Saturday, August 31, 2019
Research Project Climate Change Essay
INTRODUCTION Climate change is the variation of the weather in global scale which include changes in temperature, precipitation, nebulosity and other phenomena. These variations last for an extended period of time (decades to millions of years) and they can be caused by external forces (variations on the solar activity, orbital variations, impact of meteorites), internal forces (volcanic eruptions, plate tectonics, El Nino), or by results of the human activity (global warming). Global Warming There are many questions about global warming, from its causes to its effects, and many people even question whether or not it even exists. Global warming is described as the increase of the average temperature of the Earth caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities, such as deforestation, use of fertilizers, fossil fuel combustion and cement production. According to the global warming theory, the intensification of industrial activities during the twentieth century (based on the fossil fuel combustion such as petrol and coal) increased the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. The increase of the global temperature and the new composition of the atmosphere lead to several alterations which affect the elevation of the sea level, heat waves, droughts and heavy rainfall, ocean acidification and species extinctions, to name a few. Greenhouse effect and the emission of CO2 Greenhouse gases keep the Earth warm through a process called the greenhouse effect. If it were not for the greenhouse gases trapping heat in the atmosphere, the Earth would be a very cold place. Greenhouse gases are any of the atmospheric gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation produced by solar warming. They include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and water vapor. Greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, but the elevated levels are directly blamed to human activities, specially the production in excess of carbon dioxide when any material containing carbon is burned, such as oil, coal, natural gas, or wood. However it is controversial whether the human activities are to blame for the global warming due to the emission of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide represents a very small percentage of the gases in the atmosphere (only 0.032%) and it is immediately absorbed by the vegetation, in all kind of environments, without any possibility of accumulation anywhere. The population that consumes CO2 (plants) is much bigger than the population that is emitting this gas (men and machines). Besides, the energy used in the process of removing CO2 from the atmosphere is endless: the solar energy. Mainly, the determining factors of the climate change are basically the energy of the sun or insulation and the speed of the rotation and translation of the Earth. Is Global Warming Real? Although the whole world is aware of the global warming issue and is afraid of what its impacts could do in the coming future, there are those who still believe global warming is a fiction and does not exist. The global warming debate in many parts of the earth is ranging more than before. One of the world’s best known climate change sceptic John Coleman, who co-founded the Weather Channel, has claimed that the theory of man-made climate change is no longer scientifically credible and rising global temperatures points to a natural phenomenon within a developing eco-system. According to Coleman, global warming has become a political and environment agenda item, but the science is not valid, and efforts to prove the theory that carbon dioxide is a significant greenhouse gas and pollutant causing significant warming or weather effects have failed. â€Å"The impact of humans on climate is not catastrophic†, he says, â€Å"our planet is not in peril. It is all a scam, the result of bad science.†(John Coleman, 2014) On the other hand, former Vice President Al Gore, who had an award-winning documentary film in 2006 called An Inconvenient Truth which discusses the present and future effects of global warming, continues his fight against global warming and says that â€Å"we simply cannot continue to use the atmosphere as an open sewer for dirty and dangerous global warming pollution that endangers our health and makes storms, floods, mudslides and droughts much more dangerous and threatening.†(Al Gore, 2014). He supports the adoption of renewable energy such as solar and wind power and enforces bold new standards for fuel economy. CONCLUSION Whether global warming is a consequence of human activities or other phenomena (or both), it is real and climate change is happening. We should all do our part to help alter the future path of human-induced warming by adopting a more responsible lifestyle to reduce the amount of CO2 emission by reducing waste, recycling, switching to green power (wind and solar), planting trees, carpooling and so on. Also, less energy use means less dependence on the fossil fuels that create greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming. REFERENCES Climate Change. – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change (Online; accessed 14-November-2014). Global Warming. – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming (Online; accessed 14-November-2014). Global Warming. – NOAA National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-references/faq/global-warming.php (Online; accessed 14-November-2014). Coleman, J. (2014) Global Warming Greatest Scam in History! – Global Warming And The Climate. Retrieved from http://www.global-warming-and-the-climate.com/ arguments-against-global-warming.htm Gore, A. (June 18, 2014) The Turning Point: New Hope for the Climate. – Rolling Stone. Retrieved from http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/ the-turning-point-new-hope-for-the- climate-20140618 Statement by Former Vice President Gore on Australia’s climate policy. July 17, 2014. Retrieved from blog.algore.com (Online; accessed 19-November-2014).
Comparing and Contrasting Economic Ideas Essay
Introduction – As individual leaders in modern economic thinking and attitude, economists Milton Friedman and John Maynard Keynes was hailed and criticized by many different individuals and institutions because of their contribution to global economy attitudes as well as because of the sometimes very radical ways that the two required of economic leaders to resort to so that they can follow the economic model that either Friedman and Keynes designed. Both are right and wrong when it comes to understanding economy and providing a solution which can be used to unlock the mysteries of the changing economic dilemma that the world experiences which requires the input of economists. And during their time, Friedman and Keynes enjoyed the god-like loft from which they stood, one at a time, when the world was bowing to the economic thoughts that they made. Similarities: Friedman and Keynes economic thoughts meet in the middle – While Friedman’s and Keynes’ thoughts and focus on economics have inherent differences, some observers believe that the two economic ideas espoused by Friedman and Keynes also have some similarities. For one, the two economists and their ideas are in agreement when it comes to the stable growth rate of money supply and its role in fluctuation and employment[1]. Also, the two were inherently economist in inclination – they stand on similar grounds even if it means digging and building that ground using different shovels and different strokes. Second, the economic ideas of the two individuals share the similar characterisitcs of being popular and widely used and regarded before the ensuing change in political landscape made the idea of obsolete and useless; for Keynes and his economic idea about the role of the state in economic leadership, the flowering of his idea came after the world, particularly the US, felt the squeeze to the economy after the two world wars and the occurrence of the Great Depression, his idea ultimately subsiding by the time the world came closer and closer to the 80s. For Friedman, his economic idea got its turn after it proved having the solution to the problem the Keynes model cannot answer, and after enjoying his moment in the spotlight for some years, the global crisis that engulfed the world pushed Friedman’s ideas closer and closer to the trash bin. Friedman and Keynes and their ideas share the similar pace when it comes to public acceptance, as well as the same characteristic that their ideas each are pets of US presidents; former US president Richard Nixon was a Keynesian while another former US president, Ronal Reagan implemented a Friedman approach in economics[2]. Another similarity in the economic idea of Friedman and Keynes is that their ideas allowed for the identification of an entity or institution or idea that was the reason for the failure of the economy. Take for example the Great Depression, for those adhering to the Keynesian belief in economics, they are inclined to believe that there is someone or something at fault why such occurrence happened, and that is the idea of free market. Friedman thinking will also lead the individual towards the same belief of having someone or something at fault, and that is the Federal Reserve, so far as Friedman economic thinking is concerned. Another similarity shared by Keynes and Friedman and their attack and pattern in developing economic thought and assuring the audience needed for the establishment of the popularity and acceptance of their particular economic thought is the manner by which their economic thoughts and ideas were built and spread around those who will either criticize or embrace it. Wood (1991) explained, â€Å"The most surprising aspect of Friedman’s achievements is that he has not to a greater extent earned the gratitude of the profession. To a large degree this is due to the sharply critical form in which he has presented his ideas.