A Marxist View Of Crime And Punishment. Dostoevsky’S Crime

A Marxist View of Crime and Punishment Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment demonstrates the hardships of exclusion from Russia’s society in the 1900’s. Raskolnikov loiters about the streets of Saint Petersburg while trying to make friends with people even though he will end up stabbing them in the back later on.. Crime and Punishment has a recurring Marxist theme where Raskolnikov becomes a proletarian leader driven by the famous idea of Nietzschean, ubermensch ideology. Although, in comparison to Nietzsche’s major philosophy of a Napoleonic will to rule, Dostoevsky reforms his characters with Christian forgiveness. This essay is showing the analyzation of Crime and Punishment as if it were a Marxist piece of literature that shows the†¦show more content†¦An example of this is when her husband dies and she overspends on an exotic funeral even though her financial situation doesn’t necessarily allow for it at all.The idea comes from a risky made up lie to prove to other that she ca me from nobility, â€Å"[†¦she wanted to show] that she had been brought up ‘in a noble, one might even say aristocratic, colonel’s house,’ and was not at all prepared for sweeping the floor herself and washing the children’s rags at night†. Ivanovna’s current position shows the case of hopelessness that Raskolnikov is always being shown in Saint Petersburg. The sociopathic mental illness Ivanovna suffers from is pathetic. Her tries at becoming apart of the upper class falls apart when she gets in an argument with her landlord which shows everyone that she isn t aristocratic at all. The lower class struggle of exclusion from the upper class is made even more real due to the lack of economic power and the desperate need to dictate social determinism. Furthermore, Ivanovna’s step daughter and Raskolnikov’s paradigmatic, savior Sonya, was forced to become a prostitute to support and sustain her family. Luzhin is the prime example of the marxist antagonist in Crime and Punishment. He is also the fiancà © of Dunya who happens to be Raskolnikov’s sister. Luzhin’s lust for ultimate control and dominance is shown is hisShow MoreRelated Reason for the Weak1992 Words   |  8 Pagesand moral principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless can lead to chaos and suffering of a society. With Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoevsky portrays that Russian nihilism, a philosophy based on extreme rationalism, will never successfully exist because it inherently contradicts human emotions, through the relentless examination of Raskolnikov’s experiences in a Marxist society. In his own personal philosophy, Raskolnikov’s alienation from society leads him to believe that he is superiorRead MoreLiterature and Politics the Impact of Dostoevsky9582 Words   |  39 PagesDOSTOEVSKY Dostoevsky and the Legend of the Grand Inquisitor, by Vasily Rozanov. Translated and with an Afterword by Spencer E. Roberts. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1972. Pp. xi. 232. $12.50. Political Apocalypse. A Study of Dostoevskys Grand Inquisitor, by Ellis Sandoz. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1971, Pp. xviii. 263. $13.50.* ostoevskys great novels have spawned a vast library of critical 1/literature, a library which extends well beyond traditionalRead MoreExistentialism vs Essentialism23287 Words   |  94 Pagesdid not possess them, it would cease to be. There are other sorts of properties that an object possesses but that do not make the object what it is. Furthermore, essentialism holds that natural things do have essences. * In the existentialist view, the problem of being must take precedence over that knowledge in philosophical investigations. Being cannot be made a subject of objective enquiry; it is revealed to individual by reflection on his own unique concrete existence in time and space.

