Technological determinism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Technological determinism - Essay Example In relation to this, the notion of technological determinism is referred to the belief that new technology will certainly lead to a cultural as well as social change which further seeks to ensure certain developments in the media and technology dimensions within the society on a whole (O'Loughlin, 2010). Based on this understanding, the paper will provide an insight on how a particular technology is responsible for any sort of cultural and social change. Technological Determinism Theoretically, technological determinism is described as an idiom that depicts how the evolution of technologies influence change in the standard of living of human beings. It is often described as among the most important aspects that positively impact the overall society. Technological determinism is further believed that technological determinism is a media technology that shapes the perceptions of people living in the society and brings significant changes in the way they act and feel. As per this partic ular idiom, technology innovation, with the passing time becomes a bit faded but is well capable to bring considerable changes in the society. Moreover, in the similar context, it is also believed that introduction of any sort of technology in the society influences people to adopt the same which brings changes in their behaviour and eventually alters the overall nature of the society. Stating precisely, technological determinism addresses the impact of different technologies on the overall functioning of the society (McLuhan, 2010). Arguments in Support of Technology and its Impacts on Culture and Society Undoubtedly, technology has driven some significant changes in the society and the culture of the modern day scenario. It has to be mentioned that the impacts of technology in the society can be both negative and positive. Contextually, when assessing the societal and cultural impressions led by technology innovations, the role of mass communication and telecommunication can be ob served apparently imposing positive changes within the society and culture. Taking into account the effects of mass communication and telecommunication technologies, it can be justifiably argued that technology is quite a powerful prospect which is well capable of influencing the lifestyle preferences and beliefs of people and the society at large with a wider prospect for exchanging thoughts and stimulating cultural diversity (O'Loughlin, 2010). Effects of Mass Communication on Society and Culture Mass communication is the overall blend of technologies such as radio, television, newspaper, films and advertising among others. After the evolution of these technologies, a significant change had been observed in the behaviour and standard of living of people which eventually impacted the culture and the society at large irrespective of geographical limits and cultural variances. The introduction of these technologies in the society further allowed people to experience or perform tasks that would had otherwise been stated as unimaginable. For instance, since its innovation and with

Persausion Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Persausion - Case Study Example In this paper, three of the 21 principles will be discussed in detail, namely: â€Å"Learn to Transfer Energy†, â€Å"Communicating Clearly is Key† and â€Å"Being Prepared Gives you the Advantage†. Persuasion is not simply talking people out in order for others to agree with one’s thoughts and ideas. Nazar says that in persuading people, one has to learn to transfer energy. Needless to say then, one must have a positive attitude so that the energy he will transfer to others will make people motivated and invigorated instead of drained. The writer suggests that an individual should maintain eye contact with the people he is communicating with. This approach is known to show a person’s honesty in what he is saying. On another hand, it informs the other person that the communicator is interested in his response. Physical touch is another suggestion that the author makes. A hug, a pat on the shoulder or even a simple touch on one’s hand has an affirming effect on people. This can make a difference by letting others that a person cares for them and therefore, they will be willing to listen to whatever that individual who cares a lot about them; has to say. More over, an enthusiastic speaker who shows excitement in his verbal responses will be able to make others excited as well. Communicating clearly is also an important principle in persuasion. A person should not complicate things because it is believed that someone who does so has hidden agendas. People are often interested in what they benefit from others so that should be communicated simply and clearly. It is also important not to complicate matters for others to understand because it could give the impression that the speaker himself does not understand what he is saying. Therefore, it is essential for a person to explain matters in the most understandable way even if it means making it very simple. In relation to making things simple, it is also significant

