A Shattered Silence in The Chosen Essay Example

A Shattered Silence in The Chosen Essay Example A Shattered Silence in The Chosen Essay A Shattered Silence in The Chosen Essay Essay Topic: The Chosen Nobody likes to be given the â€Å"silent treatment†, but imagine having all of your young life be a long and grueling silence; irritation and aggravation are natural reactions to when one is ignored or has been given a response of silence. Danny is distraught, he beats himself up over why his father acts the way he does, but he still has the mind to believe that it is for a reason. Throughout his life, Danny has been given the response of his father’s silence, a mystery to many, for any situation besides the study of the Torah. These long silences from Danny’s father is strange and misunderstood by everyone who interprets it, but Danny soon learns why his father has raised him in a silent tornado of confusion, pain, and misery. Throughout Chaim Potok’s The Chosen, he illustrates how Danny and Reuven both struggle with silence in many ways and how it is a mystery to the both, brings pain into their lives, and the way silence makes one realize who they real ly are. The silence brings confusion into the large array of emotions, which the characters of The Chosen all have experienced in their lifetime making it a mystery of it being good or bad. We start off this novel with the unknown silence between Danny and Reuven; how they â€Å"lived within five blocks of each other and neither of us knew of the existence of the other.† (11) This gives the reader a way to understand not only the silence between the two boys, but the silence that Hasidic Jews and non-Hasidic Jews share due to their varying ideas and interpretation of the Torah. The boys share the silence of being unaware of each other because of these beliefs. Chaim Potok shows this confusion through Reuven: â€Å"Im all mixed up about you. Im not trying to be funny or anything. I really am mixed up about you. You look like a Hasid, but you dont sound like one. You dont sound like what my father says Hasidim are supposed to sound like† (86). Reuven is in silence for who Hasidi

A Monologue for Women From the Play Tomorrows Wish

A Monologue for Women From the Play Tomorrows Wish The following is a monologue from the three-act play  Tomorrow’s Wish,  written and shared by Wade Bradford. Tomorrows Wish is a comedy-drama including some elements of fantasy. The story is about a 16-year-old character, Megan Pomerville, who has to deal with her strange yet friendly cousin, Juniper. Juniper was homeschooled and has lived a sheltered life, but Megans perspective changes when she finds out Junipers secret. This original  comedic female monologue  is available to be  used by students, actors, and directors for educational or professional purposes. The Context of the Monologue Within the Play Juniper is a creative  young woman with learning disabilities. Her cousins believe Juniper is odd because she lives in a small town with her grandmother, sheltered away from most of the world. In this scene, she is talking to her cousin, Megan, about her first and only kiss. The monologue follows: I kissed a boy once. At least I tried. I don’t know if it counts if they don’t kiss back. But I tried to kiss a boy and it almost worked. Most of the time Grandma and I don’t get to see folks much, but we  go into town. Sometimes. And Grandma says I just have to be careful to mind my manners, and Grandma says I’m real good at being careful, but sometimes I get so bored in that little town. Only one video store. Only two churches. And the park only has two swings and a pool that never gets filled up anymore. But in our little town there is a boy named Samuel. Hes a bag-boy at the grocery store. He does it just right and never squishes the eggs.And he has red hair and green eyes. And†¦ (Laughs at the memory.)Freckles all over his face! And Samuel is so nice. So nice to me and Gram. He would always smile and always say â€Å"Thank you† and â€Å"Youre welcome.† If he says, â€Å"Have a nice day,† then you do. That’show good he is at his job. And I always wanted†¦ I always wanted to be close to him, or to talk to him, without Gram around.And one day when Grandma had a really bad cold I got to go to thestore all by myself. And I bought some oyster crackers and some medicine. Then I got to watch Samuel all by myself. Watch him do his bag boy job. I just stared and stared, trying to count all of those handsome freckles. Then, he asked if there was anything else I wanted. I just whispered â€Å"Yes.† (Pauses, closes eyes in remembrance.) And then I grabbed him by the ears and MmmmmmmMM! (Pretends she’s grabbing and kissing him.) That was my first kiss. It was the most romantic moment of my life. Until the manager pulled me off of him. - Juniper How to Memorize the Monologue Readers should read the monologue several times and read the words aloud. Then, it is suggested to make a list of any questions while reading. All actors should thoroughly read the complete play that their monologue comes from, so ideally, readers should access a copy of  Tomorrows Wish. The complete script is available in print and online, and the paperback edition is available on Amazon.com and the Kindle Store. Breaking the monologue into sections for memorization is recommended. This way, readers can work on memorizing one section at a time. As they memorize, its important to keep in mind that Juniper is speaking to her cousin Megan. Readers should give some consideration to how Megan is reacting to Junipers words. Then, readers can return to the list of questions and either find the answers within the larger script or make up the answers. That way, readers can feel as thoroughly familiar with this character as possible. Finally, readers should practice their monologue for anyone who will listen. They can deliver it aloud and as often as possible for an audience of one, or many, before performing it for an audition or within a performance.

Analyze Emil Sinclair's development on the book Demian by Herman Hesse Essay

Analyze Emil Sinclair's development on the book Demian by Herman Hesse - Essay Example Reading through the story makes it quite subtle that it deals with an internal development of Emil Sinclair; all the same, the overall result delivers a transformation from that personal bit to arrive at a universal meaning. At the young age of ten, Emil Sinclair first identifies two different sides of life, the light and the dark side of life also represented by good and evil. Each of these two sides of life is represented by actual phenomena, for instance, the light also the good side of life is represented by Sinclair’s family, home and their customs and traditions. The dark side of life is transient both with experiences in his life as well as imaginations in his mind. An example of this is Sinclair’s world as filled with servant girls and ghost stories. Sinclair continuously envisions images of ghosts and the devil somewhere in the neighborhood but these are never present at his own home (Hesse, Egon and Ingrid 222). These perceptions and the likelihood of the ghos ts and the devil around the neighborhood makes Sinclair prefer the safety and warmth of his home. At this stage, he perceives his life as holy â€Å"saintly† as he is born of righteous parents. ... Besides introduction to the dark world, Kromer acts as the guide to the novel world. Sinclair’s interaction with Kromer is the first apparent step in loosing his innocence and accommodating divergent ideas separate from those propagated by his parents. It opens him to the reality that there is much to the world than that he has been taught in class or has been told by the parents. During this period characterized by overwhelming new information on the dark world, Sinclair is still uncertain on how to handle and navigate through the dark world. At the same time, Sinclair is still awed by the information that Demain presents to him on Cain. At this point, he still has no definite framework to guide his thoughts or perceive the radical information presented to him (Hesse). This is perhaps the reason why Sinclair attempts to return to his parents after Demain frees him from Kromer. This is because the parents assure him of security and comfort and ensure predictability. Further de velopment comes with age and continuous interaction with Demain. Through this Sinclair is able to perceive a life beyond the strict systems and laws that restrict his life. Reaching adolescence he becomes more interested in women and the significance of confirmation classes wanes. The most revealing factor is that he feels very comfortable with this departure. It marks his transition from complete consciousness with the holy to a preference of his desires. Centrality of his desires is epitomized when he meets Beatrice, Beatrice represents an archetype of a person he wishes to associate with. This translates into an overwhelming desire and immense feelings, further they characterize a new phase where he grasps the importance

