The Death and Journey of the Egyptian Soul

No other country- not even China or India had such a long history as Ancient Egypt. For nearly, 3,000 years before the birth of Jesus, the Egyptians had already a high developed civilization. The Egyptians lived in an orderly government; they built great stone structures; most of important of all they established an acquired religion. For the Egyptians there was no break between their religious beliefs and their daily life. Even their culture would all lie at the bottom compared to their religious beliefs. For an example, Egyptian art was never reflected as a representation; however, it was a sense of symbolic pictures that spoke of the life of the gods and the hope of eternity to come. This desire for the renewal of life, and the creative urge to ensure it by ritual and symbolism existed in Egypt from the earliest times of the Neolithic Era. Archaeologist were able to uncover clay figurines of Osiris laced with sprouting corn. As the corn grew the model would open, as an image of life-in- death. Archaeologist were also able to find that their people also liked to keep the dead close to them. The Egyptians soon came to believe deeply that the good administration of the dead, just like the management of the Nile†s water could lead to an everlasting life. Many think of the Ancient Egyptians as a morbid, death-obsessed people. We think of this because all of what we have uncovered is mummies, tombs, and graves. However, we know more about the Egyptians in death than what we know about their lives. Since, the earliest times the Egyptians were very passionately concerned with the continued existence of their loved ones and their souls. The idea that Osiris had passes through death and risen into a new life was deeply rooted in the Egyptian consciousness that Osiris had to struggle against the forces of evil. So did the human soul now following him to gain eternity. By 2,500 BCE, helpful instructions, known as the pyramid texts were carved or painted on tomb walls to help the soul act in the various trials of it journey in the Netherworld (also referred to as the Under World). A thousand years later, in the New Kingdom, these instructions had been formalized into The Coming into Day, or The Egyptian Book of the Dead. This magical text for the underworld journey was a set of spells, incantations, and mummification techniques designed to help the dead person resurrect into a glorious afterlife in â€Å"heaven, † or â€Å"The Hall of the Two Truths. † These mystical texts are from the New Kingdom. The similar ones that were found in the pyramids from the Old Kingdom, and the coffins were from the Middle Kingdom. One can imagine these text by thinking about how church rituals are run. One goes to church, and the rituals are holy texts that come from a book known as the bible or genesis. In Ancient Egypt, these burial rituals are not read from a book. At first, they are read directly off of the wall in inner chambers of a pyramid; later they were read directly off sides of the coffins. The Coming into Day, which was from the New Kingdom, was read off of papyrus sheets, much as religious rituals are today as they are read out of books. The Book of the Dead was to be relatively cheap to purchase. As an Egyptian that had more riches in the New Kingdom, one would be able to buy a copy that would have blanks where the names go. A scribe would be hired to insert the name in all those blank spots. In the text, the blank spots were the name of the deceased. The letter â€Å"N† indicates it. If there were no name to be put in it they would refer to the Dead person as â€Å"N†. Wealthy Egyptians had a personalized version prepared before their death so many versions have been discovered. One of the most famous one was created for Ani, a Royal Scribe, who lived during the nineteenth dynasty, and died in 1250 BC. If one were to die or a loved one dies, one would be buried with the papyrus scroll. As a result, a few of these texts survived. In the book the body was represented as the Ka. The Ka was the spiritual body that everyone had, which was the mirror image of the physical body. When a person died it was the Ka, which lived on in the underworld. The Ka was not trapped inside a material body but lived symbiotically with it. This was why it was so vital to preserve the bodies of those who were believed to be living in the future world. In many of the great Egyptian tombs, spare heads and hearts were buried with the mummified body in case the mummy should be damaged. Many of the spells in the book for the dead are for protecting the physical body so that the Ka body could live free and happy in the Underworld. One of the most well renowned parts in the book of the dead is the Hall of Maat, which is first introduced in the book. The Hall of Matt is where the judgement of the dead was preformed. The goddess Matt stands for truth, justice, morality and balance. The symbol that was used to shows one†s innocence was the â€Å"heart†. The Egyptians believed the heart was one of the most sacred parts of the body. In the Book of the Dead, it was the heart that was weighed against the feather of Maat to see if an individual was worthy of joining Osiris in the afterlife. In the book Anubis, the Jackal god of embalming leads â€Å"N† to the scales of Maat to be weighed. Anubis then weighs the heart against the feather to see if it is worthy. As, Thoth, the god of wisdom is right next to the scale recording the results. If passing this test one will be brought by Horus to meet Osiris, the king of the dead. To claim the purity and the principles of a sinless life is known as â€Å"The Declaration of Innocence. Here during the Declarations of Independence, â€Å"N† (the deceased one) must claim his innocence. Much of this declaration was based on causing human suffrage and about taking care of everything that surrounds them. Many of these ethical laws pertain to the work social and personal goals according to Truth. It was important for â€Å"N† to declare innocence because nothing evil shall happen to go against â€Å"N† because â€Å"N† has proven innocence. After the declaration of innocence it was vital for â€Å"N† to know the name of the Gods. It was important for the deceased to know these names because the Gods lived on Truth. Hail to you, O you who are in the Hall of Justice who have no lies in your bodies, who live on truth and gulp down truth in the presence of Horus who is in his disc. † Since the Gods lived on Truth it was up to the Gods to save and protect the soul of the deceased. That was the start of the introductory hymns to the Gods, which took up the first few chapters. One in particular is the Re, the Sun God. The ancient Egyptians considered Re as the creator of people. That is conceivably why Re is the first God mentioned in the Book of the Dead. Another God in the first few chapters is Osiris. Osiris is the god of death and re-birth, underworld and earth. Primarily in the first few chapters are hymns and praises to Gods. The beginning of the book is a transition to what I feel is the most important part, the afterlife rituals. Starting at chapter†s twenty-one and twenty-two, the giving to obtain an afterlife begins. One that stuck out to me was chapter two. This chapter is for out into the day and living after. â€Å"O you Sole One who shine in the moon, O you Sole One who glow in the sun, may Ani go forth from among those multitudes of yours who are outside, may those who in the sunshine release him†¦ This section from the chapter means that the Sole One, you; is being freed into the daylight. An additional chapter that was very interesting was chapter seventy-four. This chapter talked about being swift-footed when going out from the earth. Part of the chapter reads, â€Å"I shine in the sky, I ascend to the sky. † This means to me that your passage to afterlife should be buoyant and easy. Many of the chapters were alike to one another in the middle of the book; however, each had a very distinct difference from one another. The book it seems to refer to how to obtain an afterlife. That starts out with the process of giving a mouth, magic, heart, or etc†¦ for Ani begins. One part of the body that is given is the mouth. The mouth would be open by Ptah, who was the human god the creator of Memphis would open the mouth. This part was fairly important in the book because â€Å"N† would be able to speak in the presence of the Gods. By this it also protects â€Å"N†. â€Å"As for any magic spell of any words which may be uttered against me, the gods will rise up against it, even the entire Ennead. † Another section of the book that was fascination was the chapters about transformation. These began and lasted from chapters seventy to eighty. One of the main chapters in the section was the transformation from human to a divine falcon. In the chapter it indeed depicts the actual transformation from the entry to the passage out. In this chapter there was also a real dialogue between character, which I found to be odd considering it was only the second dialogue was used besides the beginning of the book. The falcon must be one of the most important creatures in ancient Egypt because of its mention if the Book of the Dead and it†s use in the Egyptian writing, hieroglyphics. Another transformation is from human to crocodile. That is very interesting because there is also a transformation into a swallow. The connection between both is somewhat odd because a crocodile is supposed to evil and a swallow is a symbol of innocence. Those transformations are quite the opposite. The chapters were very interesting on the transformations because it was uncanny to see what the Egyptians thought of some of the animals and birds. My favorite chapter of the whole book was the Hall of the Two Truths. The Hall of Two Truths is where a person†s would and actions from their life get weighed. If the balance is even between good and evil, the soul is sent to an afterlife. If the evil side over weighs the good side, then the person is sent to a bad place. The person must actually ask, â€Å"Do you know the names of the upper and lower portions of the doors? † This I think means have you weighed my good and evil. Then the person says, â€Å"Lord of Truth, Master of his Two Legs† is the name of the upper portion; ‘Lord of Strength, the One who commands the Cattle is the name of the Lower. â€Å"† These I think means did my good outweigh my evil. This chapter was the most interesting to me because it really described what happens at the hall of the Two Truths. The lives of the ancient Egyptians were based upon religious gods and texts. The Egyptian Book of the Dead was perhaps the most important written record of the importance. It was essentially a book of praises and hymns to the Egyptian Gods. This book was one of the many ways to enter a complete afterlife. The Egyptian society heavily believed and based their lives on the Book of the Dead is on it phrases and hymns to the ancient Egyptian Gods and afterlife passage. The rest of the book just ends with what it started out with, which were eulogistic praises to the Gods. Reading the Book of the Dead made me think more about how religious the Egyptians truly were. I think the Book of the Dead was in fact the key of their whole culture. If they hadn†t believed so strongly in something their purpose of living might have ceased to exist because afterlife is what made them go on with their lives and essentially the Book of the Dead was the passage to their blissful afterlife. The Egyptians probably had one of the most influential civilizations in all of history and the Book of the Dead was one of the key elements that made Egyptians have such a strong era.