†[3] In his attacks on the positions of other he has at times tended to depart from the more careful and guarded way in which he typically presents his own results. This has assured him of a wide audience, because it is often easier to attract adherents to a revolution in thinking – even a counter-revolution – than to a less dramatic evolution of a hypothesis. This is a characteristic which Friedman shares with Keynes and explains why both have been at the same time highly controversial and highly successful in the development of economic thought. Economists in a head-on collision – Despite the similarities found in Friedman and Keynes and their thoughts and the pacing and social acceptance lifespan of their ideas, Friedman and Keynes and their ideas in economies are more accepted, criticized and reviewed because of how the two ideas find contrasting points against the other. They and their ideas have significant differences that they are described sometimes as the great polarizers of the economy and the economic belief and attitude. For Friedman, Keynes was incorrect about the idea of the state and its active role in dictating the economy. For Friedman, the more suitable solution is for the state to know that its role in the economy is focused on ensuring the growth of money supply. Friedman stressed the importance of monetary policy versus the idea of Keynes and the role of state spending. Friedman also challenged the manner by which Keynes explained the behavior of the consumer especially during the cases of inflation and the ensuing unemployment[4]. The Keynes-Friedman Showdown – While it is understandable how there will be purely separate groups that support the thoughts of Keynes and the economic thinking of Friedman, there are instances that the two modern day economic thinkers figure in colossal showdowns (which is not of their doing, of course, but the doing of other people and institutions particularly award giving bodies that set out to identify who is the best between the two). An example of these instances is the during the time globally popular and highly respected weekly glossy magazine TIME undertook the task of naming the recipient of the Economist of the Century honor to wrap up the end of the twentieth century[5]. Skousen (2001) wrote about how the members of the selecting group were torn between Friedman and Keynes, and how Friedman ultimately bested Keynes despite the fact that some TIME magazine staff, including editor in chief Norman Pearlstine, believed that the award should go to Keynes. Pearlstine believed that the manner by which Keynes articulated the importance of free markets as well as the significance of the undue government intervention that will resort to the creation of danger in the economic landscape[6] is an important modern day economic idea that will benefit not just one country but the world, especially now that the world is experiencing global trade and economics. Cambridge University in 1970, during the time Friedman faced a highly partisan, pro Keynes crowd who rooted for their favorite Nicholas Kaldor which Friedman soundly defeated during the debate[7]. Some would say that the surprising Friedman win in that particular debate (which silenced the murmuring crowd of infidels) was due largely because of the absence of Keynes himself, but it may also point to the fact that Friedman and his economic ideals holds true in some aspects. Conclusion – Many scholars, critics, new economists, political analysts and historians until now continually debate about the similarities and differences of Keynes and Friedman and their economic ideas. More importantly, they debated about how each economist and each idea they gave to the world helped in shaping world economy as it is today. Some say that Milton was unlike Friedman, while some think they are the same. Some believe that Friedman was better than Keynes, while others feel otherwise. Others go to the extreme, considering that the two lived in an interconnected life, that one completes the other, as DeLong believes that Friedman was not a competitor to Keynes, but more of the man that completed Keynes[8]. The issues and points arising in the debate focused on the person and their ideas bring about immense complexity that the end is always hard to see, predict and achieve. But for the differences of Friedman and Keynes, it is no doubt that both economist contributed immensely in the field of economics, and because of that, they were showered not just with official honors but with very flattering commentaries by critics and observers. Mark Blaug was quoted by Skousen in his book as attributing to Friedman and his great ability for debating and fighting for his position in economic ideologies[9] that resulted to his earning the respect of even his most critical and previously unimpressed adversaries. Skousen (2001) believes that Friedman is the most famous economist alive, but he was quick to counter his proposition by reminding the readers that Friedman was not a giant at first in the circle of economic thinkers, owing largely to the fact that Friedman and his economic ideas (i.e. his monetarism beliefs) were heavily criticized early in his career as an economic thinker. [10]       Truly, both Keynes and Friedman created such economic ideals that went to the extent that it became antagonistic with each other. But professionals knew that underneath it all, the more important thing to consider is the fact that the differences and similarities found in Keynes’ and Friedman’s works gave the world what it can used to manage changing economic difficulties. Works Cited: DeLong, J Bradford. â€Å"Friedman Completed Keynes.†Project Syndicate. 2006. 23 May 2008            . Heuser, Uwe Jean. â€Å"The Underrated Power of Economists.†Indymedia.org.uk. 28 June 2007.            23 May 2008 . Macesich, George. â€Å"World Economy at the Crossroads.†Greenwood Publishing Group,            Incorporated, November 1997. Skousen, Mark. â€Å"The Making of Modern Economics: The Lives and Ideas of the Great            Thinkers.†Sharpe, Me., Inc., March 2001. Wood, John Cunningham. â€Å"Milton Friedman: Critical Assessments†Vol. 14. Taylor &            Francis, Inc., August 1990. [1] Macesich, George. â€Å"World Economy at the Crossroads.†Greenwood Publishing Group,                Incorporated, November 1997. p. 12. [2] Heuser, Uwe Jean. â€Å"The Underrated Power of Economists.†Indymedia.org.uk. 28 June 2007.                23 May 2008 . [3] Wood, John Cunningham. â€Å"Milton Friedman: Critical Assessments†Vol. 14. Taylor &                Francis, Inc., August 1990. p. 465. [4] Heuser, Uwe Jean. â€Å"The Underrated Power of Economists.†Indymedia.org.uk. 28 June 2007.                23 May 2008 . [5] Skousen, Mark. â€Å"The Making of Modern Economics: The Lives and Ideas of the Great                Thinkers.†Sharpe, Me., Inc., March 2001. pg 379. [6] Ibid. [7] Skousen. pg 380. [8] DeLong, J Bradford. â€Å"Friedman Completed Keynes.†Project Syndicate. 2006. 23 May 2008                . [9] Skousen, p. 380 [10] Ibid.
Friday, August 30, 2019
Descartes Views on God Essay
From reading some of his works, one might assume that Rene Descartes does not believe in the existence of a heavenly being, a God that presides over humans and gives us faith. I do not believe this to be the case. I believe that Descartes is simply trying to destroy all of the uncertainties that have come about do to inadequate explanations of such a supreme being. For Rene Descartes and all of the other believers in the world, the existence of God provides a convenient answer to unexplained questions, while never providing answers to the questions about God himself. This is evidenced a great deal in the circular argument made by Descartes in the Meditations on First Philosophy. What follows is a brief account of the third and fifth meditations, which provide Descartes’ response to the masked question, â€Å"What is God? †Can one perceive or confirm the existence of an idea that is external to him, an idea such as God? In order to determine the answer we must start by understanding the ways in which we can conclude an objects’ existence. Descartes explains three ways in which a person might come to such a conclusion ?the first, through nature; the second, through feeling a value that is independent of the will of the object; and the third, the objective reality of an idea, or the cause and effect profile. Descartes drills us with the idea that an object will have an effect when it stems from a legitimate cause, or an initial idea that precedes with equal or superior properties in one’s intellect. In other words, the mind generates thoughts and ideas about a physical form, and develops a reality for this form, through previous schema and beliefs. â€Å"And although an idea may give rise to another idea, this regress cannot, nevertheless, be infinite; we must in the end reach a first idea, the cause of which is, as it were, the archetype in which all the reality that is found objectively in these ideas is contained formally. †The only problem with Descartes’ argument is when the existence of God arises as a notion, for there is no sustenance or idea for the notion of God to originate from. Is it possible, then, to create the idea of a finite being from an infinite existence, outside of the physical and mental, in a state all of it’s own? Descartes quickly answers that the response would be that a finite being cannot completely, if at all, comprehend the ideas that would cause God to exist, and therefore the basis for doubt is lost in an intangible proof. Additionally, the mere fact that he believes that there is a God provides yet another piece of proof towards His existence. This must be true, according to Descartes, with the provision that the idea and belief must have been placed in his consciousness by an outside factor. The final factor that convinces Descartes that there is a God is the fact of his own existence, along with the fact that he, himself, is not a God. This belief stems from the theory that if a man is independent from all other existence and ideas about forms and matter, then he has the ability to become infinite. Descartes says that if he himself were the â€Å"author of his own being†and independent of all existence, then he would attain a Godly level of existence. Ultimately, it is his own dependence on another being that proves to him that there is a God. Many people are bred into religion, or borne into a set of ideas about a particular infinite being. The interesting problem with most types of faith in this manner is that the scripture that has been deemed to come from your god is also the proof that God exists. This is the type of circular definition that Descartes is trying to avoid at all costs. Basically, it’s like using a word in it’s own definition, or ? the definition of an apple is an apple. ‘ The argument begins to get a little bit ambiguous when he begins discussing the uncertainty of his beliefs. He is, as he claims, as certain of the idea of the sun, the moon, the earth, even his own rational thought, as he is certain of God’s existence.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Do tax cuts increase tax revenues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Do tax cuts increase tax revenues - Essay Example 1). This measure has led to increased investment and job creation in the American market over the past few years. Cutting taxes may lead to increased or decreased revenue depending on the duration in which the tax cuts are applied. During an economic boom, an increase in taxes leads to increased revenue for a country. A tax increase may, however, harm the economy in the long run as people may feel the burden imposed on them and shy away from doing business in the country as noted by Sowell (2012, p. 7), an economist and senior fellow at the  Hoover Institution Stanford University Stanford, . This implies that increased taxes will increase revenue in the short run but decrease revenue will do so in the long run. For instance, when President Clinton’s administration got rid of trade tariffs on Chinese goods, the American market were flooded with Chinese goods. This led to an increase in business and consequently tax revenues increased. However, taxes paid by Americans increased to a level that many of them got discouraged from risking their money in business. This led to a recession whi ch the American economy suffers to-date. When taxes are low, many people do not feel the tax burden and are, therefore, encouraged to risk their money in business and are encouraged to comply with tax laws (Hungerford 2012). If many people invest in business and earn dividends, they will contribute a lot in revenue to the economy as opposed to if fewer people were involved (Sowell 2012, p.5). With a lower tax burden, people grow richer faster and consequently move to a higher tax brackets which mean increased revenue for the government. Furthermore, when more people invest, many of them grow richer and consequently pay more taxes which translates to more revenue. A specialist in public finance, Hungerford notes that the revenue generated by an economy that has lower tax rates is often much higher than that that generated by higher tax rates (Hungerford 2012, p. 15).
