Prejudice free essay sample

Prejudice by A. M., Milton, MA Prejudice. What do you think of when you see or hear this word? Websters Dictionary defines prejudice as a judgment or opinion formed without knowing the facts, or hatred and fear of other races, creeds, or nations. I have experienced many prejudicial encounters during my life that have led me to agree with the second part more than the first. Although none of them were directed toward me, but at my friends, who are of different ethnic backgrounds, religions, and sexual orientations, I still took offense. No one should ever have to become the center of prejudicial comments or actions because of their differences. This has been a serious problem in our society since the start of this nation. It remains so today, and will continue if we dont begin to correct it now. This problem must be recognized and addressed as soon as possible in order to protect the rights of every human being, no matter what their religion, color, sexual preference or background. We will write a custom essay sample on Prejudice or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Everyone was created equal and they should be treated as such. Prejudice makes people feel inferior and less of a person. They begin to feel that because they are different, they are doing something wrong. No one should have to feel that way. There really is only one solution to this problem: we must try to educate people about other races, nations, religions and sexual orientations. It may be a tough job, but if enough people are willing to at least try, we may be able to change things even a little. Every bit will help. It may be too late to change the minds and opinions of adults who have already made up their minds, but if we teach young children, we can affect them before they, too, become prejudiced. I believe that if we begin now, and try, we can change the future for the better. It may be a hard job, but if we are willing to try, thats a step in the right direction.

Free Essays on Sexual Dysfunction

Sexual Dysfunction in Males and Therapy Available Sexual Dysfunctions such as premature ejaculation in men and Inability to have orgasms in women have been the cause of a great deal of mental anguish, not to mention marital friction. Most Americans either have a sexual dysfunction or are affected by one in their partner. However, thanks to the likes of Masters and Johnson who have written several publications to help us understand the causes of sexual dysfunction and the rapid treatment therapy for such disorders, several options are now available to help with this problem. A sexual dysfunction is any one of various disturbances or impairments of sexual functioning (Carey, M. P., Wincze, J.P., 2001). Although this definition may seem fairly simple, in practice it can be very difficult to determine exactly when something is a sexual dysfunction. No one knows the exact number of people with sexual dysfunctions, what is known though, is the number of people who actually go out and seek some kind of treatment for the problem, and these are fewer than those of people who have a dysfunction but suffer quietly and never seek therapy because of ignorance or embarrassment. In this paper I am going to discuss the various kinds of sexual dysfunctions found in men: erectile dysfunction (impotence), premature ejaculation and inhibited ejaculation their causes and also the various treatment methods available for such disorders. In 1992, the National Institutes of Health defined erectile dysfunction as the inability to attain or sustain an erection adequate for satisfactory sexual intercourse. "Erectile Dysfunction" is more precise than impotence, a term that some associate with being sterile or lacking strength, vigor, or power. The condition is called primary sexual dysfunction if a man has never in his life achieved or maintained an erection for coitus. If a man has previously had at least one successful coitus and then... Free Essays on Sexual Dysfunction Free Essays on Sexual Dysfunction Sexual Dysfunction in Males and Therapy Available Sexual Dysfunctions such as premature ejaculation in men and Inability to have orgasms in women have been the cause of a great deal of mental anguish, not to mention marital friction. Most Americans either have a sexual dysfunction or are affected by one in their partner. However, thanks to the likes of Masters and Johnson who have written several publications to help us understand the causes of sexual dysfunction and the rapid treatment therapy for such disorders, several options are now available to help with this problem. A sexual dysfunction is any one of various disturbances or impairments of sexual functioning (Carey, M. P., Wincze, J.P., 2001). Although this definition may seem fairly simple, in practice it can be very difficult to determine exactly when something is a sexual dysfunction. No one knows the exact number of people with sexual dysfunctions, what is known though, is the number of people who actually go out and seek some kind of treatment for the problem, and these are fewer than those of people who have a dysfunction but suffer quietly and never seek therapy because of ignorance or embarrassment. In this paper I am going to discuss the various kinds of sexual dysfunctions found in men: erectile dysfunction (impotence), premature ejaculation and inhibited ejaculation their causes and also the various treatment methods available for such disorders. In 1992, the National Institutes of Health defined erectile dysfunction as the inability to attain or sustain an erection adequate for satisfactory sexual intercourse. "Erectile Dysfunction" is more precise than impotence, a term that some associate with being sterile or lacking strength, vigor, or power. The condition is called primary sexual dysfunction if a man has never in his life achieved or maintained an erection for coitus. If a man has previously had at least one successful coitus and then...

Anywhere You Dare

When I saw anywhere dare candy perfume advertisement for the first time, I immediately understood its complete meaning. Interestingly, how do advertisers who saw this particular ad attract people to purchase their products? This ad is an example of the impact on our social marketing strategy. We tend to deny that sexual influence has become the mainstream market of our society, but if you read the daily magazine carefully, you will begin noticing the real scope of it . This ad pulled my attention when I viewed the magazine. My first belief in the intention of the marketer says, If you wear their products, you can be with anyone you want, regardless of the number of partners you want is. Of course, this is ridiculous for me, but it truly pulled my attention. It seems that condoms seem to mean multiple partners. Perfume is the focus of the entire advertisement. I will challenge you to dare wonderful things. Dream impossible dreams. Please make it stand out in the crowd. Please dare dif ferent way of thinking and unique. If you believe in me and you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream about it, you can do it. Whenever you get this most precious life gift, your mind, body and spirit must be digested with your dreams. Believe in your heart as it provides hope. Believe in your idea, it provides direction. Believe in your soul, it gives power. But the most important thing is to believe in yourself. Because you were always the answer. Open the door to someone who truly believes in dreams and self. Never forget that you are not alone in the mirror. You are more brave than you believe. It is more powerful than you see. Smarter than you think I dare to do this. You dare to try to advance your life. You try to do things yourself. When a coward is standing by the bystander, you dare to stand out, take a horrible measure to chat, ridiculously, and chatter to the Lord behind you. They will never talk in front of you.

Google And Yahoo Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Google And Yahoo Case - Assignment Example The company provides services in digital experiences and content, across the world. In fact, Mayer is aiming to turn around the culture by implementing the physical presence of personnel to the success of design and digital innovation. This culture is already established in Google and Yahoo! is trying to build a similar culture (Schrage, 2013). She was brought in as the CEO of Yahoo! and successfully took over from Jerry Yang, one of the founder members of the organization. Organizational culture in Google and Yahoo! Google currently ranks among the top 100 companies which individuals would prefer to work with. The organizational culture in Google is similar to that of a start up venture wherein all individuals are encouraged to provide their valuable suggestions and notions. In fact, the firm believes that employees, in their free time should pursue their dream projects. It provides the employees a relaxed working environment and supports innovation. In order to gain competitive edg e it is essential for firms to innovate. Innovation facilitates and motivates firms to diversify and launch new products and services. In order to support a culture of organizational innovation, the company promotes diverse norms and values in the firm (Naranjo-Valencia, Jimenez-Jimenez & Sanz-Valle, 2011). The human resource team encourages and praises individual and team achievements by means of several awards functions, ceremonies and other creative fun activities. In fact the cafes and offices of this organization have been designed to support employee interactions across and within groups to impart organizational learning and enhance knowledge management (Google, 2013). Such kind of activities helps in building rapport... The approach to leadership and management in Yahoo! The above case study has tried to analyze the organizational culture in Yahoo! and Google and accordingly has found out the mediating role of culture on the approaches towards leadership and management. Culture is rooted in the minds of employees and transforming culture may be one of the most challenging approaches to leadership and management. This situation is highlighted in the case study of Yahoo!, when the new appointed CEO, Marissa Mayer is carrying out the challenging task to change the current laid back organizational culture in the firm. She is trying to build better rapport and interactions between employees and have already initiated the process to establish culture change. On the other hand, the approaches of the management and leadership under the expert guidance of its CEO, Larry Page has tried to imbibe certain organizational culture values and accordingly provide training and leadership options. The case study highlights the importance of transformational approach to leadership behaviour, building a culture of interaction and communication in the organization and applies the leader member exchange theory to ensure that goals and objectives are attained. On the other hand, the senior management team also tries to build in an environment of team building, employee engagement and motivation and thereby attain optimum levels of success in the organization.

