Crimes and Misdemeanors Essay Example for Free

Crimes and Misdemeanors Essay Crimes and Misdemeanors Woody Allens, Crimes and Misdemeanors, film paints a realistic picture of the real world in which we all live. His film brilliantly portrays the lives of how a large amount of people across this globe live their own life and does not attempt to sugarcoat any event that occurs in the movie; he merely tells it how it is and provides information for what people should expect in todays world. Allen takes on the issue of the human races true beliefs of morality and what actually happens in he real world, in contrast to what typically takes place in movies. Allen transpires different events throughout his movie that create a lingering question for his audience on the thoughts of morality in a godless community. Adultery, lies, and murder were only a small sum of the crimes that were committed in Allens movie. However, the question becomes how the characters reacted to their own acts of immorality. The most in depth storyline in this movie was that of Judah Rosenthal, who comes to the conclusion that in a world devoid of godly resence, all acts are permissible, even adultery and murder. Once a person erases their belief on certain morals and values, it is much easier for them to erase crimes or immoral acts they have committed from their mind as being immoral. Judah does an extraordinary Job at showing this in the movie when he finds out that someone else was arrested for the murder of Dolores; he automatically knew he was off the hook and made himself believe he did no wrong. By doing this he was capable of going on and living his life. Another main character in Allens movie, was one layed by him himself. Throughout the movie Cliff embarked on new ideas and experiences because they were his passion and what he believed, however at the end of the movie we watch as Cliff loses everything he believed in from his love, his career, and his family. Many may question why Cliff would lose everything if he had so many good strong beliefs and how Judah can move on with his life even after being involved in a murder. However, the answer according to this movie is simple. We as the human race, define ourselves by our choices, with the absence of god. In he issue concerning Cliff losing everything he believed in, it wasnt necessarily a punishment, but in all actuality shows how it can be relevant to real life. Not all times, does a person with good morals get what they want. In addition, Judah was going to move on with his life no matter if he had a religious background or not. Judah saw the world as, once God is gone all things are permissible, which shows his true morals and values as a person. His character depicts the life of one who has done wrong and escaped punishment in their life at some point, which again can be pplied to the real world on a daily basis. Regarding the different situations that occur all across this movie, it is shown that there can be a sense of morality in our world without the belief of a certain religion. This movie portrays many types of religious beliefs within the characters and then goes on to show that even people who do not necessarily believe in God, still have morals they might Just value certain areas more than others. God is essentially a the absence of god, anything anyone wants to make permissible to their own self can be made permissible.

Is General Will Compatible With Individual Freedom Politics Essay

Is General Will Compatible With Individual Freedom Politics Essay Jean-Jacque Rousseau wrote at a time before great social and political change in Europe. His texts remain one of the classic concepts of political theory. His writings have been thought of by many as, the bible for the French Revolution for his foresight and perhaps predictions for the violence and terror that followed. His text, The Social Contract (1762) is made up of 4 books. In Books 1 and 2 he aimed to address the problem of political morality and the theory of institutions in Books 3 and 4. Rousseau was a defender of democracy, an advocate for individual liberty and an egalitarian. Rousseau begins with the famous opening lines, Men are born free, yet everywhere are in chains He starts by explaining the way in which men are bound to the chains of civil society which restrain the natural right of man to an objective independent freedom. He believed that civil society does not give man the freedom, liberty and equality that were promised to him when joining society. Rousseau believed that the only way to prevent these shackles from becoming uncomfortable would be by the collective creation of a body in society forming a single will, the general will. When answering the question it is important to understand the idea of the rule of the general will to see if it is compatible with the freedom of the individual. The general will is expressed by the sovereign (either an individual with a unified will or a collective body in society). The definition and purpose of this general will is to act in the needs and desires of the collective and to sustain the common good for all people. Rousseau explains, The English people believed itself to be free. It is greatly mistaken; it is free only during the election of the members of Parliament. Once they are elected, the populace is enslaved; it is nothing . To Rousseau the idea of the general will is one of free debate in an assembly of individuals and equals of what is of common interest. In Chapter 15 of Book 3 he puts forward the idea that sovereignty cannot be represented, because it consists of the general will and the general will cannot be represented . J. Plamenatz (1992) gives this reason for Rousseaus argument for direct as apposed to representative democracy. Every citizen in Rousseaus ideal society should make the laws themselves and not entrust this job in the places of others. This was Rousseaus third principle. In essence general will gives every individual in the collective the freedom to vote how he pleases in the assembly and ultimately everyone has a say in the running of the society as the democracy is direct. However, Rousseau retains that general will should not be the desire of the individual will, but what will be beneficial for everyone. Rousseau also believed that whoever went against obeying the general will ought to be enforced to do so by the whole body. This means nothing other than that he shall be forced to be free . What Rousseau means by this is that by people having the obligation to adhere to the social contract and by having to receive the benefit of the general will, theyre gaining freedom. This is in contrast to Hobbes and Locke who believed laws were created to stop us wandering from the path of civil obedience and referred to as hedges. Rousseau asserts that it is the process of law making that sets us free. His key argument was that if we are the authors of the law then we could manifest our own freedom and independence. According to Rousseau we are all born free and have the capacity to be free but to achieve this Rousseau believed we have to build a social government that does not enslave us. It could be argued that Rousseaus idea of the rule of the general will, is compatible with the freedom of the individual. This is because Rousseau described the notion of there being 2 different types of freedom. There is social freedom and a personal freedom. He also refers to personal freedom as the state of nature. Rousseau said that freedom was only reachable when the populace obeyed the laws it set itself. J. Plamenatz (1992) describes this by explaining ideally we would say, I alone have made the law that I obey but that this is impossible and instead the most we can hope for is that each should say, I obey the law that we have made rather than I obey the law that they have made. This ideal is that every citizen should identify himself with the community that makes the law . Rousseau bellied that the ab ility to follow these rules and laws would only be possible once one recognised themselves as a part and member of the community of lawmakers. Rousseau had previously discussed the first explanatory problem of the origins of how we became unfree, when we are born naturally free in the state of nature. He wrote about this in Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (1755). It is in The Social Contract (1762) that he explained the second problem, the justificatory problem and suggested an answer. Rousseau asserted that power only becomes legitimate once the people consent to it and. He said, Each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme direction of the general will; and in a body we receive each member as an indivisible part of the whole In conclusion, Iain Hampsher-Monk writes in A History of Modern Polticial Thought that, part of the main, objective of the general will, therefore is its constant tendency to equality . He says that the notion of obeying ourselves is a difficult one to understand, however he explains that in this way of setting and obeying our own rules, tyranny can be guarded against . Whilst some scholars have regarded Rousseaus political thought as pointing towards totalitarianism, (as he advocates complete subservience to the state) many others regard him as a firm liberal and a defender of freedom and equality. For this reason it is believed that Rousseaus idea of the rule of the general will is compatible with the freedom of the individual, as in Rousseaus state; the popular sovereignty effectively governs themselves by legitimising the chains of society and reconciling sovereignty , freedom and authority.

