The Role of History in our Contemporary Understanding of Economic and Political Globalization

Deion M. MaithGeorge Mason University September 29, 2018 History plays a fundamental role in developing a better understanding of economic and political globalization. The movement of people and resources has a long history but was amplified by the colonialism which laid the groundwork for international relations and the adoption of neoliberal policies. Globalization has established a link between countries and people across the globe. This has led to the opening up of economies which has led to an increased flow of goods, people, and services across borders. Neoliberalism on the other hand focuses on the need for the free market capitalism where the government interference is limited. On the other hand, Globalization helps in the adoption of the contemporary neoliberal given that it facilitates the flow of people, resources, knowledge, and technology. Therefore, the success of the neo-liberal policies hinges on the success of the globalization (Wallerstein, 2004). However, it is the historical events such as colonization that helped in shaping economic and political globalization. Globalization increases the connectivity to people across the globe therefore leading to sharing of information and distribution of wealth (Middell, & Naumann, 2010). This is important since it leads to global development and in making sure that the technology flows from one country to another thereby improving the global economy. Even though globalization has been vital to the global economy, it has led to a dilution of cultures across the globe and uneven distribution of wealth and therefore increased the gap between the rich and poor. Globalization helps in facilitating international transfers, investments as well as the trade which is beneficial to the countries involved. The flow of people help in the movement of labor, which helps in improving the living condition, thereby, reducing the rate of poverty. The flow of investment from the developing countries gives the opportunity to the poor which helps in improving their standards of living and amount of resources. Global connectivity is beneficial to individuals, businesses, and nations. As a result, global connectivity has positively contributed to the spread of knowledge and modern technology. In addition, global connectivity provides a platform where there is an exchange of ideas, skills, as well as resources which help in improving personal and national development. Businesses can benefit from global connectivity by establishing trade deals and facilitating the flow of goods and services (Gills, & Thompson, 2012). This has also played a key role in fostering national development as countries are able to receive resources from other countries to promote economic development. Sharing of knowledge through global connectivity has paved the way for the eradication of diseases and providing political and economic solutions in the long run. Furthermore, global connectivity has also created a leeway where people can share traditions, cultures, and access to a different set of opportunities across the globe. Global connectivity is also instrumental in Disaster warning and recovery which is beneficial to a county and individuals since it helps in saving lives. Even though global connectivity has positive outcomes, it may contribute to the spread of the risks in the long run if it is mismanaged. The spread of the financial crisis in 2008 was facilitated by the global connectivity which mainly affected different economies across the globe. Global connectivity may also lead to an increase in unequal distribution of wealth due to the dominance of the developed economies. With this in mind, the increased global connectivity has also led to the destruction of national resources and the dilution of culture across the globe. Industries in developing countries may negatively be affected due to the flow of cheaper goods and services from the developed economies. Countries that primarily benefit from global connectivity are mainly those with the ability to produce goods and services at a low cost. Furthermore, global connectivity leads to exploitation of natural resources in developing countries. Although globalization may affect countries differently depending on the flow of resources and investment, globalization has created a situation where the free flow of cheap goods to developing nations have destroyed jobs and industries to those economies which have resulted in an increase in the rate of unemployment (Steger, 2017). As a result, the inequality gap has increased as those with the resources have benefited more than others. However, the flow of knowledge, technology, and investment reduce the rate of poverty and inequality in developing countries. Therefore, the impact of globalization may be positive or negative depending on the flow of resources and the effect that such on the local economies. Dependency theory indicates that wealthy or more developed countries plow resources from developing countries which further negatively affects the poor economies (Smil, 2010). The developed countries have dominated the global economy due to the technological advancement, availability of natural resources, and the production of good and services at low prices. Developing countries, however, rely on the developed countries to improve their infrastructures which have increased the public debt and their reliance on the wealthy nations (Allensens, 2018). The link between neoliberalism and the globalization is that, globalization plays a crucial role in establishing the right environment where the free market environment can be established. In the past, globalization has played a vital role in the spread of capital, technology as well as the information across the border through economic globalization. This also played a vital role in the spread of the neoliberalism which increases the need for the governments to limit their interference in the market such as privatization of government companies and creating a free market environment. It is through neoliberalism that economic affairs and global markets are allowed to function on their own without governed interference. Even though this is the case, the spread of neoliberalism policies across the globe has been facilitated by globalization (McMichael, 2012). The Washington Consensus was structured to assist developing countries, in particular, those in crisis. This primarily concentrated more on the need to expand the market, facilitating movement of investment to those countries and also the need for the macroeconomic stabilization. On the other hand, contemporary global affairs are often structured in a way that they can generate positive results for the developing countries. Therefore, both the developing and the developed nations work towards making sure that those countries in crisis can develop. Countries such as Greece, have faced an economic crisis in the past and it is the bailout plans and the contemporary global affairs that has facilitated the recovery of such economies (Wallerstein, 2004). Furthermore, colonialism laid the foundation for globalization and the opening up of economies across the globe. Colonialism played a crucial role in promoting the interaction of economies where the raw materials from developing countries were diverted to developed nations. However, during this period the main highlight was the link provided between the colonial powers and the developing nations. Neoliberalism has played a vital role especially through the free flow of resources from one country to another. This was similar to what was practiced during the colonial period as the resources moved from developing countries to developed nations. Therefore, both colonialism and neoliberalism lead to a flow of resources from one country to another with minimum government interference. Through this, both countries benefit as they acquire the scarce resources and at the same time export the resources that are abundant to other countries similar practices that were practiced during the colonialism. It was the colonialism that laid the foundation for the globalization and global connectivity similar concept held by the neoliberalism (Introduction to Sociology, 2018). In conclusion, understanding the historical development of globalization and events such as colonization, one may be able to develop a better understanding of economic and political globalization. Furthermore, globalization has facilitated in opening up of economies which lead to a flow of goods and services. As a result, globalization has played a vital role in boosting of economies given that economies can distribute the goods and services across the border. On the other hand, colonialism by the European countries played a vital role in the spread of ideologies and linking the economies across the globe. The colonialism was facilitated by the European expansion motivated by the need to search for raw materials for their economies and had a positive and negative impact on different countries. ReferencesAllensens. (2018).  Dependency Theory  [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN6LlMY2ApQ&feature=youtu.beGills, B. K., & Thompson, W. (2012).  Globalization and global history. Routledge.Introduction to Sociology. (2016).  Globalization and Neoliberalism  [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwGgLfu5aGs&feature=youtu.beMcMichael, P. (2012).  Development and social change: A global perspective. Los Angeles: SAGE.Middell, M., & Naumann, K. (2010). Global history and the spatial turn: from the impact of area studies to the study of critical junctures of globalization.  Journal of Global History,  5(1), 149-170. Smil, V. (2010).  Prime movers of globalization: The history and impact of diesel engines and gas turbines. MIT press.Steger, M. B. (2017).  Globalization: A very short introduction (Vol. 86). Oxford University Press.Wallerstein, I. M. (2004).  World-systems analysis: An introduction. Durham: Duke University Pre ss.

Suggested Format for a Reflective Journal

Suggested format for a reflective journal Dr Elaine Regan, Postdoctoral Research Associate, King’s College London This is one of many possibilities, but it will give you some idea of the types of questions that you can usefully ask yourself. Feel free to modify this format to suit your needs. Write a page (or two) for each session, completed by you in order of the sessions. Complete this information after each time you do some work on the course. This includes the formal sessions, the related reading and any other preparation, such as work in groups.Answer only the questions that apply – but think carefully about whether each question applies or not. A Reflective journal/diary is not like an essay! In your notebook you reflect on the academic content of the INQUIRE course/workshop in relation to your professional practice. It can be written in an essay-type prose, with an introduction and conclusion, or it can be a mixture of continuous prose, notes, bullet points etc. The contents should (www. llas. ac. uk/resources/gpg/2395): ? relate the content of a workshop and related reading to your own teaching and personal development support any statements you make with evidence and examples from your reading and from your practice ? refer to insights gained into your practice ? consider the intention to try out new ideas and methods ? identify the need for further exploration of issues ? identify longer-term development What would an unsatisfactory entry be like? ? A description only of content from a workshop and reading ? Little reference to the workshop and related reading ? Generalisations unsupported by evidence or examples of how an insight or opinion came about A satisfactory diary entry would: Review (what happened in the course or something you tried form the course in your teaching) ? Reflect (make sense of what happened) ? Digest (absorb the implications of the learning event and link it with experience, action plans or questions for you to e xplore further) Keep the following page in the front of your notebook to stimulate your thoughts and writing (taken from www. audiencedialogue. net/journal. html). Your name Session date Session number Session topic What did I read for this session (apart from the notes)? What was the most interesting thing I read for this session (mark it above with an asterisk) – why was that?What were three main things I learned from this session? What did I previously think was true, but now know to be wrong? What did we not cover that I expected we should? What was new or surprising to me? What have I changed my mind about, as a result of this session? One thing I learned in this session that I may be able to use in future is†¦ I am still unsure about†¦ Issues that interested me a lot, and that I would like to study in more detail Ideas for action, based on this session†¦ What I most liked about this session was†¦ What I most disliked about this session was†¦ Mis cellaneous interesting facts I learned in this session†¦