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
TLC and WLC Estimation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
TLC and WLC Estimation - Research Paper Example The paper discusses the reason as to why LLC method is not included as an estimation method in the evaluation process. The paper will conclude with a summary of all the major points discussed in the paper. Total Life Cost Total Life Cycle Cost pays attention to all the costs that are incurred during the whole entire life of either a product or a service. This will include all the expenses of the product since the inception of the idea, research, and development of the product, distribution and marketing expenses f the particular product. In this case, Butler has to consider all the expenses and costs which will be incurred as a result of outsourcing the products due to the increase in demand. He needs to have done all the calculations and determine whether he option of outsourcing will be the better option and hence worth investing in (Stuart2007) . The head of the supply chain management in the company should calculate all the costs involved in the manufacturing of a single unit f t he product and present the results together with the proposal to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Whole Life Cost Whole life cost is one method of estimation that evaluates or compares building materials and building components by focusing at the lifespan f the firm, maintenance and running costs and the installation costs of the firm. The supply chain manager of Blue Jay has to take consideration of whole life Cost before submitting his proposal to the Senior Leadership Team (Abdelhalim 2007). Life Cycle Costing (LCC) In this type of estimation method, there is consideration of acquisition, operating and the disposal costs in all instances where there is evaluation of various alternatives. The supply chain manager of the company (Butler) should not consider LCC method since they have already established the firm and there is no need of establishing another firm. The LCC would only add to the costs of outsourcing and yet they not at all necessary ( Dhillon 1989). There no costs in the operating of the new firm since the operating costs under Life Cycle Costing are incurred during the actual establishment of the firm. Butler should understand that he is not to establish another firm but seek outsourcing services from another firm. The other reason as to why the LCC method of estimation is not included in the calculation is because the costs are included in Total Life costs and there is no need of repeating since they will only add on the costs of outsourcing. Calculations There is a major difference between total life cost and whole life cost whereby the Whole life cost includes all the contents of total life cost and the entire infrastructure which would support the firm, which would include the management of the firm, training and support. The two types of estimation methods are best completed and assessed by cross functional teams from both within and outside the company under consideration so that all aspects of the firm, industry or the business can be ta ken into consideration. Therefore it is necessary for the supply chain manager of the Blue Jay Manufacturing Company to constitute a committee or a team comprising members from both the company and the outsourcing firm so that they can form a cross functional team. The cross functional team would ensure that all the calculations are correct and all the costs are put into consideration so that the best decision can be made. Total Life Cost Cost Amount in $ Acquisition Costs Cost of Due
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Small-scale research project Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Small-scale research project - Outline Example However, the researcher discovered that cervical cancer screening has been available in virtually all countries as part of primary care and family planning programs. Uganda was one country that introduced preventative health screening long ago. Nevertheless, after several years, cervical cancer remains the leading cause of death due to cancer among women 15 years of age and older and the mortality rate for this disease has been increasing (WHO/ICO, 2010). Robles (2000) suggested that an explanation for the problem lie in the concept of prevention; and for many women this concept may not be fully understood. It became apparent and alarming to the researcher that the prevalence of cervical cancer in Uganda was high (WHO/ICO, 2010). As a human service professional, the researcher began to inquire about the nature of the problem in an attempt to understand the reasons why women who had accessible healthcare failed to obtain these life saving screening tests. The research studies had not looked at the issue of womens reasoning for not seeking cervical cancer screening with a qualitative eye. The purpose of this study is to provide a qualitative approach to the investigation of cervical cancer in Uganda. The phenomenological approach design will discover a Ugandan womans perspective on health and a disease that is unique to her. Cervical cancer can affect her sexuality, gender identity, fertility, and mortality. Discovering the cultural influences that motivate or deter her from seeking screening will add to the existing work already done and those yet to materialise. The ultimate goal is to broaden the possibilities of discovering methods to eradicate this disease. The main research question is, would using a qualitative study specifically employing ethnographic techniques discover the reasons why Uganda women fail to seek cervical cancer screening? The objectives of this study are: What are the health beliefs of
Monday, August 26, 2019
Employment Law Compliance Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Employment Law Compliance Plan - Essay Example Any form of business should follow the compliance laws that have been set specifically to regulate the way the customers and the clients are interacting with it (Fox, 2013). These laws are also important in stating categorically how employers ought to deal with their employees, their responsibilities and the duties that they should perform. Compliance laws are found both at the state level and in the lower levels and the businesses that are run in a given location should adhere to both. The rights of the employees are very important and the cries and pleas made to the government have made the laws to be followed stringently and the violators handled mercilessly. In the next part I will put across some of the laws that need to be considered in the handling of employees and that can lead to confrontations if not addressed well. This law states that all businesses that are formed must adhere to it. No employee should be shown any form of discrimination on the basis of his or her race, gender or color. This means that an employee that feels his rights were infringed into by the organization or the business that he is working for can forward his claim to the related authorities and a legal act taken against the employer. The three form the basis of many cases of discrimination and with their address it means that employees rights’ are safe guarded and hence improving the relations in the working environment. Abbreviated ADEA, this act states that the rights of an employee who is beyond forty years must be safe guarded. No employee should therefore be subjected to any form of discrimination whether physical or otherwise by virtue of his age. Those people who are seeking employment at their advanced ages are also amply covered by the act as it seeks a fair platform where all the people wanting to be employed can be given a chance to present their reasons why they should be employed. In many circumstances organizations
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Business Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words
Business Economics - Essay Example Wessels however points out that this does not necessarily mean that the citizens of the US have better living standard than their counterparts in the UK. (21). GDP therefore cannot be used as the sole factor in measuring the living standards of the citizens of a country. However chances are that a country with a high GDP has a better standard of living than that with a low GDP. So what encompasses GDP' Well there are a number of components which when added together make up the GDP of a country. According to Sowell, they include Consumption which is denoted by letter C, Investment which is denoted by letter I, spending by government and finally exports and imports denoted by letter X and M respectively. Consumption refers to all the money spent by citizens of a country in buying goods and services which they expect will satisfy their needs. This includes money spent on food, purchase of new clothes as well as entertainment. (50-51) Sowell further notes that spending by the government is another component of the GDP. For example the UK government spends money to buy new military equipment and also pay its workers. (70).This expenditure is also part of the country's GDP. Investments into an economy are also used in calculation of the Gross Domestic Product. ... To get the accurate value of GDP economist add the value of all goods produced in a country and then subtract the value of all goods which are imported. The total components of GDP is expressed mathematically as Y=C+I+G+(X-M). (Sowell 80-81) Wessels notes that measuring GDP is critical if economists are to determine the rate of growth of an economy. "In measuring GDP economists use two major methods, the expenditure method and the income approach". (qtd.in Wessels 71). The expenditure approach involves adding the total amount of money spent on final goods. In this case, GDP equals C+I+G+ (NX) where NX represents gross exports. The income approach involves adding all the income received by citizens of a country either through compensation, income from rental property, and profits of corporate organizations. Mathematically this can be expressed as GDP= Employee Compensation+Rental Income+Corporate Profits+Net Interest+Proprietor profits. UK GDP Figure for the year 2009 The GDP of the UK is estimated to be worth '315.5billion. What does this mean' The figure indicated above means that the total value of all goods produced in the UK in the 2008 to 2009 financial year amounts to '315.5 billion. This makes it the sixth largest economy in the world and third largest in Europe. How well did the GDP grow in 2009' In measuring the GDP of an economy, economists divide a given year into quarters. The growth of the economy in each quarter is measured and then a comparison is made with the previous quarter so as to note the difference which constitutes actual growth.(Wessels 55). For instance in the UK economy, GDP fell by 0.4% in the third quarter of 2009. In the second quarter of the same year GDP declined by a value of 0.6%. In
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3
Financial Management - Essay Example With this rule, both projects qualify as good projects, although the pulley project has a higher value. The rule for the internal rate of return states that a given project should only be accepted if the project’s IRR is greater than or equal to the firm’s cost of capital. The firm’s cost of capital is 14%, in which case the truck project yields an IRR of 15%, it is to be accepted; the pulley project’s IRR is also higher than the firm’s cost of capital at 20%. The flaw with using IRR is that the rate of growth of cash flows is assumed to be the IRR’s. By using the modified IRR or MIRR, the rate of growth of cash flows or the so-called reinvestment rate is the cost of capital, or cost of funding the investment instead of the IRR. The rule for accepting a project based on MIRR is same as the IRR, that is, if MIRR is greater than or equal to the firm’s cost of capital, it should be accepted. Otherwise, it should be rejected as it will not contribute additional value to the firm. By using 14% as the finance rate and reinvestment rate, we get MIRR for the truck project as 14.5%--higher than the cost of capital, therefore it is to be accepted. With the pulley project, the MIRR is 17%, also higher than the cost of capital so the project should also be accepted. Davis Industries must choose between a gas-powered and an electric-powered forklift truck for moving materials in its factory. Since both forklifts perform the same function, the firm will choose only one. (They are mutually exclusive investments.) The electric-powered truck will cost more, but it will be less expensive to operate; it will cost $22,000, whereas the gas powered truck will cost $17,500. The cost of capital that applies to both investments is 12%. The life for both types of truck is estimated to be 6 years, during which time the net cash flows for the electric-powered truck will be $6,290 per