Rosa Lee Cunningham Case Study

Rosa Lee Cunningham Case Study Rosa Lee Cunningham is a Black American woman who has lived a pathetic life being a victim of extreme poverty, child abuse and deprivation of love and nurturance from her mother. The traumatic experiences in her life has led to her addiction to a lifestyle that further degrades her as a person instead of rising from her unfortunate situation. From childhood, she has learned the harsh reality that black girls needed to be trained to care for the family and household while black boys are pampered. Rosa Lee underwent hard labor for the family under the watchful eye of her severely harsh mother, Rosetta. Education was not given a priority in Rosa Lees growing years. Her mother would prefer that work and chores were done well and schooling was not as important, as she inculcated to Rosa Lee that she would never amount to something more than engaging in domestic work. Rosa Lee felt deprived of play in her childhood, as she needed to chop wood, carry heavy things, scrub a room spotless and cater to her familys every need. As an adult, being overly clean with the house became her way of coping with stress. Rosa Lee craved for her mothers approval. Her attempts to be close to her mother were often met with hostility. When she learned to shoplift nice things to offer her mother, she would be reprimanded, but later, as her mother would inspect the merchandize, would throw her arms around her with appreciation. Such acts of intimacy were short-lived, as Rosetta did not hesitate to inflict physical harm at Rosa Lee whenever she displeased her. On the other hand, her father, Earl Wright, an alcoholic had better regard for her and indulged her with whatever coins he can spare for her whenever he was drunk. In school, Rosa Lee felt that her poverty was holding her back from becoming what she was destined to be. In her puberty, she noticed that other children had nice clothes while she wore rags. At this age, the need to belong and be noticed by other children becomes very strong. Her first shoplifting episode was borne out of this desire to be upgraded in terms of fashion. From then on, stealing became a way of life, and she became better and better at it until such time when she managed to subtly slip merchandize in her waiting bag or under her skirt. Rosa Lee fared poorly in school, not realizing that she was a slow learner until she had the unfortunate episode of being thrown out of a class with a teacher she admired. With Mrs. Whitehead, she felt that she was learning, and enjoyed her teaching strategies. However, when she was caught in her class, she was instructed to join another class which Rosa Lee wanted to escape from in the first place. This prompted her to become truant in school. Since she never took school seriously after Mrs. Whitehead, she did not develop her literacy skills to the fullest. This lack of reading skills proved to be disadvantageous to her. Her misdemeanors have brought her to troublesome situations, leading to an early pregnancy at age thirteen. She had to stop schooling to have her first born which her mother cared for. Soon after, she found herself pregnant again, and again and again, making her a mother of multiple children before she reached her twentieth birthday. Her promiscuous behavior is a desperate call for help to be released from her mothers clutches. Once, she succeeded in having a man marry her only because he was threatened by Rosetta, but a few months later, Rosa Lee found herself back in her mothers house as she had no other way to go because her husband beat her. To feed her children, she had to resort to prostitution and selling illegal drugs. She always justified such ways of generating income as means of survival for her eight children. Her steady income came in the way of welfare checks which her mother had full control of. Rosettas idea of child-rearing was to Rosa Lee, inappropriate. The noble cause of setting the children on the straight path (ex. that stealing is bad) is often implemented by violent acts. Such beatings or harsh cursing became a staple situation in Rosa Lees household. The traumatic events and painful feelings that come of it made Rosa Lee vow that she would never do harm to her own children. Because Rosa Lee had no credible role model for morality, she set her own standards, which unfortunately were easily bent. She herself taught her children to steal clothes so they had something nice to wear or other things so they had something to sell to buy food. Later on, she would involve her children and grandchildren in the drug trade because policemen dont usually go after young children. She never expected that they would get hurt in the process, but failed to consider that she was putting them at high risk. When Rosa Lee eventually became a drug addict herself, it became so natural to her and her children to share the illegal drug use. Their joint drug sessions impressed upon the children her tolerance of such a habit, making it convenient for them to justify it and even depend on their mother to supply it or money to get it from their drug dealers. This series of substance abuse shared by Rosa Lee and her six children merited them jail sentences and even acquiring the HIV virus for Rosa Lee and her two children she shared needles with. It is pathetic that Rosa Lee and her children do not learn from the consequences of engaging in their drug habit, since upon release from jail, they are soon at it again. Even the threat of the AIDS disease did not deter them from continued pursuit of the next high. Waking up to a painful reality of poverty and hopelessness after the high has worn off, her children merely exist. They do not have the drive to go out and make something of themselves to live normal lives. Instead of being employed in a decent job, they would rather depend on Rosa Lee who pushes herself to do what she does best selling drugs and shoplifting just so her children are fed, housed and even given money to get their drugs. For Rosa Lee, this is her way of showing love for them. Prolonged use of dangerous drugs, and her high level of stress have resulted in some physical illnesses in Rosa Lee as manifested by seizures, memory lapses and stomach pain. To manage it, she has been receiving her daily dose of Methadone at the community clinic. However, at times, such symptoms become too much to bear and she ends up confined in the hospital. This paper attempts to analyze Rosa Lees psychological profile and diagnose her psychological situation using a multiaxial evaluation from the data gathered from her life story by Leon Dash and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Axis I: Substance Abuse/ Dependence Rosa Lees manifested symptoms may be diagnosed as Substance Abuse/Dependence. Under DSM-IV-TR (text revision of 2002). Following are the usual behaviors exhibited by substance abusers/ dependents: SUBSTANCE ABUSE: Manifests one or more of the following behavior:ÂÂ   Failure to fulfill major obligations: Rosa Lee has been habitually