Rebecca and the Short Story the Tell-Tale Heart Convey Gothic Themes Essay Example for Free

Rebecca and the Short Story the Tell-Tale Heart Convey Gothic Themes Essay The Gothic genre is a style of film and literature that expresses themes of madness, death, darkness, romance and obsession. Although Rebecca and The Tell- Tale Heart are fitted to the Gothic genre, the composers have conveyed similar themes in different ways. Obsession in Rebecca is that of Mrs Danvers, who is obsessed to the point it drives her mad. She would do anything to bring Rebecca back. Whereas in Poe’s short story the narrator is so obsessed with the eye of an old man he would do anything, including commit murder to get rid of it. Alfred Hitchcock’s film, Rebecca is a psychological thriller that uses cinematic techniques such as pathetic fallacy, characterization, motifs and lighting to convey gothic themes of madness and obsession. In contrast, Edgar Allen Poe’s short story The Tell- Tale Heart uses literary techniques such as narration and figurative language to successfully convey these same themes. While both composers convey Gothic themes of madness and obsession they communicate each with different techniques. Also the characters that they have created are portrayed as dealing with madness and obsession very differently. In the film Rebecca, the different characters Max and Mrs Danvers are used to explore the Gothic theme of madness. Hitchcock manipulates the frame in key scenes, by making Max’s body language suggest his nervousness, worry, anger and the need to ease himself. Max goes on to acknowledge, â€Å"Perhaps I am mad†. This declaration sums up the theory that something bothers Max, and that it is obviously taking a toll on him. Hitchcock depicts the sincere and loyal personality of Max as hiding something which changes his personality and domineering status. This is used to explore the gothic theme of madness and the effects that it has on Max. However, Mrs Danvers’ obsession leads her to commit acts of madness. Towards the end of the film Mrs Danvers burns down the mansion while she is still inside, inevitably killing herself in an attempt to bring justice to the long dead Rebecca. The final scene of the burning mansion and the screaming Mrs Danvers is symbolic of her madness, which was dangerous and not dissimilar from satanic worship. Poe’s The Tell- Tale Heart, also explores the gothic theme of madness. By writing in first person, Poe makes the story very narrow, as it fits only the narrator’s thoughts and reasoning. The narrator repeatedly claims he is not mad and that it is not madness that drives him, but instead it is the right thing to do. But he continues to question, â€Å"How then, am I mad? † Although there is only one point of view throughout the story, the narrator seems to talk to readers. He tries to persuade readers who are essentially his conscience that he is sane. Rather than convincing readers that he is sane, he verifies that he is indeed mad. By writing in first person, it is easy to understand what is going through the narrator’s mind. He emphasizes his madness and denial. Towards the end of the story the narrator behaves as if he is haunted and guilty, â€Å"I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer†. He begins to imagine things that aren’t really there and reaches the point at which he can no longer hide his secret. Hence he is essentially confessing in the hope of freeing his conscience. Poe’s character is one who denies madness, whereas Hitchcock’s character embraces the idea. In addition, both Hitchcock and Poe successfully convey the Gothic theme of obsession. Hitchcock develops the menacing and lingering Mrs Danvers as a conniving character with an unnatural adoration for Rebecca. This is made apparent when Mrs De Winter catches Mrs Danvers in the room of Rebecca. The room has been kept to the precise orders of the late Rebecca. Mrs Danvers admiringly recounts all Rebecca had requested, â€Å"I kept her furs in here†¦ Put it against your face. It’s soft isn’t it? You can feel it can’t you? The scent is still fresh isn’t it? † The relationship between Mrs Danvers and the late Rebecca quickly escalates to become one that transgresses the normal. Mrs Danvers continues to hold onto the obsessive relationship and twisted love she shared with Rebecca. Mrs Danvers still longs for Rebecca who is no longer alive. The tone and language that Mrs Danvers uses when speaking to Mrs De Winter is short and proper. She seems to deliberately want to make Mrs De Winter feel uneasy with herself and incomparable to Rebecca. Even though Rebecca is dead, she is an increasingly large figure throughout the film. Her power is not drawn physically, but from the relationship she had with Mrs Danvers and the loyalty Mrs Danvers has for her. With the presence of Mrs Danvers, and the motif of her ‘R’ embroidery, there is a heavy feeling of Rebecca still being alive and never going away. The obsession that Mrs Danvers has for Rebecca may not be one of violence and hate, but it is still menacing, off-putting and frightening, right up to the end. The obsession in Poe’s short story and Hitchcock’s film both end similarly. The main character from The Tell- Tale Heart has an unhealthy obsession just like Mrs Danvers, â€Å"It haunted me day and night†¦ I think it was the eye! Yes it was this! † After ridding himself of the eye, a motif on the narrator’s obsession which is similar to the motif of Rebecca, his obsession has only shifted to concealing the crime he has committed. The narrator focuses all his power and attention to an eye, which causes him much annoyance, and an unbearable need to destroy it. His obsession with the eye and how it makes him feel, leads him to agree with himself in that it must be stopped. It is as if his obsession clouds his judgment of what is right and wrong. Even though Poe conveys the old man as how the narrator sees him, a reader can interpret the true nemesis as being the narrator. Poe conveys the narrator’s obsession by emphasizing every thought that has crossed his mind and how he spends much time and energy, taking care to deal with his obsession and fear. Eventually Poe’s character like Max also tries to conceal his crime but ends with a guilty confession. In conclusion, the key characters of Rebecca and The Tell- Tale Heart all portray the Gothic themes of madness and obsession. Each character plays a different role; Mrs Danvers is drawn up as a conniving madwoman who meets her deserved death. In contrast, Poe’s character is mad from the beginning as a result of an unhealthy obsession. He meets his own end voluntarily as he confesses his guilt.

