Free Essays on Kant And Freedom

, we are bound by the moral law. If the answer is yes, the question is, What about free will? Aren’t we free to exercise... Free Essays on Kant And Freedom Free Essays on Kant And Freedom Critically discuss Kant’s understanding of freedom. ‘The concept of freedom is the stone of stumbling for all empiricists, but at the same time the key to the loftiest practical principles for critical moralists, who perceive by its means that they must necessarily proceed by a rational method.’ Kant, Critique of Practical Reason, Preface Immanuel Kant was born in 1724 in Konigsberg, Germany. He is undeniably one of the most influential philosophers in the realm of moral and political thinking. Kant learned his philosophy in the German university system, which was dominated by the thought of Christian Wolff, himself a follower of Leibniz and the empiricism of David Hume. His greatest work ‘‘Critique of Pure Reason†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ is a synthesis of rationalism and empiricisnm both of which in themselves , he believed , gave a one sided view of knowledge. However, his writings was not on one sided subject, from science to mathematics to philosophy and politics. One of his work ‘Metaphysical Ground†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Kant claims the commitment of categorical imperative is objective. The idea of freedom is not only demanded by a sense of duty , but it also compatrible with the law of casuality. . Man as a phenomenal being is casually determined, but as a noumenal being he is free. Meaning; man cannot know what his freedom is but he knows that he is free. In ‘Critique of Pure Reason’, Kant advanced his theory on freedom into a level where we should consider ourselves as robots : the law of cause and effect, the law of causation, and the moral law. In fact, the doctrine of determinism. Is it reasonable to believe that our actions are fully determined by the law of cause and effect? and What we experience are not as far as we can know, characteristics of those things as they are in themselves? In other words, we are bound by the moral law. If the answer is yes, the question is, What about free will? Aren’t we free to exercise...

Singing Spoon Dry Ice Project

Singing Spoon Dry Ice Project The singing spoon or screaming spoon is the name of a dry ice project in which you cause a spoon to make a singing or screaming sound. Heres how to perform the singing spoon project and an explanation for how it works. You may also watch my video of the singing or screaming spoon. Singing Spoon Materials metal spoondry ice Make the Spoon Sing Dip a spoon in hot water.Remove the spoon from the water and press the warm spoon against the cold dry ice. The spoon will cause the dry ice to sublimate into carbon dioxide vapor. Youll hear the spoon emit a sharp vibrating sound sort of like it is singing or screaming. How the Singing Spoon Works When you press the warm spoon against the dry ice, the sublimation speeds up. The carbon dioxide gas that is released presses against the spoon at the same time you are applying pressure to push the spoon into the dry ice. The oscillations in pressure occur very rapidly, producing sound waves. Although youll usually see this demonstration done using a spoon, it works with any metal object. Metal works best because of its high thermal conductivity, but feel free to experiment with other materials.

Hamlet Analysised Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hamlet Analysised - Essay Example There are only a few scenes that happen outside of it, most famously the scene at the graveside when Hamlet laments the loss of his old jester, Yorick, and then fights in Ophelia’s grave with her brother Laertes. The play is set sometime in the middle ages and there are clearly delineated family relations and moral codes of honour that drive much of the play’s action. Because most of the characters are members of the royal family they are responsible for Denmark. The family is under threat from within because of the actions of Claudius and the revenge that Hamlet seeks, but it is also under threat from the outside as the Swedish under Fortinbras are preparing to invade it. There are existential threats everywhere—and this is an important aspect to consider. Indeed, this is an important theme of the story: the threat of death that seems omnipresent. Ellsinore still has a cloud over it: the death of Hamlet’s father. It affects everyone, but Hamlet worst of all. From his first words in the play we understand the state of mind he has: He is virtually suicidal after meeting his uncle and mother, married so shortly after his father’s death. The threat from within is a theme personified by Hamlet’s suicidal feelings which are later further explored in the famous soliloquy: â€Å"To be or not to be . . .† People worry about Hamlet, but as the play continues their worry is extended to others. Ophelia, spurned by Hamlet, goes mad and drowns herself. A fear begins to grip everyone. Hamlet, anxious for revenge, kills Ophelia’s father behind the arras when visiting his mother’s room. The threat is not just at the point of the knife—it is that people are listening everywhere. Throughout the play characters are always spying on one another and reporting to others. Even Rosencrantz and Guilderstern, Hamlet’s best friends are convinced to betray him—for this they are rewarded with death