History 11UT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History 11UT - Essay Example Back at home, pressure over the end to segregation of race was mounting and was heightened by the case between Brown versus the Board of Education. He, however, managed to quell down the pressure by offering direction and support to the African American students who faced racial segregation despite the ruing of the courts. Though his intervention came later on after the protest, the action he took to resolve the situation is commendable. Analyze Eisenhower’s foreign policy or his domestic policy. Domestic policy President Dwight domestic policy was characterized by following the rule of law. He made sure that the people of America respected the authorities and more so the rulings made by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had made a ruling in the Brown versus Education Board case that segregation of race in public schools was unconstitutional. However, the Governor of Arkansas defied this ruling by ordering troops in stopping nine African American students from attending an all-white school in Little Rock. This action sparked nation-wide protest forcing the president to intervene (Ayers, 2009). It is the ruling of the president in this scenario that showed his commitment to the rule of law. He order Federal troops to maintain law and order as the African American students attended these ‘white’ schools. ... The Supreme Court found out the racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional since it conflicted with the equal protection clause that is included in the fourteenth amendment. This means that African American students could be allowed in public schools that were persevered for the whites. However, this decision faced numerous challenges, which included protests from various parts of the state (Ayers, 2009). Montgomery bus boycott, on the other hand, was a civil rights movement that campaigned against racial segregation in public transport system. The boycott was sparked by Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist, when she was forcefully arrested after refusing to give her seat to a white person in a public commuter bus. The boycott resulted to a ruling by the Supreme Court that declared segregation of race in public transport system unconstitutional. These two events were particularly crucial to the development of the civil rights movement since they introduced significant c hanges in the constitution that declared racial segregation unconstitutional. The events also helped profile the plight of civil activist since they received considerable public interest including the attention of the president. Both events were crucial, since they both highlighted racial segregation, in different situations in the United States. For instance, Brown’s decision highlighted segregation in schools while the Montgomery boycotts highlighted segregation in the public transport system. These events were successful in championing the civil rights of the black community in America. This was made possible by the United States Court which made a ruling in their favor. In both cases, the

Capstone Project Essay Example for Free

Capstone Project Essay 1.0 Background of the Study Picardal Institute of Science and Technology (PIST) is an institution founded last July 12, 2008 and was located at the 2nd floor of Michaella’s Plaza, Andres Bonifacio Avenue, National Highway, Tibanga, Iligan City, province of Lanao del Norte, Philippines. This institution offers different courses under Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) like Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Associate in Computer Technology, Two Year Graduate in Midwifery Program, Computer Hardware Servicing NC II, Food and Beverage Services NC II, Housekeeping NC II, Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC I and II, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding NC II, Bookkeeping NC III and Programming NC IV. They also offers short courses like Computer Literacy, PC Repair Basic and Advanced AutoCAD, Web Development, WordPress, Photoshop, English Proficiency, Welding Enhancement and Pipefitting. Since from its founding year, PIST in its 6th year in service of providing quality education to its students, they faced so many circumstances and one of it, is the problem in Cashier Department. As of today, the Cashier tends to do her job manually with so many paper works to be done, and so we, the researchers propose a computerized system. This Cashiering System will provide a computerized storing of student’s data, the enrolment assessment of the enrollee with the amount they need to pay during the training and with the entire breakdown. This system will also help the cashier into less paper works and less time to consume in inputting the student information; it can also generate cash flow report, list of student in every semester and daily reports of income. By using this system the cashier will be able to back-up her files, store information of student’s in database and restrict the unauthorized personnel to access this information. The cashier is not the only one who could benefit to this project but also the entire school along with the students, where they could be rest assured  that the Cashier Department will give them real status when it comes to their financial standing. 1.1 Conceptual Framework Through the given input from the student that is the Student’s Personal Information, course and subject load that will be the process and save into the database where we can add, edit, delete and save the student’s number of units as well as their payments and we will be able to assume that through this information we could come up to the expected output that is the summary of student accounts, inquiry of accounts, billing statement and assessment of fees. 1.2 Statement of the Problem This study aims to provide a computerized system that where specifically seek an answer to the following problems. 1. Many paper works. 2. No cashiering system yet. 3. No back-ups and easy to copy, edit and/or delete files without authorization. 4. Manual billing statement. 5. Transactions lack of security. 6. Could be used by unauthorized personnel. 7. Uneasy to search. 8. Summarizing data and writing reports takes a lot of time. 9. Data Duplication. 1.3 Objectives After identifying the problems we came up to these following objectives. 1. To lessen paper works to Cashier Department. 2. To provide a cashiering system. 3. To provide a proper storage with back-up features. 4. To generate a computerized billing statement. 5. To make a tangible system with full security. 6. To provide a system that restrict unauthorized user. 7. To provide a more easy way to search information inside the system. 8. To generate an automated summaries of every transactions. 9. To avoid redundancies of data in the database. 1.4 Significance of the Study This study was made to find out that the use of cashier system will lessen the time for the transaction of billing statements and payment. Also in using this system it can recognize the person involve in this study. This study will benefit the following person: Cashier of Picardal Institute of Science and Technology – it can help them to lessen their tasks in preparing of summary of billing statements. Students – it will provide them an easy way to pay their bills and they will benefit the accurate status of their tuition. To provide good services to students. To the Future Researchers – it can help them as a guide to enhance more from their future thesis. 1.5 Scope and Limitation 1.5.1 Scope The scope of this study focuses only on receiving payments from and process charges of students and also on tracking deposits and payments against student accounts. 1.5.2 Limitation The study is based on the PIST’s System flow and policies in cashiering, thus its capability is according to PIST’s needs only. Definition of Terms Assessment – refers to the total amount of which the enrollee enrolled in that particular academic and/or school year. It is where the student identifies the breakdown of their tuition per academic and/or school year. Billing Statement – it is a monthly or per examination summary of the current and/ or balances of the student’s tuition in that academic and/or school year. Breakdown – is the way that where the student able to see where all of his/her payments go. Cashier – it is a person who works at a store or other business who takes money, makes change, issues receipts and otherwise helps to facilitate customer transactions. Cashiering System – it is a System to receive payments from and process charges for students, employees, and the general public. Cashier Department – is responsible for receiving  and distributing funds, as well as maintaining records. The cashier’s department enables to keep records of dividends and other payouts and receiving payments from the students and /or clients. Computerized System – A computerized system is a computer system with a purpose. When we talk about a computer system, we are simply referring to the hardware and software that comprise the computer system. But when we talk about a computerized system, we are referring to a function (process or operation) integrated with a computer system and performed by trained people. Database A database is an organized collection of data. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality in a way that supports processes requiring this information. Student – is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. Is used for anyone who is learning, including mid-career adults who are taking vocational education or returning to university. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES This chapter presents a review of related literature and studies gathered from different sources to support the findings and results of the study. 2.0 Related Literature Most institutions and establishments that we visit are using computerized systems to easily cater the needs of the customers or clients. It will also provide a better service to its clientele as well. The system will properly accommodate the needs of the students and the parents in taking the statement of accounts. It will provide an accurate, fast and smart statement of accounts to students that are up-dated for the school administrator and the students. It will also provide students to view their own statement of accounts. When having a computerized system we will be able to have an advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of having a computerized system are: Saving Time One important advantage offered by computerized accounting is it can save time for small business owners, who often must wear many hats. Calculations for functions like  payroll and billing can be performed quickly and efficiently by accounting software programs designed for small businesses. You can also access accounting records quickly without having to sift through stacks of paper. This can allow you to spend more time working with clients or performing marketing functions to help your business grow. Reduced Errors Manual number crunching presents the possibility of human error, which can be costly to a small business owner who may be in a hurry to complete an accounting task. Computerized accounting programs can reduce calculation errors that can result in inaccurate inventory counts, billing for too large or small of an amount or incorrect sales receipt totals. Having accurate accounting information can also help you avoid tax errors that could lead to problems with the Internal Revenue Service. Disadvantages: Dependence on Machinery On the downside, as with all machines, computers can fail from time to time, and a computer crash could leave you unable to perform accounting tasks and even result in the loss of information if files are not backed up properly. If you and/or your staff has little accounting knowledge and relies heavily on your computerized accounting program to do all the work, you may be at a loss as to what to do when your system or computer fails. Security breaches can also result in lost or stolen data. Expense Another disadvantage is that if youre converting from a manual to mechanized accounting system, youll need to bear the expense of software and possibly even new computers. Training on how to use a computerized system can result in lost productivity due to the associated downtime and learning curve. As time goes by, youll likely need to spend money on software upgrades as new versions become available. When your computers malfunction, youll need to pay for potentially costly repairs or replacements. Fewer errors mean fewer headaches there are countless ways in which errors can creep into your transactions. The more data entry required, the greater the chances for error. So a cashiering system which is able to supply the required information on the cashier’s behalf, while minimizing data entry, is highly desirable. Put another way, the more  automation applied to the process, the better. Provide outstanding service – it will reduce excessive waiting in line, eliminate delays in restoring the paid-up status of a student account, avoid egregious errors such as posting payments to the bank, provide for rapid production of duplicate receipts, cancel non-paying students more promptly to accommodate returning students, accepts payments even when the student system is down and automatically release the appropriate students holds when an account is made current. Note: Author year 2.1 Related Studies According to the research we made, there are other institutions here in Iligan City that uses computerized systems for Cashier Department that would assessed the students in a more easy and handful way. With this computerized system, it lessens the time consumed in accommodating all the students who will made transactions in the cashier department. Note: Author year Chapter III RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY The topics are given a deeper explanation in this chapter and the researchers will present the study. It consist of the research method, research instrument, interview, questionnaire, construction, validation, survey, administration and retrieval, research locale, population and sampling techniques, data gathering procedure, project design, project development, testing and operating procedures. 3.0 Project Design Through observation and interview we come up to these designs and coding.