Doctor Faustus as Tragic Hero Essay examples - 3317 Words

Doctor Faustus as Tragic Hero Doctor Faustus died a death that few could bear to imagine, much less experience. After knowing for many years when exactly he would die, he reached the stroke of the hour of his destiny in a cowardly, horrid demeanor. Finally, when the devils appeared at the stroke of midnight, tearing at his flesh as they draw him into his eternal torment, he screams for mercy without a soul, not even God Himself, to help him. However, what to consider Doctor John Faustus from Christopher Marlows dramatic masterpiece The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus is a very debatable issue. For example, one can see that he threw his life away for the sake of knowledge, becoming obsessed with the†¦show more content†¦He was the eldest son of John Marlowe of the Shoemakers Guild and Katherine Arthur, a Dover girl of yeoman stock (Henderson 275). Upon graduating Kings School, Canterbury, he received a six-year scholarship to Cambridge upon the condition that he studies for the church. He went to Cambridge, but had to be reviewed by the Privy Council before the university could award him his M.A. degree because of his supposed abandonment of going to church. He was awarded his degree in July of 1587 at the age of twenty-three after the Privy Council had convinced Cambridge authorities that he had behaved himself orderly and discreetly whereby he had done Her Majesty good service (Henderson 276). After this, he completed his education from Cambridge over a period of six years. During this time he wrote some plays, including Hero and Leander, along with translating others, such as Ovids Amores and Book I of Lucans Pharsalia (Henderson 276). During the next five years he lived in London where he wrote and produced some of his plays and traveled a great deal on government commissions, something that he had done while trying t o earn his M.A. degree. In 1589, however, he was imprisoned for taking part in a street fight in which a man was killed; later he was discharged with a warning to keep the peace (Henderson 276). He failed to do so; three years later he wasShow MoreRelatedDoctor Faustus As A Tragic Hero3066 Words   |  13 PagesTragical History of Doctor Faustus in times of philosophical and religious debate. This was also a time when people began to openly explore the forbidden knowledge of magic as a way of testing the religious parameters set in the Renaissance period. Aristotle has basic characteristics that involve making a person a tragic hero in a story. A character must be noble, respected, knowledgeable, but also human and not perfect. Doctor Faustus exhibits these characteristics. Faustus is an intelligent manRead MoreChristopher Marlowe s Dr. Faustus1706 Words   |  7 PagesChristopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus is a complex character. Whether or not to feel pity for the misguided scholar is a debatable issue, but he does seem to possess some â€Å"evil† qualities. Some consider him a tragic hero, while others would argue he better fulfills the role of a villain. But really, who is Dr. Faustus? Taking into consideration the defining characteristics of both the tragic hero and the villain while comparing them to the doctor leads one to the conclusion that Faustus does not completelyRead MoreDr Faustus as a Tragedy855 Words   |  4 PagesQ.1. Discuss Dr Faustus as a tragedy. Tragedy – Definition Aristotle defines a tragedy as a ‘representation of an action which is important, complete and limited in length. It is enacted not recited and by arousing pity and fear, it gives an outlet to emotions of this type.’ However, for the Elizabethans, more specifically for Marlowe and Shakespeare, tragedy is not a restrictive view of human excellence or weakness as the Greeks are often inclined to present but an affirmative view of humanRead MoreDr Faustus as a Tragic Hero4240 Words   |  17 PagesDoctor Faustus as a tragic hero Doctor Faustus is the most famous play of Christopher Marlowe and this play alone has perhaps made that his name will be mortal in the history of English literature and English drama. This play shows that he was of high skilled as a playwright and he could write very good drama. It is a tragedy of Doctor Faustus that is the main point of this play. Before moving on further, we should discuss about the definition of a tragic hero. A tragic hero is obviously a heroRead MoreWhat Do the Representations of Cleopatra in Film and on Television (as Shown on the Dvd Video ‘Cleopatra’) Tell Us About How Her Reputation Changed over Time? Discuss with Reference to Two or Three Representations.1195 Words   |  5 PagesMarlowe’s Doctor Faustus. Discuss how the passage contributes to the portrayal of Faustus as a tragic hero, paying particular attention to Marlowe’s use of language. What is a tragic hero? A tragic hero is usually the main protagonist whose best trait is generally his weakest leading to an internal struggle which leads to his tragic demise. This stimulates the audience into feelings of pity, empathy and compassion towards him despite his actions. In the passage from Doctor Faustus we can seeRead MoreDoctor Faustus : The Relationship Of Mephastophilis And Faustus1597 Words   |  7 PagesDoctor Faustus: The Relationship of Mephastophilis and Faustus In Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, the tragic protagonist Faustus finds himself tired of his previous pursuits in logic, medicine, law and religion. He falls upon the decision to explore a new and taboo area of knowledge: the black arts. Once he settles on this idea, he begins a relentless endeavor to quench his thirst for higher knowledge, wealth and success through learning supernatural powers. Alas, his admirable ambition andRead MoreThe Differences Between Beowulf And Faustus1757 Words   |  8 PagesThere are two stories which one can analyze and put into comparison, that being the stories of the mighty Beowulf and that of the arrogant Doctor Faustus. In Beowulf a story is told from the view of a warrior becoming a hero and displaying amazing feats. While in Christopher Marlowe â€Å"Doctor Faustus†, he is recognized as an ambitious self- centered individual with an eager sensation to learn more knowledge of the Arts. He decided to takes his learning a step further and ultimately becomes his mainRead MorePsychological Anxieties in English Literature Essay1965 Words   |  8 Pagestheir Hero’s psychological turmoil in their work are true representation of the spirit of their age. The tragic study of Doctor Faustus and Paul morel’s disintegration as a modern man lay in their psychological struggles within the soul and body but dealing of the subject was powerfully influenced by the prevailing circumstances of its age. The Age of Christopher Marlowe Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus as an individual was an absorption of the spirit of Renaissance, the conception which portrays â€Å"the struggleRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Doctor Faustus And Tamburlaine2059 Words   |  9 PagesMarlowe’s Doctor Faustus and Tamburlaine were both written in the late fifteen hundreds, in the midst of a paradigm shift between medieval and renaissance thinking. The period of uncertainty that provides the context to the two texts ensures that both plays have a mixture of medieval morality play conventions and modern renaissance features. Both Marlowe’s central protagonists are Renaissance heroes, one in Christian setting and one in Muslim setting. The instability of the time is reflected in Marlowe’sRead More Comparing Christopher Marlow’s Doctor Faustus and William Shakespeare’s Macbeth2460 Words   |  10 PagesKnowledge and Power in Christopher Marlow’s Doctor Faustus and William Shakespeare’s Mac beth Plays written during the Renaissance often show how an individual is shaped by that person’s deepest ambitions, such as the desire to know, to rule, or to love, and how these aspirations can lead people down dramatic paths.   Christopher Marlow’s Doctor Faustus and William Shakespeare’s Macbeth both involve noble protagonists who are portrayed as true subjects -   tragic heroes; their selfhood is defined by their