Diary Entries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Diary Entries - Essay Example I continue thinking about my psychiatrist, which is even after he denies the fact that I need one. I contend that the psychiatrist wants to find out the reason why I hike in the forests, while collecting butterflies and watching birds and I intend to show my collection to him one (Bradbury, 23). Most of what I do is considered as strange by other people even when, for my time, it seems normal. That I need a psychiatrist is crazy, particularly since I do the same things that other people do. I ask Montag concerning his firefighting job, stating that he is very different from other firefighters I know because he is attentive to what I tell him, and actually, tries them out. I go on to tell him that he is one of the few persons who stand (Bradbury, 23). It seems that most of the people that I am in contact with are always fast paced, and Montag is no different. I think that Montag does not have time to notice the dew that had settled on the grass in the morning. For instance, it is up t o me to tell him that there is dew on the grass that morning and every morning. Suddenly, I notice that he does not seem to remember whether he had ever noticed the dew and this makes him very irritable. I have always noticed most small things that others cannot, which makes me very observant. After I pester Montag with various questions, he surprises me by telling me that I had better run on to the (Bradbury, 24). I obey him, and see him tilt his head back into the rain, open his mouth for a few minutes, and catch the falling drops of rain just as I had been doing when they met. I also notice that Montag seems curious regarding the things that I am doing because he is always attempting to do the things that I ask him to do. Diary entry #2: Montag I meet Clarisse McClellan, who is my new and vivacious young neighbor and I just seem to begin questioning whether I am happy. She gives me enlightenment, as she asks me questions on my own individual happiness, as well as his occupation a nd the fact that I do not seem to know much concerning history (Bloom 16). Clarisse, through the little things she does, also gives the opportunity for me to see dramatic changes within the government regarding the perception of citizens about their history. For instance, I had no idea that the real work of firefighters entailed fighting to put off real fire, or even that billboards only stand at twenty feet in height. In addition, I also had no idea that people had the ability to actually speak to each other. This is because the use of parlor walls by the government had removed any requirement for causal conversation (Bloom 16). Clarisse arouses the curiosity in me as she begins to aid me in the discovery of the fact that I have been missing real happiness in my life for a long time. After I meet the young girl Clarisse, I go back to the house and find that my wife is lying on the bed, unconscious. She has her Seashell radios close to her head and I find that she has overdosed on s leeping pills, as well as tranquilizers (Bloom 18). Her life is saved after two technicians, who I find very impersonal; bring machines that aid then in removing the drugs from her belly, while also giving her a complete transfusion. However, I believe that it is possible she will overdose again with no knowledge of what she was doing. While it is my wish to discuss the overdose,

The impact of October Crisis of Canada Research Paper

The impact of October Crisis of Canada - Research Paper Example All in all, the effects of this war had many negative implications for the people of Canada, and especially Quebec. This article reviews the impact of this in Canada and mainly Quebec. On 5thOctober 1970, James Cross, who was a British diplomat, was kidnapped in his residence at gun point. In a few hours the members of FLQ movement admitted to the abduction. They demanded for the release of their own members who were convicted for murder and violence. The justice minister of Quebec denied these demands. On the same day the Quebec minister of labor and immigration, Pierre Laporte, was kidnapped and later killed. This triggered the government to deploy the Canadian armed forces to assist the local police in manning Canada. They also declared the â€Å"apprehend insurrection† under the war measures act. The state of emergency declared a ban against the FLQ movement and detention without charges were authorized (Tetley, 2006). The Quebec nationalists started the FLQ movement in 1963 as measure to initiate a spirit of unity in Quebec. The Quebec people comprised of individuals who used French as their first language. This spirit of nationalism was historical from the time France had colonized the region of North America which is currently referred to as Quebec. In Quebec the majority of the people were French speakers as compared to their number in the rest of Canada. As a result, they viewed themselves as a secluded minority. This feeling to a large extent propelled this group to establish a movement that would sensitive to their democratic rights. For instance, their remuneration was lower than that of the British people. In the province of Quebec, the English Canadian earned 40% percent higher than all other ethnic groups (Monrue, 2009). This strengthened the desire to form an entity to fight for their survival as the government had failed to provide the same. This was the origin of this revolutionary m ovement (Tetley, 2006). The FLQ was started

Marketing and brand Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing and brand Management - Essay Example The report recommends what Wii must do in order to sustain its current market share of 45% with Sony and Microsoft catching up. Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 2 Introduction 3 Nintendo Wii: Marketing Analysis 3 Conclusion and Recommendations 7 References 7 Introduction Nintendo’s Wii was once the market leader in the gaming industry of the United States. Positioned as a sole gaming console for the whole family, Wii held a market share of massive 75% (Matthews 2011). Unlike its competitors Sony’s Play Station and Microsoft’s Xbox which were positioned as a game console for only hardcore gamers aged from 19 to 35 predominantly males; Nintendo went down in the mass markets of families and realized that there was no such thing as a casual gamer. It brought the ex-gamers and casual gamers on the same platform of Wii with low prices and a tagline of â€Å"Wii like to play!† (O'Gorman, 2008; Anthony, 2008). In the short-run, Wii did experience a boost in i ts sales. So much that it outsold its competitors with huge margins. Especially during Christmas, where more importance was placed to family values, Wii managed to attract families and hence, won the 75% market share of the industry (Matthews, 2011). Nintendo Wii: Marketing Analysis In order to analyze the branding strategies of Wii, it is compulsory to understand the concept of the ‘Blue Ocean Strategy†. This concept entails the brand to keep a pulse check on the market as to where in the market are the competitors positioned as. This concept rightly depicts that it is not advisable for a brand to be in direct and head on competition with other players but a better option would be to search for space and gaps in the market and position the brand in that space which is untargeted by the competitors (Anthony, 2008). Likewise, when all the players in the market (Xbox and Play Station including Wii) were focusing on the hardcore gamers’ market, Wii repositioned itsel f to the wider market of families. With this move, Wii was able to build a sounder customer base as compared to its competitors as Xbox and Play Station were still stuck on the hardcore gamers’ market. Now, even those who did not give preference to game consoles as such, were buying Wii consoles either because at their own pleasure or as a gift for the family (O’Gorman, 2008). Provided that Nintendo kept Wii’s design user friendly and simpler to use, its unique make was found to be easily used and controlled by both beginners and expert and adept players (Nintendo, Inc. 2007). Other brands namely Sony Play Station and Xbox have complex controls with non-intuitive or illogical buttons that are shapes and require time for the players to get used to them. Nintendo’s Wii on the other hand is uniquely designed to cater to the needs of non-gamers and soft-core players who find it more user-friendly (Nintendo, Inc. 2007). As far as the pricing is concerned, Wii was targeted to the wider household markets in the game console industry. This meant that Nintendo had to push the prices down in order to attract more consumers. Its advertising and promotional strategies helped Wii to become the most selling brand during Christmas time and especially amongst families who preferred to own only one of all

Financial Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial Planning - Essay Example The role of three companies, like Colonial First State Investments Limited and Professional Investment Services Pty Ltd related to provide financial planning services has been sorted out in the assigned study. The of Financial planning in Australia begun in the years 80s, as during those years there were no Financial Planners as they were not existing then. This occurred due to the fact that as there was no prerequisites for the clients within the Marketplace to enable them get efficient financial advice. It was only network of insurance that existed during that period under review. The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) is the peak professional body for Australia's financial planners, representing approximately 12,000 individuals and businesses (The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA). However, (Cowen, Blair, Taylor, 2006, p 4) reveals that "In the early 1980s, a leading Australian financial planning industry stalwart Gwen Fletcher visited the United States intent on pursuing discussions with the U.S. industry association, the International Association for Financial Planning (IAFP). These discussions related to the creation of either a new industry body for A ustralia or the establishment of an affiliated chapter of the IAFP. At a later meeting of dealers conducted by the Department of Corporate Affairs (the then-regulatory body issuing licenses to dealers of securities), the affiliation model was proposed but rejected. However, a new industry body consisting of an elite group of independent advisors was formed, the Association of Independent Professional Advisors (AIPA). It is important to note that this group excluded all banks and insurance companies from membership". Additionally, following the International Conference of IAFP held in Australia in the years 1982 and 1984 respectively, Australian IAFP was officially launched. (Cowen, Blair, Taylor, 2006, p 4) states that after the launching, "The IAFP in Australia was to be an open forum for individuals, dealers and fund managers alike. Following U.S. IAFP requirements, the newly formed Australian association sought and was granted a license for the CFP designation and subsequently established the Diploma of Financial Planning (DFP) course. This necessitated strong collaboration between the United States and Australian bodies with the College of Financial Planning in the United States providing much of the DFP educational materials and resources. The US IAFP oversaw and closely monitored the development of educational standards to ensure that the Australian DFP met the educational requirements for the CFP designation. This involved an ongoing process of quality assurance by the U.S. body". It is e stimated that there are about 5,500 financial planning practices in

To be determe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

To be determe - Essay Example The same thing is happening in the second poem Benevolence where the father is so weak that he can’t even talk properly. In both the poems the poet is speaking about the weaknesses and difficulties that the parents are facing because of their health. In the poems they are describing their weaknesses and their behavior and the way they changed. The poem describes the position of the poet when his mother was dependent on him for everything since she was weak and â€Å"past the point of saying no†. The poet says that this was a good chance for him to help her out and take care of her like she took care of him when he was young. He describes how he prepared a bath for her and made it â€Å"just right† after which he himself lowered her in it and cleaned her with soap and water. The poet uses crude words in describing the experience and explains how his mother’s body was wasted and in a sorry state. At nights when the poet used to be reading or working while his mother slept he often noticed the sharp breaths she took in sleep instead of the smooth breathing characteristic of a normal healthy person. He listened to that sound and the thought that came to his mind was that he was lucky enough that he was now getting a chance to pay back what his mother had done for him in his younger years. He seems to be an egoistic person who cannot take anything from anyone not even his mother. And therefore he thinks that by taking care of his mother at this stage is going to repay all that she did for him previously. He thinks that he can pay his â€Å"heavy debt of punishment and love/ with love and punishment†. Not only does the poet think about the love that his mother gave him, but also the punishments. And he actually sets upon to repay that as well. For instance, when he is lifting out his mother from the bath and before setting her down on the wheelchair