Wet Mix and Dry Mix Concrete: Cost and Quality

Wet Mix and Dry Mix Concrete: Cost and Quality This is a conceptual proposal in which the main objective is to determine the cost and quality effectiveness on the application of modular wet mix and dry mix concrete batching plant. Based on the data collected over the pass years, a detail study was being conducted to determine the various cost factors arising from the setting up of concrete batching plant, production operations, quality control, inventory and delivery of the products to the customers. As this study covers the entire overall operations of a commercial concrete batching plant, the complexity of the various processes and functionalities has to be identified to provide a full understanding on the limitations on the speed, cost, quality, flexibility and dependability. This proposal is also inline with the company long term strategy of increasing the marketing share by twenty percent annual growth. Therefore, to achieve this goal, various steps have to be taken into consideration such as the speed, cost, quality, flexibility and dependability. Existing Dry Mix Concrete Batch Plant Plant Component The basic components of dry mix concrete batch plant and its related facilities are as tabulated below:- Item Descriptions Remarks 1 Ground Hopper For feeding of raw material, coarse and fine aggregates 2 Movable Inclined Conveyor To convey the coarse and fine aggregate to the designated storage compartment 3 Aggregate Storage Bin For storage on top of the aggregate weighing bin 4 Aggregate Weighing Bin For weighing of the coarse and fine aggregates 5 Shooting Conveyor To convey the coarse and fine aggregates at high speed which shoot directly into the mixer drum of the mixer truck 6 Cement Storage Silos For storage of cement OPC, PFA and Slag Cement 7 Cement Weighing Bin For weighing of various cement 8 Water Weighing Bin For weighing of water 9 Admixtures Weighing Bin For weighing of admixtures 10 Control Room To provide staff on the control of the production 11 Water Storage Tank For water storage 12 Aggregate Stockpile For storage of coarse and fine aggregates 13 Slump Check Platform For concrete slump check 14 Wheel Loader For material handling from aggregate stockpiles to ground hopper 15 Mixer Truck For mixing of concrete and delivery of finished products to customers 16 QC Laboratory For quality control and testing 17 Power Supply To provide power supply to the plants and other facilities either by TNB or generator set 18 Waste Material Storage To collect all waste material and disposed to designated area Figure 1 in the Appendix shows a typical dry mix concrete batch plant layout. The ideal size for setting up is plant is 2,950m2, this set up will include a laboratory for quality control, a site office for staff and other facilities such as workshop and weighbridge on material control. Process Flow of Dry Mix Plant The process flow of the entire dry mix plant operation per 8 m3 load is as illustrated below:- Cycle Time per Load = Batching + Mixing Slump Check + Delivery + Discharging + Return + Queuing = 5 min + 15 min + 30 min + 45 min + 30 min + 10 min = 135 min From the process flow mapping, it is clearly shown that the complete process cycle time for 8 m3 load is 135 minutes. As the plant capacity is 80m3/hour, if the efficiency of the plant is 80%, therefore the plant is capable of producing 8 loads of 8m3-load but all the rest of the processes are done by the mixer trucks from mixing to discharging at site. In order to have a smooth operation flow, the number of mixer truck required by this dry mix plant is calculated as below: Number of Mixer Truck = 135/60X8 = 18 From the calculation above, 18 units of mixer truck is required for the smooth operation. Quality of the Product In dry mix plant, all the pre-determined materials are charged into the mixer drum of the mixer truck, then the mixing and quality check are carried out by the individual mixer truck operator accordingly. The product quality is not consistent as this is done by the 18 mixer truck operators and therefore, quality is becoming a major issue in this type of plant as the requirement of the quality is increasing with the advancement in construction technology. This quality will also hinder the further penetration of market share and jeopardise in achieving the long term strategic goal. Cost This operating cost is only covering all the facilities except the raw material cost as this remains consistent either dry mix or wet mix plant. But there are other costs that everyone is aware of such as the maintenance cost of the mixer truck. In this case, the operating cost of the plant is cheap but the mixer truck is much higher as there are 18 units of mixer drums which are having high wear and tear parts as they are used for mixing the concrete. These costs will be tabulated in the comparison and the overall operating cost will be identified. Flexibility In term of flexibility, this dry mix plant will have a limitation in producing high grade concrete as the mixing is done by mixer truck. The mixer truck will not be able to mix consistently and thoroughly inside the mixer drum of the mixer truck as the mixing is only dependent on the ploughing and dropping action of the mixer blade on the side wall of the mixer drum. Other than this, it is the same as in other type of plants. Dependability The availability, reliability and maintainability of this plant is actually quite similar to the other types of plant available in the market but duration for each maintenance will be a little