Experiences of Child Poverty Essay Example for Free

Experiences of Child Poverty Essay London is the capital of the United Kingdom. The administrative structure in Greater London consists of 32 counties (boroughs) and the City of London, extending over 1584 kilometers  ². The population of London is around 7.5 million however throughout Greater London about 13 million people live. The GDP per capita for The UK is $36,500. London is the richest part of Britain and yet it has the highest rates of poverty in the UK. Lagos is the largest city in Nigeria. With an estimated population of 8.8 million inhabitants in the city, or rather 10. 7 million in the metropolitan area, Lagos is the second largest city in Africa. The UN estimates that at its present growth rate, Lagos state will be third largest mega city in the world by 2015 after Tokyo in Japan and Mumbai in India. Lagos is the main city of the south-western part of Nigeria, Africa. The GDP per capita in Lagos is $3,649. Over 10,000 people arrive at Lagos every week in search of jobs and most end up in the citys mega slum do to the lack of job opportunity. Children living in poverty are those who experience deprivation of the material, spiritual and emotional resources needed to survive, develop and thrive, leaving them unable to enjoy their lives, achieve their full potential or participate as full members of society. The easiest way to quantify child poverty is by setting an absolute or relative monetary threshold. If a family does not earn above that threshold, the children of that family will be considered to live below the poverty line. Absolute poverty thresholds are fixed, whereas relative poverty thresholds are developed with reference to the actual income of the population and reflect changes in consumption. This is not always accurate, as it is only an average and there are people earning millions who affect that average GDP per capita. In poor areas of London there are many problems that face children. The poor areas tend to be in places that lack jobs and job opportunities e.g. Hackney, Such poor areas can really affect the child’s life due to their living conditions. These children are living in relative poverty as they do have access to clean water, food and shelter which is provided by the state, but are considered poor to the rest of society as they can’t afford luxuries and normally depend upon benefits to get though life. These areas that lack job opportunities have high unemployment rates and so people have low incomes and often relate to crime as it is the culture of the area and people feel they do not get enough support from the government and feel let down and ignored. These poor areas are prime spots for drug dealers and drug addicts. This is significantly bad as they have a low income and so can’t afford the drugs and so they use the money which would have been spent on the children E.g. quality food. Rather than spending the money on better quality food they spend it on the drugs they are dependent on as they are addicted and so the child looses out as they tend to be mall nourished. Being mall nourished can increase the chances of becoming ill which then in turn means the child is less likely to spend time in school as they are off ill. This then affects their learning and they under achieve which means they have a less chance of ever getting a job and so they are trapped in the poverty cycle. It is then rely difficult for the children to break out of the poverty cycle due to many factors that affect them. Whereas Children living in the slums of Lagos also suffer from poverty, however the majority live in absolute poverty as they do not always have access to clean water, food and shelter, for example these children don’t have access to clean water and so most of the water is contaminated with diseases like cholera. Allot of children catch cholera from drinking dirty water which makes them ill and as most of the children have no access to health care due to their parents being born they can remain ill for a long time and it can be fatal. Being ill means they cannot help to provide for the family and the money being spent on their health cannot be spent on other vital things like basic food stuffs. It is hard to get out of both cases of poverty; however the children in the slums of Lagos are worse off and have a lower standard of living than the children living in Hackney. The majority of children living in poverty in Lagos are born to poor parents. Because of things like adult poverty, lack of education, unemployment, disabilities and discrimination significantly affect the causes of child poverty. Lack of parental economic resources such as disposable income restricts children’s opportunities and therefore the children are unable to go to school and allot of these children are forced to work. The problem is that allot of these jobs where children are forced to work are very dangerous and can cause injuries, health problems and even death. E.g. the recycling of old oil drums that contain harmful toxins. The main reason why the children in Hackney are trapped in the poverty cycle is because of the parents/Careers as well. The cycle of poverty is when a family remains in poverty over many successive generations. Family issues can play a big part in the reason for the child being submitted to a life of poverty. If the parents get in debt then this can be the cause of allot of stress, this can also cause the child to have stress which can affect their learning ability and health. Stress can also cause breakups between couples; this can lead to single mothers who are left on their own to support the child and themselves, which can also lead to father stress. Most single parents are unemployed because they haft to look after the children and so they rely on benefits. Teen pregnancies in both MEDCs and LEDCs are big causes of child poverty. Children resulting from unwanted pregnancies are more likely to live in poverty; raising a child requires allot of