Common interests between the stakeholders

Common interests between the stakeholders In 2009, Logilink received a new project to handle the logistics arrangement of cement between Spain and Algeria. Our client, KDM Company was assigned by the government to supply the cement to build the new highway between Algiers and Constantine in Algeria. This project has a big impact in the economical and the political side, therefore the government of Algeria has assigned KDM to supply the cement in 6 months period of time. Logilink as a logistics firm had to ensure the proper transportation of cement from refinery at Spain to Algerian port. During the 6 months period, we have arranged with KDM to transport 48,000MT of cement per month to fulfill the total quantity required for this project. 4.STAKEHOLDERS Logilink assigned our Project Manager Mr. Javier, to be in charge of this project. With the support of our CEO and shareholders, he selected the team to work with. The team comprised of five employees; Mr. Nilo the Ship Controller, Mr. Ziani the Finance Analyst, Miss Juan the Admin Assistant, Mr. Jose the Project Office Manager and me as the Operation Manager. To ensure smooth execution of this project, the functional teams within Logilink were instructed by the CEO to collaborate with Mr. Javier and provide him with all the resources required. The groups, persons, organizations and institutions related to the building and running of the new highway or which is in its area of influence is registered or inventoried by means of brain storming. (Appendix1) The team defined the stakeholders for this project by identifying organizations that had responsibilities or may affect the process and who had the influence over the new highway project. List of stakeholders: The evaluation of the projects environmental impact corresponds to the Association of Environment (APE) The authorizing body for the project was the Ministry of Public Works Logilink was responsible for shipping, maritime traffic and safety The supplier of Cement was Repsol The government sole distributor for cement in this project was KDM. The construction was handled by private entrepreneurs Bank (Societe General) Media Local transport companies. Local supplies companies. Stakeholders interests, project impact level and priority in relation to other stakeholders are identified in table1. Table 1: Stakeholders interests and impacts table Interests Potential project impact Relative priorities of interest Secondary Stakeholders Ministry of public works Achievement of targets Control over funds Political image + 2 Entrepreneurs -Profits Achievement of targets -reputation +/- + +/- 1 Media Profits Supply information to the public. +/- 3 Bank Societe Generale Profits + 3 Association Of Environment (APE) habitat destruction -Environmental degradation ? 3 Local transport companies. Profits liabilities +/- + 2 Local supplies companies profits Liabilities +/- + 2 Primary Stakeholders KDM co.ltd Profits Achievement of targets Liability (avoid at all costs) -Reputation +/- + +/- 1 Project Manager Promotion -Rewards + + 1 Repsol (Supplier) -Profits Gain Algerian Market +/- +/- 1 Team members rewards and bonuses promotions -expand skill level + ? + 2 During the process of strategic management, attention to stakeholders is important since the success and survival for public organizations relies on fulfilling key stakeholders according to their description of what is precious. (Bryson 1995: 27; Moore 1995). As an alternative, many individual groups and organizations are occupied or have partial liability to act. Discovering what the predicament is and finding solutions are part of the problem while taking stakeholders into relation is an important criterion of problem solving. (Bryson and Crosby 1992; Bardach 1998)(pb-bryson) To identify common interests between the stakeholders, the planning team had to find the relationship between the stakeholders to find the typical strategy where individual stakeholders will think that their own interests are advanced. (Andreasen 1995; Kotler, Roberto, and Lee 2002) For example, KDMs interest was to show efficiency and gain Algerian governments trust. They will increase profit and obtain more contracts. KDMs interest matched with our interest since we were a booming company searching for reputation rather than just making profit. The government wanted to complete the project on time with high quality in order for them to be more credible in the eye of the public. From the side of Repsol, their interest is to gain maximum profit which matches the entrepreneurs goals. The stakeholder-issue interrelationship diagram explains how the planning team determined the relationship between the stakeholders through their common objectives. Figure 1 Stakeholder-Issue Interrelationship Diagram (Bryant, 2003) Political image and credibility Supply information for the public Habitat destruction and environmental degradation Control over funds Entrepreneurs Ministry of public works Association Of Environme Media Societe Generale Achievement of targets Profits Reputation Liabilities Local supplies companies Local transport companies Repsol Logilink co.ltd KDM co.ltd It was necessary for our project team to analyze the stakeholders. We investigated each stakeholder, by knowing their powers, weaknesses, forces and threats (calvert 1995). Wideman (1998) suggests that the analysis should start by grouping stakeholders based on the influence. The influence level differs between stakeholders; it depends on the hierarchical relationship to the project. The government had a high level of influence compared to other secondary stakeholders which influences were lower as the project was just an opportunity to achieve goals. (Source: Wideman 1998, p.  219) KDM as the most important stakeholder had an influence on the project. If they werent satisfied they could stop the project. The Ministry of Public Works had a concern to the public sector so their influence was the highest. The environmental association could also oppose the project. Nevertheless, they didnt have a great degree of representation or the capacity for mobilizing people, so they had considerable degree of importance, but not influence. Logilink didnt have excessive importance due to low amount of competences that could affect the project. However, given their representation and capacity to mobilize, they were very influential. The same is true for entrepreneurs. Local supply and transport companies had positive effect on the project execution which resulted in low importance and influence as they represented a small segment of the population. Figure2. Classification of importance and influence of stakeholders affected by the New Highway project (Backoff and Nutt, 1992) KDMImportance Logilink Entrepreneurs LTC + LSC Repsol Ministry of public works Media Societe Generale Association Of Environment Influence Mr. Javier designed a plan to increase support and minimize oppositions from the project stakeholders (Source: PMI 2004), after identifying stakeholders process and classifying the stakeholders by their geographic location and interest in the project. The strategy defined the level of participation desired by key stakeholders. The planning team interviewed key stakeholders individually, to ensure everyones genuine support to the project. If support is lacking, they discussed and resolved obstructing issues. The treatment regarding communication and participation differed between stakeholders. The planning team arranged for each key stakeholder depending on interest level and the choice to be involved in all phases or in specific phases of the project. KDM wanted to be involved in all phases of the project. Our project team arranged a weekly meeting with KDM and updated them by sending reports for each shipment. The Ministry of Public Works just wanted to be informed when the project was completed. The stakeholder management strategy used for the project was adequate to satisfy each key stakeholder and avoid any resistance to the projects process. 5. Organisational structure The organizational structure in our company defer from one project to another, in our new highway project the company used a project team organizational structure, due to its importance and complexity. This project required specialists to work on it full time as the due time of the project was too tight. The company head office allocated Mr.Javier as project manager; the team of the project took a functional oriented structure form (Cleland 1999) Figure3.Dedicated project team (Gray Larson 2000) Human Resources Finance and administration Ship Controller Logilink co. ltd Project Directors Project Manager2 Project Manger 1 Team 1 Team 2 Sales and Marketing Figure 3 shows the feature of our new project team. The team consists of the following; Mr. Nilo the Ship Controller, Mr. Ziani the Project Accountant, Miss Juan the Admin Assistant, MR.Jose the Project Office Manager and me as the Operation Manager. To execute this project efficiently, the functional teams within Logilink were instructed by the Head Office to join forces with Mr. Javier and provide him with all the resources required. The importance of the project and its amplitude for success were the mean factors that determined the project team. All team members had a big experience in such project and knew how to deal with it in such short time. The company applied this structure as project team structure allows the project team to work independently. The team consecrated full time for the project rather than being disrupted by other obligations or duties with their mean functional departments, Although he had to report to senior executives in the parent organization, Mr Javier had the full authority over the project. After utilizing this structure, we gained faster response time since most decisions were made within the team and were not differed up the hierarchy. With proper direction, the project team worked together and was fully committed only on maximizing the projects success while disregarding their area of expertise. Gray and Larson (2000), Figure4. Projectized Organization (Source: PMI 2004) In the project management consulting work, they identified a list of characteristics that many project managers have offered as successful characteristics in their core teams. For the most part, these characteristics are observed in individuals based on their experiences and the testimony of those who have worked with them. Typically these are not characteristics whereby the presence or absence in an individual is determined through interviews (Klassen and McLaughlin, 1993). The roles and responsibilities of the project ream depend of the nature of the project itself and the level of power and capacities. In the planning and resourcing process the project team was identified, so the team remained involved throughout the project and the resources from other groups were used when it was required. 6. Roles, responsibilities and relationships of project team members After identifying the goals of the project and determining the resources needed, the head office discovered that they require a Project Manager with a lot of experience and knowledge for this particular project. Mr. Javier who is the existing Project Director in our firm was selected to be the Project Manager. His role was to ensure the implementation and success of the project as he had control over all project resources. The roles and responsibilities of each team member were as follow: As the Project Office Manager, Mr. Joses responsibilities were to control and track the detailed plan, manage documentation and prepare various reports. As the Project Accountant, Mr. Ziani had to deal with procurement, sub-contractor expenditure, joint venture accounting, monitor progress tracking and handle financial reporting. As the Ship Coordinator, Mr. Nilo was responsible for the administrative aspects of the ship and served as the associate between our company and the client. As an Admin Assistant, Ms. Juan was a specialist in the creation of accurate usable documentation both for the daily usage of the solution and as design documentation for future reference. -As the Operation Manager, I handled the way the live technical solution should be operated. Operating procedures would include routine operations, controls, security, backup/recovery and disaster plans (Simon, 2004). The organizational chart is an illustrative display of project reporting relationships (Kerzner, 2003). In our organization, the reporting relationships were informal due to the small size of the team. Our Project Manager was responsible for the creation of a WBS that mapped our assigned project to this organizational breakdown structure. To present the reporting relationships within the project context, the company designed the organizational breakdown structure in a way to show who the project is functionally organized and to describe the hierarchy and organizations that supplied resources to arrange and to transmit the work identified in the work breakdown structure (WBS) (Kerzner, 2003). Figure5.Illustrates our organizational breakdown structure (OBS). MR.Javier Project Manager MR.Ziani Project accountant Miss.Juan Admin assistant Mr.Jose Project office manager Mr.Nilo Ship coordinator Mr.Ismail Operation manager Directors Functional Departments In a project team, the nature and volume of the project as well as the variety of projects to be handled will determine the lead position. Kerzner (2003, p. 162). The project management and team leadership positions should be carefully defined and staffed at all projects levels. In a self-directed work environment, a Project Manager must display reliability, respect, trust as well as qualities that typically appears from the representation of an excellent decision maker with a superior track record in order to create and direct a project team (Cleland, 1999). The Line Manager of the team members should not be associated with the duties of a Project Manager. The Project Manager is dedicated to manage the work of the project. The Project Manager must get the cooperation and support from the team without having direct authority over them. The ability to link the project to the strategy of the business is also an indicator of a successful Project Manager (Cleland, 1999). Mr. Javier motivated the team to reach great goals, rather than merely bossing around with them (Rowe, 2007). Prior to the implementation of any leadership style, the leader should focus in plans to obtain employee satisfaction by applying components such as trust, confidence and effective communication. (Lamb and McKee, 2004).Managers with these attributes are effective in their leadership ability regardless of the style of leadership that they adapt (McShane and VonGlinow, 2004). Mr. Javiers approach as a people oriented leader enabled him to achieve employee satisfaction by utilizing his excellent competencies and skills. 7. Team development and conflict New highway project was really important for our firm due to the huge opportunities hidden behind it. The head office wanted to allocate the best resources in our company to meet the project requirements. Mr.Javier as the most experienced project manager in our company was allocated to be the project manager for this project. He had a meeting with the head office to select the members of the project team. The team was chosen within many criteria adequate with the project and to satisfy the key stakeholders expectations and needs (Source: PMI 2004) The main criteria were identifying by Gray and Larson (2000) as: Problem solving ability, were the team members had to work under pressure and ambiguities. Availability, were the team was selected to work fulltime in this project, in a way to take decision on the spot and avoid all kind of problem during the project life cycle. Technological expertise, the members of the team was chosen to be appropriate for the roles. Credibility, by allocating people with a high credibility to improve the project and the project team reputation. Political connections, one of the most important criteria because it will help to create a good relationship with the key stakeholders. Ambition, initiative, and energy, project team with those criteria will have the abilities to compensate and cover the weaknesses in other fields. Conflicts are part of individual relationships and organizational development, and no relationship or organization can hope to mature to productivity and be successful without being able to resolve conflicts effectively (Cottringer, 1997, p. 6). During the project life cycle, we faced an interpersonal conflict between Mr.Ziani and Ms.Juan. This conflict was initiated before they joined the project team, but the tension between them raised during the implementation of this project as the interdependency between them was high. As a result, the cost of not resolving it was also high. The entire team noticed the obvious heightened anger between Mr. Ziani and Ms. Juan. Consequently, both Mr. Ziani and Ms. Juan were distracted from their own work responsibility because both of them were occupied with blaming each other. A negative impact in their job performance was caused by the behaviors that both of them portrayed as they interact. For example, when Mr. Ziani needs a document or information from Ms. Juan he passed through another colleague to get it from her. Likewise from Ms. Juans side, when she received a communication or she need some work from Mr. Ziani, she asked other team members to talk on her behalf. It resulted in a stressful work environment. Knowing that the duration of this project is short, the Project Manager dealt with this conflict by using an avoidance technique, physical separation and limited interaction (Pinto and Kharbanda, 1995). He tried to keep Mr. Ziani and Ms. Juan out of each others way as much as possible, and he played the role of referee between them till the end of the project. Simultaneously, in order to ensure that this conflict will not impact the job performance, he ordered the other members of the team to play the intermediary role between them and helped them to avoid the confrontation. Conclusion: In the first stage, Logilink identified the common interests between the stakeholders and analyze them by knowing their power, weaknesses, forces and threats (calvert 1995). The organizational structure applied by the company for this project was a company used a project team organizational structure. This structure gave to the project team the power to work independently and to consecrate full time for the project In the project team Mr Javier had the full authority over the project. Mr. Javier motivated the team to reach great goals, rather than merely bossing around with them (Rowe, 2007). Mr. Javiers approach as a people oriented leader enabled him to achieve employee satisfaction by utilizing his excellent competencies and skills. The team was chosen within many criteria adequate with the project and to satisfy the key stakeholders expectations and needs (Source: PMI 2004), hence we saw an interpersonal conflict between two members of the project team. This conflict affected the teams job performance. In this conflict Mr.Javier used an avoidance technique, physical separation and limited interaction as for him it was the best way to deal with this conflict in that time due to the project circumstances.

