Learn About the History of the Microphone

A microphone is a device for converting acoustic power into electric power with essentially similar wave characteristics. These devices convert sound waves into electrical voltages that are subsequently converted back into sound waves and amplified through speakers. Today, microphones are most often associated with the music and entertainment industries, but the devices date back as far as the 1600s when scientists began seeking out ways in which they could amplify sound. The 1600s 1665: While the word â€Å"microphone† wasn’t used until the 19th century, English physicist and inventor Robert Hooke is credited with developing an acoustic cup and string style phone and is considered a pioneer in the field of transmitting sound across distances. The 1800s 1827: Sir Charles Wheatstone was the first person to coin the phrase microphone. A renowned English physicist and inventor, Wheatstone is best known for inventing the telegraph. His interests were varied, and he devoted some of his time the study of acoustics during the 1820s. Wheatstone was among the first scientists to formally recognize that sound was transmitted by waves through mediums. This knowledge led him to explore ways of transmitting sounds from one place to another, even over long distances. He worked on a device that could amplify weak sounds, which he called a microphone. 1876: Emile Berliner invented what many consider the first modern microphone while working with famed inventor Thomas Edison. Berliner, a German-born American, was best known for his invention of the Gramophone and the gramophone record, which he patented in 1887. After seeing a Bell Company demonstration at the U.S. Centennial Exposition, Berliner was inspired to find ways to improve the newly invented telephone. The Bell Telephone Companys management was impressed with the device he came up with, a telephone voice transmitter, and bought Berliners microphone patent for $50,000. (Berliners original patent was overturned and later credited to Edison.) 1878: Just a couple years after Berliner and Edison created their microphone, David Edward Hughes, a British-American inventor/music professor, developed the first carbon microphone. Hughess microphone was the early prototype for the various carbon microphones still in use today. The 20th Century 1915: The development of the vacuum tube ampliï ¬ er helped improve the volume output for devices, including the microphone. 1916: The condenser microphone, often referred to as a capacitor or an electrostatic microphone, was patented by inventor E.C. Wente while working at Bell Laboratories. Wente had been tasked with improving the audio quality for telephones but his innovations also enhanced the microphone. 1920s: As broadcast radio became one of the premier sources for news and entertainment around the world, the demand for improved microphone technology grew. In response, the RCA Company developed the first ribbon microphone, the PB-31/PB-17, for radio broadcasting. 1928: In Germany, Georg Neumann and Co. was founded and rose to fame for its microphones. Georg Neumann designed the first commercial condenser microphone, nicknamed â€Å"the bottle† because of its shape. 1931: Western Electric marketed its 618 Electrodynamic Transmitter, the ï ¬ rst dynamic microphone. 1957: Raymond A. Litke, an electrical engineer with Educational Media Resources and San Jose State College  invented and filed a patent for the first wireless microphone. It was designed for multimedia applications including television,  radio, and higher education. 1959: The Unidyne III microphone was the first uni-directional device designed to collect sound from the top of the microphone, rather than the side. This set a new level of design for microphones in the future. 1964: Bell Laboratories researchers James West and Gerhard Sessler received patent no. 3,118,022 for the electroacoustic transducer, an electret microphone. The electret microphone offered greater reliability and higher precision at a lower cost and with a smaller size. It revolutionized the microphone industry, with almost one billion units manufactured each year. 1970s: Both dynamic and condenser mics were further enhanced, allowing for a lower sound level sensitivity and a clearer sound recording. A number of miniature mics were also developed during this decade. 1983: Sennheiser developed the first clip-on microphones: one that was a directional mic (MK# 40) and one that was designed for the studio (MKE 2). These microphones are still popular today. 1990s: Neumann introduced the KMS 105, a condenser model designed for live performances, setting a new standard for quality. The 21st Century 2000s: MEMS (Microelectromechanical systems) microphones begin making inroads in portable devices including cell phones, headsets, and laptops. The trend for miniature mics continues with applications such as wearable devices, smart home, and automobile technology, 2010: The Eigenmike was released, a microphone that is composed of several high-quality microphones arranged on the surface of a solid sphere, allowing the sound to be captured from a variety of directions. This allowed for greater control when editing and rendering sound. Sources Leslie, Clara Louise,  Who Invented the Microphone?  Radio Broadcast, 1926Who Invented the Microphone: How Emile Berliner came up with the invention and how it has impacted the broadcasting industry. The History Engine. Digital Scholarship Lab.  The University of Richmond,  © 2008–2015  Shechmeister, Matthew. The Birth of the Microphone: How Sound Became Signal. Wired.com. January 11, 2011Bartelbaugh, Ron. Trends in Technology: Microphones. RadioWorld. December 1, 2010

The Lord Of The Flies By William Golding - 891 Words

If you were to be stranded on an island with other people whom you have never met in your life, would you be able to cooperate just fine with them? Or would there be a lot of difficulties and obstacles that you would have to face and go through in order to make peace with each other? The novel, The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, shows exactly what can happen when not everyone is willing to work side by side with one another. This novel was very powerful and complex, which not only showed us what can happen if we get pulled too far over or close to the edge, but that the outcome results may not be pretty. The book is relevant to the nuclear war that took place back in the 1950s. Ralph, the protagonist of this story, had many different skills, and represented the insightful instincts that human beings have. He was the leader of all the boys, who really showed and cared for the other boys’ health, and state of being. While most of the other boys just wanted to horse around and goof off, Ralph had the right mindset to set designated rules and guidelines that each boy were to follow, to maintain not only peace throughout each other, but also get an ideal plan of how they were to be rescued. Another boy on the inhabited island is Jack Merridew. He’s your so called â€Å"boy who is always right, and who you must obey.† He is this high class British lad that is part of this choir, who believes that he’s all that, and that you must wait on him hand and foot. He’s the antagonist,Show MoreRelatedLord Of The Flies By William Golding869 Words   |  4 PagesLord of the Flies Psychology Sometimes people wear fake personas like a cloak over their shoulders, used to hide what is really underneath. This harsh reality is witnessed in William Golding’s classic Lord of the Flies, a novel that is famous for not only its sickening plot, but also for the emotional breakdowns all of its characters experience. These issues are akin to those shown in certain real-world psychological experiments. A summary of Golding’s Lord of the Flies, combined with the evidenceRead MoreThe Lord Of The Flies By William Golding1347 Words   |  6 Pages The theme of The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is the reason society is flawed is because people are flawed. Although Piggy is knowledgeable, he has many flaws including his laziness and physical inabilities. Ralph is an authority seeker. He sets rules and laws, yet does little to enforce them. Ralph wants to be the ruler, without doing the work to enforce his laws. Jack is persistent. He is rude, harsh and violent in or der to get what he wants. He wants to be supreme. Piggy’s flaws areRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1123 Words   |  5 PagesIn the novel Lord of The Flies by William Golding, the characters Ralph, Piggy, and Jack represent important World War II leaders Franklin Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler, and Winston Churchill. Golding, who had served in World War II, was well aware of the savagery created, and used it to base his book on. Ralph represents Franklin Roosevelt , Jack represents Adolf Hitler, and Piggy represents Winston Churchill. Ralph being of the novel’s main protagonist is important in the outcome of the story becauseRead MoreThe Lord Of The Flies By William Golding1065 Words   |  5 PagesThe Lord of the Flies Essay The Lord of the Flies written by William Golding and published on September 17, 1954 is a story told about a group of stranded boys and their fight for survival against the wilderness and themselves. In this story many signs of symbolism are used by Golding to point out certain aspects of society that Golding thought strongly of. This story on first read may just seem to be a survival- esque piece of literature but, on a deeper look one can find Golding’s true motiveRead MoreLord of The Flies by William Golding619 Words   |  2 PagesGovernments are no different; they fight for power just like the rest of us do. They just do it on a much bigger scale. Qualities from Oligarchy, Totalitarianism, Democracy, Dictatorship, and Anarchy governments are used in several parts of Lord of The Flies that represent different characters and different situations. An Oligarchy is a small group of people having control of a country or organization. A Totalitarianism government is a form of government that permits no individual freedom and thatRead MoreThe Lord of the Flies by William Golding1306 Words   |  5 PagesIn The Lord of the Flies, William Golding creates a microcosm that appears to be a utopia after he discharged from the British Royal Navy following World War II. After an emergency landing, Golding places a diverse group of boys on the island that soon turns out to be anything but utopia. The island the boys are on turns out to be an allegorical dystopia with inadequate conditions (Bryfonski 22). The boys reject all lessons they learned from their prior British society, and they turn towards theirRead MoreLord of the Flies by William Golding932 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscussing two particular themes from a novel called Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Lord of the Flies was written in 1954 after World War II. Ruler of the Flies is a purposeful anecdote about something that many readers can’t really describe. Individuals cant choose precisely what. Its either about the inalienable underhanded of man, or mental battle, or religion, or personal inclination, or the creators emotions on war; however William Golding was in the Navy throughout World War II, or perhapsRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1383 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to Lord of the Flies is still a Blueprint for Savagery by Eleanor Learmonth and Jenny Tabakoff, the words â€Å"I’m afraid. Of us† first appeared in Golding’s novel 60 years ago. Lord of the Flies by William Golding follows a group of schoolboys trapped on an island after a plane crash during a world war. At the beginning, they celebrate as the y have total autonomy as there are no adults around. They attempt to establish a civilization but when order collapses, they go on a journey from civilizationRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding Essay1475 Words   |  6 Pages Outline Introduction Short intro for Lord of the Flies Short intro on Gangs The bullying and group mentality demonstrated in gangs has resemblances to the characters in Lord of the Flies. II. Bullying/Group mentality Gangs Drugs/Loyalty B. Lord of the flies Jack kills the pig/Jack and Ralph fight III. Effects B. Lord of the flies Jack killing the pig aftermath Violence IV. Conclusion Gangs are considered a group of people that have a common link togetherRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding962 Words   |  4 PagesBischof Language Arts 10 11 December, 2015 In William Golding s Lord of the Flies, Golding uses the theme of human nature to show how easily society can collapse, and how self-destructive human nature is. Throughout the story Golding conveys a theme of how obscured and horrible human nature can lead us to be. Many different parts of human nature can all lead to the destruction of society. A few of the concepts of basic human nature that Golding included in the book are destruction, and panic