Mesoamerican civilization Free Essays

In the civilization of the North and South America people, farming started later than the Afroeurasian. But the American civilization started on its own as opposed to the dependence of lending and borrowing of ideas from one community as was witnessed in the Afroeurasian civilization. The argument about the Mesoamerican civilization has been as a result of single culture (known as ‘mother culture’), while others claim that it was through learning and copying from others that the civilization developed, i. We will write a custom essay sample on Mesoamerican civilization or any similar topic only for you Order Now e. ‘sister culture’. The civilization arguments has to a larger extend been linked to the Olmec influence.   This is because the Olmec has been considered as the earliest civilization groups in the Mesoamerica. Hence some of its earliest civilization practices can only be found within the heartland of Olmec while others are beyond the heartland of Olmec. Some of the artifacts that are only found in the heartland of Olmec include colosal heads, earthen platform and monolith alters.   There have also been cases where other Olmec style artifacts have been found in other different areas. There are objects that have been considered to be of Olmec – traditions in areas that are out side the heartland of Olmec appearing together with the traditional objects of that place.   For instance, at Las Socas, objects created in local tradition contain Olmec iconography (Reilly, p 371). This indicates that the traditional of Olmec was flowing from the Olmec heartland towards other areas and not vice versa.   In this case the argument of Olmec to be of the â€Å"mother culture† arises.   Michael D Doe is one of the proponents who argue that the Olmecs had a mother culture. â€Å"There is now little doubt that all later civilization †¦ whether Mexican or Maya, ultimately rest on an Olmec base,† (Coe, 2002, pp 62). Those advocating for ‘sister culture’ feel that the Olmec civilization took place simultaneously with the other places.   The argument is based on the fact that Olmec was only among the earliest equal civilizers.   Flannery and Marcus have agued that it is only through competitive interactive that civilization can take place.   â€Å"It is adoptive autonomy and frequ3ent competitive interaction of such chiefdoms that speed up evolution and eventually make useful technologies and sociopolitical strategic available to all regions†, (Flannery Marcus, 2000. pp. 33). Therefore, looking at both the arguments of the mother culture and sister culture, it is not right to agree that the Olmecs civilization was a mother culture.   For instance, according to Pool (N.d), The Olmecs of San Lorenzo were only a handful of societies in the Americas that had achieved comparable degree of social and political integration by the end of the second millennium B.C. On the other hand, sociopolitical complexity varied among Olmec societies within the Gulf coast region, the intensity and effects of interaction with the Olmecs varied across Mesoamerica, and other Formative societies made significant contribution to the developemtn of a distinctively Mesoamerica civilization tradition, (Pp 2). The use of the term formative (preclassic) was developed by Gordon Wiley and Philip Philips (1955, 1958), â€Å"Where it indicated the village agricultural threshold and/or sedentary life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pool, Pp.8). The formative period has various prehispanic historical changes taking place.   Before 200 B.C. most of the inhabitants lived in small bands that were characterized by several mobility and their main activity being hunting and gathering.   Then came the development of a lot of urban centers by 300 A.D.   These urban centers came about because with time, the mobility was reduced and the group settled into larger groups and thus staying at one place for longer period than before. The increased settlement was influenced by the fact that people have increased domestication of crops and had also indicated the storage facilities.   â€Å"In the initial formative period (2000-2500 B.C.)†¦The processes of domestication and sedentarization combined to foster the spread of settled farming villages over much of the area that was becoming Mesoamerica,† (Pool, pp.8). The early societies of America shared the hunting and gathering activities with the other societies across the boarders.   These behaviors changed among the communities, as they become more settled and avoided movements.   This lead to the emergence of social hierarchies, centralized governments, and various religious concepts.   Their neighbours adopted the practices that emerged from one culture to another, including the Olmecs Like all other complex societies of the America, the Olmecs also depended on this hunting gathering, domestication of food and animal as well as fishing for their daily needs.   These activities enabled them to build strong social and political hierarchies that integrated many other small communities. Mesoamerican Religion In pre classical periods of the Mesoamerican people religion developed due to the influence of the seasonal cycles, â€Å"In their world –view, the development of the corn plant was one of the principle archetypes.   Another intrinsically tied to the former was the archetype of the alternating powers of fire and water, derived from the division of the year into two seasons, then dry and rainy seasons†, (Obafemi Olupona, 2004, Pp 199). The Mayan community of the Mesoamerica developed their religion because of the belief that there was a relationship that existed between the human being and the supernatural power.   They nurtured and developed this belief to the extend of giving human sacrifices to the gods.   High priests of the Mayan religion performed the human sacrifices.   The key aspect of this religion was the great importance it gave to the agriculture and the time timeless of the harvests. â€Å"The Mayan religious calendar Ezolkin comprised of only 200 days and two cycles each comprises of weeks spanning 30 days and 20 days.   Another calendar called tun comprised of 360 days and five added unlucky days† The Mayan believed in the cycles of rails and to the harvest of the produce.   They considered the agriculture product to be a gift from God.   To the Mayans, human beings were supposed to be attuned to the cyclical changes so that they can obtain more benefits from them. The offering of sacrifices, of both human and animal was meant to appease the gods.   Songs and dances as well as competitions accompanied the sacrifices.   There was no separation of civil and religious life. Therefore, the kings acted as both rulers and principal intermediaries between human beings and gods. The other reason that was behind sacrifices was that, many gods needed human support which if was not forthcoming; they may weaken and eventually die. Life after death was determined by the position that a person held before the demise. Therefore if a person held a high status position on earth, that position will still be held even after death. While those with lower positions held again the same positions. About the universe, the Mayas believed that the universe would continue to be created and destroyed continuously.   The cycle for the destruction would be taking place after a period of about 5000 years.   The destruction and creation would be the exact duplicate of the previous one.   They perceived the earth to be the back of the giant caiman that was floating in the pool, with the exposed part being flat with four comers.   Above the earth, was the human with 13 levels (7 going up, and 6 going down), (http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580499_2/Pre-Columbian_Religions.html). This was of the same oscillation as the rising setting of the sun. The Maya gods and goddesses formed a family (pantheon), each having four color aspects.   The religious followers believed in deities in heaven, but also having counterparts on earth and vice versa.   The deities also comprised of counterparts of the opposite sex.   â€Å"For example the supreme celestial god Itzama, the aged patron of culture and learning.   Kinich Ahau, the sun god, may have been a youthful aspect of Itzama in addition to being his son†, (http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580499_2/Pre-Columbian_Religions.html). Like the Mayan, the Aztec believed in the destruction and creation of the universe, but that had multiple differences. They believed to be living in the fifth and final universe, which they considered to be the fifth sun. In this case, they believed that there would be no sixth universe after the fifth destruction, and that there was escape or avoiding of this destruction but it could only have been delayed. The sun was considered to be a warrior that fought a continuous unending war against darkness. Therefore, as long as the sun was still fighting, the fifth universe could not be destroyed. To make sure that the sun continued with the fights, they offered blood it through sacrifices. The sacrifices were especially of human who were war captives. Befitting their central role as allies of the sun, the Aztecs thought they lived at the center of the universe. Their earth was divided into four quadrants, each with typical Mesoamerica color-direction symbolism, though the specific pairings of colors and directions were different from those of the Mayas. The four quarters met at the main temple (Templo Mayor) of Tenochtitlan the Aztec capital. This temple was also the point where supernatural forces from the heavens and the underworld came together. The heavens were composed of 13 ascending levels. The sun, the moon, the planets, and the stars traveled through the lower levels. The upper levels were the homes of winds, storms, colors, and remote gods. The underworld contained 9 levels, all descending, unpleasant, and dangerous, (http://www.angelfire.com/realm/shades/nativeamericans/precolumbionrel4.htm). The pantheon of the gods and goddesses of the Aztec were more complex and performing different overlapping functions at different ceremonial functions. The gods were related to different practices. For instance, the Tlaloc was the rain god. There were also the gods that were related to the agricultural produce and deities related to fertility. Bibliography Coe, M.D (2002): Mexico: from the Olmecs to the Aztecs, London, Thames and Hudson. Flannery, K. Marcus, J. (2000); A Formative Mexico Chiefdoms and the myth of the Mother culture; a Journal of Anthropological Archeology, Vols. 19. Issues 1. History of Religion Manna Religion Retrieved on 2nd Nov. 2007 from http://www.clearleadinc.com/site/religion.html Obafemi J. Olupona K. (2004):   Beyond Primitivism Indigenous Religious Traditions and Modernity, Routledge, ISBN 041527 320X. Pool A. Christopher (N.d):   Olmec Archeology and Early Mesoamerica, Retrieved on 2nd Nov 2007 from  http://assets.cambridge.org/97805217/88823/excerpt/9780521788823_excerpt.pdf Reilly III, F. Kent, (N.d) â€Å"Art, Cultures and Relationship in the Olmec world in Americans Civilization of Mesoamerican: A Recorder, Blackwell publishing Ltd. . How to cite Mesoamerican civilization, Essay examples