Benjamin Franklin :: Biography Biographies Benjamin Franklin Essays

Benjamin Franklin In his many careers as a printer, moralist, essaylist, civic leader, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, and philosopher, Benjamin Franklin Became both a spokesman and a model for the national character of later generations of Americans. After less than two years of formal schooling, Franklin was pressed into his father's trade. At the age of 16, Franklin wrote some pieces in a courant,"Silence Dogwood." Though penniless and unknown, Franklin soon found a job as a printer. Aafter a year he went to England, where he became a master printer, sowed some wild oats, astonished Londoners with his swimming feats, and lived among the famous writers of London. In 17227, Franklin began his career as a civic leader by organizing a club of aspiring tradesmen called the JJunto, which met each week for discussion and planning. Franklin began yet another career when in 1740 he invented the Pennsylvania fireplace, later called the Franklin stove, which soon heated buildings all over Europe and North America. He also read treaties on electricity and and began a series of experiments with his friends in Philadelphia. Experiments he proposed, first tried in France in 1752, showed that lightning was in fact a form of el! ectricity. Later that year his famous kite experiment, in which he flew a kite with the wire attached to a key during a thunderstorm. His later achievements included formulating a theory of heat absorption, measuring Gulf Stream, designing ships, tracking storm paths, and inventing bifocal lenses. In 1751, Franklin was elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly, causing the beginning of nearly 40 years as a puublic official. At home from 1762 to 1764, Franklin traveled throghout the colonies, reorganizing the AAmerican postal system. He also built aa new house on Market Street in Philadelphia, now reconstructed and open to visitors, and otherwise provided for his family. From April 1775 to October 1776, Franklin served on the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety and in the Continental Congress, submitted articles of confederation for the united colonies, proposed a new constitution for Pennsylvania, and helped draft the Decclaration of Independence.

Example of a Letter Written to Christopher (the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time) on How to Interact with Others

How to Chat Dear Christopher, Thank you for your question on how to chat. I am your agony aunt, and my name is Skye, and I am writing to you to answer your question which was; how do I chat? Firstly, you must always try to be kind to the person that you want to chat with. You must never try to make them upset or hurt them, even if they are being mean to you. Sometimes it can be hard to understand what somebody is really saying because they might be using a metaphor or sarcasm or an expression which you don’t understand.If you don’t understand them, then you must ask them to; â€Å"please repeat what you have just said, because I didn’t understand you†. If they repeat their comment and you still don’t understand them, you must ask them to; â€Å"please rephrase what you have said, I didn’t understand you and this is because I struggle to understand certain things like metaphors and faces which have more than one meaning. † When you have a conversation with someone or try to do chatting, you must ask them questions such as: 1.How are you? 2. What is your favourite colour? 3. Do you have any pets? 4. What hobbies do you like? 5. Do you like the Apollo space missions? This is called ‘finding common ground’ and this means finding things that both of you like or dislike. I f they like things that you also like, then you can tell them that you also like that thing and tell them all the things that you know about that topic, and then ask them what they know about it.When they are talking, you must listen to them and not interrupt or talk over them because they might think that this is rude and this might upset them. If they interrupt you or talk over you, you must ask them to; â€Å"please listen to what I am saying because I think that you might like it. † If they carry on talking over you or interrupting you then you must tell them; â€Å"Please stop interrupting me because I am talking and interru pting is rude and I did not interrupt you so please could you do the same for me because this is common courtesy. If they carry on interrupting you then you can walk away and go play with your rat Toby or do some maths. If someone is mean or makes you upset when you are trying to do chatting with them then you must ask them to stop because they are upsetting you and if they carry on then you must count to 50, than go tell Siobhan or your Father or another member of staff that this person is making you upset. Remember that you must never hurt anyone, even if they hurt you first because this is called retaliation and retaliation is bad.You must tell Siobhan or Father or another teacher what they have done. Lastly, you mentioned in your letter to me that you go to a special school and have someone called Siobhan who you work with and who helps you, so you can ask Siobhan to help you to practice doing chatting and she will. Thank you for your letter, if you have any other questions plea se ask me them and I will answer them. Your agony aunt, Mary

Patellar Tendon Integrity Health And Social Care Essay

The patellar sinew is normally used as a site for transplant crop for usage in Anterior Cruciate Ligament ( ACL ) Reconstruction. This paper will discourse the construction and maps of the patellar sinew that make this sinew a good tantrum for ACL Reconstruction and the effects that graft harvest has on the staying patellar sinew. The maps of sinews are to attach musculus to cram, convey tonss from musculus to cram, assist supply stableness and guide gesture. There are a couple grounds why the patellar sinew is used to replace an injured ACL. The patellar sinew is about the same length as the ACL. Using the patellar sinew along with bone transplants from the shinbone and kneecap allows for bone to cram healing. The process that uses the patellar sinew for ACL Reconstruction is called a Bone Patellar Tendon Bone Graft ( BPTB ) . An scratch about 8 centimeters long is made below the kneecap. The sawbones so removes the in-between tierce of the patellar sinew along with the bone fond regards from the kneecap and tibial tubercle. The articulatio genus is somewhat flexed. This provides some tenseness in the sinew leting the sawbones to do a more precise cut of the fibres. Holes are so drilled in the shinbone and thighbone for fond regard in topographic point of the injured ACL. The staying patellar sinew is sutured tight together and the paratenon is sutured tightly over the sinew. Bone stopper may or may non be placed in the kneecap or tibial tubercle defects. ( Busam et al, 2008 ) This process affects the patellar sinew ‘s length, strength, burden to failure and mending procedure of the residuary sinew. Normal sinew healing has three stages: Acute redness, Proliferation and Remodeling. Acute redness occurs in the first three yearss. An addition in the figure of glycosaminoglycans and collagen cells is seen. The collagen cells are indiscriminately placed and disorderly arranged. Proliferation occurs between the 2nd and 6th hebdomad. In this stage the hurt is filled with fibroblastic cells that line up perpendicular to the older original fibres. The synovial bed is restored and so the fibroblasts realign parallel to the original sinew. The reconstructing stage may last up to four months. In this stage the new tissue resembles the original sinew as more blood flow reaches the immature tissue. In a six twelvemonth MRI survey of patellar sinew mending it was found that the size of the giver site spread decreased significantly. In this survey the staying patellar sinew was non sutured together. The end of the survey was to find if the patellar sinew giver site would look normal six old ages after reaping the cardinal 3rd. The cardinal portion of the sinew was found to be dilutant and the outer parts were found to be thicker after six old ages. In every topic the breadth of the patellar sinew was wider than the original sinew. The survey concluded that the patellar sinew does n't wholly normalise after being used for an ACL transplant. It ‘s of import to maintain in head that in this survey the giver site was n't wholly sutured. ( Svensson et al, 2004 ) ( Sanchis et al, 1999 ) An in vitro survey executing a remotion of the in-between tierce of the patellar sinew with a sutured closing of the defect was done to analyse the stages of sinew healing. Normal healing was seen with inflammatory hempen tissue busying the giver defect at three hebdomads. At 12 hebdomads the hempen tissue that occupied the defect was replaced by cicatrix tissue that was irregular and disorganised. At twenty four hebdomads reconstructing had taken topographic point in most of the giver defect. The dense cicatrix tissue had been remodeled into good defined and vascularized collagen. This survey showed a normal patterned advance of mending with clip. ( Bertollo et al, 2010 ) The takeaway message from these last two surveies is that complete closing of the defect with suturas provides better healing. A survey was done to measure how the in-between tierce of the patellar sinew healed after transplant remotion. The survey included 12 patients who underwent ACL alteration surgery utilizing reharvested patellar sinew autographs ten old ages after original harvest home. Biopsies were taken from the reharvested sinews. Using an negatron microscope the survey revealed impairment of fiber construction with separation of fibres compared to a tight jammed parallel orientation of the control specimens. ( Liden et al, 2008 ) In a recent MRI survey it was found that after taking the in-between tierce of the patellar sinew the staying sinew shortened by an norm of 4.2 millimeter or approximately 10 % of its original length. ( Hantes et al, 2007 ) This shortening may or may non ensue in Patella Infera. ( Bertollo et al, 2010 ) ( Upadhyay et al, 2005 ) Patella Infera is an abnormally distal place of the kneecap. This new place may do anterior articulatio genus hurting or restricted ROM due to alterations in joint burden. A survey comparing the tensile strength of the patellar sinew before and after taking the in-between tierce was done on corpses. The burden to failure before transplant remotion was an norm of 1920 N of force while after transplant harvest the burden to failure was an norm of 1460 N of force. ( Adams et al, 2006 ) Another survey utilizing corpses compared the tensile strength of the in-between patellar sinew to the residuary sinew after transplant remotion. This survey concluded that the residuary sinew was non stronger than the in-between 3rd that was removed. ( Matava & A ; Hutton, 1995 ) This shows that the tensile strength and burden to failure of the patellar sinew decreased after remotion of the in-between 3rd. A survey examined the strength of patellar sinews before and after surgery based on breadth. The survey concluded that the smaller the size of the sinew the less strength could be regained after surgery. ( Shelbourne et Al. 2004 ) In decision, after usage for an ACL transplant the patellar sinew shortens which may do kneecap infera. Strength is decreased and normal fiber orientation does n't wholly return. This makes sense because the new immature collagen fibres have fewer cross links than mature fibres. The patellar sinew can and will retrieve if the process is done right. However, it will non return to original strength, length or histological visual aspect.