How does Shakespeare create Tension Essay

In King Lear, Act I establishes the nature of the conflict between Cordelia and Lear, among Goneril and Regan and Lear, and between Gloucester and Edgar. This first act also establishes the twofold nature of Goneril, Regan, and Edmund, while demonstrating that Cordelia and Edgar are good characters. The remainder of the play’s central characters also make an appearance in this act. At the start of the play Lear intends to divide his kingdom between his three daughters, setting them a test to who loves him most. At the start of Lear’s speech he uses the third person creating the royal ‘we’. ‘We shall express our darker purpose’, this shows that he has self-importance and speaks as a king. The language in Lear’s first speech is one of the first factors effecting the tension of the play. ‘Unburdened crawl towards death’ this adds suspense and tension to his speech as he knows he is going to die. The excessive use of pronouns adds to this as well. The long sentences used also add a sense of continuity. When Gonerill tells her father how much she loves there is a lot of hyperbole language and excessive flattery for example, ‘as much as child e’eer loved, or father found’. As the audience we know this is much exaggerated and the dramatic irony helps to add suspense. Then Cordelia says [aside] ‘What shall Cordelia speak? Love, and be silent.’ Already we begin to get an insight into Cordelia’s feelings creating suspense. This is because we do not know what she is about to say when her turn comes. She also says another aside after Regan, which keeps building up the suspense. When Regan tells her father how much she loves him she uses aggressive tactics with self-confidence to address herself. There is also some sibling rivalry ‘ self mettle’ shows this sibling rivalry. There is also much hyperbole and dramatic irony adding to the suspense. We then move on to Cordelia who says nothing. In disbelief Lear challenges her and as a result she is banished from the kingdom, along with France and move away. This is  the first result of Lear’s old age and creates tensions between Cordelia and her sisters and Lear. The use of metaphors and punctuation add suspense when Lear sends Cordelia away. ‘come not between the dragon and his wrath’ this adds to the suspense of the passage by describing himself as a dragon and telling the others not to get involved. By the way Lear talks to Cordelia also show how it is a male dominated society. Later on in the play we learn that Cordelia was Lears favourite and that he only could of said these things if he was very ill. The monosyllabic language is simple but adds direct and powerful emphasis on how Lear sees Cordelia ‘glib and oily art’ shows this. This helps to add the tension as we see how Lear sees Cordelia and how the family tensions have got worse. ‘Without our grace love, our benison’ this list of three helps to add tension to the banishment of Cordelia as Lear says this as they depart. Showing that the relationship between them is very tense, adding to the suspense in act 1.

The concept of animal cruelty is one that disgusts most people around the world. The idea of hurting an innocent animal is something that most people cannot fathom. Many times cases of animal abuse and animal cruelty go unreported because the victims have no voice. Unfortunately, cases of animal cruelty occur with tremendous frequency around the globe. These acts of cruelty are classified in two different ways. There are those that suffer from active cruelty whereas other animals suffer from passive cruelty. Who are the perpetrators of animal cruelty and what can people do to help? Many people are not aware that there are different types of animal cruelty. Animals are subjected to active and passive cruelty. Although one is done with the torture and abuse of animals in mind, any type of cruelty towards animals is wrong and is something to be addressed. Animals subjected to either form of animal cruelty suffer a horrible fate. Hundreds if not thousands of animals each year die as a direct result of animal cruelty. Many of these animals never receive any form of justice as the abusers are never reported and no charges are filed against them. Animals that somehow manage to survive any form of animal abuse or cruelty have mental, physical, and psychological issues. Many of these animals find it very hard to ever trust another human. Get high quality custom written essay just for $10 In a rather shocking revelation, research has discovered a correlation between those guilty of animal cruelty and individuals that are guilty of domestic violence and/or child abuse. Many people who participate in abuse and cruelty against children and adults began their cruelty on their family pets. One study stated that when people are being investigated for child abuse a staggering 88% of the pets in those families were subjected to some form of animal cruelty or abuse. Further studies have shown that if a child has a propensity for abusing animals that they are at a greater risk at being violent towards people in general at some point of their lives. When looking at women who enter shelters for domestic violence, between 71% – 83% of those women state their abuse partner abused or killed any pets the family owned. In recent years the reality of animal cruelty has become something not as hidden as it once was to the masses. Lawmakers have heard the outcries of animal activists and have taken steps to legal deal with perpetrators. In 46 states in the United States alone, felony charges are on the books for those convicted of first time offenses of animal cruelty. Other anti-cruelty laws on are the books to protect animals and prosecute those guilty of torturing, abusing, and aggravated cruelty against companion animals. To further get an accurate picture of how many animals are victims are subject to animal cruelty or abuse a year the FBI added a cruelty to animals category to the Uniform Crime Report in January of 2016. Individuals wanting to help with animal cruelty can report suspected animal abuse or neglect to the authorities. With the watchful eye of friends, family, and neighbors there is a greater chance of saving an innocent animal from a life of abuse and cruelty. The active involvement of the community on animal cruelty also helps prosecutors and law enforcement officers to target crimes against animals, potentially saving lives of hundreds if not thousands of animals. Resources: http://www.pawfectnation.org.za/news/153-animal-abuse-statistics-the-facts.html http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/abuse_neglect/facts/animal_cruelty_facts_statistics.html http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/abuse_neglect/qa/cruelty_violence_connection_faq.html?credit=web_id235304807 Rely on professional writers with your college paper and take a load off your mind. Relax while we are working on your essay. Your peace of mind is just one click away

Statistic & conclution Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Statistic & conclution - Statistics Project Example An explanation for this may be the quality of health care in these states, which in 2007 all ranked among the bottom in a nationwide survey of healthcare quality (Arnst). American Samoa, which has an average of 94.2 out of 100,000, nearly double of the American national average, supports this conclusion to the extent that it lacks much of the modern medical infrastructure belonging to the continental states. Another statistical point of interest with potential policy implications is the data related to suicide rates relative to states. Nationally, the average is 11.3 per 100,000 people; however, in Alaska, the rate is 22.1 (195%), in New Mexico, the rate is 20.4 (180%), in Wyoming, the rate is 19.7 (174%), and in Montana, the rate is 19.4 (171%). Not coincidentally, in 2010, those states ranked 50th (1.2 inhabitants per square mile), 45th (17.0), 49th (5.8) and 48th (6.8) respectively in population density (U.S. Census Bureau). The significance of that correlation is that smaller population density seems to be directly correlated with a higher than average suicide rate. Although all states generally and understandably active try to prevent suicide, these figures seem to suggest that suicide is a more prevalent threat to individuals living in relative isolation from one another in Western states. In contrast to some data in the literature that suggests suicide rates are paired with high rates of population density, such as in work put forward by Saunderson and Langford, it may be the case that low population density is positively correlated with suicide. Saunderson, Thomas R. and Ian H. Langford. "A study of the geographical distribution of suicide rates in England and Wales 1989-92 using empirical bayes estimates." Social Science & Medicine, 43 (1996):

Who is the real monster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Who is the real monster - Essay Example rrified by what he has done, and abandons the so-called monster to his fate, wandering alone in the world looking at first for acceptance, but as time goes on, increasingly looking for revenge for all the pain and suffering that he is forced to endure. This paper analyzes Mary Shelley’s depiction of the scientist and his creature, showing how a number of key metaphors and similes, along with the conscious exploitation of extreme settings, reveal Doctor Frankenstein to be the real monster. The novel uses an interesting structure of some introductory letters at the beginning, and concluding letters at the end from a ship’s captain, Mr Walton, to frame the main story. The first main character to appear is â€Å"a being which had the shape of a man, but apparently of gigantic stature† (letter IV) and the second is â€Å"a human being...not, as the other traveller seemed to be, a savage inhabitant of some undiscovered island, but an European† (Letter IV). The perspective is of a neutral observer, the captain of a ship stranded in the far north. These descriptions reveal the standard prejudices of the time, in which Europeans considered themselves superior to other races, and through their history of slavery and colonialism treated other nations as â€Å"savages.† The ship’s captain is very impressed with Doctor Frankenstein’s highly civilized character but it is interesting that he also uses the word â€Å"creature† when de scribing him: â€Å"How can I see so noble a creature destroyed by misery... He is so gentle, yet so wise; his mind is so cultivated...† (letter IV). This introduction sets up an expectation that the strange guest on the ship is a good man, who will have an inspiring tale to tell, and that there is something wild and dangerous about the giant figure fleeing into the ice. When the Doctor is taken into the ship, the perspective changes to become his perspective and the main part of the book which follows consists of Doctor Frankenstein’s

Questions on Asian History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Questions on Asian History - Essay Example The Japanese aspirations for Chinese territories culminated in 1920, when Japan invaded Manchuria and finally in 1931, established the state of Manchukuo (Thomas). The establishment of Manchukuo was only a historical precedent, which marked the beginning of the Japanese invasion of China, culminating in 1937. The relations between Japan and the United States between 1900 and 1931 are much more controversial, than the ones with China. Up until WWI, the relations between the two countries were marked by political balance and mutual trade agreements. Until 1930 Japan and the US enjoyed a tradition of good and peaceful relations. During the Meiji dynasty and the modernization of Japan, the country imported knowledge and technology, as well its political ideas from the developed democracies in Europe, but also from the United States. The tradition of friendship and support however was broken after the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1930. This act was perceived by the United States as a n act of territorial aggression, and it was controversial to the ideas of universal human rights and liberal institutionalism, which the country was fervently promoting. Japanese human rights violations in China were the main reasons for the rapid deterioration of the Japanese – US relations in the early twentieth century. The relations between Japan and China and Japan and the US between 1900 and 1931 are contrasting. The Japan-Chinese relations were historically marked by hostility not only because of the different paths of modernization that the two countries chose at the end of the nineteenth century, but because of the Japanese imperial ambitions and expansionist policies. The Japanese – American relations however were marked by traditional friendship until 1931. This changed dramatically with the Japanese invasion of Northern China (Manchuria). The invasion was considered by the US as a major violation of the general tendency towards a universal human rights agen da, which was gaining momentum after WWI. How did the Nationalist Party unify China during the 1920s? The unification of China in the 1920s was largely influenced by the ideological platform of the Nationalist Party (the Kuomintang - KMT) which was founded in 1912. This platform professed a unique blend of Chinese nationalism, ethnicity and national unification. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, China was shattered by a series of riots and civil wars between warlords. The popular demand for social and political reforms was growing. Although China did not fight many wars with â€Å"foreigners†, Chinese national identity is based on the ideal of national superiority and the spiritual uniqueness of the Chinese nation, compared to other nations (Hsu, Murphy). This historical perception of Chinese identity became the ideological base of the Chinese Nationalist Party. It was embraced and implemented as such by the first leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party - Dr.  Sun Yat-sen. His vision of a greater Chinese society, bound by the idea of the state, became the political mechanism for the unification of the country in 1928. It was also transformed into a military strategy, resulting in the so-called Northern expedition, which unified China under