Survival Skills In South Central LA Free Essays

While a majority of adults continually struggle to cope with the occurrence Of death, this Story tells a tale of children who have practically become accustomed to it. Beauty provides a distinct look at this urban school setting through her inside view of student emotions, evidence of pain within the kids, and the feelings that she evokes from the audience despite her straightforward tone. (simple) While first reading about Ms. We will write a custom essay sample on Survival Skills In South Central LA or any similar topic only for you Order Now Beauty and her inside story into this previously uncharted territory, sensed as though she was a woman who possessed a very intimate bond with the students. In the story, when describing what occurred on days when the students mourned someone who was killed, Ms. Beauty notes that â€Å"boys lingered over handshakes and looked into my eyes solemnly. Girls threw their arms around me and wordlessly moved away. No one said enough. † (Beauty; par. 5). A majority of her descriptions of students and events, as well as her diction, seem somewhat heartfelt yet a bit plainly stated on the surface; however, the cultural distance between Ms. Beauty and the students seemingly increases the more we observe how she interacts with them. When Ms. Beauty discusses how the kids hugged her, the description actually makes her seem somewhat aloof. The way that the author words the sentence makes it seem as though the children approach her with emotions and she is simply present, receiving the actions. As a teacher, Beauty never necessarily makes a huge effort to help the student’s cope with these devastating loses, except in the case of Dander where Ms. Beauty does display some emotional involvement. On the day of this peculiar interaction between student and teacher, Beauty â€Å"was not prepared for the sight one day f Dander, standing alone behind the stairwell. (Beauty; par. 6). However, even in this case we see her as an outsider looking in: when a counselor arrives after a failed attempt to comfort her student, Ms. Beauty â€Å"watched them go with a mixture of relief and dread. Out of [her] hands. † She obviously had worthy intentions to comfort Dander, but the situation seemed to be bigger than anything she could resolve. Ms. Beats trustworthiness becomes another important factor to focus our attention on and her illustration of events keys us into the devastation that sakes place in South Central Los Angels. The story itself does not appear to include any influence of bias, but the author narrates from a personal point of view and therefore the article contains her opinions and viewpoints on the matter. Ms. Beauty gives credible information because she witnessed all of these hardships and events first-hand; she offers highly trust;rotor information in comparison to, for example, an internet news columnist who would write about different schools in Los Angels. When narrating, she delivers a subjective point of view that would not be attainable from an outside source. The tone throughout the article delivers a sense of authority that is unmatched to anything Vive ever read before, somehow conveying emotion in such a nondescript manner. While describing the tale of events, Beauty utilizes fairly straight forward language. When recounting Dander’s story of false accusation, she gives evidence to the type of misfortune that falls upon the shoulders of young teens in this area. The story of Dander evokes both logic and sympathy because no child should have to suffer this type of harassment and blame, especially not in Dander’s case because he ad such good intentions of standing up for his sister. Pathos lingers throughout this recap of Dander’s accusations When discussing the accusations, the Beauty says that Dander â€Å"was taken into custody, where he was told they already had evidence that he’d killed the boy and were just looking for a confession. The smartest thing he could do, they told him, was to confess, so they could get his sentence down to a few years. If he refused, he would get life. † (Beauty; par. 16). This section of the story really resonated with me, and cannot imagine a person falsely accusing me of murder or coaxed into making reparations for a crime of which did not take part in. Although it appears that Beauty lacks the same cultural background as the students, believe that she could have written her story with more conviction, urging readers to reach out to the hopeless children. Through researching, I found out about multiple organizations and charities that help motivate inner-city kids to graduate high school. When Beauty talked about her â€Å"heavy- footed student who looked too old for ninth grad’ (Beauty; par. 3), it made me realize that what some of these students needed was a ray of hope in heir violence-filled surroundings. One charity called the I Have A Dream Foundation pledges college education funding for kids who graduate high school, and this would be a great thing for Beauty to have introduced into the school. Focusing their efforts into schoolwork and attempting to make something out of their lives might be just the spark that South Central Los Angels would need to eliminate teen violence. Beats emotional involvement with her students is never quite enough; her aloofness, insensitivity, and difference in cultural upbringing make it difficult for her to innocent on a deep level with her students. How to cite Survival Skills In South Central LA, Papers

Punk Rock Music Essay Example For Students

Punk Rock Music Essay The genre of punk rock music is recognized from the sasss and is a style of music unlike others. Punk rock music is stereotyped as a bad influence on tens lifestyles. When in reality, it actually serves as a stimulating way to improve ones mind and mentality in terms of their actions. Punk rock was one of the first cultures to teach people to speak up and stand for what they believe. This helped create rebellion which isnt necessarily a bad thing, rebellion Just to rebel is stupid, but rebellion for a cause is good. Punk influenced the Anarchy movement where nowadays there are anarchic movements spread around the globe. Punk rock taught others that they one doesnt need a major company to sponsor or label to expose . There are many punk bands that all believe that they have the same opportunities to survive in the real world with or without exposure. At the moment here are many Indies bands and artists, many of which are underground acts. All of these groups keep their mind believing that hey have an equal hope of success in the real world. Punk taught to question everything. People nowadays dont argue about how the world is, but how it should be. Punk also acted as a home for outcasts. When one didnt follow the global trends, they were deemed as freaks and punk welcomed these, freaks who didnt care about matching others, but being their own individual. As well as positive effects, punk can also influence negative effects such as influencing their audience to become like them in which many were, memo. Because they were, memo, they were stereotyped to cut and harm themselves. In certain cases was not a stereotype but the actual damaging. In a specific form, punk can be interpreted as violence, chaos and strange dressing styles such as Mohawk which are without a doubt in my opinion amazing. As for rebelling, sometimes it can and will get out of hand to the point of violent actions. There are an uncountable amount of attitudes and cultures that those out choose to follow. Some are meant for a certain culture, but there are those fated to become a, punk. For those who admire the thought in being their own individual, come Join the anarchy movement. By Alex-Philosophic

The Theme Of Revenge In Othello Essays - Othello

The Theme of Revenge in Othello Revenge is a constant theme throughout the play Othello. It is portrayed through the character Iago. Iago is determined to destroy Othello and his loved ones. This retribution is a result of Othello promoting Cassio to the position of lieutenant. The theme of revenge is the motivation of Iago's hatred toward Othello. In the beginning of the play, Iago feels betrayed by his good friend, Othello. Through many years of loyalty and service Iago is "[i]n personal suit to make [himself] [Othello's] lieutenant"(39). When Othello has to choose his lieutenant, he appoints Cassio. Iago feels hurt and betrayed, and realizes "there [is] no remedy"(40) except for revenge. He ". . . hate[s] the Moor . . . "(63) and comes to the conclusion that " . . . nothing can or shall content [his] soul [t]ill [he is] evened with [Othello] . . . "(76). In an attempt for revenge, Iago publically humiliates Brabantio at Othello's expense. In the middle of the night, Iago calls outside Brabantio's house to inform him that his daughter, Desdemona has run away and eloped with Othello. Coming from two different backgrounds, Desdemona's father takes offense to their interracial marriage. This demeans Othello and causes him to prove to Brabantio that he did not use any witchcraft or black magic to win Desdemona's heart. When Desdemona professes her true love for Othello, her father disowns her. Iago's first attempt to destroy Othello is successful, yet he still craves revenge. He devises a plan to destroy Othello. He wants to make Othello believe that Cassio is having an affair with his wife Desdemona. This will cause Othello to regret appointing Cassio as his lieutenant and simultaneously destroy Othello's life. He knows that he "must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light"(64) if he wants to avenge Othello's betrayal. Iago is successful in convincing Othello that his wife is unfaithful. Outraged, Othello murders Desdemona. Immediately after, Emilia, Iago's wife and Desdemona's "mistress"(156), explains to Othello that her husband has been lying to him and Desdemona had been faithful. Iago then murders Emilia. Iago succeeds in destroying Othello's life as well as his own. In summation, Iago consumes his life with hatred and vengeance. Revenge is one of the main themes in this play. It drives Iago to do many irrational things and destroys Iago's friendship with Othello, the love Desdemona and Othello shared, and the trust between Cassio and Othello. The need for revenge is part of human nature, but if it is blown out of proportion, it can have devastating effects.