resources, so each additional child increases demands on parental resources. Families raised by a single parent are generally poorer than those raised by couples. This can be a big issue in LEDC countries such as Lagos. Many teens abandon their children as they simply do not have the resources available to support their child as they cannot claim benefits as they do not exist. Where as in MEDCs, teen moms are supported by the government and family. The problem in Lagos is that children generally suffer from absolute poverty; however there is also relative poverty. With absolute poverty children generally do not have what they need. They are short of basic food, water, shelter, clothing and adequate or sufficient health care. Where as in Hackney people do not suffer from absolute poverty and so are better off, however they live in relative poverty that is poverty under relative terms is viewed as being what some people lack in relation to other people. In my opinion the worst experience of child poverty in Lagos would be the lack of Clean water which causes a significant amount of deaths and illnesses and affects the family as a whole as the money used to pay for the child’s healthcare comes from the money normally spent on other necessities like food or education. The government of Nigeria could provide communities with wells however it would cost a phenomenal amount of money , and the majority of the people don’t live on legal grounds as they have just moved there and have not actually paid to live there and so the government would not be allowed to build wells as most of the people don’t have permition to live there in the first place. The worst experiences for children living in Hackney would be the culture of the area and so children grow up with crime related experiences, this then means that most of the children get brought up with crime and this can keep them in the poverty cycle. The government of Britain could increase prison sentences and increase policing in these areas. This policy would be expensive however it would increase the standards of living for these people and help them get out of relative poverty. Both cases of poverty affect the childs opportunities in life. This means they are limited jobs available to them or unemployment if there is a lack of job opportunities. There future generations will probably also live in poverty, whether absolute or relative. They will rarely experience if at all the luxuries and experiences we take for granted. Their only hope getting out of poverty is if the government adopts a poverty reduction strategy paper (PRSP) and use schemes like the growth of the cities and urban development, employment opportunities and poverty reduction and housing schemes. Also the best way to reduce child poverty would be to reduce child labour and increase accessibility to education by building more schools and improving the quality of education. This is a key point that governments need to adopt in order to reduce child poverty and help break the poverty cycle.

Exploring The Darkness Within Kurtz English Literature Essay

Exploring The Darkness Within Kurtz English Literature Essay The Heart of Darkness stands as a profound examination of the hypocrisy of imperialism, and the darkness that results from it. This imperialism embodies itself in the form of Kurtz, the antagonist of the story. Kurtz initially exists as a remarkable man, an emissary of light who enters the Congo with noble intentions. (Conrad) However, as he enters the heart of darkness that is the Congo, his own heart becomes dark as well. This novella explores Kurtzs transformation in three consecutive chapters. The darkness foreshadows itself in part one, describes its path in part two, and finally presents itself in part three. Conrad depicts this darkness with his skillful use of imagery and metaphors. Carefully crafting the message of the story, Conrad utilizes imagery and metaphors as the paints to his palette. Foreshadowing permeates every moment of this narrative. Although it can be found in the entirety of the story, it predominates in part one. The foundations for the consistently dark imagery lie in Conrads prolific sentence structure, which tends to meditatively wonder, both in the scenery and his own philosophical speculation. (Lachotta) Through the vivid imagery, many metaphors arise, and contribute to the foreshadowing as well. The foremost metaphor of part one exists as the Congo River itself, which resembles an immense snake uncoiled. (Conrad) One usually associates a snake with evil, which foreshadows the actuality that lies in the Congo. As a metaphor, it represents the European imperialism, and thus, it represents Kurtz. Another metaphor lies within the two woman at the doctors office, who are knitting black wool. Marlow states his uneasiness in regards to them, how they seem to be guarding the door of Darkness. (Conrad) Conrad capitalizes Darkness in this sentence to emphasiz e the imagery of his message. Indeed, these women stand as an omen for the dark months that lie ahead, for once Marlow enters that door, he officially becomes part of the dark world that leads him to Kurtz. Numerous metaphors in part one foreshadow Kurtz transformation into madness. The story of Fresleven, who was the gentlest, quietist creature to ever walk on two legs, exemplifies this dark dissent. After a couple of years engaged in the noble cause, he attempts to assert self respect by beating a native mercilessly, all for the frivolous reason of two black hens. (Conrad) The fact that the doctor wants to measure Marlows head, along with the Swedes story of the man who hangs himself, both serve as key elements of foreshadowing Kurtzs own destiny. (HoD, Symbolism) Once the foreshadowing takes place, Conrad further explores Kurtzs darkness in part two. Now that Marlow physically stands in the Congo jungle, he vividly describes the darkness that part one preludes to. As the managers uncle extends him arm out to the forest, Marlow states that