Cadburys Communication Campaign :: Business Management Studies

Cadburys Communication Campaign Section B- Communications campaign The product I have chosen for this communications campaign is Cadburys. Cadburys is an existing product which consists of many different types of chocolates. The company is aimed at all ages but mostly young adults and children. Cadburys are sponsored by much company but one of their main sponsors is Coronation Street. â€Å"Coronation Street is the most watched programme on UK Television; it has a 35 year pedigree and reaches more than 15 million households, although a number of possible suitors were mentioned it was Cadbury who came forward with a  £10 million package to create a sponsorship which has set the benchmark for broadcast sponsorship in the UK.† quote taken from the Cadbury website. As you can see Cadbury have one of the biggest sponsorship deals and with this it allows the company to enhance their name and reputation. One campaign which Cadbury have already used was a poster campaign the posters they used looked like this: Poster Campaigns Here are three posters you will have seen out and about this summer. Image of Happiness Comes from Within poster Image of Let Your Happiness Bubble Over posterImage of The path to Happiness is paved with Mint Chips poster As you can see from the posters, with this Campaign Cadbury tried to advertise their different varieties of dairy milk instead of just the original dairy milk. When preparing a communications campaign, the business needs to set objectives which may include: Informing  · For Cadburys to inform the public about this product, they have to tell the public what the public is and what it contains. Persuading  · When people hear about this product they might not take any notice so one of the businesses objectives is to persuade the public to buy this. This can be done by putting making the chocolates stand out against the others in the market. Reminding  · As there are so many other business out there in the world people might forget that your product exist, so sometimes the public need