Health and Fast Food Essay Example

Health and Fast Food Essay Example Health and Fast Food Paper Health and Fast Food Paper In the advent of the 20th century, the food habits of consumers have radically changed. The cooking process is set aside and the fast food industry is continuously flourishing. 1950s saw the rise of the said industry, and from they they have been consistently growing. The global reach of fast food chains are accounted to various factors, primarily centered on the socioeconomic, technological and ecological aspects. Moreover, as fast foods can be prepared quickly and can be served in different outlets worldwide, more and more people are paying much importance to this industry. In a greater scale, ready made foods are now becoming the primary choice of many consumers (Chavardi and Kokatnur). Despite the growing literature regarding the negative impact of fast foods on human health, the popularity and appeal of this industry never ceased. More than any other point in history, present day society is now a bi-product of â€Å"McDonaldization,† a process through which the tenets of fast-food restaurants already becomes the dominant principles adhered not only by the American society but the rest of the world (Ritzer qtd in Keel). As such, it is safe to assume that 20th century society is growing rapidly as a â€Å"fast food nation.† It is said that fast foods are the reflection of global consumerism. As more and more people acknowledge this industry; alarmingly, several body of researches have also presented its negative impact on human health. It is noteworthy industrially produced foods, which are used in fast food chains, are packed with compounds that contains high levels of cholesterol, that contributes to the escalating number of obesity patients. In America alone, myriads of Americans consume high-calorie fast-foods on a daily basis. From here, one could easily point out that fast food chains are agents that reinforces changes on an individuals eating habits, which more often than not neglects the importance of nutritional regimes, catapulting the increase of medical conditions like obesity, high blood pressure and heart diseases (Coulston and Boushey). Other than this, not only does fast food changes eating habits, it is also a manifestation of changes in societal norms. Traditionally, family time often takes place at the dining table. However, with the changing lifestyles of consumers, as seen on the continuous shifting workforce demands and changes on gender roles, the busy lifestyles of people prohibit them from having time to prepare meals. Hence, quick meals catered by fast food outlets are viewed as the rightful solution. On a positive light, fast food restaurants provide convenience alongside foods that promises to satiate hunger on cheaper prices. However, it should not be disregarded that cheaper value does not always promise good health (Coulston and Boushey). While it is true that fast food meal offers cheap pricing, quick service and foods that could satiate hunger and satisfy the many aesthetic aspects of human life; still, it could not be disregarded that its health hazards are overwhelming. It is true that superficially enhanced foods and fast food restaurants allow many people to eat what they want and where and when they wanted to it, yet it is also evident that with the continuous acknowledgement of many on this industry, the traditional   process of cooking and home-made food as well as the process of eating and sharing together is slowly fading. Works cited Chavadi, Candan A. and Kokatnur, Shilpa S. â€Å"Consumer expectation and perception of fast food  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   outlets: An empirical study in Davangere.† The Icfai University Journal of Service  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marketing, 6 (June 2008): 6-21. Coulston, Ann and Boushey, Carol. Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Disease. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 2008. Keel, Robert. â€Å"The McDonaldization of society.† University of Missouri-St. Louis. 10 July 2007. 20  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   May 2009 ;umsl.edu/~keelr/010/mcdonsoc.html;. ;

Paul's Letters on Christ's Death Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paul's Letters on Christ's Death - Essay Example (New American Bible, p. 300). While the nucleus of the community was Jewish, Paul’s affinity with the Greek-Roman culture would contribute to his success in converting gentiles to the new religious faith. (Jerusalem Bible, p. 251). In time, this Christian community would be recognized as being the first Christian community in Europe. (New American Bible, p. 300). At this instance, Paul has sent them a spiritual message while warning them against Jewish teachers, who have caused jealousies and rivalries. Paul was firm on his principle: These teachers are â€Å"enemies of the cross of Christ† (Phi: 3-18). He would also stress that beyond ritualistic practices, what is important is their being favored to believe in Christ. Then he pleads for unity and humility, even as Christ, he says, â€Å"humbled himself, becoming obedient to death† (Phi: 3-8). In the end, he asks for their being true, honorable, just, and pure living in order to earn God’s peace while awa iting the return of the Risen Savior. First Letter to Corinthians At about the year 51 CE, Paul organized a Christian community in Corinth among the city’s poor and underprivileged. (New American Bible, p. 242). ... Also, it is only one Christ from whom is drawn righteousness, sanctification and redemption (Cor.: 2-30). The long letter contains advice on problems in Christian practices. It also contains the famous teaching on love, the greatest of all virtues. On a key portion of his message about the resurrection, Paul stresses that â€Å"if Christ is raised from the dead. . . there is resurrection of the dead† (Cor.:15-12). Clearly for St. Paul, Christ’s death is the key to the new life and victory over the sting of death caused by Adam (Cor.: 15-53). Second Letter to Corinthians More problems arose in the Church at Corinth, and in his second letter Paul asserts his authority as an apostle. He argues for his position by revealing his personal conviction that the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus should be the pattern for all Christian life (p. 265). Using figurative language, Paul expresses his thanks to God for the experience of triumph in Christian living made evident, he says â€Å"through the aroma of Christ for God among those being saved, and among those perishing, the latter an odor of death that leads to death, the former an odor of life that leads to life† (2 Cor.: 2-15). Again in figurative language, Paul alludes to his ministering a new covenant of the spirit, as a contrast to the old covenant of death. In his own words: â€Å"Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, was so glorious that the Israelites could not look intently at the face of Moses because of its glory that was going to fade, how much more will the ministry of the Spirit be glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, the ministry of righteousness will abound much more in glory† (2 Cor.: 3-7). In the second letter to the Corinthians, it is

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 17

Case study - Essay Example The major problem that arises from implementing rulings that enforce business ethics is that laws are always retrospective in nature. This means that no law will solve a problem that is not someway provided for in that law, and correspondingly, most business problems are not crimes till they have been recognized and a rule has been applied against them (Collins 2010, p. 15). Another problem seen in laws applying to business scenarios is that such laws tend to create a negative portrayal of the relationship between ethics and law. Common law can decree some key precedents at the time when dealing with business problems that are ethical, but then again if business ethics depend only in the compliance of legal statutes that is combined with common law, then ethics will be weakened in force (Collins 2010, p. 18). Due to the fact that the rulings in common laws are centered in precedent, It is quite possible that a certain company can figure out how to execute an unprincipled action that is flawlessly legal within the defined scopes of the law up to that particular point. Additionally, if it appears that there is no law which bans that act, then it is still legal (Collins 2010, p. 23). When the corporate laws focus on ethics as identical with conforming to the law, then the companies will not be barred from executing any act until the act is forbidden in either common law or official statute. An example that entails the relationship between law and business problems is the Ford Pinto case. The case involved a Ford pinto car model. The chief designer, Ford, in making the car, created a model that would statistically cause 180 fewer accidents per year (Collins 2010, p. 25). However, this alternative model would cost an extra $11 per model. Ford then used a cost benefit analysis in compliance with the common law and previous business ethics cases to decide whether or not to implement the

Could the south have won the civil war If so how, if not then why not Essay

Could the south have won the civil war If so how, if not then why not - Essay Example The north had a largely urbanised background with flourishing industrial capabilities. Rapid technological developments were shaping how things had been done for centuries. The railroad was expanding westwards and liberty was in the air. Large manufacturing concerns were being established. Management was evolving to promote efficiency and innovation. Furthermore, a class of individuals was emerging that were to become the modern American middle class. These groups were ardent political supporters of anti slavery drives though their numbers were as yet not very significant. On the other hand, the south was predominantly agricultural. Farm labour consisted of slaves whose ancestors had been imported from Africa. Conservatism was rampant and white supremacy was considered as an ultimate truth. Capital was abundant too as the large farmers had no one to share profits with. Cotton was the mainstay of the southern economy. It was exported to cotton mills in Europe and in the north. Militar y tradition was more rampant in the south than in the north. Boys were taught how to ride and shoot at an early age given the agrarian society’s feuds. The war began as the south gathered its army and invaded Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Then President Abraham Lincoln urged northern states to assemble a volunteer army to deal with the situation. This caused another four states to drift over into the southern camp. The south’s position was strengthened at this point in the war. If the south had wanted to make major strides in the war, it ought to have been better planned and organised than it was. The attack of the Confederate army on Fort Sumter caught the north off guard. The south could have achieved major victories if it invaded with a larger army that engaged more targets simultaneously. This would have helped the south in causing panic and confusion in the ranks of the north. The overwhelming display of power may even have led to more accessions by Union states. Furthermore, the organised all out attack would have sent the Union running and figuring out what to do next. However, what happened on ground was entirely different. The Confederacy’s attack on Fort Sumter served as a rallying point for the northern states. It alerted them to the danger posed by the South. The Union was both proactive and swift in its reaction. An army of volunteers was assembled on ground while a naval blockade was imposed. The Union’s land armies could not achieve victories in the beginning. The level of organisation and the equipment used were not up to the mark. However, the naval blockade served as a double edged sword. On the one hand, the export of cotton virtually ended and on the other hand imports could not be brought in to reinforce the Confederate army’s stock. As mentioned earlier, cotton was the mainstay of the southern economy. Loss of cotton exports meant that revenue generation suffered gravely in the south. The naval blockade also had another profound effect. Foreign intervention was discouraged from taking any real part given the naval blockade. Foreign intervention could only be possible if the naval blockade was removed and foreign troops and supplies could flow into the south. No external power was ready or willing to support the South’s cause by direct military involvement. Another notable issue is the way in which this war was conducted on either side. Initially the south was very aggressive. It