he seems to beckon to the lurking death, the hidden evil, the profound darkness of its heart. (Conrad) This ominous atmosphere of the Congo exists as the same atmosphere that drives Kurtz to madness. Once Marlow and his crew descend up the river to reach the inner station, Conrads vivid imagery presents further metaphors. Marlow explains that going up the river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. (Conrad) Comparing this journey to the beginning of the world represents the colonists journey, which moves away from civilization and towards a primitive existence. As they move away from civilized society, they become cl oser to the heart of darkness that Kurtz physically and psychologically lives in. Another metaphor presents itself with the personification of the trees as kings. This alludes to Kurtzs proclamation of himself as a god to the natives, something of which he accomplishes only through his primitive location. Overall, the imagery of Africa Conrad deploys in part two provides a backdrop for Kurtzs moral dissolution. (Mwikisa) Once the path up the river comes to an end, part three begins. In this final chapter, Conrad presents the core of the darkness Kurtz himself. The entire novella leads up to this point, in which Kurtzs corruption establishes itself. Presiding over the inner station, Kurtz becomes addicted to his power. (Rekue) He grows tired of being a mere man, and through force and violence, transforms himself into an omnipotent figure. The scene where the natives carry him on a stretcher indicates how he completely abandons European morals and norms of behavior. (Lachotta) In the beginning of this chapter, Conrads phenomenal imagery illustrates the inner station. As Marlow observes his surroundings, he assures that never before did this land, this river, this jungle, the very arch of this blazing sky, appear to me so hopeless and so dark. (Conrad) This not only explores Kurtzs darkness, but preludes to his hopeless death. Kurtz gives in to the immoral temptation within the Congo, and thus, his inn er darkness takes over. In further speculation of the chapter, Conrads imagery and metaphors explore the characteristics of darkness itself. Three elements must correlate in order to constitute darkness. These elements include anger, fear, and aggression. (Lachotta) Throughout this chapter, Kurtz exemplifies all three of these characteristics. After Marlow witnesses Kurtz being carried on a stretcher, the harlequin tells the story of how Kurtz threatened to shoot him over a small lot of ivory. Kurtz reasoning was that he could do so, and had a fancy for it. (Conrad) This, along with the chastisement of the manager, represents Kurtzs anger. The heads of the rebels on the sticks represent his aggression in gaining complete power; his ivory hunts represent his aggression in obtaining ivory. In regards to fear, Kurtz fears being taken away from the dark place of which he feels comfortable. In the desperation that arises from his fear, he tries to escape by crawling away the night before the departure. Kurtz ple ads that he has his plans, but his efforts remain futile. (HoD Study Guide) Through these three elements, Conrad explores the darkness of the human soul. Kurtzs moral degeneration in the Congo epitomizes that darkness, which in the end, completely envelops him. Kurtz initially exists as a man of morals, who travels to the Congo full of philanthropic ideals. (HoD, Kurtz) However, these ideals become devoured by the darkness of imperialism. The Heart of Darkness explores this transformation through the three chapters of the novella. The darkness foreshadows itself in part one, describes its path in part two, and presents itself in part three. Conrad depicts this darkness through his aesthetic use of imagery and metaphors, which work to intertwine throughout the entire story. During the last moments of his life, Kurtz, in realization of his darkness, utters the words, The horror! The horror! (Conrad) In the end, he succumbs to the darkness, for once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny; consume you it will. (Yoda Quotes)

Impact of Pastoralism on Political and Economic Organization

Impact of Pastoralism on Political and Economic Organization The Basseri community is one of the traditional ethnic groups in Iran who inhabits the Fars province. This tribe is illustrated as Persian and Arab and nomadic within a delineated territory. The Basseri community is one of the pastoral nomads who usually wander along the plains and hills near the Shiraz town. In the area where they migrate it is said to be best for agricultural activities as well as it is also the habitat of a wide variety of birds and animals to hunt. Actually, the place is referred to as the land of nomadic tribes. As stated above, the Basseri communities are pastoralist, (Ronald, 2006). Therefore, in this essay I will be analyzing how the pastoralist mode of life has impacted the social, political, and economic organization. To be more precise, I will be analyzing the economic, social and political organization of the Basseri community. It is argued that the Basseri is a delineated group who can be defined not by ethnic or geographical but rather political criteria. The exact number of the population in this community is the recent time is not known as research has not been carried out to establish this. But in 1950s, they were estimated the entire community was estimated to be about 16,000. The vernacular language of the Basseri is Farsi, although a remarkable number of them do speak Arabic or Turkish Economic organization. It is important to note that just like in any other pastoralist community, pastures are seen as being the most crucial part of the Basseri community. However, the pastures are not enough to support the large flocks of animals of the community. This explains why this community wanders along the plains efficiently and according to a set schedule. In most cases, there is no official division of labor when