Thorn Queen Chapter Three

Once I stopped hyperventilating from all the attention on me, I immediately realized Nia had been right about the dress. Like always, the gentry dressed like that they were going to a Renaissance Faire that served ecstasy. Satin, velvet, silk. Even a little leather here and there. Lots of jewelry, lots of skin. The glittering array dazzled the eye, the colors shining, rich, and vivid. I wore a sundress meant to have sort of a vintage look. Made of tan gauze scattered with a design of tiny yellow flowers, it had an empire waist and a clingy little skirt that went to my knees. The straps tied behind my neck, and most of my back stayed bare, all the better to show off my tattoos: a woman's face within a full moon on my neck and a line of violets on my lower back. The dress's color looked great with the dusky, light auburn of my hair. Unfortunately, while the shabby-chic peasant look might be expensive and very much in vogue in the human world, dressing like a peasant in a place resembling the set from an epic medieval movie made you look like, well, a peasant. â€Å"Oh my God,† I hissed to Shaya as we walked through the room. â€Å"I look completely out of place.† â€Å"Be quiet,† she snapped, in a rare display of the consternation she probably actually always held around me. â€Å"You are queen of the Thorn Land. You destroyed one of the shining ones' most powerful kings. You have the right to wear whatever you want, so act like it.† I swallowed my retort and hoped she and her tough love were right. As it was, I had to resist the urge to cling to her hand like a child. That inept social upbringing of mine made navigating this kind of attention painful. Shaya had promised to stay by my side and ensure my etiquette, though that had allayed my fears only marginally. With a great force of will, I tried to follow her advice and look haughty and unconcerned by my appearance. â€Å"You must go to Maiwenn first,† she murmured, â€Å"and then most of them will come to you for introductions. You've been a great source of curiosity, and this is your first public appearance since taking the crown.† â€Å"Got it. Maiwenn first.† The Willow Queen appeared to be surrounded by a throng of people. We headed toward them. On the way, I received an assortment of nods, curtsies, and bows. The room held a handful of monarchs, my peers, but every other noble held a rank lower than mine. A few of those we passed offered greeting. I suspected I might have met them at a ball I'd attended last spring. Most simply gave me polite murmurings of â€Å"Your majesty.† We reached Maiwenn's circle of admirers. I meant to hover on the edges, but the people parted for us, soon giving Shaya and me a front-row view. Maiwenn sat in an ornately carved wooden throne, its whirling designs accented here and there with gold. She herself was golden, with lustrous, tanned skin and long hair that looked like spilled sunshine. A gown of teal velvet-the same color as her eyes-showed her maternal curves to great advantage. Yet, her greatest ornamentation, in my opinion, was the striking figure of Kiyo standing nearby, one hand resting on the back of her chair. He wore gentry clothing tonight, simple black slacks and a long-sleeved white silk tunic that he probably could have worn among humans without question. His eyes, warm and dark, met mine briefly before turning back to the person addressing Maiwenn. Heat flared between him and me in that moment, and electricity coursed through my body as I remembered last night. â€Å"-best wishes for you and your child, your majesty,† the man was saying. â€Å"Truly this is a joyous occasion, and we pray to the gods for good fortune and good health.† I pondered his words, recalling Kiyo telling me this was less of a baby shower and more of a luck ceremony. The gentry did not conceive often, nor did they bear children easily. Infant mortality was high. Old superstition held that a party like this, with so many well-wishers, would imbue the child with luck and ensure prosperity. The man finished his spiel and gestured to a servant to bring his gift. The servant handed over a small golden chest, about the size of a shoebox, which his master opened with a flourish. A few oohs sounded from those gathered, and I craned my head to see what it held. A glitter of red met my eyes. â€Å"This is my gift to your son or daughter: the finest rubies from my land, polished and cut to perfection.† I blinked and glanced around, wondering if I was the only one who found that gift ridiculous. What the hell was an infant going to do with a crate of rubies? Choke on them? Those things definitely needed a Not For Children Under 3 warning on them. No one else shared my view, and the group seemed to be in agreement on the gift's value. Kiyo, however, caught my eye, and I saw the faintest of smiles play over his face as he guessed what I was thinking. The man left, and all eyes swiveled to me. We hadn't arrived first, but apparently my rank bought me cutting rights. Following Shaya's earlier instructions, I stepped forward and kissed Maiwenn's cheek. She kissed mine in return. â€Å"Eugenie, I'm so happy to see you again.† She looked it, too. I don't know if it was faked or not, but she was one of those people who could always look happy and make you think she really cared about you. I suspected most of her kindness was sincere, but she had to have the same uneasiness around me as I did with her, given our respective relationships with Kiyo. Glancing at his dark looks and her golden ones, I suddenly had a vivid image of them in bed together. I wondered if he'd been as wild with her as with me. I wondered if she'd liked it. Pushing that picture out of my head, I attempted a return smile. â€Å"Thank you for inviting me. Sorry I'm late.† She waved a dismissive hand. â€Å"You didn't have to come at all. I'm just glad you're here.† I didn't have any elegant speeches, so I kept my words simple. â€Å"I'm†¦very happy for you. I hope things go great with you and the baby.† I glanced over at Shaya, who'd been holding my backpack. She handed it to me, and I noticed then that the number of watchers had increased, eyes curious as to what the half-human queen would give. The Kiyo Love Triangle was no secret; gentry gossip spread around the Otherworld faster than any human tabloid could have kept up with. Producing a teddy bear, I handed it over to her. She took it, eyes surprised as her hands ran over its smooth, sable-brown fur. I'd paid a lot of money for it. It was some kind of designer brand I'd been told was much coveted among upper-class suburban moms. â€Å"It's, um, a toy,† I explained, immediately feeling idiotic. The gentry weren't technologically advanced, but even they could figure that one out. â€Å"It's lovely,† she said, touching the seams. â€Å"We can't match this kind of workmanship. Thank you.† â€Å"Oh, and well†¦I honestly didn't think there was anything else I could give that the baby wouldn't already have. So, instead, I made a donation in its name to a children's charity. Or rather, once we know its name, I'll finalize the donation.† Forgetting the teddy bear, she looked up at me, clearly perplexed. â€Å"I don't understand.† Those gathered apparently didn't either, judging from the curious expressions. â€Å"I, um, well, gave money to a group that helps sick kids. They'll use that money to take care of them, and it'll be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I grasped for something gentry-friendly. â€Å"†¦it'll be done in your baby's honor.† A supreme look of delight flooded her gorgeous face, and I knew without a doubt she wasn't faking it. She understood, and she liked the gift. â€Å"It's very generous,† Kiyo explained to her. The smoldering message his eyes gave me indicated he had a few ideas of how to express his gratitude for the present. She put her arms around the teddy bear, holding it to her ample chest while her eyes gazed off with thought. â€Å"Acts of such kindness†¦done in the baby's name†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She turned that radiance back to me. â€Å"Acts like that cannot help but generate good will from the gods. Thank you, Eugenie.† A murmur of considering whispers stirred behind us. She and I exchanged a few more remarks, and then I yielded the floor to the next well-wisher. â€Å"Was that okay?† I asked Shaya as we walked away. â€Å"Extremely.† A wry note hung in her voice. â€Å"I doubted your gift, but now I think you understand this custom better than we do.† She switched to a lower tone. â€Å"Ah, this is Katrice, the Rowan Queen, coming toward us.† I looked up with interest, having passed through the Rowan Land so many times during my Otherworldly journey. Katrice looked about fifty or so in human years, which meant she could boast a few centuries. Only a little silver laced her thick black hair, and her dark eyes glittered with a keen intellect. A dress of red and white satin covered her stout figure. â€Å"Oh, oh, oh! This is her at last! The Thorn Queen. My dear child, you have been too absent from our gatherings.† She put her arms around me and kissed my cheek. It was a bit more slobbery than Maiwenn's kiss. A little overwhelmed by her presence, I returned the gesture. She smelled like roses. â€Å"It†¦it's nice to meet you.† â€Å"You are so lovely! Look at her, Marlin. Isn't she lovely?† She grabbed the arm of a man who looked about twice her age, his wispy gray hair barely covering his head. His eyes indicated he wasn't really at the party right now. â€Å"What?† he asked. Katrice raised her voice. â€Å"Lovely. Isn't she LOVELY?† â€Å"Loverly,† he muttered, staring off to my left. â€Å"Duke Marlin, the queen's consort,† Shaya whispered. â€Å"Look at you, look at you!† Katrice continued, still bubbling over. â€Å"How could a little thing like you have killed Aeson? Hmm? Old Tirigan Storm King would be so proud.† I jerked with surprise, taken aback by the callous reference to both my slaying of Aeson and my father's name. Not noticing my reaction, she gestured frantically to a young man passing nearby. He had slim good looks and raven-black hair tied back in a ponytail. He too wore red and white, and I remembered once seeing the Rowan Land's flag, a rowan tree bordered in red and white. Apparently, they were a patriotic group. â€Å"Darling, darling! Come meet the Thorn Queen.† Smiling, he hastened to her side and gave me a courteous nod. â€Å"This is my son, Leith. Leith, Queen Eugenie.