Marrige how should it be defined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marrige how should it be defined - Essay Example Per se, wedding engages three main functions in American, primarily Christian culture. Firstly, it identifies the unification of men and a woman, both in the eyes of the cathedral and of culture. Culture en bloc distinguishes the pair as unified and thus, various societal rules and beliefs are applied. Secondly, marriage identifies the pair under the rule as a tied unit. Partners are included in tax returns, possession of property is defined in prenuptial contracts, and the responsibility rights over kids are classified, with a whole host of additional lawful contracts. And thirdly, marriage identifies the rights of cohorts over each other. This generally consists of sexual and emotional exceptionality with the shape of a metaphorical relationship between the pair. Therefore, marriage is mainly about acknowledgment; societal, religious, lawful and private relationships are fashioned that are intended to justify the associates both as a pair and culture. Whereas the philosophies of "tying" do serve up constructive points, the form acquired by the current marriage system in America is, in lots of cases, mainly disparaging and off-putting. This isn't equivalent to that the idea of wedding is not correct, just that the ways by which it is defined is turning out to be more and more disparaging in America. Persons on both sides of the wedding controversy mostly have the same opinion that a culture will (and should) have organizations to carry out such kind of tasks (Lyla H. O'Driscoll). One major difficulty with matrimony in America is the stress on a partner's responsibility. At the same time as obligation between two cohorts is of immense value, in lots of ways wedding doesn't direct but rather pins down two associates. Firstly, and most understandable, is the limitation upon sexual and emotional relationship. Even as this perception shows prima facie optimistic, a closer inspection discloses that the restrictions placed on the pair may or may not be just that. How does the limitation of one associate do well to a pair In lots of cases, it comes out that the other half suits most requirements. But, wouldn't the accomplishment of the entire needs be even more pleasing The completion of a partner's requirements would come out to be the most important objective of any strong bond. But can any partner offer for every requirement of the other The answer is, certainly, not essentially. Marriage that is meaningful for companionship can be hetero-sexual, homo-sexual and p olygonal. Thus, this description of the characters and promising significance of wedding for wives is in agreement with the conceivability of various types of wedding (O'Driscoll, p. 136). In such cases where one associate just can't take care of the entire requirements of another one, what's the problem in having another associate On the basis of various grounds there is nothing 'wide of the mark' with this opinion but the ethical ruling of mostly Christian's morality in America squabbles this preference. I would, as a result, propose that 'common sense' and reasonableness somewhat than theological "way of thinking" be applied to the dilemma on the way. A method of "permissive matrimony" whereby "persons can decide, within extensive restrictions, the categories of human relations they desire to practice. All persons would be allowed to decide without any restraint" (Lawrence Casler). The

Summary and analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary and analysis - Essay Example The quantitative information collected like the number of events under the three categories of big, small and medium, event frequency, number of customers covered, selling prices and costs for different items, cost of equipment, various costs etc. is listed out and based on this, financial projections have been made to study the viability of the project. Projections have been made from January to December taking seasonal variations into account. Three products juice, smoothies and soup are assumed to be sold at specified prices. Depreciation of trailer and equipment has been shown as trailer cost and equipment cost. Almost the entire investment is assumed to be funded by a loan. of  £30,000. Profit projections are made month-wise and the Present value of the cash flows has been calculated using a discount rate of 4.4% and the total PV works out to  £75653.53, much higher than the investment of  £30287.64. However, the initial investment seems to have been calculated incorrectly by including various items of expenditure like electricity, petrol etc. and an additional amount of  £500. The correct value of investment should be  £22,450 including only the trailer cost  £14,950 and the equipment cost  £7,500. The NPV will be  £75,636.53- £14,950 =  £60,686.53. The NPV analysis shows that the project is viable and it can be taken up. The profit projections will be realistic only if the assumptions made about the selling prices, costs and the volume of business are correct. Moreover, as pointed out earlier, the calculation of the initial investment is incorrect and needs to be corrected. Moreover, the discount rate of 4.45 per month appears to be very high, since this will be equivalent to an annual rate of more than 50%. However, these corrections will only have the effect of improving the NPV. Based on the analysis, the proposal is viable and

Reading of the modernists involved such a process of disturbance Essay Example for Free