Financial Performance of British Airway - Liquidity and Profitability

Question: Describe about the Financial Performance of British Airway for Liquidity and Profitability. Answer: Introduction This report focuses on the subject area of accounting. The primary component of the report is ratio analysis. The report discusses the financial ratios that are derived from the financial statements provided in the annual reports of the two companies, British Airways and Easy Jet. In the report mainly three types of financial ratios are derived profitability ratios, liquidity ratios and efficiency ratios. At the same time, the report also explains the use of ratios at the time of financial planning and during the allocation of resources. At the end of the report, a conclusion is derived by considering the overall findings. Presentation of financial rations of two companies British Airways and Easy Jet are two most popular companies in the airline industry of UK. British Airways was founded in the year 1974 and Easy Jet was founded in the year 1995. Currently, British Airways is having access over total 183 destinations (Britishairways.com 2016). On the other side, Easy Jet is providing airline services for around 134 destinations (Easyjet.com 2016). As per the annual report of these two companies, the financial ratios that are the profitability ratios, liquidity ratios and the efficiency ratios are shown in the below table: Financial ratios of British Airways Financial ratio 2013 2014 2015 Current ratio 0.63 0.65122 0.59649 Quick ratio 0.60622 0.62704 0.57211 Receivable collection period 3.51545 4.14242 4.47675 Inventory turnover period 29.1364 32.4933 47.2833 Table 1: Financial ratios of British Airways for 2013 to 2015 (Source: Britishairways.com 2016) Profitability ratio trend: Figure 1: Profitability ratio trend (Source: Britishairways.com 2016) The above table showing the financial ratios of British Airways shows that the financial performance of the company has improved in terms of profitability of the company. In last three years that are from 2013 to 2015, the operating profit ratios of British Airways have increased gradually. In 2013, the operating profit ratio of the company was 5.70003, which increased to 8.31982 in 2014 and 11.1533 in 2015. On the other side, if the net profit ratio of the company is seen, then it can be observed that the increment in the net profit ratio of the company in 2015 was too much higher than 2013. The difference between the net profit ratio of British Airways in 2014 and 2015 was 16.14 (approx) (Britishairways.com 2016). Liquidity ratio trend: Figure 2: Liquidity ratio trend (Source: Britishairways.com 2016) Efficiency ratio trend: Figure 3: Efficiency ratio trend (Source: Britishairways.com 2016) However, the liquidity position of the company has declined. The receivable collection period of the company is disclosing the fact that the company needs to improve its financial performance because the receivable collection period of British Airways has increased from 2013 to 2015. The same is also applicable if the analysis is done based on the inventory turnover period of the company. Financial ratios of Easy Jet Financial Ratios 2013 2014 2015 Operating profit ratio 11.6721 12.8341 14.682 Net profit ratio 9.34711 9.94036 11.6944 Current ratio 1.05004 0.88803 0.72342 Quick ratio 0.90935 0.74718 0.6069 Receivable collection period 16.6299 16.1255 16.0457 Inventory turnover period 168.195 162.584 140.28 Table 2: Financial ratios of Easy Jet from 2013 to 2015 (Source: Easyjet.com 2016) Profitability ratio trend: Figure 4: Profitability ratio trend (Source: Easyjet.com 2016) As per the financial ratios of Easy Jet shown in the above table, it can be clearly said that the overall performance of the company has been improved from 2013 to 2015. The operating profit ratio of the company has been increased by approx 3% from 2013 to 2015 and in case of the net profit ratio, the percentage increased was approx 2.5%. This is indicating that the financial performance has been improved in the last year (Easyjet.com 2016). Liquidity ratio trend: Figure 5: Liquidity ratio trend (Source: Easyjet.com 2016) Efficiency ratio trend: Figure 6: Efficiency ratio trend (Source: Easyjet.com 2016) However, if the liquidity position of the company is analyzed, then it can be said that the company needs to improve its liquidity positions. The major reason being that, the liquidity rate of the company has decreased gradually from 2013 to 2015. However, the declining percentage of liquidity ratios was nominal. Easy Jet also needs improvements in its inventory management system as it was much high from 2013 to 2015. At the same time, the receivable collection period is also high in this company. However, a static nature in the receivable collection period shows the static performance of the company, which is good. Comparison between the financial performances of the two companies As per the above-mentioned information, it is very clear that the financial performance of Easy Jet was better than the British Airways as per the profitability of the two companies. However, on the other side if the comparison is made between the other financial figures of two companies like, receivable collection period and inventory turnover, it can be mentioned that the position of British Airways was much higher than Easy Jet. In 2015, the profitability or the net profit ratio of British Airways enhanced at a high speed, which indicates the company has performed well in that years. However, in this context, Uechi et al. (2015) commented that the excessive increment in the net profit ratio of the company indicates that either the company has cut down its cost level aggressively. This is because the annual report of the company has mentioned that the revenue has decreased in 2015 than 2014 but the profit has increased in 2015 than 2014. On the other side, if the performance of Easy Jet is considered, then it can be realized that the performance of Easy Jet has been improved in a small percentage. Henry and Robinson (2015) stated that small but continuous growth is better than the fluctuation in the financial performance of the company. Comparison between the financial figures that are stated in the annual reports of the two companies, it can be said that the expenditure level of Easy Jet was more or less static but in British Airways, the expenditure has been highly controlled in 2015 (Kassicieh, Ahluwalia and Majadillas 2015). Apart from the profitability, if the comparison is done as per the liquidity positions of the companies, then it can be clearly observed that the liquidity position of Easy Jet was better than British Airways. In 2015, the current ratio of Easy Jet was 0.72 (approx) whereas, British Airways had the current ratio of 0.59 (approx). However, in this context, it is also noticeable that the liquidity position of Easy Jet has declined gradually, which denotes weak performance of the company. The same thing happened with the quick ratios of the companies. In the last year, the quick ratio of British Airways was 0.57211, whereas, the quick ratio of Easy Jet was 0.6069. As per the efficiency ratios of the two companies in last three years, it can be said that the British Airways is much efficient than Easy Jet. This is because the receivable collection period and the inventory turnover ratios of Easy Jet were much higher than British Airways in last three years. In 2013, British Airways had the receivable collection period of 3.51545, whereas, Easy Jet had the receivable collection period of 16.6299. This indicates that British Airways can convert its receivables in to cash more quickly than Easy Jet. It denotes the efficiency level of British Airways was higher than Easy Jet (Robinson et al. 2015). The same thing is also applicable in case of the inventory turnover period of the two companies. Therefore, it is very important for Easy Jet to improve its efficiency ratios especially the inventory turnover period as soon as possible because the inventory turnover period is too high at Easy Jet. Explaining the use of ratios in financial planning and resource allocation Identifying and analyzing the financial ratios are the most important tasks that the management of the company must do while preparing the financial plan for a particular financial year. Financial ratios are very helpful for preparing proper financial plan and taking the appropriate financial decisions. The use of financial ratios in financial planning can be stated as under: Financial ratios help to understand the efficiency level of the company (Pappa 2015). The management of the company can clearly understand the current level of financial performance of the organization and prepare the financial plan to improve the current situation or to maintain the same. In this context, Wang and Zhou (2016) argued that the ratio analysis of a company is done after the completion of a financial year. Therefore, the companies cannot take any effective measures for handling the uncertain situation because the planning is already done. However, Yadav (2015) commented that as the ratios are stated in the numerical form, management can understand the result clearly. The chances of taking wrong decision or wrong planning is very less if the financial ratios are considered. Financial ratios help to predict the future easily. If the management looks at the profitability ratios of the previous few years, then they can easily understand the trend of financial performance of the company. Therefore, it becomes easier for them to predict the future accurately. However, Healy and Palepu (2012) commented that as the financial ratios are dependent of the past data, it cannot predict the future accurately. However, in most of the companies, the financial planning is done based on the financial ratios, which denotes the importance of ratios in financial planning. The financial ratios of the company help to understand the financial performance trend and liquidity position of the company (Wang and Zhou 2016). Therefore, by using the financial ratios, the company can identify the areas of deficiencies. Therefore, it becomes easier to take the effective measures to reduce or remove the deficiencies in the present and future financial years. Ratio analysis helps the management of the organization or the financial planners to understand the financial statements in a simple way. However, Uechi et al. (2015) believed that the financial statements of the companies are already prepared in numerical terms and so the management of the companies can easily understand the performance level just by checking the financial statements (Wang and Zhou 2016). Therefore, the planning can be done in a better way. The ratio analysis also helps to compare the financial performance of a particular company with the other companies in the same industry (Kassicieh, Ahluwalia and Majadillas 2015). Therefore using the ratios, the management can prepare the competitive financial plan for the future days Other than the financial plan, the financial ratio analysis also helps to allocate the resources in a proper way. Ratio analysis helps to identify the resource allocation and resource use in the past financial years. This helps to identify how effectively the company has used the resources in the previous financial years. If the company identifies that the use of resources in the past years was not so effective, then the management can easily take the effective measures to enhance the resource utility (Robinson et al. 2015). At the same time, the management of the companies can also identify whether there is any inappropriate allocation was done in the previous financial years or not. If any inappropriate resource allocation is made in the previous years, then the management can take effective measures to improve the situation (Henry and Robinson 2015). On the other side, the liquidity ratios of the company show the proportion of the liquid assets in a particular financial year in comparison to the liquid liabilities (Wang and nanceZhou 2016). The management can take effective strategies if the liquid asset is less than the liquid liabilities. Therefore, proper allocation of the assets can be done with the help of financial ratio analysis. Conclusion In this report, it has been identified that the financial performance of British Airways was weak in respected to the liquidity and profitability. However, in the year 2015, the profitability of the company has been improved at the high level. On the other side, in case of the other company that is Easy Jet, the profitability increased at more or less static rate. The liquidity position of Easy Jet was better than British Airways in last three years but the performance of the easy Jet has declined. The inventory management system at Easy Jet also needs improvement because it was much high in last three years. Reference list: Britishairways.com. 2016. Book Flights, Holidays Check In Online | British Airways. [online] Available at: https://www.britishairways.com/ [Accessed 1 Aug. 2016]. Easyjet.com. 2016. Check out these great easyJet flights.. [online] Available at: https://www.easyjet.com/en/ [Accessed 1 Aug. 2016]. Healy, P.M. and Palepu, K.G., 2012.Business Analysis Valuation: Using Financial Statements. Cengage Learning. Henry, E. and Robinson, T.R., 2015. Chapter 1. Financial Statement Analysis: An Introduction.CFA Institute Investment Books,2015(2), pp.1-35. Kassicieh, S., Ahluwalia, S. and Majadillas, M.A., 2015. Financial analysis in management of technology programs: links in a clinical approach.Technological Forecasting and Social Change,100, pp.66-77. Pappa, A., 2015. Financial statement analysis of a multinational company and equity valuation of computer-based technology group. Robinson, T.R., Henry, E., Pirie, W.L. and Broihahn, M.A., 2015.International financial statement analysis. John Wiley Sons. Uechi, L., Akutsu, T., Stanley, H.E., Marcus, A.J. and Kenett, D.Y., 2015. Sector dominance ratio analysis of financial markets.Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications,421, pp.488-509. Wang, D. and Zhou, F., 2016. The Application of Financial Analysis in Business Management.Open Journal of Business and Management,4(03), p.471. Yadav, R.J., 2015. Innovative Approach of Financial Statement Analysis from Bankers' Perspectives-a Case Study.The MA Journal,50(8), pp.76-83.

