Summary Of The Things They Carried - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1400 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/04/11 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: The Things They Carried Essay Did you like this example? OBriens The Things They Carried is one of the most recognized literary works around the globe. The things they carried is a collection of twenty-one stories with striking similarities. All the stories revolve around the same subject; war. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Summary Of The Things They Carried" essay for you Create order OBrien explains the harrowing experience that soldiers undergo in battlefields. The most interesting part about OBriens collection of stories is the way he manages to hide the truth from the fiction. The novel sends readers into a web of confusion trying to figure out whether the author tells a true-life story or just it just pure fiction. The cover of the book is clearly written a work of fiction, but what follows is a series of blurred true events. Therefore, it is evidently clear that Tim OBrien primary objective was to comingle fact and fiction through a war story. The characters used in the story are imaginary according to the author. However, they bear the names of real individuals. The protagonist in the play; Tim OBrien resembles the same very real person Tim OBrien who fought in the Vietnam war. The author uses this style of writing to tell a war story he fought in Vietnam together with his colleagues without necessarily chaining himself to pure facts. The authors use of f iction helps in bringing out the underlying message and events that transpired in Vietnam. The readers are able to picture the big image of the events that occurred during the war. Another authors general objective was to present the soldiers who fought in the Vietnam war and their contributions during the war. First Leutenant Jimmy Cross, was the team lead and his main task as the military leader was to guide, advice and unite the platoon. However, although Jimmy worked closely with his fellow team members, he was physically present but emotionally and mentally absent. The memories of a young girl by the name Martha had driven him crazy with love. His love for Martha surpassed that for his fellow soldiers. Surprisingly, Martha never loved Jimmy. Instead of being vigilant and leading the crew members like a true dedicated military officer, Jimmy spends most his time daydreaming about Martha, a behavior he would later come to regret after one of his soldiers was shot in the head. The death of Lavender hit him so hard that he realized he had not been paying close attention to his men. The burden of the death of Lavender was heavy to bear but he he would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war (OBrien, 1990, p.16). Basically, when soldiers are preparing to go war, the y collect each and every essential item that they think would be important in the battlefields. According to OBrien, the platoon carried in addition to ammunition what they deemed close and comforting. Thus, the title of the book The Things They Carried was coined from the things the soldiers carried as they prepared to embark on their journey to the war. Tim OBrien successfully uses the soldiers preparations to explain major themes in the book. For instance, Lieutenant carries letters apart from other basic necessities. He reads the letters regularly which gives him hope and courage in Vietnam. The letters were from Martha, a girl he loved so much although she never loved him. He wanted Martha to love him the way he loved her (OBrien, 1990). Ted Lavender, another crew member, was not only scared cared of the war but also death. He was the first member of the team to meet death. Lavender was so afraid and scared that he carried tranquilizers that would help him drive away his fears. It is evidently clear the soldiers have both physical and emotional burdens. The items the soldiers carry to war help them during the harrowing experiences of the war. According, Tim OBrien the soldiers emotional burden seems to outweigh the physical burden. Generally, soldiers are supposed to be courageous and determined regardless of the outcome of the w ar. However, in this book, the soldiers are filled with fear, anxiety, and expectations. Lavender is so afraid that he keeps smoking marijuana in a bid to keep his hopes alive. The physical burden presented in this book include the necessities such as weapons that soldiers would use in war. Emotional burden refers to their fears, expectations and distractive thought. Jimmy Cross, who is the most senior officer in the group is burdened with the responsibility of managing the team. As the team leader, he is supposed to ensure that the team is united towards achieving a common goal; defeating the enemy. In case the team his defeated and some of his crew members are killed, he would be answerable to the government back at home. Readers can clearly see and feel the fear inside the Alpha team members as portrayed by Tim OBrien. The things that the soldiers carried to war may seem useless from the readers perspective. However, OBrien uses them to accomplish in bringing out the theme of love. Love in this scenario may refer to the things that give the soldiers hope during the terrible experiences they endured in Vietnam. Love is demonstrated by the soldiers throughout the book. From the preparations to the war periods, love is demonstrated by the Alpha team through their unity. Each team member has respect for their team leader Jimmy Cross although, most of the time his mind and thoughts were miles away. The country had high expectations. Thus, the Alpha team knew very well that the only way they could avoid ruining those expectations were strengthening their togetherness bonds. OBrien presents the theme of love as the main unifying factor among the Alpha squad. OBrien depicts the death of Lavender as a thorn in the bond connecting the Alpha team. Every member of the team was brutally bruised by that death. J immy Cross, wept blamed and hated himself (OBrien , 1990, p.16). Death was cruel; Lavender was gone, gone forever meaning that the gap that he left would never be filled. The entire team felt the loss, mourned and moved on. In fact, their unity strengthens further following the death of Lavender. Jimmy Cross became closer to his men; he let go the memories of Martha. OBrien successfully used the death of Lavender as the triggering factor that helped the Alpha team realize the purpose of love and keeping each others back during wars. Although the setting of the booking mainly revolves around the Vietnam war, OBrien asserts that the book is not about war or violence but rather peace. This might sound true contradictory statement because war is the main prevalent theme in the book. However, the authors main objective was to depict the difficulties the soldiers endured. It is evidently clear that the author merged facts and fiction in order to portray the underlying message which was inspired by true events. It is not quite simple for readers to tell whether the message in the The Things They Carried is purely fiction or fact despite the authors indication on the cover page, a work of fiction. The truth about the collection of stories by Tim OBrien is the fact that the occurrence of the events is a replica of the Vietnam war that the author participated. However, he created fictitious characters in a bid to give the story more meaning. Participation in the war was fraught with risks, fears, and anxiety. Normally, soldiers are expected to be courageous and determined when representing their country in war. However, OBrien presents a troop of soldiers whose fear for the war is unmatched. One of the soldiers is so afraid that he carries tranquilizers to the battlefield to assist him in fighting off his fears. The Alpha squad was encompassed of young and energetic young men who seemed overwhelmed with emotional burdens. The fear of death and parents expectations were some of the emotional challenges the team grappled with. The story that most affected me was the On The Rainy River. In this particular story, OBrien clearly demonstrated all the events that led him into the Vietnam war. It is evident that although he served his country as a military officer, his intentions were to flee the country in order to avoid fighting in the war. However, the confusion between escaping and disappointing his family weighed heavily on him, and ultimately he decided to join the Alpha team.

The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd - 971 Words

Morality refers to an individual s principles on the distinction between doing what is right and wrong. Morals vary across cultures, but there are several that are universally agreed upon. In the perspective of Enlightenment thinkers, the approach to morality is by affirming objective, universal laws and expressing a moral ideal. [Lecture] However, who decides what is right and wrong and how are morals formed? According to David Hume, reason alone cannot determine morality because reason rests solely on facts. Facts are simply a truth that cannot motivate people to take action. In The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, many of the characters are faced with the choice of doing what is right or concealing to themselves to protect themselves from trouble. In the words of Hume, ... tis the object of feeling, not of reason. It lies in yourself, not in the object. Our motives lie not within reason, but rather in sentiment which drives us from is to ought. In the novel, Ralph Paton agrees to an enga gement proposal to Flora Ackroyd which is arranged by his stepfather Roger Ackroyd in hopes that he will pay off his debts. However, Ralph s motive for complying to his stepfather s marriage arrangement is not only to pay off his debts, but also since he falls in love with a penniless girl (pg. 245) named Ursula Bourne. Before coming clean to his stepfather regarding their secret marriage, Ralph declared that he meant to pay off his debts, find a job, and then, when he was in aShow MoreRelatedThe Murder Of Roger Ackroyd1125 Words   |  5 PagesAgatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) exemplifies her ‘cosy’ style but also establishes her position within the crime fiction genre. Although the narrator/culprit combination is significant, it is an oft-discussed aspect, and I believe other features are just as important in examining Christie’s success. 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As quoted in the essay â€Å"Narration: Levels and Voices† in the book Narrative Fiction by Shlomith Rimmon -Kenan, â€Å"†¦when the outcome of the action proves the narrator wrong, a doubt is retrospectively cast over his reliability in reportingRead MoreThe Golden Age Of Detective Fiction913 Words   |  4 Pagescomplex puzzle for the reader to try to unravel. Christie s novels include, Murder on the Orient Express (1934), Death on the Nile (1937), and And Then There Were Noe (1939). Also popular were the stories featuring Dorothy L. Sayers s Lord Peter Wimsey and S. S. Van Dine’s Philo Vance. 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There is an overwhelming amount of examples and tactics Humbert uses to control the readers image of him, similarly like in Agatha Christie’s, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. The narrator, Dr. James Sheppard, is capable to hide his identity as the killer to the readers by using the power the narrator processes to falsify his own involvement, whereabouts, and exaggerate on other characters motives in order to increaseRead MoreAnalysis Of The Three Act Tragedy By Agatha Christie972 Words   |  4 PagesChristie. Agatha Christie has written many popular novels, such as And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. The genre of The Three Act Tragedy is mystery. The Three Act Tragedy is about an actor whom hosts a dinner party at his home. Cocktails are served. After one sip the local rector dies. The death is ruled natural causes, although some believe it is murder. 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The Return Midnight Chapter 36 Free Essays