bit shorter than wet mix plant because the components is less and the mixing is transferred to the mixer truck, therefore the availability is better. The reason for this is, there are 18 units of mixer instead of 1 unit of mixer. Proposed Modular Wet Mix Plant Basic Plant Components The basic components of dry mix concrete batch plant and its related facilities are as tabulated below:- Item Descriptions Remarks 1 Ground Hopper For feeding of raw material, coarse and fine aggregates 2 Aggregate Weighing Bin For weighing of various types of aggregates 3 Horizontal Conveyor To convey the weighed coarse and fine aggregates to Inclined Conveyor 4 Inclined Conveyor To convey the weighed coarse and fine aggregates to the aggregate transfer bin 5 Aggregate Transfer Bin For storage on top of the Mixer 6 Mixer For mixing of concrete 7 Concrete Holding Hopper For holding of finished product before discharging into mixer truck 8 Cement Storage Silos For storage of cement OPC, PFA and Slag Cement 9 Cement Weighing Bin For weighing of various cement 10 Water Weighing Bin For weighing of water 11 Admixtures Weighing Bin For weighing of admixtures 12 Control Room To provide staff on the control of the production 13 Water Storage Tank For water storage 14 Aggregate Stockpile For storage of coarse and fine aggregates 15 Wheel Loader For material handling from aggregate stockpiles to ground hopper 16 Mixer Truck For mixing of concrete and delivery of finished products to customers 17 QC Laboratory For quality control and testing 18 Power Supply To provide power supply to the plants and other facilities either by TNB or generator set 19 Waste Material Storage To collect all waste material and disposed to designated area Figure 2 in the Appendix shows a typical modular wet mix concrete batch plant layout. The ideal size for setting up is also plant is 2,950m2, this set up will include a laboratory for quality control, a site office for staff and other facilities such as workshop and weighbridge on material control. Process Flow of Modular Wet Mix Plant The process flow of the entire modular wet mix plant operation per 8 m3 load is as illustrated below:- Cycle Time per 8 m3Load = Batching + Delivery + Discharging + Return + Queuing = 5 min + 30 min + 45 min + 30 min + 10 min = 120 min From the process flow mapping, it is clearly shown that the complete process cycle time for 8 m3 load is 120 minutes. As the plant capacity is 80m3/hour, if the efficiency of the plant is 80%, therefore the plant is capable of producing 8 loads of 8m3-load in just 5 minutes as the process of mixing is done by the mixer and mixer truck is only used for delivery and discharging at site. In order to have a smooth operation flow, the number of mixer truck required by this dry mix plant is calculated as below: Number of Mixer Truck = 120/60X8 = 16 From the calculation above, 16 units of mixer truck is required for the smooth operation. Comparison of Process Flow Item Descriptions Dry Mix Plant Wet Mix Plant 1 Batching 5 minutes 5 minutes (Mixing by Mixer) 2 Mixing 15 minutes (By Mixer Truck) 3 Delivery to Site 30 minutes 30 minutes 4 Discharging at Site 45 minutes 45 minutes 5 Return to Plant 30 minutes 30 minutes 6 Queuing at Plant 10 minutes 10 minutes 7 Total Cycle Time per Load 135 minutes 120 minutes 8 Mixer Truck Required 18 16 By looking at the table above, it is clearly shown that the cycle time per load is reduced by 15 minutes or 11%. The number of mixer truck required to complete the work in progress is also reduced by 2 units, there will be a significant improvement in the whole process flow and this will be reflected in the investment cost and operating cost later. Quality of the Product In wet mix plant, all the weighed materials are charged into the mixer of the mixer for mixing and quality check are controlled by the batching operator accordingly of which the product quality is consistent therefore, quality issues can be minimized in this type of plant as the requirement of the quality can be assured to fulfil the modern construction technology. This quality assurance will also help increase the image and market recognition thus, to further penetrate into the untapped market share and also in achieving the long term strategic goal. Cost This operating cost is only covering all the facilities except the raw material cost as this remains consistent either dry mix or wet mix plant. Tabulated on the next page is the comparison of the overall operating cost of the whole process flow. It can be shown that the overall operating cost is reduced by RM1.26/m3 or 7.2% and it is very significant and substantial as the annual production is huge. For example, an annual production of 1 million cubic meters will mean a saving of RM1.26 million and so on and so forth, thus increasing the profitability of the sales and competency in the market place. Comparison on Wet and Dry Mix Plant Operational Cost excluding Raw Material Flexibility In term of flexibility, the wet mix plant will have less limitation in producing high grade concrete as the mixing is done by mixer. The mixer will be able to mix consistently and thoroughly inside the mixer as the mixer is specially design for this specific purpose. It can also produce different types of design mix as required by customers. Another advantage is that the supply radius can be increased by 5 km, thus the coverage area. Dependability The availability, reliability and maintainability of this plant is actually quite similar to the other types of plant available in the market and the duration for each maintenance will be a little bit longer than dry mix plant because the components is more, therefore the availability is slightly less but this can be eliminated by pre-planned preventive maintenance. Conclusion With the study and experience that had been merged and input, it is strongly advisable to convert all the dry mix plant into the modular wet mix plant for the following reasons:- Cheaper operating cost as justified on the operating cost Better flexibility for high grade concrete Less mixer truck requirement Quality consistency and assurance All the above implementations will be justifiable to achieve the company long term strategy to provide the highest quality, service at the lowest cost and to increase the market share in the next 10 year.