Schizoaffective disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Schizoaffective disorder - Essay Example For a full diagnosis of this disorder to be verified, there should be a period of at least two weeks where the patient displays psychosis without mood disorder, and these symptoms of psychosis should not be due to the use of medication or other substances. Schizoaffective disorder tends to affect an individual’s perception and emotions and this result in false perceptions as well as disordered thought processes, which include delusions, disorganized speech, and thought process. Due to this, it is very common for those affected by this disorder to have dysfunctions in both their social and occupational lives. The division into depressive and bipolar types of schizoaffective disorder depends on whether an individual has ever had manic, hypomanic or mixed episodes, and symptoms for this disorder normally occur in early adulthood, with symptoms rarely occurring before the age of thirteen (Diabetes Week, 2009). A person who has this disorder tends to experience extreme transformati ons in mood and has some of the psychotic symptoms, which are related to schizophrenia such as hallucinations. The psychotic symptoms are reflected when a person is unable to differentiate between what is real from what is imagined, and these symptoms tend to vary greatly from one person to another (Dodd, 2010). While the symptoms may be mild for in certain individuals, they can manifest themselves very severely in others. Some of the symptoms, which are displayed when one has schizoaffective disorder, are the following: depression, mania, and schizophrenia. Cases of depression in schizoaffective disorder are always accompanied by various characteristics such as the loss of appetite and this tends to result in the loss of weight. Furthermore, the individual’s sleeping patterns also change so that this individual my sleep a lot or very little, depending on their situation. Depression is always accompanied by excessive restlessness as well as a lack of energy in the body. The i ndividual experiences a lack of interest in those activities that he or she was very active in. there are times when an individual may have feelings of being worthless or hopeless and this can bring about guilt or self–blame. Depression may also bring about the inability to think coherently or to concentrate, and the individual may be tempted to resort to suicide as a result. Schizoaffective disorder is often accompanied by mania, which results in the increase in activity of the affected person, and these include work, social, and sexual activities. Mania also results in the increased talking of the individual due to the rapid and racing thoughts, which are common symptoms of mania. An individual feels very little need for sleep and may in fact prefer staying up late trying to do other activities. The individual might also be very agitated about nothing important in particular. Furthermore, there is a chance that mania might result in the individual having a very low self-est eem and this brings about very destructive behavior such as having unsafe sex, having spending sprees, as well as driving recklessly. Schizophrenia is one of the signs, which enable nurses to identify that a person does in fact, have schizoaffective disorder (Martin, 2007). One of the symptoms of schizophrenia is delusions; this is where an individual has very strange beliefs, which have no real basis in reality, and he or she holds on to these beliefs even when they are presented with facts to the contrary.

Amusement Park - 1 Essay Example for Free

Amusement Park 1 Essay When one goes to an amusement park they usually set out to be thrilled by riding all of the newest attractions. At a park you’ll find many diverse people. But in reality, the people that go there can be grouped into three different categories. There is the individual that knows every minute fact about every roller coaster ever made. Then, there are small children that have to stay in kiddy land. Finally, there are the fanatic families that are there for just a day. These three categories are the roller coaster guru, the under sixty-two-inch club, and the non-stop ride until you drop family crew. The roller coaster guru knows every minute fact about every roller coaster ever built. He travels to theme parks all over the world just to be one of the first park goers that experiences a new roller coaster. It doesn’t matter how long the line to a coaster may be or how short the ride itself may be; the roller coaster guru will do anything for the rush of a coaster. Like some are addicted to drugs, he’s addicted to riding roller coasters. If you talk to him it will seem he only takes pleasure in roller coasters and nothing else. You might say he lives and breathes roller coasters. However, not all park goers can ride roller coasters, whether it is they get sick on them or just don’t care for them. The under sixty-two-inch club is unfortunately banned from all real rides, including roller coasters. This is due to their short stature. You will often find these little people in kiddy land watching longingly the â€Å"over sixty-two-inch club† being exhilarated by all of the actual rides. While most of the members are children, dwarfs and midgets also apply. The unfortunate parents of these children try to console and comfort them, but the children just don’t understand why they are stuck in a world of such un-thrilling rides, when they can hear the screams of excitement coming from just beyond the fence. One day their time will come and they too will be inducted into the non-stop ride until you drop family crew. The non-stop ride until you drop family crew goes to an amusement park for a one-day family getaway. The second they enter the park they put their pre-planned agenda into effect, running into all different directions. All day long they ride every ride they possibly can, no lunch or bathroom breaks allowed. They have one mission and it is to ride every ride in the entire park in just eight short hours. You should not try and befriend any of these ride-thirsty people for they will cut you in line and may become incredibly precarious. They must waste no time, because they want to be the first on and off every ride so they can complete their mission on time. Many different people can be found at amusement parks. Theme parks may seem like harmless places to the naked eye but with a magnifying glass everything is scarier than originally thought. These three categories of people are found at every park: the roller coaster guru, the under sixty-two-inch club, all the way to the non-stop ride until you drop family crews. Beware of the fanatic families that will stop at nothing to complete their task, the infuriated children being deprived of all the excitement, and the roller coaster experts who will stop at nothing to attest they are the best of their kind!

An Investigation Into Electrical Resistance :: essays research papers

Background Knowledge Resistance, in electricity, is a property of any object or substance to resist the flow of an electrical current. The quantity of resistance in an electric circuit determines the amount of current flowing in the circuit for any given voltage applied to the circuit. The resistance of an object is determined by the nature of the substance of which it is composed, its resistivity, accounting for its dimensions and its temperature. Resistivity is expressed in terms of Ohms / cm3 at 20Â ºC. An electrical conductor is any material that offers little resistance to the flow of an electric current. The difference between a conductor and an insulator, which is a poor conductor of electricity, is one of degree rather than kind, because all substances conduct electricity to some extent. A good conductor of electricity, such as silver or copper, may have a conductivity billions of times as great, or more, as the conductivity of a good insulator, such as glass or mica. Method We were set the task of investigating the factors that come into play when determining the resistance of a piece of wire. We would be provided with the necessary apparatus needed to carry out the investigations. The basic setup would involve a circuit with a set of cells connected in series with an ammeter and the piece of wire being investigated, and a voltmeter connected in parallel with the wire. The ammeter is placed in series with the wire. An ammeter has a low resistance, so that it introduces as little extra resistance as possible into the circuit. The voltmeter is connected in parallel with the wire. Voltmeters have a high resistance, so the current they take is usually negligible. We decided on the variables that could affect the resistance of a wire:  Length of the wire  Thickness of the wire  The material used as the wire  Temperature We were to investigate as many of these factors as possible given a limited period of time. We would carry out a set of experiments where in each one we changed one variable while keeping the others constant. In each case we would have to measure the current passing through the circuit and the potential difference across the wire; given these the resistance could be calculated using the formula R=v/i, where R is the resistance in Ohms, v is the potential difference in Volts, and i is the current in Amperes.