Matt broke a lot of traffic rules on the way to the Saitous’street. Meredith leaned on the console between the two front seats so that she could see the digital clock ticking down to midnight, and so that she could watch the transformation of Mrs. Flowers. We will write a custom essay sample on The Return: Midnight Chapter 36 or any similar topic only for you Order Now At last her recently sane, sensible mind forced words out of her mouth. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers – you’re changing.† â€Å"Yes, Meredith, dear. Some of it is due to the little present that Sage left for me. Some of it is my own wil – to return to the days when I was in my prime. I believe that this wil be my last fight, so I don’t mind using al my energy in it. Fel ‘s Church must be saved.† â€Å"But – Mrs. Flowers – the people here – Well, they haven’t always been – exactly nice – â€Å"Matt stammered his way to a stop. â€Å"The people here are like people everywhere,†Mrs. Flowers said calmly. â€Å"Treat them as you’d like to be treated, and things wil be fine. It was only when I’d let myself become a bitter, lonely old woman, always resentful of the fact that I had had to turn my home into a boardinghouse just to make ends meet, that people began to treat me – Well, at best as a loony old hag.† â€Å"Oh, Mrs. Flowers – and we’ve been such a bother to you!†Meredith found the words coming without her volition. â€Å"You’ve been the saving of me, child. Dear Stefan was the start, but as you can imagine, he didn’t want to explain al his little differences to me, and I was suspicious of him. But he was always cordial and respectful and Elena was like sunlight, and Bonnie like laughter. Eventual y, when I dropped my hidebound barriers, so did you young ones. I won’t say more about those who are present so as not to embarrass you, but you’ve done me a world of good.† Matt ran another stop sign and cleared his throat. Then, the steering wheel wavering slightly, he cleared his throat again. Meredith took over. â€Å"I think what Matt and I both want to say is†¦Well, it’s that you’ve become very special to us, and we don’t want to see you get hurt. This battle – â€Å" â€Å"Is a battle for al I hold dear. For al my memories. Back when I was a child and the boardinghouse was built – it was just a home, then, and I was very happy. As a young woman, I was very happy. And now that I have lived long enough to be an old woman – Well, besides you children, I Stillhave friends like Sophia Alpert and Orime Saitou. They are both healing women, and very good at it. We Stilltalk about different uses for my herbs.† Matt snapped his fingers. â€Å"That’s another reason I was confused,†he said. â€Å"Because Dr. Alpert said that you and Mrs. Saitou were such good people. I thought she meant the old Mrs. Saitou – â€Å" â€Å"Who is not a ‘Mrs. Saitou’at all,†Mrs. Flowers said, almost sharply. â€Å"I have no idea what her name real y is – perhaps she is real y Inari, a deity gone bad. Ten years ago, I didn’t know what made Orime Saitou suddenly so diffident and quiet. Now I realize that it began just around the time her ‘mother’moved in with her. I was quite fond of young Isobel, but she suddenly became – aloof – in an unchildlike way. Now I understand. And I am determined to fight for her – and for you – and for a town that is worth saving. Human lives are very, very precious. And now – here we are.† Matt had just turned onto the Saitous’block. Meredith took a moment to openly stare at the figure in the front passenger seat. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers!†she exclaimed. This made Matt turn to stare in his turn and what he saw made him clip a Volkswagen Jetta parked by the sidewalk. â€Å"Mrs†¦. Flowers?† â€Å"Please park now, Matt. You needn’t cal me Mrs. Flowers if you don’t want to. I have returned to the time when I was Theophilia – when my friends cal ed me Theo.† â€Å"But – how – why – ?†Matt stuttered. â€Å"I told you. I felt that it was time. Sage left me a gift that helped me change. An enemy beyond your powers to fight has arisen. I felt this back at the boardinghouse. This is the time that I have been waiting for. The last battle with the true enemy of Fel ‘s Church.† Meredith’s heart actual y seemed ready to fly out of her chest. She had to be calm – calm and logical. She had seen magic many times. She knew the look of it, the feel of it. But frequently she had been too busy comforting Bonnie, or too worried about aiding Bonnie to take in what she was facing. Now, it was just her and Matt – and Matt had a stricken, stupefied look, as if he hadn’t seen enough magic before. As if he might crack. â€Å"Matt,†she said loudly, and then even louder, â€Å"Matt!† He turned, then, to look at her, with his blue eyes wild and dark. â€Å"They’l kill her, Meredith!†he said. â€Å"Shinichi and Misao – you don’t know what it feels like†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Come on,†Meredith said. â€Å"We have to make sure that it doesn’t kil her.† The dazed look passed from Matt’s eyes. â€Å"We have to do this,†he agreed simply. â€Å"Right,†said Meredith, final y releasing him. Together they got out of the car to stand by Mrs. Flowers – no, by Theo. Theo had hair that hung almost to her waist; so fair that it looked silver in the moonlight. Her face was – electrifying. It was young; young and proud, with classic features and a look of quiet determination. Somehow during the drive, her clothes had changed too. Instead of a coat covered with bits of paper, she was wearing a sleeveless white gown that ended in a slight train. In style, it reminded Meredith a little of the â€Å"mermaid†dress she herself had worn when going to a bal in the Dark Dimension. But Meredith’s dress had only made her look sultry. Theo looked†¦magnificent. As for the Post-it Note amulets†¦somehow the paper had disappeared and the writing had grown enormously, changing into very large scrawls that wrapped around the white gown. Theo was literal y swathed in haute couture arcane protection. And although she was reed slender, she was tal . Tal er than Meredith, tal er than Matt, tal er than Stefan, wherever he was in the Dark Dimensions. She was this tal not only because she had grown so much, but because the train of her dress was just brushing the ground. She had entirely overcome gravity. The whip, Sage’s present to her, was coiled into a circle attached to her waist, shining as silver as her hair. Matt and Meredith simultaneously closed the SUV’s doors. Matt left the engine running for a quick getaway. They walked around the garage so that they could see the front of the house. Meredith, not caring what she looked like or whether she seemed cool or in control, wiped her hands, one and then the other, on her jeans. This was the stave’s first – and possibly only – true battle. What counted was not appearance, but performance. Both she and Matt stopped dead when they saw the figure standing at the bottom of the steps in front of the porch. It was no one they could identify from the house. But then the crimson lips opened, the delicate hands flew up to cover them, and wind-chime laughter came from somewhere behind the hands. For a moment they could only stare, fascinated, at this woman who was dressed al in black. She was ful y as tal as Theo, ful y as slender and graceful, and she was floating equal y high off the ground. But what Meredith and Matt were staring at was the fact that her hair was like Misao’s or Shinichi’s – but reversed. Whereas they had black hair with a crimson fringe on the bottom, this woman had crimson hair – yards and yards of it, with a black fringe al around it. Not only that, but she had delicate black fox ears emerging from the crimson hair, and a long sleek crimson tail, tipped with black. â€Å"Obaasan?†Matt gasped in disbelief. â€Å"Inari!†Meredith snapped. The lovely creature didn’t even look at them. She was staring at Theo in contempt. â€Å"Tiny witch of a tiny town,†she said. â€Å"You’ve used nearly al your Power just to stand up to my level. What good are you?† â€Å"I have very smal Powers,†Theo agreed. â€Å"But if the town is worthless, why has it taken you so long to destroy it? Why have you watched others try – or were they all your pawns, Inari? Katherine, Klaus, poor young Tyler – were they your pawns, Kitsune Goddess?† Inari laughed – Stillthat chiming, girlish giggling, behind her fingers. â€Å"I don’t need pawns! Shinichi and Misao are my bond-servants, as al kitsune are! If I have left them some freedom, it has been so they can get experience. We’l go on to larger cities now, and ravage them.† â€Å"You have to take Fel ‘s Church first,†Theo said steadily. â€Å"And I won’t let you do that.† â€Å"You Stilldon’t understand, do you? You are a human, with almost no Power left! Mine is the largest star bal in the worlds! I am a Goddess!† Theo lowered her head, then lifted it to look Inari in the eyes. â€Å"Do you want to know what I think the truth is, Inari?†she said. â€Å"I think that you have come to the end of a long, long, but not immortal life. I think you have dwindled so that at last you need to use a great deal of Power from your star bal – wherever it is – to appear this way. You are a very, very ancient woman and you have been setting children against their own parents, and parents against children across the world because you envy the children’s youth. You have even come to envy Shinichi and Misao, and let them be hurt, as revenge.† Matt and Meredith looked at each other with wide eyes. Inari was breathing rapidly, but it seemed she couldn’t think of anything to say. â€Å"You’ve even pretended to have entered a ‘second childhood’to behave girlishly. But none of it satisfies you, because the plain, sad truth is that you have come to the end of your long, long lifetime – no matter how great your Power. We must al take that final journey, and it is your turn now.† â€Å"Liar!†shrieked Inari, looking for a moment more glorious – more radiant than before. But then Meredith saw why. Her scarlet hair had actual y begun to smolder, framing her face in a dancing red light. And at last she spoke venemously. â€Å"Well, then, if you think this is my last battle, I must be sure to cause al the pain I can. Starting with you, witch.† Meredith and Matt both gasped. They were afraid for Theo, especial y as Inari’s hair was braiding itself into thick ropes like serpents that floated around her head as if she were Medusa. The gasps were a mistake – they attracted Inari’s attention. But she didn’t move. She only said, â€Å"Smel that sweet scent on the wind? A roast sacrifice! I think the result wil be oishii – delicious! But perhaps you two would like to speak to Orime or Isobel one last time. I’m afraid they can’t come out to see you.† Meredith’s heart was pounding violently in her throat, as she realized that the Saitous’house was on fire. It seemed as if there were several smal fires burning, but she was terrified at the implication that Inari had already done something to the mother and daughter. â€Å"No, Matt!†she cried, grabbing Matt’s arm. He would have charged straight at the laughing black-clad woman and tried to attack her feet – and seconds were invaluable now. â€Å"Come help me find them!† Theo came to their aid. Drawing up the white bul whip, she whirled it once around her head and cracked it precisely on Inari’s raised hands, leaving a bloody gash on one. As a furious Inari turned back to her, Meredith and Matt ran. â€Å"The back door,†Matt said as they careered around the side of the house. Up ahead they saw a wooden fence, but no gate. Meredith was just considering using the stave to pole-vault, when Matt panted, â€Å"Here!†and made a cradle of his hands for her to step into. â€Å"I’l boost you over!† Meredith hesitated only an instant. Then, as he skidded to a stop she jumped to place one foot in his inter-locked fingers. Suddenly she was flying upward. She made the most of it, landing, catlike, on the fence’s flat top, and then jumping down. She could hear Matt scrambling up the fence as she was suddenly surrounded by black smoke. She jumped backward three feet and yel ed, â€Å"Matt, the smoke is dangerous! Get low; hold your breath. Stay outside to help them when I bring them out!† Meredith had no idea whether Matt would listen to her or not, but she obeyed her own rules, crouching low, breath held, opening her eyes briefly to try to find the door. Then she almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of an axe crashing into wood, of wood splintering, and of the axe crashing again. She opened her eyes and saw that Matt hadn’t listened to her, but she was glad because he’d found the door. His face was black with soot. â€Å"It was locked,†he explained, hefting the axe. Any optimism Meredith might have felt splintered like the door as she looked inside and saw only flames and more flames. My God, she thought, anyone in there is roasting, is probably dead already. But where had that thought come from? Her knowledge or her fear? Meredith couldn’t just stop now. She took a step into searing heat and shouted, â€Å"Isobel! Mrs. Saitou! Where are you?† There was a weak, choking cry. â€Å"That’s the kitchen!†she said. â€Å"Matt, it’s Mrs. Saitou! Please go get her!† Matt obeyed, but threw over his shoulder, â€Å"Don’t you go farther in.† Meredith had to go farther in. She remembered very well where Isobel’s room was. Directly under her â€Å"grandmother’s.† â€Å"Isobel! Isobel! Can you hear me?†Her voice was so low and husky from smoke that she knew she had to keep going. Isobel might be unconscious or too hoarse to answer. Meredith dropped to her knees, crawling on the ground where the air was slightly cooler and more clear. Okay. Isobel’s room. She didn’t want to touch the door handle with her hand, so she wrapped her T-shirt around it. The handle wouldn’t turn. Locked. She didn’t bother to investigate how, she simply turned around and mule-kicked the door right beside the handle. Wood splintered. Another kick, and with a wooden scream the door swung free. Meredith was feeling dizzy now, but she needed to see the entire room. She took two strides in, and – there! Sitting up on the bed in the smoky, hot, but otherwise scrupulously tidy little room was Isobel. As Meredith neared the bed she saw – to her fury – that the girl was tied to the brass headboard with duct tape. Two slashes of the stave took care of that. Then, amazingly, Isobel moved, raising a blackened face up to Meredith’s. That was when Meredith’s fury peaked. The girl had duct tape across her mouth, to prevent her from making any cry for help. Wincing herself to show that she knew this was going to be painful, Meredith grasped the duct tape and stripped it off. Isobel didn’t cry out; instead she took in lungful after lungful of smoky air. Meredith stumbled toward the closet, snatched two identical-looking white shirts, and swerved back to Isobel. There was a ful tumbler of water right beside her, on the nightstand. Meredith wondered if it had been put there deliberately to increase Isobel’s agony, but she didn’t hesitate to use it. She gave Isobel a quick sip, took one herself, and then soaked each shirt. She held one over her own mouth and Isobel mimicked her, holding the wet shirt over her nose and mouth. Then Meredith grabbed her and guided her back to the door. After that it simply became a nightmare journey of crawling and kneeling and choking, pul ing Isobel with her al the time. Meredith thought it would never end, as each inch forward became harder and harder. The stave was an unbearable weight to heave along with her, but she refused to let go of it. It’s precious, her mind said, but is it worth your life? No, Meredith thought. Not my life, but who knows what else wil be out there if I get Isobel into the cool darkness? You’l never get her there if you die because of – an object. It’s not an object! Painful y Meredith used the stave to clear some smoldering debris from her path. It belonged to Grandpa in the time when he was sane. It fits my hand. It’s not just a thing! Have it your own way, the voice said, and disappeared. Meredith was beginning to run into more debris now. Despite the cramping in her lungs, she was sure that she could make it out of the back door. She knew there should be a laundry room on her right. They should be able to feel a space there. And then suddenly in the dark something reared up and struck her a blow on the head. It took her dimming mind a long time to come up with a name for the thing that had hurt her. Armchair. Somehow they’d crawled too far. This was the living room. Meredith was flooded with horror. They’d gone too far – and they couldn’t go out the front door into the midst of magical battle. They would have to backtrack, and this time make sure to find the laundry room, their gate to freedom. Meredith turned around, pul ing Isobel with her, hoping the younger girl would understand what they had to do. She left the stave on the burning living room floor. Elena sobbed to get her breath, even though she was al owing Stefan to help her now. He ran, holding Bonnie by one hand and Elena by the other. Damon was somewhere in front – scouting. It can’t be far now, she kept thinking. Bonnie and I both saw the brightness – we both did. Just then, like a lantern put into a window, Elena saw it again. It’s big, that’s the problem. I keep thinking we should reach it because I have the wrong idea of what size it is in my mind. The closer we get, the bigger it gets. And that’s good for us. We’l need a lot of Power. But we need to get there soon, or it could be al the Power in the universe and it won’t matter. We’l be too late. Shinichi had indicated that they would be too late – but Shinichi had been born a liar. Still, surely just beyond that low branch was†¦ Oh, dear God, she thought. It’s a star ball. How to cite The Return: Midnight Chapter 36, Essay examples