setting, ready to make a move, (Thomas, 2009). Although this community is on the move from one place to another throughout the year, it is argued that agriculture is the most crucial part of the community. The tribe has developed a way of life that enables them to maximize the use of seasonal pastures. Arguably, the nature of the climate that is found in the area they inhabit dictates that they perform artificial irrigation so as to support their agricultural activities during the dry season. It has been observed that the most common economic activities that are carried by the community are domestic work, animal raring, and daily cycles of migration. In this community, the principle of division of labor is well appreciated as it makes work easier. Division of labor is usually applies as work is distributed according to sex as well as age although circumstances may sometimes dictates that work be allocated to one sex or age, (Ronald, 2006). The animals that are kept by this community includes; horses which are used for riding more especially by men, donkeys which are used for simple transportation especially by kids and women, camels which are used for heavy transportation during migration, and dogs for guarding their herds during the night. Despite the fact that the community keeps a number of domestic animals, those of the greatest importance are the goats and sheep. Besides, the community also keeps poultry not for their eggs but specifically as source of meat. As mentioned above, the goats and sheep are highly valued by the Basseri more than any other animal specifically because of the milk, wool, meat and hides that they supply. It should be noted that in most cases, the animal products are consumed as soon as they are produced; although some may be preserved for future use, or as trade commodities. It is estimated that each and every household in the community owns about 120 goats and sheep and more than 8 donkeys. To some extent, trading can be considered as being one of the economic activities of the Basseri community. It is true that the community cannot produce all they need for themselves as they wander from place to place. Therefore, exchanging what they have for what they do not have is inevitable. Mostly, they trade with villagers and other communities who they encounter with on their way as they move from one place to another. Some of the goods which they trade in include; cash crops such as the dates and cotton, and other animal products, (Ronald, 2006). Moreover, they sometimes undertake animal hiring business in that they hire out their animals for transport. In exchange, they get from the villagers such goods as cereals for instance, barley which is one of their stable food. Other which they trade in includes craftsmanship products such as tent fixtures and some other household items. It should also be noted that when drought persisted for a long period, the Basseri are forced to r ent land from the villagers for grazing and water rights during migration period. Social Organization. Socially, this community is organized into small groups. The basic unit of social organization among the Basseri is known as the tent. Notably, a tent is a unit that is occupied mainly by a nuclear family. The tents in turn form the camp groups. Moreover, each and every tent represents a production as well as a consumption unit headed by a male individual. The occupants of tents act as political units which have rights over property within the community units, (Ronald, 2006). The combination of units to form a small herding groups whose combination depends on usefulness rather than kinship principles, is a common feature among the Basseri community. In the winter periods, a group of 3-6 tents of herding units form up small camps that are about 3-4 kilometers apart. Most of the historians assert that in the real sense, these camps form up the principal communities of the Basseri nomadic society. Kinship Among the Basseri, marriage is considered as being a very important social event that constitutes the entire household. It is a common thing that the authority to make marriage contracts lies on the hands of the head of the household or tent, (Khanam, 2008). Many a times, marriage takes between the ages of about seventeen and twenty for the female case but in males, it might happen at an older age. It is an obligation of the father to furnish his daughter with various items usually household items during the ceremony. To some extent, the father may also offer some animals such as goats and sheep to his son-in-law as an economic support to start his family. The obligation of the mothers of the couple is mainly to prepare a new home for the couple by entwining a new tent where the couple will be living after the marriage. Although the authority to make marriage contracts is within the powers of the head of a tent, the contract is in most cases presided over by a nontribal ritual specialist, or holy man, (Ronald, 2006). This contract is concluded by the bride-payments for the girl on top of the domestic tools she is expected to bring to her in-laws. According to this community, the newly married couples have equal rights as far as decision making is concerned. The two individuals sit down together and discuss on family issues and how they should raise their family in order to fit in the community. Beliefs and Values The Basseri are one of the Shia Muslims who adheres to the teachings of the Islam religion. However, some of them are not very much aware of the beliefs of Muslims, ceremonies and customs. This is so because they tend to differ from other Muslim over the events and divisions of the Muslim year, although sometimes they are influenced by other villagers who they encounter while in movement from one region to another, (Khanam, 2008). It has also been noted that they are not strict in observing some Islamic customs even though they are aware of them. For instance, this community rarely celebrates Islamic feasts. In fact, even the