Parent training gender norm during through youth age Research Paper

Parent training gender norm during through youth age - Research Paper Example Gender norms are the creation of society as a whole, with the unconscious notions of normal behaviors for the genders begun through the influence of a child’s parental role models. Gender norms begin through the actions of parents to the children. Reactions define how the child will see themselves as either a boy or a girl. Through the purchase of toys, the tone of speech, and even their own role modeling, parents insert their ideas about gender norms into the behaviors of their children. Newman and Newman (2012) discuss the complexity of influences that parents have on their children concerning norms. They state that â€Å"the experience to which they expose them (their children), and the activities in which they encourage their children’s participation all reflect dimensions of the parents’ gender role standards† (Newman & Newman, 2012, p. 245). When children get to school age they have had discipline for gender inappropriate behavior and encouraged to adopt the social standards of behavior that are expected. Gender is an issue of social construction. Although there are many debates on how children are socialized to enact their gender, whether it is biological or strictly psychological, the development of social roles for the genders as a topic has shown that men and women are taught to act different than each other in society. Gender roles are developed through the creation of norms, behaviors, and beliefs about the abilities of a gender to act within society. Social expectations tend to refine those beliefs so that roles can be filled (Munez, 2013). Acculturation occurs within a family where examples and teaching provide young males and females with information about how their gender identifies them within a community. Through the continuation of these beliefs throughout a community, gender norms are created. The use of gender norms as a way in which to calculate behaviors provides the researcher with a

Jean-Marie Dudillieu's Art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jean-Marie Dudillieu's Art - Research Paper Example Nonetheless, there are certain artists that have employed this important platform for their individual selfish gains. Related trends contribute significantly to the erosion of the value that was initially accorded to this sphere of specification. In essence, most art works have been reduced to mere objects and figures that lack any underlying symbolism. One artist whose work has been outstanding through time is Jean-Marie Dudillieu. In French history, his artwork had defied all odds and remains strikingly informative. It is in this regard that this paper provides an in depth review of his pieces of art. To begin with, the photographs of his artworks portray an element of appreciation of life. Notably, he acknowledges each and every being that is alive. This is fundamental in artwork because of the fact that life is elemental in sustenance of the discipline. Seemingly, a significant percentage of his artworks revolve around the components of living such as plants, animals and insects. The manner in which he presents them clearly indicates that they inspire him in different ways. This implies that Jean-Marie looks beyond the physical aspects of plants and animals and appreciates them for the contribution that they make to life. In other words, he values the intrinsic worth that characterizes these aspects of life. This is morally acceptable and contributes significantly to nurturing of critical social values. Additionally, an element of symbolism is apparent. According to Little, this forms the basement upon which artistic values are anchored (Little 65). The aspect of dualism that accredits the work of renowned artists is also evident in the works of Jean-Marie. Apart from portraying life, it cannot be disputed that the artist clearly communicates his feelings as well as attitudes towards the objects that are presented in the paintings. This is clear in his choice of color and employment of other critical artistic elements such as ambience, lines, depth and so f orth. His feelings for instance are particularly portrayed through his use of color and depth. From an artistic point of view, Little ascertains that employment of bright colors is a demonstration of contentment and pleasure (Little 77). Arguably, Jean-Marie is delighted and inspired in a positive way by nature. Being able to clearly demonstrate his feelings in art is a demonstration of acceptable standards of expertise. Yet despite incorporating the above mentioned factors in his art works, the artist still maintains the natural being of the animals and plants. This implies that he appreciates nature for what it is and does not manipulate it for his personal interests. As indicated earlier, the value and credibility of art is greatly being compromised by the unbecoming tendencies of selfish artists. In particular, artists manipulate art for their selfish interests. Current trends ascertain that minimal attention is placed on the critical aspects of symbolism that art is supposed to underscore (Little 82). Therefore, the efforts made by Jean-Marie to incorporate all important aspects and still have respect for the intrinsic value of nature cannot be underestimated. His artworks also indicate that the author loves nature, flowers, life, fruits and a host of other objects that he paints. Through these, he communicates important information that is educative and insightful to his audience. For instance, it cannot be disputed that the element of nature conservation is apparent in the paintings.

Product Reassessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Product Reassessment - Essay Example With respect to gender, 80% of beer consumers using SABMiller products are male. Women account for 20% of SABMiller’s products consumed. The company’s market segments in the US are dived into 21-27 year olds. The Latin America population segment, the African Americans population segment and finally the 50 years or older population (SABMiller 2010). The target market for SABMiller has grown steadily in the past. 9% of the Latin Americans consume SABMiller products. SABMiller has positioned itself in the market to expect a 13% growth in consumption of beer by 21-27 year olds, a 32% increase in consumption of its beer products by Latinos, 15% increase in consumption by African Americans and 25% increase in consumption by individuals who are 50 years and above. As at September 30th 2012, the company’s sales rose by 4 percent in Latin America (Geller, 2012). This shows that the company has positioned itself strategically to solidify it position as the number two brewe r world wide. The company has adopted a strategy to promote its products in the existing markets in the US and avoid markets that are either too volatile or too small. Types of research needed to reposition SABMiller products Branding research SABMiller requires to embark on branding research in order to reposition its beer products. Branding research is instrumental in creating a brand that has a positive and rusted image in the mind of customers and stakeholders. Branding research enables the company’s products to be structured in a way that reflect the products as the best in the market. Through this research, SABMiller will put strategies to make its customers see, hear, experience and believe the company’s products are the best in the market. Branding research provides information that is utilized to increase brand awareness, brand recognition, and improve the perceived quality and credibility of the company. SABMiller needs to undertake branding research to posit ion its brand strategically and ultimately increase the company’s sales and profits (Vernom research group 2012). Business forecasting research. It is paramount for SABMiller to undertake business forecasting research to focus accurately on business trends. This is vital for the company to reposition itself as one of the best brewing companies in the world. This type of research assesses the opportunities for new technologies as vital elements to reposition the company’s products. Business forecasting provides information on how the company is supposed to use its resources. The resources are used to identify the market that is vital with respect to the company’s operations. Through business forecasting research, SABMiller will understand the customer’s acceptance of SABMiller’s products and customer’s likelihood to purchase its products (Vernom research group 2012). Image and advertising research According to Vernom research group (2012), SA BMiller’s repositioning among the fierce competitor should focus on boosting its image in the beer industry. This information should be obtained through conducting image and advertising research. This type of research aids the company to put more emphasis on its brand image when repositioning. Image and advert

Obsession and the consequence Essay Example for Free

Obsession and the consequence Essay Agrippas work inspired Frankenstein and he describes the effect of it, as a new light seemed to dawn upon my mind. This is the birth of his obsession As Frankenstein grows older his craving for knowledge dwells and if anything becomes more potent as his obsession grows. One could think that Frankensteins thirst for knowledge is partly driven by his fathers comments such as calling the work of Agrippa and such scientists trash, Frankenstein later explains that if instead of such remarks his father had taken time to explain that Agrippas principles had all become highly disreputable he would have thrown Agrippa aside. Instead he was left to read the book and decide for himself if it was trash or the highest level of intelligence. During the novel Frankenstein even names his father as the sole contributor to his obsession with science if instead of his remarks my father had taken the pains to explain that the principles of Agrippa had been entirely exploded I should certainly have thrown Agrippa aside. Frankensteins obsession for knowledge is constantly growing especially during his days at Ingolstadt but is accelerated when M Waldman starts to teach him. Frankenstein immediately gains a good understanding and high mutual level of respect for each other an aspect expressive of the greatest benevolence. Waldman later explains that miracles can happen, this gives wind to Frankensteins imagination and after Waldmans Death ultimately leads him to fulfill his wildest dreams to be respected, obtain more knowledge and most importantly play God. Frankensteins obsession is at its strongest during the creation of the monster. By this point the thirst for knowledge has even started to take over his inner thoughts Cornelius Agrippa, Albertus Magnus and Paracelsus the lords of my imagination. This shows that due to Frankensteins self isolation, working through both day and night darkness has no effect upon my mind he has lost all touch with the borders of society and even reality, furthermore the use of the word Lord implies that Frankenstein looks up to Agrippa etc as if they were Godly figures. One very powerful point that Shelley puts across during the novel is that with desire and obsession come consequences; the most potent example of this comes with the consequences that come with Frankensteins ambition that leads to the creation of the monster. After the monsters creation Frankenstein quickly comes to his senses and sees the now dubbed monster for the monstrosity it is and rejects it how can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe. Now rejected the monster soon learns that rejection and hatred are the only affection he will receive from man, although he does find friendship with an old blind man for a while but he is soon discovered by the mans family, beaten and driven away. This shows that although he meant well only hatred and loneliness came as a consequence of Frankensteins selfishness. Now realizing he must live in solitude the monster goes back to Frankenstein to ask him to create a companion for him, you must create a female for me with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being I demand it of you as a right that you must not refuse to concede. This statement shows that there is a degree of control about the monsters persona with regards to Frankenstein; furthermore the word demand implies that instead of asking Frankenstein to do this he is now ordering him as if he were a superior power and intellect, this is another consequence. Frankenstein is reluctant to fulfill the monsters request as he knows it will more than likely double the problem, Frankenstein explains his reasons for this to the monster, the monster brushes these aside and blames Frankenstein solely for any misfortunes he has endured and uses persuasive and empathetic language in order to change Frankensteins mind, have I not suffered enough that you seek to increase my misery this language Shelley uses makes the reader start to sympathise for the monster. In addition to this the monster threatens not just Frankenstein but his loved ones also, if I cannot inspire love I will cause fear this is a threat aimed at Frankensteins one real weak point his family. Frankenstein eventually agrees to make his companion and is told I shall watch the progress with unutterable anxiety when you are ready I shall appear, this implies that now that Frankenstein has agreed to take the task he cannot escape it unscathed. When Frankenstein eventually decides not to complete his most abhorred task the monster is enraged and holds to his threat if I can not inspire love I will cause fear. Because of Frankensteins refusal to make the monster a companion the monster starts to kill his family, starting with his younger brother Will, he later kills his wife Elizabeth on their wedding night and then his father dies, this is but another consequence of his obessesion. The death that seems to effect Frankenstein most is that of Elizabeth, he describes the effect as why am I here to retale the destruction of the best hope an purest creature of Earth, this means that he has played a major part in the destruction of not only his wife but the purest being on Earth. Frankenstein eventually pays the ultimate consequence for his creation of the monster with his life. After all the death of his loved ones that he has had to endure Frankenstein finally decides he has nothing more to loose and decides he will find and confront the monster but because of exhaustion he cannot go on, there is a strong sense of irony about the deaths of Frankenstein and his loved ones as they all came as a consequence of Frankenstein wanting to create life. Frankenstein is a well-known classic about on mans ambition to create life, but ironically as a result of its creation; ultimately life is destroyed. 1 Jack Sponder Explore Discuss and Consider the ways in which Shelley Presents the Discovery Scientific Possibilities, Obsession and Consequences of desire In Frankenstein Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