tardy in settling her bills, resulting in cut-off of services. She is unable to manage her finances, as she misappropriates her budget to her and her childrens drug supply instead of food for everybody or payment of utilities. Use when physically hazardous: In spite of the threat of her HIV virus turning into a full-blast AIDS disease, or simply when she knows that her physical condition makes drug use lethal for her, Rosa Lee continues to indulge in drugs. Recurrent legal problems: Rosa Lee has been arrested several times for shoplifting or busted for selling or using drugs. Recurrent social or interpersonal problems: Rosa Lee is unable to control her childrens addictive behavior. She continually supports their drug habit by handing them the money to buy drugs and then tries to save them whenever they get in trouble associated with their drug use. Personally, she is frustrated with how they treat her but she seems helpless as she keeps her feelings usually bottled up inside and occasionally pushed to the limit. Since she has vowed never to be like her abusive mother to her children, she instead indulges their whims even if it brings disastrous results for them. With SUBSTANCE ABUSE the user has a choice: he/she uses in spite of illegal, unsafe consequences, or inappropriateness of the drinking/drugging experience. (DSM-IV-TR, 2002). With Rosa Lees history of drug use, she continues to use drugs despite her awareness of its consequences to herself or her family. SUBSTANCE DEPENDENCE (ADDICTION/ALCOHOLISM) Manifests three or more of the following behavior: Tolerance: Rosa Lee tolerates the consequences that follow her drug use pain, inability to function normally, even her childrens seemingly abusive behavior towards her. Withdrawal: Rosa Lees body responses to drug use withdrawal are usually associated to how she takes medication to control the accumulated and related symptoms that the use of dangerous drugs have caused. Since her reading skills are inadequate, she is not accurate in following the dosage of the prescribed medication, causing her body to react with seizures, memory lapses, etc. Large amounts over a long period: Rosa Lees intake of drugs/ illegal substances depends on its availability. The more drugs available for the taking, the more she can consume. This has gone on for most of her adult life. Unsuccessful efforts to cut down: Despite her numerous attempts/ announcements to stop and reform her life by avoiding drugs, she would usually fall back into the drug habit. Time spent in obtaining the substance replaces social, occupational or recreational activities: Rosa Lees numerous commitments have usually been missed due to her drug problem. Continued use despite adverse consequences: Rosa Lee has gotten herself in dire circumstances because of her substance abuse/ dependency. Her repetitive confinements in the hospital, the threat of AIDS, the risk of being hurt by drug dealers may force her to stop using drugs, but when a stressful event comes to her life, or when her defenses are down, she would weakly give in to the temptation of taking drugs when it presents itself. Axis II: ÂÂ  Developmental Disorders/ Personality Disorders From the data gathered, Rosa Lee seems to present a number of developmental disorders. From childhood, it was shown that she was a slow learner and her inadequate literacy skills has led her to troublesome consequences (e.g. misreading prescribed dosages of medication has caused her aggravated physical illnesses; her lack of understanding of simple systems such as billing or legal consequences has pushed her further in deeper problems). Her poverty and feelings of deprivation has pushed Rosa Lee to impulsively steal from stores. Gaining approval from her family members due to the merchandise she has stolen has become the reward for this inappropriate behavior. Her usual excuse for it is just trying to survive, a rationalization she has passed on to her children and grandchildren. Rosa Lee shows some obsessive-compulsive behaviors when she is stressed. She cleans her house in earnest to the point that it is spotless. Axis III: Physical Conditions Rosa Lees prolonged substance abuse/ dependency has caused her a lot of physical illnesses such as memory loss, body pains, seizures, general malaise and most of all, HIV from sharing needles when injecting dangerous substances to the body. Such illnesses has made Rosa Lee progressively weaker physically confining her to her bed whenever these attack. Axis IV: Severity of Psychosocial Stressors The prominence of her mothers role in her life has greatly affected the formation of her character and personality. Rosa Lee was terribly afraid of her exploitative and cruel mother who forced her to do things against her will. She was physically and verbally abused. In spite of this, Rosa craved for her love and affection. When she already felt suffocated of her mothers hold on her and her life, she found ways to get away from her such as getting pregnant and marrying early, which backfired and led her back to her mother. Being a breadwinner of the family (both her own children and her mother and siblings) pushed Rosa Lee to work harder at acquiring income to support them all. In spite of this, she felt unappreciated and taken advantage of, but she passively accepted her fate. Continuously supporting her children even in their adulthood was also a strong psychosocial stressor for Rosa Lee, as they were very much dependent on her that they even expect her to save them from the detrimental consequences such as bailing them out of jail, covering for their transgressions and taking their place to suffer the consequences of their own misdemeanors. Rosa Lees idea of maternal love is just to give and to give, as her selfish and inconsiderate children continually take and take, giving their mother nothing in return. The environment where she lives in is another source of stress for Rosa Lee, as it eggs on her continuous engagement in the drug trade. If she or any of her children is guilty of crossing anyone, the threat of harm becomes prevalent. Axis V: Highest Level of Functioning Upon the thorough and keen reporting of Leon Dash, Rosa Lee has been portrayed as a street-smart woman who is truly a survivor in the context of her personal situation. She knows how to manipulate the sentiments of judges or other people who easily fall for her deceptive demeanor. She manages to acquire the necessary income for her family to survive in dire circumstances. When things are carefully explained to her and made sure that she understood the consequences of her behavior, Rosa Lee does the necessary action to normalize her life and become drug-free for a certain period of time. Her weak will may be made stronger with careful scaffolding of reminders and even threats to her safety. She also needs to be prodded to assert herself when it comes to her children who control her emotionally by pushing the right buttons. Proposed Treatment Plan In coming up with an appropriate treatment plan for Rosa Lee, many factors