most common feasts of Ramadan and Moharram are observed by not many Basseri. When it comes to rituals, they are usually associated with the life cycle of the people more than the Islamic teachings, that is, from birth to death Gender relations As stated earlier, although the distribution of authority is fairly equal, men are considered as the head of their families once they start their families. A female can only be considered to be the head of her family if only she is a window, (Khanam, 2008). Work is also distributed in terms of sex. Female and children undertake domestic chore while men take care of the animals and provide security for their families. It is as well, the work of men to provide water and wood for the family. Sickness and Healing It is very rare for a Basseri to fall sick majorly because of the kind food they eat. Because of the kind of life they live, these people mostly take natural plants and animal products which help to boost their immunity system. However, the community has medicine-men who are specialists in treating the sick. In most cases these specialists uses natural medicine which they obtain from natural herbs. Social Change There are some remarkable changes that have been occurred among the Basseri community over time. This may be majorly due to the different people with different modes of cultures who they encounter in their migrations. Therefore, there are some things that they have copied from these communities and they have also influenced these communities in one way or another. For example, from the very beginning the community was known to be purely pastoralists who their needs were met from their animals, (Thomas, 2009). However, with time they have learnt to also plant some crops to supplement their diet and also as a source of food for their animals during the dry season. It is also argued that trading was never one of the economic activities among the Basseri people. They have only learnt this activity from other communities more especially the villagers who sometimes offer their pastures for the Basseri animals in exchange for animal products such as hides and milk. Unlike most of the nomadic communities more especially in the East Africa who were independent and autonomous, the Basseri formed the Khamseh Tribal Confederation which was also a part of the elite urban merchants. With time, this community have come to be independent in one way or another because of the decisions which they make which are generally based on the circumstances and also the needs that they have as per that time and not according to the requirements of the confederation. Arguably, there have been a lot of changes in the social structure of this community over time. It is important to note that inter-marriages in the community were never prohibited. As a result, a number of the Basseri community members have been assimilated by other communities majorly due to intermarriage, (Khanam, 2008). This has also led to the changing roles between the males and females. In the current times, it is normal for a woman to undertake what is considered as a mans job and vice versa. Political organization In this community, a centralized type of government is used in administration. A chief is the single leader of the Basseri who has supreme authority over the entire community, (Khanam, 2008). The functions of the chief includes; collection and storage of goods in the community, planning and directing how the community should take its production activities, and ensuring that the behavior of the people is as per the norms and beliefs of the community. The Basseri are grouped into smaller units called tribes or chiefdoms. The smaller groups are usually headed by a leader who is usually recognized by the chief. These tribes or chiefdoms forms the formal institutions that are used to unify the dispersed groups. According to this community, leadership depends on the lineage clans. This means that one becomes a leader if only his parents or clan comes from the leadership background. The chief draws his powers from the headmen (Katkhoda) who he sometimes, gives precious goods as gifts. The headmen are very influential people than any ordinary man because they are privileged to deal directly with the chief, (Thomas, 2009). These headmen come from the various political units (Tents). As mentioned early, leadership among the Basseri is hereditary. This explains why the son of the Basseri is always considered to be a Basseri even if his mother may be from a different tribe. As such, there is some kind of stratification of the society according to the different levels of power and prestige. In many nomadic communities, raiding is a very common phenomenon because they belief that all the animals belongs to them. However, among the Basseri community this is not the case. They prefer co-existing peacefully with their neighbors who they encounter as they wander from place to place. This explains why they prefer an arbitration mode of conflict resolution whenever there is a misunderstanding between either the community members or the community and another community. There are different modes of dealing with those who are found to have broken the code of behavior that is accepted in the community, (Khanam, 2008). This will include imposition of fines whereby the offender is supposed to pay a certain amount of agricultural products, and to the extreme one may be disowned by the community members, a decision which is made by the Chief who is the supreme authority in this community. Conclusion The Basseri community can be described from various viewpoints that are common in almost all the nomadic communities. For instance, almost all these communities have a similar form of political and social organization. However, due to the surrounding communities and the environment the community has come to change their life-styles in one way or another. This explains the various changes that have been observed in the Basseri community in the recent times.