Main Differences Between Realism And Liberalism Politics Essay

Main Differences Between Realism And Liberalism Politics Essay Thinking about the number of high-stake political issues and the wide variety of aspects in which people have tried to understand these issues and come up with effective ways of resolving them are all packaged in different intellectual traditions and worldviews. This essay approaches the question from fundamental assumptions and theories of international relations built on a distinctive set of arguments put forward by realist and liberalist theories, each trying to understand and get a clear view of international politics. The first part of this essay introduces realism and liberalism as theories of international relations showing the claims made by each theorist in defend of their traditions. The assumptions and implications are shown in the second part. Finally, the conclusion is drawn from the contradictions seen during the arguments. Realism is a paradigm based on the premise that the world is essentially and unchangeably a struggle among self-interested states for power and position under anarchy, with each competing state pursuing its own national interests. Realists believe in state security and as such cannot afford credibility in terms of securing a state to international governing body such as the United Nations. Rather, major powers such as the United States manipulate other states with their military and economic strengths. The game of international politics revolves around the pursuit of power: acquiring it; increasing it; projecting it, and using it to bring others to ones will (Kegley, 2007: p 29). Among the principal prophets of this worldview were E.H Carr, George F. Kennan, Thomas Hobbes, and Niccolo Machiavelli. At the risk of oversimplification, realisms message as summarized by Kegley (2007) is in the form of ten assumptions and related propositions: People are by nature narrowly selfish and ethically flawed and cannot free themselves from the sinful fact that they are driven to watch out for themselves and compete with others for self-advantage. Of all peoples evil ways, none are more prevalent, inexolerable, or dangerous than their instinctive lust for power and their desire to dominate others. The possibility of eradicating the instinct for power is a utopian aspiration. International politics is- as Thomas Hobbes put it a struggle for power, a war of all against all. The primary obligation of every state the goal to which all other national objectives should be surbodinated is to promote national interest and to acquire power for this purpose. The anarchical nature of the international system dictates that states acquire sufficient military capabilities to deter attack by potential enemies and to exercise influence over others. Economics is less relevant to national security than its military might; economic growth is important primarily as a means of acquiring and expanding state power and prestige. Allies might increase a states ability to defend itself, but their loyalty and reliability should not be assumed. States should never entrust the task of self-protection to international security organizations or international law and should resist efforts to regulate international behavior through global governance. If all states seek to maximize power, stability will result by maintaining a balance of power, lubricated by shifts in the formation and decay of opposing alliances that counters each other expansion motive (Kegley, 2007: p 31). Liberalism on the other hand, is a paradigm predicated on the hope that the application of reason and universal ethics to international relations can lead to a more orderly, just, and cooperative world, and that international anarchy and war can be policed by institutional reforms that empower international organizations and laws. At the core of liberalism is an empahsis on the impact ideas have on behavior, equality, dignity and liberty of the individual, and the need to protect people from excessive state regulation. Liberalism views the individual as the seat of moral value and virtue and asserts that human beings should be treated as ends rather than means. It emphasizes ethical principle over the pursuit of power, and institutions over capabilities as forces shaping interstate relations. It defines politics at the international level more as a struggle for consensus rather than a struggle for power and prestige. Pioneers of Liberalism include David Hume, Jean Jacques Rosseau, Im manuel Kant (Kegley, 2007: p 31). Collectively, the post-World War 1 liberalists embraced a worldview that emphasized the power of ideas in controlling global destiny, based on the following beliefs as postulated by Kegley (2007). Human nature is essentially good or altruistic, and people are