are to be considered. Like in most cases, treatment needs to combine psychological therapy with the treatment of the physical addiction. Before any treatment plan is attempted, Rosa Lees intrinsic desire to be reformed must be expressed. The decision to be healed of her addiction should help her commit to being cooperative with the concrete vision that she will indeed be free from the bondage of the addiction. To cleanse her body of the chemicals she has ingested, Rosa Lee needs to go through medical detoxification. While detoxification alone is rarely sufficient to help addicts achieve long-term abstinence, for some individuals it is a strongly indicated precursor to effective drug addiction treatment. (National Institute on Drug Abuse, n.d.). As it is, Rosa Lee has been taking her doses of Methadone, a drug that helps her in stabilizing her life and reducing her illicit drug use. Her treatment plan must likewise include treatment and management of her HIV positive state to prevent it from becoming a full-blast AIDS disease. Priority should be helping Rosa Lee regain her physical vigor and feisty spirit. Since her immediate environment is one factor that encourages her addiction, she must be moved to a less threatening environment that promotes well-being. Being in a stress-free environment greatly helps in achieving peace. A conducive environment also facilitates deep introspection and coming up with an action plan to pursue a drug-free and positive lifestyle after the treatment process. The most important element in the treatment plan is Rosa Lees psychological therapy. Managing the effects of her trauma from childhood entails getting to the root of it. Therapy must include her revisiting of the past and steps to achieve closure from the psychological pain inflicted by her overpowering mother and the prejudicial socio-cultural environment that exploited her dignity as a person. Family therapy is essential in the healing of Rosa Lees affliction. Since the dysfunctional members are likewise culprits in encouraging Rosa Lees addiction, they themselves must undergo psychological therapy not only for her but also for their own good. In doing so, an empowered sense of self and responsibility is hoped to be developed. Psychotherapy will help in treating Rosa Lees emotional wounds. The need to understand why things turned out the way they are should be met so the individual is equipped to resolve the situation and move on. One example is for Rosa Lee to understand the dynamics she shared with her mother and how she should manage the strong feelings her painful relationship still brings about. Being able to manage it will help her in dealing with stressful situations associated with her mother. Rosa Lees strengths should be used in the treatment plan. Among these are her deep love for her family and her creative and critical thinking abilities. In helping her understand how her dysfunctional behavior puts her children and grandchildren at risk may help her shift her paradigm on love. Encouraging her to be strong in denying her children the whims which may bring them harm by using tough love may be effective in likewise strengthening her character. She may find it very difficult at first considering giving in to all her childrens whims has been her parenting style for a long time and her way of showing love for them, but eventually, as she reaps the fruits of her sacrifice, she will eventually be accustomed to it. Her creative and critical thinking skills may be called upon whenever she feels tempted to relapse into her addiction after treatment. She may find ways and means to avoid anything that would trigger her urges to take illicit drugs like old co-drug dependent friends, drug dealers, or even places she associates with her former life in the drug trade. In the book, there were frequent references to the power of religion over her. This may mean that Rosa Lee finds it important. Being exposed to the teachings of her chosen religion may help her acquire proper understanding of moral values. It would be ideal if religion and spirituality would be her substitute for the ultimate high she is perennially in search of. Even at a late age, she may still be given tutorial sessions on developing literacy skills. Not only will she learn to read and write, but her confidence and self-esteem will be improved, giving her hope for a better future. Vocational rehabilitation such as engaging in arts and crafts, gardening, cooking, etc. will not only keep her mind off her addiction but also equip her with more skills. Such skills will help her find appropriate, decent and gainful employment to start her off in her reformed life. Rosa Lee is also recommended to get into assertiveness training to enable her to non-defensively express her emotions. This will help her not to be easily taken advantage of people, especially her family members who are always out to get a cut of her welfare checks. She will likewise be empowered to think of herself positively, and even contest the societal norms and beliefs she grew up on, which were partly responsible in lowering her self-esteem. An effective treatment plan attempts to administer to her medical, psychological, vocational, social, and even legal needs. Rosa Lee had left a lot of pending legal cases, and these need to be resolved or if need be, she should be amenable to face the verdict responsibly. As Rosa Lee gets better in her treatment plan, consistent monitoring of her progress must be assessed continually and modified as necessary to ensure that the plan meets her changing needs. Recovery from drug addiction can be a long-term process and frequently requires multiple episodes of treatment. As with other chronic illnesses, relapses to drug use can occur during or after successful treatment episodes. Addicted individuals may require prolonged treatment and multiple episodes of treatment to achieve long-term abstinence and fully restored functioning. Participation in self-help support programs during and following treatment often is helpful in maintaining abstinence. (National Institute on Drug Abuse). The complications in Rosa Lees life have contributed to the state she is currently in. Like a pack of a wrongly- knitted ball of yarn, her treatment plan should carefully release the knots to unravel the strands so a more accurate weave may be started and completed before she finally expires. No matter how unfortunate one lives his life, there is always hope for change. In Rosa Lees case, if she is determined to turn her life around, no one can stop her from achieving the happiness and fulfillment a clean life and amend her ways and teachings she has previously imparted to her children and grandchildren. She will continue to carry the burden of being responsible for her family being the matriarch, but change needs to begin with her. Hopefully, positive change will rub off on her children and grandchildren. Only then could a trans-generational woundedness begin to heal, as she may be the first real credible role-model they can ever have.