Project Status Reporting Is A Large Array †Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: How Project Status Reporting Is a Large Array? Answer: Introducation Project status reporting is a large array of discussion in the contemporary corporate world. In this paper, I mainly focus on the weekly project status report and the report of overall project status. The weekly project status report gives an overview of the events that have taken place during the seven days of the week. The matters arising from the project are milestones achieved and recommendations. The advantage of using the weekly project reports is that it helps control the flow of information within a team and also helps the team or organization to identify problems that could hinder the success of the project at an earlier stage. (SampleTemplates, 2013). It also helps quantify the work done by the team or the organization within the whole week. Its disadvantages of using the weekly status report are that it is time-consuming. While the management can just make a single whole project report status, they have to make weekly updates rather than investing the time in other disciplines. The other one is that there might be repeating the same information on a weekly basis. Another one is that some of the staff do note put down some of the accomplishments and problems encountered within the week which makes it hard for sourcing. (TeamReporter, 2016) On the other hand, the report of overall project status is a timely and concise report that gives the details about of the whole project the company has done. It gives a glimpse at the milestones achieved, problems encountered and the goals that were set for the project. From the data provided by the project report, it is easy for the management or executive to decide whether to continue investing in the project or to give it up. It also gives the problems that were implied during the project which can be used to benchmark other footer projects the management of an organization may wish to invest into. However, there are some pitfalls in the use of report of overall project status. One of them is that the existence of a divide between the management and the staff may cause misreporting which may pin down the organization. The other one is that if there is a lack of trust between the workers and the executives can also cause misreporting.(Keil, 2014). For improvements to be made there needs to come up a team of experts who will choose one of the status reports and align it with the goals of the most project thus making it more effective and efficient rather than using all of them in the corporate world. The main challenge and pitfall of the traffic lights report are that there are usual mistakes in reporting due to mismanagement of information. Lack of keen understanding of the traffic light rules also may cause misreporting. (Chegg, 2015). There exists some difference between the status reports given to teams, sponsors and the steering committee. The project report prepared for the team is usually inclusive and accommodating.(Sample, 2008) On the other hand, the one for sponsors needs to be made to meet the expectation of the sponsors and is usually made according to the instructions of the sponsor.(SponseredProjectServise, 2008) The one for steering committee is usually subjective to help the committee come up with a well-planned project proposal. The reporting in Agile management approach always gives focus to consumer satisfaction and consumer well-being and is also not reliable to complex information while in traditional approach the report is always cantered on the meeting of timelines and relies on complex definitive information.(Layton, 2016) Conclusion There is a need for a more future study to make more expansive outlook on the topic since much has been left out because of summarization. References Chegg. (2015, July 14). Question: A)Discuss the challenges and pitfalls of traffic l... Retrieved May 5, 2017, from Chegg website: https://www.chegg.com/homework-help/questions-and-answers/discuss-challenges-pitfalls-traffic-light-reports-b-explain-difference-status-reports-prov-q16771229 Keil, M. (2014, March 18). The Pitfalls of Project Status Reporting. Retrieved May 5, 2017, from MITSloan: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-pitfalls-of-project-status-reporting/ Layton, M. C. (2016, September 21). Comparing Agile Project Management and the Traditional Waterfall Method. Retrieved May 5, 2017, from Dummies web site: https://www.dummies.com/careers/project-management/timed-release-product-road-maps/ Sample, J. (2008, April 18). Team report. Retrieved May 5, 2017, from cpp web site: https://www.cpp.com/Pdfs/smp261148.pdf SampleTemplates. (2013, June 23). 10 Sample Weekly Status Report Templates to Download. Retrieved May 5, 2017, from Sample, templates web site: https://www.sampletemplates.com/business-templates/weekly-status-report-template.html SponseredProjectServise. (2008, August 20). Reporting to the Sponsor. Retrieved May 5, 2017, from UOregon Web site: https://orsa.uoregon.edu/index.cfm?toplevcat=awardspage=AW_22_Reporting_to_Sponsor TeamReporter. (2016, April 24). Weekly Status Reports. Retrieved May 5, 2017, from Team Reporter web site: https://www.teamreporterapp.com/weekly-status-reports/