therefore capable of mutual aid and collaboration through reason and ethically inspired education. The fundamental human concern for others welfare makes progress possible. Sinful or wicked human behavior, such as violence, is the product not of flawed people but of evil institutions that encourage people to act selfishly and to harm others. War and international anarchy are not inevitable and wars frequency can be reduced by strenghtening the institutional arrangements that encourage its disappearance. War is a global problem requiring collective or multilateral, rather than national, efforts to control it. Reforms must be inspired by a compassionate ethical concern for the welfare and security of all people, and this humanitarian motive requires the inclusion of morality in statecraft. International society must recognize itself in order to eliminate the institutions that make war likely, and states must reform their political systems so that democratic governance and civil liberties within states can protect human rights and help pacify relations among states (Kegley, 2007: p 26-27). Even with the emergence of liberalism and the rapid rate with which it is being accepted, realism is more convincing. Realism is a perspective of international relations that treat issues from a practical point of view. Following this notion, realists draw a sharp distinction between domestic and international politics (Baylis et al., 2008: p 93). Realism has being influential in explaining international politics and it is clearly seen in historical conflicts when states struggle for the same goal. The relative power position of each state becomes the most reliable option. One can argue that the main distinctive feature of liberalism is its assertation that peace is possible and can result from a properly coordinated peace managed process by institutions such as the United Nations. For liberals, peace is the normal state of affairs: in Kants words, peace can be perpetual. War is therefore both unnatural and irrational, an artificial contrivance and not a product of some peculiarity o f human nature (Burchill et al., 2009: p 58). Accordingly, liberals also reject the realist notion that war is the natural condition of International politics. They also question the idea of state being the main actor on the world political stage. Liberals stress the possibilities for corporation and the key issue becomes devising an international setting in which corporation can be achieved (Baylis et al., 2008: p 5). Several instances which can be classified as realist act in response to the liberalist argument includes the beliefs that human being are naturally fixed, deeply flawed, and crucially selfish. To think otherwise is to make a mistake and it such a mistake that the realist accused the liberalist of making (Baylis et al., 2008: p 5). This viewpoint presents a systematic arrangement. If the assumption by realist is that human nature is naturally fixed and crucially selfish, then the whole idea of human generating an ideally perfect state is absurd. No institution can be s uperior to the qualities of the parties constituting it. Hence international peace becomes an objective beyond the limitation of any individual state party. Just as an individuals decision cannot be controlled by another, ones state integral disposition cannot be decided by another. Influence can be a compelling force sometimes, but the authority to make the decision always lies with the unitary entity. In words of Cranmer (2005), liberals also begin with the assumption that states are unitary and rational actors. However, liberals do not share the realist assumption that power is the means by which a states security is guaranteed, that states are the primary units of international politics. Liberal institutionalists, however, insist that the realist perspective does not exhaust the list of constraints on war over which states can and do exercise some control. States do not fight all others at all times and places where the realist constraints are weak (Dunne et al., 2010: p 96). In argument to this, defensive realist such as Waltz argues that states are profoundly defensive actors and will not seek greater amount of power if that means jeopardizing their own security. An aspect of this realist theory was clearly seen at the end of the Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union. The actions of the United States under President Ronald Reagan exemplified defensive realism, wh ile the actions of the USSR under Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev exemplified offensive realism. At some point during the Cold War, it became clear that the United States was in a relative power position when President Reagan started making concessions to the Soviet Union. Defensive realism accounts for this action. The behavior of the Soviet Union on the other hand, can be linked to offensive realism (Costa, 1998). Offensive realist such as Mearsheimer argues that the ultimate goal of a state is to achieve a hegemonic position in the international arena. States, according to this view, always desire more power and are willing, if the opportunity arises, to alter the existing distribution of power even if such an action may jeopardize their own security (Baylis et al., 2008: p 101). The proposition to this theory is the expectation of a state to decline in seeking power to gain greater amount of power if that means jeopardizing their own state security. The introduction of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) by the United State president