Theories of Juvenile Delinquency

Theories of Juvenile Delinquency Jump to: Literature Review Social Disorganization Theory Strain/Institutional Anomie Theory Sub-cultural Theory of Juvenile Delinquency Theory of Educational Disabilities Family Influence Critical Theories for Juvenile Delinquency The Kaplan Theory on Self-esteem as Delinquent Factor Feminist Theory of Juvenile Delinquency Introduction Juvenile delinquency for a long time has remained a debatable topic among psychologists, criminologists, and even sociologists. Many opposing and concurring arguments have been experienced with many researchers concentrating on real cause, which can be explained using different theories ranging from the classical to contemporary ones. Agnew (2005, p. 16) states that there is need to have different and flexible theoretical views on causes of these crimes which is mainly necessitated by the changed ways of living, which has greatly influenced the socio-cultural status of many modern societies. Many theorists have come up with different explanations seeking to investigate these trends in juvenile crime. Some have associated it with factors such as race, gender, poverty that is depicted by poor socio-economic status. Other theorist associate it with childhood events such as sexual abuse or even other forms of physical abuse likely to have been experienced by an individual. Peer group influence has also provided a large surface area for juvenile crimes to thrive of thus quite a number of available theories are associated to this in a greater way. Authorities have also bee associated with juvenile crimes as they drive the criminal justice systems (Agnew, 2005, p. 27). This affects the way the young people view them and any actions by the authorities automatically affect the reception given to them by young offenders. This paper seeks to look into the social based theories that explain juvenile delinquency both in traditional and modern or advanced perspective. Some of the most considerable theories include the feminist theory, social disorganization theory, strain theory, sub-cultural, and educational theories among others. It is worthy to note that some of the emerging theories are not yet official as they are formulated from the preexisting ones and therefore cannot be treated as autonomous. Modern studies on juvenile delinquency have found these factors influential enough in juvenile delinquency thus describing them as contemporary theories (HÃ…Â n-su HyÃ…Â n-sil 2008, p. 39). A good example is educational abilities of some victims of this kind of crimes. However, these theories can still be associated with the traditional ones in one way or the other. Literature review Juvenile delinquency is one of the major fields of modern criminal studies that are ongoing. Closer analysis of this phenomenon has been summarized by various theorists, which have been put up by different scholars (Esbensen, et al, 1993. P. 33). Well being of a society is the most important factor that predetermines the rate of juvenile crime. Merton suggested that it is the role of the society to instill collective and positive aspirations of a society into it members and ensure this is continuous. However, when many people especially adolescents are obstructed from achieving their aspirations, they switch to crime meaning that they prefer use of illegal and forceful means to achieve what is expected of them. Behavior among the teenage population has attracted a lot of interest with many studies being done on the same in recent years. Between 1935- 1955, the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory, a group of researchers made very robust attempts to understand teenage behavior in relation to crime (71). Kvaraceus scale of study formulated in the year 1952 was used in predicting juvenile behavior in the united states enabling tremendous growth in attempts to asses both psychological and social factors that influence adolescents to commit crime (Xiaogang Lening 2008, p. 112). This tool utilizes a set of multiple-choice questions that help in the predictions of an individuals behavior when answered by the person being tested and analyzed by a professional. Kvaraceus found out that delinquent children had had very significant differences with others in maters pertaining academic aptitude, family relations, truancy records, school attendance and perceptions on the two main genders. Xiaogang Lening (2008, p. 119) further reveals that delinquent children posed a negative response for these maters with 65 percent expressing total discomfort when in class learning, implying that they were not interested that much in attending school. Delinquent fellows also reported to have experience a fo rm of racial abuse by those that they felt were unfairly biased. The US criminal justice system has shown that seventy percent of all children in juvenile correctional facilities have one or more educational disabilities. These children happen to pose lower grades than their fellow children hence only thirty-five percent of all disabled children make it up to graduation compared to all students rates that stand at 76 percent (Esbensen, et al, 1993. P. 58). These studies also showed that first crime among this group of students was committed before they leave high school. Studies in the United States have further proved that delinquent individuals suffered more violent abuse than non-delinquent peers (68). One in ten of serious juvenile offenders have reported to have in one way or the other undergone victimization as compared to one in ten of non-delinquent friends. Victimized individuals have been observed to be more violent and difficult to control due to the assumption that they are already spoilt (Coughlan, 2007, P. 9). They therefore prefer victimizing others in an attempt to find consolation for what previously happened to them (82). This sticks them in the world of crime in more of a permanent basis hence changing their habits become difficult. Being blended by the society as out cast also affect their abilities to reconsider their ways of living since they find the damage caused more irreparable. Bias such as ethnicity, race and economic status have been found to propel juvenile crimes even further. This is because social animosities among involved parties lead to adoption of false perceptions against the other groups (Agnew, 2005, p. 61). African Americans have been found to have higher numbers of juveniles under safe custody, which is associated with the racism that still, exist among the American society. Minorities have also been found to have more number of juveniles under safe custody. These populations may contribute very little to the total population of a country but the opposite is experienced when it comes to crime. In the United States for instance, the minority constituted only 32 percent of the total population in 1995 but sixty eight percent of the total juvenile population in custody were from these minority groups mainly the Negros, Latinos, and Hispanics. Social Disorganization Theory Developed by Clifford Shaw and McKay Henry in Chicago school, this theory closely relates juvenile delinquency to social disorganization of a society as dictated by the ecological aspects surrounding a society. They define social disorganization as the inability of a society to organize itself in a more socially acceptable manner that perpetuates harmony and the general social well being of a society because of ecological changes within a society (HÃ…Â n-su HyÃ…Â n-sil 2008, p. 71). For instance, a city may experience a massive relocation of its inhabitants who go ahead to establish other settlements within the vicinity thus ending up with informal settlements such as slums. People no longer live together as a cluster leading to emergency of new social classifications with low-income populations finding themselves together and vice versa. Such groups of people usually exhibit a higher population turnover leading to more crowding and eventually causing degradation of their economic empowerment implying that they will be poorer and weaker in tackling life (94). Youth from these poor neighborhoods tend to adopt immoral behavior, as they feel pressed by their socio-economic status well described as averagely low. Through the process of interacting, young people learn different behaviors from those within their neighborhoods and in most cases end up adopting the same behavior with time. Negative neighborhood ecological trends have been linked to higher crime rate among juveniles as social disorganization results in such clusters of communities that developed new social status especially with low-income populations (116). High population heterogeneity makes it difficult for such societies to come together and establish informal social structures. This means that there lacks uniformity within the society, dictating that a homogeneous society which can collectively adopt good moral values remain illusive. The young adults in such status will always get into criminal activities so easily as the socio-economic status does very little to prevent indulgence in criminal activities (128). Peer influence is the main vector that spreads such undesirable habits among the youth living in such neighborhoods because people of the same age do interact and learn from one another faster and more easily made to believe their friends more easily again raising juvenile delinquency. Strain/Institutional Anomie Theory Strain theory is also known as the social class or the Mertonian Anomie theory. An American sociologist named Robert Merton, who mainly used the American economic status as his platform for argument, came up with this theory in expounding more on juvenile delinquency (Coleta et al 2007). Americans had developed a culture that was filled with prospects for freedom, prosperity, and opportunity that he called the American dream. Merton used the term anomie to imply that the living standards of the people was like a dichotomous key subdivided in numerous hierarchical levels that dictates what was expected from them and what could actually be achieved by the people. This cloud of beliefs led to an increase in juvenile crimes when certain obstructions were encountered such as unequal social status and imbalanced availability of opportunities for all people (Esbensen Huizinga, 1993, p. 301). The society witness massive drop out from schools by the vulnerable youths with many citing this as means to enable them achieve what was expected of them by the society, using alternative methods which is through criminal activities. This theory is still relevant up to hitherto with many youths dropping into being gang members commonly known as hobos or drug abusers which enables them get the much expected social status through crimes such as robbery with violence. The strongest impact of this theory especially in adolescents is that they are informed of the American dream as early as possible with a lot of information on what is enjoyable thereafter. The society has however exposed a greater weakness in the sense that little emphasis are put on the legitimate means of how to achieve these dreams implying that the way one plays the game is not important but whether one wins or looses (317). Basing on this fact, many juveniles opt for illegal means to achieve what they are expected to, thus increasing their vulnerability to be victims of criminal activity and deviance from socially acceptable conduct as a result of crime. Subcultural Theory of Juvenile Delinquency According to Hà ¥Ã‚ n-su Hyà ¥Ã‚ n-sil (2008, p. 51) this theory is fetched from the fact that modern societies have demonstrated a culture of separation where discrete groups of people have fragmented away from the main society and established their own values and norms. These differential affiliations have introduced the culture of learning antisocial behaviors that are clearly defined by criminal studies as crime. Studies have shown that the most vulnerable group is the adolescents who mainly find it difficult to get along with the traditional ways of living. This has even gone to the extent of formation of cults which comer up with their own ways of living and governance (63). Crimes from this kind of clusters have been reported in many African states where most societies are ravaging in poverty. Since the youth are the most affected, juvenile crime have increased in places where this behavior is left to take course unabated as very young people learn crime easily. The Theory of Educational disabilities Although this factor is seen by many as not social, it has resulted into a very huge impact on the general social setups of the society as regarding these children who have problems with their studies. The American society is fond of labeling them as potential criminals basing on their inability to do better in class as Cullen Wright, (2002, p. 103) reveal. These children have a tendency to commit crimes because they are challenged mentally, and cannot use their rationale well in making decisions. The US government introduced the special education law back in 1975 with an aim of ensuring that this group of its citizens are well taken care of in matters pertaining education. However, school administrators have gone ahead to suspend and expel these children from school further intensifying the psychological burden they find themselves with when labeled as potential criminals by the society regardless of their mental abilities (Cullen Wright, 2002, p. 116). These children end up perceiving themselves as failures and loose hope in life thus getting into crime to find solace and eventually end up in systems of juvenile justice because of social rejection by those who are supposed to embrace and educate them. Family influence This is one of the major modern theories acknowledged by many researchers. Most theorist of modern psychology agree with this theory that an individual is more likely to be affected by the way their parents bring them up either negatively or positively depending on the existing family values already in possession by the parents. As Weiher et al. (1991, p. 22) puts it, parent-child relationships such as closeness, acceptance, correction, rejection among many others play a very important role when it come to predicting likely behavior a child will develop as they grow. Family influence have bee associated with negative trends with some research showing that family influence is more influential than peer group influence. Better communication strategies with strong emotional support have been found to reduce juvenile delinquency. Children with non-traditional family set ups such as single parents and reconstituted families commit more juvenile crimes than those children do from traditional families. Because a child from traditional family enjoy intimate family relationship with both parents who become mentors and role models. This is in the sense that in parents able to devote more energy and time to their children, hence positively influencing their habits (Benjamin Lahey, 2003, p. 62). These children are also least associated with delinquency as they get more resources and a more sensible family setup. On the other hand, non-traditional families fail in larger proportions to provide the same thus, children from such families are likely to get into crime when they seek to make up for what they lack. Traditional family parents have the advantage of sharing the cost of commitment to their children especially financially. This is contrary to what faces a non-traditional family parent who may find it difficult to commit time for emotional and financial support to all of his or her children Modern society is experiencing a rapid increase in non-traditional family set ups with many people opting for single parenthood especially women to avoid commitments that come with one being a wife and at the same time a mother. Therefore, according to Coughlan (2007, P. 29), juvenile delinquency is more rampant due to such social setups brought about by living preferences of the modern generation (35). Just as good parenting may have a benefiting effect on bringing up morally upright children, the opposite results in a poorly natured child who is more vulnerable to getting out of school for example, and getting involved in criminal activities. Critical Theories for Juvenile Delinquency This encompasses a set of explanations by various sociologists and renowned scholars on how differences in numerous characteristics such as gender or race can lead to an increase in rates of crimes among different members of the society. Other documents focus on group differences and how those in positions of authority trigger commitment to crime by young people (Coleta et al 2007). Racial differences traditionally, can be associated with the Marxism theory too which postulates that those in positions perceived superior are the most likely to dictate the pace as goes the infamous saying that he who pays the piper, calls for the tune. Marxist theory argue that people those who own production chains have the greatest say in making any decisions pertaining that particular line of production. Larry et al. 2008, p. 227). Argue that others who are the minorities will have to go by what the haves dictate such as the type of work to be done, by who and how. Biases that have lead to discrimination of certain specific minority groups among the many world societies have lead not only to unresolved conflicts, but also in an increase in juvenile delinquency especially in the American societies. This finding is among the most recent theories in criminal justice that explain why delinquency is on the rise in such social set ups where a particular race feel more superior than t he other to the extent of treating the latter as subordinates (229). Racial abuses for example can be tracked right from the social status of many societies with less cosmopolitan places being affected more. This implies that where a group of people is in small numbers, biases more prevalent. Perceptions on people weak economically greatly affect young people relations with, view of people of the opposite class. It is evident in many societies across the globe that these young people will always behave in a way suggesting that they are opposed to what pertains those perceived as opponents (Agnew, 2005, p. 119). This usually results in numerous conflicts, as antagonistic beliefs are ever experienced with majorities emerging triumphant over the minorities eventually encouraging crime especially with the youth. The Kaplan Theory on Self-esteem as Delinquent Factor Most young people especially adolescents will always want to stay and fit in a place they feel accepted. Whenever this fails to happen, these people turn for alternatives to ensure that the recapture their original status of self-satisfaction. The already established criminal organizations within the society always benefit from decisions of such young people who feel rejected by their own class (Benjamin Lahey, 2003, p. 19). Criminal organizations usually offer a very satisfactory settlement, as they are easy to accept and make one feel good thus restoring the much sought self-esteem. Unfortunately, swings in self -esteem are experienced most in adolescent again making the young people more vulnerable. This is because at this stage they have developed self-preferences, which may not by provided by the society, thus making them feels rejected (Larry et al. 2008, p. 47). A solution to this is usually alternative peer groups into which they get into even if they are engaged in criminal activities. Self-derogatory theory formulated by Kaplan is being used in many research studies to establish how far reaching the effects of low self-esteem are, in juvenile delinquency. Feminist Theory of Juvenile Delinquency Gender differences are the main factor used to argue with this theory. Despite the fact that the theory focuses on the overall rates of committing crime among people of all ages, careful analysis can lead to a more direct link to juvenile crime. The theory too, seeks to clarify why male commit crimes more than females, and why females commit crime in the general social perspective (Weiher et al. 1991, p. 42). Gender disparities experience by females is one of the major catalysts increasing the number of junior female offenders. Positions assigned to females in many societies especially in the developing world are more disadvantageous compared to that of their male counterparts. Females are likely to get into crime such as drug peddling at an early age when their rights are denied for instance when forced to drop out of school to give room for their brothers who are socially assumed to have better chances of attending and successfully completing studies (72). Females at their younger age are more like to be abuse sexually by their dominant males thus opt for alternative forms of life, which makes them end up in crime brackets. This is because they cannot be accepted back into the society so easily as they are already labeled as delinquents at a tender age. This theory is used to explain female juvenile offences and how being female may influence the rate at which juvenile delinquency occur (82). Crime among youthful members of the society can only be understood well by considering different social encounters by females in events where men want to demonstrate their prowess in ruling women. Conclusion Juvenile crime can easily be tackled when intercepted at its point of origin. Individuals who happen to be involved in such crimes usually develop the craving to do so while still young therefore posing a very good opportunity to tackle the vice as children are more malleable and can easily be molded into positive characters. Psychosocial factors also play a very important role in juvenile crime as the way people think and live determine the general social uprightness of the young generation. Perceptions cultivated among different groups of people by the people themselves are more detrimental to minorities especially when they are negative. Societies with more conspicuous differences such as races are more like to experience higher rate of juvenile delinquency.

