conference participants compared to the previous year. The main point is as follows: The same reasons as for business transients can be used to explain the increase of conference participants segment. Companies are expected to produce more goods and therefore will attend and conduct again trade show, conferences, meetings etc. Tour Groups / Other Rates: Based on the following assumption and information received the Marriott can expect a decrease in Tour groups and other rates compared to the previous year. The main reason is as follows: As we are expecting a rise in the business transient, leisure guest, conference participants the Marriott will not be able to sell as many rooms through the discounted channels. Therefore the rooms sold to Tour groups will be less. Contract: Based on the following assumptions and information received the Marriott can expect an increase in contract rates compared to the previous year: The main reason is as follows: In year 2010 the produced revenue was far above the expected budget. As Marriott Corporate Office is urging the hotels to put a focus on they contract rates we can expect again an increase in this segment. However Marriott Corporate Office advises the Hotels not to discount the rates less than 25% of the average daily rate (otherwise the head office needs to be contacted for approval). 4.2 Distribution Channels: Business Transient Individual Tourists Conference part. Tour Groups Other Social media 25% 10% 50% 25% 50% Central Reservation System 34% 32% 40% 20% GDS 27% 10% 30% Travel Agent 2% 15% 10% 25% 30% Hotel Website 12% 17% 20% 3rd party websites 16% Social media is a very effective way of distributing, due to the snowball effect. Direct Sales by the hotel are of course also very important. The Central Reservation System of the Marriott is also used to distribute itself so are the Global Distribution System, Travel Agents (via GDS), the Hotel Website and Third Party Websites (Expedia etc) 4.3 Internal financial decisions: Internal financial decisions consist of financial decisions made within the Marriott chain or the Marriott hotel Amsterdam itself, or financial opportunities within the company. The weaknesses and strengths are also a part of this. Marriott International as a stakeholder has more general objectives and goals regarding ecology, human rights, shareholder equity. 4.4 Public: To know what the public or guests thinks of the Marriott hotel, they use: feedback forms, customer reviews. The reach the public we make use of marketing and media campaigns. The presence of Social Media is getting more and more important and is already a successful marketing tool. But only the bad feedback on an online platform like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc will have a big influence on customer perception. We assume that our public has a good overall image of the hotel. We do not exclude complains because you cant anticipate on everything. 4.5 Company: FB shall become more coordinated in using international Marriott concepts for outlets. Two concepts will be uniformly implemented in Marriott hotels worldwide: The Midtown Grill and The Cigar Bar, as these concepts are now regarded as a standard feature of our hotels by loyal guests, especially US guests. 4.6 Competitors: After studying and analyzing the Amsterdam Marriotts budget for the first case assignment, in this chapter we will focus on the current and future market situation and developments. No guests no business! Therefore the Marriott hotel has to know its competitors by hard to be a step ahead and make use of its advantages to gain an even bigger share of guests and increase revenue as well as profitability. Competition can be differentiated into four main forms: product form competition product category competition general competition budget competition. In this assignment we will basically focus on product form competition as well as on general competition in terms of f b outlets. In case of the Marriott Hotel this means identifying and analyzing competitors, which offer and deliver the same kind of products and services. Following characteristics were used for the selection process of hotel competitors: shelter dining business facilities high-quality interior luxury ambiance The current product competition consists of following hotels: The Grand Okura Hotel Grand Hotel Amstel The Hilton Amsterdam Eden American Hotel Since the Leidseplein offers more than 120 restaurants in close proximity, it is rather difficult to define and analyze competition. In the case of the Sorels Midtown Grill we chose competing restaurants offering similar cuisine and/or attracting the same customers. Following characteristics are involved for selecting direct restaurant competitors: location cuisine attire/atmosphere opening times The competition consists of following restaurants at the Leidseplein: Cafà © Americain Los Argentinos Barbecue Castell Hard Rock Cafà © Amsterdam Gauchos Amsterdam 4.7 Possible future hotel competitors: Due to a recovering world-economy and forecasted trends about travel behavior/ travel patternsof countries such as the USA, European, BRIC ASEAN countries, overnight stays of business and leisure guests will increase in Amsterdam. As there is still sensitivity regarding price-value ratio, especially in the corporate business, following hotels are possible new competitors in 2011. Hotel Classification Room numbers Location Date Eden Amsterdam Manor Hotel 4**** 100 Linneausstraat 89 1093 EK Amsterdam March 2011 Conservatorium Hotel Amsterdam 5***** 130 Keizersgracht 62-64 1015 CS Amsterdam, spring 2011 Artotel Amsterdam 4**** 105 Close to Centraal Station spring 2011 City Inn 4**** 540 Oosterdoksstraat 4 1011 DJ Amsterdam spring 2011 4.8 Market dynamics: Interaction between hotel and fb regarding demand and supply is efficient. But the changes and the dynamics of the market is beyond control of the hotel. Because the hotel business is not in an free (open) market. 4.9 Conclusion: Threats: Social Media Possible future hotel competitors Midtown Grill as a steak house to specific Opportunities: Commission will be reduced from 3% to 1%. Growth of fixed contracts. Growth of conference and banqueting segment Cigar bar. Occupancy Social Media Growth of business segment Marketing Management 12e page 79