Insatiable Emptiness free essay sample

This is a short read, and I have set twenty minutes aside to work on it. I could probably read this in five minutes but I am setting an extra fifteen minutes to re-read and take notes along the way. 2. The Title, â€Å"An Insatiable Emptiness† The title may suggest that the author will be talking about how much she enjoys revering in her misery. The title can be way of saying that she is struggling deep down inside psychologically. The title may suggest that she is writing about her desire for more of what she knows is bad but has a deep need for whatever it may be. It can also mean that she is depressed and suicidal, perhaps even a drug addict. Does this mean that she weathered the storm and is now better today? 3. The author, Evelyn Lau Evelyn Lau is a writer who was born in Vancouver. She has done work such as written poetry, books, short stories and even autobiography’s. We will write a custom essay sample on Insatiable Emptiness or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Lau is an acclaimed writer whom has won awards such as the Milton Acorn Poetry Award and nominated for the Governor’s General Award. Her first book, Runaway: Diary of a Street Kid (1989) was a Canadian best seller and was made into a CBC-TV movie. Her latest book, Inside out: Reflections on a Life So Far, was published in 2001. Her small biography shows her to be a woman who is strong willed and has been through a lot. This may be an indicator as to what I will be reading, which may be an autobiography about her and perhaps her struggles with drugs. 4. The source of the article This is one of Evelyn Lau’s personal journals which appeared in one of her novels: Georgia Straight (1995). 5. Visual Cues to meaning There were no bold or italic words throughout the whole article, so, I read the first paragraph for visual cues. Through the first paragraph I see that Lau will be talking about her battle with bulimia and how it all started and what the results of her making critical decisions are now. I also see that she learnt how to make herself vomit easier by reading it in a woman’s magazine. This could suggest that the woman’s magazine played a hand in making her a full fledged bulimic because before she read it she â€Å"inexpert† and having troubles making herself throw up. Since this essay is an example of a cause and effect essay I believe that through reading the first paragraph that the author will likely be going through the process of her becoming a bulimic and the effects of it now. 6. Create a road map for your reading? Who did she hurt by doing this to herself? What were the causes and effects of her actions? Where did she go for help, if she did? When did this all happen to her? Why didn’t she get any help before it all got out of hand? How did she deal with her illness?