Wildlife of the Great Lakes

Wildlife of the Great Lakes The Great Lakes are a chain of five large, freshwater lakes that are located in central North America, astride the border of Canada and the United States. The Great Lakes include Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, and Lake Superior and together form  the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth. They are contained within the Great Lakes watershed, a region whose waters discharge into the Saint Lawrence River and, ultimately, the Atlantic Ocean. The Great Lakes cover a total surface area of 95,000 square miles and hold about 5,500 cubic miles of water (approximately 20% of all the worlds fresh water and more than 80% of the fresh water of North America). There are more than 10,000 miles of shoreline that frame the Great Lakes and from west to east, the lakes span more than 750 miles. The Great Lakes formed during the Pleistocene Epoch as the result of the repeated glaciation of the region during the Ice Ages. Glaciers advanced and retreated time and again, gradually carving deep depressions in the Great Lakes River Basin. When the glaciers receded at the end of the last glacial period about 15,000 years ago, the Great Lakes filled with water left behind by the melting ice. The Great Lakes and their surrounding lands encompass  a wide variety of freshwater and terrestrial habitats including coniferous and hardwood forests, freshwater marshes, freshwater wetlands, dunes, grasslands, and prairies.  The Great Lakes region supports a diverse fauna  that includes numerous species of mammals, amphibians, birds, reptiles, and fishes. There are more than 250 species of fishes found in the Great Lakes including Atlantic salmon, bluegill, brook trout, Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, freshwater drum, lake sturgeon, lake trout, lake whitefish, northern pike, rock bass, walleye, white perch, yellow perch, and many others. Native mammals include the black bear, fox, elk, white-tailed deer, moose, beaver, river otter, coyote, gray wolf, Canada lynx, and many others. Bird species native to the Great Lakes include herring gulls, whooping cranes, snowy owls, wood ducks, great blue herons, bald eagles, piping plovers, and much more. The Great Lakes have suffered greatly the effects of introduced (non-native) species during the past two hundred years. Non-native animal species such as zebra mussels, quagga mussels, sea lampreys, alewives, Asian carps, and many others have greatly altered the Great Lakes ecosystem. The most recent non-native animal to have been recorded in the Great Lakes is the spiny water flea, a crustacean native to the seas of the Middle East that are now quickly populating Lake Ontario. Introduced species compete with native species for food and habitat and can also More than 180 non-native species have entered the Great Lakes since the latter part of the 19th century. Many of the introduced species have been transported into the Great Lakes in the ballast water of ships, but other species such as the Asian carp, have invaded the lakes by swimming through the man-made channels and locks that now connect the Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. Key Characteristics The following are the key characteristics of the Great Lakes: the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earthaccount for 20% of all the worlds fresh wateraccount for more than 80% of the fresh water of North Americaintroduced species have greatly altered the Great Lakes ecosystemsupports more than 3,500 species of plants and animals Animals of the Great Lakes Some of the animals that inhabit the Great Lakes include: Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) - The lake whitefish is a species of freshwater fish that belongs to the salmon family. Lake whitefish are found in all of the Great Lakes and are a valuable commercial species. Lake whitefish feed on bottom-dwelling invertebrates such as snails, clams, and the aquatic larvae of insects.Walleye (Sander vitreous) - The walleye is  a large freshwater fish native to the Great Lakes as well as most parts of Canada and the northern United States. Walleye are much recognized as icons of the places they inhabit- they are the state fish of Minnesota and South Dakota and they are the official fish of Saskatchewan.Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) - The yellow perch is a species of perch whose range includes the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River. Adult yellow perch feed on aquatic insect larvae, crustaceans, mysid shrimp, fish eggs, and small fish.Great blue heron (Ardea Herodias) - The great blue heron is a large wading bird common to freshwater wetland habitats throughout North American, including the Great Lakes. Great blue herons have a long, sharp bill that they use to capture a variety of small prey animals such as fish, crustaceans, insects, rodents, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) - The Canada lynx is a medium-sized cat that inhabits the forests throughout Canada and Alaska. In the Great Lakes region, Canada lynx occurs around Lake Superior and on the northern shores of Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay, a large bay of Lake Huron that lies in Ontario, Canada. Canada lynxes are secretive, nocturnal mammals that feed on snowshoe hares, rodents, and birds.Moose (Alces alces) - The moose is the largest living member of the deer family. Moose inhabit the forests that border the northern shores of the Great Lakes. Moose are herbivores that feed on a variety of herbaceous plants and grasses.Common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) - The common snapping turtle is a widespread turtle that inhabits freshwater wetlands east of the Rocky Mountains, including the Great Lakes region. Snapping turtles have a reputation for being quite aggressive.American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana) - The American bullfrog is a large frog that occurs in wet lands in the Great Lakes region. American bullfrogs are predators that feed on small mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates. Sources Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. About Our Great Lakes. Published online at https://www.glerl.noaa.gov//pr/ourlakes/intro.htmlHarding JH. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region. University of Michigan Press; 1997. 400 p.Kurta, A. Mammals of the Great Lakes Region. Revised Edition. University of Michigan Press; 1995. 392 p.US Environmental Protection Agency. The Great Lakes: An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book. 2012. Published online at https://www.epa.gov/greatlakesUS Environmental Protection Agency. Great Lakes Invasive Species. Accessed November 22, 2013. Published online at https://www.epa.gov/greatlakes

Uncertainty avoidance Essays

Uncertainty avoidance Essays Uncertainty avoidance Essay Uncertainty avoidance Essay Uncertainty avoidance 1 . uncertainty Avoidance, a societys tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. It reflects the extent to which members of a society attempt to cope with anxiety by minimizing uncertainty. The uncertainty avoidance dimension expresses the degree to which a person in society feels uncomfortable with a sense of uncertainty and ambiguity. The fundamental issue here is how a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or Just let it happen? Countries exhibiting strong Uncertainty avoidance Index or IJAI, maintain rigid codes f belief and behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox behavior and ideas. Weak I-JAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles. People in cultures with high uncertainty avoidance tend to be more emotional. They try to minimize the occurrence of unknown and unusual circumstances and to proceed with careful changes step by step by planning and by implementing rules, laws and regulations. In contrast, low uncertainty avoidance cultures accept and feel comfortable in unstructured situations or changeable nvironments and try to have as few rules as possible. People in these cultures tend to be more pragmatic, they are more tolerant of change. 2 There are many ways to detect if someone has a high amount of Uncertainty Avoidance. For example, the use of formality in interaction with others, dependence of formalized policies and procedures, apparent resistance of change are all characteristics of high uncertainty avoidance. Signs of High Uncertainty avoidance More physical and apparent ways to detect if someone has a high Uncertainty Avoidance is to check if they display the ollowing descriptions or attributes. Do they follow a strict structure with rules and expertise, do they have high security (avoiding the unfamiliar). Also you can check if they are hectic, stressful or even emotional. 3 ln contrast people can also exhibit characteristics of low Uncertainty Avoidance. Unlike high IJA, those with a low level use informality in interaction with others, they often rely on informal norms and behaviors in most matters. Also, they will show moderate resistance to change. Signs of low uncertainty avoidance To detect if someone has a low uncertainty avoidance eep a keen eye out for the following symptoms and hints. Such people often abide by only a few rules and live a life with little set structure, one that is loose and free; they will appear to be calm and collected. Also, they are interested most likely in entrepreneurship and business matters. 4 Those with High uncertainty avoidance are often to be characterized as more careful and considerate types of people. However, the low uncertainty avoidance personalities are tend to show the highest risky natures. The following characterizations were by the average perceived Uncertainty Avoidance based on the basic concepts of Uncertainty avoidance like risky behaviors and personality. Low Uncertainty Avoidance Countries Some of the lowest uncertainty avoidance countries are unsurprisingly USA, I-JK, India, China and Indonesia, perhaps in an obvious way if you understand the concept of Uncertainty avoidance. These countries often are large capitalist countries that invest heavily and produce a lot while exhibiting signs of high and risky behavior. High Uncertainty Belgium, Italy, Russia, Korea and Mexico. These countries are for the most part elatively calm and collected. The countries usually participate in safe behaviors and live life with a rigorous and set structure. 5 Uncertainty Avoidance is taught so managers can have an idea what sort of rules and practices are accepted and necessary in different cultures. For example cultures with high uncertainty avoidance usually do better with more laws and regulations and cultures with low uncertainty avoidance expect more space and more freedom. Managers study uncertainty avoidance to be better prepared to manage in an international setting. 6 ln the ame way managers can face situations where they have to deal with employees of different cultures businessmen are expected to do business across different cultures and uncertainty avoidance can give insight to whether a culture expects you to strictly adhere to rules and traditions or whether you are allowed more freedom and familiarity. 7 Similar to international business, international communications requires you to bridge the gap between many cultures and adhering to social norms is an important part of international relations. And uncertainty avoidance applies to ocial norms in different cultures. 8 Uncertainty avoidance is important in international negotiations because negotiations relies on reaching an understanding and that can be made difficult if the other party expects you to follow different norms or if the other party is not comfortable with certain situations. Uncertainty avoidance also applies in many fields other than international business and the cultures associated with high or low uncertainty avoidance are also associated with specific traits. 9 n politics, cultures with high uncertainty avoidance citizens tend to have ow interest in politics and citizen protests are repressed. This is because political unrest would bring about changes which the majority would not be comfortable with. There also tends to be many laws with laws being more specific as to avoid any uncertainty in the interpretation and to guide which behavior is acceptable. On the other side of the spectrum in cultures with lo w uncertainty avoidance citizens tend to be very interested in politics as it serves as a tool for change. Protests are accepted as another tool for change and laws are general. 0 ln education, cultures with high uncertainty avoidance, teachers as viewed as having all the answers and learning is structured. A lot of focus is emphasized on mathematics and science. In cultures with low uncertainty avoidance, teachers are not necessarily viewed as all knowing and the learning is open minded with less focus on facts. Uncertainty avoidance also affects the family life, cultures with uncertainty avoidance tend to have rigid gender roles and cultures with low uncertainty avoidance have more flexible and more varied gender roles.