The Influence Of Origen On The Church Religion Essay

The Influence Of Origen On The Church Religion Essay When considering the impact or influence that an individual has had on any particular segment of society, it is necessary to review that individuals accomplishments and contributions. This paper will provide the reader insight into the life and contributions of one of the early church fathers Origen (ca. 186 255). As one of the most controversial church fathers in the evangelical community, Origen influenced the church, both the early and modern church, through his intellectual and literary contributions which included: compiling, translating and interpreting Scripture, establishing of the first Christian university replete with the first systematic theology, and writing numerous commentaries, sermons and apologies which have been utilized for reference by numerous generations. A mans contributions are only as good as his reputation; therefore, we must know a little about Origen of Alexandria. One must not reject the influence of a man based solely upon the opinions of others. The evangelical community appears to gloss over the true accomplishments and influence of Origen based on his rogue nature and the fact that he was condemned as a heretic. One evangelical professor even started his lecture on Origen by introducing him as many peoples least favorite theologian. The purpose of calling this to light is that there must be an acknowledgement that we would not be where we are as an evangelical community without the contributions of Origen. There must be an acknowledgement that Origen has been vilified by many, and therefore, when Origen is discussed it is with prejudice. Origen is described as the boy whose mother hid his clothes so that he could not be martyred  [1]  with his father, or the ascetic separatist who castrated himself because he misinterpreted Matthew 19:12.  [2]  The heretic, Origen, is judged with the light of modern thought because of his view that even Satan will be saved  [3]  or his speculation about the fall of mankind. Judgment is often cast during the introduction of Origen, prior to listing all of the accomplishments that Origen made which still impact Christianity today. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify some of those facts (yes, most appear to be factual) prior to investigating this early church fathers contributions and subsequent influence on Christianity. For just a moment, Origen will be defended and revered for his character and accomplishments so that an objective view can be made on his influence on the church. Origen was a man of extreme self discipline, a rogue, who lived an ascetic lifestyle prior to the establishment of monastic orders.  [4]  Origen has some spectacular notations about his life, primarily his castration; however, later he regretted the act and wrote that it should not be done. At the very least, it reveals the strength of his desire to overcome the flesh.  [5]  Additionally, there are numerous accounts that Demetrius the bishop over Origen was extremely jealous of Origen and subsequently used his influence to slander and defame Origen. It is true that Origen had speculation about the fall of man and the ultimate demise of Satan; however, we must remember that Origen never had the benefit of a canonized New Testament. In spite of Origens numerous commentaries on books which would later become canonized into the New Testament, it does not appear that he ever commented on the book of Revelation. This might have been the cause of his speculation which trended toward universalism. Origen was a Biblical genius who revered Scripture and even wrote commentaries on much of the New Testament, many times needing a team of multiple scribes to capture his prolific notes.  [6]  It is an absolute fact that Origen was condemned as a heretic for his beliefs. Posthumously, Origen was condemned for his subordinate view of the Trinity. His condemnation as a heretic came 199 years after his death without the benefit of defense. Origen at the age of 69 had an opportunity to stand for his Christian beliefs where he would earn the name Adamantius meaning made of steel as a result of his persecution for his faith.  [7]  Origens muscles, sinews and joints were ripped as he was stretched on a rack in order to seek a confession.  [8]  Although Origen did not die during the persecution, he died shortly after from complications arising from this torture. Origen died in AD 255, roughly 112 years before the books of the New Testament were listed in Athanasius Easter letter and almost 200 years prior to Origens condemnation as a heretic. It is clear to see that his life had a lasting impact on the church if he was still an active topic of discussion two centuries after his death. With an understanding of the basics of Origen, we have to acknowledge his intellectual and literary contributions which would ultimately have an impact on the church even until today. Origens father, Leonides, schooled Origen with unusual rigor, giving him a fine education that prioritized scripture and also grounded him in the Greek liberal arts.  [9]  After Leonides was martyred, Origen was forced to provide for his family by becoming a private tutor. Soon, Origen became a teacher in the church in Alexandria where he taught new converts in basic theology. Origens career as a teacher and Christian theologian earned him much fame and recognition and he began to travel throughout the region debating and teaching. His brilliance soon became legendary, and pagan intellectuals from around the Mediterranean came to dispute with him.  [10]  With this fame came jealousy and conflict with the Bishop of Alexandria, Demetrius, which ultimately forced Origen to move to Caesarea. It was in Caesarea where Origen began to contribute to Christianity through Scripture translation and formal Theology. In Caeserea, Origen formalized his teaching and training when he established the regions first Christian school of Theology.  [11]  The nature of the school was for the formation of Christian scholars in an ascetic environment; however, some scholars have suggested that Origen developed in Caesarea essentially a missionary school to educate young pagan men out of secular Greek thought and into the true Christian philosophia.  [12]  Origen might have established the first center for missionary training. One of Origens pupils, Gregory Thaumaturgus, captured the nature of the institution in his words Origen was instructing us in theology and the devout character.  [13]  A training institution is more than just the physical structures. It requires vision, doctrine and foundation. Origen provided the vision and the works that became the keystones to Christian Theology. At the cornerstone of the School of Caesarea stood The Hexapla, a six-column Hebrew Greek translation of the Old Testament with Origens annotations. Eusebius writes this about Origens study leading up to the formation of The Hexapla, So earnest and assiduous was Origens research into the divine words that he learned the Hebrew language, and procured as his own the original Hebrew Scriptures which were in the hands of the Jews. He investigated also the works of other translators of the Sacred Scriptures besides the Seventy [LXX].  [14]   The first consolidated work on the Old Testament, The Hexapla would have a lasting impact on Christianity. The Hexapla was used as a reference by Jerome and Eusebius.  [15]  Emperor Constantine would later commission scribes to copy fifty copies of The Hexapla to be sent to the great churches throughout his empire.  [16]  Origen sought to provide the church with a usable translation of the Old Testament with The Hexapala in a language that the literate could understand. In addition to this six-column format, Origen also produced a smaller Tetrapla version of the four columns most likely to be used by Christians.  [17]  The often overlooked impact of his work is that it translated the Hebrew into Greek and provided a reference for generations of Christian scholars. Expounding on the foundation of the Scriptures through the cornerstone established by The Hexapla, Origen wrote the first systematic theology aptly named On First Principles. On First Principles set forth Christ ian theology on a scale previously unknown to the church. He [Origen] argued powerfully for the inspiration and authority of Scripture.  [18]  On First Principles appears to have been equally beneficial for the student as well as for the unbeliever. Origen wrote this handbook on Christianity as a synthesis between philosophy and Christianity which some scholars believe that Origen wished to make available for seekers.  [19]  If accurate, this provides a vision of an Origen with an evangelical nature. One notable feature of On First Principles is Origens focus on and apparent love for Jesus Christ. One needs only to read the opening lines of the preface of On First Principles to derive Origens core beliefs and see his lasting impact on Christianity. Origen writes, All who believe and are assured that grace and truth were obtained through Jesus Christ, and who know Christ to be the truth, agreeably to His own declaration, I am the truth, derive the knowledge which incites men to a good and happy life from no other source than from the very words and teaching of Christ.  [20]   From this passage, one can easily see parallels to teachings which are still present in the modern day evangelical church. Additionally, Origen addresses three core principles in the preface of his work that have remained through millennia of Christian thought: First, that there is one God, who created and arranged all things, and who, when nothing existed, called all things into beingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [21]   Secondly, That Jesus Christ Himself, who came (into the world), was born of the Father before all creaturesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ became a man, and was incarnate although God, and while made a man remained the God which He wasà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [22]   Then, Thirdly, the apostles related that the Holy Spirit was associated in honour and dignity with the Father and the Son.  [23]   These statements alone provide a firm Ante-Nicene view of the Trinity which, of course, has deeply impacted our orthodoxy in the 21st century. Origen argues that all Christian understanding proceeds from the teaching of Christ. Throughout On First Principles, Origen addressed topics such as Christology, anthropology, eschatology, ecclesiology and hermeneutics. Origens thoughts on hermeneutics and freedom of thought within his allegorical interpretive method draws some criticism from the Evangelical community today. However, according to Origen, God had intentionally invested the Bible with multiple layers of meaningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [Where] any verse can become a rich source of Christological truth.  [24]  Origen saw Scripture interpretation as a deeply personal venture into seeking God and seeing Christ on every page. More importantly, why would Origens allegorical method of interpretation have an impact on the church? Prior to Origen, who was not a bishop, tradition had restricted scriptural interpretation in the churches to the ordained clergy, the bishop himself, or one of his chosen presbyters.  [25]  Origen was breaking the mold of interpretation and taking it from ecclesiastical process to personal revelation. Origens life and literary works appeared to be trending toward the individual conscientiousness of the believer to gro w in knowledge and depth; however, centuries later the papacy did much to stifle the believers accessibility to both the Bible and its interpretation. The Catholic Church sought to stifle the believer by withholding the interpretation Scripture at the highest level of the church an apparent contradiction to Origens philosophy of proliferative information on the Bible. It is quite possible that Origens allegorical interpretation of Scripture enabled him to have the freedom to write such a prolific number of literary works. The sheer number of Origens literary works must have affected the formation of Christianity. Origens literary contributions were so vast that some have numbered his works up to 6000; however, Eusebius, an Orgenian scholar, listed around 2000.  [26]  It is important to note that Origens thoughts (conveyed through his literary works), even after being condemned, have permeated Christianity to a degree that they may never be dismissed. All of the greatest thinkers of the patristic age were in his [Origens] debt, and even after his condemnation he was too deeply inserted into the fabric of Christian theologizing ever to be dismissed or forgotten. He had been the founding architect of biblical commentary as a mode of organizing Christian reflection, and no one who took the Bible seriously in the first millennium of the church was able to avoid his groundbreaking writing.  [27]   Since the understanding that Origens literary works had a profound impact on Christianity is well established, it is beneficial to note the types of literary works and their respective influence. Origen wrote a number of commentaries and sermons on both the Old Testament and on the (yet to be canonized) New Testament. Origens Scriptural commentaries were a unique genre of literature, of which he [Origen] is the first major exponent, [he] shows himself to possess an encyclopedic knowledge of the text. He is able to cross-register word appearances from all over the scriptural record, an impressive feat in the days before concordances and reference tools were available.  [28]   Origen wrote extensive commentaries on Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Isaiah, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes. Origens commentary seeks to bring Jesus Christ to life in the life of the reader, because by means of divine allegory, every word on every page of scripture could be made to speak with overflowing richness about Jesus Christ, the Christian life, and the Christians eternal hope.  [29]  Origens Christ-centric writings read more like a modern day sermon than a commentary. Origen also wrote on much of the New Testament books with a particular affinity to Johnnine and Pauline Scripture, and he wrote a major on the Gospel of John titled the same. It is in Origens Gospel of John that we see that Origen fights for the Scripture; however, he holds the Gospels in particularly high esteem. Additionally, Origen defines that we must say that the good things the Apostles announce in this Gospel are simply Jesus.  [30]  Origen identifies that the whole of the Gospel message is simply in Jesu s Christ. We cannot help but note that Origens views are similar to our evangelical views separated by almost 1800 years. Also concerning the commentary on the Gospel of John, you see that Origen also portrays a keen understanding of the source of power in evangelism. Origen states, [King] David says of the Apostles, perhaps also of the evangelists: The Lord shall give the word to those that preach with great power; the King of the powers of the beloved; teaching at the same time that it is not skillfully composed discourse, nor the mode of delivery, nor well practised eloquence that produces conviction, but the communication of divine power.  [31]   Origens commentary of Matthew takes on the approach of a guide for liturgical preaching. Origen is providing the church with pastoral teaching through his commentaries. The Matthean commentary was composed in twenty-five volumes (only eight remain today), and Origens main ideas of his commentary made their way into more or less all other commentators of the Christian tradition.  [32]  His effect on the preaching through the generations has continued through the pastoral teaching in his commentaries. In one of his most famous commentaries, Origen addresses the Song of Song using his method of allegorical interpretation. In Canticle of Canticles, Origen outlines the mystical union between the Christian church and its Bridegroom. Although most modern thought disregard this interpretation, Christians should at least acknowledge its profound impact on the concept of Christian mysticism.  [33]   In addition to his commentaries, Origen wrote a number of letters, apologies and dialogues explaining his Christian faith and doctrine. Origens apologetic works, the most famous of which is Against Celsus, defend vehemently the Christian faith. Origens Against Celsus, a response to a pagan treatise attacking Christianity, stands as a monument of Christian apologetic.  [34]  Many of Origens dialogues and letters also stand in defense and explanation of the Christian faith. In his letter Reply to Julius Africanus, Origen discusses the matter of principles of establishing the canon of Christian Scriptures.  [35]  The sheer number of commentaries on New Testament books would solidify Origens concern with the canonization of the New Testament, yet he defends the necessity of affirming the works of the apostles in his dialogue. We have benefitted from Origens faithfulness to the New Testament letters through his influence in the canonization process of the New Testament. Origens life might have been ascetic, but his commentaries were opulent and filled with a genuine love for the words of God and the Word of God. At least in some part, Origen has survived through this same passion in the evangelical community. Origen through his intellectual contributions started the solidification of Christian doctrine through the formation of the first Christian university, founded on the first written systematic theology. The foundation that Origen paved established a doctrinal basis which served as a starting point for the early church especially with regard to the Trinity and Christology. Origens passion for seeing Christ in every page of Scripture led him to pursue an allegorical method of interpretation which can still be useful when coupled with current Hermeneutical practices; nevertheless, Origens genius opened up the beauty of the Scriptures and allows Christians to see Christ in difficult texts like Leviticus. Origens prolific commentaries provided a genr e of literary works which have continued to this day and have impacted Christians by providing a guide for liturgical preaching. Origens apologies have stood as the template for defense of the faith. Today we still refer to Origens Against Celsus as an apologetic worthy of emulation. Together with Athanasius Easter Letter, Origens selection of books with which to write commentaries on was instrumental in the canonization of the New Testament as we know it today. Even though the majority of Origens works were destroyed in 543 as a result of being condemned as a heretic, Origens remaining work is still relevant to the evangelical community even for purposes of debate and dispute. Most would find the majority of his work uplifting and possibly even edifying. The character of Origen is a sad reality of the humanity of fallen man. Origen, in spite of his best efforts, was still a man; however, one might challenge whether or not his heart and passion (seemingly even for evangelism) as we ll as his intellectual works are not still present in the modern day church. Origen one of the most controversial church fathers, influenced the church, both the early and modern church, through his intellectual and literary contributions which included; compiling, translating and interpreting Scripture, establishing of the first Christian university replete with the first systematic theology, and by writing numerous commentaries, sermons and apologies which have been utilized for reference by numerous generations.