education in the past :: essays research papers

Education wasn’t an option for Romans and Greeks; it was both a tool and a necessity. Without education, neither of these cultures would have been what they were or remembered as they are today. Without education, neither of these cultures would have experienced the fame and success that they experienced during their individual time periods. About 200 BC, a Roman system of education developed which was different from the Greek tradition, but Romans borrowed some of the ancient Greek system of education. The Roman education system was based mainly on the study of Latin and Greek literature in order to produce effective speakers. School began each year on the 24th of March and there were three phases to a proper Roman Education: primary instruction, reading of literature (called grammar by the Romans), and formal schooling in rhetoric, but these three phases weren’t for everyone because school wasn’t free. For those that could afford to go to school, they had to first be educated at home. In early Roman days, a Roman boy’s education took place at home. If his father could read and write, he taught his son to do the same. The father instructed his son in Roman law, history, customs, and physical training, to prepare for war. Reverence for the gods, respect for law, obedience to authority, and truthfulne ss were the most important lessons to be taught. Girls were taught by their mothers. Girls learned to spin, weave, and sew. Once boys and girls, with their father’s permission to school, reached the age of 6 or 7, they were ready to begin the primary instruction part of the Roman education. In primary instruction, children studied reading, writing, and counting. They read scrolls and books. They were taught Roman numerals, and recited lessons they had memorized. At age 12 or 13, the boys of the upper classes attended â€Å"grammar† school, where they studied Latin, Greek, grammar, and literature. At age 16, some boys went on to study public speaking at the rhetoric school, which was the major element in education, to prepare for life as an orator or as an advocate in the law courts. In ancient Athens, the purpose of education was to produce citizens trained in the arts, to prepare citizens for both peace and war. Athenian schools were private, and required students to pay tuition. There were no state-funded schools at this time and no laws requiring children to receive education. education in the past :: essays research papers Education wasn’t an option for Romans and Greeks; it was both a tool and a necessity. Without education, neither of these cultures would have been what they were or remembered as they are today. Without education, neither of these cultures would have experienced the fame and success that they experienced during their individual time periods. About 200 BC, a Roman system of education developed which was different from the Greek tradition, but Romans borrowed some of the ancient Greek system of education. The Roman education system was based mainly on the study of Latin and Greek literature in order to produce effective speakers. School began each year on the 24th of March and there were three phases to a proper Roman Education: primary instruction, reading of literature (called grammar by the Romans), and formal schooling in rhetoric, but these three phases weren’t for everyone because school wasn’t free. For those that could afford to go to school, they had to first be educated at home. In early Roman days, a Roman boy’s education took place at home. If his father could read and write, he taught his son to do the same. The father instructed his son in Roman law, history, customs, and physical training, to prepare for war. Reverence for the gods, respect for law, obedience to authority, and truthfulne ss were the most important lessons to be taught. Girls were taught by their mothers. Girls learned to spin, weave, and sew. Once boys and girls, with their father’s permission to school, reached the age of 6 or 7, they were ready to begin the primary instruction part of the Roman education. In primary instruction, children studied reading, writing, and counting. They read scrolls and books. They were taught Roman numerals, and recited lessons they had memorized. At age 12 or 13, the boys of the upper classes attended â€Å"grammar† school, where they studied Latin, Greek, grammar, and literature. At age 16, some boys went on to study public speaking at the rhetoric school, which was the major element in education, to prepare for life as an orator or as an advocate in the law courts. In ancient Athens, the purpose of education was to produce citizens trained in the arts, to prepare citizens for both peace and war. Athenian schools were private, and required students to pay tuition. There were no state-funded schools at this time and no laws requiring children to receive education.