Friday, August 23, 2019
Discuss the relationship between nationalist and anti-nationalist Essay
Discuss the relationship between nationalist and anti-nationalist memories - Essay Example of historians, journalists, and demagogues, NGOs’ ad statesmen in invoking the past in a selective or all inclusive manner is indeed crucial in shaping the public discourse over what the past means. Since the topic of the paper is about exploring the connections between nationalist and antinationalist memories, this introduction is to set the context for the paper by alluding to the myriad ways in which the past can both be a source of inspiration as well as a source of conflict. Hence, memories can be nationalistic for a sect or ethnic group and the same memories can be antinationalistic for another sect or ethnic group. It is only when the shared memories lend themselves to commonality and objective interpretation can there being true peace in the world (Wimmer, 28). The Balkans is often cited by researchers for the prevalence of memories that are nationalistic and antinationalistic. The reason for choosing the Balkans by these researchers can be fathomed from the fact that the Balkans was a place where there were instances of the collective memory of a shared experience giving way to fractious and fissiparous memories mainly due to the internecine civil strife that plagued the region in the 1990’s. The Balkans and the various ethnicities present there are representative of the way in which fragmented memories often take hold when a nation composed of different ethnicities and bound together by slender threads of commonalities give way to strife when the threads cannot hold any more. The way in which some citizens of the erstwhile Yugoslavia remember fondly the times under Tito and the others speak optimistically about the future are emblematic of the memory tricks that the mind can play on people who had a shared past but are now living in divided and fragmented ways (Todorova, 13). Similar is the case with the Partition of India following the exit of the British from Imperial India following World War Two. Once the British departed, there was an outbreak
WASSENAAR ARRANGEMENT ON EXPORT CONTROLS FOR CONVENTIONAL ARMS AND Essay
WASSENAAR ARRANGEMENT ON EXPORT CONTROLS FOR CONVENTIONAL ARMS AND DUAL-USE GOODS AND TECHNOLOGIES - Essay Example This regime must define the tools under control through identifying software characteristics that are malicious and placing them to export controls (Granick & Fidler 2014, p.1). It has 41 states, and each state implements its arrangement separately. Legally it is not binding and is not a treaty. Some sellers would be required to obtain licenses if implemented in United States. It will bring controls on IP network surveillance systems and intrusion. Software intrusion includes a wide range of used and legitimately traded network security tools. What the provision of IP network surveillance means to vendors over information exercise control inflow and outflow in this network system (Granick & Fidler 2014, p.2). The limitation of the languages is that it is designed to avoid security features on a device. Software exports also have debate issues on how to regulate computers vulnerabilities in the market and encryption export controls. Application of software intrusion is on military weapons and knowledge exchange. Weaknesses of Wassenaar arrangement is that some defectors are allowed to access opportunities due to lack of implementation and the black market an d software are easily transferable (Granick & Fidler 2014, p.3). In conclusion, the aim of Wassenaar is to report members exporting information and destabilizing accumulations of technologies and dual-use items. There is the need for clarity of this changes and objections as countries start implementing them. Clarity will enhance sustainability of these
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Walkers presentation of Sofia and Harpo Essay Example for Free
Walkers presentation of Sofia and Harpo Essay Alice walker uses a variety of techniques to present the characters of Sofia and Harpo during page 60 of The Color Purple. I will be exploring a number of lexical, grammatical and phonological choices, as well as other techniques, in the order they appear in the letter and will be discussing how these can lead to the development of attitudes and values. The introduction to the Sofia and Harpo relationship shows the reversal of the fixed stereotype perpetuated by other couples in the novel that a man should lead and a woman should follow. Previous letters depict Harpo as the feminine, subservient man, crying like his heart gon break. While Sofia is much the dominant figure in the way she is marching like going to war. In not conforming to the basic male-female stereotypes we see Sofia working on the roof while Harpo is happy to hold the baby and give it a kiss. However, once Harpo sees that he is losing face he begins to eat gluttonously as he believes that physical strength leads to power. Although this gluttony could in fact be comfort eating and so is associated with his feminine image. Harpos need for control then extends to the bedroom, where Sofia says once he git on top of me I think bout how thats where he always want to be. The situation here as well as the previously accumulating tensions has led Sofia to believe that she need a vacation. Walker states that Sofias sisters are all big strong healthy girls, the words big and strong both have very powerful connotations. The two words are used very commonly and are short and simple; this reflects the simplicity of the sisters in terms of erudition but the physical power in terms of strength and dominance. Both words are mono-syllabic and consonance on the g sound differs between the two words. The word big is a very short sounding word and also has connotations for pregnancy and reflects how Sofias sisters can face what life has thrown at them in terms of relationships. The word strong, however, has a continuous sound created by the nasal sound on the n. This sound portrays an image of continuing struggle to be a woman. Walker compares the attributes of the sisters to that of amazons, a tribe of women warriors; reflecting how Sofias sisters are striving to turn around the appearance of women as being the inferior race. An image is created of the sisters appearing to rescue Sofia from the grasps of an evil husband named Harpo. Even though Sofia is in fact similar to her sisters in terms of physical appearance, she lacks emotional strength to tackle the problem of Harpo, as deep down she still loves him. Sofia needs to be given strength from the rest of her family to eventually gather enough courage to leave.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Definition Nature And The Humanities
Definition Nature And The Humanities Nature is the vague and elusive subject of millennia of thought. It is the tangible self evident life found in both backyards and expansive forests. Nature is a container for and of life, created but uncreatable. It is thought by some to be the creation of deliberate intention but which is unable to be created by human efforts. Of all the elusive traits attributable to this vague object of thought, an important concept may be found behind all of the endless contradictions Nature so fervently thrusts upon its observers: Nature itself may actually be a symbol for something greater which poets and authors have alluded to. The nature of Nature is living. Many descriptions can be attached but dead, lifeless, empty, exanimate are not among them. Often those words are readily employed to describe a place where Nature once was found but no longer resides. Reflecting the ever apparent principle of duality Nature exhibits its closeness to Divinity by being both the most accepting and the most rejecting of forces. Nature will accept any outcast and might very well be so rejecting as to kill anything that dares step into the expansive realm it dominates. Many inhabitants live in the home Nature creates but those creatures only reflect what Nature has given them: life. Yet the recipients are not Nature. Nothing in it can be taken and said to be Nature itself but without the creatures which inhabit it, Nature ceases to live. The closer an object tends to be to the source of life of all that is living, the more it is subject to symbolic attribution. It becomes an archetype. In addition Nature is nebulous, which compounds the capacity for symbolic usage. And the authors who grasp this concept are only able to describe it in a nebulous manner, as they see it. The preceding three cardinal examples lead up to the concluding example of why Nature is so conducive to symbolic attributions. There is a cornerstone reason, more important than all the others as to why Nature holds so much meaning to humans, without which nothing else would matter in our understanding. It is a truth everyone knows but few truly know. This apparent self contradiction so characteristic of Nature gives another hint at what it is. If a person looking for red on a rainbow has found yellow then orange, red is not far off. This leads to the conclusion Nature is an objectively real, living entity given life by its observers. Nature is living but apparently not conscious. Nature is objectively real but cannot maintain its separate existence without the life given to it by both its observers and inhabitants. Nature gives life to everything without which nothing would have life. These truths lead to understanding Nature is alive but might only have a collective unconscious for a mind. Depending on the readers beliefs this may be due to the Creator of life not giving a single physical holding place for consciousness to function. Or it may be because Nature has not evolved enough to have developed an unconscious, let alone a conscious mind. But there may be a more sublime possibility, one which helps explain its symbolic and powerful nature. Nature might be cognisant at the self conscious level of awareness but at a scale unobservable by humans, similar to how cells in a brain exhibit many characteristics of Nature but at a much smaller scale. This is a practical reason, as opposed to the more nebulous reasoning it might at first seem to be. Nature might be too big to be within the human realm of comprehension. And humans might be so small they are outside of Natures ability to grasp. Cells live and die, form into individual types and perform individual functions, attack and defend themselves from other cells, eat and breathe. If the cells veer too far into the expanse of the body they might die from conditions harsh compared to where it was formed. At this time so much space is allotted to the universe as to render numbers hardly meaningful in relation to it, allowing instead only the ruthless application of an equally incomprehensible symbol: the infinite. Beyond the realm of both human comprehension and mathematics, N atures awareness might be found in the infinite. With archaic properties as powerful as these it is no surprise Nature is a strong a hook for symbolism. Still, Nature might only be a symbol for something greater than itself, something that holds the true properties which Nature can only symbolize. Authors who write on the subject seem to allude to not only Nature itself but the power behind it. This seems to refer to a God or Creator. Or it may be a divinity from the complete composition of everything. Authors do not write in consensus of a single Creator but do seem to agree that there is something behind Nature. Not so much religious as spiritual, these writers lead the reader to the conclusion there is a force there. It is a force that Nature is both symbolic and reflective of. Similar attributions can be derived from both this Great Spirit and Nature: living, powerful, dangerous, accepting, and rejecting. Nature may also at the same time, independent of spiritual symbolism, be a symbol of the self. People may go into Nature to reconnect to themselves. We might go to Nature to recharge and get away from artificial lifestyles. To project characteristics of the self onto a hook in psychology is called projecting. This allows for us to hook our own characteristics onto something that is outside us. So Nature could be either a powerful subjective hook which is similar to us in many ways or it might actually posses those traits. Either could be true or both at the same time and still lead people to seek out themselves in Nature as they have always done. Nature dominates. It is a force to challenge the self, allowing for outside experiences representative of internal workings. It waits to dominate or be dominated. Ironically and again consistent in its self contradictory nature, the dominator is waiting for domination. Either created or evolved, Nature remains a battleground to test the self against. It is a force to give meaning to the ability of anyone who puts themselves in its way. To survive a tornado, earthquake or even a night in a tent after roasting marshmallows at a cozy campfire with friends is a symbolic victory of the self over Nature. Nature fulfills a part of the soul which needs to dominate. By accepting this challenge and leaving a much safer civilized city, even for a short period, can give renewed vitality and meaning to life, if you survive. The symbolism of Nature is too expansive to be reduced to a definition any paper is able to give but applied and reasonable thought leads to both some comprehension of Nature and of the divinity it may be a symbol of. People who go to Nature to find themselves will. And people who turn to Nature as a place to recharge their lives with meaning and power will succeed. As long as life exists so will Nature. Although Nature may be damaged by human pollution or other non human events, Nature will live as long as life itself exists. A symbol for life, God and each every individual, it remains a powerful subject for authors, poets and others who have always and will rightfully continue to attribute those symbolic characteristics to Nature.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Development of a Retail Leader: Wal-Mart