Essay on Camus’ The Stranger (The Outsider): The Character of Meursault

The Character of Meursault in Camus' The Stranger (The Outsider)Â   Raymond typifies the beast-character in Camus' The Stranger (The Outsider). He is like Stanley from A Streetcar Named Desire (T. Williams), emotional and manly. Physical solutions come naturally to him, as we see when he mistreats his ex-girlfriend. Ideally, society is exactly the opposite; law and order attempt to solve things fairly and justly. I propose that Meursault is somewhere between these two extremes and that this is the reason why he is a societal outcast. This metaphor explains his major actions in the book: as he struggles to keep his identity, his personality comes in conflict with the norms of society and he is shut down. Just as an animal sticks to instincts, Meursault has a hard time feeling emotions such as remorse or compassion. Even the first page shows us this. Just as an animal leaves its family when it is old enough, never to return, when Meursault hears of his mother's death he is unattached, even uncaring. He had similar feelings when he sent her to live in the old people's home. Meursault has quite a passion for women; he starts dating Marie the very day after he finds out of the death. But like most animals, marriage is basically nonexistent for him; though he acknowledges it, it holds little meaning. When he is isolated in jail, he dreams of women; not Marie, whom he has been seeing for some time, but women in general. Like an animal he feels the urge to mate without any desire for monogamy. An animal has to focus on the present in order to survive, and as far as we know doesn't spend much time cogitating about its past. Meursault always lives in the present, hence his lack of remorse. Th is beast-like quality is one that get... ...s Meursault is not able, because of his very nature, to believe in a hereafter. His human side gives in to his animal side at the end when the chaplain tries forcibly to make Meursault see the light. His animal feels the threat of being tamed, or converted to the ways of human society, and so he explodes to save himself. Only twice in the novel does Meursault experience extreme pressure, once from nature and once from society, and at these points he gives himself over to his beast. This proves devastating from a certain point of view: the first time he compromises his chances of living, and the second time he compromises his chance of an afterlife. This self-preservation instinct is the only thing that keeps him in touch with his bestial side, and in spite of these consequences he triumphs over life in that he remains unique, he does not conform. Â   Â  

Things Fall Apart Contradicts Stereotypes and Stereotyping in Heart of

Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart Contradicts Stereotypes in Conrad's Heart of Darkness In "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness," Chinua Achebe criticizes Joseph Conrad for his racist stereotypes towards the continent and people of Africa. He claims that Conrad propagated the "dominant image of Africa in the Western imagination" rather than portraying the continent in its true form (1793). Africans were portrayed in Conrad's novel as savages with no language other than grunts and with no "other occupations besides merging into the evil forest or materializing out of it simply to plague Marlow" (1792-3). To Conrad, the Africans were not characters in his story, but merely props. Chinua Achebe responded with a novel, Things Fall Apart: an antithesis to Heart of Darkness and similar works by other European writers. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe tells the story of an Ibo man, Okonkwo, and the tragedies which he has to endure. Africans are represented as individuals capable of speech, not just one massive conglomerate of natives. Their customs are not reg arded as eccentric or bizarre, but as the norm-functioning no differently than the variety of Western customs do. And the land itself is described as a mix of towns and farms, not a mysterious land which breeds insanity. In almost every respect, Things Fall Apart contradicts the stereotypes set up in Heart of Darkness. Achebe opens his lecture, "An Image of Africa," with the story of a student who sent him a letter saying how he was "particularly happy to learn about the customs and superstitions of an African tribe," not realizing that "the life of his own tribesmen in Yonkers, New York, is full of odd customs and superstitions" as well (1784). Western thou... ...nters many of the degrading stereotypes that colonial literature has placed on Africa. In his lecture, "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness," Achebe documents the ways that Conrad dehumanizes Africans by reducing their religious practices to superstition, saying that they should remain in their place, taking away their ability of speech, and depreciating their complex geography to just a single mass of jungle. Achebe carefully crafts Things Fall Apart to counter these stereotypes and show that Africa is in fact a rich land full of intelligent people who are, in fact, very human. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness." The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. Ed. Vincent B. Leitch. New York: Norton, 2001. 1783-1794. Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994.