plotlear King Lear Essays: Importance of the Parallel Plot in King Lea

Importance of the Parallel Plot in King Lear Literature can be expressed using many different techniques and styles of writing, some very effective and others not as much. One of the methods chosen by many is the use of so called "parallel" plots. "Parallel" plots, or sometimes referred to as minor, give the opportunity of experiencing a secondary storyline going along with the main plot that otherwise would be unmentioned. William Shakespeare shows excellent use of a parallel plot in his play "King Lear", but some question it's essentiality by asking: Is it really necessary? Does it help the story or does it degrade it? Is the Gloucester's plot really needed? Many argue that it is very important and others say it is completely useless. This essay will try to prove that the parallel plot used in "King Lear" is needed and it adds to overall value of the play. Like any other kind of literature "King Lear" contains many themes; one of which is the "parent-child relationship" conflict. Relationship problems are very common, not only in novels but also in everyday life. Lear starts the entire dilemma of hate and destruction by his foolish desire for flattery. He divides his kingdom between two of his daughters and the never ending crave for power and wealth begins. As we can assume from the play's title, Lear and his daughters are part of the main plot. The plot of Gloucester and his sons, is considered parallel. Gloucester is portrayed also with family problems. He experiences trouble with his two sons, Edgar and... ...noring it would be negligent. It is a very important part of "King Lear" and it serves a great purpose. If William Shakespeare ignored the plot in the first place, his point would not be passed through at the level it is passed on now. I am sure Shakespeare knew it very well that Gloucester's character and actions help to understand the play better and improve it. The answer to many who question the parallel plot and it's presence is simple. The plot is necessary and without it, the play would not reach the position at which it stands right now. William Shakespeare was aware that by including the so called parallel plot, he was increasing the value of his own work. Gloucester's plot is one of the essential parts of the entire play. Removal or ignorance of it will diminish the significance of the entire idea.