Identifying and Controlling Powdery Mildew on Trees

Identifying and Controlling Powdery Mildew on Trees Powdery mildew is a common disease that appears as a white powdery substance on a tree  leaf surface. The powdery appearance comes from millions of tiny fungal spores, which are spread in air currents to cause new infections. Powdery mildew attacks all kinds of landscape plants, including trees. Fortunately, although the disease is disfiguring, it rarely kills a tree.   Almost any tree species can be affected by powdery mildew, but the most common are maple, basswood, dogwood, lilac, magnolia, crabapple, catalpa, and oaks.   Identification Powdery mildew disease  is caused by many different species of fungi, with Erysiphe cichoacearum reported to be the most common culprit.   According to the University of Minnesota:   Powdery mildew appears as superficial growth on plant surfaces and is seen as white to gray powdery spots, blotches or felt-like mats on leaves, stems, and buds.Infected plants may appear to be sprinkled with baby powder or covered in cobwebs.The disease is often most severe on young leaves, water sprouts, and green shoots.Once severely infected, leaves may turn yellow and fall prematurely during the growing season.In some plants, leaves turn purple to red around the infection.In late summer/early fall, tiny round orange to black balls form within white fungal mats.Most prevalent when outdoor conditions consist of cool temperatures with high humidity; however, it can be seen in warm, dry conditions as well.The disease is most severe on plants or plant parts in shaded areas with poor air movement (interior or lower branches). Biology of the Fungus Some powdery mildew fungi survive winter inside structures known as chasmothecium, which contain the spores. In spring, the chasmothecium rupture to release spores that are then spread by the wind. Other species of powdery mildew survive the winter as a dormant fungus in the infected buds or shoot tips. In spring, these spores start new infections on new plant growth. As the growing season progresses, news spores are produced and transferred to new plants on the wind.   Prevention Powdery mildew is rarely a tree killer,  but it can disfigure specimens in the landscape. It is a product of moist conditions and is usually seen in the wetter spring and fall seasons. In many  areas, powdery mildew is virtually unavoidable during the most humid parts of the period from spring through fall. Once dryer weather returns, the fungus usually retreats. It may not be necessary to treat the fungus at all, but certain measures may prevent it from becoming prevalent. This humidity-loving fungus can be controlled only if moisture can be controlled. Dont plant trees in heavily-shaded areas and provide plenty of space for air movement and growing room. Prune trees and shrubs to improve air movement between the branches. Additional methods for controlling powdery mildew: Choose disease-resistant varieties whenever possible. Mildew-resistant cultivars are available for many plants.Do not overcrowd plants. Adequate spacing improves air circulation and reduces powdery mildew infection.Prune the tree or shrub to increase light penetration and improve air circulation throughout the canopy. But avoid excessive pruning of infected plants- do your pruning during inactive periods.  Avoid fertilizing trees and shrubs when they are suffering from powdery mildew. Fertilizing stimulates new growth and may hasten the spread of the fungal infection.  Do not compost infected branches or leaves. The spores will remain in the compost and may infect other plants.   Controlling Powdery Mildew Commercial fungicides will kill powdery mildew, but many experts advise using these toxic chemicals only on specimen plants that are highly prized since the fungus rarely kills trees.   Chemical fungicide treatments that kill powdery mildew include : Thiophanate methylChlorothalonilSulfur (but not for sulfur-sensitive plants such as viburnum)Potassium bicarbonate Sulfer is perhaps the most common fungicide for powdery mildew. Spray wettable sulfur onto affected leaves at the recommended rate specified by the label. Sulfur may injure tender foliage, especially in hot weather, so be careful. Do not use sulfur on walnuts, as injury may occur. Where important plants have a history of powdery mildew infection, treat them preemptively, before the fungus appears.   A somewhat effective non-chemical treatment is to spray the plants with a mixture of household baking soda and water.

Issue in contemporary auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Issue in contemporary auditing - Essay Example Governance Reporting Reporting is a vital way of sharing financial information. Therefore, it will be our responsibility to report to you on whether the financial accounts have been arranged according to the accounting strategies as stated by you. Furthermore, we would report according to auditing process undertaken by us, on whether anything has emerged to our consideration for specifying that the revenue figure described in financial reports has not been appropriately extracted from book of records, or book of records do not record and clarify the transactions, with respect to the understanding of activity. Scope of Work Our auditing process will include those activities we consider essential to allow us to report on the aspects of financial reporting and will comprise evaluating information and descriptions provided to us for conducting such investigations about the managers as we believe essential. It is to clarify you that we are not liable for the maintenance of bookkeeping rec ords of the business, however we shall be pleased to advise on these aspects if required. The financial statements will have a declaration for your approval for having every relevant accounting record. As a consequence of our tasks, we can be capable of providing suggestions on improvements that can be made to the accounting records. Nevertheless, our work must not be dependent on the disclosure of misdeeds. However, if an examination is required particularly to detect misdeeds, it can be independently conducted on request (The Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland, 2003). Applicable Legislation The engagement letter will be administered by and construed according to International Standards on Auditing (ISA) 540 and pertinent national standards and practices. ISA deals in duties of auditors with respect to fair value bookkeeping and associated financial disclosures. These standards necessitate that we plan and perform the audit in order to attain practical assurance r egarding if the prepared financial statements determined to be are free from misstatements or not. Restriction on Audit Liability Due to the characteristics of audit and other inherent restrictions, there is always inevitable risk of financial mistreatments to remain undiscovered (Financial Reporting Council, 2012). Agreement on Terms We will look forward towards complete collaboration with your employees and we believe that they will provide us whatever we require to accomplish our tasks. The fees will be based on the time required for addressing the required tasks along with other additional expenses. Once these terms are agreed, the letter would be effective until it is changed. Please confirm us about your agreement with the provided terms by signing this letter and returning to us. Yours Sincerely, Loughran and Shrives Chartered Accountants Acknowledged on behalf of Land Securities Group Plc by Signature: Date: Ethical Issues Leaflet The leaflet deals in legal and ethical impli cations of audit. It provides the standards to which we are committed to maintain utmost professional and ethical standards in order to assist our clients about quality auditing. Integrity The first ethical issue is integrity. It states that we will undertake the auditing tasks and responsibilities with the utmost level of intelligence and integrity. Our work will be

Fermentation Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fermentation - Lab Report Example Maltose is a disaccharide which is composed of two units of glucose joined with an ÃŽ ±(1→4) bond. The enzyme maltase splits the maltose into simple glucose molecules which are further transformed by yeast into carbon dioxide and water. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is common yeast normally used in the baking and brewing industry due to the ability of this organism to ferment carbohydrates such as glucose and maltose to produce alcohol. This organism has been used since the ancient times. S. cerevisiae can be differentiated from other yeasts based on its growth characteristics and the physiological trait of fermenting individual sugars (US environmental protection agency n.p). In this experiment, the dependent variables were the concentrations of maltose while the independent variables were the temperature and yeast concentrations. The aim of this experiment was to determine the effect of maltose on the production of carbon dioxide during fermentation. The hypotheses formulated included: Four different flasks were each labelled in triplicates according to the concentrations of maltose used in the experiment. They were labelled as different concentrations of 10% maltose solution 5ml, 10ml, 15ml and water in triplicates. The corresponding concentrations of the maltose were then added to the flasks and mixed with yeast suspension, mixed and incubated. The respirometer was then prepared to take 3ml of the different solutions and 1ml of air. The syringes containing the solution were attached to a 1ml pipette and a droplet of water allowed into the pipette. This allowed for the carbon dioxide produced in the fermentation process to cause a rise in the water droplet which was measured after an interval of 10 minutes. The means of the data obtained from the readings were compared using students paired samples t-test. The results obtained indicated that the concentrations of carbon dioxide produced generally increased depending on the amount of time. Comparison of the