out-spaced the Soviets and the reaction of the Soviets Union leader in recalling the Red Army from Eastern Europe conforms to the expectations of offensive realism (Costa, 1998). The Cold War, in this account was not caused by anyone but was the natural result of bipolarity. Soviet expansion into Central and Eastern Europe arose from neither vicious rulers in the Kremin nor rabid anti-communists in Washington. The War in Vietnam was criticized by leading realists such as Niebuhr and Morgenthau. Robert Tucker (1985) opposed the Reagan administrations support of armed counter revolution in Nicaragua. And not a single prominent realist supported the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. These examples suggest a very important interpretation point. There are number of Quaker realist-as well as for War. Reality provides a theoretical account of how the world works. It can be used for peaceful purposes. For example, hundreds of thousand s of lives might have been saved, and millions of injuries avoided had the United States pursued a realist bipolar rivalry with the Soviet Union rather than ideological Cold War (Burchill et al., 2009: p 36). Liberals believe international laws and institutions reduce War frequency and create a more orderly and just global system. Realists are of the opinion that the task of self -protection must not be entrusted to either international institutions or international laws. Realist critiques of international institutions, however, do raise two important questions. How much of an impact can international institutions have in principle? And what effects do they in fact have in contemporary international relations? John Mearsheimer (1994/95) in a well-known provocative essay, The False Promise of International Institutions develops a strong and uncompromising argument that institutions have minimal influence on the state behavior. Institutions, according to this argument, can easily be ignored because they rarely exert a significant influence on the interest or interactions of states in anarchy (Donnelly, 2000: p 132). It is largely on the basis on how realists depict the international environ ment that they conclude that the first priority for state leaders is to ensure the survival of their own state. International politics is one of anarchy, and for this reason, the survival of a state cannot be guaranteed by any form of international arrangement. Self-help is the principle of action in an anarchical system where there is no global government. Realists do not believe that it is prudent for a state to entrust its safety and survival on another actor or international institution. Unlike in domestic politics, there is no emergency number that states can dial when they are in mortal danger (Baylis et al., 2008: p 93). It was commonplace during the 1990s for pundits and scholars to proclaim that the world was rapidly becoming peaceful and that realism was dead. International politics was said to be transformed with the end of the Cold War. Many argued that democracy was spreading across the globe and, because democracies do not fight each other, we have reached the end of history. Though international institutions have been proved to be useful in terms of reducing War and it frequencies and, despite the opinion expressed by its critics, that optimism was faded with the wake of September 11, if not disappeared altogether and realism has made a stunning comeback and has continued to be the dominant theory used to explain the nature of international relations throughout history. Its resurrection is due to the fact that almost every realist opposed the Iraq War, which has turned to a strategic disaster for the USA and the UK. But, more importantly, there is little reason to think that globalization and international institutions have crippled the state. Indeed, the state appears to have a bright future, mainly because of nationalism, which glorifies the state, remains a powerful political ideology (Dunne et al., 2010: p 92). As evidenced by most recent behavior of the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq, powerful states are able to overturn the non-intervention principle on the ground of national security and world order (Baylis et al., 2008: p 100). What was the position of the United Nations in Rwanda when 800,000 Tutsi were slaughtered by the Hutus? In Bosnia, the U.N. declared safe areas for Muslims but did nothing to secure them, letting the Serbs slaughter thousands in Srebrenica. The organizations meddling was worse than useless, its blue-helmeted troops were used as hostages by the Serbs to deter a military response from the West (Boot, 2000). These illustrations has assumptions of realism, in that states ensure its security and survival of its own, even if it has to go to war to achieve it. It does not seem realism has lost its esteem the way many proponents of liberalism argue. In the review of the theory that works best, realism seems to give a better explanation than liberalism. As argued above, it is likely that the 21st century will be a realistic century. Despite efforts of federalists to rekindle the idealist flame, Europe continues to be as divided by different national interest as it is united by a common good. History already foretold how the US policy-makers will react in the event that China maintains its economic growth by 2020 (Baylis et al., 2008: p 105). If powerful states such as the US could adopt a realistic posture, my opinion remains that realism, should be seen as a good manual for understanding international politics.