Development of a Retail Leader: Wal-Mart One of the known industries all over the world is Wal-Mart. Wal-mart is considered as a retail giant due to the companys successful business over the years. With good management practices and unique marketing strategies, Wal-Mart was able to operate successfully not only in the United States but also in international market (Hayden et al, 2002).  Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. was first established and founded by Sam Walton at Rogers, Arkansas in 1962. The business growth of the retail store was momentous that within a span of seventeen years in operation, Wal-Mart had already topped annual sales at one billion US dollars. By the end of January in 2002, Wal-Mart has been recognized as the largest retailer in the world a sales record of 218 billion US dollars. With this huge and continuous development, it is no wonder the retail store was able to operate at the global level. The global operation of Wal-Mart was marked by the establishment of its first international store in 1991 at Mex ico City (Govindarajan Gupta, 2001). Through its international reach, an estimate of one hundred million customers are said to visit a Wal-Mart store found somewhere in the world. A total of 1.3 million associates worldwide are employed by the company and are distributed within its 3,200 stores in the United States as well at over a thousand other stores in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Puerto Rico, China, Germany, Korea and in the United Kingdom (Govindarajan Gupta, 2001). The retail stores of Wal-Mart are operated in different formats worldwide. In general, the business is divided into three main segments: Wal-Mart Stores, Sams Club and International Stores. The Wal-Mart stores are further subdivided into Discount Stores, Supercenters and Neighbourhood Markets. Sams Club on the other hand, is a business segment that consists of membership warehouse clubs. According to the New York Stock Exchange (2005), Wal-Mart Stores operates about 1,478 Discount Stores, 1,471 Supercenters, 538 Sams Club and 64 Neighbourhood Markets within the United States as of January 31, 2004. In addition to this huge local operation, Wal-Mart and its international segment conducts retail operation within eight countries and Puerto Rico. Wal-Marts international segment is made into several formats, which include retail stores, restaurants, discount stores, Sams Club and Supercenters. Aside from these operations, Wal-Mart also owns a 37.8% unconsolidated minority interest in one of Japans retailers, The Seiyu, Ltd. (New York Stock Exchange, 2005). Strategic marketing Management Techniques of Walmart Wal-Mart dominates the American retailing industry due to number of factors like its business model which is still a mystery and its effectiveness in not letting the rivals let know about the weaknesses. Wal-Mart made strategic attempts in the its formulation to dominate the retail market where it has its presence, growth by expansion in the US and Internationally, create widespread name recognition and customer satisfaction in relation to brand name Wal-Mart and branching into new sectors of retailing. It is learnt that Wal-Mart strives on three generic strategies consisting of Focus Strategy, the Differentiation Strategy and overall cost leadership. Managers strive hard to make their organizations unique, distinctive and identify key success factors that will drive the customers to buy their products.Thus, firm specific resources and capabilities are crucial in explaining the firms performance. The Resource Based View (RBV) explains competitive heterogeneity based on the premise that close competitors differ in their resources and capabilities in important and durable ways. The companys capability can be found through its functionality, reliable performance, like Wal-Mart superior logistics. (Helfat, 2002) Wal-Mart has firm infrastructure, well equipped in human resource with management professionals and technologically too. Any organizations thrive hard to be successful for which it needs to have better resources and superior capabilities. Wal-Mart has strong RBV with economically and financially very strong enough to stand still in the time of crisis. Pereira states that dominating the retail market is its key strategy. Wal-Mart operates on low price strategy which is operated as every day low prices (EDLP) which builds trust among the customers.(Brunn, 2006)The strategy lies in purchasing the goods at lower prices and selling the goods to customer at much lower prices, cutting the price as far as possible and increasing the profit by increasing the number of sales. This ferociously increases the competition in the market and Wal-Mart competes with all its competitors till it is dominant it the market. Wal-Mart is expanding seriously and rapidly which is also its strategic goal. Wal-Mart employs over 1.3 associates, owns over 4000 stores out of which 3000 are in US and serves around 100 million customers weekly. Wal-Mart has acquired many international stores and merged with some super stores like ASDA in UK. Wal-Mart far flung network of retail outlets has ensured that Wal-Mart interacts with and has impact on virtually every locality within US. (Helfat, 2002) The expanded strategy has led the hunger of Wal-Mart to many European Countries. It is learnt that three countries with no Wal-Mart stores became part of corporations international presence wherein the domestic retail chains were taken over by Wal-Mart including 122 Woolco stores in Canada, 21 Wertkauf stores in Germany and 229 ASDA units in United Kingdom. The takeover strategy by Wal-Mart keeps the company at forefront when entering into the new market and the number of competitors is also minimized. The st rategies have helped the Wal-Mart to rein in number one position in international countries making it the largest retailer in the world. It is seen that Wal-Mart has significantly the Porters five force model wherein through proper strategic planning and strategic implementation has led to removal of barrier entry, rivalry from competitors and pricing norms. In regard to substitutes, Wal-Mart in order to achieve its aim of customer satisfaction has selling goods under its own legal brand.  Wal-Marts big box phenomenon has changed the retailing industry in the United States which is often considered as discount stores and makes profit through high volume of purchases and low markup on profits.(Parnell, 2008)Wal-Mart with its low cost and ever expanding strategy has made a dramatic impact since 1962 when Sam Walton first started his business. With this strategy, Wal-Mart has now over 4000 stores and outlets in US and other countries through acquisition and mergers. Marketing Performance management Marketing performance management (MPM) is a term used by marketing professionals to describe the analysis and improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of marketing. This is accomplished by focus on the alignment of marketing activities, strategies, and metrics with business goals.[2] It involves the creation of a metrics framework to monitor marketing performance, and then develop and utilize marketing dashboards to manage marketing performance.[3] This strategy is used by several companies such as IBM, Intel, and Citrix.[3][4][5] Performance management is one of the key processes applied to business operations such as manufacturing, logistics, and product development. The goals of performance management are to achieve key outcomes and objectives to optimize individual, group, or organizational performance. MPM however, is more specific. It focuses on measuring, managing, and analyzing marketing performance to maximize effectiveness and optimize the return of investment (ROI) of marketing.[6] Three elements play a critical role in managing marketing performance-data, analytics, and metrics. Conclusion Walmart has done a lot in the past in order to secure its position as a retail market leader. These include offering low prices, offering good customer service and constant innovation. However, lately the company has grappled with low customer traffic. Market saturation in the middle income market segment, poor international performance and bad public relations as a result of their employee practices. The company should adopt the following strategies in order to ensure future growth; adopt penetrative strategies international markets, introduce good product packages for products favored by affluent clients and improve health insurance plans within the company. These will go a long way in sustaining the companys positions as the USs retail leader. And as the animosity against Wal-Mart becomes more widespread, here and in foreign countries, Wal-Mart is going to have to work harder to maintain their good reputation.Wal-Marts foundation will become increasingly more important for giving things back to the community. In order for Wal-Mart to stay at the top of their game and follow the company strategy and achieve their key policy goals, they are going to have deal better with their stakeholders and make sure they guard their reputation well.
Monday, August 19, 2019
Teaching Philosophy Statement Essays -- Education Educational Educatin
Teaching Philosophy Statement Do you have a philosophy on education? I do. What I want to discuss is my personal view of education. I’m going to talk about the nature of students. I am going to talk about the nature of knowledge and whether or not it is absolute or relative. The purpose of education, the method, and the curriculum will be discussed also. We are going to look at some of my philosophical views on education and my professional development plans. When I am through you will have my philosophy of education paper. First we will look at my view on the nature of students. Like Rousseau, I believe that students are influenced by their environment. Children indeed imitate what they see or experience. I think a positive environment is crucial to a child’s learning. When kids see negative things they imitate negative things. When kids see positive things they imitate positive things. I believe there has to be a balance between both negative and positive influences. Not being in a perfect world, children are often exposed to negative influences. Rousseau took some of his students into the country away from the evils of society to teach them. When analyzing knowledge, one must ponder whether knowledge is relative or absolute. Rousseau thought that students should learn to think for themselves. I agree. They must think. Memorization is fine, however they need to be able to apply their knowledge. Students require knowledge in different ways. While some students may listen well, other students may need to see examples. It is important that the students retain the knowledge. They need correct instruction from teachers. Ultimately, the purpose of edu... ... a lot of professional development plans. I would prefer to start teaching in high school and maybe work by way up to college. I would like to be a well-rounded teacher that is respected and understood. I will probably get a job teaching and then work by way up through a couple of different degrees. I really do not want to further my education after graduation but if I have to I will. I will get more money if I do which is important. As far as professional groups go, I am undecided, I do not really know a lot although as I go through the education system I may find one that interests me. Alright, I have talked about the nature of students as well as the nature of knowledge. The purpose of education and the methods of education have been discussed as well as my curriculum. I have expressed my philosophical views and my professional development