Reading of the modernists involved such a process of disturbance Essay Modernist writers disturbed their readers by adopting complex and difficult new forms and styles. To what extent has your reading of the modernists involved such a process of disturbance? Modernist literature flaunts difficult, often aggressive or disruptive, forms and styles; it frequently challenges traditional realistic style and is characterised by a rejection of 19th century traditions. Literary modernism focuses on breaking away from rules and conventions, searching for new perspectives and points of view, experimenting in form and style. It breaks up and disturbs the settled state of literature and emphasises a re-structuring of literature and the experience of reality it represents. Although art always attempts to imitate or represent reality, what changed was the understanding of what constitutes reality, and how that reality could best be represented. Modernist literature is marked by a break with the sequential, developmental, cause-and-effect presentation of the reality of realist fiction, towards a presentation of experience as layered, allusive, and discontinuous: using, to these ends, fragmentation and juxtaposition, motif, symbol, allusion. From time to time there occurs some revolution, or sudden mutation of form and content in literature. Then, some way of writing which has been practiced for a generation or more, is found by a few people to be out of date, and no longer to respond to contemporary modes of thought, feeling and speechtradition has been flouted, and chaos has come.1 This process of disturbance can be seen in the experimentation in form in order to present differently the structure, the connections, and the experience of life. The tightening of form puts an emphasis on cohesion, interrelatedness and depth in the structure of the novel. This is accomplished in part through the use of various devices such as symbolism, narrative perspectives, shifts and overlays in time and place and perspective. Woolf uses these methods to explore what lies outside the specification of the real. Woolf draws on an interior and symbolic landscape: the world is moved inside, structured symbolically and metaphorically, as opposed to the realist representations of the exterior world as a physical and historical, site of experience. The painter Jacques Raverat wrote in a correspondence to Woolf: The problem with writing is that it is essentially linear; it is almost impossible, in a sequential narrative, to express the way ones mind responds to an idea, a word or an experience, where, like a pebble being thrown in to a pond, splashes in the outer air are accompanied under the surface by waves that follow one another into dark and forgotten corners2 Woolf felt it was precisely the task of the writer to go beyond a linear representation of reality in order to show how people think and dream. Rather than take her characters from point A to point B, Woolf gives the impression of simultaneous connections: a form patterned like waves in a pond. She reveals what is important about her characters by exploring their minds and the thoughts of those surrounding them. Such explorations lead to complex connections between people, between past and present, and between interior and exterior experience. Woolf establishes these connections through metaphors and imagery, and structures the novel using alternating images of beauty and despair, exhilaration and melancholy. These juxtapositions suggest both the impulse towards life and the impulse towards death, which makes the process of reading disconcerting and recondite. Woolf dispensed with conventional beginnings and endings, and the traditional structure of events in time, for example, Mrs Dalloway tells about one days experiences for two characters whose lives are not connected with each other, except by the slightest coincidence at the end. Woolf uses perceived time interwoven with clock time to create a simultaneous experience of past and present. The scene is London after the war, but also Bourton thirty years ago. In this commingling of time, the past exists on its own and in its relations to the present. Time is moved into the interior as well: it becomes psychological time, time as an innerly experienced or symbolic time, or time as it accommodates a symbolic rather than a chronological reality. Examining the intersection of time and timelessness, Woolf creates a new and disturbing novelistic structure in Mrs. Dalloway wherein her prose has blurred the distinction between dream and reality, between the past and present. An authentic human being functions in this manner, simultaneously flowing from the conscious to the unconscious, from the fantastic to the real, and from memory to the moment. Throughout Mrs Dalloway the focus continually shifts from the external world to the characters consciousness and how they perceive it. This has the disquieting effect of back grounding observable reality so the details emerge more slowly than when they are presented by an omniscient narrator. However, the London setting is established immediately, the streets and landmarks are real, this verisimilitude of setting seems to give the characters a solidity which is juxtaposed with the fluidity of the depiction of the characters thought processes. Mrs Dalloway supposes that somehow in the streets of London, on the ebb and flow of things, here, there, she survived3 The fact that the narrative takes place on a specific date is disclosed more gradually than the setting is, for example, Clarissa thinks For it was the middle of June. The war was over4 and then the narrator tells us it is Wednesday on page fifteen. Later still Peter Walshs thoughts reveal that it is 19235. There are also references to Gold cup day at Ascot so by naming a specific year Woolf turns what could have been a fictional fact in to a real one. Woolf implies a concept of time as a series of life conjunctures rather than impersonal. These are established by the presence of sensory phenomena in different contexts such as the sound of Big Ben, the common perceptions among unrelated observers, for instance, the prime ministers car. Also, by convergences at occasions of group activities as in Clarissas party. Time seems relativistic in the sense it depends on systems of measurement. The clocks divide the day into quarter hours. The loud voice of Big Ben is associated with the masculine. It is described as a young man, strong, indifferent, inconsiderate, were swinging dumb-bells this way and that6. It marks the movements of the two doctors, Peter Walsh and Sir Richard as they move through their day, making pronouncements. St Margarets on the other hand is the feminine. It follows Big Bens booming leaden circles with ring after ring of sound that glides into the heart like a hostess, like Clarissa herself7 thinks Peter Walsh as he hears St Margarets peeling sound. Furthermore, The clocks divide time into a pattern, Shredding and slicing, dividing and subdividing, the clocks of Harley Street nibbled at the June day, counselled submission, upheld authority, and pointed out in chorus the supreme advantages of a sense of proportion8 The ringing of the clock bells radiates from the centre of the city. The sound creates a design in the texture of the narrative, slicing through the characters subjective experience of time and contrasting this with objective, exterior time. In To The Lighthouse many of the characters are preoccupied with time. Mr. Ramsay worries about how his philosophical work will stand the test of time, just as Lily expects her painting to be rolled up and forgotten. The very style of the novel brings time into question as Woolf infuses even a brief moment in an everyday event, such as reading a story to a child, with an infinitude of thought and memory 9 Meanwhile days, tides, and seasons keep up their rhythms regardless of human events, while historical time brings cataclysmic change in the form of war. In addition, time brings loss as well as renewal. Mrs. Ramsay dies, while the children she has left behind continue to grow. In To the Lighthouse Woolf depicts two contrasting kinds of time, the linear and regular plodding of clock or objective time, and the reiterative, non-linear time of human experience. Her depiction of subjective time, layered and complex was, critics have observed, not unlike that of the philosopher Henri Bergson, though there is no evidence of any direct influence. It is in the Time Passes section of the novel that Woolfs interest in the contrasting forms of temporality is most evident. The narrative style of this part is very unusual and is unlike that of Parts I and III. Its effort to narrate from what Woolf called an eyeless point of view is strange, it is as if she is thinking of the philosophical problem, the problem with which Mr Ramsay grapples in the novel, of how to think of the world when there is no one there. This is translated into an artistic problem, of how to narrate the passage of time when there is no one there to witness it. The scale of events in Time Passes is much grander than the scale in The Window, thus throughout this section Woolf employs a different method and uses parenthetical asides to impart important news. Instead of focusing on the thoughts of her characters, she keeps a tight focus on the house itself. Dramatic events such as Mrs. Ramsays death could not have been confronted in the style of The Window. as the subtle, everyday quality of the interactions between events and thoughts would have been disturbed by the introduction of the tumultuous news imparted here. The airs in this section of the novel are like times fingers. The constant, regular beam of the Lighthouse is closely allied with time, too, like an all-seeing and immortal eye. Puffs of air detached from the body of the wind10 pull at the loose wallpaper and the things in the house, the light from the Lighthouse guiding them through the house. Natural time is seen as objective and inhuman, it is destructive and violent in the sense that it has no concern for human purposes. Woolfs solution to this problem is to invent a poetic style that, ironically, relies heavily upon the devices of personification and animism. The shadows of the trees made obeisance on the wall, loveliness and stillness clasped hands in the bedroom, light bent to its own image in adoration on the bedroom wall and in the heat of the summer the wind sent its spies about the house again11. It can be questioned whether these devices are successful. It is as if Woolf wishes to fill the emptiness of inhuman nature with primitive animistic entities and malign agencies. The solution can seem oddly childlike, personification and animism being, as Freud pointed out, typical of infantile thought12. The problem illustrates, perhaps, the difficulty of avoiding images of human agency even when they are least necessary. In Mrs Dalloway during sections of mind-time, Woolf sets various time streams loose at once, either in the mind of one character, who retreats into internal soliloquy, collapsing past, present and future, or in the simultaneous perspectives given by several characters recording a single moment. The result of either technique is that plot time stands still.13 Time is not entirely subjective and elastic in this text, however. The novel does take place within a prescribed temporal context marked ominously by the booming of Big Ben: First a warning, musical; then the hour, irrevocable. The leaden circles dissolved in the air. Throughout the novel this chronology is inescapable, cutting through the characters thoughts of the past to bring them back to the present moment Auerbach points out that To the Lighthouse marks the end of the Western tradition of realism. He argues that the novel employs a new fashion of temporality. It is the gap between the brief span of time occupied by exterior events, about two days in The Window, and the rich, dreamlike realm of consciousness. The exterior events actually lost the hegemony over subjectivity14. The novel proves the insignificance of exterior events by holding to minor, unimpressive things like stockings, while keeping in minimum the descriptions of such great events as death and marriage. To the Lighthouse is thus a disturbing turning point in literature because it discarded any claim to the organic completeness of exterior events and the chronological order. To The lighthouse employs a non-linearity and thus counteracts narratives usual form of depicting events in a continuous succession. Synchronicity, evident in the coexistence of multiple perspectives at the same temporal moment, disturbs the narratives attempt to render the story world as events in succession. And elision, evident in the stories within the story whose endings are invariably left dangling and incomplete, dissolves the narratives attempt to achieve completion. Together, these discordant methods undermine the conventional unfolding of narrative. Woolfs novel employs these techniques of disruption in order to portray narrative continuity as an inescapable yet unattainable illusion. Plot is generated by the inner lives of the characters. Psychological effects are achieved through the use of imagery, symbol, and metaphor. Character unfolds by means of the ebb and flow of personal impressions, feelings, and thoughts. Thus, the inner lives of human beings and the ordinary events in their lives are made to seem extraordinary. These complex and new methods that attempt to depict the chaotic interior life appear more jumbled and perplexing than the classical realist novel and so seem disturbing. However, Woolf is attempting to create a realistic account of the inner processes of the individuals mind and an expression of the continuous flow of sense perceptions, thoughts and feelings. Woolf also employs the symbolic apprehension and comprehension of reality as a structural approach to experience. It marked a turning away from writing by observation to transforming fact into a symbol of inner experience. In her diary Woolf wrote What interests me in the last stage was the freedom and boldness with which my imagination picked up, used and tossed aside all the images, symbols which I had prepared. I am sure this is the right way of using them-not in set piecesbut simply as images, never making them work out; only suggest 15 To The Lighthouse assumes a structure similar to that found in the fictional scene of the painting. In a letter Woolf acknowledges the structure and its unifying symbol as enacted at the end. I meant nothing by The Lighthouse. One has to have a central line down the middle of the book to hold the design together.16 In To The Lighthouse the Lighthouse has a prominent but fluid symbolic place in the novel. It does not seem to be the key to some hidden allegory since it does not stand for just one thing, each character that contemplates the Lighthouse gives it a special meaning, its significance in the novel evolves as the sum of different parts. For the teenaged James, the Lighthouse is a stark symbol of masculinity, a phallic symbol. For Mrs. Ramsay, the Lighthouse is a watching eye sweeping through her thoughts with a regular rhythm. To Woolf, the Lighthouse seems to serve as an anchor, a unifying image that ties together the layers of time and thought she explores. Like the clock striking the hours in Mrs. Dalloway, images of the Lighthouse act as the bolts of iron17 holding the different strands of the novel together. The focus of the planned excursion is not named until page eight and from then onwards the Lighthouse always appears with a capital letter. It is conventional to capitalize words referring to abstractions, particularly in philosophical writing. This feature has the effect of elevating the significance of the place, as if Lighthouse were an abstract concept like Truth or Death. The Lighthouse makes its first appearance in the text in very lyrical terms. The domestic metaphors used to describe the scene, which are perhaps Mrs. Ramsays associations; the island is in a plateful of blue water, and the dunes are arranged in pleats18. The first influence of the lighthouse is the description of Jamess excitement The wonder to which he had looked forward, for years and years19 The lighthouse already seems to have gained a greater significance than its mere physical existence. It is an object of desire to James. However, his reaction to Mrs Ramseys promise shows that there is a separation between his dream of happiness (going to the lighthouse) and his dull, everyday experience of life. Prosaically, the lighthouse is a real thing, yet James has made it into an unattainable dream, which he does not expect to come true. James seems to be in a crisis because there is a prospect that his ideal world and real world will become the same and he will go to the lighthouse. Therefore, the wondrous aura of the lighthouse is attached to mundane things. James endows a picture of a refrigerator with a heavenly bliss. It was filled with joy20 this implies that fantasies bring relief from the dullness of everyday life, as long as there is the prospect that they will come true. However, James is one of that great clan21 who live for the future but if future ideals cloud the view of reality then there is an implicit suggestion that achieving ones desire presents a danger in that there would be nothing left to live for. Conversely, people must have some hope of achieving their ideal, or life would become futile. Woolfs symbol of the lighthouse expresses this paradoxical idea in that it represents both an idealised fantasy while also being a real lighthouse. It becomes a trigger, provoking the reader to think about the human tendency to live for a future fantasy, together with all the paradoxical emotions Woolf conveys as associated with that tendency. James looked at the Lighthouse. He could see the white-washed rocks; the tower, stark and straight; he could see that it was barred with black and white; he could see windows in it; he could even see washing spread on the rocks to dry. So that was the Lighthouse, was it? No, the other was also the Lighthouse. For nothing was simply one thing. The other Lighthouse was true too22 James compares the real and the ideal and decides that the Lighthouse can be both. He provides a useful key for deciphering the symbol of the Lighthouse, for nothing was simply one thing23. The Lighthouse is the object of striving, some mystical, distant entity with an all-seeing eye. At the same time it is the embodiment of isolation and sadness, linked with Jamess desolate image of himself and his father as lonely and apart from other people The fact that the Lighthouse is a frequent subject for artists adds to its symbolic import. The tightening of form puts an emphasis on cohesion, interrelatedness and depth in the structure, Woolf engages both the subject of art, Lily Briscoes painting, for example and the aim of philosophy, in Mr. Ramsays work. The Lighthouse was then a silvery, misty-looking tower with a yellow eye, that opened suddenly, and softly in the evening.24 Mrs. Ramsay incorporates the Lighthouses regularly appearing light into the pattern of her thoughts. She recognizes that she is doing this, that she is making the things she sees part of herself, as if the Lighthouse was an eye looking at her. The light strokes also serve to highlight certain cadences in her thought, heightening their meaning by repetition The parallels developing in this section between Lilys actions and reflections and the impending trip to the Lighthouse suggest that Lilys revelation, her moment of clarity and stability, is her own version of the Lighthouse, the thing toward which she has been striving 25. Woolf builds upon the same metaphors and imagery through repetition and association to give them symbolic value of their own. There are repetitions of key images: water, waves, and sea; webs, ties, and threads; and trees through the novels. In Mrs Dalloway words are used in very certain terms in relation to life. They are used repeatedly throughout the rest of the novel, and built upon as metaphors until they stand alone to symbolize life. The sense of being absorbed in the process of action is inseparable from the fear of being excluded from it and from the dread that the process is going to be interrupted. The metaphor of the interrupter and the solemn pause, indicating a fear of being interrupted, are developed throughout the novel. Clarissas sewing is depicted in a rhythmic wave of building, creating, and making. These images recur throughout the novel as they gain symbolic significance. Sewing is a metaphor often used to denote womens creative capacity and symbolizes both artistry and the creation of life. The wave provides both a sense of calm and fulfillment, yet maintains a suspenseful pause before a crash or interruption Mrs. Dalloway has an unpleasant feeling she cannot place. After taking a moment to think, she realizes this feeling is attached to something Peter had said, combined with her own depression26. She realizes it is her parties. Her unpleasant feeling is attached to the criticism she receives from both Richard and Peter about her parties. Clarissa privately defends her parties. She sees them as an offering, a term she is able to recognize as vague and goes on to define. She is offering a connection. She gives meaning to life by feeling the existence of others and offering a way to bring them together, offering them a chance of connection. While sitting on the couch, Septimus notices a shadow on the wall. Fear no more the heat o the sun. This phrase, which acts as a calming device, enters his head. Suddenly, he is not afraid. He sits up and takes an interest in what Lucrezia is doing. She is making a hat. More significantly, she is creating and building Rezias creation of the hat, like Clarissas sewing, symbolizes not only the creation of life, but also more specifically, the female ability to create life But this hat now. And then (it was getting late) Sir William Bradshaw27 Woolf uses this one symbolic line as a metaphor for the transition from life, represented in the making of the hat and death, suggested by Bradshaw, the symbol of the souls containment and the character who ultimately provides Septimus with the impetus to kill himself. Woolf uses a great deal of imagery; her similes often begin as a straightforward comparison, which is then elaborated. This moves the ideas away from the physical reality of the narrative and towards mental events, emotions and ideas providing a bridge between the plot and the interior consciousness of the characters. The reader is shown the dilemma of how to create a meaningful sequence and the impossibility of essentially finding an explicit formal system of how to represent objects and concepts, that are assumed to exist, and the relationships between them. The cumulative effect of such repeated notions and images is to establish a systematic network of social elements, such as, human time, space, shared symbols, personal relationships, so as to arrive at a vision of modern life on a national scale. This collective existence is apprehended internally, as its participants experience it. It is both the content and the form used to portray that content which makes reading a disturbing process. The question of the reality of experience itself; the critique of the traditional values of the culture; the loss of meaning and hope in the modern world and the exploration of how this loss may be faced are all themes within Woolfs novels. Subject matter and writing style are the two features that characterise Modernism and this applies to Mrs Dalloway. The themes of Woolfs novels express the angst of Modernism in a precise way and Mrs Dalloway exemplifies the conflict felt in the modern society that produces this angst. The conflict is played out between two forces, one that fragments and disperses social order and causes chaos, and a more stable impulse that looks for unity. Multiple voices, fragmented narrative and stream of consciousness are the stylistic devices of Woolf that convey the themes of conflict, despair and escape in the novel. Mrs Dalloway can be seen as an attempt to critique modern life, however, the novel can seem overwhelmed by the chaos of characters struggling to find meaning in life when death is such a large presence. Another aspect of this novel that is Modernist and can be seen to be disturbing is its withdrawal from the epic novel, the larger historical or temporal frame found in the 19th century novel. In Mrs Dalloway, there is no organising logic from which to draw a secure and comfortable resolution to lifes struggles. The action or plot is restricted to a single day, no large epic journey is possible and while the struggle for life is apparent, there is nothing of the 19th century moral structure to contain and manage the outcomes. Death and despair overwhelm life and its purposes, the narrowness of life is suffocating, and lives are fragmented, anxious, disconnected and misrecognised. To The Lighthouse also undermines what were the conventional expectations attached to novels. Woolf speculated that she might be writing something other than a novel. I have an idea that I will invent a new name for my books to supplant novelBut what? Elegy?28 Her work can be seen as more poetry than fiction as it occupies itself with abstract ideas and experimentation more than with plot and character development Woolf throws into disorder readers expectations of how life can be represented within a novel, and she achieves this through seeking a new mode of expression. It is not that she rejects reality, but rather that she sought to develop a higher type of realism, as if more complex forms would allow for the depiction of a more complex and vivid understanding of reality. Bibliograph. Auerbach, Erich, Mimesis: the representation of reality in Western literature / by Erich Auerbach; translated from the German by Willard Trask. New York: Doubleday/Anchor Books, 1957. Bell, Q, Virginia Woolf: A Biography. London: Hogarth Press, 1972. Eliot, T.S, American Literature and American Language in Selected Essays. London: Faber, 1951. Fleishman, Avrom, Virginia Woolf: A Critical Reading. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1975. Lee, Hermione, The Novels of Virginia Woolf. New York: Holmes and Meier Publishers, 1977. Naremore, James, The World Without A Self. London: Yale University Press, 1973. Schulze, Robin. G, Varieties of Mystical Experience in the Writings of Virginia Woolf in Twentieth Century Literature Vol.44. New York: Hofstra University, 1998. Woolf, Virginia. A writers diary: being extracts from the diary of Virginia Woolf edited by Leonard Woolf. London, Hogarth Press, 1953. Woolf. Virginia, Mrs Dalloway. London: Penguin, 1996. Woolf, Virginia, To The Lighthouse. London: Penguin, 1992. 1 Eliot, T.S, American Literature and American Language in Selected Essays. London: Faber, 1951.p. 73. 2 Lee, Hermione, The Novels of Virginia Woolf. New York: Holmes and Meier Publishers, 1977. p.106. 3 Woof, Virginia, Mrs Dalloway. London: Penguin, 1996. p.8. 4 Ibid. p.6. 5 Ibid. p.55. 6 Ibid. p.35. 7 Ibid. p.60. 8 Ibid. p.75. 9 Auerbach, Erich, Mimesis: the representation of reality in Western literature / by Erich Auerbach; translated from the German by Willard Trask. New York: Doubleday/Anchor Books, 1957. p.529. 10 Woolf, Virginia, To The Lighthouse. London: Penguin, 1992, p.190 11 Ibid. pp.137-139. 12 Schulze, Robin. G, Varieties of Mystical Experience in the Writings of Virginia Woolf in Twentieth Century Literature Vol.44. New York: Hofstra University, 1998. p.3 13 Naremore, James, The World Without A Self. London: Yale University Press, 1973. p.71. 14 Auerbach, Erich, Mimesis: the representation of reality in Western literature / by Erich Auerbach; translated from the German by Willard Trask. New York: Doubleday/Anchor Books, 1957. pp. 351-355 15 Woolf, Virginia. A writers diary: being extracts from the diary of Virginia Woolf edited by Leonard Woolf. London, Hogarth Press, 1953. p.169 16 Bell, Q, Virginia Woolf: A Biography. London: Hogarth Press, 1972. p.168. 17 Woolf, Virginia, To The Lighthouse. London: Penguin, 1992. p.5. 18 Ibid. p.23. 19 Ibid. p.7. 20 Ibid. p.7. 21 Ibid. p.7. 22 Ibid. pp.276-277. 23 Ibid. p.277. 24 Ibid. p. 107. 25 Ibid. 270. 26 Woolf. Virginia, Mrs Dalloway. London: Penguin, 1996. p.183. 27 Ibid. p. 178. 28 Woolf, Virginia. A writers diary: being extracts from the diary of Virginia Woolf edited by Leonard Woolf. London, Hogarth Press, 1953. p.78.