Flannery OConners Everything that Rises Must Converge Essay -- Flann

Flannery O'Conner's Everything that Rises Must Converge A diverse Point of View in literature is what produces the story. In each story the author shows you what they think is important by giving you a certain point of view. Whether it is a first person or a third person point of view, there is always a motive behind why the author chose that view. â€Å"Everything that Rises Must Converge†, by Flannery O’Conner, deals with contentious issues of racism and the questionable validity of what is racism after the civil rights movement. In the portrayal of these sensitive issues, O’Conner utilizes a unique narrative point of view in order to maneuver the reader’s response to characters, situations, conflicts and issues. Through these different levels of narration, from the third person narration of Julian’s point of view, and the limited periods of other first person narrations from the minor characters, readers are influenced and manipulated to question their own attitudes towards the racial issues presented. O’Conner uses third person limited by explaining the describing the events that were occurring on the bus: â€Å"Julian rose, crossed the aisle, and say down in the place of the women with the canvas sandals†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†Do you have a light?† he asked the Negro.(pg914) O’Conner allows us to see the tension between Julian and his mother, which gives readers an insight into her character’s inner thoughts and motivations. As viewing the anger in Julian’s mother and his despiteful ways of... Flannery O'Conner's Everything that Rises Must Converge Essay -- Flann Flannery O'Conner's Everything that Rises Must Converge A diverse Point of View in literature is what produces the story. In each story the author shows you what they think is important by giving you a certain point of view. Whether it is a first person or a third person point of view, there is always a motive behind why the author chose that view. â€Å"Everything that Rises Must Converge†, by Flannery O’Conner, deals with contentious issues of racism and the questionable validity of what is racism after the civil rights movement. In the portrayal of these sensitive issues, O’Conner utilizes a unique narrative point of view in order to maneuver the reader’s response to characters, situations, conflicts and issues. Through these different levels of narration, from the third person narration of Julian’s point of view, and the limited periods of other first person narrations from the minor characters, readers are influenced and manipulated to question their own attitudes towards the racial issues presented. O’Conner uses third person limited by explaining the describing the events that were occurring on the bus: â€Å"Julian rose, crossed the aisle, and say down in the place of the women with the canvas sandals†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†Do you have a light?† he asked the Negro.(pg914) O’Conner allows us to see the tension between Julian and his mother, which gives readers an insight into her character’s inner thoughts and motivations. As viewing the anger in Julian’s mother and his despiteful ways of...

Personal Narrative: My Experience in AP US History Essay -- Narrative

â€Å"Your final exam will be in three parts: multiple choice, primary source analysis, and three major essays. I won’t be allowed within 2 miles of you when you take the exam.† The words of Mr. F, my AP US History teacher, reverberated between my ear drums. He either didn’t notice or didn’t seem to care: â€Å"The AP US History exam will be on a Saturday in mid May. It’s graded on a scale of 0 to 5. Zero being the lowest possible score, 5 being the highest.† A student in the front row raises her hand, interrupting our baptism by fire. Mr. F motions for her to speak. â€Å"Are you related to Stephen King?† I didn’t realize it at the time (because let’s face it, I didn’t voluntarily read anything that wasn’t a motorcycle magazine until my senior year of high school) but Mr. F bore an uncanny resemblance to the best selling suspense author. Even their eyeglasses were similar. â€Å"He’s my cousin.† the teacher nodded, pausing to recollect his thoughts. â€Å"The test is pretty simple, but it’s probably more difficult than anything you’ve taken before.† I had yet to learn the eccentricities of the oxymoron, but that fact didn’t hinder Mr. F as he grinned slyly while he mouthed the previous statement. â€Å"The Regents exams have 4 possible answers. The AP has 5, and they’re usually more difficult to discriminate between. The primary source section will be basically the same thing you run into on Regents Part 2s: political cartoons or other documents accompanied by a set of questions. The essays are probably going to be the biggest hurdle for you. You are required to write three instead of the usual one or two on a Regents exam. Like the Regents, you will be given a limited choice between essay topics to write on, and at least one of the essays will probably... ... feedback, he had to show me what the AP would think of my essay. Mr. F wasn’t flawed. The whole process was - pardon the shamelessly obvious pun - flawed (you had to see that coming since the first 2 lines of the paper). Especially after having read Peter Elbow’s book on the teacherless writing class, thinking about that year of AP US History is absolutely appalling. The whole writing process was turned on its head. It wasn’t about learning to write or how to improve writing. It was about what to do in order to pass. I can only imagine how a member of the Iroquois Nation must feel about living in 21st Century New York: join us or be left behind in poverty. Write this way. It is the only way. Indians are subhuman. Be a man: become an American. No, a real American. Write this way. It’s the only real way to write. And then again . . . maybe I just don’t like US history.