English Coursework: Frankenstein doesn’t have any heroes or villains, E

English Coursework: Frankenstein doesn’t have any heroes or villains, only victims. Do you agree with this statement? Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, started being written in 1814 and was finally completed in the summer of 1816, at a time when gothic genre was extremely popular. It was then released in 1818, but Shelley decided to release it anonymously. It is a gothic horror novel that concentrates on isolation and ambition. The idea for the novel was supposedly first invented when Shelley was at a friend’s house when a competition was created as to whom could create the best â€Å"tale of terror† story. It is about a man, Victor Frankenstein, who tries to â€Å"play god† and creates a living â€Å"creature† that is then ostracised and consequently commits a series of murders throughout the novel. The characters involved can be viewed as heroes, or as villains, depending on the different perspectives of the reader. Frankenstein’s creation of the creature can be viewed as heroic, as he is seen to push the boundaries of science further than ever before: â€Å"A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their beings to me.† Frankenstein also sacrificed the safety of those he loved to prevent the risk of the creatures killing others when he destroyed the female creature, which angered the male creature. He was also very ambitious in the way that he chased the creature to the North Pole to put a stop to his reckless behaviour, where he met the explorer Walton, who is a hero as far as leadership and ambition are concerned, by trying to travel as far North as possible. Walton’s ambitious attitude is made clear when he says â€Å"My life might have been passed in ease and luxury, ... ...rought on himself. The novel shows the shallowness of people in society by showing what the monster had to endure because of his appearance, as well as the moral irresponsibility of Frankenstein as a scientist. Frankenstein was always the villain deep down as he attempted to play God, which I don’t think should be attempted by any human being. He was obsessed with the fact that he could create life, but never once to considered if it was the right thing to do. I think Shelley is basing the whole novel on, not what Frankenstein actually did, but what he fails to do. The way the creature is portrayed in 3rd person narrative allows us to see the creature as a hero, villain and a victim. I believe that the creature viewed Frankenstein as a father figure and was mentally tortured when his own creator neglected him. He had nothing to live for, except revenge.

Teaching Practices Essay -- Education, Politics

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role that state standards play in the classroom. The topics that I will include in this paper will be an overview of the usage and role that state standards play in the teaching and learning of students and a summary of a discussion with my guiding practice teacher about standards and data from observing him. In addition, I will analysis how my guiding practice teacher uses standards to help instruct his students. Furthermore, through the lens of the reflective cycle, I will reflect on the intelligent action I plan to incorporate into my future classroom. Role That State Standards Play in the Teaching and Learning State standards impact the way that teachers’ instruct in the classroom in a control manner. The standards are state mandates for the topics that need to be cover in the class. The standards serve as an outline of topics for the teachers to teach to the students. They are uniform instruction of a subject that covers all public schools in the state. Additionally, the standards should provide a structure-learning environment in the classroom. Standards help teachers by providing an outline of instruction for the class. Falk (2000) suggest that â€Å"the capacity of standards to provide guidance toward and images of possibility of what quality work can be; the opportunity that standards present to initiate collective conversations and inquiry about shared values, purposes, goals, and expectations† (p.164). Standards help the teachers find a starting point for an instructional lesson. Standards also help to create uniform instruction across the district as well as the state. According to Ravitch (1991), â€Å"[curriculum] must teach the core democratic values that enable ... ...learning as the students need (p.234). While teaching my lesson, I must be present in the moment. I do not need to be thinking about the last class period, next period, or what needs to be done for tomorrow classes. I need to focus on the instruction that on the class that I am teaching to help them be successful. Another intelligent action, I would include in my classroom is feedback. I would include structure feedback in my lesson. At the end of instruction, I would ask the students what they have learn today in class. I would do this as a way to assess their learning and see what the students receive from the class lesson. Additionally, I would ask the students what could I have done better in class or what they believe did not work in class. This would help me plan future lessons to know what work with the class as well as what did not work with the class.

A Princess Life along the Silk Road

Susan Whitfield’s semi-fictionalized stories of about 10 selected people who once lived along the Silk Road gives us a clearer picture on how does the culture goes during its golden days of trading. China protected these ancient interconnected trade routes through all means. Such physical evidence of this protection they gave was the building of its Great Walls that then disallows intrusion of bandits within China’s proclaimed boundaries. This made the half part of the merchant’s journey half-safe.So as to ensure that their commodities would reach their final destination, China made pacts to their neighbor states who could give them military assistance. To strengthen these pacts, beside of the China’s promise to pay their purchases with silk, its ruler’s gave some of their royal princesses as a tribute to the neighbor states majesty. Looking ahead†¦ A Princess Life along the Silk Road Susan Whitfield’s Life along the Silk Road, a semi-fi ctionalized story of 10 selected people who once lived along the Silk Road gives us a clearer picture on how does the culture goes during its golden days of trading.China protected these ancient interconnected trade routes through all means. Such physical evidence of this protection they gave was the building of its Great Walls that then disallows intrusion of bandits within China’s proclaimed boundaries. This made the half part of the merchant’s journey half-safe. So as to ensure that their commodities would reach their final destination, China made pacts to their neighbor states who could give them military assistance. To strengthen these pacts, beside of the China’s promise to pay their purchases with silk, its ruler’s gave some of their royal princesses as a tribute to the neighbor states’ majesty.Basing on surviving scripts about some historical personages of China, Whitfield had retold the princesses’ experiences through Taihe and her Princess Tale. The journey of Taihe, an imperial princess