Satire Essay free essay sample

Millions of children attend school every day, learning new information, from reading to writing to learning calculus and Latin. These subjects can help them in their future lives. Here at North Shore Hebrew Academy High School, we have a long day, which runs from 8 AM to nearly 5 PM. The students study nine or ten subjects and average approximately ten tests and quizzes each month. As does every school in the world, North Shore has the right idea, but the school needs to improve its academic calendar. There should be a longer school year, longer days, more homework and many more tests, quizzes, projects and more importantly, more essays. A regular school year is 180 days; however in Phoenix, AZ there is a proposal to increase the school year to 200 days, which adds approximately one month to the school year. The Balsz district in Phoenix is one of the few schools in the country that added extra days. We will write a custom essay sample on Satire Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This proposal is not enough. Therefore, there should be 355 days of learning each year (356 days in a leap year). Students should be given off New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Half days would be granted on Christmas Eve, New Years Eve. It would be better to give students no days off at all, but these holidays appear to be necessary evils. In order to make up for the time lost to these wretched holidays, we must extend the length of the school day. The school should run from 7:00 in the morning to 7:30 in the evening. Lunch should be 36 minutes, during which time the students would be expected to eat their lunches while quietly reading or studying. The students will have three minutes to get to each of their 12 class periods. Class periods will run for 57 minutes. Students will follow the same schedule every day. Students will not be allowed to get up during class or leave the classroom for any reason. By spending more time in the classroom, students will be smarter and better prepared for their professional lives, which will doubtless involve being chained to their desks for weeks at a time. In order to be sure that students are absorbing the information that they learning in their classes, they will be assigned enough homework every night so that they will not have time to sleep. The students will have a quiz in each class before they start learning to check their knowledge. In addition, if they did not do their homework they will be assigned not only the homework they missed, but also an extra project. Depending on the teacher’s mood, the project would be of various difficulties. A student is allowed to miss four days in a school year. If a student misses five or more days, than that student will have to stay in school until 8 in the evening. Everybody knows that teenagers have no lives, never go to parties, go to movies, hang out with friends or go to the mall. Teenagers would rather be in a stuffy, cold space taking tests and writing essays until their eyes and fingers ache. Teenagers who want to have lives should be pitied. If they don’t have enough days of school and tests, they become ignorant, lazy, rude and fat. If the students are at school they will be learning all day and have no time to go and eat. However, if they are home during the day, all they would do is eat and watch television. The overall argument is that in current society, there is not enough pressure placed on high school students. With the SAT’s, advanced placement programs, and school athletics going on there is still the need for more class time, examinations, and homework. Students should be given little to no time to enjoy their lives. With this in mind, help fight for extended school days to benefit the children of America.