William Shakespeare: Research Assignment

William Shakespeare: Research Assignment William Shakespeare is most arguably the best English poet and story writer the English literature world has ever known. Some of his famous works that one may recognize includes Macbeth, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and many others. But there were plenty of other things happening in England during the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Important events like the defeat of the Spanish Armada, treaty of peace between England and France, alliance between England and Netherlands, discovery and exploration of the new world, and the rise/fall of plenty of English rulers. All of these events impacted Shakespeare in one way or the other which could make one want to study Shakespeares work and compare/contrast the real world events with his work. If one doesnt know of William Shakespeare then theyve been hiding under a rock for centuries. William was a son of a wealthy business owner and active citizen of Stratford-upon-England. Shakespeare father then married Mary Arden in 1557 and had William on April 23, 1564. The black plague was decimating England in the fifteenth century and William was lucky that he survived. He lost several siblings to the plague including his older sisters Joan and Margaret. During that time period William and his brother Gilbert escaped the grasp of the deathly plagued and would both grow up to become successful people. William started school at the age of six at the Stratford grammar school. He was taught primarily in Latin but he also learned in English. Some believe that William was taken out of school at the age of thirteen due to financial problems but that wouldnt stop young William from learning. When he was about the age of eighteen he married a woman named Anne Hathaway, who was older and pregnant at the time. They had their first born in 1583 and they named her Susanna. Two years later they had twins by the name of Hamnet and Judith. Sadly one of the twins, Hamnet, died in 1596 due to unknown causes which affected William deeply. During this time, England was in a time of military dominance and golden age. They were about to go explore the new world and had unofficially involved in hostilities against Spain since the 1570s(Patrick, Pg 331). They were starting to gain wealth and power at a rapid rate. This certainly affected the citizens of England by ways of culture and entertainment. During this time, Shakespeare around the late 1500s was an inspiring actor and playwright. After gaining prominence in London, he became part owner of the Globe Theater and Blackfriars Theater in 1603. He continued acting until 1613 where he went to his hometown of Stratford to retire and sadly die in 1616, exactly 52 years to the day of his birth. William Shakespeare died in a time of religious controversy, exploration of life and values, and the start of personal freedom and protection. England was a country with many problems but that was only inspiration for Shakespeare along with personal events affected him. For example the death of his son caused sorrow for him which in turn was expressed in his writing. The sorrow also came through when he joined different acting troupes which also helped him to gain ideas and thoughts about drama. All of these events and tragedys eventually combine and come through Shakespeare writing and with his fame that he found during acting, it only took a matter of time for his writing to gain popularity. Though William Shakespeare was never a rich man, he still continued to follow what he loved most. He lived comfortably in Stratford which was all that he wanted for he would continue writing dramas and comedys that all would become famous either back then or right now. But people of England were not an easy crowd to please back in the 16th and 17th century. There was much upheaval in their government around this time which consisted of executions of political members to the public or assassinations. The Irish and Scots also were trying to gain their own independence from England around the late 1500s which made England be in constant war with countrys all around them. But even after Shakespeares death there was war and political unrest. The Thirty Years War begins, lasts until 1648,(britannia.com) and the exploration of the new world is fully underway which lead to England becoming more resourceful. Around the 1620s, ten years after the death of Shakespeare, King Charles I is forced to accept parliaments statement about civil rights in return for money so he can continue fighting his wars. This really marked the first time other then the Magna Carta that the king of England gives the people rights and civil liberties but of course they had to bargain for it. But not long after that King Charles I actually dissolve the parliament and rules England himself for the next 10 years. Dissolving the parliament wasnt actually a bad idea because King Charles I made peace with Spain and France which wouldnt of happened if parliament was still running. There has been many changes to England all during this time but its important to look back at history and truly see. William Shakespeare was in some way a motivator or influencer of England and its people who were in constant war and in chaos. If one looks back and compares the history of England to Shakespeares stories then they can see the similarities between them. When a reader today picks up a Shakespeare book or tale and reads it, its almost like looking back at England in that time period as if you were there and witness what it was like. Shakespeare gives us imagery and passion about England and thats why with his skills of writing and interesting dramatic stories that we still read about him and his tales today. Bibliography 1598, By. William Shakespeare. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 11 Nov. 2010. . Britannia: British History and Travel. Web. 11 Nov. 2010. . WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. Web. 11 Nov. 2010. . James A. Patrick. Renaissance And Reformation. New York: Marshall Cavendish, Giovanni Caselli. The Renaissance And the New World. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1986. Catherine de Medicis. Reformation, Exploration, Empire. Danbury: Grolier, 2005.