† He took my hand and kissed it very properly, as was the custom. â€Å"A pleasure, your majesty.† â€Å"Likewise.† I studied him, curious at seeing a gentry prince. With all the gentry reproductive issues, none of the other monarchs I'd met-aside from Maiwenn-had any children. They tended to be solitary rulers. He looked so nice and friendly-and like he wasn't currently make plans to get in my pants-that I wanted to make conversation, but I was never very good at initiating that kind of thing. Katrice took the dilemma out of my hands. â€Å"Isn't she beautiful, Leith? I was just saying how I can scarce believe she killed old Aeson. Can you believe that? What was it that I heard, my dear? That you drowned him?† I cleared my throat uncomfortably. â€Å"Um, no, not exactly. I sort of summoned all the water out of his body and blew him apart.† â€Å"Oh!† She clapped her hands together as though it were the most wonderful thing she'd ever heard. â€Å"Oh! Oh! Isn't that fascinating? And so clever!† Apparently noting my discomfort, Leith hastily said, â€Å"Mother, I'm sure the Thorn Queen would prefer to discuss more pleasant topics. This is hardly the place to talk about death.† I flashed him a grateful smile. We did indeed move to more mundane topics, and I found he managed a conversation far more effectively than his mother did. â€Å"I saw your expression over the rubies,† he teased. â€Å"You don't think the baby will appreciate those?† I made a face. â€Å"Maybe if they can decorate a crib with them. Or maybe make a mobile. Are those kinds of gifts normal?† â€Å"I'm afraid so,† he said, still smiling. â€Å"As I heard you say, there isn't much this baby won't get from Maiwenn. Most of these nobles are more interested in making the queen happy, not the baby-hence all the useless gifts.† â€Å"Why, Leith,† scolded his mother. â€Å"That's ridiculous. I'm sure Maiwenn's child will absolutely love the crystal dinnerware we brought.† When I finally excused us, Leith kissed my hand again and spoke in a voice too low for Katrice to hear. â€Å"I'm sorry about her. She doesn't always think before she speaks.† I laughed. â€Å"It's okay,† I murmured back. â€Å"She's a queen. That's her job.† More loudly and properly, he said, â€Å"I hope you'll come visit us. Mother's been dying to receive you at our court.† â€Å"Sure,† I agreed. â€Å"One of these days.† I tried to reciprocate the politeness. â€Å"You should come visit us too. I'm not around much, but you're welcome whenever.† He brightened, as did Katrice who actually stayed silent for a change. â€Å"Thank you, your majesty. I'd love to. I've heard amazing things about your land. They say it's very fierce. Fierce, but beautiful.† Shaya laughed softly as we departed. â€Å"Oh, you don't know what you've done.† I stared at her. â€Å"What do you mean? I think I handled that well, considering that woman's endless chattering.† â€Å"Don't let her surface fool you. She's shrewder than you think. And powerful. Unfortunately, her son is not.† â€Å"Leith? What do you mean? Magically?† She nodded. â€Å"His magic is almost nonexistent. He won't be able to inherit her kingdom.† â€Å"Whoa†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Considering how long gentry lived, I'd never thought much about inheritance issues. â€Å"But he seemed pretty competent. Very intelligent.† â€Å"He is. Extremely so. He's an inventor of sorts. He's created things that have revolutionized their kingdom-and the others, slowly. He most recently created tools to print text in books the way your people do. It'll save a fortune in scribes.† â€Å"Like a printing press? Wow.† Who knew? Leith was like a fairy version of Gutenberg. Cool. Maybe the Otherworld was well on its way to the Industrial Revolution. â€Å"And that doesn't count for anything with ruling?† â€Å"No.† Shaya didn't sound sympathetic in the least. Magical strength was the greatest measure of a gentry's worth, which is why my bastard father had been held in such high regard. Those who believed I would match him one day regarded me similarly. â€Å"Ingenuity alone is not enough to inherit the throne or bind the land. However, his odds might improve if he had a powerful consort.† I suddenly tripped on my own feet when I caught her meaning. â€Å"What, you mean me?† â€Å"By their estimation, you're a good match. Powerful, already ruling a kingdom. Your human blood and ability to conceive makes you extremely attractive, your role in the prophecy doubly so.† â€Å"Christ. You people are nuts.† She seemed to be enjoying my dismay. â€Å"Like I said, Katrice is shrewd. She wasn't lying when she said she wanted to meet you. She's probably planned this for a while. You inviting Leith to visit fulfilled her dreams. Just wait, he'll come soon.† â€Å"How come you guys have no concept of ‘just friends' around here? Why is every guy I meet a potential mate? Leith was nice enough and cute, but I mean†¦come on.† I supposed I shouldn't have been surprised, really. The gentry had much looser sexual mores than humans-as a few couples in the room's corners were currently demonstrating-so they probably treated everything as a possible romantic encounter. Considering the wights' less-than-romantic bid for my affections earlier, I should have been grateful for Leith's more civilized courtship. Still, I found it all wearying. Shaya introduced me to a number of other nobles that afternoon. Most blurred together. I simply smiled and nodded a lot, fantasizing about being home in bed with Kiyo. Near the end of the party, one new person actually caught my attention. The first interesting thing was just how dark his skin was-a rarity in the otherwise Caucasian gentry of this portion of the Otherworld. His black hair hung around his face in a shower of tiny braids, perfectly setting off the burgundy satin cloak around him. He bowed low over my hand, sweeping his cloak away with a flourish. â€Å"Your majesty,† he said with a faint French accent. â€Å"It is an honor and a privilege. The stories of your beauty do not do you justice. I am Girard de la Colline.† I accepted his hand kiss with astonishment. â€Å"You must be from very far away.† The Otherworld mirrored my own world in geography. The residents here, near Arizona, spoke variations of American English. I wondered idly if those who ruled now had supplanted an American Indian version of the gentry. â€Å"Such a journey is well worth it to be in your presence, but sometime, if you like, I would be honored to tell you stories of my homeland. Its beauty is enough to make a man weep, though I'm given to understand that the terrible beauty of your own kingdom can make men weep as well-for different reasons.† I laughed. â€Å"I suppose so. Those who respect it can survive it; those who don't†¦well, don't.† â€Å"It sounds just like its queen.† He inclined his head. â€Å"I also have a small talent with metalwork, if you would ever like anything crafted. I live in the Rowan Land now but would happily take a commission if you require one.† I thanked him for the offer and said I'd think about it. When we left him, I turned to Shaya. â€Å"I liked him. But let me guess-he wants to woo me and father my child, too?† â€Å"Oh, he wouldn't be opposed to it, but that's not his short-term goal. He really is quite a gifted artisan-he's even got a little human blood in his ancestry, which lets him somewhat touch iron. But a man like him†¦well, he's a courtier. He hangs around nobility and tries to find connections that might help him rule a kingdom of his own one day.† â€Å"Which, my dear Shaya, is a very kind way of saying he is a schmoozing bottom-feeder who will do anything to further his own political aspirations. I will agree with you on his artistic talents, however. Why, we should have him make our good friend the Thorn Queen here a proper crown and solidify her title.† That smooth, laconic voice sliced my heart in two, and I froze. Turning around slowly, I met a pair of long-lashed green eyes flecked with gold and hazel, all framed by a sweep of long, fiery hair that rivaled the trees of autumn in his kingdom. Dorian, King of the Oak Land. â€Å"Your majesty,† exclaimed Shaya happily, giving him a low curtsey. â€Å"How are you? How is your domain?† Dorian smiled and lightly chucked her chin. â€Å"Are you afraid my household has fallen apart without you? I confess, it does run a bit less smoothly than before, but we endure what we must. I have no doubts your new mistress has more need of your services than I, so I shall suffer longer for her sake.† He gave me a pointed look. I said nothing. Shaya glanced between the two of us, her happy mien turning nervous. â€Å"If you'll excuse me, your majesties, I'm going to find some refreshment. I'll return momentarily.† I sincerely doubted that, but she departed too quickly for me to protest. I wanted to follow her but was now trapped. A bit of his showmanship dimmed, but the wit and lazy amusement that constantly cloaked Dorian remained. He always behaved as though he were on a stage, both in his mannerisms and his melodramatic-and often wry-commentary. I guess as a king he kind of was on stage during his life. â€Å"Well, Eugenie, here we are.† Dorian carelessly smoothed down the black velvet of his robe. Gold and red patterns danced around the hems. â€Å"You are a vision of sublime beauty, as always.† â€Å"Oh come on,† I exclaimed. â€Å"Not from you, of all people. I'm the most shoddily dressed person in this room.† â€Å"No. I saw a scullery maid dressed nearly as badly. A crown really would go a long way to establish your standing. But, barring that, your dress is actually lovely and well-made, even if plain. Wait and watch: you'll see women wearing copies of it soon. The fact that you can still draw eyes while wearing it is a testament to your beauty and presence. You achieve what most of these trumped-up, painted women cannot, no matter how many layers of heavy, rich fabric cover them up.† I gestured toward his robe. â€Å"You're covered up in a fair amount of heavy, rich fabric yourself.† The edges of his lips curled up. â€Å"If they bother you, I can remove as many of these layers as you like.† I rolled my eyes, but the damage was done. With those few words, I once again saw his naked body, smooth and perfect in the moonlight, hovering over mine as I lay bound to his bed. It had been one night, one night only, but it was a night I'd had little luck in forgetting for the last three months. Seeing Dorian stirred it all up again, filling me with confusion over the way my body had responded to such domination. Long before that night, Dorian had been one of my first allies in the Otherworld. He'd supported Storm King-and would have loved to knock me up-but had stood firm against any notion of rape. He'd wanted me of my own free will. In the end, he'd helped me defeat Aeson and had shown me the fundamentals of using magic. â€Å"Did you give Maiwenn something?