Word Choice Inalienable vs. Unalienable (An Independence Day Special)

Word Choice Inalienable vs. Unalienable (An Independence Day Special) Word Choice: Inalienable vs. Unalienable (An Independence Day Special) Happy Independence Day! To celebrate, we’re looking at a controversy related to the founding of the United States: the word â€Å"unalienable,† which appears in the Declaration of Independence. This isn’t a spelling we really use anymore, though, with â€Å"inalienable† much more common. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. So what is the difference between these terms? Why does the Declaration of Independence use â€Å"unalienable†? And when should you use each spelling? The Meaning of Inalienable and Unalienable First, let’s look at the difference in meaning between these words There isn’t one. Nada. Zilch. No difference at all. â€Å"Inalienable† and â€Å"unalienable† both mean â€Å"can’t be taken away.† So whether we speak of â€Å"inalienable rights† or â€Å"unalienable rights,† we mean rights that can’t be denied. In practice, then, the only difference is that â€Å"inalienable† is now much more common. Different Drafts, Different Spellings So, why does the Declaration of Independence use â€Å"unalienable†? Spelling variants were common at the time, and â€Å"unalienable† was the most common version of this term at the time. It also enjoyed a spike in popularity after the Declaration of Independence was signed. But since the mid-nineteenth century, â€Å"inalienable† has been the standard spelling. Unalienable vs. Inalienable Oddly, though, this controversy could have been avoided. This is because the spelling â€Å"inalienable† appears in other drafts of the Declaration of Independence, including Thomas Jefferson’s original draft. It was only when John Adams made a copy in his own handwriting that â€Å"unalienable† first appeared. And it was used in the final version, kick-starting a spelling debate that survives to the current day. A Tale of Two Prefixes: Un- vs. In- Why, then, has â€Å"inalienable† won out? In terms of meaning, the prefixes un- and in- are both negations. As such, they go before a word to cancel it out or suggest its opposite. The opposite of â€Å"happy,† for example, is â€Å"unhappy.† And the opposite of â€Å"elegant† is â€Å"inelegant.† The same is true with unalienable and inalienable. But the word â€Å"alien† comes to us from Latin. And while the prefix in- also has Latin roots, un- comes from German. Nineteenth-century linguists therefore decided than in- was the better prefix for â€Å"alienable.† And since then it has stuck. Or it has in most circumstances. Even these days, when people are writing about the Declaration of Independence, many prefer the spelling â€Å"unalienable.† So this mixture of a German prefix and a Latin word stem has a place in American English even today. Summary: Inalienable or Unalienable? As set out above, both of these words mean â€Å"can’t be taken away.† However, each spelling has its own place in modern English: Inalienable is the standard spelling of this term in most contexts. Unalienable is a rare variant of â€Å"inalienable,† but you can use it when quoting from or discussing the Declaration of Independence. Hopefully, this has settled some of your Independence Day spelling questions. But if you need any more help with your writing, feel free to send us a document for proofreading today.

Firefighter injuries and deaths Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Firefighter injuries and deaths - Research Paper Example Peterson adds that firefighters opt to protect property and save people under serious and risky circumstances. In the United States, about 100 firefighters die annually in the line of duty while about 95,000 are injured, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report of 2006 (2). In the United States, twenty-one firefighters died in 2005, during the execution of non-emergency-related on-duty doings. Moreover, there was one fatal stroke case as well as five sudden cardiac deaths among the firefighters while undertaking the usual station or administrative activities. While engaging in activities like a funeral detail, attendance at a convention, a parade, and fire apparatus maintenance four firefighters died due to sudden cardiac death or stroke. On the other hand, three firefighters lost their lives when their helicopter crashed while they were lighting fires at a set burn. In addition, crashes claimed other five lives -- one each while en route to get a vehicle inspection sticker, after a boat parade, during a conservation project, while en route to pump out a residence, and while driving to a meeting (Fahy & LeBlanc, 3). Causes and Mitigation Strategies of Firefighter injures and deaths There are various health impairments and disorders influenced by the job attributes. These comprise traumas, injuries, cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer respiratory diseases, and cancers of other sites like large intestine, bladder or kidney. Mental disorders referred to as the post-traumatic stress disorder are of much significance among health effects because of a traumatic experience in health-hazardous or a life-threatening circumstance. Long after original trauma, there could be manifestation of serious health problems (Szubert & Sobala, 49). There are reports on an upward trend in the incidence of heat stress injuries during wild land firefighting operations. There can be dehydration by the firefighter when he or she is working under both high ambient air temperatures and high radiant heat flux conditions. This can also occur if positive preventative procedures are not implemented as a normal way of doing business on a daily basis heat stress can be experienced (Mangan, 38). It is in the operational area at the scene of a fire that about one-third of on-duty firefighter fatalities occur. The deaths occur because of asphyxiation, sudden cardiac death, electrocution, stroke, crushing injuries, internal trauma, and burns while restraining or putting out fires. In addition, another one-third of on-duty deaths happen on the way to or from an event in motor vehicle and other accidents. On the other hand, ten percent of firefighter casualties occur during training, for example physical fitness activities, apparatus and equipment drills, classes or seminars, underwater/dive training, and live fire training. It is also possible for the firefighters to die while carrying out nonemergency on-duty activities and at non-fire eme rgencies. Traumatic injuries account for more than one-half of all on-duty firefight