Most Important Themes in The Crucible, Analyzed

Most Important Themes in The Crucible, Analyzed SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The Crucible remains a staple of high school English because it is rich in themes that are consistently relevant to human beings regardless of time period. But these themes aren't always easy to explain or dissect in the context of the play, and they can be even harder to develop into essays. Read on for an overview of what a theme is, a list of important themes in The Crucible with specific act-by-act details, and a summary of how to use this information in your essays and other assignments. What’s a Theme? Why Are Themes Important? Before I get into the nitty-gritty of howThe Cruciblethemes are expressed, let's do a quick overview of what themes are and why they matter. A theme is a central topic that is addressed by a work of literature. Themes can be expressed in many different ways. In the case of a play like The Crucible, themes are revealed mainly through the dialogue of the characters. They're also revealed though events in the plot. Themes tell us what the purpose of the work is. What is the writer attempting to convey to the viewer? The Crucible's themes have lent the play artistic longevity because they're more or less universal to the human experience across time.If you hope to write an awesome essay onThe Crucible, you should have extensive knowledge of its themes. If you can show that you understand the themes of a work of literature, you've clearly mastered the material on a deeper level.In the next few sections,I'll take a look at a group of broad themes inThe Crucible, including irony, hysteria, reputation, and power. Theme 1: Irony First off, what is irony? Many people are under the impression that irony is just when something happens that you don't expect (or that you really hoped wouldn't happen). In reality, true irony only happens when a situation is the exact opposite of what you would expect.The classic example of an incorrect use of irony is in Alanis Morisette's song "Ironic" when she says that "rain on your wedding day" is an example of irony. Well, it's not. Sure, you don't expect or want rain, but it's not the polar opposite of getting married. A real example of irony would be if two married guests got into a fight about going to your wedding that ended in their divorce. Irony abounds throughout The Crucibleascharacters who believe they are combating the Devil’s handiwork actually perform it themselves.The ruthlessness with which the suspected witches are treated is aimed at purifying Salem, but it achieves the opposite outcome. The town slips further and further into chaos and paranoia until it reaches a point of total devastation.As Reverend Hale says to Danforth, â€Å"Excellency, there are orphans wandering from house to house; abandoned cattle bellow on the highroads, the stink of rotting crops hangs everywhere, and no man knows when the harlots’ cry will end his life - and you wonder yet if rebellion’s spoke?† (Act 4, pg. 121). The court's attempts to preserve Puritan morality by arresting and executing accused witches ironically lead to the removal of the most virtuous people from society. These people are the only ones who refuse to throw out false accusations or lie about involvement in witchcraft, so they find themselves condemned (this is the fate of Rebecca Nurse). This means that much of the population that remains is comprised of the power-hungry, the selfish, and the cowardly. Act 1 There are several ironies in Act 1 that center around Abigail Williams. In her conversation with John, Abigail claims that he helped her realize all the lies she was told by two-faced people in Salem who only publicly adhere to the conventions of respectable society (pg. 22).The irony is that, in the face of John’s rejection, Abigail turns around and creates her own lies soon after that give her increased control over the society she resents.She puts on a fake front to get what she wants, ultimately creating a persona that’s even worse than that of the hypocrites she criticizes.Abigail’s many deceptions are sometimes laughably ironic as she chastises others for lying even as she is spinning falsehoods.In this act, she yells â€Å"Don’t lie!† at Tituba immediately before she tells some of the most damning lies of the play accusing Tituba of witchcraft (â€Å"She comes to me while I sleep; she’s always making me dream corruptions!† pg. 4 1). Hale also makes some unintentionally ironic statements in Act 1 when he begins his investigation.He claims that they must not jump to conclusions based on superstition in their investigation of Betty’s affliction.Hale is convinced that a scientific inquiry based only on facts and reality can be conducted to detect a supernatural presence. This is ironic becausesearching for "the Devil's marks" as the potential cause of an ailment is inherently superstitious. Once the accusations begin, Parris initiates an ironic thought process that persists throughout The Crucible: â€Å"You will confess yourself or I will take you out and whip you to your death, Tituba!† (pg. 42).This â€Å"confess or die† mindset is one of the central ironies of the play.The whole purpose of a trial is to hear both sides of the story before a verdict is reached.In telling people they must confess to their crimes or be hanged, the officials show that they have already decided the person is guilty no matter what evidence is provided in their defense. Act 2 In Act 2, John Proctor’s guilt over his affair with Abigail is demonstrated through an ironic exchange with Reverend Hale. When Hale asks him to recite his commandments, the only one he forgets is adultery.This is also the commandment that he has violated most explicitly, so you’d think it would be the first one to spring to mind.The fact that he forgets only this commandment shows that he is trying extremely hard to repress his guilt. This act also sees the irony of Hale discussing the â€Å"powers of the dark† that are attacking Salem (pg. 61).This is irony of the same type that I discussed in the overview of this theme.Hale doesn’t realize that his own fears and suspicions are the real powers of the dark.Salem is under attack from the hysteria that is encouraged by the same people who seek to keep imaginary supernatural demons at bay. Act 3 In Act 3, Hale continues to make ironic statements about the existence of concrete proof for the accusations of witchcraft.While touting his holy credentials, he claims that he â€Å"dare not take a life without there be a proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of my conscience may doubt it† (pg. 91).This â€Å"immaculate proof† that has led him to sign numerous death warrants is nothing but the fabrications of teenage girls and other townspeople seeking petty revenge.These types of statements made by Hale earlier in the play become even more ironic in Act 4 when he realizes he made a horrible mistake by trusting the â€Å"evidence† that was presented to him. Abigail’s presence is always rife with irony in The Crucible, as she constantly chastises others for sins she herself has committed.When she is brought in for questioning and claims to see Mary’s familiar spirit, she says â€Å"Envy is a deadly sin, Mary.†Abigail herself has acted out of envy for the entire play.Her jealousy of Elizabeth Proctor’s position as John’s wife has led her to attempted murder, first by the charm in the woods and now by accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft. Elizabeth is a victim of cruel irony in this Act when she is summoned to testify on the reasons why she dismissed Abigail from her household.John has already confessed that the affair was the reason for Abigail’s dismissal.John tells the judge to summon Elizabeth to back him up because he knows she always tells the truth.Ironically, though she is normally honest to a fault, in this situation Elizabeth decides to lie to preserve John’s reputation, not knowing he has already confessed.This well-intentioned mistake seals both of their fates. Act 4 Act 4 is Danforth’s turn to shine in the irony department.He is appalled by Elizabeth’s lack of emotion when he asks her to help the court get a confession out of her husband (pg. 123).This attitude comes from a man who has shown no remorse for condemning people to death throughout the play.He refers to John’s refusal to confess as â€Å"a calamity,† looking past his own involvement in the larger calamity of the conviction that led John to this point. Later in Act 4, Danforth becomes angry at the implication that John’s confession may not be the truth. He insists,â€Å"I am not empowered to trade your life for a lie† (pg. 130).Of course, we know that Danforth has been trading people’s lives for lies this whole time.He has sentenced people to death based on lies about their dealings in black magic, and he has accepted other false confessions from those who would rather lie than be executed.To Danforth, anything that doesn’t confirm that he was right all along is a lie. Discussion Questions Here are a few questions related to this theme that you can use to test your grasp of irony and its significance as a theme in The Crucible: How is Parris’ fate in act 4 ironic when considering his role in the events of the play? Why do certain characters seem to be blind to the irony of their actions (Abigail, Danforth)? Why is hypocrisy so common in repressive communities like Salem? Explain the irony of Hale’s position at the end of the play as compared to his actions at the beginning. Hale wrongly assumes that his academic mindset will save him from jumping to the wrong conclusions in the witchcraft investigation. Ironically, he is the first to demand a confession from Tituba based on Abigail's dramatic but false testimony. Theme 2: Hysteria The thematic significance of hysteria builds quickly as accusations of witchcraft proliferate throughout Salem.The power of collective hysteria ultimately becomes insurmountable because it grows larger than the influence of the few rational voices in the community. The seeds are planted in Act 1, when Abigail is questioned about her activities in the woods and ends up accusing Tituba of witchcraft to avoid punishment.The town, already primed with rumors of black magic, is quickly willing to accept that the first few women who are accused are involved in black magic because they’re beggars and slaves.No one considers that the accusers are lying, partially because they’re seen as innocent children and partially because many â€Å"witches† confess to avoid the death penalty. Armed with the false proof of these coerced confessions, the court officials aggressively persecute anyone who is accused.Hysteria blinds the people of Salem to reason as they become convinced that there is a grand Satanic plot brewing in town, and they must not hesitate to condemn anyone who could be involved.This is a lesson in how fear can twist perceptions of reality even for those who consider themselves reasonable under normal circumstances. Act 1 Even before Abigail makes accusations, rumors of witchcraft have morphed into accepted truths in the minds of the more superstitious members of the community.Ann Putnam jumps at any opportunity to blame supernatural forces for the deaths of her children.Ann’s extreme conclusions are gradually accepted because rational people are too afraid to challenge the consensus and risk bringing accusations upon themselves.Hale’s involvement is taken to mean that there must be a supernatural element to Betty’s illness.Rational explanations are ground up by the drama of the rumor mill, and people see only what they want to see (whatever keeps them in the good graces of society andmakes them feel the best about themselves) in situations that don't appear to have easy explanations. The madness begins in earnest with Abigail’s claim that Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits in the woods.Parris is extremely dismayed by this revelation because of the damage it will do to his reputation.Thomas Putnam tells him to â€Å"Wait for no one to charge you - declare it yourself.