† I asked abruptly, steering us elsewhere. He scrutinized me a moment before answering. â€Å"Yes, of course. What was it? Ah. Yes. Bolts of lovely cloth that I'm sure she can do†¦something†¦lovely with. My steward picked it out. A paltry present compared to yours, or so I hear.† His eyes tracked across the room to where Maiwenn and Kiyo laughed with some woman I didn't recognize. â€Å"Look at them. Their child will be something to see, don't you think? They make a very striking couple. I should commission a painter to do a family portrait once the baby arrives. Something they can all treasure for years to come.† I stiffened. â€Å"That's why you wanted to talk to me, huh? You haven't changed, Dorian, and I'm not going to stay here and play if you're just going to try to bait me. I didn't want to talk to you anyway.† Dorian gave a long-suffering sigh. â€Å"You always think so little of me, Eugenie. I wished to speak with you because I wanted to know how you've been. I've missed you. How do you like being a queen? Your land hasn't perished†¦yet†¦so I'm taking that as a good sign.† Still irked by the Kiyo jibe, I fixed him with a glare. â€Å"I didn't want to be a queen at all. It's your fault I've gotten into this. If you hadn't tricked me into claiming the land, I'd be in Tucson right now and away from all of this.† The sting of what he'd done, binding me to the Thorn Land, still itched within me. I wasn't sure if I could ever forgive him for that. â€Å"Not true. You'd still be here, moping around while your lover receives gifts for his child, just as you are right now. And men like the young Rowan prince would still solicit you because whatever other titles come and go, you will always be Storm King's daughter.† â€Å"I don't really want to be that either.† He spread his hands out, palms up, in a gesture of helplessness. â€Å"That I cannot change. All I can do with that is help you to develop the powers you inherited, but you've already refused my aid there.† I looked away. â€Å"I don't need your help.† Aside from the grudge I held against him, I couldn't shake the feeling that more of his â€Å"help† would result in me in his bed again. He took a step toward me. â€Å"Have you been teaching yourself?† I didn't answer. â€Å"You have been, haven't you? Or trying to, at least. Odd, considering I distinctly recall you saying you were satisfied with the level of magic you'd reached through my training.† He smiled. â€Å"How is that going? Perhaps you'd like my help again?† I jerked my head back toward him. Too much at this party had ground me down already, and his serpent's tongue was the point that threatened to break me. â€Å"No. I don't need your help. I don't need anyone's help, okay? I'm happy with what I'm teaching myself. If I advance, fine. If I don't, fine. It doesn't matter to me.† He laughed, a soft and deadly sound that poured over me like honey. â€Å"Eugenie, Eugenie. You may lie to other people, you may lie to your kitsune, and you may even lie to yourself. But do not lie to me. I was the one who first taught you to control your magic. I've seen how you crave it, how you glow with the rush of that power. I know how it makes you feel because I've felt it too. I can see in those lovely violet eyes of yours how passionately you want to tap more of that magic. It's consuming you.† â€Å"As usual,† I said in a low voice that matched his own, â€Å"you're imagining more than is actually there.† â€Å"And you, as usual, are denying what is there, not to mention your own nature. You are what you are, Eugenie, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner you can begin doing great things.† â€Å"This conversation is done,† I snapped, turning away. Dorian's hand closed around my wrist, and he pulled me toward him with an unexpected harshness. I don't think he'd meant to do it quite so hard. I let out a small gasp as those fingers tightened against my skin. I wasn't trapped by any stretch of the imagination, but for half a moment, I could believe I was. The painful restraint on my wrist sent shockwaves of heat through my body, and the scent of cinnamon drifted around me, standing this close to him. My breathing had grown heavy, and I willed it to slow down. He hadn't expected that reaction. A slight widening of his eyes showed rarely expressed surprise. Leaning his face toward mine, his thumb stroked the skin on my arm while the rest of the fingers maintained their hold. â€Å"Just like old times, hmm? It seems you haven't entirely lost your taste for restraint. Yet, like everything else, I'm sure you deny yourself that as well.† â€Å"You think so?† I asked nastily. â€Å"You should try fucking Kiyo. Lots of restraint there.† Amusement lit his face, contrasting with the dark desire in his eyes. â€Å"Since I'm presuming you don't mean you finally bought him a leash, let me say simply that there is a big difference between allowing an animal to ravage you and allowing yourself to be ravaged. One is common. The other is art. It is planned. Crafted, even. Only capable of being done by a master.† His next words came out so conversationally, we might as well have been discussing the weather. â€Å"As it is, I've been planning out what I'd like to do the next time we make love. I think I want you to lie on your stomach, with your hands bound to the front of the bed. We'll have to shift your hips up a bit, put you on your knees just a little, but otherwise you'll stay prostrate, almost like you're bowing in humble obeisance as I kneel behind you and take you.† He paused. â€Å"Unless you have other suggestions?† I broke from his grasp and backed up, surprised to find I was shaking. This was Dorian. The same dangerous, presumptuous, and scheming Dorian I'd first met months ago, no matter the sweetness and charm that poured off of him. He had no right to speak to me like that, not after I'd parted ways over his trick with the Thorn Land, not after I'd told him I wanted to stay with Kiyo. And yet, he had once been my friend and my teacher and my ally in battle†¦and my lover. And as I stood there staring at him, I could imagine everything he'd just described. I could feel it. And, God help me, I wanted it. My whole body tingled with the arousal his words wrought. â€Å"I have to go,† I said. It took two tries for my dry mouth to get the words out. â€Å"I have to find Shaya.† He inclined his head politely. â€Å"Of course.† I turned and walked away, but not before I heard him call after me. â€Å"Eugenie? Don't forget, if you change your mind, my offer still stands. For all things.† I bit my lip so as not to retort and was so focused on maintaining control that I nearly ran into a woman heading in the direction I'd just come from. She was gorgeous, with red hair that stood out like bright flames against her fair skin. She wore a puff-sleeved dress that matched the sky blue of her long-lashed eyes and reminded me a little of Cinderella's ball gown. Of course, Disney would have never allowed that much cleavage. The woman stepped gracefully aside, just barely avoiding a collision. And then, to my complete and total shock, she sidled up to Dorian and wrapped herself around him, pressing her lips to his cheeks. â€Å"Ah, there you are,† he said happily. He returned the kiss-except, well, it was on her lips. And lasted awhile. With tongue. I stood there, frozen, urging myself to ignore them and keep moving. Yet, I couldn't. Dorian, seeing me still there, gave me one of his grander smiles. â€Å"Queen Eugenie, a moment. Have you met my charming young friend yet?† That, of course, was one of Dorian's more annoying habits. He knew perfectly well I'd never met her but enjoyed playing the innocent. â€Å"I haven't,† I said stiffly, crossing my arms over my chest. â€Å"Queen Eugenie, may I present Ysabel, one of my subjects in the Oak Land. She's been spending some time†¦in the castle.† I took the subtext to mean that said time was specifically being spent in his bed. Ysabel bowed, giving me a polite â€Å"Your majesty.† Yet, when she straightened up, I saw the look in her eyes was anything but polite. There was a distinct hostility there, and it was directed at me. I was a bit taken aback until I realized what it was. Jealousy. This woman was insanely, adamantly jealous of me. She pressed herself closer to Dorian, almost possessively, her hands roaming over his body in the way that was so commonplace among their kind. â€Å"A pleasure,† I replied. I turned around to leave again, having no desire to watch Ysabel grope Dorian. If she wanted to make me jealous, she was wasting her efforts. Dorian and I were finished. There was nothing more between us, nor would there ever be again. â€Å"Dorian's latest lover,† Shaya explained later. â€Å"Yeah, I kind of figured that out.† â€Å"My understanding is that he went an astonishingly long time without a consort ever since†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She didn't finish. She was referring to when Dorian and I had been involved. â€Å"How long is a long time?† I asked. â€Å"Mmm†¦a couple of weeks.† â€Å"A couple of weeks after we broke up? That's a long time?† â€Å"For King Dorian? Yes. I believe she's his fourth since then, but she bears a distinct resemblance to all the others.† Shaya looked at me meaningfully. â€Å"So?† I asked, not getting the point. â€Å"Always fair skinned. Always redheads. Violet eyes are harder to find, though, so he's settled on blue.† It took me a few moments more to catch on. â€Å"Wait. Are you saying Dorian's been taking lovers that look like me?† â€Å"It could just be a coincidence,† she said diplomatically. â€Å"Jesus Christ,† I said, suddenly freaked out. Had I really made that big of an impression on him? Shaya paused a moment, face thoughtful. â€Å"I don't think Ysabel likes you very much.† â€Å"I kind of figured that out too. She was trying to make me jealous.† Then, in case there was any question, I added, â€Å"But I'm not.† â€Å"As you say,† replied Shaya, voice and face perfectly pleasant. I couldn't tell if she believed me or not, but it didn't matter. I knew the truth. I really wasn't jealous of Ysabel and Dorian. Well, not much, anyway.