Business management course work Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business management course work - Term Paper Example A lack of coordination takes place when teams working on the same project do not coordinate and this lack of coordination is represented both vertically and horizontally. Unclear accountability mechanism further adds fuel to the fire of depleting aggregate performance of the organization. Centralization cannot be termed as an effective way to manage organization like RIM. There is no clear marketing strategy. Section II: Statements of the Problem Research In Motion (RIM) has failed to develop and maintain a sustainable motivation, accountability and effective marketing strategy (Castaldo, 2012). The organization has grown unorganized and unmanageable; where a lack of clear-cut direction and conflicting opinions have compounded the aggregate management of the company (Castaldo, 2012). Section III Causes of the Problem Demotivation Motivation is the degree to which an employee wants and selects to carry out specific behavior (Mullins, 2009, p. 471). This specific behavior is nurtured t o obtain intended departmental and organizational goals and objectives. As motivation has both aspects in the form of intrinsic and extrinsic manifestations, the employees of RIM were not given sustainable workplace environment in which they could convert their potential into the desired results. For instance, according to a former employee, the new operational staff members were never fully empowered to carry out their jobs (Castaldo, 2012). This means the staff did not receive authority, sense of work ownership and a clear cut direction to attain a particular set of objectives. As a result, the sustainable motivation did not continue instead demotivation replaced motivation. Lack of Coordination â€Å"It was common for a few teams working on the same project to realize they were unlikely to make the date, but no one spoke up, under the belief that another team was even farther behind†(Castaldo, 2012). This statement mentions that there was no active and consistent coordinat ion between teams working even on the same project. They were on their own and they did not feel necessity to obtain information and see their progress on the project. Additionally, there was no strong check from the senior management whether the teams assigned to work and complete the same project were working in the suggested direction or the teams were facing issues related to the same project. There was a complete absence of vertical and horizontal coordination in the organization. In the absence of coordination, there would be no way to entertain department and organizational objectives. Unclear Accountability Mechanism Accountability can also be defined as the systematic inclusion of critical elements of program planning, implementation and evaluation with an aim of achieving desired results (Wandersman et al., 2000, p. 389). At RIM, nobody was accountable when a proposal or project failed to meet the expected level of performance. In the absence of any accountability mechanis m, it would be very difficult to learn from mistakes and derive certain result-oriented lessons from such steps. When accountability mechanism is not present and nobody is ready and willing to take and accept responsibility, strategic loss and strategic decline is unavoidable and it is what that is happening

Review and Insights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Review and Insights - Essay Example Additionally, both sides must be contrasted, or shown what is different about each position, in the essay. Argumentative essays are another subject altogether. When you revise your argumentative essay, Kirszner (1999) recommends that you should keep at least some of the following questions in mind: The same could be applied to persuasive essays. It is of utmost significance in a persuasive essay, above all, to make a well-formed and logical argument. The writer’s position does not necessarily matter so much, as much as does the attitude of the writer and the evidence that the writer has to support his or her assertions. A passionate persuasive argument is part of the persuasive essay, but the essay will not reach its intended purpose without the proper evidentiary support. In that regard, it is much like the argumentative essay, but slightly different in that the attitude of the writer must convince the reader based largely on an emotional appeal as well. A well-written case study is one in which the writer is in the position to analyze and manage an imaginary real-life situation. The case study’s purpose is to give the analyst experience in how he or she would approach a particular problem and solve it in a potential actual setting. The exemplar case study is one which: first, gives the details and background about the case; second, provides scenarios as to what is the desired outcome or potential outcomes of the case study; and thirdly, discusses why the solution(s) given to the problem is/are the best, and why one recommendation was chosen over the other for the problem. There are certain tips that can be followed in order to ensure success in writing quality research papers and essays. James Foley (2001) mentions a few useful things he had his students do in order to get involved in the process of researching papers; adequate preparation for completing research required a