journeyhod Journey into Hell in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Ess

The Journey into Hell in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚   In Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness the environment is often symbolic as well as literal. The novel contains both the "frame" narrator, an anonymous member of the "Nellie", representing the dominant society, and more importantly the primary narrator, Marlow, who too, is a product of the dominant society. For the novel's narrator, Marlow, the journey up the Congo River to the 'heart of darkness' is reminiscent of Guido's journey into hell in Dante's Inferno, with these literary allusion always present, through forms of intense imagery. The landscape takes on a hellish nature and the wilderness is personified. Death is omnipresent and this is reflected in the death imagery used to describe the cities of Brussels and London, the Congo region and Kurtz' station. The hypocrisy of 'society' and 'civilization' is reflected in the author's description of the "sepulchral city".    The novel begins with the narrator, Marlow, and some of the ship's crew waiting at dusk for the tide to change so that their "cruising yawl" the 'Nellie" may enter the London harbour. The frame narrator expresses quite optimistic views on colonialism especially pertaining to London, which is described as the greatest city on earth, yet these opinions are then challenged by both marlow and the use of imagery. The coastline is described as being shrouded in "diaphanous folds" of fog... ...cityscape provide a physical setting which serves to reflect the psychological state of the narrator, Marlow and the evils of life, as well as forgrounding the journey of the narrator - mentally, emotionally, and intellectually. The environment particularly that of the Congo and of Brussels, reflect death, hypocrisy and even human's "profound heart of darkness".    Bibliography    Conrad, J. (1995). Heart of Darkness. London: Penguin Group.    Maes-Jelinek, H. Notes on Heart of Darkness    Jean-Aubry, George. Joseph Conrad: Life and Letters. Vol. 1. New York: Page, 1966.    Ed. Marvin. Conrad: Collection of Critical Essays. Mudrick. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1972.   

Mapping O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find”

O’Connor, in response to her critics note that a certain amount of the significance â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† lies in its utility in terms of teaching as well as in literary analysis.However, in relation to this aforementioned utility, O’Connor also notes that the text should not be reduced to â€Å"a problem to be solved† to the extent that it is treated as something which one evaporates in order â€Å"to get Instant Enlightenment† (Fitzgerald 23).In line with this, what follows is an analysis of the aforementioned text [O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†] which opts to minimize the amount of ‘evaporation’ of the text for the purpose of literary analysis.In this paper, I will focus on the locations which were specified within the text. The reasons for this are as follows: (1) locations specified within the text serve to foreshadow the events in the text and (2) locations specified within the text serve to augment the theme of the text.In reading the aforementioned text, one of the first things that may noticed in the text, itself is the realistic setting of the story. The story is set in the state of Georgia. In the opening scene, one is presented with a family from Atlanta quarrelling about their vacation plans. The quarrel stems from the grandmother’s opposition of the family’s decision to take their vacation in Florida.The reason for such an opposition lies in the highly probable perilous conditions in Florida itself since it has been reported that a convict which â€Å"calls himself The Misfit† is heading towards the same direction [that being Florida].It is important to note that during the matter of this quarrel, the reader is presented with the initial details of the family’s travel [vacation so to speak] and the mileage that they will cover which will later tie up with the other details in the later part of the story. What follows this is a scenic description of Georgia in the eyes of this family.In this description of the places which the family passes, it is interesting to note that the family chooses to have lunch in a place called Timothy in Georgia. What is of interest here is that as opposed to Stone Mountain, Jasper, and other places that they pass by there is no known specific location in Georgia called Timothy [known in the sense that it has a place in the map]. The question thereby arises as to O’Connor’s rationale for placing the location within the story.In answer to this Asals notes that this is due to the heretical status of this family. According to Asals, one may conceive of the location [Asals] as pertaining to the gospel of Timothy which discusses â€Å"the opposition of false doctrine; the organization of the church and establishment of ecclesiastical regulations; and exhortations which indicate how to be a good citizen and Christian† (76).The importance of such, in relation to the story, may be understood if one considers the heretical condition of the aforementioned family. The heretical condition is evident in the opposition of the grandmother’s carriage and her actions during the period of her youth.O’Connor, in this sense, may be seen as portraying the parallel between her characters who have left the tenets of Christian faith and Paul’s warning to those who commit such actions.Within this context, it is thereby possible to understand O’ Connor’s work [specifically the aforementioned text] as enabling a certain form of locationality which opts to counter the â€Å"rationalistic, materialistic, and humanistic thought† which pervaded during her time.This is best understood if one considers the aforementioned interpretation in relation to her warning [as to the evaporation resulting from â€Å"Instant Enlightenment†].Within this context, it is possible to posit that within a materialistic [in a sense on a world highly grounded on realism] the choice of the path in which one chooses has a direct effect on the meaningfulness of one’s earthly life [in the same manner in which The Misfit took hold of the family]Works CitedAsals, Frederick and Flannery O’Connor. A Good Man is Hard to Find. London: Rutgers, 1993.O’Connor, Flannery. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†. A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories.Fitzgerald, Sally, ed. The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O’Connor. By Flannery O’Connor. New York: Farrar, 979.