Management and corporate social responsibility Essay

Corporate social responsibility is a significant issue in the current business environment. There is now a significant shift in businesses to become recognized as being socially responsible whilst achieving the primary business objective of profit maximization. Business now strive particularly to reach the triple bottom line as a key objective as it incorporates; people planet and profit objectives. Corporate social responsibility is often difficult to define, as there are many different definitions and understandings amongst academics and professionals. However corporate social responsibility can broadly be defined as a ‘‘concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis’’ (Falkenberg and Bruns? l 2012). The relationship between socially responsible business actions and profit maximization is generally mixed and controversial. Generally the view is that in order for a business to undertake socially responsible practices there is often increased financial and non-financial costs in order to ensure this and thus leading to decreased profits in the short term. However it is also evident that socially responsible business actions and strong relationships with business stakeholders may lead to significant long-term profit maximization. Corporate social responsibility is now an essential factor within business management. A firm’s corporate social responsibility must be evident throughout all its business functions, in which the ethics and values of the business must align to meet all stakeholder expectations. Including social, environmental and ethical factors of business. In the article â€Å"Is harm reduction profitable? An analytical framework for corporate social responsibility based on an epidemic model of addictive consumption† (Massin 2012) the corporate social responsibility of firms in the industry of addictive substances, most noteworthy, gambling, cigarettes, and alcohol. There is a significant paradox in relation to producers within these industries and their socially responsible claims. â€Å"These firms claim to be socially responsible while marketing a product clearly identified and harmful† (Massin 2012). The paper generally focuses on the substances of alcohol, cigarettes and gambling, as it is these products â€Å"whose consumption shares the dual characteristic of being at risk of leading the users to gradually lose control over their consumption and of generating health and social damage. † (Massin 2012) thus highlighting the contradiction of the producer’s claims of being socially responsible whilst selling these highly addictive products. Within the industries of addictive goods firms cannot be completely socially responsible, as this would involve the removal of these products from the market. Thus highlighting the inability for producers of addictive products to achieve corporate social responsibility. Therefore illustrating the inability of firms in these industries to be socially responsible whilst still achieving the primary business goal of profit maximization. Corporate social responsibility involves business firms aligning their values with those of their stakeholders. There are many significant stakeholders of business, including shareholders, managers, employees and society. Another significant business stakeholder is that of the environment. A socially responsible business is viewed to have open and accountable business actions based on respect for the community, society and the broader environment, and not just legal regulations. This therefore means a socially responsible business ensures it takes into account environmental stability and sustainability. In the article â€Å"Environmental corporate social responsibility and financial performance disentangling direct and indirect effects† (Loiui, Sharma 2012) the link between environmental social responsibility and financial performance has been established. The increasing environmental awareness has lead to increased firm research and development and hence has established new technologies and production processes (Loiui, Sharma 2012). This increases research and development and implementation of new technologies and production processes generally leads to significant short-term business costs in the implementation and change within the business. However, the implementation of socially responsible business behavior leading to environmental sustainability creates significant long-term profit opportunities through increased waste reduction, lower business consumption and also increase brand image in the eyes of consumers. This linkage between socially responsible business actions, involving environmentally friendly processes and the ability to maximize profit highlights the ability for firms to uphold socially responsible business actions whilst also being able to achieve financial objectives and profit maximization. Corporate social responsibility is viewed as an essential business function in today’s business environment. However, corporate social responsibility is widely viewed as a violation of a businesses financial performance and the opportunity for business profit maximization. Corporate social responsibility is seen to have many disadvantages that hinder and impede the fundamental business goal of profitability. This concept is further explored in the paper â€Å"the casual effect of corporate governance on corporate social responsibility† (Maretno and Harjoto 2012). In which it is highlighted that there are three alternatives to the relationship between corporate social responsibility and a firm’s corporate financial performance. These three theories identify the variable relationships between socially responsible business actions and financial performance. One of the alternatives illustrates the constraint corporate social responsibility imposes on the primary business goals of profitability. It is stated that socially responsible business actions are viewed as â€Å"costly activities and a waste of scarce resources, and therefore have an adverse impact on firm value† (Maretno and Harjoto 2012). Corporate social responsibility is often viewed as a costly procedure for businesses to undertake. However, this cost of corporate social responsibility is not only financial but also involves costs associated with time, resources and labour, furthermore contributing to the overall financial inefficiency and disadvantages associated with corporate social responsibility. The impeding financial and non financial costs of the implementation of corporate social responsibility create significant hindrances to a businesses’ ability to maximize profits and thus, highlights the difficulty in relation to being socially responsible whilst also satisfying the primary business goal of profit maximization. Although corporate social responsibility is seen to violate profits, it is also believed that firms that conduct socially responsible business actions may reap financial gain and profit maximization. A company’s business action in relation to corporate social responsibility generally has significant influence on the attitudes of non-investing stakeholders and the general society. In the article â€Å"the casual effect of corporate governance on corporate social responsibility† (Maretno and Harjoto 2012) Maretno and Harjoto explain CSR as a â€Å"conflict resolution hypothesis†, in which corporate social responsibility is used as a conflict resolution tool between the firm and they’re non-investing stakeholders (Maretno and Harjoto 2012). Soana’s paper â€Å"the relationship between corporate social performance and corporate financial performance in the banking sector† (Soana 2011) further more identifies the positive link between both corporate social responsibility and financial performance and profitability. Corporate social responsibility is seen to give firms â€Å"competitive advantage† and may also be seen as a â€Å"safeguard of corporate reputation†(Soana 2011). The use of corporate social responsibility as a conflict resolution tool and a safeguard for unpredictability creates significant opportunity for strong financial performance within the firm, due to its creation of several strategic advantages for business, such as the enhanced and harmonious business environments as well as enhanced public image and greater brand value. These factors greatly contribute to the financial performance of the firm and thus if corporate social responsibility is achieved there are significant opportunities for profit maximization. Therefore illustrating the ability of firms to uphold socially responsible actions and corporate social responsibility, whilst still retaining the ability to achieve the primary business goal of profit maximization. Corporate social responsibility has a paramount influence on businesses in the current business environment. Corporate social responsibility consists of open and accountable business actions in order to align the firm’s values with those of their stakeholders. Businesses are now becoming more concerned with the demands of corporate social responsibility, whilst still trying to achieve the fundamental business goal of profit maximization. There is many challenges associated whilst trying to achieve the business objectives of corporate social responsibility and profit maximization simultaneously. Corporate social responsibility generally is associated with increased business costs, including those of time, misuse of resources and monetary costs. However, it has also become evident that socially responsible business actions may lead to long-term financial gains for business as well as greater stakeholder reputation, brand perception and efficiency, ultimately leading to the maximization of business profits. References Falkenberg, J. and Brunsael, P. (2012) corporate social responsibility: a strategic advantage or a strategic necessity?. Journal of business ethics, 99 p. 9-16. [Accessed: 24th April 2013]. Lioui, A. and Sharma, Z. (2012) Environmental corporate social responsibility and financial performance: Disentangling direct and indirect effects. Ecological economics, 78 p. 100-111. [Accessed: 24th April 2013]. Maretno, H. and Harjoto, A. (2012) The casual effect of corporate governance con corporate social responsibility. Journal of Business ethics, 106 p. 53-72. [Accessed: 20th April 2013]. Massin, S. (2012) Is harm reduction profitable? an analytical framework for corporate social responsibility based on an epidemic model of addictive consumption. Social Science and medicine, 74 p. 1856-1863. [Accessed: 24th april 2013]. Soana, M. (2011) The relationship between corporate social performance and corporate financial performance in the banking sector. Journal of business ethics, 104 p. 133-148. [Accessed: 24th April 2013].