Effect of Technology on Public Transportation

Effect of Technology on Public Transportation What evidence of the social shaping of technology, if any, is provided by the history of public transport in London Paris (1820-1990)? The following will discuss the evidence or otherwise of the social shaping of technology with regard to public transport in London and Paris between 1820 and 1990. During this period technological advances in public transport were pronounced and whether they shaped social changes will be outlined below. London and Paris are apt examples to use as they developed rapidly during the 19th Century and had continued to change until the end of the period. In 1820 both London and Paris were expanding cities yet their transport systems with the exception of canals to London had hardly changed at all in hundreds of years. However, the impact of industrialisation and urbanisation would mean that London and Paris would need the improvements in public transport to get their populations to work, school and home again. These advances in technology in turn would bolster the social and economic changes that had fostered them in the first place. The British population increased from 10 million in 1800 to 36 million in 1990 whilst that of France went from 27 million to 40 million (Roberts, 1996, p.322). In the same period the population of London went from 900,000 to 4.7 million whilst that of Paris went from 600,000 to 3.6 million. Most of the rise in the London and Paris populations resulted from the increased migration promoted by public transport (Roberts, 1996, p.322). The term ‘commuter’ came into everyday use during the 1850s to describe the people that travelled into and around London daily to work. These commuters travelled by train and in any of the 800 horse drawn bus services. After 1862 commuters could travel on the first complete section of the underground from Paddington to Farrington Street. The underground was developed and built by partners including the City of London and Great Western Railway. The construction of such systems in London and Paris showed great engineering skills not least because of the need to tunnel or bridge the Thames and the Seine respectively (Evans, 2000, p.101). The Paris metro was opened on July 19 1900 when it only went from Porte de Vincennes to Porte Mailliat. Like the London underground the metro was extended much further than the original line. Line 1 for example now runs from Chateau de Vincent to La Defense. The Paris metro gained a reputation for not only being more efficient that the London underground but also more elegant. The metro resulted from the engine ering know how of Fulgence Bienvenue and the architectural elegance of Hector Guimard. The metro has 211 kilometres or 130 miles of track that serves 380 stations that means that any within Paris is merely 500 metres away from the nearest station. The metro is slightly bigger than half of the London underground yet has a hundred stations more (Mills, 1997-2005). Improvements in technology meant that more people travelled to London and Paris to live and work, thus more of them could travel within and beyond the city limits. That was due to the increase in the provision of public transport. In the early part of the period 1820 to 1990 was the advent of the railways. The first successful rail service between Stockton and Darlington was developed by George Stephenson provided the impetus for a great expansion of railways (Hobsbawm, 1962, p.187). As respective capital cities London and Paris were logically at the centre of their national rail networks. Technically speaking, although the train services into, from and in London were providing a public service they were privately owned until after 1945. Britain had a head start over France when it came to the amount and density or rail and track not only in the capital but nationally as well, over 750 kilometres squared compared to between 250-499 kilometres squared for France (Hobsbawm, 1975, p.310 ). The advent of the railways meant that the Londoners and Parisians could have better links to the provinces, also cities such as Newcastle and Marseilles were easier to reach. The railways also meant that other parts of their cities were easier to get to (Hobsbawm, 1975, p.56). Southern Railway that ran the majority of train services in and around London was the only private rail operator (before nationalisation) that was regularly in profit (Black, 2000, p.89). Linked to the spread of the railways was the adoption of underground – systems in both London and Paris. The underground and metro systems offered the capacity and ability to carry millions of commuters daily without causing as much disruption as having all the rail tracks above ground. London expanded its operative underground -system in 1890 and Paris alongside other cities followed within a decade. The London underground is roughly double the size of the Paris metro since the completion of its last extension in 1999 with 392 kilometres or 244 miles of track with 280 stations (Crystal, 2003, p.950). In contrast to the railways the London underground continued to expand during the 1960s and beyond. The new Victoria Line of the 1960s was followed by the Jubilee Line and the extension of the system to Heathrow Airport in the 1970s (Black, 2000, p. 91). The underground systems gave the advantage of transporting more people with greater speed than other forms of both private and public transport. At that point cars and buses were barely in existence. Even as cars became more common they remained out of the price range of many Londoners and Parisians until the 1950s. Using public transport had the advantage of being cheaper without the need to worry about parking or having to stay stuck in traffic jams (Black, 2000, p.86). Another way that public transport has made on the social shaping of technology in London and Paris was the role of buses. Prior to the invention of the internal combustion engine there had been the horse driven bus. However, the buses driven by petrol or diesel engines were able to carry more passengers further than their horse driven predecessors. Buses could pick passengers up from places where the train and the underground did not go. Buses were introduced into London and other British cities from 1898 (Black, 2000, p.87). Buses tended to operate later services than the trains did in London. Within London and outside it, train companies before the Second World War often ran bus services. The Second World War led to London’s travel infrastructure been badly damaged whilst Paris had escaped heavy bombing although other parts of the French rail and roads had been destroyed (Black, 2000, p.88). In most respects the coming of railways amply demonstrated the social shaping of technology. It helped to speed the movement of people from the smaller towns and villages to major cities such as London and Paris. The railways allowed goods or people to travel much faster and also generated great wealth for their investors. Such wealth was shown in the elegant stations such as King’s Cross and Paris du Nord. The railways employed thousands directly or indirectly whilst transporting millions more (Hobsbawm, 1987, p.27). France had been slower in building railways than Britain yet managed to double the amount of track it had between 1880 and 1913 (Hobsbawm, 1987, p.52). The railway workers and other transport workers shaped society in ways linked to technology or in times of industrial disputes the refusal to use that technology. Both the British and French transport workers had a reputation for their radical trade unionism. In the British General strike of May 1926 support among st London’s transport workers was solid and not a bus, train or underground train ran for nine days (Brendon, 2000, pp 46-47). France tended to be more prone to strikes than Britain. In the summer of 1936, Paris and the rest of the country came to a halt after a series of strikes spread to the transport workers after starting at Renault (Brendon, 2000, p. 296). Even in more recent times strikes on the metro are frequent, especially if the French trade unions are unhappy with their government. Unlike their counterparts in London most Parisians can walk to work if that happens (Mills, 1997-2005). There was another development in public transport that allowed some social shaping due to technology, the aircraft. At first air travel was restricted to the rich, the military and cargo carriers. However the increasing cheapness of flights and the opening of airports such as Charles de Gaulle and Heathrow near Paris and London respectively made package holidays and internal business flights easier (Hobsbawm, 1994, p. 15). It was in the production of the supersonic airliner Concorde that both countries collaborated to show how technologically advanced they were. Concorde would allow people to travel to and from London and Paris in luxury as well as been good for national prestige (Crystal, 2003, p. 214). Whilst the French have made efforts to maintain and modernise their rail network in Paris and nationally the decline in the British railways has been marked. The total mileage of track halved between 1945 and 1992 whilst the number of car owners increased twenty fold in the same peri od. That meant that public transport was taken more seriously in Paris than London (Black, 2000, pp. 90-92). Therefore, it can be argued that social shaping technology was evidenced by public transport in London and Paris between 1820 and 1990. It was the development and expansion of the railways that greatly contributed to the expansion of London and Paris during the 19th Century. The railways generated wealth and trade as well as bringing people and jobs to both London and Paris. The development of underground-systems also contributed to social shaping and more and more people were able to commute to work and school. Public transport was further enhanced with the introduction of powered buses whilst the availability of cycles and later cars meant that not everybody had to rely on public transport. Whilst the greater availability of public transport had made social shaping changes the wider availability of cars led to more people moving out of the cities centres in to the suburbs. Public transport still remains vital for millions of Londoners and Parisians and commuters that travel from fu rther afield to go about their everyday business in London or Paris. Bibliography Black, J (2000) Modern British History since 1900, Macmillan Foundations, Macmillan, London Brendon, P (2000) The Dark Valley – A Panorama of the 1930s, Jonathan Cape, London Crystal, D (2003) The Penguin Concise Encyclopaedia, Penguin Group, London Hobsbawm, E (1962) The Age of Revolution 1789-1848, Weidenfeld Nicholson, London Hobsbawm, E (1975) The Age of Capital 1848-1875, Weidenfeld Nicholson, London Hobsbawm, E (1994) The Age of Extremes – the short Twentieth Century 1914-1991, Michael Joseph, London Mills, I C (1997-2005) The Paris metro www.discoverfrance (Barry Vale)

A Farewell To Arms By Ernest Hemingway :: Free Essay Writer

In the beginning Frederic Henry, a young American ambulance driver with the Italian army in World War I, meets a beautiful English nurse named Catherine Barkley near the front between Italy and Austria-Hungary. At first Henry wants to seduce her, but when he is wounded and sent to the American hospital where Catherine works, he actually begins to love her. After his convalescence in the hospital, Henry returns to the war front. During a retreat, the Italians start to fall apart. Henry shoots an engineer sergeant under his command for dereliction, and later in confusion is arrested by the battle police for the crime of not being Italian. Disgusted with the army and facing death at the hands of the battle police, Henry decides he has had enough of war; he dives into the river to escape. After swimming to safety, Henry boards a train and reunites with Catherine--now pregnant with Henry's child--in Stresa. With the help of an Italian bartender, they escape to Switzerland, and attempt to put the war behind them forever. They spend a happy time together in Switzerland, and plan to marry after the baby is born. When Catherine goes into labor, however, things go terribly wrong. He attempts an unsuccessful Caesarian section, and Catherine dies in childbirth. To Henry, her dead body is like a statue; he walks back to his hotel without finding a way to say good-bye. As the title suggests, A Farewell to Arms is in many ways an anti-war novel, but it is in no way like a call to end all war. Among the books’ morals, violence is not necessarily wrong: Henry does not feel bad for shooting the engineer sergeant, and he tells Catherine he will kill the police if they come to arrest him. Furthermore, the novel glorifies discipline, competence, and masculinity, and shows war as a setting in which those qualities are constantly being shown. A Farewell to Arms is against the extreme violence, the massive destruction, and the sheer senselessness of war; the mental effect it has on people and cities; and the brutal change it makes in the lives of its survivors once victory and defeat become meaningless terms. Unlike other books that glorify courage in battle and make everything come out ok for the brave individual, this book attempts a real portrayal of a different kind war, one fought with machine guns, in trenches, and with lots and lots of casualties.