Cartesian Dualism

In Cartesian Dualism, Descartes tries to prove that the mind or soul is distinct and separate from the body, having no thoughts like the thinking and knowing mind/soul. The first argument in Cartesian Dualism is the argument of doubt. This argument has to do with doubting that he is a thinking thing there must be something there that is true to that therefore there is no physical body because that thought is possible. He claims the mind and body is two separate things claiming this logic: I am certain that I am a thinking thing. I am not certain that I am a physical thing. Therefore, I am not a physical thing.I would not agree with him on this part of the argument, given the premise it is a good way to show that the body does not think for itself, but that does not lead it to a complete separation of the mind and the body. A lot of the physical sense and consumption that attributes to the thoughts of the mind or soul comes from the body. It cannot be written off as a separate and unr elated to the mind/soul just by imagining it does not exist because it cannot match the logic by thinking for itself. Another argument is from clear and distinct perception by proposing that all people are thinking things and not physical things.Overall this argument claims that if two things can exist apart from one another, then they must be two distinct and separate things, now saying that the mind is not only separate from the body, but can also live without it. If the mind is therefore distinct from the body, then it is possible to exist as a mind without the body. I logically don’t agree just because we can distinctly perceive the mind and body as two different things, how does that mean that they actually are, and how will the body continue to exist without the body as a carrying agent.The soul would not be a soul without the body, because it will not perceive the world the same without the body. The third argument is for simplicity with the idea that everything extend ed is divisible into parts. The body is extended and also divisible into parts such as the arms, legs, and so on. Here, Descartes did not believe that the mind was divisible into parts, even though we know different parts of the mind are responsible for different cognitive processes. Descartes believed believed that these differently labeled parts all have the same driving force behind them.So the logic goes if the mind cannot be divisible into parts, and all extended things can be divisible into parts, then the mind cannot be an extended thing. Which then makes the mind is of different material from the body which must be also separate and distinct from the body. Given the premise I can agree with this argument for Cartesian Dualism because it is more broken down and relatable than others having details and not many vague accounts having to be accepted to get to a solid conclusion.When I put each argument in context of flesh vs soul giving the body no real significance taking away any neuronal or psychological dependence that shape the mind/soul then the first two arguments are more easily taken but still misunderstandable from different point of views. Given most premises of these arguments I cannot whole fully agree with Descartes because logically it does not make sense to me given the different understanding and initial perception towards the human body and its natural role.

Assassination of John F. Kennedy Essay

On the day of November 24, 1963, Americans were all shocked by the sudden death of the 35th President of the United States of America. During that day, the itinerary of the president was to join the motorcade from the Dallas airport to the city business district. While the President and the First Lady were aboard an open vehicle along with other political dignitaries in Dallas, Texas, a gunshot was fired as the presidential party approached the Dealey Plaza. Unfortunately, it was Kennedy who was the target and was hit on the head and on his back. The only other causality during that event was John Connally, the Texas Governor who was also shot on the back. Though Jackie Kennedy, the First Lady, was seated near the President in the car, she was left unharmed (BBC, 2008). Many civilians have witnessed this incident because it happened in a public place and it was televised at the local TV networks. Because of these circumstances, many claimed that they have seen where the gunman took his shot. According to Bob Jackson, a photographer from Dallas Times Herald who was then covering the event and situated near the presidential car, â€Å"As I looked up I saw a rifle being pulled back from a window – it might have been resting on the windowsill – I didn’t see a man. † Also, others said that the shots came from the â€Å"window of a building overlooking the road† where Kennedy was shot (BBC, 2008). After the shooting incident, the president was right away brought to the Parklands hospital. But after 35 minutes, Kennedy was pronounced dead. As the protocol, Lyndon John, vice-president, who was next in line was immediately â€Å"sworn in as the new US leader. † This tragedy caught America by surprise that have left them mourning the unexpected death and the brief term in office of President John F. Kennedy (BBC, 2008).