Response to No Reservations Saudi Arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Response to No Reservations Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The video captures the Social status and traditional aspects through Danya’s explanation that indicates that not every place they can visit and find porches. The western culture is unacceptable for women in Saudi Arabia, which is indicated by the type of clothes worn by the people of Saudi Arabians. In addition, they depend on the old ways of transportation, which is the use of camels. Consequently, the country has engraved traditional ways of doing things. The video show the Saudi mall that is full modernized women clothes, which contradicts the rule women are supposed to cover themselves from head to toe. It is evident throughout the video that the Jeddah is about 95% desert and Saudi Arabians spend their time by trapping lizards to eat. Saudi Arabians have unique cultural practices and advocate for gender discrimination against women as shown from the video. The food taken, clothes worn and the lifestyle shown in the video clearly shows that the people of Saudi Arabia are far from modern western

The Concept Of Laicite In France

The Concept Of Laicite In France In France laÃÆ' ¯cità © has shaped the relation between religion and the State through enhancing a separation between them. This separation has been possible thanks to the existence of a legislation that has relatively succeeded in drawing the lines for both sides. However, the societal developments have influenced their relations and raised many questions about the States role in the face of the challenges on the ground. And so laÃÆ' ¯cità © in theory has been found to be incompatible with laÃÆ' ¯cità © in practice. How laÃÆ' ¯cità © has been challenged over the past years and how the State has reacted towards the influence of religion are major issues. Therefore, should laÃÆ' ¯cità © accommodate itself in view of the changing facts on the ground? The debate is now whether laÃÆ' ¯cità © is a rigid concept that refuses to change and recognize the role of religion and peoples rights to freedom of belief, or a dynamic concept that embraces multiculturalism and f osters religious groups rights without affecting the neutrality of the State. So this paper will answer the question about whether laÃÆ' ¯cità © is a rigid or a dynamic concept in view of the challenges facing the State. French laÃÆ' ¯cità © is taken as a case study in order to scrutinize to this question. The paper starts with a definition of laÃÆ' ¯cità ©, it traces historical facts about its evolution, highlights the challenges that it has encountered, identifies the new laÃÆ' ¯cità © forms before concluding on its capacity to adapt to societal developments. 2 Definition of LaÃÆ' ¯cità © Quite a good number of researchers tend to use the laÃÆ' ¯cità © and secularization interchangeably in their works about the place of religion and the relation between state and religion. In fact the two terms hold different definitions regarding the connection between religion and state. Though in English the word secularization to describe the relationship between them, the French word laÃÆ' ¯cità © is used also in English to refer to the unique separation between religious institutions and the state. According to Olivier Roy (7-8: 2007) the two terms are dissimilar. On the one hand, secularization is a social phenomenon that does not require a political implementation and is not anti-religious and anti-clerical, and so the place is defined by the people themselves. On the other, laÃÆ' ¯cità © is a political choice that defines the place of religion in an authoritarian, legal manner, and so it is decreed by the state which organizes public space. Roy adds that it is a b ody of laws before being a system of thought (p.17). The term laÃÆ' ¯cità © was first used in the 1870s, as were its counter parts the verb laÃÆ' ¯ciser (to secularise) and the nouns laicisation (the action and the result of laÃÆ' ¯cità ©) and laÃÆ' ¯cisme (the doctrine of laÃÆ' ¯cità ©) (Jansen 476:2006). Moreover, the two terms are contrasted in this way à   la diffà ©rence du processus de sà ©cularisation mouvement qui sinscrit sur une longue durà ©e, la laÃÆ' ¯cità © relà ¨ve plutà ´t dune volontà © de la politique à ©tatique qui dà ©finit a la fois les institutions et une vie sociale conforme à   ses principes(Gà ¶le 77:2005). In this view, secularization is a social process that has evolved over a long period of time, while laÃÆ' ¯cità © entails a political decision on the state level. The historian Jean Bauberot has argued that laÃÆ' ¯cità © was the result of a condition in which the state had to destabilize religious institutions mainly Catholic- to assert its authority and ensure democratic liberties, whereas secularization should be viewed as a cultural transformation that has taken place mostly in countries with a Protestant culture (Caron 115:2007). Blandine Kriegel, president of the High Council for Integration, in an interview published in Le Monde defines laÃÆ' ¯cità © as follows: Tout simplement la neutralità © de lespace public qui permet à   une pluralità © de croyance et à   une multiplicità © de citoyens ayant des croyances diffà ©rentes de vivre ensemble de faà §on tolà ©rantes et respectueuses les uns des autres. 3 Evolution of LaÃÆ' ¯cità © After the Revolution of 1789, one finds two Frances. In one camp, there are those defending the notion of a homeland founded on the Catholic Church and the army, often being anti-Protestant, anti-Jew and anti-freemason; they are conservative, even reactionary, and often monarchist. In the other camp, one finds the defenders of the republican ideals of 1789 founded on Reason (not on Catholicism), freedom, religious tolerance, a strict separation between the public and the private domains (Brulard 176:2002. Moreover, a law that separated the Church from the State and abolished Le Concordat of 1801 was voted by la Chambre in July 1905 and by le Sà ©nat on 9 December 1905. Since then, France has had neither official religion nor a privileged religion (Brudy/Marcon 3:1995). The 1905 law complemented the 1901 law which forbade secular associations from having religious activities (Brulard 177:2002). It is important to point out that this law was not negotiated with the religious institutions since it was a legislative act; it is based on the principle of freedom of conscience; it is the implementation of the principle of laÃÆ' ¯cità ©; and it is however, not a creation of the State, it is fundamentally the realization of a long struggle for the human liberation and the secularization of the society (Scot 54-56: 2005). In order to protect the republican nature of the State, Republicans needed to develop an ideology that could replace Catholic Morality and that would spread the ideal of secular citizenship across the country (Jansen 477:2006). In a report titled Rapport sur la laÃÆ' ¯cità © et lobligation de là ©cole primaire the school is viewed as follows: Là ©cole devra donc à ªtre ce quon appelle en France laÃÆ' ¯que, en Hollande neutre, et dans les pays anglo-amà ©ricain unsectarian. (Journal Officiel de la Rà ©publique franà §aise, du 26 mai 1880) On 28 of March 1882 came the law known as the Ferry Law after the Minister of Public Instruction Jules Ferry, which effectively laicized public education (Fetzer/Soper 70:2005). In fact public education became crucial to prevent people from voting for an authoritarian (Catholic) regime (Jansen 477:2006). In 1946, after the trauma of war and occupation, the principle of laÃÆ' ¯cità © was enshrined in the constitution, and is one of the major characteristics of the republican state: France is an indivisible, secular, democratic, and social republic (Article 2 of the Constitution). In addition, the State does not subsidize the religious institutions according to Article 2 and guarantees freedom of worship according to Article 1. It is also important to mention in this respect that not only did the changes on the ground contribute to the shaping of the idea of secularism; but there were also the French Protestants, for whom, the cause of laÃÆ' ¯cità © was synonymous with that of freedom: their wish was to reconcile religion and freedom (Brulard 177:2002). The Protestants found refuge in laÃÆ' ¯cità © as it is the only guarantee for them as a minority to practice their religion without being discriminated against. As we have seen so far laÃÆ' ¯cità © was used, and is still used, to confront the influence of religion. Olivier Roy says that laÃÆ' ¯cità ©, historically a matter of dispute between the republican state and the Catholic Church is founded on anti-clericalism (18:2007). However, it aimed not to exclude believers but to define a space of neutrality (Roy 21:2007). 4 Challenges Confronting LaÃÆ' ¯cità © Since the 1970s, immigration penetrated the public and political spheres as a social problem of ethnic / cultural relations. From guest-workers, factors of production, immigrants came to be perceived as objects of political controversy defined in terms of citizenship and identity (Inà ¨s 182:2002) The debate about laÃÆ' ¯cità © started in the school. The school system is described as a sanctuary for preserving the French laÃÆ' ¯cità ©. The new diagnoses related to the threats against laÃÆ' ¯cità © emerged in school (Bertossi 17:2006). In 1989, two girls in Creil came to class wearing Muslim scarves. This raised a legal challenge to laÃÆ' ¯cità © as there are no school uniforms in French state schools, and it was unclear whether there was an explicit rule preventing pupils from wearing religious symbols (Laborde 52:2008). Since the republican school was conceived as a microcosm of republican political society: within its walls, children would learn to become citizens, a shared public identity that transcend their local, cultural and religious affiliations (Laborde 49:2008) Consequently, any religious sign is considered as a threat to the particularity of the educational system, which is supposed to be neutral, and of course a threat to the ideals of the Republic . The legislation of 15 of March 2004 reversed the 1905 approach to laÃÆ' ¯cità ©; instead of being an abstract principle of State neutrality. It was converted into an identity principle; instead of being exceptional cases of proselytism, according to the 1989 State Councils decision, the interdiction became the common law (Bertossi 19:2006). As a result of this law, laÃÆ' ¯cità © is no longer a matter of the place of religion and its relationship with the State, but rather it is a matter of the French identity (17:2006). This has shifted the discussion about laÃÆ' ¯cità © from its being discriminating against religious minorities to a national issue that concerns every French. 4. 1 The Challenge of Multiculturalism In France multiculturalism is looked down upon because it is perceived to reinforce particularist and divisive identities that threaten the unified French identity. It is believed that associating laÃÆ' ¯cità © with multiculturalism and the recognition of identità ©s collectives is the emphasis of the religious identities, and this emphasis will lead to the fragmentation of the society and pose a threat to liberty since the radical religious people will keep making more pressure (Cohen 5:2007). In the French approach towards the cultural diversity, individuals are to adhere to the body of the nation; they have to adhere to the national values. This model is often referred to as assimilationist because it does not admit the others difference of cultural particularism (Inà ¨s 183:2002). In the 1970s, the concept of assimilation was challenged because it was found that the State did not have the right to erase the regional or ethnic differences. As a result, the term integration was introduced to refer to an open process in which the fundamental values of French society have to be preserved, but without incurring total renunciation of the immigrants original culture(Inà ¨s 183;2002). The efficiency of integration measures is somewhat doubtful, as politicians on the Left and on the Right keep advocating policies which are contradictory: integrating on the one hand and control on the other (183: 2002). Since laÃÆ' ¯cità © has been also associated with the national identity as I have mentioned earlier, it is endangered since there some minorities which have debated the national history and all the controversial issues during the period of the French colonization. Some of these cultural minorities which come from French-colonized countries raise other issues besides the one related to religion. And so, multiculturalism in this context is seen as a threat to the universal values of Enlightenment that was at the basis of all the advancement in France (Cohen 7:2007). 