†Parris must rush to be the first accuser so he can place himself beyond reproach. It's atoxic strategy that causes panic to spread quickly and fear for one’s life to take the place of rationality.Tituba is pressured to confess and name the names of other â€Å"witches† to avoid execution, which leads to Abigail and Betty’s accusations, now validated by a coerced confession.This vicious cycle continues to claim the lives of more and more people as the play progresses. Act 2 By Act 2, there are nearly 40 people in jail accused of witchcraft.Many people confess when threatened with execution, and this only heightens the paranoid atmosphere.The authorities ignore any inconvenient logical objections to the proceedings because they, too, are swept up in the madness. The hysterical atmosphere and the dramatic performances of some of the accusers cause people to believe they have seen genuine proof of witchcraft.Each new false confession is thrown onto the pile of â€Å"evidence† of a grand Satanic plot, and as the pile grows larger, the hysteria surrounding it is fed generously. This hysteria-based â€Å"evidence† of witchcraft includes the discovery of the poppet in the Proctor household with a needle in it.Elizabeth's side of the story is disregarded because Abigail’s testimony is far more dramatic."She sat to dinner in Reverend Parris's house tonight, and without word nor warnin' she falls to the floor. Like a struck beast, he says, and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear. And he goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out." (Cheever pg. 71). The idea that a witch's familiar spirit is capable of stabbing people is too scary for the superstitious and now hysterical people of Salem to give Elizabeth the benefit of the doubt. No one even considers Mary's statement about sticking the needle in herself. In this environment, whoever yells the loudest seems to get the most credibility. Act 3 The depths of the hysteria that has gripped Salem are revealed in Act 3 when John finally confronts the court. Danforth makes a shocking argument defending the way the trials have been conducted, insisting that only the victim’s testimony can serve as reliable evidence in this type of trial.He is completely oblivious to the fact that the â€Å"victims† might be lying.The court refuses to challenge anyone who claims to have been afflicted. When the petition testifying to the good character of the accused women is presented, the reaction from Danforth, Hathorne, and Parris is to arrest the people who signed it rather than considering that this might indicate that the women are innocent.Danforth is convinced that â€Å"there is a moving plot to topple Christ in the country!† and anyone who doubts the decisions of the court is potentially involved.They so fear the devilish consequences of challenging the accusers that they’re willing to take them at their word and ignore any defenses the accused have to offer.Nowhere is there any consideration of ulterior motives. The power of mass hysteria is further revealed when Mary is unable to faint outside of a charged courtroom environment.She believed she had seen spirits earlier because she was caught up in the delusions of those around her.Abigail distracts the judges from any rational investigation in this act by playing into this hysteria.Danforth, who has the most authority, is also the most sold on her act, and it only takes a few screams to persuade him that he’s in the presence of witchcraft.This leads to Mary’s hysterical accusation of Proctor after she finds herself targeted by the other girls and about to be consumed by the hysteria herself if she doesn’t contribute to it. Act 4 Danforth continues to demonstrate the effects of hysteria in act 4 even after things have died down a bit in Salem and there have been rumblings of discontent about the court’s actions.As John gives his confession, Danforth says to Rebecca Nurse â€Å"Now, woman, you surely see it profit nothin’ to keep this conspiracy any further. Will you confess yourself with him?† (pg. 129)He is still convinced that all the prisoners are guilty and is determined to force them to admit their guilt. Danforth also becomes frustrated with Proctor when he won’t name names in his confession: â€Å"Mr. Proctor, a score of people have already testified they saw [Rebecca Nurse] with the Devil† (pg. 130).Danforth insists that John must know more about the Devil's dealings than he has revealed.Though Rebecca Nurse's involvement has already been corroborated by other confessors, Danforth demands to hear it from John to confirm that John is fully committed to renouncing his supposed ties to Satan. Discussion Questions Here are a few questions about hysteria to consider now that you've read a summary of how this theme was expressed throughout the plot of the play: How does the hysteria in the play get started? What are some of the factors that feed the panic and suspicion in Salem, and why are officials (like Danforth) unable or unwilling to listen to reason? Is there any character besides John Proctor that represents the voice of common sense amidst the madness? Why is Cheever both astonished and afraid when he finds the poppet with the needle in it? Why is everyone so quick to believe Abigail’s story? Danforth explains that witchcraft is an invisible crime and that only the victims are reliable. How does this philosophy perpetuate hysteria? Even though there is significant reason to believe Abigail is lying about Elizabeth's familiar spirit stabbing her, the frenzied investigators ignore testimony that challenges their chosen witchy narrative. Theme 3: Reputation Concern for reputation is a theme that looms large over most of the events in The Crucible.Though actions are often motivated by fear and desires for power and revenge, they are also propped up by underlying worries about how a loss of reputation will negatively affect characters' lives.John’s concern for his reputation is strong throughout the play, and his hesitation to reveal Abigail’s true nature is a product of his own fears of being labeled an adulterer. Once there have been enough convictions, the reputations of the judges also become factors. They are extremely biased towards believing they have made the correct sentencing decisions in court thus far, so they are reluctant to accept new evidence that may prove them wrong.The importance placed on reputation helps perpetuate hysteria because it leads to inaction, inflexibility, and, in many cases, active sabotage of the reputations of others for selfish purposes. The overall message is that when a person's actions are driven by desires to preserve favorable public opinion rather than do the morally right thing, there can be extremely dire consequences. Act 1 Reverend Parris' concerns about his reputation are immediately evident in Act 1. Parris initially insists that there are â€Å"no unnatural causes† for Betty’s illness because he fears that he will lose favor with the townspeople if witchcraft is discovered under his roof.He questions Abigail aggressively because he’s worried his enemies will learn the full story of what happened in the woods first and use it to discredit him.Parris is very quick to position himself on the side of the accusers as soon as Abigail throws the first punch, and he immediately threatens violence on Tituba if she doesn't confess (pg. 42).He appears to have no governing system of morality. His only goal is to get on the good side of the community as a whole, even in the midst of this bout of collective hysteria. Abigail also shows concern for her reputation.She is enraged when Parris questions her suspicious dismissal from the Proctor household.Abigail insists that she did nothing to deserve it and tries to put all the blame on Elizabeth Proctor.She says, "My name is good in the village! I will not have it said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!" (pg. 12) The first act of The Crucibleclearly establishes the fact that a bad reputation can damage a person’s position in this society severely and irreparably. Act 2 In this act, we learn more details about the accused that paint a clearer picture of the influence of reputation and social standing on the patterns of accusations.Goody Good, an old beggar woman, is one of the first to be named a witch. It’s easy for more respectable citizens to accept that she’s in league with the Devil because she is an "other" in Salem, just like Tituba.When Abigail accuses Elizabeth, a respected farmer’s wife, it shows that she is willing to take big risks to remove Elizabeth from the picture.She’s not a traditionally accepted target like the others (except in her susceptibility as a woman to the misogyny that runs rampant in the play). In Act 2, the value of reputation in Salem starts to butt heads with the power of hysteria and fear to sway people’s opinions (and vengeance to dictate their actions).Rebecca Nurse, a woman whose character was previously thought to be unimpeachable, is accused and arrested.This is taken as evidence that things are really getting out of control ("if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing's left to stop the whole green world from burning." Hale pg. 67).People in power continue to believe the accusers out of fear for their own safety, taking the hysteria to a point where no one is above condemnation. At the end this act, John Proctor delivers a short monologue anticipating the imminent loss of the disguises of propriety worn by himself and other members of the Salem community.The faces that people present to the public are designed to garner respect in the community, but the witch trials have thrown this system into disarray.Proctor’s good reputation is almost a burden for him at this point because he knows that he doesn’t deserve it. In a way,John welcomes the loss of his reputation because he feels so guilty about the disconnect between howhe is perceived by others and the sins he has committed. Act 3 John Proctor sabotages his own reputation in Act 3 after realizing it's the only way he can discredit Abigail.This is a decision with dire consequences in a town where reputation is so important, a fact that contributes to the misunderstanding that follows.Elizabeth doesn’t realize that John is willing to sacrifice his reputation to save her life.She continues to act under the assumption that his reputation is of the utmost importance to him, and she does not reveal the affair. This lie essentially condemns both of them. Danforth also acts out of concern for his reputations here. Hereferences the many sentencing decisions he has already made in the trials of the accused. If Danforth accepts Mary’s testimony, it would mean that he wrongly convicted numerous people already. This fact could destroy his credibility, so he is biased towards continuing to trust Abigail.Danforth has extensive pride in his intelligence and perceptiveness. This makes him particularly averse to accepting that he's been fooled by a teenage girl. Act 4 Though hysteria overpowered the reputations of the accused in the past two acts, in act 4 the sticking power of their original reputations becomes apparent.John and Rebecca’s solid reputations lead to pushback against their executions even though people were too scared to stand up for them in the midst of the trials.Parris begs Danforth to postpone their hangings because he fears for his life if the executions proceed as planned.He says, â€Å"I would to God it were not so, Excellency, but these people have great weight yet in the town† (pg. 118). However, this runs up against Danforth’s desire to preserve his reputation as a strong judge.He believes that â€Å"Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. While I speak God’s law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering† (pg. 119).Danforth’s image is extremely valuable to him, and he refuses to allow Parris’ concerns to disrupt his belief in the validity of his decisions. In the final events of Act 4, John Proctor has a tough choice to make between losing his dignity and losing his life. The price he has to pay in reputation to save his own life is ultimately too high.He chooses to die instead of providing a false confession because he doesn’t think life will be worth living after he is so disgraced. As he says,â€Å"How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!