Zoe’s Tale PART II Chapter Fifteen

The next several months were very tiring. Early mornings: physical conditioning. â€Å"You are soft,† Hickory said to me and Gretchen the first day. â€Å"Despicable lies,† I said. â€Å"Very well,† Hickory said, and pointed to the tree line of the forest, at least a klick away. â€Å"Please run to the forest as quickly as you can. Then run back. Do not stop until you return.† We ran. By the time I got back, it felt like my lungs were trying to force themselves up my trachea, the better to smack me around for abusing them. Both Gretchen and I collapsed into the grass gasping. â€Å"You are soft,† Hickory repeated. I didn't argue, and not just because at the moment I was totally incapable of speaking. â€Å"We are done for today. Tomorrow we will truly begin with your physical conditioning. We will start slowly.† It and Dickory walked away, leaving Gretchen and me to imagine ways we were going to murder Hickory and Dickory, once we could actually force oxygen back into our bodies. Mornings: school, like every other kid and teen not actively working in a field. Limited books and supplies meant sharing with others. I shared my textbooks with Gretchen, Enzo, and Magdy. This worked fine when we were all speaking to each other, less so when some of us were not. â€Å"Will you two please focus?† Magdy said, waving his hands in front of the two of us. We were supposed to be doing calculus. â€Å"Stop it,† Gretchen said. She had her head down on our table. It had been a hard workout that morning. â€Å"God, I miss coffee,† she said, looking up at me. â€Å"It would be nice to get to this problem sometime today,† Magdy said. â€Å"Oh, what do you care,† Gretchen said. â€Å"It's not like any of us are going to college anyway.† â€Å"We still have to do it,† Enzo said. â€Å"You do it, then,† Gretchen said. She leaned over and pushed the book toward the two of them. â€Å"It's not me or Zoe who has to learn this stuff. We already know it. You two are always waiting for us to do the work, and then just nodding like you actually know what we're doing.† â€Å"That's not true,† Magdy said. â€Å"Really? Fine,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Prove it. Impress me.† â€Å"I think someone's morning exertions are making her a little grumpy,† Magdy said, mockingly. â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† I said. â€Å"It means that since the two of you started whatever it is you're doing, you've been pretty useless here,† Magdy said. â€Å"Despite what Gretchen the Grump is hinting at, it's the two of us who have been carrying the two of you lately, and you know it.† â€Å"You're carrying us in math?† Gretchen said. â€Å"I don't think so.† â€Å"Everything else, sweetness,† Magdy said. â€Å"Unless you think Enzo pulling together that report on the early Colonial Union days last week doesn't count.† â€Å"That's not ‘we,' that's Enzo,† Gretchen said. â€Å"And thank you, Enzo. Happy, Magdy? Good. Now let's all shut up about this.† Gretchen put her head back down on the table. Enzo and Magdy looked at each other. â€Å"Here, give me the book,† I said, reaching for it. â€Å"I'll do this problem.† Enzo slid the book over to me, not quite meeting my gaze. Afternoons: training. â€Å"So, how is the training going?† Enzo asked me one early evening, catching me as I limped home from the day's workout. â€Å"Do you mean, can I kill you yet?† I asked. â€Å"Well, no,† Enzo said. â€Å"Although now that you mention it I'm curious. Can you?† â€Å"It depends,† I said, â€Å"on what it is you're asking me to kill you with.† There was an uncomfortable silence after that. â€Å"That was a joke,† I said. â€Å"Are you sure?† Enzo said. â€Å"We didn't even get around to how to kill things today,† I said, changing the subject. â€Å"We spent the day learning how to move quietly. You know. To avoid capture.† â€Å"Or to sneak up on something,† Enzo said. I sighed. â€Å"Yes, okay, Enzo. To sneak up on things. To kill them. Because I like to kill. Kill and kill again, that's me. Little Zoe Stab Stab.† I sped up my walking speed. Enzo caught up with me. â€Å"Sorry,† he said. â€Å"That wasn't fair of me.† â€Å"Really,† I said. â€Å"It's just a topic of conversation, you know,† Enzo said. â€Å"What you and Gretchen are doing.† I stopped walking. â€Å"What kind of conversation?† I asked. â€Å"Well, think about it,† Enzo said. â€Å"You and Gretchen are spending your afternoons preparing for the apocalypse. What do you think people are talking about?† â€Å"It's not like that,† I said. â€Å"I know,† Enzo said, reaching out and touching my arm, which reminded me we spent less time touching each other lately. â€Å"I've told people that, too. Doesn't keep people from talking, though. That and the fact that it's you and Gretchen.† â€Å"So?† I said. â€Å"You're the daughter of the colony leaders, she's the daughter of the guy everyone knows is next in line on the colony council,† Enzo said. â€Å"It looks like you're getting special treatment. If it was just you, people would get it. People know you've got that weird thing you have with the Obin – â€Å" â€Å"It's not weird,† I said. Enzo looked at me blankly. â€Å"Yeah, okay,† I said. â€Å"People know you've got that thing with the Obin, so they wouldn't think about it if it was just you,† Enzo said. â€Å"But the two of you is making people nervous. People wonder if you guys know something we don't.† â€Å"That's ridiculous,† I said. â€Å"Gretchen is my best friend. That's why I asked her. Should I have asked someone else?† â€Å"You could have,† Enzo said. â€Å"Like who?† I said. â€Å"Like me,† Enzo said. â€Å"You know, your boyfriend.† â€Å"Yeah, because people wouldn't talk about that,† I said. â€Å"Maybe they would and maybe they wouldn't,† Enzo said. â€Å"But at least I'd get to see you every once in a while.† I didn't have any good answer to that. So I just gave Enzo a kiss. â€Å"Look, I'm not trying to make you feel bad or guilty or whatever,† Enzo said, when I was done. â€Å"But I would like to see more of you.† â€Å"That statement can be interpreted in many different ways,† I said. â€Å"Let's start with the innocent ones,† Enzo said. â€Å"But we can go from there if you want.† â€Å"And anyway, you see me every day,† rewinding the conversation just a little. â€Å"And we always spend time together at the hootenannies.† â€Å"I don't count doing schoolwork together as time together,† Enzo said. â€Å"And as much fun as it is to admire how you trained Hickory to imitate a sitar solo – â€Å" â€Å"That's Dickory,† I said. â€Å"Hickory does the drum sounds.† Enzo gently put a finger to my lips. â€Å"As much fun as it is,† he repeated. â€Å"I'd rather have some time for just you and me.† He kissed me, which was pretty effective punctuation. â€Å"How about now?† I said, after the kiss. â€Å"Can't,† Enzo said. â€Å"On my way home to babysit Maria and Katherina so my parents can have dinner with friends.† â€Å"Waaah,† I said. â€Å"Kiss me, tell me you want to spend time together, leave me hanging. Nice.† â€Å"But I have tomorrow afternoon free,† Enzo said. â€Å"Maybe then. After you're done with your stabbing practice.† â€Å"We already did stabbing,† I said. â€Å"Now we're on to strangulation.† Silence. â€Å"Joke,† I said. â€Å"I only have your word for that,† Enzo said. â€Å"Cute.† I kissed him again. â€Å"See you tomorrow.† The next day training went long. I skipped dinner to head to Enzo's parents' homestead. His mother said he'd waited around, and then headed over to Magdy's. We didn't talk to each other much the next day during school. Evenings: study. â€Å"We have reached an agreement with Jerry Bennett to allow you to use the information center in the evenings twice a week,† Hickory said. I suddenly felt sorry for Jerry Bennett, who I had heard was more than a little terrified of Hickory and Dickory, and probably would have agreed to anything they asked just so long as they left him alone. I made a mental note to invite Bennett to the next hootenanny. There's nothing to make an Obin look less threatening than to see one in front of a crowd, bobbing its neck back and forth and making like a tabla drum. Hickory continued. â€Å"While you are there, you will study the Colonial Union files of other sentient species.† â€Å"Why do you want us to learn about them?† Gretchen asked. â€Å"To know how to fight them,† Hickory said. â€Å"And how to kill them.† â€Å"There are hundreds of species in the Conclave,† I said. â€Å"Are we supposed to learn about each of them? That's going to take more than two nights a week.