4.2 The Challenge of Religious Groups The diversity inside the religious groups brings up the issue of the contradiction between the States position based on the constitution which requires it to intervene in the religious matters lordre privà ©, and the right of the small religious groups to equality (Cohen 4:2007). For instance, in Islam women are not considered as equal to men, however, men and women are equal according to the French values. Therefore, should the State intervene in matters pertaining to internal religious issues? If the State is to be involved directly in such sensitive issues for a reason or another, the social pressure is building up to push the State to impose equality between men and women (Cohen 4:2007). Moreover, the problem of the sects in France comes to the surface whenever the debate about laÃÆ' ¯cità © starts, even when the attention is, as it the case most of the time, directed to Islam as an issue of controversy. The sects are weighed in the same manner like the radical and dangerous groups which tend to be violent. The challenge is that the as long as the sects do not resemble any of the known monotheistic religions or Buddhism or Hinduism, they remain unrecognized by the State (Gà ¶le 3: 2005). Therefore, the question is whether the State should intervene on one side to ensure that equality is granted to all religious groups and on the other, to control the groups classified as dangerous (like the sects and the extremist groups). When these two conflicting issues are addressed to the State in order to resolve them, it is confronted with the Law of 1905, separation between the State and the Church and the neutrality of the State in regard to internal religious affairs ( Cohen 2:2007). In other words Olivier Roy adds that the phenomenon of sects is troubling to the French society, and the temptation to legislate against them is as strong as in the case of Islam (Roy 6: 2007). The challenge is to give a place to religions in the public domain without running the risk of any of them becoming hegemonic and recovering their institutional authority on individuals conscience. While the conception of laÃÆ' ¯cità © confines religion to the private domain, the headscarf affair raised the issue of social dimension of religion and demonstrated that religion and the surrounding society are far more intricately interrelated (Inà ¨s 186: 2002). In the light of the ongoing changes in the demographic texture in the French society, changes linked to the growing influence of religious minorities on the one hand on their own members and on the other, on the State itself, which should be neutral towards religion. Since the sects are gaining a place in France, the State is in a position of either legislating laws against them or accommodating them within the French society. But the question is who is to be recognized, so some criteria are developed to legalize the sects. Again the State is facing the challenge of deciding which sect can be considered as eligible for its respect global de lordre public (Cohen 3:2007). Besides, the debate goes even further in relation to religion. Which religion is defined as a religion by the State? To this end, the State has to include or exclude some religious groups. In both cases, it risks losing its impartiality, a value enshrined by the constitution. To expound the previous point, the secular State has no competence when it comes to assessing the validity of doctrine. In the case of the Church of Scientology in 1997, the ruling of the court was based on the fact that freedom of belief is one of the fundamental elements of French public liberties expressed in Article of the 1789 Declaration of Human and Citizens Rights and that article 1 of the Separation Law ensures freedom of conscience and beliefs subject to observance of public order, and considering article 9 of the European Convention recognizing religious freedom for all persons. (Proeschel 14: 2008). The ruling stated that there is thus no point in wondering whether the Church of Scientology constitutes a sect or a religion, as freedom of belief is absolute, that to the extent a religion can be defined by coincidence of two elements, an objective element, the existence of a community, even a small one, and a subjective element shared faith, the Church of Scientology can cl aim the title of a religion and develop its activities in all freedom, within the framework of the existing laws, including its missionary activities, or even those of proselytism (Proeschel 14:2007). The Commission Stasi published a report on 11 of December 2003 in which it recommended the interdiction of religious signs in public schools as well as the fight against urban and social discrimination against racism and anti-Semitism, the appointment of Muslim chaplain in public institutions such as hospitals, prisons and the military and the creation of new public holidays. Only the first recommendation was finally implemented with 15 March 2004 and became a law. Yet, this law has been criticized over the compatibility of such ban with European Convention on Human Rights. In their turn official republicans point out to a number of decisions by the European Court of Human Rights which have recognized that a state like Turkey which is the only other laÃÆ' ¯que state in Europe may have a legitimate interest in preserving a secular public sphere (Laborde 59: 2008). Furthermore, the French State reacted towards the growing challenge of Islam by setting up a committee at the initiative of the Ministry of the Interior and Religions and chaired by Jean-Pierre Machelon who made a report in 2006. He came up with a plan to enable local authorities to make direct grants for construction of buildings for religious purposes within their boundaries (Proeschel 11:2008). Given the challenges facing the State, new laÃÆ' ¯cità © politics developed around two main issues. On the one hand, it focused on the so-called fight against collective ethnic and religious identities, what is referred to as communautarisme. On the other, counter- arguments emphasized the anti-discrimination agenda and used notions such as Islamophobia to describe the new context. The issue of gender equality appeared at the intersection of both lines of this debate (Bertossi 17:2006) In a report for the United Nations Commission on Human Rights titled Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Religious Intolerance submitted in 2005 by Asma Jahangir, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief, the Special Rapporteur has observed that the government may have contributed to a climate of general suspicion and intolerance towards those communities on the list created by the National Assembly in 1996, of movements and groups classified as sects (109). And the report adds [a] number of improvements à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦remain to be carried out to ensure that the right to freedom of religion or belief of all individuals is guaranteed (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) (110). And in paragraph 97 in the report, the Special Rapportuer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦considers that a thorough assessment of [laÃÆ' ¯cità ©s] application in the present context of religious pluralism is a necessary process in democratic society based on the rule of the law. 5 Forms of LaÃÆ' ¯cità ©s As a result of the controversies about laÃÆ' ¯cità © and the changes that have taken place in the French society; flow of immigrants with different cultural heritages and religions. The French State has found itself in a position where it needs to make decisions and respond to the rights of the religious groups. Two types of laÃÆ' ¯cità © have developed throughout past years; the soft laÃÆ' ¯cità © and the strict laÃÆ' ¯cità ©. The dichotomies between the two show the degree to which laÃÆ' ¯cità © is being challenged in the French society. Many of the supporters of soft laÃÆ' ¯cità © accuse the proponents of the strict form of trying to make secularist laÃÆ' ¯cità © the state religion in France (Fetzer/Soper 74:2005). In fact, Olivier Roy says that laÃÆ' ¯cità © is moving towards becoming a dogma (22:2007). A few defenders of soft laÃÆ' ¯cità © also lament that the strict version tends to sterilize the society of all cultural diversity and to strip public school students of all individuality (Fetzer/Soper 75:2005). In her book Critical Republicanism The Hijab Controversy and Political Philosophy, Cecile Laborde exposes the ongoing debate about laÃÆ' ¯cità © and identifies two versions of tolerant republican laÃÆ' ¯cità © towards the case for allowing religious signs in the schools. The first version, secular laÃÆ' ¯cità ©, it might be an appealing ideal, but on no plausible interpretation does it mandate that school childrens right to wear religious clothing be restricted. The second version of tolerant republican challenge goes further, and casts doubts on the laÃÆ' ¯que ideal itself (80:2008). She also adds in her criticism of the tolerant laÃÆ' ¯cità © the following: As separation is no more than a historical myth, and the French public sphere is far from neutral in the laÃÆ' ¯que sense, contextual fairness demands that privileges historically granted to Catholics be extended to minority religions such as Islam. Tolerant republicanism, therefore, substitutes pragmatic even-handedness between religious groups to abstentionist neutrality, and allows for the recognition of collective religious identities in the public sphere (80:2008). In addition to the two versions of tolerant republican laÃÆ' ¯cità ©, comes official republican ideal of laÃÆ' ¯cità ©, according to which, republican equality is best promoted through maintenance of secular nature of public sphere and non-interference by the state in religious matters. Finally, critical republicans in contrast to both official and tolerant republicans explicitly confront this complex question and believe that answering it would go a long way towards addressing the legitimate grievances of Muslims in relation to the existing practices of European State (Laborde 89:2008). Critical republicans tend to be fairly tolerant of the religious expression of ordinary citizens, but they adopt a less tolerant stance towards display of religious allegiance or support by the state institutions (86:2008). All in all, there are three attitudes that can be defined in relation to laÃÆ' ¯cità ©. Some, advocating an open laÃÆ' ¯cità © , are concerned with the free exercise of religion, but are also tempered by a revision of the 1905 law. Those favoring a laÃÆ' ¯cità © in movement are sensitive to social and religious change, but remain faithful to the history of the secular ideal. Finally, the more militant laics defend the French republican model by denouncing the dangers of communautarisme and calling for the strengthening of the 1905 law (Caron 117: 2007). 6 Conclusion In the light of the societal developments in the French society, laÃÆ' ¯cità © has encountered great challenges stemming mainly from the claims by the cultural and religious minorities. These minorities, and in particular, Muslims, have simply demanded that their rights to freedom of belief and expression be guaranteed by laÃÆ' ¯cità ©, but instead of granting them their rights, they have been confined to more restrictions in expressing these rights. Ironically, their requests have been estimated to be a threat to laÃÆ' ¯cità © and, of course, to the national identity. There is no doubt that laÃÆ' ¯cità © has evolved over the past years; an open form has come to existence as a result of the stagnation in the process of recognizing the religious groups rights More than one hundred years has passed since the 1905 Law, and the sects and other religious groups are still seeking the States recognition. Though laÃÆ' ¯cità © requires the State to be neutral in matters of religion as they belong to the private domain (lordre privà ©), it has practically failed to curb the States intervention in the internal affairs of the religious groups. Ingemund Hagg says in a paper presented in 2005 in Bulgaria that là ©tat laÃÆ' ¯que is an ideal but 100 years of French history shows that it is difficult to obtain, it has to develop in steps, and within new steps in accordance with societal development in each particular country Consequently, the fact that laicite is not perceived in the same way by its proponents; some believe that it is the only guarantee for freedom of belief and that the State instead of being neutral is abusing the rights of religious minorities under the pretext of protecting laÃÆ' ¯cità © itself. Therefore, laÃÆ' ¯cità © does not, as Claude Proeschel says in the end of her article French LaÃÆ' ¯cità © Confronted with New Challenges involve ignoring religious facts. It requires not mere tolerance on the part of the State, but active organization(15:2007). In that sense, it does embrace differences, but its implementation by the State that renders it rigid. As a result, laÃÆ' ¯cità © as a concept is rigid given the States practices towards the religious groups, but again it is dynamic regarding the controversies about it; different trends of laÃÆ' ¯cità © soft or open. Therefore, in theory, it is dynamic, but in practice, it is rigid. No. of Characters is 23 282.