† (pg. 133) Discussion Questions Here are a few discussion questions to consider after you've read my summary of how the theme of reputation motivates characters and plot developments in The Crucible: How are characters’ behaviors affected by concern for their reputations? Is reputation more important than truth? Why doesn’t John immediately tell the court that he knows Abigail is faking? How does Parris’ pride prevent him from doing anything to stop the progression of events in the play? Why does Mary Warren warn John about testifying against Abigail? Why does he decide to do so anyways? Why does John decide to ruin his reputation in Act 3 by confessing to the affair? How is the arrest of Rebecca Nurse a sign that the hysteria in Salem has gotten out of control? How does reputation influence who is first accused of witchcraft? If you're an old beggar woman who sometimes takes shelter in this creepy shack, you better believe these jerks are gonna turn on you as soon as anyone says the word "witch." Theme #4: Power and Authority The desire to preserve and gain power pervadesThe Crucible as the witch trials lead to dramatic changes in which characters hold the greatest control over the course of events.Abigail’s power skyrockets as the hysteria grows more severe.Where before she was just an orphaned teenager, now, in the midst of the trials, she becomes the main witness to the inner workings of a Satanic plot.She has the power to utterly destroy people’s lives with a single accusation because she is seen as a victim and a savior. The main pillars of traditional power are represented by the law and the church.These two institutions fuse together in The Crucible to actively encourage accusers and discourage rational explanations of events. The girls are essentially given permission by authority figures to continue their act because they are made to feel special and important for their participation.The people in charge are so eager to hold onto their power that if anyone disagrees with them in the way the trials are conducted, it is taken as a personal affront and challenge to their authority. Danforth, Hathorne, and Parris become even more rigid in their views when they feel they are under attack. Act 1 As mentioned in the overview, religion holds significant power over the people of Salem.Reverend Parris is in a position of power as the town's spiritual leader, but he is insecure about his authority.He believes there is a group of people in town determined to remove him from this position, and he will say and do whatever it takes to retain control.This causes problems down the line as Parris allows his paranoia about losing his position to translate into enthusiasm for the witch hunt. Abigail, on the other hand, faces an uphill battle towards more power over her situation.She is clearly outspoken and dominant, but her initial position in society is one of very little influence and authority.One path to higher standing and greater control would be in becoming John Proctor’s wife.When she can’t get John to abandon Elizabeth for her, she decides to take matters into her own hands and gain control through manipulating the fears of others. Abigail accuses Tituba first because Tituba is the one person below her on the ladder of power, so she makes an easy scapegoat. If Tituba was permitted to explain what really happened, the ensuing tragedy might have been prevented.No one will listen to Tituba until she agrees to confirm the version of events that the people in traditional positions of authority have already decided is true, a pattern which continues throughout the play.Tituba is forced to accept her role as a pawn for those with greater authority and a stepping stone for Abigail’s ascent to power. Act 2 By Act 2, there have been notable changes in the power structure in Salem as a result of the ongoing trials.Mary Warren’s sense of self-importance has increased as a result of the perceived value of her participation in court.Elizabeth notes that Mary's demeanor is now like that of â€Å"the daughter of a prince† (pg. 50).This new power is exciting and very dangerous because it encourages the girls to make additional accusations in order to preserve their value in the eyes of the court. Abigail, in particular, has quickly risen from a nobody to one of the most influential people in Salem.Abigail’s low status and perceived innocence under normal circumstances allow her to claim even greater power in her current situation.No one thinks a teenage orphan girl is capable of such extensive deception (or delusion), so she is consistently trusted.In one of the most well-known quotes in the play, John Proctor angrily insists that â€Å"the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom† (pg. 73), meaning the girls are testing out the extent of the chaos they can create with their newfound power. Act 3 In Act 3, Abigail’s power in the courthouse is on display.She openly threatens Danforth for even entertaining Mary and John's accusations of fraud against her. Though Danforth is the most powerful official figure in court, Abigail manipulates him easily with her performance as a victim of witchcraft. He's already accepted her testimony as evidence, so he is happy for any excuse to believe her over John and Mary.John finally comes to the realization that Mary's truthful testimony cannot compete with the hysteria that has taken hold of the court.The petition he presents to Danforth is used as a weapon against the signers rather than a proof of the innocence of Elizabeth, Martha, and Rebecca. Abigail's version of events is held to be true even after John confesses to their affair in a final effort to discredit her.Logic has no power to combat paranoia and superstition even when the claims of the girls are clearly fraudulent.John Proctor surrenders his agency at the end of Act 3 i n despair at the determination of the court to pursue the accusations of witchcraft and ignore all evidence of their falsehood. Act 4 By Act 4, many of the power structures that were firmly in place earlier in the play have disintegrated.Reverend Parris has fallen from his position of authority as a result of the outcomes of the trials.He is weak and vulnerable after Abigail's theft of his life's savings, and he’s even facing death threats from the townspeople as a result of John and Rebecca's imminent executions.In Act 1 he jumped on board with the hysteria to preserve his power, but he ended up losing what little authority he had in the first place (and, according to Miller's afterward, was voted out of office soon after the end of the play). The prisoners have lost all faith in earthly authority figures and look towards the judgment of God.The only power they have left is in refusing to confess and preserving their integrity. In steadfastly refusing to confess, Rebecca Nurse holds onto a great deal of power.The judges cannot force her to commit herself to a lie, and her martyrdom severely damages their legitimacy and favor amongst the townspeople. Discussion Questions Here are some discussion questions to consider after reading about the thematic role of the concepts of power and authority in the events of the play: How do the witch trials empower individuals who were previously powerless? How does Reverend Hale make Tituba feel important? Compare and contrast three authority figures in this drama: Hale, Danforth, and Parris. What motivates their attitudes and responses toward the witch trials? What makes Danforth so unwilling to consider that the girls could be pretending? Why does Mary Warren behave differently when she becomes involved in the trials? How do the actions of authority figures encourage the girls to continue their accusations and even genuinely believe the lies they’re telling? Mary Warren when she comes back from Salem in Act 2 A Quick Look at Some Other The CrucibleThemes These are themes that could be considered subsets of the topics detailed in the previous sections, but there's also room to discuss them as topics in their own right. I'll give a short summary of how each plays a role in the events of The Crucible. Guilt The theme of guilt is one that is deeply relevant to John Proctor's character development throughout the play. John feels incredibly ashamed of his affair with Abigail, so he tries to bury it and pretend it never happened. His guilt leads to great tension in interactions with Elizabeth because he projects his feelings onto her, accusing her of being judgmental and dwelling on his mistakes. In reality, he is constantly judging himself, and this leads to outbursts of anger against others who remind him of what he did (he already feels guilty enough!). Hale also contends with his guilt in act 4 for his role in condemning the accused witches, who he now believes are innocent. There's a message here about the choices we have in dealing with guilt. John attempts to crush his guilt instead of facing it, which only ends up making it an even more destructive factor in his life. Hale tries to combat his guilt by persuading the prisoners to confess, refusing to accept that the damage has already been done. Both Hale and Proctor don't want to live with the consequences of their mistakes, so they try to ignore or undo their past actions. Misogyny and Portrayal of Women Miller's portrayal of women in The Crucible is a much-discussed topic. The attitudes towards women in the 1950s, when the play was written, are evident in the roles they're given. The most substantial female character is Abigail, who is portrayed as a devious and highly sexualized young woman. She is cast as a villain. Then, on the other end of the spectrum, we have Rebecca Nurse. She is a sensible, saintly old woman who chooses to martyr herself rather than lie and confess to witchcraft. The other two main female characters, Elizabeth and Mary Warren, are somewhat bland. Elizabeth is defined by her relationship to John, and Mary is pushed around by other characters (mostly men) throughout the play. The Crucible presents a view of women that essentially reduces them to caricatures of human beings that are defined by their roles as mothers, wives, and servants to men. Abigail, the one character who breaks from this mold slightly, is portrayed extremely unsympathetically despite the fa ct that the power dynamic between her and John makes him far more culpable in their illicit relationship. Deception Deception is a major driving force inThe Crucible. This includes not only accusatory lies about the involvement of others in witchcraft but also the lies that people consistently tell about their own virtuousness and purity in such a repressive society. The turmoil in Salem is propelled forward by desires for revenge and power that have been simmering beneath the town's placid exterior. There is a culture of keeping up appearances already in place, which makes it natural for people to lie about witnessing their neighbors partaking in Satanic rituals when the opportunity arises (especially if it means insulating themselves from similar accusations and even achieving personal gain). The Crucible provides an example of how convenient lies can build on one another to create a universally accepted truth even in the absence of any real evidence. Even before the witch trials, the people of Salem are doing lots of little magic tricks to make all their unholy thoughts and actions disappear. AbracaDENIAL! How to Write AboutThe CrucibleThemes It's one thing to understand the major themes in The Crucible, and it's another thing completely to write about them yourself. Essay prompts will ask about these themes in a variety of different ways. Some will be very direct. An example would be something like: "How are themes like hysteria, hunger for power, reputation, or any of a number of others functional in the drama? Choose a single character and discuss how this person embodies one of the themes. How is Miller’s underlying message revealed in one of these themes and through the character?" In a case like this, you'd be writing directly about a specific theme in connection to one of the characters. Essay questions that ask about themes in this straightforward way can be tricky because there's a temptation to speak in vague terms about the theme's significance. Always include specific details, including direct quotes, to support your argument about how the theme is expressed in the play. Other essay questions may not ask you directly about the themes listed in this article, but that doesn't mean that the themes are irrelevant to your writing. Here's another example of a potential essay question for The Crucible that's less explicit in its request for you to discuss themes of the play: "Most of the main characters in the play have personal flaws and either contribute to or end up in tragedy. Explain who you believe is the central tragic character in the play. What are their strengths and personal flaws? How does the central tragic character change throughout the play, and how does this relate to the play's title? How do outside forces contribute to the character's flaws and eventual downfall?" In this case, you're asked to discuss the concept of a tragic character, explaining who fits that mold in The Crucible and why. There are numerous connections between the flaws of individual characters and the overarching themes of the play that could be brought into this discussion. This is especially true with the reputation and hysteria themes. If you argued that John Proctor was the central tragic character, you could say that his flaws were an excessive concern for his reputation and overconfidence in the power of reason to overcome hysteria. Both flaws led him to delay telling the truth about Abigail's fraudulent claims and their previous relationship, thus dooming himself and many others to death or imprisonment. Even with prompts that ask you to discuss a specific character or plot point, you can find ways to connect your answer to major themes. These connections will bolster your responses by positioning them in relation to the most important concepts discussed throughout th e play. What's Next? Now that you've read about the most important themes in The Crucible, check out ourlist of every single character in the play, including brief analyses of their relationships and motivations. You can also read my full summary of The Crucible here for a review of exactly what happens in the plot in each act. The Crucible is commonly viewed as an allegorical representation of the communist "witch hunts" conducted in the 1950s. Take a look at this article for details on the history and thematic parallels behind this connection. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Compose one job application using information from the narrative Essay