Heineken out of Burma :: essays research papers

Heineken out of Burma The action groups 'A Seed Europe' and the Dutch action group 'XminY' started a campaign in February 1996, called "Heineken out of Burma!". The investment plans of the Dutch brewer Heineken Inc. in Burma (Myanmar), were said to provide material support and legitimacy to the violent dictatory rulers of the country. Heineken sees Burma as an emerging market, that must be entered without delay. Western beer markets are becoming saturated and the potentials for growth in Asia are enormous. Competitors, such as Carlsberg and San Miguel, are likewise turning their investments towards Asia. The political opposition in Burma, lead by Nobel Price laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, calls on foreign companies not to invest in Burma for the time being, however. International embargoes can support the internal opposition against the regime, she says. Heineken has a 42% share in the Asian Pacific Brewery Ltd (APBL). This, in turn, owns 60% of the shares of the Myanmar Brewery Ltd (MBL). The remaining 40% of the shares belong to UMEHL: the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd. UMEHL is lead by the military rules of the country. APBL wants to invest 15 million US dollars in a brewery in Burma. That can only be done in the form of a joint-venture with UMEHL. The military rulers force this construction onto APBL. Forty percent of the profits that the brewery will yield in the future will thus flow towards the dictators. Heineken did not deny that the Burmese regime is guilty of gross violations of human rights. On the contrary, Heineken shared the analyses of the action groups and said to be very concerned about the human rights situation in Burma. There is one difference, however: the action groups concluded that Heineken should cancel its investments in Burma, but Heineken did not intend to do so. "We sincerely believe that we can reconcile our policy in Burma with our corporate values and norms", so Heineken's press officer before the Dutch media. The action groups say: "By investing in Burma at this moment, and by embarking on a joint venture with UMEHL, Heineken makes itself an accomplice in the tragedy of the Burmese people". This complicity consists in particular of two points.

All Quiet on the Western Front :: essays research papers fc

Compare ‘Gallipoli’ and ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ in terms of the:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Boys’ attitude to war  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reasons for enlistment  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Experiences on the front How do these change their attitude to war? What does this tell you about the similarities and differences the Australian’s and German’s experiences? Analysis of Major Characters Paul Bà ¤umer As the novel’s narrator and protagonist, Paul is the central figure in All Quiet on the Western Front and serves as the mouthpiece for Remarque’s meditations about war. Throughout the novel, Paul’s inner personality is contrasted with the way the war forces him to act and feel. His memories of the time before the war show that he was once a very different man from the despairing soldier who now narrates the novel. Paul is a compassionate and sensitive young man; before the war, he loved his family and wrote poetry. Because of the horror of the war and the anxiety it induces, Paul, like other soldiers, learns to disconnect his mind from his feelings, keeping his emotions at bay in order to preserve his sanity and survive. As a result, the compassionate young man becomes unable to mourn his dead comrades, unable to feel at home among his family, unable to express his feelings about the war or even talk about his experiences, unable to remember the past fully, and unable to conceive of a future without war. He also becomes a â€Å"human animal,† capable of relying on animal instinct to kill and survive in battle. But because Paul is extremely sensitive, he is somewhat less able than many of the other soldiers to detach himself completely from his feelings, and there are several moments in the book (Kemmerich’s death, Kat’s death, the time that he spends with his ill mother) when he feels himself pulled down by emotion. These surging feelings indicate the extent to which war has programmed Paul to cut himself off from feeling, as when he says, with devastating understatement, â€Å"Parting from my friend Albert Kropp was very hard. But a man gets used to that sort of thing in the ar my.† Paul’s experience is intended to represent the experience of a whole generation of men, the so-called lost generation—men who went straight from childhood to fighting in World War I, often as adolescents. Paul frequently considers the past and the future from the perspective of his entire generation, noting that, when the war ends, he and his friends will not know what to do, as they have learned to be adults only while fighting the war.

Dear Diary Essay

I’ve lived on this here ranch for many years now, and as a coloured man, I feel my life is nothing but the lowest of all. A white man’s loneliness and hardship is nothing compared to a black man’s isolation. I live here, all alone in my own room. The other men say that it’s good to have your own room, where there ain’t nobody else to disturb your own privacy. But, it’s not like that. There ain’t nothing good about it at all. A lonely life is what I live. By my own self, in my own bunk, with no one. I’m kept away from all the other men on this ranch, because of the prejudice against my coloured people. I have complained too many times about this injustice, but nobody would listen to the nigger speak. But, something funny happened today. Everything was the same as it always is on a Saturday evening. The white fellas out to town, leaving everything else silent, except the quiet echo of the horses, moving about restlessly. As usual, my crippled back, injured from that darn horse, began to throb with pain once again, so I took out my liniment and slowly began to massage the ache with my hands. My mind wandered, and wondered about the reasons I have for staying here. I have many. I can’t leave this place, even though it is the one place where I am always unhappy. It’s just the fact that I’m a black man, I suppose. I haven’t got any choices. It’s either here or nowhere. It was silent as hell. I gazed up from my thoughts and realised Lennie, the new guy was standing in my doorway. I heard things like he was a big fella and everything but by god! That guy is huge. I just thought that there must have been something wrong with his head. How dare he, a white man, who should know about a black man’s privacy, should come and invade my territory? I’m not like them other white men. Seeing as I ain’t allowed in their bunk house, well, why should they be allowed in mine? He stood there, smiling with his great mouth. I told him that he shouldn’t be in here, still stunned at his daring. He smiled even more at that. Then he replied, only talking about his darn pups. But I realised, as the conversation grew on, that the man didn’t understand about prejudice and all those things. I began to feel at ease and even liked his company. Of course I did, anyways. There can’t be any man on earth who likes being on his own all the time. We talked and we talked. And I surprised even myself when I told him about my past, when I was a boy. When my old man had his own chicken ranch and the white kids would come and play. I used to play with them sometimes too, my old man didn’t like that but I didn’t find out why ’til I was older. Wish I could go back to them days. It was nice talkin’ to the big fella though. Normally, If I say something, why it’s just a nigger saying it. When he next spoke, I realised the boy weren’t taking in anything I say. All he was concerned about was the damn pups. God, a guy could talk to him and be sure he won’t be going off telling everyone else. He was stupid as hell. And I took advantage of him. Advantage of all the dumb things I thought about him. I’d been put down one too many times, and this time, this time, I was the one in power. I suppose I just wanted to scare him, that’s all. Didn’t mean no harm. I threatened him with the thought of his pal, George Milton, who Lennie seemed to be fond of, leaving him behind. Of course, all that’s unlikely to ever happen, but I dunno†¦ It got his attention though. He was scared. God, I was enjoying it, but now, I realise how stupid I was. I enjoyed every moment of this torture, but it was okay. It wasn’t me, or so I thought. I carried on, saying stuff like, supposing George can’t come back, say if he died or something. What would Lennie do then? I was full of glee with the thought of the hurt I was inflicting on Lennie. But I just suppose I was jealous. Too jealous. How come this dumb guy, Lennie, could get a friend, a companion, when I couldn’t? I’m smarter than him. I could’ve been more of a better person to talk to. But I know why. It’s always the same reason. The prejudice white folks have for us black folks. So I kept tormenting him, with all the rage and anger I had kept within myself for a lifetime. Suddenly, Lennie stood up and I realised how big he was. It scared me. This towering ogre, shadowing me with his great body. I stopped teasing him, and tried to be more gentle and reassuring. I know I’m never gonna mess around with that big boy any more. We settled down once again, with comfort and ease among us. It was a nice feeling. Probably better than the feeling of being in power. I suppose power isn’t always everything. Lennie was now talking a lot more than before. About their â€Å"dream† of owning their own land – the same dream every man has before they lose their entire stake to the cat houses in town and finally give up. Too many men I’ve seen have given up. There’s no reason why this dream won’t be the same. But†¦ for some reason, I believe it could come true. It’s just the enthusiasm I saw in Lennie when he was talking about it. Of course, I didn’t hear much about the dream from Lennie. All he was on about was the animals and how he’d be taking care of them. Then, from outside, the sound of a horse whined, and halter chains clinked. I moved to the door painfully. I didn’t realise my back hurt so much. I figured it could have been Slim. He sometimes comes into my room. It turned out to be Candy, the swamper. He old man is older than me, but in less pain. Lucky him. I invited him in though. Might as well anyways. Since everyone else was coming in. And also because I enjoyed the company†¦ He came in and suddenly, it seemed as though all we were talking about was their dream. I was amazed at how real all of their hopes were. I masked my thoughts and pretended to be not interested. I questioned them about the dream, about the land and where would they get it. But they answered with flawless answers. I even tried to put them off the dream, telling Candy how he’s just a swamper, and that’s all he’d ever be. Another act of jealousy. But the two men, with feelings so strong for what they believed in, did not fall for any of my traps. Could it be true? Could they really be doing the impossible? I admit, I ain’t ever seen a guy really do it. Achieve their dreams and own their own land. Nope. Not one person. I suppose that’s why I let my defences down. All my pride collapsed with the entrancing dream†¦ It took a lot of guts to say this, but I offered to work for them for nothing. Just so I could be with them, and perhaps be even†¦ happy†¦ I dunno†¦ It felt like it was worth it at the time. Giving up all this loneliness for a bit of happiness. Who would refuse? Who could refuse? Being part of a dream such as theirs. With their own land, own house, own animals, own everything. It was only a dream – ’til they came along and made it come to life. The moment was spoiled when Curley’s wife entered without my saying so. I couldn’t tell her to leave though. Even as a woman, she still has more power than a nigger. She came looking for Curley. As if she didn’t know already. I asked her politely to leave, but she responded with her loneliness. I suppose I haven’t really paid enough attention to her, to wonder about her feelings, but why should I? If the way she treated me today was just a smack of reality, then I shouldn’t care for anyone but myself. My anger built up and was eventually released. The anger I built whilst listening to her threats, freed themselves in the form of words. I should’ve kept to myself though. I know I didn’t do anything except make things even worse. She didn’t have any rights to be in my room. A coloured man’s room. No rights to be messing around in here at all. And that’s what I told her. Told her to get out. She then turned against me, and threatened me, like I have been for everyday of my life. But this time, it was worse, much worse. She threatened me, telling me that if I told anyone she’d been here, she could get me hung. She knew she could get me killed. A black man ain’t got any power over a white woman even. She threatened to kill me and the painful part was†¦ that I knew she could. And I accepted it. Because I have accepted the prejudice all my life. My body froze and I sat there perfectly still, my eyes in one place, turned away. It’s the position I use to create the wall protecting me from the cruel, white world. Where I can imprison the pain and the hurt from a lifetime of hatred and prejudice. These feelings who crave to scream and shout. Yet, they have no say in this world. Like I don’t have any say. I was grateful towards Candy at that moment. He stood up for me, going up against the bully. But she did the same to him as she did with me. But I appreciated it, I did. It was only when Candy said that he thought he had heard the other men coming back, when she left. I’m not very sure if he was telling the truth, but it did its job. She was gone in a flash, leaving her emotional footsteps behind imprinted upon us. It was time for Candy and Lennie to leave. I would have loved for them to stay for just a little bit longer†¦ but I knew they couldn’t. In the background, George yelled for his friend, Lennie. A friend I envy. As they left and turned their backs on me and my sanctuary, I shouted back for Candy. I told him to forget everything I said about hoeing and doing odd jobs. I didn’t mean it. To him I didn’t. But I really did. It’s just a secret I have to keep to myself now. I felt unwanted, my pride gone, all lost to the hands of that woman. I wish I could go back and ask Candy for another chance, but I know I can’t. I’ve already rejected the offer, and even told him I would have never liked a place like that anyway†¦ I wonder why I said it now. I suppose I didn’t want to seem desperate, even though I really was. I had to rebuild another barrier, and in doing so, I abandoned my only escape out of here. I didn’t think before I acted. But those words were the only thing on my mind at the time. And still I wonder why. I should probably forget about it though. I won’t have another chance. Unless they asked me to†¦ but that isn’t really likely. White men asking a black man to work with them? Perhaps†¦ but just not these men. Now, I’m rubbing my back once again, with the pink palm of my left hand, covered in liniment. With the desire to soothe the pain on the outside, as well as the pain inflicted inside. I’m thinking about this past night, this past year, my past life. I realised I ain’t never been truly happy, have I? Never on this ranch, where I’m always singled out from everybody else, only ’cause I’m the only black man. I don’t like anything on this ranch. Only ’til tonight I found one thing I liked. Friendship. But I don’t have it. Not now, anyways, and probably not ever. I do like it though. I know I do. But all I can do is just sit here night after night, wondering about it. How it’s like, how it’d be, but never experiencing the joy. Just†¦ wondering.