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Politics in the Music of Green Day Essay -- Political Music Essays Pap
Politics in Music Every day we live our lives exercising the right of freedom of expression. In our country, everyone is entitled to his/her own opinions and are allowed to express those opinions freely and openly except in different circumstances where the state determines when (if) a limitation of this freedom is necessary. What happens when this threshold is breached? How has the freedom of expression affected the music industry? How has this all affected society? Green Day is punk rock musical trio from California that features Billie Joe Armstrong on guitar and lead vocals, Mike Dirnt on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Trà © Cool on the drums. Green Day is widely credited, along with fellow California bands The Offspring and Rancid, with reviving mainstream interest in and popularizing punk rock in the United States during the mid 1990s. The band has sold over 30 million albums in the United States, and over 63.5 million records worldwide, â€Å"making them the most successful punk band of all time†(Bruen, par. 4). Green Day currently has three Grammy Awards under their belt including Best Alternative Album for Dookie, Best Rock Album for American Idiot, and Record of the Year for their single â€Å"Boulevard of Broken Dreams.†They are also second to the Red Hot Chili Peppers for the most number-ones on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks with eight, and most collective weeks at number one on the Modern Rock Tracks wi th 39. â€Å"American Idiot is a 57 minute politically charged epic depicting a character named Jesus of Suburbia as he suffers through the decline and fall of the American Dream†(Moss, par. 2). The album cover for American Idiot, which is pictured above, illustrates a transparent hand snatching a blood-dripping gr... ...y mixes punk and politics.†TheDailyCampus.com 23 September 2004. 15 October 2006. /storage/paper340/news/2004/09/23/Focus/Green.Day.Mixes.Punk.And.Politics-728545.shtml?norewrite200610291921&sourcedomain=www.dailycampus.com> Malakian, Daron Vartan. â€Å"B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bombs).†Mezmorize. Colombia, 2005. Mattingly, David. â€Å"Dixie Chicks begin tour amid controversy.†CNN.Com/Entertainment 1 May 2003. 15 October 2006. 01/dixie.chicks.tour/index.html> Moss, Corey. â€Å"Why Idiot Was The Smart Move For Green Day.†VH1.COM 01 October 2004. 15 October 2006. green_day.jhtml> Tyrangiel, Josh. â€Å"In the Line of Fire.†Time.com 21 May 2006. 15 October 2006.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Eurocentrism Essay
Eurocentrism can be defined as the idea that the Roman and Greek cultures gave rise to the modern explosion of ideas and learning. Within this idea is contained the notion that the origins of Greek culture lie strictly within the borders of what is currently considered Western Europe, making the ancestors of Western Europeans responsible for all the progress of the modern world (Dussel, 465). This idea is considered by modern historians to be false and based not on factual accounts but rather on the distortion of history by colonizers (Blaut, 10). This distortion of history is based on the Inside-Outside or Center-Periphery models of civilization which pinpoint an area of the world as the peak of civilization, and the areas outside of it as barbaric. This model depicts Greater Europe as the insider area which contained the civilized culture, and it posits a gradual diffusion of that culture to the other parts of the world surrounding it. Yet this model presents an erroneous view of the world’s process of civilization. The ideas that are based on the models above tend to identify Europe on the one hand as being civilized and making strides in scientific and technological advancement. On the other hand, this view places the world outside of Europe in a position of stagnancy, with knowledge remaining static unless ideas were learned from Europe. This idea also gives rise to an ethnocentric idea of â€Å"European†intellectualism as being the reason for the centralization of knowledge within that area. It also gives rise to the antipathetic idea of non-West European culture as necessarily consisting of inferior ideas which might be described as â€Å"savage, atavistic, uncivilized [and] evil†(Blaut, 16). The truth is very different, however, as the Greek and Roman cultures that contributed to the â€Å"civilization†of Europe must give attribution for its ideas to a wide array of cultural influences whose origins span areas as far as Africa and Asia (Dussel, 465-468). According to Dussel, Europe cannot claim Greece as a part of its earliest origins. Furthermore, during the height of Greek cultural dominance, awareness existed in the Greek world of the progressive nature of the Egyptian (African) and Turkish (Asian) civilizations (Dussel, 465; Yurco, 1). Yet, while this Greek center civilization was aware of the existence of civilized Africans and Asians, their knowledge of what is now Modern Europe was minimal and the area considered to be populated by â€Å"the uncivilized, the non-political and the non-human†(465). The idea that Greece bequeathed civilization to Rome and to Europe is false. Rather, a dichotomy existed between the Latin (West) and Greek (East) cultures, and this configuration did not include a strict conception of Europe. The Greek culture was dominated in classical times as much by the Arab (Muslim) culture as it was by the Byzantine (Christian) culture. Therefore, the Aristotelian basis of civilization was historically strongly connected to the Middle Eastern and even Asian (Turk) civilizations (466). What actually occurred to lead to the development of civilization in Europe is based on an interplay of cultures from all over the continents of Africa and Eurasia. Such thinkers as Thomas Aquinas and Albertus Magnus relied heavily on the ideas that came from the Turkish-derived Aristotelian ideas (Dussel, 466). The ideas generated by Aristotle were actually studied in what is now modern-day Iraq (Baghdad) before Aquinas became exposed to them. Indeed, Aquinas’ exposure came only after the Muslims in Spain translated these works into the Latin vernacular. The arrival of these works in Paris during the late 1100s B. C. marks the initial period in which differentiation occurs between Europe and Africa/Asia (466). The Crusades, which followed during this era, therefore may be seen as the first attempt made by Europe to become dominant in the newly differentiated territories of Africa and the Eastâ€â€and these campaigns might be considered failures (466). Eurocentric ideas concerning the Old World can therefore be seen to be a myth based on the colonially driven histories that have been passed down in the recent past. The failure of the Crusades might be seen as a way in which Europe itself was kept out of the civilization encompassed by the Turkish and Muslim regions, which spread their dominance from Morocco to India and even to the Philippine island of Mindanao. Even the Roman Empire, which dominated Europe for centuries, never penetrated to become the center of civilization in the African and Asian worlds (Dussel, 466). Before this time, the only empire that came close to being dominant and of Eurasian origin are the Hellenistic empires. Yet these empires are not one and the same as Europe, and never gained as large a dominance as the Muslims had after them (467). In contrast to the Eurocentric model of civilization is the strong Turkish (Muslim) civilizationâ€â€historically represented by the term â€Å"Asia†(Blaut, 20). This area, which later became known as the Ottoman Empire, was dominant within its region. It even began conquering territory into south-eastern Europe, and this idea falsifies the theory of all civilization issuing from Europe. Even in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, European presence in the African and Asian continents was merely a matter of trade rather than dominance. The idea of a Eurocentric world actually found root only during the nineteenth century when colonization occurred in areas of the Old World (India, Asia, African and China). During this period, the multifaceted Greek culture was adopted and re-classified as European. The Greek culture is then identified with that of the Romans and then the two are placed at the center of the world’s historical civilization. It is at this point that Europe is able to emerge as the world’s intellectual benefactor. However, the fact that at this point no united â€Å"world history†existed and their location made it impossible for them to be central in providing for the surrounding territories an impetus toward civilization (468). Colonization in the nineteenth century can be seen as the chief mechanism through which Eurocentrism has been able to become dominant in global thinking. In order to maintain the colonial thrust, European colonizers were prompted to create ideologies that support the dominance that European countries had gained in their respective colonies. Religious, social, and scientific ideas that were spawned during that time gave rise to the Eurocentric ideas that are extant even in modernity. According to Blaut, â€Å"A [Christian] missionary might have great love and respect for the people among whom he or she worked, but could not be expected to believe that the culture and mind of these non-Christians was on par with that of Christian Europeans†(24). The social and legal theories being fashioned at the time were created by those who were in charge of making the policies that the theories should support. Therefore, intellectual history became biased in its outlook regarding the comparative worth of the cultures that stand alongside the European culture. However, in the disciplines of economics and anthropology ideas and truths were discovered which did not fit well with the tendency toward Eurocentrism. Such ideas as equilibrium and stasis developed in Keynesian economics. In geography, stasis was found to be a natural occurrence in regionalism. Theories of equilibrium and stability were embodied in such anthropological ideas as functionalism, while cultural relativism â€Å"declared in essence that each culture has intrinsic worth†(Blaut, 27). However, within the discipline of Anthropology, political motives can be found for publicizing the fact of cultural relativism, though tempered with a Eurocentric overtone. The notion of the intrinsic worth of the culture would have the effect of discouraging unrest, while the Eurocentric overtones would have the complementary effect of evoking gratitude in the heart of the colonists toward the colonizers (27). Overall, however, colonial indoctrination has been characterized by a teleological view of the West’s advancement, which is responsible for the benefits accorded Latin American, Asian, and African nations. Many other cultures outside of Europe experienced great progress and civilization throughout history. Yet, the result of inattention to the civilization status of Europe and other regions at other time periods has given rise to contemporary confusion surrounding these cultures. One such problem can be found in the misunderstood racial composition of Egyptians. In fact, the analysis of the racial composition of the Egyptian royalty gives credence to the idea that multiculturalism existed in the Egyptian civilizations of the past. Peoples from lands traditionally connected with Europe became traders and settlers in Egyptâ€â€and this underscores the centrality of this civilization during the ancient times. Such centrality naturally rebuts the idea behind Eurocentrism. However, the fact that interbreeding led to the Europeanized features of many of the Egyptian drawings and mummies has helped fuel the myth that European cultures played all the dominant roles in the civilizations of the past (Yurco, 2). Eurocentrism involves the idea that civilization was generated from a European center and somehow diffused to the other areas of the world. This idea finds its strength in the recent dominance that Europeans have had in the several continents of the world. Colonialism needed justification, and the method by which this was done involved the creation of ideas and systems that placed Europeans at the forefront of history. It involved the Europeanization of the Greek cultures and the oversimplification of the factors leading up to the current socio-political state of the world. Furthermore, the fact that world history has been written down and propagated mainly during the period European dominance has facilitated the Eurocentrism that can now be seen in the historical understanding of the world.