Color blindness affects

Color blindness affects a significant number of people, although exact proportions vary among groups. In Australia, for example, it occurs in about 8 percent of males and only about 0. 4 percent of females. Isolated communities with a restricted gene pool sometimes produce high proportions of color blindness, including the less usual types. Examples include rural Finland, Hungary, and some of the Scottish islands.In the United States, about 7 percent of the male population†or about 10. 5 million men †and 0. 4 percent of the female population either cannot distinguish red from green, r see red and green differently from how others do (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 2006). More than 95 percent of all variations in human color vision involve the red and green receptors in male eyes. It is very rare for males or females to be â€Å"blind† to the blue end of the spectrum. About 8 percent of males, but only 0. percent of females, are color blind in some way or another, whether it is one color, a color combination, or another mutation DESTRUCTION 2004 TSUNAMI CAUSED IN INDIA Tamil Nadu The state of Tamil Nadu has been the worst affected on the mainland, with a death toll of 7,793. Nagapattinam district has had 5,525 casualties, with entire villages having been destroyed. Kanyakumari district has had 808 deaths, Cuddalore district 599, the state capital Chennai 206 and Kancheepuram district 124.The death tolls in other districts were Pudukkottai (1 5), Ramanathapuram (6), Tirunelveli (4), Thoothukudi (3), Tiruvallur (28), ThanJavur (22), Tiruvarur (10) and Viluppuram (47). Those killed in Kanyakumari include pilgrims taking a holy dip in the sea. Of about 700 people trapped at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial off Kanyakumari, 650 were rescued. In Chennai, people playing on the Marina beach and those who taking a Sunday morning stroll were washed away, in addition to the fisher folk who lived along the shore and those out at sea.The death toll at Velan kanni in Nagapattinam district is currently 1,500. Most of these people were visiting the Basilica of the Virgin Mary for Christmas, while others were residents of the town. The nuclear power station at Kalpakkam was shut down after sea water rushed into a pump station. No radiation leak or damage to the reactor was reported Pondicherry An estimated 30,000 people are homeless in the Union territory of Pondicherry. The current official toll is 560. The affected districts are Pondicherry (107 dead), Kariakal (453 dead).Kariakal is the most devastated area from the Pondicherry Union territory. Where massive destruction and loss of causalities accure. This mishap occur because of uncover stone block. Mostly fisher folk are affected due to location and distance between sea and their basti (village). Fishing peoples are Just preparing for venturing into sea and within fraction of seconds everything wash away and their boats are damaged they lost everything in terms of life and property. M ore than 453 people are died so far and still some are missing. Kerala The current official toll is 168.The affected districts are Kollam (131 dead), Alappuzha (32 dead), Ernakulum (5 dead). The tsunami that hit the Kerala coast on December , were three to tlve metres high ,according to the National Institute ot Disaster Management,(NlDM) which functions under the ministry of home affairs. The Tidal upsurge had affected 250 kilometers of the Kerala coastline and entered between one or two kilometers inland. Pounded 187 villages affecting 24. 70 lakh persons in the state . As many as 6,280 dwelling units were destroyed. As many as 84,773 persons wee evacuated from the coastal areas and accommodated