started in the autumn of 821. Taihe was the sister of the Tang emperor by that time and daughter of its predecessor. Taihe needed to travel westward to meet and be wed with the Kaghan of the Uighur. Taihe was the fourth princess that been sent to their so-called â€Å"land of the nomads†. Taihe could not refuse since it became a tradition to their empire to send a â€Å"tribute† to the Kaghan or emperor of the Uighur.She was not the original princess to be sent by that time, but due to the unexpected death of the former Kaghan, her elder sister Princess Yong’an had escaped her turn and rather made a decision to become a Daoist priestess. To honor the original agreement, Taihe replaced her to marry the next Kaghan. Though Taihe had never left her country before, she was denoted as very familiar with the many influence brought by neighbor states like of Uighur. She was a good horsewoman like any other palac e ladies and she uses this skill in her playing of polo, an import from the western origin. On her journey, she was riding a Bactrian camel.Female attendants of Taihe during their journey rode with Ferghana horses which are said to have mythical strength. These horses are few, that is why China still has to import cavalry ponies from Uighur. That is why Taihe was made as a tribute. During the journey, Taihe uses personal ornaments like her jade pins from Khotan, and decorations made of tortoiseshell from Vietnam and lapis lazuli from Badakhstan. She has her Buddhist rosary beads made of amber, probably coming either from the Baltic or northern Burma. She carried perfumes and breath freshener, many originating in India.She was fond of playing the Kuchean music which she could continue to enjoy in Kaghan’s palace. By her time in China, western music was extremely popular and its tunes were adapted with Chinese lyrics. Before her journey, she was also thought with the whirling d ance, which is usually performed by Sogdian girls. Though all of this are only influences, and she is very much unaware of how would be her life with the Uighurs, as she remembered the words by a Chinese princess sent to the west as a bride eight hundred years ago, â€Å"My family married me to a lost horizon†¦ I wish I were a brown goose and could fly back home.† As she continued her journey throughout the dessert, she could do nothing but to be dressed and be brought with food by her attendants. When they managed to passed an oasis they could then recharged their supplies that made their journey faster. At each known camp wherein they could build their tent, princess Taihe could then take a rest. After that they would again proceed with their travel but sometimes they were hampered by bad weather along the road. The lunar new year is approaching when then had reached the borders of the capital of the Uighur, Karabalghasun near the left bank of the Orkhon river.It was d eep winter by that time but it was more of warmth because of the glamorous welcome of the Uighurs to the princess. She was offered with wines, tea, and fruits served more delicate than in the Chinese court. But she noticed that the silverware used is only an imitation from those coming from Persia. But all in all, there were only few flaws and more of extravagance brought by the luxuries of the Uighur. She was first taught with Uighur traditions by the sent Uighur princesses. And then the journey delegation of Chinese ministers selected a suitable day of her wedding with the Kaghan.She had first her Chinese dress influenced with a Turkic fashion at the beginning. As of the Chinese tradition, her hair was elaborately styled and the toes of her red embroidered slippers were curled up so that it could be seen peeping out below the robe. But she was requested to wear Uighur clothes in the ceremony. At the first part of the ceremony, she wore an ordinary Uighur dress and bow to the Kagha n at his tent. After that, she changed clothes with a Uighur exquisite dress, though it had many features contrast to the Chinese tradition. Then the ceremony proceeded as she and the Kaghan presented themselves with the Manichean clergy.Finally, they had been legalized as husband and wife and princess Taihe was then entitled to be the khatun, queen of the Uighur. She did not only symbolize the alliance of China and the Uighur, her khatun position gave her a power in the Uighur court. But she felt mad when Tanim ibn Bahr, an envoy sent by the leader of the Arab forces in Transoxania had failed to mention her when his husband let him stop over in Uighur. Many other things then had happened after years had passed but it all ended with Taihe’s going back to China when the Uighur had a civil war.

Environmental Assessment of the Asopos River Basin

Presentation of Asopos River BasinEtymology – MythologyAsopos: ( Grecian: I ) from Asis, Greek: I†  ( = I ) , intending â€Å"marsh ( or Moor ) † and Opsis Greek: I , intending â€Å"appearance† . ASOPOS ( or Asopus ) was a River-God of Boiotia in cardinal Greece, and Sikyonia in the Peloponnesos, southern Greece. Naiades, Asopos’ 20 girls, were H2O nymphs who had names of Greek island towns.LocationIn a study of Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works ( MoEPPW ) in 2006, it is referred that a entire country of 12,341 kilometers2is occupied by Water District 07 of East Sterea Ellada. This country consists of the Prefecture of Evoia, major parts of the Prefectures of Fthiotida ( 83.1 % ) , Voiotia ( 98.5 % ) , Fokida ( 41.9 % ) and smaller parts of the Prefectures of Magnisia ( 14.9 % ) and Attica ( 7.2 % ) . River Basin of Voiotikos Kifissos River, River Basin of Sperchios River and River Basin of Asopos River are the chief River Basins of the Water District referred above. Other important H2O organic structures located in that country are lakes Iliki and Paralimni. In the Figure below is presented the Water District 07 of East Sterea Ellada. The entire surface country of Asopos River Basin – which is located in East Attica and Voiotia Districts ( Central Greece ) and flows from West to east – is 450 kilometer2and extends to Evoikos Gulf. The entire length of Asopos is 57 kilometer, holding its beginnings in Elikona mountain, and some watercourses from Parnitha and Dervenochoria Mountains. Its flow watercourse base on ballss through Asopia, Inofyta, Schimatari, enters the part of north-east Attica and eventually meets the sea near Oropos laguna, in north Evoikos Gulf, as shown in the Figure below. Vertical tectonic motions, of different grades of strength resulted in the creative activity of Asopos’ River Basin. That is the ground why the basin is non homogeneously developed and has differences in deposit in different places. The part studied – piece of the Sub-Pelagonian zone – has a particular geological formation. More specifically it is constituted by three chief units:the crystalline cellar stone ( schists, schists with psammitic stones, schists with marbles and sipoline embolisms )the alpine cellar stones ( limestones and dolomites of Triassic and Jurassic age )the post-alpine deposits ( Neogene lignite-bearing sedimentations, marly formations with lignite embolisms, pudding stones, marly limestones and travertines, and other coarse unconsolidated stuff ) .A hydrogeological analysis of Asopos’ River Basin, concluded that semi-pervious formations of