Critical Lense Essay
Critical Lens Essay â€Å"Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul†says Lord Henry, in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. This quote essentially describes that one’s mind can only be purified through one’s awareness of one’s surroundings and actions. It also shows that one can only view the world with an open-mind if one’s soul is purified. Purification is the innocence of one’s soul, and the goodness of it. This idea is expressed in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, when Dorian Gray writes Sibyl Vane a letter proposing to marry her.This idea is also seen in Lord of the Flies by William Golding when Ralph and the other boys stranded on the island are found by an English trooper. Firstly, when Ralph and the other boys finally adapt to their environment of the deserted island and work together toward being saved, they start to purify their soul because the boys learn from their horrific actions on the island. For example, Piggy and Simon were two boys who were killed by the other boys. â€Å"Ralph launched himself like a cat; stabbed, snarling, with the spear, and the savage doubled up. This quote shows how Ralph acted like a monster, the use of alliteration increasing the intensity for the irrational behavior. Because of their rowdy behavior, the boys learned how the deserted island had influenced them to morph from proper English boys to cruel animals. The boys finally realize what the environment of the deserted island has turned them into and can see what their good deed of working together has done for them–being found by the English trooper and saved from becoming any more uncivilized.The boys were once blinded by the idea of survival but once they were found this idea soon disappeared because of the goodness in their Therefore the boys’ senses were cured by their souls and because the boys became aware of their surroundings, th eir souls in turn become pure. Finally, when Dorian Gray tells Sibyl Vane that he does not love her anymore because of her terrible acting one night in a play, Sibyl Vane becomes heart-broken. Dorian contemplates his thoughts once he returns home and decides that what he did to her was wrong, and he writes a letter to her asking her to marry him.Dorian was acting selfishly before, not realizing what he had said to Sibyl and its dramatic effect it has on her. â€Å"What are you now? A third-rate actress with a pretty face†were his words to her, harsh and like a slap in the face if you. This dramatic monologue shows the cruelty in Dorian’s actions toward Sibyl and how they made him feel guilty later on. When Dorian writes the letter, he purifies his soul because he learns that what he did to Sibyl was wrong and that he should try to amend his mistakes.This good action causes Dorian’s soul to be cured because his senses push him to learn from his faults. If Dorian did not learn from his mistake, he would not care about what Sibyl would be going through, and therefore his soul would still be tarnished. Because of his senses, Dorian realizes his blunder and tries to fix it, in turn making him pure and noble. Ultimately, both Dorian Gray from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and the stranded boys from Lord of the Flies by William Golding were curing their souls by their senses and curing their senses by their souls.This idea in theory seems to be one with flaws, but as one can realize now, one’s mind is something that needs to be cleansed of, and removed of sin in order to think properly and sanely. This can only be done through understanding one’s environment and one’s actions. Without sanity, one has no way of having a purely good soul. It is a part of human nature to act radical, but what is also part of human nature is to accept one’s mistakes and attempt to reform them.
Friday, August 16, 2019
How Does Shakespeare Present the Theme of Love in Romeo and Juliet
Sexual love is used in this play as comic relief between the serious parts, as an ice-breaker and to keep the audience entertained. Shakespeare included sexual love in this play because at the time, the audience for whom he’d be performing wouldn’t be very educated and including this would grab their attention straight away Sexual love is the first type of love displayed in this play. You meet two Capulet servants, Sampson and Gregory in the first scene. They are talking about women as sexual objects and nothing more. Sampson is talking about how he will ‘be cruel with the maids’ once he has taken care of the men, and how he ‘will cut off’ their ‘maidenheads’. He is talking about raping the wives of the men he has killed, referring to their virginities as their heads. He is also very generous about himself, suggesting that his penis is â€Å"a pretty piece of flesh’ and that women will be able to feel him while he is ‘able to stand’, meaning that he’s having an erection against the women. This is very sexual because to feel a man’s erection, you have to be very close to him and he has to be practically grinding against you, and be turned on by you. While they only see women as objects of lust, sexual love is not only relatable to men; women can be just as sexually-minded. In this play, Shakespeare does have a lot of sexual-orientated characters but one of the most amusing ones is possibly Juliet’s nurse. She finds a way to make everything she says sound suggestive when most people wouldn’t be able to. She may get it from her late husband, who was just as inappropriate as her, telling a three year old that she ‘will fall backwards when thou hast more wit’ which basically translates to him telling her that when she gets older she’ll know to lie backwards so a man can lie on top of her, which is completely senseless to say to a child. On the other hand, it is more likely Nurse was just always like that. Nurse seems to think that the only important thing to consider in a marriage is sex, saying that Juliet should ‘seek happy nights to happy days’ as if a good sex life is the key to having a happy marriage. She also has the skill to twist things that seem perfectly innocent into a sexual innuendo. Nurse also says that ‘women grow by men’ which is a double entendre of that women grow in status when they marry the right men, but Nurse is saying that they also grow pregnant and sex is a very important factor in a good and healthy marriage. Romeo and Mercutio also have the tendency to be sexually minded. Mercutio refers to Rosaline, the girl Romeo thinks he’s in love with as ‘medlar’, a rude way to refer to a woman’s or a man’s sexual anatomy and he also talks about Romeo as if he was ‘a poperin pear’ which is a pear shaped like a penis. Mercutio is very crude and sexual throughout this entire speech. Romeo, while you don’t see him being sexually orientated throughout the book, does have his moments away from the spiritual plains of love. He sneaks out to meet Juliet and is hoping that ‘her vestal livery is but sick and green’ and that she should ‘cast it off’ because ‘none but fools do wear it’. By saying this, he’s implying that he hopes she will not remain a virgin because he wants to marry her and have sex with her. While this isn’t quite as bad as the long speeches that Nurse and Mercutio make, it is still slightly sexual which shows that even people as spiritually inclined as Romeo can be orientated this way. Surprisingly, Juliet also has her moments even though she is very young. When Juliet is about to leave Romeo, Romeo inquires whether she will really leave him ‘so unsatisfied’. Not realising that he’s merely talking about keeping her forever through the gift of marriage, and thinking he’s asking her if she’ll really leave him without having sex, she immediately asks ‘what satisfaction canst thou have tonight’. She immediately jumps to the conclusion that he was asking for sex before even considering the other options. Shakespeare includes this because it shows that anyone can have sexual thoughts about another, even someone like Juliet who appears to be so innocent and young. Sexual love, while present throughout the play is not the only love explored by Shakespeare in ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Courtly love is also present, but only in the beginning of the play. At the time ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was set, courtly love was very popular and many poets were using it, thus including it in the play was making the play very fashionable for its time. Romeo is the character that feels courtly love for Rosaline, meaning that his love for her in unrequited but he seems to love her anyway. The first time you meet Romeo he is pining over Rosaline because ‘she’ll not be hit with cupid’s arrow’ and won’t return his feelings for her. He is acting very pathetic and spewing out long speeches full of oxymorons and rhyming couplets, making it very obvious that he’s practiced what he’s going to say because people don’t go around just talking in rhyming couplets and oxymorons. His long speeches have a rather pathetic ending. He has put together very fashionable, lengthy spiels full of oxymorons about ‘loving hate’ and ‘heavy lightness’. When Benvolio finally comprehends and asks him ‘who is that’ Romeo loves, Romeo quite pathetically admits that he does ‘love a woman’. This declaration is a rather meager way to sum up all he’s spent hours preparing while privately ‘in his chamber’ and wandering around in the woods ‘many a morning’. Throughout most of his speeches he isn’t giving a proper answer to any of Benvolio’s questions. He keeps giving Benvolio very vague responses in an attempt to make Benvolio question more. Romeo is coercing people to worry about him more than necessary by pretending that the situation is more confusing than it is. After his long oxymoron-filled speech he asked Benvolio ‘Dost thou not laugh’, wanting Benvolio to worry about him and to give him attention. As in true courtly love fashion, Romeo is enamored with Rosaline and will do anything to see her. Benvolio, a true friend, tries to make Romeo see sense that there are ‘other beauties’ in the world and Romeo should ‘examine’ them and forget about Rosaline. However, Romeo won’t hear of it and attempts to convince Benvolio that he ‘canst not teach’ Romeo ‘to forget’ how beautiful Rosaline is and how much he loves her. Although Romeo’s courtly interests are mostly kept to the first few scenes of the play, the Friar does bring it up later on, saying that ‘thy love did read by rote, that could not spell’. The Friar is explaining to Romeo that Romeo knew the way that people were supposed to act when they were madly in love and he was simply pretending to be in love when he wasn’t, which is what courtly love is. Another type of love showcased in this play is Romantic love, and ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is one of the most famous romantic plays ever written. In the play, I think that Shakespeare presents the love between Romeo and Juliet as very artificial. He shows it through their first meeting, Juliet’s inexperience, Romeo’s attitude and the attitude of Romeo’s friends. Romeo and Juliet’s conversation forms a sonnet when they first meet. This is the first conversation they have and before he even hears her speak, he refers to her as a ‘shrine’, invoking the deepest religious love for her. Romeo is flattering her to get her to fall for him. Before he even knows who she is, he asks to ‘smooth that rough touch’ that is his ‘unworthiest hand’ with a kiss. She immediately counters that by telling him ‘you do wrong your hand too much’. She’s trying to tell him that there is nothing wrong with his hand, and he doesn’t need to kiss her. Finally he asks outright for her to ‘let lips do what hands do’, showing he’s rather desperate to get to kiss her. Juliet says in return that she isn’t going to move and that he can kiss her, but that she won’t kiss him. Their conversation does form a sonnet, but Juliet is just playing along with Romeo because he’s the one that initiated the conversation in rhyme and she’s simply joining in. She is attracted to him, but she’s not just going to give in to his desperation. He has to work for the right to kiss her. After the kiss, Juliet is understandably very taken aback, considering she is quite inexperienced and this is her first kiss. She tells him that ‘you kiss by th’ book’, showing that Juliet only knows what love is like in books and fairytales and she’s comparing her feelings about Romeo to