† â€Å"We will be focusing on species who are not members of the Conclave,† Hickory said. Gretchen and I looked at each other. â€Å"But they're not the ones planning to kill us,† Gretchen said. â€Å"There are many trying to kill you,† Hickory said. â€Å"And some may be more motivated than others. For example, the Rraey. They recently lost a war with the Enesha, who took control of most of their colonies before they were themselves defeated by the Obin. The Rraey are no longer a direct threat to any established race or colony. But if they were to find you here, there is no doubt what they would do.† I shuddered. Gretchen noticed. â€Å"You okay?† she asked. â€Å"I'm fine,† I said, too quickly. â€Å"I've met the Rraey before.† Gretchen looked at me strangely but didn't say anything after that. â€Å"We have a list for you,† Hickory said. â€Å"Jerry Bennett has already prepared the files you have access to for each species. Take special note of the physiology of each race. This will be important in our instruction.† â€Å"To learn how to fight them,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"And to learn how to kill them.† Three weeks into our studies I pulled up a race who were not on our list. â€Å"Wow, they're scary-looking,† Gretchen said, looking over my shoulder after she noticed I had been reading for a while. â€Å"They're Consu,† I said. â€Å"They're scary, period.† I handed my PDA over to Gretchen. â€Å"They're the most advanced race we know about. They make us look like we're banging rocks together. And they're the ones who made the Obin what they are today.† â€Å"Genetically engineered them?† Gretchen asked. I nodded. â€Å"Well, maybe next time they can code for personality. What are you looking at them for?† â€Å"I'm just curious,† I said. â€Å"Hickory and Dickory have talked to me about them before. They're the closet thing the Obin have to a higher power.† â€Å"Their gods,† Gretchen said. I shrugged. â€Å"More like a kid with an ant farm,† I said. â€Å"An ant farm and a magnifying glass.† â€Å"Sounds lovely,† Gretchen said, and handed back the PDA. â€Å"Hope I never get to meet them. Unless they're on my side.† â€Å"They're not on a side,† I said. â€Å"They're above.† â€Å"Above is a side,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Not our side,† I said, and switched the PDA back to what I was supposed to be reading. Late evening: everything else. â€Å"Well, this is a surprise,† I said to Enzo, who was sitting on my doorstep as I came back from another thrilling night at the information center. â€Å"I haven't seen you too much recently.† â€Å"You haven't seen much of anybody recently,† Enzo said, standing up to greet me. â€Å"It's just you and Gretchen. And you've been avoiding me since we broke up the study group.† â€Å"I'm not avoiding you,† I said. â€Å"You haven't been going out of your way to look for me,† Enzo said. Well, he had me there. â€Å"I don't blame you for it,† I said, changing the subject a little. â€Å"It's not your fault Magdy threw that fit of his.† After several weeks of increased sniping, things between Magdy and Gretchen finally reached toxic levels; the two of them had a shouting match in class and Magdy ended up saying some fairly not forgivable things and then stomping off, Enzo trailing behind. And that was the end of our little band. â€Å"Yeah, it's all Magdy's fault,† Enzo said. â€Å"Gretchen's poking at him until he snapped didn't have anything to do with it at all.† Already this conversation had gone twice to places I didn't want it to go, and the rational part of my brain was just telling me to let it go and change the subject. But then there was the not quite rational part, which was suddenly getting really annoyed. â€Å"So are you hanging out on my doorstep just to dump on my best friend, or is there some other reason you dropped by?† Enzo opened his mouth to say something, and then just shook his head. â€Å"Forget it,† he said, and started to walk off. I blocked his path. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"You came here for a reason. Tell me what it is.† â€Å"Why don't I see you anymore?† Enzo said. â€Å"Is that what you came here to ask me?† I said. â€Å"No,† Enzo said. â€Å"It's not what I came here to say. But it's what I'm asking you now. It's been two weeks since Magdy and Gretchen did their thing, Zoe. It was between the two of them, but I've hardly seen you since then. If you're not actually avoiding me, you're faking it really well.† â€Å"If it was between Gretchen and Magdy, why did you leave when he did?† I said. â€Å"He's my friend,† Enzo said. â€Å"Someone had to calm him down. You know how he gets. You know I'm his heat sink. What kind of question is that?† â€Å"I'm just saying it's not just between Magdy and Gretchen,† I said. â€Å"It's between all of us. You and me and Gretchen and Magdy. When was the last time you did anything without Magdy?† â€Å"I don't remember him being there when we spend time together,† Enzo said. â€Å"You know what I mean,† I said. â€Å"You're always following him, keeping him from getting hit by someone or breaking his neck or doing something stupid.† â€Å"I'm not his puppy,† Enzo said, and for that minute he actually got a little angry. Which was new. I ignored it. â€Å"You're his friend,† I said. â€Å"His best friend. And Gretchen is mine. And right now our best friends can't stand the sight of each other. And that leaks into us, Enzo. Let me ask you, right now, how do you feel about Gretchen? You don't like her very much, do you?† â€Å"We've had better days,† Enzo said. â€Å"Right. Because she and your best friend are at it. I feel the same way about Magdy. I guarantee you he feels the same way about me. And Gretchen isn't feeling very friendly to you. I want to spend time with you, Enzo, but most of the time, both of us are a package deal. We come with our best friends attached. And I don't want the drama right now.† â€Å"Because it's easier just not to bother,† Enzo said. â€Å"Because I'm tired, Enzo,† I said, spitting out the words. â€Å"Okay? I'm tired. Every morning I wake up and I have to run or do strength exercises or something that tires me out right after I've gotten out of bed. I'm tired before the rest of you are even awake. Then school. Then an entire afternoon of getting physically beat up in order to learn how to defend myself, on the chance some aliens want to come down here and kill us all. Then I spend my evenings reading up on every single race out there, not because it's interesting, but just in case I need to murder one of them, I'll know where its soft spots are. I hardly have time to think about anything else, Enzo. I am tired. â€Å"Do you think all of this is fun for me? Do you think it's fun for me not to see you? To spend all my time learning to hurt and kill things? Do you think it's fun for me that every single day I get my nose rubbed in the fact there's a whole universe out there just waiting to murder us? When was the last time you thought about it? When was the last time Magdy thought about it? I think about it every day, Enzo. My time is spent doing nothing but. So don't tell me that it's just easier for me not to bother with the drama. You have no idea. I'm sorry. But you don't.† Enzo stared at me for a minute, and then reached over to wipe my cheeks. â€Å"You could tell me, you know,† he said. I laughed a small laugh. â€Å"I don't have time,† I said. That got a smile from Enzo. â€Å"And anyway, I don't want you to worry.† â€Å"It's a little late for that,† Enzo said. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said. â€Å"It's all right,† he said. â€Å"I miss it, you know,† I said, wiping my own face. â€Å"Spending time with you. Even when it meant spending time with Magdy. I miss having the time to really talk to you. I miss watching you fail at dodgeball. I miss you sending me poems. I miss all of it. I'm sorry that we've gotten mad at each other lately, and that we didn't do something to fix it. I'm sorry and I miss you, Enzo.† â€Å"Thank you,† Enzo said. â€Å"You're welcome,† I said. We stood there for a minute, looking at each other. â€Å"You came here to break up with me, didn't you,† I said, finally. â€Å"Yeah,† said Enzo. â€Å"Yeah, I did. Sorry.† â€Å"Don't be,† I said. â€Å"I haven't been a very good girlfriend.† â€Å"Yes you have,† Enzo said. â€Å"When you've had the time.† Another shaky laugh from me. â€Å"Well, that's the problem, isn't it,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Enzo said, and I know he was sorry he felt he had to say it. And just like that my first relationship was over, and I went to bed, and I didn't sleep. And then I got up when the sun came up and walked out to our exercise area, and started everything again. Exercise. School. Training. Study. A very tiring time. And this is how my days went, most days, for months, until we had been at Roanoke for almost an entire year. And then things started happening. Fast.