The Lamb and The Tiger by William Blake Essay -- Poet Poems William Bl

'The Lamb' and 'The Tiger' by William Blake Write about The Lamb and The Tiger by William Blake. Explain how the poet portrays these creatures and comment on what you consider to be the main ideas and attitudes of the poet. 'All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all.' Cecil Frances Alexander Indeed, God created all creatures great and small, and he could not have created two creatures more different from each other than the lamb and the tiger. The question arises in one's mind therefore: - 'Could one creator design and give life to two exhibits of such a vast contrast?' ====================================================================== William Blake certainly poses this question in a somewhat clever manner in the two examples of his work that I've analysed and compared, namely 'The Lamb' and 'The Tiger'. In the two collections of his work, namely Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, he has several contrasting poems that bring the two states of being described by both collections under the microscope. As one of the early Romance poets, Blake was writing in opposition to the rapidly changing, revolutionary eighteenth-century. Essentially, that opposition developed into an appreciation of the emotions, as opposed to reason ant intellect, and a recognition of the purity and innocence which childhood represents in contrast with the corruptions and in-authenticity of adulthood, with its learning and experience of life. The English Industrial Revolution played a very influential role in William Blake's work. Songs of Innocence includes a reversal of the expected 'hierarchies'. The poems reject t... ...ecessary self-knowledge. The Lamb develops into the Tiger - innocence is the price that must me paid to attain an identity in 'grown-up land'. It has to sacrifice its meek, mild, gentile innocence to become the Tiger of Experience prowling the 'dark forests' of life. In conclusion, I feel William Blake is attempting to transmit an important message: never mind how innocent we are during our naÃÆ'Â ¯ve, happy playground days, the big bad world is awaiting us all, and we have to stop resisting and accept that we're all going to develop into Tigers at some point - gaining our own unique symmetry in place of our soft, delightful, tender selves. Life past, present and future poses many questions - it's up to us to answer them, to discover our true identities, and to decide where exactly our faith lies. Innocence is the foundation upon which experience is built.