The Scarlet Letter: Pearls Impact on Main Themes

Pearls Impact on the Main Themes In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Pearl is a bastard child living in Boston during the 1600’s. Although she is the youngest character, she is arguably the most important because she emphasizes the main points in the story indirectly through her observations and questions. Two of the main points are that the scarlet letter represents sin and that sin is an inevitable part of life. Throughout most of the book, all the townspeople and even her own daughter, Pearl, associates the scarlet letter as a symbol of adultery, which is a sin.During their walk in the forest, Pearl makes several comments that reveal her opinions on the impact of the scarlet letter in her mother’s life. Firstly, she points out that â€Å"the sunshine does not love† her mother and when it sees her, the sunshine â€Å"runs and hides itself† due to the fact that â€Å"it is afraid of something on [her] bosom† (Hawthorne 220). In this conte xt, the sunshine refers to the innocence and the pureness of oneself which is the opposite of the scarlet letter, which represents sin.Because Hester committed adultery and is forced to wear the scarlet letter, the sunshine does not shine upon her because she is neither pure nor innocent. Additionally, the sunshine is also a representation of the community, because they too tend to ostracize her for the same exact reason. Since the sunshine and the scarlet letter are two polar opposites, they tend to avoid each other. In contrast, Pearl realizes that she is â€Å"a child† and since she does not â€Å"wear [anything] on [her] bosom†, then the sunshine will not flee from her (Hawthorne 221).Pearl indirectly makes the connection that the scarlet letter is a negative symbol, due to the fact that sunshine tries to avoid her mother, who wears it all the time. Conversely, due to the fact that she is a child and does not bear the sinful meaning of the scarlet letter on her bos om, the sunshine welcomes her under its rays. Even from a very young age, Pearl understands that the scarlet letter dictates her mother in every way. She also understands that it is a symbol of sin and nothing good can amount to it since sinful people are often ignored.Similarly to the point mentioned above, Pearl again, indirectly finds out that sin is a part of growing up. After making the association that the scarlet letter is a sinful thing, she tells her mother that she does not wear the scarlet letter yet. Hester responds to Pearl and says that she hopefully never will. Pearl is confused, and proceeds to ask her mother if the scarlet letter â€Å"will not come of its own accord when [she] [is] woman grown† (Hawthorne 221). The confusion among the young character reveals that she believes that her mother represents all the women in the community.By that, Pearl essentially believes that it is only natural that all people will eventually become sinful and bear the scarlet letter to represent it. It is a valid point but, Hester does not tell her whether she’s correct with the assumption. Instead, Hester avoids the topic and tells Pearl to â€Å"runaway†¦and catch the sunshine! It will soon be gone† (Hawthorne 221). Hester’s response can be interpreted in both a literal and figurative way. The literal response is telling her daughter to run and play before its starts getting dark. The figurative meaning is much more complex.In the paragraph above, sunshine has already been identified as ones pureness and innocence. When Hester tells her daughter that the sunshine is receding and advises Pearl to catch it while she still can, she is emphasizing the fact that sin is a part of life. Like the rotation of the sun, there comes a time in the day where it sets and all becomes dark. Pearl is currently pure and innocent because she is in the sunlight. However, her mother warns her that the sunlight is not going to be present forever and once it gets dark, she too will be sinful.The combined information about Pearl’s assumption and Hester’s figurative response to her daughter reveals to the reader that sin is an inevitable part of life. Pearl, being the youngest character, does not have the maturity to understand the complex world around her. However, her indirect observations and questions highlight the main points in the story. In this case, a few lines of her interaction with her mother reveals that her mother’s scarlet letter is a representation of sin and that sin is an inevitable part of life, which Hawthorne feels very strongly about.

How to Outline a Response Essay on the Rite of Passage

How to Outline a Response Essay on the Rite of Passage This is the third and final guide in the series. If you haven’t had a look at our first guide on 10 facts on the rite of passage and the second one on 20 topics on the rite of passage, we highly recommend you read through those first.   Reading our complete series in the correct order will substantially assist you in writing a brilliant response essay. Without further ado, here is how to write a response essay on your chosen subject: Writing a book or essay requires professionalism and certain degree of formality in the writing. However, in a response essay, things are a little different. In this essay, what you actually do is review a book or article and discuss your personal perspective on it. It might sound a bit strange at first, but in a response essay you can use phrases like â€Å"I believe†, even though it is a formal assessment. Response essays are all about the work you are observing, whether it’s a film, book, or artwork of some sort. One essential ingredient to add to this type of essay is your own personal opinion and impressions. Here is what you have to do first before writing a response essay: Visualize the assignment and make an initial comprehension about it Go through it again and contemplate Note down any kind of thoughts or conceptions about your assignment which run through your mind as it will help in writing the essay Form a thesis accordingly Write an outline of your essay and construct it appropriately In the first paragraph, it is necessary to include the title of the object you are responding to and the name of the author and creator who made that object. For example: â€Å"Batman   The Dark Knight Rises by Christopher Nolan†. Between the first and last sentence, you summarize what you have reviewed on the topic. In the last sentence of your first paragraph, it is compulsory to add a thesis or statement on the particular subject you are writing on. Once you have written a strong introductory paragraph, it is time that you move on to share your opinion with the reader. Even though it might sound strange to include words like â€Å"I feel† or â€Å"I thought†, this is actually how your professor is expecting you to write your response essay. Don’t hesitate to include these kinds of phrases. It is vital for a response paper to have personal opinions on the subject. There are two types of formats you can use to write a response essay: Write an introduction and thesis first, and present a summary in two or three paragraphs. After that, you follow up with the summary by writing your response (agreements and disagreements) on the subject. Finally, you end it with a thoughtful conclusion. Write an introduction and thesis as usual but instead of writing a block of summary, you’ll merge it with agreements and disagreements, relative to your summarized points. After that, you wrap up your essay with an introspective conclusion. If you’ve read all three guides in this series, you should feel very confident in producing a stellar response essay on the Rite of Passage or any other particular subject, with ease.

6 Steps to Acing Your Second Interview

6 Steps to Acing Your Second Interview Congrats! You must have done something right in your first interview if they’ve called you back for a second round. This means you’re seriously in the running. Good news! But you’re not there yet. Their motives for calling you back could be as varied as wanting you to speak with other members of the team, wanting to get a better sense of one aspect of your experience, wanting to assuage concerns one part of the hiring team might have about your candidacy, or just to get a better sense of who you are as an employee.Here are 6  simple things to keep in mind if you want to ace your second interview.If it ain’t broke†¦Whatever prep you did last time, repeat it. Even if you think you remember the particulars. Give yourself a refresher course in the company, the committee, the position. Revisit the questions you prepped last time. Do you have answers that can expand on your first ones? Ask yourself what else you might be asked. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Don’t get caught out the second time for things you nailed the first!Come with  questionsYou already scoured your brain for good questions to ask and now you’ve got nothing. Keep digging! Now is a good time to show off your knowledge of the field and the position by asking more nuanced questions about the team, the work, the office culture.New interviewer, new homeworkIf you can get the names of any new people you’ll be meeting with, that’s your chance to bone up a bit on who they are and what they do. Not to mention what they might most be looking for, and how you can convince them you are it.Dress to impress (again)Hopefully you have more than one power outfit for interviews. If you don’t- you might need to invest in one. Or at least a different shirt and some accessories to shake up your go-to garb. Assume you struck a good note last time and aim for that sweet spot yet again.Stay freshChances are, you’ll be asked a lot of the same ques tions you’ve already answered. The worst thing you can do is complain. Instead of saying, â€Å"I already answered that!† Answer it again. With more passion, more panache. More polish. Be pleasant and answer thoroughly, as though for the first time.Be easygoingYou can’t control this conversation any more than you could control the first one. Go with the flow, relax, and your interviewers will appreciate your good attitude.Remember, a second interview is no guarantee that you’ll be hired. But you are one step closer and therefore should be one-step better prepared!

Business Environment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Environment - Assignment Example On the manufacturers side of equation the pricing and output decisions are determined by the quantity demanded. Hence, we can assume with much use of common sense that an increase in the price of Coca Cola would eventually lead to a decrease in its quantity demanded. The same fact can be illustrated by the use of the demand curve that has a downward slope (Figure 1) which signifies that greater the increase in the price of the entity, lower will be the quantity demanded. In other words price and quantity demanded are inversely proportional (Management Study Guide, 2008). The supply side of business also plays a major role in determining the output decisions. Supply decisions are primarily dependent on the profit potential. Building upon this factor we can verify that an increase in the market price of a product would lead to an increase in the supply of it in pursuit of a greater profit potential (Riley, 2006). This goes on to show that the supply of the products of a business is directly proportional to the price of the product (Case Karl E., 2009). The supply curve is hence upward sloping (Figure 1). There is however always a constraint in terms of the extent to which the business can expand its supply side as it either may be restricted by its scale of operations or the capacity or resources in the short run. Nevertheless, the business can expand its operations’ scale after having accumulated enough wealth in the long run (Harper, 2010). At anyone instant, the market can be subject to one of the following three conditions: Demand Excess (qu antity demanded > quantity supplied at current price) Supply Excess (quantity supplied > quantity demanded at current price) Equilibrium (quantity demanded = quantity supplied at current market price) These three market conditions also play a major role in determining the output and pricing decisions of the business because if there an excess demand then there is a tendency for the price of the product to increase as the demanders would be in competition to gain the limited supplies. If however, the market conditions are on the excess supply side of equations then the prices are likely to decline. If there equilibrium in the market place then no price change would occur (Investopedia, 2011). Figure 1 SECTION B The basic forces of demand, supply and price fluctuations are the ones that govern the organizational responses in all sorts of businesses be it related to medicine, or farming, or production of shoes or computers. All the businesses play to their cards to these forces. The ma rket is governed by the behaviour of both the producer and consumer sides of picture (Basic Economics, 2011). Having elaborated in section 1, we can now reasonably presume that a decrease in price is likely to increase the demand of the product. That is, if at the rate of making a call was 6$, a hypothetical person named Paul would call his mother in another town only once. But if the price if dropped to 3$ per call then Paul would be able to make double the amount of calls on the same price increasing the utility of it. On the other hand, one can take the example of a telecom company named Warid in Pakistan. Having noticed that the call rate at the night time was low and their profit margins were relatively less at that period of time, the company introduced a new ‘Glow’ package offering its customer base to make a call for 3 PKR per hour from 12AM to 7AM which would otherwise cost four times more without this offer (Warid, 2011). As a result of this,