Political Representation of Females in National Legislatures

Political Representation of Females in National Legislatures Introduction The issue of womens political representation has taken center stage in many countries all over the world which have in recent years sought ways to improve female representation. This is because the world has come to recognize that the representation of women in national legislatures is a necessary condition for women’s empowerment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Political Representation of Females in National Legislatures specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Both developed and developing nations have recognized the need to increase women representation in their parliaments. In Canada, significant progress has been made over the past decade towards improving womens representation in elected political office. The major political party in Canada, the Liberal Party of Canada, has a caucus of female parliamentarians. Following the 2006 elections, only 20.8% of the members of the Canadian House of Commons were women. The year 2011 was especially marked by great political achievement by women. In spite of these positive steps, the number of women in parliament is still significantly low which highlights the need for strategies to offset this condition. This paper will set out to identify and defend two strategies that can be used by Canada to improve the political representation of females in national legislatures. The merits of the advanced strategies will be articulated with reference to other countries where these strategies have achieved favorable results. Why Strategies are needed While women have been involved in Canadian political parties for the most part of the twentieth century, their role tended to be predominantly supportive. This trend changed in the late 1960s when female activism began to challenge the character of their involvement in party affairs and women began to call for more representation in political parties1. The last two decades have undoubtedly witnessed a p henomenal increase in women representation in the political sphere in Canada and also other countries all over the world.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Matland articulates that while the increase in parliamentary representation of women has been the result of many factors, most of the positive change has been as a result of activists pushing for institutions that maximize womens chances of representation2. However, the increase has not yet reached a level that would be desirable in an ideal democracy where equal representation is practiced. Research indicates that a number of Canadian voters are concerned about the under-representation of women in parliament and this has led to some moderate public support for strategies that will result in higher women representation in parliament. Countries which have little democratic virtues such as Cuba and Rwanda boast of greater nu mbers of women parliamentarians than Canada which considers itself a model democracy. It is important to note that a nations level of development does not promote womens political representation and studies have shown that poor countries demonstrate better records of electing women than do rich countries. Canada should seek to emulate strategies for increasing womens participation in parliament that have been adapted in other parts of the world with great success. Strategies for Improving Political Representation Electoral Quotas Many democracies have acknowledged that women will not be able to equal men in political representation without measures being put in place to give them an advantage. One strategy that can be used is electoral quotas which make the use of positive discrimination so as to shift the balance of legislative chambers in favor of females3. Tripp and Alice assert that Quotas have become an important mechanism through which women today are entering legislatures w orldwide.4 A vast majority of the top 25 countries in the world in terms of women’s representation make use of some form of quotas demonstrating just how effective this strategy is in enhancing women participation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Political Representation of Females in National Legislatures specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The goal of electoral sex quotas is to ensure that women â€Å"make up a certain predetermined portion of the member of a political body; be it a partys candidate list or a parliamentary assembly†5. The Nordic countries stand out for their success in promoting womens representation. The strategy that has been implemented by these countries has predominantly been electoral quotas, specifically the slow track approach6. This approach relies on the use of voluntary party quotas which require a certain mandatory minimum number of women nominees. In the use of quotas, poli tical parties are a key component. The popular assumption in democratic systems is that it is the electorate that controls the composition of parliament. However, a closer look reveals that it is the parties that control the selection process of candidates and therefore by extension the composition of parliaments. Research indicates that the use of political parties as the launching pad from which womens representation can be expanded is the most viable strategy7. This is because political parties play an important role in the legislative recruitment process. They are the entities that identify possible candidates, choose them as their official candidates and after this; the candidate is put forward for public election. The party choosing of a candidate is a crucial stage for women who aspire to get into political office. In Canada, the nomination process provides opportunities for people to participate in a decentralized context. Incorporation of rules that guarantee womens represe ntation, for example quotas, can have a distinct advantage for women. Research indicates that in the quota system adopted in many Nordic countries that guarantee that between 40 and 50 percent of the party nominees will be women, has a positive effect on women’s representation in these countries8. It has not been easily to adopt positive affirmative measures and quotas in Canada due to the decentralized nature of the selection process of candidates in the country. All parties seek to nominate candidates who are likely to maximize the votes for the party9.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As such, candidates who have high visibility in the community or hold public office or leadership positions in civil society organizations are considered highly desirable. As it turns out, in the Canadian society, this category of people is predominantly male which presents a major disadvantage to female candidates. Even so, quotas can be effectively employed in the Canadian scene since there is a presence of robust political parties and only a marginal number of independent candidates enter parliament. For quotas to be effective, women have to be well-prepared to take up political office. This can only be achieved by a strengthening of womens organization or political engagement which will make it possible for the women to take advantage of this strategy which are used to give them a favorable advantage. Changing the Electoral System Another strategy that can be used in Canada is a change from the current electoral system. A change in the electoral system adopted by Canada can al so result in a marked increase in the political representation of females in national legislatures. As it currently stands, Canada makes use of a single member plurality (SMP) electoral system which has been showcased to be less favorable for women candidates. In a PR voting system, women can organize and actively engage in the electoral process with visible results. The merits that PM systems possess for females is best articulated by MacIvor who states that parliaments elected by proportional representation show higher percentages of women than parliaments constituted by plurality/majority systems.10 Research indicates that women have historically had a better advantage under PR systems. This is because the people who choose candidates for the party have different concerns and incentives in the PR system compared to the SMP system. In SMP electoral systems, the party is forced to only nominate one person per district which makes it impossible to balance the party ticket by nominat ing a male and female candidate11. The SMP system forces parties to pit the male candidates against the male in the nomination process. Women are often disadvantaged when they have to compete against powerful male politicians in the same district. PR systems make it possible for