Neogene-Quarternary, extremely pervious formations of calcite and other imperviable formations cover the 55 % , 41 % and 4 % of the River Basin severally. The unequal spring H2O flow every bit good as the extended being of formations made by karst convert precipitation to direct infiltration further restricting surface H2O flow. As a consequence, the bulk of the H2O flow derive from natural or semi-processed industrial or domestic wastewaters. In dry periods, the H2O flow eliminates highly and the sea H2O enters the estuary of the river for 100s of metres. In a research of the Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration ( I.G.M.E. ) in 1996 the coefficients of the surface drainage and infiltration were estimated to 0.19 and 0.25 severally. In the same research the appraisal of the one-year discharge is 70.1 hectometer3.Surface and Groundwater{ The fact that the H2O of the downpours penetrates into the constructions of groundwater, due to the widespread parts of limestone made by karst, consequences in an disconnected interaction between the two sides of the channel. As a consequence the hydrographic web of Asopos is non peculiarly good developed. In the yesteryear, despite its big catchment country, Asopos itself held H2O merely for a really short period. The ground was the fast incursion of the H2O from the surface into the aquifer. Nowadays, there are sections of Asopos that have H2O event in the summer, as a consequence of smaller subdivisions that enter the river. The Asopos’ River Basin has merely specific countries with impenetrable formations ( clay sedimentations, schists ) . As a consequence the H2O flow of the watercourse is non uninterrupted, apart from little downpours that keep a H2O flow for a specific clip period ( i.e. the Lantikos and thes Gouras ) . Streams like the Liveas ( in the Northwest of Malakasa ) have seasonal H2O flow. Other streams – the longest 1s – are the Potisiona, the Sklirorrema and the Vathi ( drain in its north side ) . Streams that drain of the south side of the basin are the Lykorrema, the Xerias, the Bresiko etc. A study conducted by Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works ( MoEPPW ) in 2006, reports that there is an indicant of pollution caused by high organic tonss caused by industrial and urban wastes every bit good as agricultural tally offs in Asopos’ catchment country. The consequences – findings of that research were high concentrations of nitrates and P in Asopos River. Equally far as the groundwater quality is concerned, its features were classified into two separate classs: the ions and the hint elements. Some of the consequences of the survey of the Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration ( I.G.M.E. ) ( Gianoulopoulos, 2008 ) are:the chief beginning of the nitrates are the N fertilisers, which are used in the agricultural sector. Additionally, the being of ammoniacal and nitrite ions is due to the urban and industrial pollution beginnings.There is increased concentration of Cl–and PO4ions, which are consequence of industrial pollution beginnings.The figure below shows the precipitation and the average temperature of the part of Asopos for the period October 1999 to September 2010. The informations are taken from the meteoric Stationss at Kallithea, Tanagra and Marathon. As we can easy detect the one-year mean precipitation degrees are 534.5 millimeters, 502.9 millimeter and 625 millimeter severally. Equally far as the mean one-year ai r temperature is 16.7OC and 17.5OC at the Tanagra and Marathon Stationss severally.Areas of Asopos categorized by usageThe country of Asopos has H2O demands for industry, agribusiness, abode and touristry. The survey about Asopos River Basin has to take into consideration that H2O demands and measure the distribution of that needs among the utilizations. There is a demand to specify the sectors that put more force per unit area in H2O usage. For the industrial sector, H2O usage takes topographic point for rinsing and colourising ( fabrics ) , steel production, cement production, oil processing, energy production etc. Sing the touristry sector of economic system and domestic sector ( families ) H2O usage concerns the H2O supply for place usage by the authorized provider. The prioritization of H2O usage in Asopos River Basin is as follows:Water supply of families, touristic units and vacation placeIrrigation of cultivated countries and farm animal unitsIndustrial H2O usageIn the figur e below the land usage of Asopos River Basin is presented. More specifically, the ecru colour represents the agricultural usage and the light purple the industrial usage.Demographic DataPermanent PopulationThe lasting population of Asopos River Basin as reported at 2001 Census is given in the tabular array below: For the Municipalities / Communes that do non fall entirely within Asopos River Basin, merely the lasting population of the subsequent Municipal Departments and urban vicinities that are included in Asopos River Basin was calculated.EmploymentTaking a expression at the Table below, which is harmonizing to informations from the Labor Force Survey of the National Statistical Service of Greece, we observe that the entire population of working age is divided into two big classs – the economically active population and the economically inactive population. The economically active population is divided into the employed and the unemployed. The employed are people with age greater than or equal to 10 old ages, who had worked even for merely an hr during the mention hebdomad ( for wage or net income or in household concern ) . Unemployed are people with age greater than or equal to 10 old ages, who did non hold work during the mention hebdomad, were presently available for work and we re either actively seeking work in the past four hebdomads or had already found a occupation to get down within the following three months. In economically inactive population belong those individuals who neither classified as employed nor as unemployed. Taking into consideration the information given by the Table above in combination with the definitions given, we can easy detect that the entire economically active population – in other words the work force – of Asopos River Basin in 2001 was 31,764 people. Out of these people 28,837 are employed – 90.8 % of the entire economically active population – and 2,927 are unemployed – 9.2 % of the entire economically active population. Equally far as the employing sectors is concerned, in the primary sector are employed about 19.8 % of the sum of employed people and about 9.8 % of the entire population ( economically active and economically inactive people ) . In the secondary sector are employed about 28 % of the sum of employed people and about 14 % of the entire population of Asopos River Basin. Finally, in the third sector are employed about 35.2 % of the sum of employed people, whereas about 17.4 % of the entire population of Asopos River Basin. As shown in the Table below people that work in the primary and secondary sector are about 24 % ( 9.8 % + 14 % ) of the resident population of Asopos River Basin over 15 old ages old, whereas in the third sector is occupied about the 18 % of the resident population of Asopos River Basin over 15 old ages old. On the other manus in Athens country occupants over 15 old ages old who are occupied in the primary and secondary sector are 11 % , whereas those who are occupied in the third sector are about the 32 % . Overall we can detect that the primary and secondary sector are more developed in Asopos River Basin than in Athens country, whereas the third sector is much more developed in Athens country.The ProblemDescriptionTaking into history the fact that Asopos part supports 1300 industries and related installations – nutrient and drink industries, agrochemical, metal processing etc. – it is considered as the largest industrial part of Greece. 