Peter Skrzynecki Poem Analysis Essay

Belonging is a fundamental aspect of humanity, It is a subjective concept that can be positive or negative, based on experiences. Positive belonging offers individuals a sense of identity, security and bond to either a person, place or object. Whereas, negative belonging limits ones sense of identity, security and ultimately incites one to feel marginalized, unsociable and alone. This notion is extensively explored within Peter Skrzynecki’s poem, St. Patrick’s College, from the anthology Immigrant Chronicle, and Richard Kelly’s 2001 film Donnie Darko as both texts illustrate the protagonist’s limited and negative experience of belonging through their interaction with others resulting in acts of insubordination. Contrary to negative belonging, Peter Skrzynecki’s poem, 10 Mary Street- also from the anthology Immigrant Chronicle-explores the notion that it a positive sense of belonging can be achieved through interaction with others. Peter Skrzynecki’s St Patrick’s College, a semi-autobiographical poem explores the idea of negative interactions within a class dynamic resulting in a poor sense of belonging. St patricks college conveys a reflective and lethargic tone in which the persona describes his negative experiences of social segregation throughout his schooling years as being tedious and not â€Å"for the best†. The lack of belonging is emphasized metaphorically in the persona’s description of his schooling experience as being one of â€Å"darkness†, the technique of irony is evident as the school’s motto, ‘Luceat Lux Vestra† latin for ‘Let your light shine’ acts as a contrasting device as the schools mission is to allow students to evolve and shine, however the persona communicates a school life of darkness where he faced troubling emotions of insecurity and isolation. This further reinforces the concept that the personas lack of interaction with those around him, specifically with his school environment resulted in a negative sense of belonging. The second stanza of St. Patricks college demonstrates the limited experiences of belonging within the school community. The personas mother ‘said a prayer’ for her sons ‘future intentions’, which emphasizes the lack of control in which the persona had over his fate but also raises a religious element in which it is seen that the personas mother demonstrates her reverence toward the school and it’s religious base. The mutual relation of religion is what allows the personas mother to experience a sense of belonging as she is able to interact positively with the other members of the St..  Patricks college community despite the various differences. The technique of Juxtaposition challenges the mothers belonging as her truculent son acts out in a violent manner as noted as he â€Å"stuck pine needles into the motto’’ of his school uniform. The act of using pine needles to puncture the surface of the motto displays the rebellion and lack of pride the persona had for his school. This further reflects how negative interaction with ones surroundings ultimates in the personas feelings of aggression and self doubt that therefore denies him a sense of belonging. The concept that negative interactions with surroundings will subsequently result in a lack or limited understanding and experience of belonging is further explored in Richard Kelly’s 2001 film Donnie Darko as the protagonist Donnie suffers with schizophrenia and is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit named Frank who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes that further disperse him from reality and display his inability to belong to society due to his sadistic actions he imposes on his surroundings and people. It is evident that donnies personality has slowly dissolved as the scene where his mother enters his room after he disappeared and says ‘‘What happened to my son? I don’t recognize this person today? †. This line emphasizes the barrier of understanding between Donnie and his mother due to his mental illness becoming a wall between both characters and the lack of interaction in which they share therefore disabling them from truly affiliating with each, causing donnie to feel more alienated and unable to endure a positive experience of belonging in his home and with his family. This ultimately leads him to gravitate further toward Frank who is the personification Donnie’s fear of death. Donnie’s sense of self is challenged when he and his girlfriend are in the cinema, the silhouettes of Donnie and his girlfriend are briefly seen in contrast with the dark surroundings. Orchestral sound plays a significant role in this scene as frank appears next to his girlfriend who is asleep in the theatre. The cinematic technique of Swish pan is significant as Frank and Donnie are never scene together in one shot, they are always opposite, acing each other like a reflection. This scene emphasizes the barriers between fantasy and reality as his girlfriend represents the concept of reality and being that she is asleep, it displays the loss of logic or normality in donnies experiences and the suffocating grip that fantasy and hallucination now has on his life. Donnie attempts to rebel against this force when he says â€Å"Why are you wearing that stupid bunny suit? † in which frank abruptly responds â€Å"Why are you wearing that stupid man suit†? This challenges his role as a human in the film and further destructs donnies sense of security and belonging to himself. This therefore contributes to him feeling further displaced from humanity and ultimately preventing Donnie from experiencing positive interactions with other humans and Frank. Moreover, it is known that positive experiences of belonging are endured and enrich ones sense of identity, security and bond to either a person, place or object. This is seen in Peter Skrzynecki’s poem, 10 Mary Street where the concept of family and place is significant when seeking a sense of belonging. An example of a positive experience of interaction in this poem is through the garden, skrzynecki uses symbolism and imagery to describe the significance the garden had in each member of his families life; My parents watered/ Plants- grew potatoes/ And rows of sweet corn. † This quote identifies that the parents felt a sense of belonging through growing and nurturing the garden in which represented a fragment of their Polish culture. In addition to that, the persona incorporates metaphorical symbols such as the â€Å"key† in the stanza; ‘Inheritors of a key, That’ll open no house, when this one is pulled down†. This further elaborates on the concept that the persona is the key to his culture and background of poland birthed by his parents past, in which he struggles to adapt to harmoniously. The poet ‘inherits’ his past but yet it fails to open any doors to him which therefore push him to feel temporarily at a loss with himself but this is challenged as the idea of pursuing a new australian culture is introduced and allowing himself to let go of what was not his and grow what can now be his. This allows the persona to establish a sense of belonging through the preservation of the garden in which he and his parents belong to but also his own sense of identity in Australia in which he seeks individually. Overall, an individual’s interaction with others, whether that interaction is positive or negative, can influence their attitudes and understanding of belonging. The idea of negative experiences and interactions between individuals causes an inadequate experience of belonging is captured and conveyed within Peter Skrzynecki’s St.  Patrick’s College and Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko, as the protagonists in both texts battle against their predictive and desolate sense of self due to their negative interactions. Contrary to this is the idea that positive experiences and interactions can enrich ones sense of belonging, as seen in Peter Skrzynecki’s 10 Mary Street. Regardless, belonging is a core component of humanity and offers individuals either a positive or negative experience.