Compose one job application using information from the narrative below. A Solicited Job application letter in block format - Essay Example I used to supervise in and out flow of the products. I also learned about the shipping lanes, the shipping cost, insurance policies and the restricted goods for different countries. During the summer 2007 I worked as a loader and dock worker in the same company. I know about the high risk of shipping over the ocean and also about loading the containers with or without cranes. So I have all the basic knowledge about the commercial merchant ships, about their speed, design and the crew. I have worked as a laborer as well as a member of the management team so i know the in and out of the whole business. Moreover I am energetic, disciplined and quick learner and have a real gusto for hard work. Thank you for your consideration. Please see my resume for additional information. I can be reached anytime via email jackst@yahoo.com or my cell phone 23456034809. Sincerely, Jack S. Turner

Sonnet analyze Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sonnet analyze - Essay Example Contrary to popular misconception, it is addressed, not to his lady-love, but to a friend, probably William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke 1. Shakespeare commences his sonnet by comparing the youth with summer, with its’ connotations of warmth and light, but then devotes the first two quatrains to listing the shortcomings of summer. Unlike the even-tempered disposition of his friend, summer is subject to excesses. It is a transient season, which flits away all too soon: the metaphor of the short lease (Line 4). The sun, â€Å"the eye of heaven,† (line 5) either blinds one with a surfeit of light, or vanishes behind overcast skies or the darkness of night. Capitulating to the inexorable march of time, nothing can adhere permanently to the ideal of beauty. In the third quatrain, Shakespeare acclaims the unchanging nature of his friends’ virtues, denoted by â€Å"thy eternal summer† (Line 9). His beauty, being of the mind and not of the body, will always remain wi thin his grasp. In the last two lines of the third quatrain and the concluding couplet, the poet asserts the immutability of his love for the youth, whom he has immortalized â€Å"in eternal lines† (Line 12). As long as the written word exists, his love will live on, beyond the reach of death. The sonnet apotheosizes both the poem and the poets’ Muse, concluding with the poignantly beautiful words: â€Å"So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this and this gives life to thee.† Coming to Sonnet 130, the first contrast to strike us is the difference between the straightforward paean of praise, which is Sonnet 18, and the light-hearted, satirical tone of Sonnet 130. All the three quatrains apparently mock the physical deficiencies of Shakespeare’s mistress: her eyes are less bright than the sun, coral outdoes her lips in redness, snow outshines her dull breast, her hair is far from the ideal of spun gold, she lacks the pink and white complexion of

Why businessman need to know about young people's buying behavior Essay

Why businessman need to know about young people's buying behavior - Essay Example The paper intended to trace the important trends shaping the buying behaviour of young people and the possible repercussions of ignoring these trends and their outcomes, by businessmen. It ought to be mentioned that collectively speaking, the researched sources agreed upon attributing people affiliated to the age group 15-30 years as being classified to be considered ‘young’. Approach To meet the objectives envisaged in the purpose statement of this paper, the research scholar resorted to an exhaustive study and analysis of the available academic and media sources to recognize the salient trends influencing the young consumers, an ignorance of which could have a detrimental impact on the modern businesses. The sources resorted to for research purposes included books, journals and print publications like news papers and magazines. The intentional approach was to correlate the varied facts in the research sources so as to identify the prominent trends having an impact on t he buying behaviour of the modern young consumers, and with which the contemporary businessmen need to be conversant with. In a theoretical context, this general review attempted to initiate a research and study into the factors influencing young buyers and their repercussions for the businesses aiming at targeting young customers. Findings. The research paper came to the conclusion that the buying behaviour of the modern youth is being shaped by multiple socio-economic trends. The businesses can immensely benefit by being cognizant of these trends and by responding to their impact on the young buyers. Limitations As this paper is based on the views and conclusions culled from varied academic and media sources, the conclusions drawn may tend to differ from the general views and opinions of the established authorities on the topic under consideration. Besides, since most of the sources referred to, belonged to varied time periods, the conclusions drawn may not represent the current and up to date opinions. Practical Implications This paper may prove informative and insightful to the businesses interested in attracting and influencing young buyers. Value This paper is unique in the sense that very few researchers have attempted to delineate the varied trends influencing the young consumers, and their implications for the businesses and corporations. Key Words: Young People, Consumption, Behaviour, Trends, Buying, E-Commerce 1.0 Introduction In a very conservative and traditional context, businessmen used to focus on the consumers lying between the age group 30 and 45. However, things have changed in the last two decades, in the sense that more and more young people are entering the markets as potential buyers (Michman et al., 2003). One simply cannot accept the fact that consumerism and the material aspects of life are confined merely to the older generation. Actually, the young people of today are much more in tandem with the varied aspects of consumerism and materialism. In this context, it has become imperative for the businessmen to understand and have a pragmatic insight into the buying behaviour of the young people, so that they can target their marketing strategies and business plans as per the needs and aspirations of this potent and influential consumer segment. It is a must for the busines smen to understand as to how the young consumers perceive and value their products and services. Realistically speaking, the more competition oriented and proactive businessmen are already in the process of narrowing down their focus on the young consumers. Yes, to a great extent, the young people of today are more receptive of and vulnerable to varied promotional and advertising approaches (O’Shaughnessy & O’

The Forest of Hands and Teeth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Essay Example The people of the village are controlled by fear of the Unconsecrated who continually try to infiltrate the village in order to satisfy their need for human flesh. The villagers live with the constant fear that the village could be breached at any time and they all would be infected which would turn the village into a world of zombies. Every day life is ruled by this fear, for instance, those villagers who were not of the Guard had to stay away from the fences in case of being bitten. Thus, it can be said that this fear was a form of social control; for, it forced the villagers to live in a certain way and adhere to certain rules. The villagers have limited options as what to do with their lives. Mary explains that â€Å"In my village an unmarried woman has three choices. She may live with her family; a man may speak for her, court her through the winter and marry her in the spring ceremonies; or she may join the Sisterhood.† The only real option the men have is to join the gu ard which patrols the fences, ensuring that no unconsecrated breach them. These options leave no room for free will and places duty above any personal wishes. These restrictions show how the villagers are obliged to live within these restrictions which tightly control their social lives. Ryan seems to be pointing at those social structures which limit our choices and free will. For instance, it is the common belief that has been passed down over generations that it is a woman’s duty to marry and have children. The Sisterhood of the village which is the religious mothers of the village so to speak also practices social control over the villagers. The Sisters believe in religious order, and tell the villagers that they are the only humans left on earth. Therefore, they are to protect their society whatever the cost, even if it means killing a loved one who has become infected. They also enforce the belief that God’s word is not to be questioned. On each door in the villa ge, a scripture is carved into the right of the door. Before, anyone is to enter or leave a building they have to place their hand on the scripture. Mary tells us that â€Å"It is our habit and duty to press a hand against these words†, demonstrating how easy it is to simply obey and get caught up in social control. The sisters have taught that this practice will protect the villagers and make God aid them. Whereas, if they do not follow these religious practices, God’s wrath would descend on the village. When Mary is forced to join the sisterhood she discovers that she has no choice but to abide by the sisters’ laws or else she would be cast out into the forest to join the ranks of the unconsecrated. Mary’s belief that there is a world beyond her village and the forest is bolstered by the arrival of the outsider, Gabrielle. Mary then realizes that the sisterhood has been keeping secrets from the villagers in order to force them to follow the edicts laid out by them. When Mary discovers that Gabrielle has become an unconsecrated, she explores the forbidden section of the Cathedral and learns that the sisters had caused Gabrielle to turn as part of an experiment. This completely shatters Mary’s belief in the sisterhood and all that they represent. The sisterhood created the Guard which Mary later finds out also kept certain secrets, such as placing stocks of food, water and weapons on the two fenced paths that lead away from