that. It is arguable that this is not real romance. I think that the best evidence for the idea that the romantic love displayed in this play is artificial is the attitude of Romeo. When we first meet him he is obviously enamoured with Rosaline, but sees this beautiful girl that removes any thought of Rosaline from his mind. This is superficial because he doesn’t know anything about Juliet, he doesn’t even know her name and yet he’s certain that he loves her, saying ‘did my heart love till now’, when just moments before he had been professing his undying devotion to someone completely different. When Romeo attempts to talk Friar Lawrence into marrying him to Juliet, Friar Lawrence remains unconvinced, saying that ‘these woes were all for Rosaline’. Romeo insists, illogically, that his love for Juliet is real because she loves him back and Rosaline ‘did not so’. He says that even though he was going on and on about her, she’s old news and he no longer loves her because he’s found someone better. I don’t think He really loves Juliet because her prettiness is the only reason he ever spoke to her and it is reasonable to believe that if he sees someone prettier he might forget all about her. Even Romeo’s friends know that he’s being pathetic. Mercutio actually makes fun of him for spewing out all the rhyming poems which really don’t have any semblance towards true love by saying ‘speak but one rhyme and I am satisfied’. Mercutio is certain that this will all be over soon. Before the party Mercutio tries to cheer Romeo up with his big ‘Queen Mab’ speech, showing that he wants Romeo to be happy. We trust Mercutio because he is a very likeable character. Benvolio, who has been primarily concerned with Romeo’s wellbeing throughout the play so far, is certain Romeo will move on and ‘examine other beauties’. We trust Benvolio’s opinion because he shows the most direct concern about Romeo and even he seems to think that this is all a phase. Before Balthasar brings Romeo news of Juliet’s death, Romeo is very happy because he has had a dream about Juliet which is the ‘flattering truth of sleep’. This is very similar to his dream in an earlier scene about Rosaline, which was about ‘things true’, being how much he loves Rosaline. Referring to both Rosaline and Juliet by using the word ‘true’ makes it plausible that he is just being as over-dramatically ecstatic about a dream about Juliet as he was depressed over a dream about Rosaline before the party in which he saw Juliet. I think that this makes us doubt his sincerity because he is using the same story about a dream for both girls. When Romeo finds out about Juliet’s supposed death, he doesn’t even stop to think, which proves that he doesn’t consider the possibilities of his actions. He immediately goes to buy ‘a dram of poison’ so he ‘may fall dead’ by Juliet’s side. In my opinion, for a girl that he hasn’t even spent a full day with, this seems like a very rash decision. Juliet, waking up and finding Romeo dead beside her also kills herself with a dagger after trying to take the poison off his lips so she will ‘die with a restorative’ but when that proves to be a failure, stabs herself with Romeo’s dagger. She is allowed a little more leeway, being very young and traumatised at finding her new husband dead on top of her and is likely to be very dramatic. They barely know each other and yet they kill themselves over the premise of ‘true love’. I think that the real tragedy in this play is not that true lovers are forced to kill themselves to be together but that two young and healthy people with long lives ahead of them kill themselves over miscommunication and feelings that ultimately end up to be an over exaggeration of two hormonal teenagers! Parental love, whilst a minor aspect of love in this play, is still very present. Neither Juliet nor Romeo have very close relationships with their parents and seek out parental advice in the forms of Nurse and Friar Lawrence. Romeo does get along with his parents and they do love him. When you first meet the Montagues after a large street fight, his mother expresses her relief that Romeo ‘was not at this fray’, showing that she is concerned about his physical wellbeing. His father is obviously concerned about Romeo’s mental state at the fact that Romeo is currently wandering around by himself ‘many a morning’ and stays ‘private in his chamber’ during the day, cutting himself off from everyone else. After the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, when the Capulets and Montagues have realised what happened, we find out that Montague’s ‘wife is dead tonight’ because the ‘grief of’ her ‘son’s exile hath stopped her breath’. This makes it obvious that the Montagues really do love their son, but don’t have a strong connection with him because he never talked to them about what was troubling him. Even though Romeo and his parents are emotionally close to each other, they do not communicate with each other well and to show this Shakespeare does not put one scene in this play in which Romeo directly interacts with his parents. This shows that while they are family, they don’t really rely on each other to help out. Instead of questioning Romeo about his actions himself, his parents send Benvolio, Romeo’s friend and cousin, which shows that Romeo is more likely to confide in Benvolio than in his own parents. Romeo, instead of going to his parents for advice, goes to Friar Lawrence for parental help. The Friar knows what’s going on in Romeo’s life more than the parents do. It is normally a parent’s job to chide their children but Romeo says to Friar that ‘thou chid’st me oft for loving Rosaline’ which means that the Friar has taken on the responsibility of telling Romeo off about Rosaline, whom Romeo has not even told his parents about. Juliet’s predicament with her parents is similar as they also love her very much. When Paris, a suitable young man, requests Juliet’s hand in marriage, Lord Capulet thinks Juliet ‘is yet a stranger in this world’ and tells Paris to come back in ‘two more summers’. That Lord Capulet doesn’t want to marry her off so young even to such a suitable person shows that he really cares for Juliet’s well-being. When Juliet is mourning the banishment of Romeo, Lord Capulet decides to throw her a party to take her mind of what he thinks is an over-reaction of Tybalt’s death. He agrees to make ‘a desperate tender’ and allow her to marry Paris, hoping that this will cheer her up. He does this because he had Juliet’s best interests at heart and just wanted to please her and make her happy again, by giving her a large party and lots of attention. After Juliet is found supposedly dead, Lady Capulet gets very upset, saying that if Juliet does not ‘look up’ than Lady Capulet ‘will die with thee’. Both the Capulets genuinely love their daughter, calling her their ‘only life’ when she is found dead. Like Romeo, Juliet’s parents don’t communicate with her well. They don’t understand her emotions and don’t know how to speak to her effectively. When Lady Capulet wishes to speak privately with Juliet she asks Nurse to leave but the minute she is left alone with Juliet she calls Nurse ‘back again’. Since Lady Capulet didn’t raise Juliet and Nurse did, Lady Capulet would feel more comfortable if Nurse is in the room because she is unsure of how to talk to her own daughter. When Juliet is distraught after Romeo’s banishment, they assume she is upset over Tybalt’s death because ‘she loved her kinsman Tybalt dearly’. Instead of asking her what is wrong, they automatically think that she is upset over Tybalt, which shows miscommunication. Like Romeo has the Friar, Juliet has Nurse whom she trusts with her personal life. Nurse is the only one Juliet tells about Romeo, and ‘did send the Nurse’ to get information out of Romeo about the wedding. She trusted her Nurse with this part of her life that she didn’t tell her parents about. Friendly love in this play is possibly the only love that is not somewhat superficial and fake. Primarily, we see friendly love being expressed amongst Romeo and his friends. Benvolio is the most open about how much he cares for Romeo’s well-being. He expresses his concern to Romeo directly, wondering ‘what sadness lengthens Romeo’s hours’. Even though Benvolio is certain that he would sooner ‘die in debt’ than Romeo not forget his love for Rosaline, he is troubled that Romeo is upset in the moment. When Romeo is missing after the party Benvolio goes searching for him accompanied by Mercutio and is anxious that Mercutio ‘wilt anger him’ by insulting Romeo about Rosaline, even though Benvolio agrees ith him and Romeo arguably deserves it. This shows that Benvolio really does care about Romeo and doesn’t wish for him to be upset over anything. Mercutio shows his concern for Romeo in a different way, although he still makes it obvious that he cares. When Romeo is depressed with ‘a soul of lead’ before the party, Mercutio wants to cheer him up. When Romeo insists that he ‘dreamt a dream’, Mercutio picks up on that straight away and begins to make fun of Romeo in a jovial way, saying ‘and so did I’. Romeo asks what Meructio’s dream was, giving Mercutio the perfect opening for his ‘Queen Mab’ speech, which is a jokey speech about a fairy queen so he can lighten Romeo’s mood and also point out that ‘dreamers often lie’. At the end Romeo tries to insist that Mercutio ‘talk’st of nothing’, to which Mercutio replies ‘true, I talk of dreams’, which is another way of telling Romeo to lighten up and enjoy the party without focusing on his dreams. This shows Mercutio cares because he just wants Romeo to have a good time and move on with his life without focusing on the past. When Tybalt is calling Romeo ‘a villain’ and Romeo is not standing up for himself, Mercutio gets very angry on Romeo’s behalf and gets into a fight with Tybalt that kills him. Even though Mercutio was in a rather restless mood that day because of the weather, I find it hard to believe that he would fight Tybalt without a reason. It is plausible that he was just using Romeo as an excuse but the fact that Mercutio is so concerned about Romeo’s honour that he will fight for him, makes Mercutio a true friend. Even though Balthasar is Romeo’s servant, he does have his moments of showing true friendship and concern for Romeo. Balthasar is the only person Romeo trusts other than Friar to tell about Juliet and Balthasar keeps Romeo updated about the goings and comings of Verona and of Juliet. Immediately after Juliet’s funeral Balthasar ‘took post to tell it’ to Romeo. Even though Romeo told Balthasar to leave once they got to Juliet’s crypt or he would ‘tear thee joint by joint’, Balthasar stayed behind because he doubted Romeo’s ‘intents’ and feared the way he looked. This shows true friendship because even faced with the possibility of getting killed by his master, Balthasar remains behind to keep an eye on him. Even Romeo has his moments of being a genuine friend towards his boys, as shown after Mercutio has been fighting with Tybalt. At first along with everyone else he assumes Mercutio is just putting on a show for the audience, sure that ‘the hurt cannot be much’. His certainty that Mercutio will be fine shows his closeness to Mercutio because he refuses to consider the possibility that Mercutio might die. After finding out that ‘brave Mercutio is dead’, Romeo is absolutely furious and all thoughts of ‘sweet Juliet’ leave his head and all he wants is for ‘fire-eyed fury’ to lead him to kill Tybalt for ‘Mercutio’s soul’. This is once again showing that his grief over Mercutio overwhelms his love for Juliet. Knowing the possible consequences Romeo refuses to let Tybalt ‘go in triumph’ and kills him because Tybalt killed one of Romeo’s closest friends. In conclusion, Shakespeare presents the theme of love in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ as mostly artificial. Romantic love, which is the love most people arguably expect to read about in this play, is very artificial, creating the true tragedy of the play of two people dying for no concrete reason. Sexual love and courtly love are both put on for show. Sexual love is used as comic relief and is not taken seriously and courtly love is only a way of showcasing that romantic love really is artificial. Parental love is real but is strained with no communication so the only genuine form of love expressed successfully in this play is friendly love.
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