Personal Responsibility Essay

Practicing personal responsibility in every aspect of our lives is the safest way to guarantee personal success. Personal responsibility is as simple as managing our life and making our own decisions without giving others the opportunity to dictate the outcome of our future. As the architects of our academic future, we must understand that only we can lay the foundation for our success. It is also important to recognize that having a strong preliminary plan to practice personal responsibility in our education is essential in achieving our academic goals. Dr. Ron Haskins with the Annie E. Casey Foundation defines personal responsibility as â€Å"the willingness to accept both the importance of standards that society establishes for individual behavior and to make strenuous personal efforts to live by those standards†. According to Dr. Haskins â€Å"personal responsibility also means that when individuals fail to meet such expected standards, they do not look around for some factor outside themselves to blame†. Dr. Haskins is saying that by accepting our role in society we are accepting the responsibilities that come with that role. That if our responsibilities become overwhelming, we will make the necessary sacrifices or changes to fulfill those responsibilities and we will not blame our faults on others. When it pertains to your education, you must understand that it is your responsibility to always seek improvement in order to become a valuable member of our society. Personal responsibility and college success will always go hand in hand. The moment we decide to seek an education we make a huge commitment to ourselves and others. We become part of a small group of individuals who believe that self-improvement and the pursuit of excellence are the keys to achieving success. As we embark on our educational journey we will be faced with many obstacles that can prevent us from achieving our academic goals.  It is important to identify these obstacles and find balance in our lives by setting priorities and limitations. Always seek help when needed and use your family and career aspirations as motivation rather than challenges in the path towards academic success. Remember that your academic success will always be the result of your work and determination. In 2009 President Barak Obama gave a speech on the importance of education at the Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. In his speech President Obama stated that â€Å"we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter, unless all of us fulfill our responsibilities†. I believe President Obama was highlighting the importance of fulfilling our responsibilities if we wish to achieve academic success. President Obama was trying to teach the students of Wakefield High School that although you can be provided with a blank canvass and supplies, it is up to you to create the master piece. Having a preliminary plan to fulfill your responsibilities and achieving your goals is essential if you wish to create that master peace. You need to manage your time by setting periodic goals and making responsible decisions. You must also recognize your limitations and ensure that your expectations are realistic. Never put more than you can eat on your plate and do not hold other people accountable for your decisions. By following these steps you will ensure a smooth process through your academic journey. Personal responsibility can perceive differently by many people. Your background, culture or morals can be key influential factor in your interpretation of the term. However, although there are several factors that can influence the decisions we make in life, personal responsibility lays with each individual. We must embrace our failures and learn from our past to ensure a better future. We must also ensure that our personal and academic choices are responsible and guided by firm principles, and we must always strive towards excellence in every aspect of our life. Most importantly, we must understand that the choices we make today will follow us for the rest our lives. References Barack Obama’s speech on education. 2009. President Barack Obama. Retrieved from http://www.upi.com/Obamas-speech-on-importance-of-education. The Sequence of Personal Responsibility. 2009. The Brookings Institution. Retrieved from http://www.brookings.edu/research/articles/2009/07/09-responsibility-haskins.

Health Concerns of Processed Foods Essay

Processed foods have been created mainly for convenience and some of the ingredients in these products may not be safe or healthy for us. Processed foods are more convenient because if we don’t finish the product or don’t consume it we don’t have to worry about it spoiling anytime soon as the packaging and ingredients prevent bacteria from forming and keep the food edible but can these extra ingredients and packaging have a health risk. Altering the product can have a different effect in our bodies and how we process them. There is a debate whether processed foods are good or bad for us but it just comes down to the product. Therefore, it’s important for us to know the foods we are going to consume and if some of those ingredients pose a health concern. Diet soda is thought to be a better and healthier choice but the artificial sweetener can actually cause more harm, so it’s neither better nor healthier. Artificial sweeteners can trick 1 Brian Alvarez our bodies into thinking its consuming sugar, but once we do consume real sugars our bodies aren’t sure whether to process the sugar so this can cause a health effect such as metabolic confusion and over consumption. Research has been done by the University of Virginia in Richmond showing that artificial sweeteners could confuse the body’s intake in calories which would lead to over eating. Artificial sweeteners are mainly used by people who are on diets and diabetics also it doesn’t contribute to tooth decay and cavities. These artificial sweeteners can be great for diabetics since they need to control their sugar intake this allows them to have more control on foods they consume.(nearly 26 million people in American have diabetes) Another processed food which is debated is Margarine such as the product â€Å"I can’t believe it’s not butter†. The soft margarine that comes in containers is  made from vegetable oils and has less saturated fa t than standard butter and stick margarine. People who mainly use stick margarine on their foods have a higher risk of getting heart disease because it contains Tran’s fats so this causes a decrease in good cholesterol in the body. Soft margarine can be a better alternative but it depends on 2 Brian Alvarez which margarine we buy and consume. Stick Margarine is actually worse for a person’s cholesterol than soft margarine and butter but between the two soft margarine is better as long as the labeling says no Tran’s fats. Food manufacturers mainly use trans fat in their products but now that we see the health risks from consuming trans fats companies started cutting back on using them because of the potential health risks. Trans fat has been linked with health risks such as high cholesterol and puts us more at risk for heart disease. Trans Fat is a man made substance that is a mixture of hydrogen gas and vegetable oil, this makes the oil have a longer shelf life, makes the food taste better, is cheaper and enhances flavor. These are the main reasons manufacturers use trans fat in their products. When a product says no trans fat there is still a possibility it may contain trans fats because products are legally allowed to put no trans fats in their product if their serving portions contain less than 0.5 grams of trans fats. It’s recommended not to consume more than 2 grams of Tran fats per day and in products that say no trans fats we should check the ingredients in the label to see if it contains hydrogenated oils to make sure it has no trans fats. Processed foods tend to contain high fructose corn syrup because of its sweet taste, low cost to make and is great at mixing with other ingredients. High fructose corn syrup is still being looked into if it has any health concerns or affects our metabolism. Although high fructose corn syrup chemical composition is similar to regular sugar it can’t be broken down as easily than regular sugars. Companies began using High fructose corn syrup since 1977 when the price of sugar increased and government regulations kept the price of corn low so High Fructose corn syrup is seen as a more economical substitute. The U.S and Canada have the highest price of sugar, it’s twice  the as much as the global price. Marketing campaigns by corn industries have tried giving high fructose corn syrup a good name by saying its all natural since it’s made from corn because of all the negative feedback from the press. Although these Corn companies are calling it â€Å"Natural† i t really doesn’t mean much as Natural isn’t really regulated by the FDA. When we look at labels in processed foods we tend not to look at the sodium content which can be a bad thing if we consume too much of it in order to maintain a healthy diet. Sodium is a main ingredient in processed foods because it   enhances the sugars flavor, increases the shelf life of foods, and prevents bacteria from forming. The average person consumes 50 percent more sodium than what is recommended daily. In our diets 75 percent of sodium we consume daily comes from processed foods and most of the excess salts we consume are coming from processed foods. We tend to think that because a food has a product that is healthy or natural it’s going to be good for us but once it becomes processed it adds all sorts of other ingredients or takes away the nutritional value. Processed food companies try to make their products appear healthy but add other ingredients which were better off eating the regular version. Yogurt is an example which companies label them as fat-free or low fat and they are but substitute the fats for sugars to make them better tasting but just causes more weight gain as a result. Milk is a good type of processed food which makes it safer for us to consume. When milk is processed it goes through a stage where it is pasteurized and homogenized. The Pasteurization kills the bacteria in the milk and homogenization prevents the fats from separating. Brian Alvarez The Packaging in which processed foods are held in can have a health risk for us due to the BPA found in them. Traces of BPA can be found in canned foods and in products packaged in plastic. BPA can lead to heart disease, cancer and development issues, but has a bigger impact on younger children. Traces of BPA is found in 90 percent of Americans and we are getting them from the packaging in these foods. Works cited â€Å"Artificial Sweeteners and Other Sugar Substitutes.† By Mayo Clinic Staff Mayo Clinic. 09 Oct.2012. Web. Betsch, Mara. â€Å"25 Surprisingly Salty Processed Foods.† Health Smart. New York. HealthMagazine. Print. Boeschenstein, Nell. â€Å"How The Food Industry Manipulates Taste Buds with ‘Salt Sugar Fat’.† NPR. National Public Radio, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 16 Jan. 2014. Heyes, Ashley. â€Å"Put Down That Doughnut: FDA Takes on Trans Fats† CNN. Health. 13 Nov.2013. Web. 21 Jan.2014. Jegtvig, Shereen. â€Å"What are Processed Foods.† About Nutrition. Health Nutrition, 18 Mar. 2007. Web. 16 Jan. 2014. Lovell, Joel. â€Å"The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food.† New York Times, 20 Feb.2013. Print. 7 Mercola, Joseph. â€Å"America’s Deadliest Sweetener Betrays Millions, Then Hoodwinks You With Name Change.† HuffPost. Healthy Living. 06 July.2010. Web. 20 Jan.2014. Warner, Melanie. Interview with Hari Sreenivasan. PBS NewsHour. Public Television. 14 March 2013. Television. WhiteLocks, Sadie. â€Å"Does Fat-Free Yogurt Cause Greater Weight Gain Than the Full Fat Kind?† Mail Online. UK. 03 Sep.2013. Web. 21 Jan.2014 Waseem, Fatimah.†Studys Link Food Packaging Chemical and Obesity.† USAToday. 12 Jun.2013. Web. 8