Film And Mafia: Comparing the Godfather and The Untouchables Essay

Good vs. Evil, a universal theme seen throughout the history of story telling, can find itself to be especially malleable and suprising in the modern gangster movie. In the classic depiction of this struggle, the Gangster was looked upon as the criminal, the bad guy, while today this is not always the case. In this paper I will be explaining the early gangster films restrictions on who could be good or evil, and then introduce the two films I will be comparing. After a brief summary, a comparing and contrasting will take place between them, offering insights into how the two different films offer up this classic struggle. Early on in the gangster film genre, when the Hays Code was in effect, crime was not allowed to be something that was glamorized. The Hays Code was basically a set of moral standards films had to measure up to before being passed for distribution. It lasted from 1930 until 1968. The Hays code made things like profanity, violence, and sex completely unmentionable or undoable on the big screen. In the case of the gangster film, the gangster, as stated above, was always to be portrayed as the bad guy, and was almost always met with demise by the end of the film, to give the idea that â€Å"crime doesn’t pay. † As discussed in class, the antagonist to the gangster in these early films was usually the detective. The detective was the â€Å"good guy,† that is, usually a white, clean cut, god fearing American man who takes it upon himself to rid his city of crime after the rise of the gangster. This example of â€Å"good vs evil† was apparent to me in the film we watched earlier in the year, Little Caesar (1931). It doesn’t quite develop the detective as well as other films, but you could clearly see the Hays Code at work. The gangster in this film is portrayed as a stereotypical immigrant; uneducated, not speaking very good English, and destined for a life of crime. The life of crime would be short lived, however, as the police (all very Americanized white men) take Caesar down in the end, keeping their city safe from the treachery of the gangster. After the Hays Code ended, films could explore more things in the realms of which characters would be good or bad. Criminal types could now be portrayed in a favorable light, and in some cases, the audience may even feel sympathetic towards their cause, as perhaps they are the underdog, trying to make a living in any way possible. The classic â€Å"good guys,† police, politicians, or the like, could now be portrayed as corrupt, thus turning the tables on the audience, who would normally expect them to be the heroes of the story. The Godfather (1972) portrays these points perfectly. The Godfather tells the story of the Corleone Family- a family from Sicily who comes to America to attain the â€Å"American Dream. † Led at first by Vito Corleone, and later his son Michael, The Godfather takes a very different approach to the classical image of the gangster as the â€Å"bad guy. † As the movie progresses, one feels sympathetic toward the family and their struggles, even though their lives are based around organized crime and extreme violence. Through the characters of the movie, one can begin to understand that the life of crime is the only one that will allow the family to attain the â€Å"American Dream† of prosperity. One even begins to root for the family to succeed- they become they â€Å"good guys. † especially after Vito dies, and his son Michael assumes control of the family’s affairs. The morality of the family is also warped in a way that makes one sympathetic towards their cause. Although they kill, extort, and bribe their way to power, there are certain things they stand against as well. The only people who get killed are men; no women and children are harmed. They also do not get involved in drugs, as this is considered to be too immoral a means of prosperity. The antagonists, or â€Å"evil† to the Corleones are many-fold. They battle against the other mafia families, after the very same thing the Corleones seek. They deal with corrupt police officers and politicians, being bought off by rival families to put an end to their reign. As stated above, this is a complete reversal from what one would expect to see in the early gangster film. The Godfather offers a very unique perspective into what a gangster film could become in modern cinema. The Untouchables (1987) on the other hand, offers the more classic scenario of good and evil, but with a little twist. The story takes place in Prohibition-era Chicago, where Al Capone has the city in his back pocket, allowing his criminal activity to go completely unchecked. Capone is portrayed as the bad guy, with protagonist, Treasury Department Agent Elliot Ness, trying to figure out a way to restore order to the city. This carries the classic theme of good vs evil as the gangster portraying evil and law enforcement good, yet the twist is that most of the police force is corrupt, being bribed by Capone. Ness cannot trust anyone, and fails in his first attempt to bring Capone down by raiding one of his liquor warehouses. As the film progresses, Ness meets up with another officer who also vehemently defends righteousness, and the two begin to hatch a plan to take down Capone together. After discovering the amount of corruption in the court system and on the police force, Ness and his partner decide to go outside of the law, and form a team of trustworthy men fresh from the police academy, unable to be corrupted by the allure of money from Capone. This development offers a disconnect in the traditional view of the hero, as in order to achieve his goal, the hero may need to use means which could possibly be looked upon as immoral and illegal. The audience gives this lapse of righteousness a pass in favor of the ultimate goal, however, which remains getting the bad guy. Eventually, at the end of the movie, Capone is finally brought to justice. It is done so in a completely non-violent way, although violence was definitely used in order to reach the climax. The corruption in the courts is shown as being broken, and Capone is sentenced to jail for tax evasion. These two films give a very different portrayal of the life of crime and how the gangster operates and is viewed by the audience. In The Godfather, the audience is subjected to the inner-workings of the Corleone Family, and gains an appreciation for their dedication and love for each other. Their criminal activity can be overlooked, as the world that they live in is stacked against their success, and they are simply trying to provide for each other in the only way they know how. This is contrary to what is portrayed in The Untouchables, where the gangster is not given the opportunity to make a connection with the audience, instead his way of life is given the title of evil, while the family man Elliot Ness is the focus. His striving for justice is given the spotlight, and the audience is shown to root for him. He is the hero in a world filled with evil and corruption. An interesting dilemma arises from the way in which Elliot Ness achieves his success against evil, however, as stated above in the movie’s summary. Just as the audience is to overlook the wrongdoings of the Corleone family in their pursuit of happiness, the same must be done for Elliot Ness in the way he tiptoes along the fine line between legal and illegal during his pursuit of Capone. He kills and tortures Capone’s henchmen in order to get at Capone himself. In the tradition legal system of the United States, all men accused of wrong doing should be brought in front of a court and judged fairly. This is shown to be impossible, due to the corruption of Chicago’s legal system at the time, with Capone bribing everyone from judges to juries. Thus Elliot Ness and his posse’s transgressions against humanity are brushed to the side in the place of the ultimate goal of restoring peace to the city. The main characters of the two films are in fact very similar, despite being on different sides of the law. Michael Corleone and Elliot Ness are both at their core, good men. Their upbringing and families are the key difference in how they are perceived in the world. Michael Corleone was born into a life of crime. It is interesting that in the beginning of his story, he sort of on the outside looking in. The family business is really no concern to him. He is shown as having served in the army, and having an American girlfriend. This removes him from the inner workings of his family for some time, but when he is called upon to step up and protect his family in a dire time of need, he does so. His character transforms from an innocent man on the outskirts of his family’s life of crime, to a man who is just as or perhaps even more ruthless than his father before him after he assumes control. Elliot Ness is a protector of the law. He takes his job very seriously, and believes in the justice system as a means of keeping evil out of his city. He is a family man as well, with his wife and child (later on children,) constantly in his mind. His goal is to protect them and the city he loves at all costs. He also goes through a pretty drastic transformation. From the naive agent who believes in his justice system, to a cold-blooded killer intent on destroying the criminal enterprise threatening his family and city. Both of these transformations are accepted by the audience, and really lead one to root for these particular characters. Although they are both shown to get their hands dirty, and although they are on opposite sides of the law, common ground can be found in the fact that they both are men who stand up for what they believe in, and are willing to put themselves in harms way if it means protecting their families, as well as everything else they hold dear. Even in the case of the â€Å"criminal,† the audience can come to terms with the idea that he is simply staying true to his beliefs, and that is something that should be respected. Elliot Ness is a character who in the beginning is easy to root for, and even though some might waver on his methods, still end up rooting for him in the end. Michael Corleone is tougher to root for in the beginning of his saga, due to his distance from his family, yet towards the end of the film, is easy to root for in the coming to defense of his family in their time of need. This contrast shows that even though the distinct characters follow very different story arcs in their respective films, both are ultimately loved by the audience. Good vs. Evil is not a black and white subject. As these two films show, it is indeed very grey. The line between right and wrong can be very blurred, and can be crossed many times throughout the course of a story. Perceptions of characters and their place in the world can change drastically based on a few events, and the classic examples of cops and robbers can be turned on their heads. I greatly enjoy both of the films discussed in this paper; as they are very different in many ways, yet in the end, provide us the audience with a common denominator, a lovable character who will hold our attention to the very end. Even though the circumstances in which these characters interact with their worlds vary greatly, they both basically hold the same values very close to their hearts, and that is what shows on the big screen. It shows us that whatever our preconceived notions are about who is good and bad in a particular scenario, everyone has an opportunity to prove us right or wrong. This is what makes the modern gangster film so popular and great- an ability for us, the audience, to be surprised. Bibliography â€Å"Synopsis of The Untouchables (1987). † IMDb. IMDb. com, n. d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013. . â€Å"Synopsis of The Godfather (1972). † IMDb. IMDb. com, n. d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013. . Bynum, Matt. â€Å"The Motion Picture Production Code of 1930 (Hays Code). † The Motion Picture Production Code of 1930 (Hays Code). Arts Reformation, n. d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013. .