party gatekeepers to nominate diverse candidates in an attempt to attract more votes. Since the party is in a position to nominate more than one candidate, the party can put forward different candidates who will attract varying classes of voters. Women candidates are therefore more likely to be nominated in a PR system since the party is not forced to sacrifice its powerful male politicians for the sake of the women as would be the case in a majority system. A party which nominates men in a PR system and therefore fails to provide some balance will suffer from reduced votes. The PR system therefore offers an incentive for the party to nominate women candidates and therefore increase their chances of gaining entry into parliament. In spite of the obvious advantages that a PR system could bring about for women, Canada continues to use the SMP system. Referendums held in Canadian provinces seeking to abolish SMDP have repeatedly failed to obtain a majority and this system continues to be implemented in Canada. Activists should therefore take up steps to encourage people to vote for the adoption of a PR system so as to give women an advantage in the electoral process and therefore increase their representation in parliament. Challenge with Women Representation Empirical studies on the political representation of women demonstrate that female politicians see themselves as having a responsibility to represent women. Female politicians therefore consider women as an important constituency group with specific concerns12. This tendency is to some extent brought about by the notion by female members that if they do not address women issues, they will go unnoticed. This idea of having a certain m andate in representing women may have a detrimental effect since it may end up sidelining the male population or issues that affect the entire society. Female legislators tend to set legislative agenda and propose new bills that address issues of concern to women at the expense of other agendas13. While this may be true, many scholars document that party affiliations and ideology have a neutralizing effect on this trend since they instill discipline on women concerning what agendas to pursue once they are elected14. Female legislators are therefore deterred from focusing only on feminist policy concerns. Discussion The adoption of strategies to increase chances of women taking up political office demonstrates that there is popular believe in the opinion that women should have greater political representation. Both male and female voters view the legislature as been more legitimate when there are more women since there is an inherent belief that gender balance is a more just arrangem ent15. This paper has highlighted two strategies that can be utilized to achieve this goal in Canada. Practicing of some degree of positive action is necessary by Canadian parties to ensure that women have a chance at achieving equal political representation with men. If political parties adopt gender-neutral nominating policies, the number of candidates will be predominantly men and this will hurt the chances of women to take up political office. Women need to become more active and effective voices within the society and also in their respective parties are they are to take advantage of the strategies outlined in this paper. From the strategies advocated in this paper, it is clear that the key to increasing female representation is to convince parties to choose women as their candidates and adopt an electoral system that is favorable for women. The two strategies advocated in this paper will be most effective if they are implemented concurrently. While each strategy will result to positive changes independently, the scale of positive impact will be higher if both strategies are adopted. This is because research indicates that quotas are more effective in PR and MMP systems than single-member-based systems. While the PR system is beneficial to women, it should be adopted with some form of mandatory quotas for womens representation. Without a mandatory quota, the number of women elected will be dependent on the drive of the particular political party to increase its womens representation. In addition to this, studies show that while quotas have had a desirable effect in increasing women membership in parliament, the design of the electoral institution can result in an even more substantial increase in female numbers in parliament. In addition to the proposed strategies, the issue of womens representation should be given high priority by the media so as to pressure political parties and the government to keep taking positive steps to increase women representati on. This is because the prevailing gender attitudes in a nation influence the chances of women getting elected into the legislature. Conclusion This paper set out to highlight strategies that can be used to achieve the goal of increased female political representation in Canada’s national legislatures. The paper has recognized that there has been a significant rise in womens representation in national legislatures in Canada in recent decades. Even so, the paper has documented that female politicians still have a numerical minority in the Canadian parliament. It has been demonstrated that the electoral sex quotas can be advantageous to women. The paper has also demonstrated that the electoral system employed by a country effects female legislative representative since it dictates the strategies that are adopted by a party in the nomination phase. A PR system will therefore result in increased women representation in the legislative process. It can therefore be surmised that by adopting the two strategies proposed in this paper, Canada will achieve the goal of higher female representative in the legislature. Bibliography Caul, Miki. Women’s Representation in Parliament. Party Politics 5, no.1 (1999): 79-89. Crowley, Jocelyn. â€Å"When Tokens Matter.† Legislative Studies Quarterly 29 no.1 (2004): 109–36. Fraenkel, Jon. The Impact of Electoral Systems on Women’s Representation in Pacific Parliaments. Impact of Electoral Systems. Impact of Electoral Systems, 23, no.2 (2005): 58-106. Karp, Jeffrey and Susan Banducci. â€Å"When Politics Is Not Just a Man’s Game: Women’s Representation and Political Engagement.† Electoral Studies 27 no.1 (2008): 105–15. Krook, Mona. â€Å"Studying Political Representation: A Comparative-Gendered Approach.† Perspectives on Politics 8, no.1 (2010): 233-240. MacIvor, Heather. â€Å"Women and the Canadian Electoral System.† In Manon Tremblay and Linda Trimble ( eds) Women and Electoral Politics in Canada, Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2003. Matland, Richard. Enhancing Womens Political Participation: Legislative Recruitment and Electoral Systems. Stockholm: International IDEA, 1998. Reingold, Beth. Representing Women: Sex, Gender and Legislative Behavior in Arizona and California. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2000. Tremblay, Manon. Women’s Representational Role in Australia and Canada: The Impact of Political Context. Australian Journal of Political Science 38, no. 2 (2003): 215–238. Tripp, Aili and Alice, Kang. â€Å"The Global Impact of Quotas: On the Fast Track to Increased Female Legislative Representation.† Comparative Political Studies 41, no.3 (2008): 338–361. Footnotes 1 Jeffrey Karp and Susan Banducci, â€Å"When Politics Is Not Just A Man’s Game: Women’s Representation and Political Engagement,† Electoral Studies 27 no.1 (2008): 109. 2 Richard Matland, Enha ncing Womens Political Participation: Legislative Recruitment and Electoral Systems (Stockholm: International IDEA, 2005), 108. 3 Fraenkel, Jon. The Impact of Electoral Systems on Women’s Representation in Pacific Parliaments. Impact of Electoral Systems 23, no.2 (2005): 81. 4 Aili Tripp and Alice Kang, The Global Impact of Quotas: On the Fast Track to Increased Female Legislative Representation, Comparative Political Studies 41, no.3 (2008), 357. 5 Aili and Alice, 357. 6 Crowley Jocelyn, â€Å"When Tokens Matter,† Legislative Studies Quarterly 29 no.1 (2004): 129. 7 Miki Caul, â€Å"Women’s Representation in Parliament,† Party Politics 5, no1, (1999): 82. 8 Richard, 95 9 Richard, 97 10 Heather MacIvor, â€Å"Women and the Canadian Electoral System†, in Manon Tremblay and Linda Trimble (eds), Women and Electoral Politics in Canada (Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2003), 35. 11 Richard, 101. 12 Manon, 215. 13 Mona Krook, â€Å"Studying Politica l Representation: A Comparative-Gendered Approach,† Perspectives on Politics 8, no.1 (2010): 236. 14 Beth Reingold, Representing Women: Sex, Gender and Legislative Behavior in Arizona and California (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2000), 34. 15 Krook, 237.