Comparisons and contrasts between the educational systems of Japan and Essay

Comparisons and contrasts between the educational systems of Japan and Britain - Essay Example Dearden (1998) points out that there is significant annual return for an individual who has earned extra years in education: 9.3% for women and 5.5% for men. Japan and the United Kingdom (UK) are two strong economies that would benefit from educating their respective people. Japan, a strong industrial economy in Asia, capitalizes much on the Japanese workforce to propel its economy further and stay competitive amongst nations. The UK, on the other hand, capitalizes as well on its workforce to maintain its strong competitive stance in the world market. This paper attempts to compare and contrast the educational systems of these two nations basing only on the basic general education of both countries. It is limited to the basic comparison and contrast and does not go further into the technical and other aspects of education. In the UK education system, education is compulsory for eleven years. Starting from age five, children attend Primary School in state-run schools until the age eleven. After which, from age eleven to sixteen, they go to Comprehensive School, still in state-run schools. There are also the so-called Grammar Schools, which are secondary schools for students aged eleven to eighteen. Entry to these Grammar Schools is rather stringent, controlled as they are by academically selective process consisting largely by written examinations. This is mainly to prepare the students for further education at any college or university after finishing the Grammar School. privately-run schools, which ironically, are called officially in the UK as Public Schools. These Public Schools are regarded as elite-oriented because they charge fees, they are usually prestigious and historic, do not arbitrarily restrict admissions, and are mostly funded by groups and institutions other than the state, commonly as private charitable trusts. Also, most of these schools are boarding schools. They admit students aged thirteen to eighteen. On the contrary, Japan

Covering the full semester of learning Critical Thinking Term Paper

Covering the full semester of learning Critical Thinking - Term Paper Example Life is understood through the perceptions people hold about how events take place, why they take place, and how much control they had over how they came to pass. Covey (2004) describes an event called a paradigm shift, which means that the way in which life is perceived shifts towards a new idea of how life can work. A paradigm shift happens when the way in which life is perceived is shifted to a new understanding. This initial concept created its own paradigm shift for me as I began to see how life could be approached in different ways from which I had originally believed. Through learning more about what Covey (2004) presented, I began to think that possibilities were broader and more available than what I originally perceived as my own limitations. Knowledge creates new ideas and transforms the way in which something is put into context with beliefs about the world. Learning, then, is the conduit through which knowledge can create meaningful change. One can say that multiple inte lligences define how that learning is achieved and perceived. The understanding that intelligence comes in many forms supports the many levels of perception that exist (Gardner, 1983). Change comes then from how personal intelligences perceive and receive knowledge and utilizes it towards meaningful change. The way in which the individual approaches life can be seen through the centers on which they focus their lives. Covey (2004) describes the center by first stating that it is not necessarily an easy place to identify. The center of one’s life is defined by what is important, which is usually what provides security and guidance. Wisdom and power are not always derived from that center, but should be sought as a part of how one centers their life in order to elevate the nature of how life is lived. The center of one’s life can be a bad place too, which shadows every move they make and keeps them bound by rules they have defined, but may not be from a place of truth. E piphanies and centers can come simultaneously at times. In reading the book Left to tell: Discovering God amidst the Rwandan holocaust, Immaculee Llibagiza (2008) I discovered that Immaculee found faith in the midst of a threat against her life. Her shift occurs as she takes her life from a place of fear to that of a place of faith in which she believed that God would keep her from harm. Her fears were so strong that they had been the center of her life, but in finding that she believed that God would hold her from harm, she shifted the center of her thoughts from fear to faith. How we see the center of our life and how our habits support that center creates effectiveness or ineffectiveness in achieving goals and outcomes. Habits, Covey (2004) writes, are â€Å"the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire†, which in the case of Llibagiza (2008) were no longer relevant to war time existence. Her daily habits and the knowledge and skill with which she existed were not a par t of the new existence of living in daily fear and hiding. She had to shed all of her old habits and form new ones that matched her environment. Between the concepts of habit that Covey (2004) explains and the disruption that Llibagiza (2008), it is clear that habits often must be changed to promote survival, but

Free

Freedom to Comment Essay When working in a group, one cannot help but find things to disagree on. I don’t believe that is a deliberate choice; I believe that is just the way things are, since each person is endowed with the faculty of reason. In one of my experiences in working with a group, I had to decide within myself whether I would exercise my freedom to comment or maintain my silence. I remember having to work in a group while in college, and we were tasked with finishing a paper and thereafter presenting it in class. While writing the paper we chanced upon materials that have been submitted to our professor by the previous year’s class. The said materials contained all relevant research and findings that we would need to make an excellent report. My group mates wanted to use the materials so we could save on time and effort. Moreover, using the materials we discovered would better our chances at landing better grades, which would be beneficial for all of us. I kept waiting for one of the members of the team to speak up and challenge the morality of the group’s plan. However, I heard nothing but agreement. In my heart I felt what we were about to do was wrong, but still I struggled with the fear that I would be an outcast if I talked against them. I definitely felt the pressure of the need to conform. However, I knew that I could not live with the fact of cheating, so I told them I did not feel comfortable with the plan. I said there is a grave danger of expulsion if we were caught cheating. My group mates thought I was being self-righteous at first, but the fear of expulsion and grave reprimand led them to accept my position.

Mark Twain of Huck Finn - Satire :: essays research papers

Mark Twain, a famous American writer-satirist wrote many books highly acclaimed throughout the world. For his masterpiece, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the literary establishment recognized him as one of the greatest writers America would ever produce. This novel is about a teenage boy by the name of Huck Finn whose father is an alcoholic. Because of his violence, Huck runs away and finds a runaway slave Jim. Instead of turning Jim in, Huck goes against society and makes a decision to help Jim break free from slavery. As they travel together, Huck learns more and more about Jim and starts to understand that the common stereotype of black people is wrong. Huck sees there is no difference between Jim and any white man he knows except for skin color. Risking his life and overcoming many difficulties on the way, Huck succeeds in freeing Jim. Focusing on racism, alcoholism and mob mentality, Mark Twain uses his enthusiastic style of writing and satirizes the three traits throughou t the novel. Many words the book contains are full of vivid disgust towards black slaves. Every single line talks about how white people despise and refuse to accept the black race. Answering Aunt Sally's question about whether or not anyone is hurt Huck answers, "no mum, just killed a nigger."(Twain 213) This is the one and only acceptable way to talk about black people in the "white" society. In addition to this, not only is the black people treated differently from the white, they are also considered to be one's property. "He is the only property I have," (Twain 122) Huck is perforce to say in order to save Jim. This is the only way to get through without the essence of suspicions. Though Huck shows racism in public as society teaches him, deep inside he understands that Jim is a great person. Through the eyes of Huck Finn, Mark Twain shows that there is more to people then looks and race, showing the importance of beliefs and character. Alcoholism is another human weakness. Twain satirizes in his novel, constantly accentuating the drunk and violent father of Huck in a very negative manner. "I was just about to go and vote myself if I warn't too drunk to get there,"(Twain 27) said Pap with a racist remark, implying the fact that he will never vote anyway just because the government let one very intelligent black professor vote.

Alexander’s Vast Accomplishments as a Conquerer Essay -- alexander the

The first matter to consider is what constitutes â€Å"greatness†. There are no set standards no checklist, to apply to a person, to determine it they are â€Å"great.† The simplest way that I could conceive to decide whether this title should apply to Alexander was to determine if he was, in some way, superior to the rulers that came before or after his reign. The most obvious place for me to start my consideration is with Alexander’s vast accomplishments as a conquerer. Alexander inherited an impressive military from his father and a stable kingdom; he also followed his father’s plans to invade Asia. Does this detract from his own accomplishments with the Macedonian army? I would argue that it does not. It does not matter how large his or how well trained his standing army had been, there can be no success without some form of military leadership. Alexander began his military campaign and his rule much where his father left off. Whether or not it was his aim, this created a sense of normality for the men that was part of his father’s regime. Alexander’s position as a warrior-king who stood side-by-side among his men also served to create respect among his peers. Gradually, as Alexander conquered more Persian land, he began to adopt the policies of Persian rulers. Alexander’s change in policy extended beyond just political roles, he gave consideration to the local gods in many of the lands that he conquered. Eventually, Alexander brought people in from the conquered nations to serve under him. It is unknown whether Alexander intended to adopt these practices; if he adopted the policies that he liked; or if he adopted policies for political purposes. No matter his intentions, Alexander’s changes in leadership pol... ...here are few people in history that can claim the military prowess, uncanny political maneuvering, and the overall lasting effect of the dissemination of a particular culture such as Alexander. Alexander’s exploits led to the spread of the Greek culture throughout Asia and Africa. They even went so far as to impact the Romans who dominated Hellenistic Egypt. He left in his wake and expansion of territory and commerce, with expanded trading ports and the exportation of the Greek political system. Christianity emerged with the Hellenization of the Jews and spread throughout Hellenized gentile communities. It seems impossible to catalogue every impact of Alexander’s empire. In the end, I have to conclude that Alexander does ‘fully deserve’ the title of â€Å"the Great.† Works Cited Worthington, Ian. Alexander The Great: A Reader. New York: Routledge, 2012.