Barn Burning Essay Example

Barn Burning Essay Example Barn Burning Essay Barn Burning Essay Antonio Webb Professor Debra Germany English 2336 14 November 2012 Barn Burning In â€Å"Barn Burning†, a short story by William Faulkner, a boy finds that he can no longer be governed by his father’s ideas and tries to prevent his father from doing further harm, and leaves his family in the process. Sarty Snopes desire is to break away from the moral deficiency of his family life and live life with some resemblance of normalcy even at the expense of never seeing his family again. A growing body of evidence, suggest that humans have a moral sense from the very start of life and family does not instill this moral compass from the very start of life. His father was a man of little or no education who had developed an attitude in life of catering to no one but himself even at the expense of his family. The story begins with Mr. Snopes on trial for burning a neighbor’s barn after sending a black man over for his hog and actually warning the man that hay and wood burn. Shortly afterwards the neighbor’s barn burned and the story begins in a court of the Justice of the Peace. Sarty, is remembering all this and the details of the court room which was actually a storeroom in a grocery store. The man whose barn was burned asks that the boy testify and the judge is hesitant as this was not proper protocol in that time. The man says the boy does not have to testify and the case is dismissed due to lack of witnesses. The boy says he would have had to tell the truth had he been forced to testify even though he has a very real fear of his father. The father actually hits the boy who had defended the family honor by fighting someone in the crowd calling them barn burners. The father knows the boy would have testified and he tells him that they have to stand together against the world. This is obviously a common occurrence in the young mans life and always ends up the same, they are told to move on and never come back. They all gather in their wagon and leave, the wife, her twin sister, his two sisters, and his older brother. They all are afraid of the father and dare not question him or his authority. The central theme of the story begins with the last move when the family moves onto property owned by a Major De Spain and take up residence in a tenant farm house belonging to the major. The boy and the father ride over to the Majors house which is larger than anything the boy had seen in his life he compared the house to the courthouse. As they approach the door the father steps in a large pile of horse manure. The black man at the door tells the father to wipe his feet before coming in and also announces that Major De Spain is not home. The father forces the door open and enters the home, leaving a path of mud on the rug which turns out to be an expensive rug from France. When the Major returns home and discovers the condition of the carpet he rolls it up and takes it to the Snopes residence where he instructs the father to clean it and return it as it was. The father makes the boys and the two sisters, clean the rug and then returns it to the Major. The Major tells Mr. Snopes that he will have to pay twenty bushels out of his labor to pay for the rug. Mr. Snopes takes the Major to court to have his payment overturned. Mr. Snopes thinking that washing it would be sufficient finds out that it is not. The judge shows some leniency reducing the payment to ten bushels of corn and five dollars. The father is not happy with this and decides once again to burn the Majors barn as he orders his son to get the kerosene against his wife’s wishes who says at least send a black man again like you did before. The young boy who by now has decided in his heart that this cannot go on and is restrained by his mother even though the father wants to physically tie him to his bed so he cant warn the Major. The father by now has headed towards the Majors house. The boy breaks away from his mother and heads for the Majors house on foot, arriving there he warns the household about their barn and then runs out the door not knowing where he is headed. The Major rides by him on his horse and somewhere up ahead the boy hears a shot and then two more. The constellations wheeled on. It would be dawn and them sun-up after a while and he would be hungry, But that would be to-morrow and now he was only cold, and walking would cure that. His breathing was easier asleep because he knew it was almost dawn, the night almost over. He could tell that from the whippoorwills. They were everywhere now among the dark trees below them. He got up. He was a little stiff, but walking would cure that too as it would the cold, and soon there would be the sun. He went on down the hill, toward the dark woods within which the liquid silver voices of the birds called unceasing –the rapid and urgent beating of the urgent and quiring heart of the late spring night. He did not look back. Baym,Nina) He knows that his father is torn between love and righteousness and feels sorrow for his father but knows in his heart he can longer live this way of life. While the story never mentions his age, Barn Burning is a sad story of a young mans life who knew what was right and wrong and does what has to be done in the end as conscious would not allow him to continue with his fathers way of life. However this story illustrates how morality is not developed within the family, but something that is instilled within us all in the first early years of life. By the age of six months babies have already developed a strong moral code, according to psychologist. They may be barely able to sit up, let alone take their steps, crawl or talk, but researchers say they can still tell the difference between good and evil. An astonishing series of experiments is challenging the view that human beings are born as â€Å"blank slates† – and that our morality is shaped by our experiences. Instead, they suggest that concepts of good and bad may be hard-wired into the brain at birth. In one experiment involving puppets, six-month-old babies showed a strong preference for good helpful characters-and rejected unhelpful, â€Å"naughty† puppet, some babies went further- and dished out their own punishment with a smack on its head Professor Paul Bloom, a psychologist at Yale University in Connecticut, whose department has studied morality in babies for years, said: A growing body of evidence suggest that humans do have a rudimentary moral sense from the very start of life. You can see some glimmers of moral thought, moral judgment and moral felling even in the first year of life. Some sense of ood and evil seems to be bred in the bones. In one experiment involving puppets, six-month old babies showed a strong preference for â€Å"good† helpful characters- and rejected unhelpful, â€Å"naughty† ones. In another, when asked to take away treats from a â€Å"naughty† puppet, some babies went further- and dished out their own punishment with a s mack on its head. (Derbyshire, David) Professor Paul Bloom, a psychologist at Yale University in Connecticut, whose department has studied morality in babies for years, said â€Å"A growing body of evidence suggests that humans do have a rudimentary moral sense from the very start of life. You can see glimmers of moral thought, moral judgment and moral feeling even in the first year of life. Some sense of good and evil seems to be bred in the bones† Which is not to say that parents are wrong to concern themselves with moral development or that interactions with their children are a waste of time? Socialization is critically important. But this is not because babies are young children lack a sense of right and wrong; it’s because the sense of sense of right and wrong that they naturally possess diverges in important ways from what we adults would want it to be, Dr Nadia Reissland, of Durham University, said babies start to learn he difference between good and bad from birth. â€Å"Everything hinges on who decides what is normal†, she said. (Derbyshire, David) Infants fall into the preconvention level of moral development according to the theories of Lawrence Kohlberg. This involves two orientations: punishment and pleasure seeking. Infants respond to their environment primarily to seek pleasure and meet their needs. They show joy by smiling, cooing and laughing when they are fed, comfortable and feeling safe. As they grow, they learn to make choices in response to punishment, such as being told no or having an object taken from them. Meeting an infant’s basic needs through consistent care and positive social interactions simultaneously nurtures their moral development and trust in their caregivers. (Smith-Vratny, Lisa) Two noteworthy individuals, Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg, studied the moral development of children. Piaget looked at how children develop moral reasoning. He found that Two noteworthy individuals, Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg, studied the moral development of children. Piaget looked at how children develop moral reasoning. He found that young children have a much more primitive understanding of right and wrong behavior than do older children. Piaget determined that younger children judge bad behavior by the amount of damage caused by a person’s behavior. He would tell children a story with a moral dilemma. He would ask them to tell him â€Å"who is naughtier† a boy who accidentally broke fifteen cups or a boy breaks one cup trying to reach a jam jar when his mother is not around. Younger children attributed the â€Å"naughty† behavior to the boy who broke the most cups regardless of the other child’s intent. A huge amount of growth and physical development occurs during the first years of a baby’s life. These early stages of development are critical in laying the foundation for the baby’s future. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the normal development milestones for a baby, and how to encourage his or her learning and behavior. (Huxley, Ron) In conclusion the Snopes family lack of morality clearly influenced Sarty this is evident in the beginning of the story when the boy is willing to lie to insure that his father is acquitted of any wrong doing but somewhere along the way he could no longer contribute to their way of life. Somewhere along the way Sarty realizes everything the family is doing is wrong and its hurting peoples lives. The research indicates that you can see glimmers of moral thought, moral judgment and moral feeling in the first year of life, what happen to the Snopes family along the way that the son would have more moral judgment than the family. This illustrates that family can only develop morality or withdraw away from it; essentially good and evil is something that seems to be bred in the bones. Derbyshire, David ailymail. co. uk/news/article-1275892/Were-born-moral- Babies-tell-good-evil- months. html Bloom, Paul nytimes. com/2010/05/09/magazine/09babies- t. html? pagewanted=all_r=0 Smith-Vratny Lisa    livestrong. com/article/180598-moral-social-development-in- infants/#ixzz2C9gL5co8 Smith, Peter    lifesitenews. com/news/archive//ldn/2010/may/10051009 essentialbaby. com. au/baby/baby-stages-of-development/the-moral-life-of-babies- 20100513-v0u0. html Huxley, Ron christian -mommies. om/ageless/handle-emotions/moral-development-of-children- knowing-right-from-wrong/ Sigelman and Elizabeth A. Rider. Life-Span Human Development. California: Wadsworth, 2003. Caroll E. Izard. Measuring Emotions in Infants and Children. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1982. Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel. What to Expect the First Year. Sydney: Harper Collins, 2009. Jean Piaget. The Origins of Intelligence in Children. New York: International University Press, 1952. Gillies, Christine http://suite101. com/article/the-developmental-milestones- f-a-baby-a314799 Baym, Nina, gen. ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Vol. C,D, and E (a three- volume set) 8th ed. New York:Norton, 2012 childrensmoraldevelopment. com/index. html Bersoff, David M. and Joan G. Miller. Culture, Context, and the Development of Moral Accountability Judgments. Developmental Psychology29, no. 4 (July 1993): 664–77. Schulman, Michael, and Eva Mekler. Bringing Up a MoralChild: A Ne w Approach for Teaching Your Child to BeKind, Just, and Responsible. rev. ed. New York: Main Street Books/Doubleday, 1994.

Brand survey Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Brand survey - Assignment Example Students typing on their laptops sitting on the comfortable couches or chair can be seen when one enters Starbucks and the comfort also enables the students to purchase more drinks than they planned to. Compared to any other coffee store, Starbucks provides a wide range of drinks which includes 22 variations of iced and hot tea, variations of frappuccinos and various other flavors of every drink they offer such as smoothies and juices. However, DD does not offer tea to its customers. Bakery goods are also displayed in glass displays which the customers can easily see but Dunkin Donuts only displays their donuts. An increasing array of foods can be seen at Starbucks such as breakfast meals, various kinds of sandwiches, salads, yogurt as well as ice cream.1 The best thing about Starbucks compared to DD is that it provides an excellent customer service. A Starbucks worker asks a customer for his name which is then written on their beverage in order to ensure that they get the correct or der. Moreover, cup holders are also provided by Starbucks for the customers to use if their beverage is very hot. All these develop brand loyalty because of which the customers visit the store again and again.

A job opportunity as an engineer in Thailand Essay

A job opportunity as an engineer in Thailand - Essay Example The quickest developing age group in the 1990s was 19 to 25 year-olds. In the 2000s, that age group dropped as an aftereffect of a falling conception rate in the 2000s and expanding essential and auxiliary school enlistment (Yong et al. 2011, p. 751). By 2014, the quickest developing gathering in the work energy in engineering in Thailand is matured, somewhere around twenty five and forty, with expanding interest by females. The extent of ladies utilized went from 66 percent in 2005 to around 70 percent by the end of 2013. Nowadays, female occupation in Thailand is most noteworthy in trade with 54 percent in 2010s, took after by 50 percent in engineering, 43 percent in businesses, and 36 percent in administrations since females are now well educated in Thailand. As far as territorial appropriation, the North has the least rate of work energy development in engineering, with 3growth between 2005 and 2014, emulated by the Northeast, with 3.3 percent as a consequence of restricted job opportunities in engineering, furthermore movement of the individuals from the region. Bangkok has the most elevated work power development in engineering with 6.9 percent due. Provincial development job opportunities depend halfway on the level of edu cation. An expanding number of new contestants in the work power of engineering have gotten an advanced education however not all that numerous. In 2013, the rate of the aggregate work constrains that had a basic education was 90.2. For individuals with lower and upper auxiliary or rather secondary education, but they can give work compel in engineering, has expanded from 4.8 percent to 10.4 percent from 2010 to 2015. The rate of the work energy with professional education has moved from 1.9 percent to 10.4 percent between the year 2011 and 2015. Since Thailand is among the developing countries, implying that its rate of improving infrastructure is so high,