Candide Essay -- essays research papers

CANDIDE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Candide was a true believer in Pangloss’ theory that all was well in the world. â€Å"Pangloss proved admirably that there is no effect without a cause and that in this best of all possible worlds†¦things cannot be otherwise for since everything is made for an end, everything is necessarily for the best end. Observe that noses were made to wear spectacles; and so we have spectacles. Legs were visibly instituted to be breeched, and we have breeches.†(p.4) Even though these ideas can be considered illogical in real life. Candide and the rest of the people living in the Baron’s castle never questioned the validity of Pangloss’ philosophy. Maybe their conformity was due to a lack of experience, the belief at the time that doctors and philosophers were always right, or obvious but inconsistent truths like â€Å"The Baron was one of the most powerful lords in Westphalia, for his castle possessed a door and windows†. Although it wa s obvious that the Baron was powerful, the doors and windows of his castle have nothing to do with the Baron’s power. Candide was obviously naà ¯ve, but so were most of the characters in the story, since they didn't bother to question Pangloss' philosophy either. Voltaire was not writing this story for the sole purpose of entertainment. It is obvious that Voltaire was also trying to make readers reflect on their own beliefs so that they might see their hypocrisy. â€Å"All is well in the world† could have referred to the mindset of the people living sheltered from the real world, such as the clergy and higher class. As the story continues, Candide finds out that all is not well in the world. The first event that Candide encountered should have been proof enough that all was not well in the world. Voltaire uses an Ironic approach when talking about the war. When Candide had been wondering the streets after getting kicked out of the Baron’s castle, two men came up to him and asked him if he was five feet tall, when he answered â€Å"yes, gentlemen, that is my height†, civilly they invited him to dinner. They said, â€Å"men were meant to help each other†. Candide was then trained in the Bulgarian army and forced to train to fight the Abarians in war. Candide’s belief in Pangloss’ Philosophy was tested for the first time. How can all be well when so much killing is going on around him? Candide was confused on why he couldn’t just... ... her, â€Å"She reminded Candide of his promises in so peremptory a tone that Candide dared not refuse her†. Just like Pangloss, Candide refused to go back on something he had believed in at one point and went ahead with the wedding even though he had not the least with to marry Cunegonde. Candide must have realized at this point that not all works for the best in this world. After leaving Eldorado, Candide thought that finding Cunegonde would make him happy. He now finds that nothing worked out how he expected. Pangloss said to Candide: â€Å"All events are linked up in this best of all possible worlds; for, if you had not been expelled from the noble castle, by hard kicks in your backside for love of Miss Cunegonde, if you had not been clapped into the Inquisition, if you had not wandered about America on foot, if you had not stuck your sword in the Baron, if you had not lost all your sheep from the land of Eldorado, you would not be eating candied citrons and pistachio s here.† To which he replies, â€Å"’tis well said, but we must cultivate our gardens.† Candide realized that even though things work out in the end, it’s not always for the best; there must still be some hardship along the way.