Research Paper: a Good Man Is Hard to Find

A good man really is hard to find. But what is the real definition of a real man? Maybe it is not just the prince charming you see in fairy tales or the perfect guy walking down Sixth Ave. that you pass by everyday to work. Maybe a good guy is simply someone that is good what they do. In this case the relationship between the grandmother and the misfit is just that. The only thing is if the reader sees it as clearly as the author would like them too or simply as she does. The setting of the story is never really clear to the reader. The author never really comes out and says where and when the story takes place, but with a few clues an idea is given on a pretty clear setting of â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find. † The time period begins in the mid-twentieth century. In the first half of the story, the family is at their home in Atlanta, Georgia. The author never really says that they are in Atlanta, but in the story the grandmother writes down that it will take them approximately take them 20 minutes to reach the outskirts of the city. When the family begins on their trip to East Tennessee instead of Florida early that morning, the grandmother observes it’s a beautiful day, not to hot nor cold. They pass up many old plantations and open fields. The grandmother also observes the details in the scenery she describes â€Å"the Stone Mountain; the blue granite that in some places came up to both sides of the highway; the brilliant red clay banks slightly streaked with purple; and the various crops that made rows of green lace-work on the ground. The trees were full of silver-white sunlight and the meanest of them sparkled†. O’Conner. They are obviously in the open country and used to seeing the old plantations because there was really no excitement from the family with the children reading magazines and the mother falling asleep, so with this clue as well gave a hint on where the family was from. During their long road trip the family decides to stop at Red Sammy’s Barbeque Joint to grab a b ite to eat. Red Sammy’s was a little hole in the wall barbeque stand on the side of the road next to a big tower with a very welcoming sign in front. In the second half of the story later on in the day the family ends up in a ditch in the middle of nowhere after a car accident caused by the grandmother and her cat. There is a dark, shadowy forest on both sides of the road. The scenery is so dark the only way the viewer can tell what’s going on is the screams and the gun shots coming from the characters. Landscape descriptions and the apparel of the characters also indicate that the action occurs during the warmer months. There is no sun in the sky; this could mean the time period could be around sunset. The setting of the play was a little hard to decipher but a couple of clues gave it away. This play wasn’t very long and it was written mainly in dialogue. The story went from one extreme to another, quickly changing moods as the story progressed. To really understand this story it would be a good idea to understand Flannery O’Conner. † Flannery O’Connor lived but 39 short years. The body of work she left may be small in size, but the stories and two novels are deep in meaning and boundless in importance for the modern reader. †-Welborn. Her stories were never really clear but meaning came clear in the end. Sometimes they had to be put together like a puzzle. O’Conner was an only child and raised in a Savannah and attended nothing but Catholic Schools. This was very odd in deed because a lot of the stories she writes about were about death and the deaths were usually due to murders so with her being so catholic it was odd. Also in this play the conversation between the grandmother and the Misfit was about their beliefs and the misfit not knowing what he believes is weird to me because the reader is indeed catholic. The self-satisfied are attacked, those who fancy themselves as earthly saviors find themselves capable of great evil, intellectuals discover their ideas to be useless human constructs, and those bent on â€Å"freedom† find themselves left open to be controlled by evil. † – Welborn. This could have been the case between he misfit and the grandmother both. But it’s never really clearly said. The misfit could have been known as the evil villain of the story. The grandmother was slowly beginning to turn into one but never made it all the way. So take a chance, and take a look at Flannery O’Connor. Prepare to laugh, to be shocked, and to think. But most of all, be prepared to see. † –Welborn. There are many symbols in A Good Man is Hard to Find. â€Å"A Symbol is something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible. † –Symbol. The first most obvious symbol is the Grandmother’s hat. She wears the hat for one sole purpose; if she were to die she would want the ones who found her body to be able to identify her as a lady. When she prepares for the car trip, she prepares for any accident that may occur. For the grandmother the only thing that seems to matter to her is that she is recognized as a lady, this reveals her selfishness and flimsy moral convention. When the grandmother first gets ready for the trip, the hat is in perfect condition. No tears, no nothing. When the grandmother gets involved in the car accident, just like her moral convictions, her hat begins to fall apart. The rim of the hat begins to tear as she faces the misfit and is thrown from the car. When the grandmother is finally shot after a while of trying to convince the misfit to look deeper into himself her hat falls completely apart and falls to the ground along with the grandmother. â€Å"She drops the broken hat as her self-conception as a lady dissolves. † –Shmoop. Another symbol in the play is the Misfits vehicle. He drives a big black battered hearse like automobile. This is the description of the car the family gives it as it approaches. The car symbolizes a hearse because the misfit is known as a killer, so by giving him this type of vehicle symbolizes what he is known for. A hearse is an automobile or carriage, used in a funeral for carrying the corpse. † –Hearse. This is an image of intimate death for the fate of the family before the misfit and his companions get out of the car. One last symbol out of the many in the play is the scenery and the environment. The dark gloomy day signifies the day the family is about to have. The cloudles s, sunless sky. This was mentioned many times after the family was in the car accident and even more when the misfit came into the picture. The sky was also notified when the grandmother was shot and the misfit walked away. The narrator never mentions the weather or the time of day but the clues he gives already tells a lot of the kind of day the family is about to have. In this play the grandmother and the misfit really have a lot in common than we think. Even though their social status and ages are very different their similarities that they share are rather similar. For instance they are both missing important spiritual bonds. The grandmother tries to get the misfit to understand the meaning of why god kills and in odd ways they agree on similar terms. They both really don’t understand the meaning of why he did what he did but they both have their own perspective on why. Nowhere in the play before the accident does the narrator show the grandmothers spiritual side. When the grandmother talks to the misfit about this topic it is kind of struck out of nowhere, kind of like a last resort to try to save her own life. Neither the grandmother nor the misfit had truly gotten what it means to be saved and true salvation. The misfit doesn’t hold any respect for human life and sees the means of all human life coming to an end at some point. Neither of them believes in any such thing as resurrection even though god himself was resurrected. When the grandmother talks to the misfit he shows a whole other side to himself. The way he talks about his family and himself shows he isn’t as bad of a man as they come to think of him. The grandmother is also the same way, even though she seems selfish, she really does care for her family. At the end of the play the grandmother tries to reach out to the misfit spiritually and tries to get him to understand her faith, but the misfit just doesn’t want to hear it and shoots her himself. So what is a definition of a real man? What makes a good person in general? The title of the story is kind of misleading from the very beginning. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† gave me the impression of a women who is having trouble finding a good man for her, I never thought it was going to be about a criminal on the run killing people. This really made me think twice on what the author was deciphering as a â€Å"good man. † In this play the misfit did say he came from a good family and was raised like a normal boy. I believe what the author was trying to say in the title was that he was so good at who he was, which was being a criminal. We never really knew what kind of person the criminal aside from his actions and the conversation he had with the grandmother. He was religious in his own kind of way. His beliefs were indeed different but he did believe there was a God, he just didn’t believe in the miracles he performed. From the way the Misfit talked to the grandmother he was pretty respectful and listened to what she had to say, he disagreed, but he still listened and was able to hold a conversation with her. We could never really tell if the Misfit was being honest and truthful from the things he was saying but his actions could point out that they might have been. In this play we never know if the misfit is a compulsive liar, it is possible because he is pretty good at it but like I said, we never know. The Misfit isn’t the only one we may hold second thoughts about. The grandmother is right along with the Misfit. In the beginning of the story, she was the perfect kind of grandmother who looks out for the safety of her family and puts them first. Towards the middle of the story when the family is on their road trip, she became very selfish on the things she wants. For example in the beginning she told the family they should go to Tennessee instead of Florida because of the Misfit and then throughout the road trip she decided she wanted to go see a certain plantation even when the family disagreed. She stated to only think about herself and it got even worse when the misfit came into the picture. When he came into the picture the grandmother seemed to forget about everyone else and only thought about her. Just having lost her family and threatened her own death, the grandmother seemed to undergo a sudden and miraculous change of heart. She starts to reach out to the one who killed her family to try to save her own life instead of trying to save her families. She never showed emotion towards the death of her family. She only became concerned when her own life became threatened. Perhaps at this point in someone’s life, they experience transformations because of the moment they are in. That is the only real explanation I could come up with for why the grandmother did what she did. And in my opinion neither the grandmother nor the Misfit were very good people, they were just good at what they did. This play over all was a great story to read. It gave a whole different perspective on the way a paper could be read. It showed that the title can have a whole different meaning and how fast characters can transform to defend for themselves when they undergo life changing experiences. This story was one of those ionic experiences in everyone’s life; a family vacation from hell. It had everything you would find in a normal family has, annoying kids, an ungrateful selfish grandmother, pretty normal parents, a car accident and a twist; a serial killer. Not every story has a happy ending or an ending we want. This story kept you wanting for more. In a way the events were predictable, but the exaggeration of the events made it most enjoyable to read on. This play was really, truly about the vacation from hell!