1970 was the decate that indus trial activity started in the country of Asopos and more specifically in Schimatari and Inofita. To show some Numberss for the significance of the job of this country, we refer that 130 units of the bing 1s produce waste Waterss during their operational maps ( production ) . Equally far as the waste Waterss are concerned, the entire day-to-day produced measure is about 9,044 m3/day. 84 % of that measure is due to industrial waste Waterss. More specifically, this measure is split in 7,605 m3/day and 1,439 m3/day, the entire day-to-day measure of waste Waterss of the industrial units of the country and the entire day-to-day measure of waste Waterss of the employees of these units severally. Taking a glimpse at the Table below, which is a study from a study of M. Loizidou in 2009, we can easy detect that the chief sectors from which the bulk of waste Waterss come from are the sectors of â€Å"Textile and leather industries† , â€Å"Metallurgy related industries† and †Å"Industries of Foods and Drinks† at 25 % , 21 % and 30 % severally.Consequences – ImpactsThe estimated impacts of industrial sector on Asopos River Basin are fundamentally environmental and societal impacts. More specifically the environmental impacts of industrial pollution in Asopos catchment consist in catastrophe of biodiversity – fish and invertebrates, birds on estuary – and in the pollution and decrease of groundwater. On the other manus the societal impacts of industrial pollution in Asopos catchment are impacts on human wellness – from ingestion of contaminated agricultural merchandises and groundwater, impacts on local economic system, which is because of increased cost for imbibing H2O for families, increased cost for local agricultural manufacturers, increased cost for nutrient industries, and lessening of tourers for local tourer companies. Finally, other societal impacts of industrial pollution of Asopos River Basin are impacts on diversion of local occupants every bit good as visitants ( touristry ) .Choice Experiment Method on Asopos CaseUsing the Choice Experiment Method on the Asopos Case, the research workers targeted to measure a package of betterments, which could take topographic point in the Asopos River Basin. This package of betterments includes:Environmental conditions described in footings of ecological position in all H2O organic structures of the catchmentImpact on the local economic system in footings of tourism/recreation, demand for local production and cost of life for families andImpact on human wellness described as handiness of H2O with a quality and measure sufficient for fulfilling different local utilizations.The package of betterments is a mixture of usage and non-use values. As usage value is defined the values that people derive from the direct usage of a good. Examples of usage value are runing, fishing, or boosting. Use values may besides include indirect utilizations. For illustration, a particular part offers direct usage values to the people who visit the country. Others could hold fun watching about this part in a Television show. In that manner they would have indirect usage values. As non-use value is defined the value that people assign to economic goods ( including public goods ) even if they ne'er have and ne'er will utilize it. Non-use value as a class may include:â€Å" option value † – the value placed on single willingness to pay for keeping an plus or resource even if there is small or no likeliness of the person really of all time utilizing it, happening because of uncertainness about future supply ( the continued being of the plus ) and possible hereafter demand ( the possibility that it may someday be used ) .â€Å" bequest value † – values placed on single willingness to pay for keeping or continuing an plus or resource that has no usage now, so that it is available for future coevalss.â€Å" Existence value â€Å" – an unusual and slightly controversial category of economic value, reflecting the benefit people receive from cognizing that a peculiar environmental resource, such as Antarctica, the Grand Canyon, en dangered species, Sharri Dogs or any other being or thing exists.â€Å" selfless value † – the value placed on single willingness to pay for keeping an plus or resource that is non used by the person, so that others may do usage of it. Its value arises from others ‘ usage of the plus or resource.The method of Choice Experiments was chosen because since it is a conjectural survey-based method, it can quantify the public-service corporation every bit good as the Willingness To Pay ( WTP ) for different conjectural degrees of each property examined. In add-on, in Choice Experiments the respondent chooses between options, as packages of properties, doing picks ensuing to a lower danger for strategic prejudice – yeah stating, in the replies. Finally, it is one of the best ways to measure non-market resources, options and properties.Sampling – Survey MethodExcept for the necessitate of rating of the socio-economic and environmental effects related with th e debasement of the basin, the survey that took topographic point aimed to look into the manner the two different populations – that of the occupants of Asopos ( rural population ) and that of the occupants of Athens ( urban population ) – give value to the same package of proposed betterments. Apart from the socio-demographic composing that has motivated this sampling, another ground for that is the different manner those populations experience the debasement of the environment due to location and economic dependance on the country. One of the chief grounds why two different samples were chosen was that the purpose of the survey was to happen out usage and non-use values. As a consequence the mark population was the occupants of the Asopos River Basin, where the study took topographic point, because they would be straightforward affected by possible alterations in H2O direction. On the other manus occupants of Athinais were included in the study, because they were in close propinquity to Asopos River Basin. The study was conducted by door-to-door interviews. The interviews took topographic point in families and one grownup per house participated. Quota sampling was followed harmonizing to 2001 Census informations in order the samples to be every bit representative as possible. Finally, 25 % of the occupants were called. During the procedure of the interview were used suited showcards, which described the alternate scenario utilizing images. The census taker gave simple descriptions of the inquiries, read aloud. In that manner the census takers could break illustrate policy results to respondents in footings of properties and degrees.