Improving Eye Care Rural India

How private entrepreneurship is taking quality oculus attention to the rural multitudes Introduction CATARACT refers to the clouding of the lens in the human oculus, impacting vision.[ 1 ]In the underdeveloped universe, cataract is the cause for sightlessness in about half the unsighted population i.e. 50 % of the recorded figure of blindness instances.[ 2 ]While jobs of unavailability continue to blight many parts of the developing universe – about two-thirds of the population in many developing states are unable to entree quality medical resources & A ; substructure chiefly because quality medical attention or oculus attention in this instance is still urban-centric[ 3 ]– all hope is non lost yet. In India excessively, where 90 % of the instances are treatable, most Indians lack entree to quality oculus attention.[ 4 ]In the early 1990s, the state was home to a 3rd of the universe ‘s unsighted people and here excessively cataract sightlessness was the major cause in most instances. The World Bank decided to step in and assist the Indian authorities trade with the job, passing $ 144.8 million between 1994 and 2002 on the Cataract Blindness Control Project under which 15.3 million oculus surgeries were performed.[ 5 ]The World Bank-funded undertaking was mostly implemented in northern India and it helped cut down the incidence of cataract, in the provinces that were covered under this undertaking, by half. But India is a really large state and it decidedly needs a more sustainable attack to covering with cataract sightlessness given that it has a ample ageing population. One such attack is the Aravind Eye Care System, a three-decade old run that has been contending catarac t sightlessness preponderantly in the southern Indian province of Tamil Nadu. Working in the same way is the L V Prasdad Eye Institue, runing from the neighboring province of Andhra Pradesh. Both Aravind and LVPEI, apparatus in the mid 1970s and the mid 1980s severally, have been focused on taking quality oculus attention to the rural multitudes from the really first, most of it free of cost. In the larger context, this paper discusses how private entrepreneurship is taking quality Eye Care to the rural multitudes in India. This paper will discourse the Eye Care bringing theoretical account aimed at contending Cataract Blindness in the context of the Culture-Centered Approach ( CCA ) . The Culture-Centered Approach advoates greater engagment with the local civilization, â€Å" through duologues with community members † , to guarantee â€Å" just † and â€Å" accessible † health care across communities ( Dutta-Bergman, 2004a, 2004b ; Dutta and Basu 2007 as quoted in Dutta, 2008 ) . Furthermore, this paper will utilize the Drawn-out Technology-Community-Management ( TCM ) theoretical account ( Chib & A ; Komathi, 2008 ) to explicate the intersections between engineering, community and the direction of information communicating engineerings ( ICT ) in the context of the CCA and the Eye Care bringing theoretical account adopted by the private health care participants i.e. the non-governmental administrations ( NGOs ) . Harmonizing to the TCM theoretical account ( Lee & A ; Chib, 2008 ) , the intersection of ICT features of engineering, along with the dimensions of package and hardware, undertaking direction dimensions of fiscal demands, the regulative environment, and stakeholder engagement, along with local community engagement â€Å" will finally take to sustainable ICTD intercessions. † Culture-Centered Approach Globalization has led to an increasing realization that the Biomedical[ 6 ]theoretical account of health care is limited in range when prosecuting in issues of planetary wellness ( Dutta, 2008 ) . Furthermore, Dutta ( 2008 ) says that many societies now feel the demand to â€Å" open up the infinites of wellness communicating to the voices of cultural communities † i.e. there is now greater awarness of the demand for better battle with marginalised communities. Culture is dynamic. That civilization has an of import function to play in wellness communicating is better understood today. But this construct began pulling widespread attending merely in the early 1980s, particularly in the U.S. when health care practicians felt a demand to follow multiple schemes to turn to the health-related issues of a multicultural population ( Dutta, 208 ) . â€Å" This helped oppugn the universalist premises of assorted wellness communicating plans † aimed at the developing states and the so called third-world states ( Dutta, 2008 ) . The Culture-Centered Approach was born out of the demand to oppose the dominant attack of wellness communicating, located within the Biomedical theoretical account, where wellness is treated as a â€Å" cosmopolitan construct based on Eurocentric[ 7 ]apprehensions of health-related issues, disease and the intervention of diseases † ( Dutta, 2008 ) . Harmonizing to Dutta ( 2008 ) , the CCA is a better alternate to understanding wellness communicating because it is a â€Å" value-centered † attack. The CCA is built on the impression that the â€Å" significances of wellness † can non be cosmopolitan because they are ingrained within cultural contextsm, he argues. The CCA has its roots in three cardinal constructs i.e. ‘structure ‘ , ‘agency ‘ and ‘culture ‘ . The term ‘culture ‘ refers to the local context within which so called wellness significances are created and dealt with. ‘Structure ‘ encompasses nutrient, shelter, medical services and transportational services that are all critical to the overall health care of assorted members of a community. ‘Agency ‘ points to the â€Å" capacity of cultural members † to negociate the constructions within which they live. It must be noted that ‘structure ‘ , ‘agency ‘ and ‘culture ‘ and entwined and they do non run in isolation. Dutta ( 2008 ) , in his book Communicating Health, farther elaborates that the CCA throws visible radiation on how the dominant health care political orientation serves the demands of those in power. Powerful members of society create conditions of marginalistaion. Therefore the focal point of the CCA lies in the survey of the intersections between ‘structure, ‘agency ‘ and ‘culture in the context of marginalised communities. To understand better the jobs faced by the marginalised, the CCA advocates the health care practicians engage in duologues with members of the concerned community. Each community has its ain set of narratives to portion and this is critical to understanding the local civilization. The CCA besides aims to document opposition, of any sort, to dominant political orientations as this helps beef up the instance of the CCA against the dominant health care theoretical account. The CCA, harmonizing to Dutta ( 2008 ) , provides sufficient range to analyze physician-patient relationships, in a command to finally better the health care bringing theoretical account. Adopting the CCA is merely half your job solved ; the integrating of the CCA with the Extended TCM theoretical account completes the image. The Extended TCM Model The TCM theoretical account ( Lee & A ; Chib, 2008 ) argues that the larger inquiry of societal sustainability depends on both local relevancy and institutional support. The TCM Model proposes that the intersection of ICT features of engineering, along with the dimensions of package and hardware, undertaking direction dimensions of fiscal demands, the regulative environment, and stakeholder engagement, along with local community engagement, will finally take to sustainable ICTD intercessions ( See Figure 1.1 ) . Figure 1.1: The TCM Model. The TCM theoretical account was further revised. Community was subdivided to include: manners of ownership of ICT investings and net incomes ; preparation of community users both in the usage and in engineering direction ; and the basic demands of the community. Furthermore, Sustainability was besides subdivided into fiscal and societal ( see Figure 1.2 ) . RTCM.jpg Figure 1.2: The Revised TCM Model Chib & A ; Komathi ( 2009 ) found that the TCM Model was unequal as it could non analyze the critical issue of exposure. Therefore, their survey improved on this insufficiency by adding important factors and variables associating to exposure. They extended the TCM theoretical account, and called it the Extended Technology-Community-Management ( Extended TCM ) theoretical account ( see Figure1.3 ) . Figure 1.3: The Extended TCM Model This new model on ICT planning histories for community engagement, the direction constituents, the overall design of engineerings such as telemedicine or tele-consultation, and rating of bing exposures in the community where these engineerings are implemented. It identifies four dimensions of exposures act uponing engineering execution among the rural hapless: economic exposure, informational exposure, physiological/psychological exposure, and socio-cultural exposure. Chib & A ; Komathi ( 2009 ) farther explain each dimension of exposure: Physiological and psychological exposures refer to the physical and mental wellbeing of an affected individual, or a specific community. Informational exposure trades with the entree to and handiness of information within affected communities. Informational resources include personal paperss, books and critical informations, sentiment leaders and professional experts, . The deficiency of such resources affects the capablenesss of people who are dependent on them. In a rural scene, informational exposure is farther augmented by the low literacy degrees and deficiency of pertinent â€Å" technological accomplishments necessary to enable the acquisition and processing of information. † The economic exposure is sparked off by the loss of support i.e. a loss of activities that otherwise financially back up families and prolong economic growing in a rural scene. The socio-cultural exposure of communities is dete rmined by â€Å" the construction and values of a given society that define human relationships in communities. † Hierarchies in any society ( gender, race, faith, caste, age and category equalitarianism within communities ) or a community frequently dictate entree to resources and assets, and the decision-making power of people. Cataract Blindness in India At the beginning, one has to understand the agonies of the blind in India, in a rural scene – sightlessness, irrespective of the cause, consequences in a loss of support for an person. In rural India, like elsewhere, this would interpret into one less gaining member in the household, doing the unsighted individual a load to his/her household. This leads to a loss of self-respect and position in the household. In consequence, blind people in rural India, like in many other societies, are marginalized. Enter Aravind and LVPEI, who continue to endeavor to assist blind people in rural India and authorise them by giving them back their sight. There are many causes of sightlessness, like Diabetes for case. But Cataract is one of the prima causes of sightlessness in the underdeveloped universe. Records in India show that Cataract is the most important cause of sightlessness in the state ( Nirmalan et al. 2002 & A ; Murthy et Al. 2001 ) . Cataract, studies say, is responsible for 50 to 80 per cent of the bilaterally blind ( Thulsiraj et al. 2003 & A ; Thulsiraj et Al. 2002 ) .The aged are more at hazard of developing Cataract. India aims to extinguish gratuitous sightlessness by 2020 in line with ‘Vision 2020: the right to spy enterprise ‘ , launched jointly by the World Health Organisation ( WHO ) and the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness ( IAPB ) . Many administrations worldwide are besides working in the way of extinguishing gratuitous sightlessness ( Foster, 2001 ) . The authorities in India and the World Bank launched the Cataract Blindness Control Project in seven provinces across India in 1994.A A From stopping point to 1.2 million cataract surgeries a twelvemonth in the 1980s ( Minassian & A ; Mehra 1990 ) , Cataract surgical end product tripled to 3.9 million per twelvemonth by 2003 ( Jose, 2003 ) . In 2004, World Health Organization ( WHO ) information showed that there was a 25 per cent lessening in blindness prevalence in India ( Resnikoff et al. 2004 ) — the ground ( s ) could be the addition in Cataract surgeries countrywide. But there is a larger job here, that of population growing. The elderly population in India ( those aged over 60 old ages ) population which stood at 56 million people in the twelvemonth 1991 is expected to duplicate by the twelvemonth 2016 ( Kumar, 1997 ) . This ‘greying ‘ of India ‘s population merely suggests that the figure of people ‘at-risk ‘ of developing Cataract is invariably on the rises. In the larger sense, this paper aims to demo how private entrepreneurship in India is taking quality oculus attention to the rural multitudes in that state. This paper aimed to discourse the same through two instance surveies, that of the Aravind Eye Care system every bit good as the L V Prasad Eye Institute ( LVPEI ) . Unfortunately, email correspondence with LVPEI failed to arouse responses from this organisation. Given the restrictions of this survey, including clip restraints, this paper will explicate the Aravind Eye Care system in the context of rural Eye Care in India and the battle against Cataract Blindness – all this within the model of the CCA. Furthermore, this paper will review the concern theoretical account of NGOs like Aravind in the context of the Extended TCM theoretical account, including whether for-profit administrations are utilizing the rural multitudes to back up their concern theoretical account. In peculiar, what is the function of the health care supplier in this instance – disseminate cognition to the grass-roots or live-off their health care bringing theoretical account? Aravind Eye Care Dr. G. Venkataswamy had a really simple vision when he foremost setup Aravind Eye Care in 1976: â€Å" Eradicate gratuitous sightlessness at least in Tamil Nadu, his place province, if non in the full state of India. † Aravind began as an 11-bed private clinic in the laminitis ‘s brother ‘s house in the southern Indian metropolis of Madurai. Today, the Aravind Eye Hospital ( AEH ) at Madurai is a 1,500 bed infirmary. In add-on to Madurai, there are four more AEHs in Tamil Nadu ( Aravind.org ) with a combined sum of over 3,500 beds. By 2003 the Aravind Eye Care System as we know it today was up and running. The System continues to run under the auspices of a non-profit-making trust named the Govel Trust – it comprises of a fabrication installation ( for fabricating man-made lenses, suturas, and pharmaceuticals related to oculus attention ) ; oculus infirmaries ; instruction and preparation ( graduate institute of ophthalmology ) ; research installations ( complete with an oculus bank ) ; ) and a centre for community outreach plans ( Prahlad, 2004 ) . A typical twenty-four hours at Aravind now has physicians executing about 1,000 surgeries including free surgeries ; 5-6 outreach cantonments in rural countries where about 1,500 people are examined and near to 300 people are brought to an AEH for oculus surgery ( TED, 2009 ) . How does Aravind make it? The administration has setup ‘vision centres ‘ or clinics in distant small towns, fitted with basic oculus attention equipment. Each clinic is manned by an ophthalmic helper and â€Å" these clinics perform basic scrutinies ; order disciplinary lenses and handle minor complaints. † If an oculus complaint can be cured by the application of oculus beads, these clinics are equipped to make so. For more complicated instances, such as Cataract Blindness, the patient consults an eye doctor based at an AEH in a nearby metropolis via the videoconferencing path. If the patient needs disciplinary surgery, he/she is asked to skip onto a coach waiting outside the ‘vision Centre ‘ that takes them to the nearest Aravind basal infirmary. The patients are operated upon the undermentioned twenty-four hours ; they spend a twenty-four hours in post-operative attention and so take a coach back to their small towns — all free of cost ( Laks, 2009 ) .[ 8 ] But it was n't all gung-ho in the beginning ; more difficult work than anything else. There was no specific Outreach squad. A Everyone in the pool was asked to take part in Outreach programme. A † In the beginning ( in 1976-77 ) Dr. V and a little squad would see small towns and behavior oculus testing cantonments. Those who required Cataract surgery would so be advised to see the base infirmary for surgery. But Dr.V found that a bulk of those advised to undergo surgery would dropout, owing to socio-economic factors like fright of surgery ; deficiency of trust on Restoration of sight ; no money to pass for conveyance, nutrient and station operative medical attention and ( their ) opposition to western medical specialty, † harmonizing to the caput of Outreach activities at Aravind, R. Meenakshi Sundaram in his electronic mail response to my questions. These barriers were bit by bit addressed through assorted schemes. â€Å" We decided to affect small town heads and local organisations to take ownership of the Outreach programmes, in footings of placing the right location for the Eye Camp and supplying the needed support installations. Their aid was cardinal to community mobilisation. We organized a squad to standardise the quality in Eye Care service bringing. Furthermore, Dr. V focussed his attending on edifice infirmaries like one ‘s place where we usually expect basic civilization and values, † said Mr. Sundaram. â€Å" Fear of surgery was a common barrier in add-on to other factors. Possibly the credence for surgery was low in the beginning. But it was invariably explained at the community degree whenever cantonments were organized as the programme aims to function people at big. Particularly, in the twelvemonth 1992 the Intra Ocular Lens ( IOL ) was introduced and the rural community did non believe in holding a ‘foreign atom ‘ in their eyes. We came across a batch of myths. Those issues were addressed thru guidance, † added Mr. Sundaram. Recognizing the impact of guidance, a cell was developed within the System in 1992 and seven counselors were trained in the first batch of counselors ‘ preparation. They were given a basic orientation about common oculus jobs with a particular focal point on IEC. ‘Patient counselors ‘ i.e. patients who had undergone oculus surgery were asked to assist the Outreach squad. â€Å" They played their function in explicating oculus jobs in the local linguistic communication and tried to assist others recognize the effects of neglecting to accept surgery. Sing the myths, a existent IOL was used as instruction stuff to assist the rural common people understand the construct of the IOL, † Mr Sundaram said. The figure of counselors has steadily risen of all time since and stands at 179 at nowadays. How is the Aravind Eye Care System possible? Fiscal self-sustainability was the primary focal point from twenty-four hours one at Aravind. Initially, the organisation was given a grant by the authorities to assist subsidise the intervention costs for oculus cantonment patients ( Prahlad, 2004 ) and the Govel Trust besides pledged belongingss to raise money from Bankss in the early yearss. Prahlad ( 2004 ) states that the Madurai AEH, the first, was ever self-supporting every bit far as repeating outgos were concerned. Within the first five old ages of operation, the Madurai AEH had accumulated excess grosss for farther development and for the building of four other infirmaries in the Tamil Nadu province. He adds that over the old ages, the patient grosss generated from its five infirmaries located in five metropoliss finance the Aravind Eye Care System to a great extent. Furthermore, Aravind has besides taken to the management-contract path and it manages two infirmaries outside of its home-state. While metropolis common people are charged market rates for each consultancy and for surgery, patients in distant small towns pay merely Rs. 20 for three consultancies or SGD 0.60. ( TED, 2009 ) . Those who can afford to pay, the urban common people who visit Aravind ‘s infirmaries in urban locations on their ain, do non acquire discounted rates. Such a system of cross-subsidies ensures that merely 45 percent wage while the remainder are non charged at all i.e. about five out of every 10 patients examined at Aravind can be provided free oculus attention, including oculus surgery ( TED, 2009 ) . A cross-subsidising fiscal theoretical account is non the lone mantra[ 9 ]to Aravind ‘s success. Having been in the concern of presenting quality Eye Care for over three decennaries now, the System is well-positioned to leverage on the Aravind brand-name to pull contributions. Over the old ages, the organisation has received international acknowledgment for its work and this includ es the 2008 Gates Award for Global Health, and this twelvemonth ‘s Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize that carries a US $ 1.5 million hard currency award. Last but non the least is the money that flows into Aravind in the signifier of specific project-funding. One such patron is the London-based ‘Seeing Is Believing ‘ ( SiB ) Trust, a coaction between Standard Chartered Bank and the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness ( IAPB ) . Since 2003, ‘Seeing is Believing ‘ has grown from a staff enterprise to raise adequate money to fund a cataract operation for each member of the Bank to a US $ 40 million planetary community enterprise. I wrote to Standard Chartered Bank ( SCB ) inquiring them why they decided to spouse with Aravind and LVPEI. â€Å" LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, every bit good as Aravind Eye Hospital are premier oculus attention institutes in the state. India has a huge geographic spread and both these establishments work in different geographic zones of the state. LVPEI is outstanding in the south-eastern provinces of the state while Aravind is outstanding in the southern provinces of India, † said Pratima Harite, Manager ( Sustainability ) , Corporate Affairs- India in her electronic mail response to my questions. The principle behind the India Consortium Project is the ‘vision Centre ‘ concept – that a important proportion of oculus jobs corrected or detected at the primary attention degree has significant nest eggs to the person and to the communities. â€Å" Based on the success of LVPEI ‘s Vision Centre theoretical account, the India Consortium Project p roposed scaling up the development of Vision Centres in a coordinated affair in six provinces across the state. For this, LVPEI sought support from four key implementing spouses – Prime Minister oculus attention establishments themselves across the state, † added Ms. Harite. Singapore ‘s Temasek Foundation ( TF ) part-funds SiB activities in India, peculiarly in capacity edifice i.e. in heightening the preparation constituent of the SiB programme. Is this a feasible concern theoretical account? Aravind has perfected the theoretical account over the last three decennaries. They have the engineering, behind the picture audience, in topographic point – â€Å" a low-priced radio long-distance web ( WiLDNet ) † put together by the Technology and Infrastructure for Emerging Regions ( TIER ) research group at the University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.[ 10 ]This was done to get the better of the issue of zero internet connectivity or decelerate connexions that do non back up picture audiences in distant small towns ( Laks, 2009 ) . In 2004, a nomadic new wave with satellite connectivity was introduced to ease Tele-Consultations. The Indian Space Research Organisation ‘s ( ISRO )[ 11 ]aid was sought to this extent. The ‘vision Centres ‘ can easy pass on with the base infirmary ( some 30 to 40 kilometers. ) via orbiter. These ‘vision Centres ‘ efficaciously address the issue of handiness, affordability and handiness of quality Eye Care. â€Å" A series of Centres were started across the Tamil Nadu province. Each base infirmary is connected with a group of vision Centres. At present, we have 10 ‘vision Centres ‘ that operate on WiFi. The remainder tally on BSNL[ 12 ]broadband connexions, † Mr Sundaram said. Aravind has the bringing system in topographic point. A sound apprehension of the local civilization that in many instances is antipathetic to western medical specialty and where contemporary medical specialty is non the first and lone option to handle any disease or complaint. Why would a villager trust a physician who drives down one all right forenoon and says he would wish to run upon them? Aravind Begins by naming a voluntary group for each community ; some of these voluntaries are farther trained to function as ophthalmic helpers and even as nurses in Aravind ‘s infirmaries. In a rural scene, rural common people trust their friends, neighbours, and their ain people foremost. It is about making ownership to the job, like Mr. Sundaram said, and so partnering with the community to work out the job. Aravind ‘s fiscal consequences for the twelvemonth 2008-09 were healthy. It raked in ( income ) US $ 22 million and spent ( outgo and depreciation ) US $ 13 million.[ 13 ] Discussion That Aravind and other NGOs working in a similar way, like LVPEI for case, utilize the Culture-Centered Approach, as elaborated by Dutta ( 2008 ) , in presenting quality oculus attention to rural India is rather clear. Aravind, in peculiar, has successfully integrated the CCA with the Technology-Communication-Management ( TCM ) theoretical account, as elaborated by Lee & A ; Chib ( 2008 ) to make a sustainable theoretical account for Eye Care bringing. ‘Accessibility ‘ and ‘affordability ‘ are the cardinal factors in such health care theoretical accounts. In taking this path, one has to guarantee that the engineerings chosen for the occupation are cost-efficient and easy to implement because capital outgo and operational outgo do play a critical function in finding the cost of health care services. Aravind has been able to maintain the cost of Eye Care bringing considerable low systematically for many old ages now. Critics argue that organisations like Aravind are feeding-off their theoretical account. At this point, it is of import to understand the ground-realities. In India, the divide between the urban ‘haves ‘ , and the rural ‘have-nots ‘ is merely acquiring wider with each go throughing twelvemonth. Harmonizing to UN projections released 2008, â€Å" India would urbanise at a much slower rate than China and have, by 2050, 45 % of its population still populating in rural countries † ( Lederer, 2008 ) . The Government in India is non making plenty to turn to the overplus of wellness issues that plague [ the assorted parts and communities in ] the state. The flagship strategy to better health care services in rural India, the National Rural Health Mission — launched in 2005 as a seven-year programme — has many of its ends yet to be achieved, and the authorities is now sing widening it to 2015, harmonizing to recent media studies. Despite many a au thorities claims and many a authorities schemes several small towns in provinces across India continue to depend on the private sector for quality health care or in this instance Eye Care. Give this state of affairs, Aravind and LVPEI ‘s work in the way of supplying low-cost Eye Care and free oculus surgeries to five out of every 10 patients they examine is a applaudable effort. A 2nd inquiry raised in this survey is, what is the function of the health care supplier in this instance – disseminate cognition to the grass-roots or live-off their health care bringing theoretical account? Aravind is making its portion in circulating cognition to the grass-roots. Most ophthalmic helpers who adult male the ‘vision centres ‘ are community members trained by Aravind. But one has to understand that the act of cognition airing in a distant rural scene has its challenges i.e. undertaking illiteracy, basic consciousness among others and these challenges can non be addres sed in merely a few old ages. The India Consortium Project, sponsored by SCB and Temasek Foundation, set a mark to put up 40 ‘vision Centres ‘ by 2010. So far, 32 ‘vision Centres ‘ are operational and the staying will be operational this twelvemonth, harmonizing to Ms. Harite. On the impudent side, a survey by Murthy et Al. ( 2008 ) argues that the ends of the ‘Vision 2020: the right to spy ‘ inaugural to extinguish Cataract sightlessness in India by the twelvemonth 2020 may non be achieved. But this should non discourage those working in this way. Both the populace and the private sector must go on to contend Cataract Blindness because that is the lone manner to undertake the job at manus. Last but non the least, this survey recommends that NGOs runing in the health care infinite expression at both the CCA and the TCM theoretical account to guarantee better service bringing.