The Dangers of an Imperfect Invulnerability

The Dangers of an Imperfect Invulnerability The common phrase Achilles heel refers to a surprising weakness or vulnerability in an otherwise strong or powerful person, a vulnerability that eventually leads to a downfall. What has become a cliche in the English language is one of several modern-day phrases that are left to us from ancient Greek mythology. Achilles was said to be a heroic warrior, whose struggles over whether to fight in the Trojan War or not are described in detail in several books of Homers poem ​The Iliad. The overall myth of Achilles includes the attempt by his mother, the nymph Thetis, to make her son immortal. There are various versions of this story in the ancient Greek literature, including her putting him in fire or water or anointing him, but the one version that has struck the popular imagination is the one with the River Styx and the Achilles Heel. Statius Achilleid The most popular version of Thetis attempt to immortalize her son survives in its earliest written form in Statius Achilleid 1.133-34, written in the first century AD. The nymph holds her son Achilles by his left ankle while she dips him in the River Styx, and the waters confer immortality on Achilles, but only on those surfaces that contact the water. Unfortunately, since Thetis dipped only once and she had to hold onto the baby, that spot, Achilles heel, remains mortal. At the end of his life, when the arrow of Paris (possibly guided by Apollo) pierces Achilles ankle, Achilles is mortally wounded. Imperfect invulnerability is a common theme in world folklore. For example, there is Siegfried, the Germanic hero in the Nibelungenlied who was vulnerable only between his shoulder blades; the Ossetian warrior Soslan or Sosruko from the Nart Saga who is dipped by a blacksmith into alternating water and fire to turn him into metal but missed his legs; and the Celtic hero Diarmuid, who in the Irish Fenian Cycle was pierced by a venomous boar bristle through a wound to his unprotected sole. Other Achilles Versions: Thetiss Intent Scholars have identified many different versions of the Achilles Heel story, as is true for most ancient history myths. One element with lots of variety is what Thetis had in mind when she dipped her son in whatever she dipped him in. She wanted to find out if her son was mortal.She wanted to make her son immortal.She wanted to make her son invulnerable. In the Aigimios (also spelled Aegimius, only a fragment of which still exists), Thetisa nymph but the wife of a mortalhad many children, but she wanted to keep only the immortal ones, so she tested each of them by putting them in a pot of boiling water. They each died, but as she began to carry out the experiment on Achilles his father Peleus angrily intervened. Other versions of this differently crazy Thetis involve her unintentionally killing her children while attempting to make them immortal by burning off their mortal nature  or simply deliberately killing her children because they are mortal and unworthy of her. These versions always have Achilles saved by his father at the last minute. Another variant has Thetis trying to make Achilles immortal, not just invulnerable, and she plans to do that with a magical combination of fire and ambrosia. This is said to be one of her skills, but Peleus interrupts her and the interrupted magical procedure only changes his nature partially, making Achilles skin invulnerable but himself mortal.   Thetiss Method She put him in a pot of boiling water.She put him in a fire.She put him in a combination of fire and ambrosia.She put him in the River Styx. The earliest version of Styx-dipping (and youll need to blame or credit Burgess 1998 for this expression that will not leave my mind soon) is not found in the Greek literature until Statius version in the first century CE. Burgess suggests it was a Hellenistic period addition to the Thetis story. Other scholars think the idea may have come from the Near East, recent religious ideas at the time having included baptism. Burgess points out that dipping a child in the Styx to make it immortal or invulnerable echoes the earlier versions of Thetis dipping her children into boiling water or fire in an attempt to make them immortal. Styx dipping, which today sounds less painful than the other methods, was still dangerous: the Styx was the river of death, separating the lands of the living from the dead. How the Vulnerability was Severed Achilles was in battle at Troy, and Paris shot him through the ankle then stabbed him in the chest.Achilles was in battle at Troy, and Paris shot him in the lower leg or thigh, then stabbed him in the chest.Achilles was in battle at Troy and Paris shot him in the ankle with a poisoned spear.Achilles was at the Temple of Apollo, and Paris, guided by Apollo, shot Achilles in the ankle which kills him. There is considerable variation in the Greek literature about where Achilles skin was perforated. A number of Greek and Etruscan ceramic pots show Achilles being stuck with an arrow in his thigh, lower leg, heel, ankle or foot; and in one, he reaches calmly down to pull the arrow out. Some say that Achilles wasnt actually killed by a shot to the ankle but rather was distracted by the injury and thus vulnerable to a second wound. Chasing the Deeper Myth It is possible, say some scholars, that in the original myth, Achilles was not imperfectly vulnerable because of being dipped in the Styx, but rather because he wore armorperhaps the invulnerable armor that Patroclus borrowed before his deathand received an injury to his lower leg or foot that was not covered by the armor. Certainly, a wound cutting or damaging what is now known as the Achilles tendon would hinder any hero. In that manner, Achilles greatest advantagehis swiftness and agility in the heat of battle- would have been taken away from him. Later variations attempt to account for the super-human levels of heroic invulnerability in Achilles (or other mythic figures) and how they were brought down by something ignominious or trivial: a compelling story even today. Sources Avery HC. 1998. Achilles Third Father. Hermes 126(4):389-397.Burgess J. 1995. Achilles Heel: The Death of Achilles in Ancient Myth. Classical Antiquity 14(2):217-244.Nickel R. 2002. Euphorbus and the Death of Achilles. Phoenix 56(3/4):215-233.Sale W. 1963. Achilles and Heroic Values. Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics 2(3):86-100.Scodel R. 1989. The Word of Achilles. Classical Philology 84(2):91-99.

Value Chain management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Value Chain management - Essay Example Another complementor, with respect to Relationship Management and Process Improvement, is the highly competitive automobile industry with cut throat competition between the company and General Motors, Honda and Toyota as is reflected by the competitive stock market of the respective companies (C.Heckscher & S.Adler, 2006)(Appendix 3). This provides an incentive for Nissan to come up with state of the art technology and new ways of serving customers better (process improvement). Furthermore, relationship management with customers is complemented by state of the art technology of the company, including the Nissan Fleet Communications (NFC) which provides customer support and maintains a customer database (Jha, 2008). Technology Management/ Relationship Management Perhaps, one of the most recent and core complementor is the Earthquake in Japan (and previously the Tsunami) which has virtually shaken the foundations of major Japanese manufacturers. The company is recently facing supply ch ain management crisis due to shortages of key parts. In some cases, the supplier was changed, in others; the plant was fixed by the supplier.