The Financial Detective 2005

[The Financial Detective 2005 Introduction Each industry is distinctive. One might be unique in its high fixed assets; other would be differentiated of its increasing intangible assets and many other financial footprints that each industry leaves on its balance sheet. Nonetheless, industries are distinguished furthermore; fingers of one hand are not the same as said. Businesses in the same industry can be characterized differently according to their strategic plan and capital structure. The following case highlighted some characteristics of different industries and different businesses within those industries. From pharmaceuticals to music and books, those differences, supported by numerical financial data, are explained in the following section. Books & Music General information provided: Company 1 1. Selling through a vast retail-store presence 2. Traditional book retailing 3. Online presence and owns publishing imprint Company 2 1. Sells books, music, videos solely through the internet website 2. Three quarters of the sales are media 3. Sells electronics and other merchandise 4. Recently became profitable 5. Followed a strategy of acquiring retailed online business recently Assessing the provided information about the two companies and looking deeply at some of the financial data, it was concluded that company 1 is designated by the letter H and company 2 is designated by the letter G in Exhibit 1 (see appendix 1). Investigating the financial data, it was found that Company 1 (H) had a higher inventories account of 38. 6 this supports the fact that it is a traditional book store that needed to keep book inventories at all times to maintain its retail presence. This is further seen in its inventory turnover, is has a lower turnover of 2. 2x this reflects the nature of the company which traditional book retailer that experience slow turnover. Moreover, company 1 (H) has an 11. 1 in intangible assets, again this reflects the companies intangible assets such as publishing imprints. Also, company 1 (H) owns about 24. 4 in fixed assets as a results of its vast retail network. For company 2 (G) , inventory account is much lower than company one (14. 8) this reflects the fact that company 2 is online based business that sells mostly digital products such as media along with few other general electronics and merchandise. Thus, its inventory turnover is much higher (13. 56x) correspondent to the nature of most of the sold product (digital media) that are highly demanded and easily accessible. Regarding its fixed assets account, company 2 (b) has lower fixed assets of 7. 6 this mainly reflects the activities related to electronics and other merchandise that probably requires some fixed assets, but for its E-commerce, it needs minimal- none fixed assets. Considering the type of this business (online based) it was noticed that its receivables account is very minimal compared to company 1. This is probably due to the fact that online products are delivered upon payment, thus it is rare to purchase music on credit. Assessing some of the income statements components, depreciation is recognized to be low (1. 1) this is highly related to its low fixed assets. Last but not least, SG& A expenses of 16. 9 is lower than company 1 , this is logical because company 1 depends on a network of retailers that impose higher general and administrative expenses while company 2 depends solely on its o0nline channel. Finally, net profit of 8. 5 (which is higher than company 1) indicates the mentioned recent profitability. Newspapers Information provided: Company 1 1. Centered largely on one product 2. Fierce competition 3. Recently built a large office building for its headquarters. 4. international Company 2 1. Owns a number of local newspapers 2. Has a significant amount of goodwill 3. Recent acquisitions 4. Decentralized decision making and administration Taking a closer look to the provided data, it was concluded that company 1 is designated by letter P and company 2 is designated by letter O (see Exhibit 1) this selection was based on a number of factors: company 1 (P) have more receivables ( 9. ) than company 2 O, this is due to the fact that company 1 (P) operates on a larger, international scale than company 2, this larger customer base requires better and more receivable terms. Whereas company 2 , which operates on a smaller local level has lower receivables of 4. 6. Company 1 (P) has almost the double in fixed assets account t in company 2 (o) (34. 6, 14. 1) explaining the new purchase of th e headquarter building by company (p). Assessing the intangibles account of both companies, it was noticed that company 2 (O) enjoys a high level of goodwill (76. ) while company 1 (P) has far less intangibles of 37. 1. Evaluating company’s 1 (p) focused and centralized strategy of producing and distributing one newspaper internationally, it was noted that this focus led to a decreased cost of goods sold (cost/ unit is inexpensive) this is evidenced in the lower COGS of 40. 5 compared to 49. 7 in company 2 (o). moreover, company’s 1 (P) Debt/ asset ratio is higher than company 2 (O) ( 26. 81 compared to 15. 2) this indicated that it is more cost efficient for company 1 that operates internationally to finance its strategy implementation by using more debt than equity. This boosted the ROE of company 1 to reach 20. 89 relative to a lower ROE of company 2 (9. 86) which follow a more conservative financing mix. As a final point, looking at the SG&A expenses, it was observ ed that company 1 (P) has higher admin expenses due to its strategy of operating internationally while company 2 enjoyed less Admin expenses due to its local strategy ( 39. 7 compared to 23 ).