Legal Topic Digital Forensics Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal Topic Digital Forensics - Research Paper Example This investigation discovered one hundred and eighty four video files and fifty-three still images of child pornography in Lynn’s computer hard drive (Watson & Jones, 2013). The investigation also found that the videos and images had been obtained from the internet using Limewire, a program that allows peer-to-peer file sharing. On the first count, the defendant was convicted of receiving child pornography, a crime that violates  § 2252(a)(2). He was also convicted of possessing child pornography material violating  § 2252(a)(4)(B). Lynn was sentenced to 210 months imprisonment for the count of receiving child pornography material and 120 months imprisonment for the count of possessing the material. The court ordered a term of life supervision after Lynn’s release from prison (Casey & Altheide, 2010). Lynn’s case implored the application of 18 U.S.C  §Ã‚ § 2251 through 2260. These sections warrant criminal and civil forfeiture of devices used to depict child pornography, the profits obtained from these crime and properties used in committing them. Record keeping of materials used to depict sexually explicit conduct was provided for in section 2257. Lynn was also liable for failure to report child abuse that is entrenched in a misdemeanor crime in section 2258. The 18 U.S.C  §2525 that addresses the circumstances involving the use of interstate facilities to disseminate information about a minor was applicable to Lynn’s case. Another law that applied to this case is Title 19 section 1305 that criminalizes the importation of obscene materials. This law permits courts to order the seizure and forfeiture of such materials (Altheide & Carvey, 2011). Since Lynn retrieved the materials from the internet which is interstate, he was convicted of violation of the 18 U.S.C  § 2252. This section criminalizes interstate distribution of materials depicting a child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The Child

Critical Analysis of the US Electoral College Essay Example for Free

Critical Analysis of the US Electoral College Essay Electoral College is a term that refers to a selected group of representatives who perform the task of electing candidates for particular powerful offices such as presidents or church leaders. The selection process of electing candidates usually involves participants from different and competing political or religious entities. In the recent past, the Electoral College has been conspicuously practiced in electing the President of the United Stats and the Pope of the Catholic Church. It is the US Electoral College that has particularly drawn much concern as to its effectiveness and reliability in electing the president of the federal republic. This essay identifies some of the problems associated with the Electoral College and analyses the implications of the suggested modifications and alternatives. Analysis of the US Electoral College In the United States, the Electoral College system is used to elect the President from competing candidates from either the Republican Party, the Democratic Party of independent candidates. See more: how to write an analysis Rather than elect a president and a vice-president directly through national elections, the US conducts separate elections in all its 51 states during which the winner in each state is allocated the number of electoral votes proportional to the total representation of the state in Congress which has a total of 538 electoral voters. The winner of the presidential contests is expected to win a total of 270 votes of the Electoral College. Although the design of the Electoral College was clever and well intentioned, the system is susceptible to inherent flaws, some of which were resolved by constitutional amendments while others remain unresolved to date (Miller, 2008). Indeed, as Miller (2008) noted, the selection system established by the Electoral College has at its core the objective to foster fairness in the election of candidates in non-partisan environment, the motive was rendered irrelevant with the formation of competing political parties to compete in the selection process for the presidency. There is no doubt that the Electoral College system presents many challenges and problems to the fairness of the Presidential election in the US which include the problem of election reversal, problems with the voting power, partisan biasness, excessive focus on battleground states and the likelihood of pledge violations. One obvious problem that emerges from the Electoral College system is that the results of adding up the total electoral votes in the states may end up being different from adding up the total popular votes in all those states. Miller (2008) identifies the situation of the 2000 elections where the eventual winner, George W. had more electoral votes but less popular vote than the loser, Albert Gore. Moreover, in the event that there emerges a serious third party contestant, then it would be impossible for any candidate to garner the mandatory 270 electoral votes. According to the US constitution, the emergence of such an eventuality would require that the election process be taken to the Congress where voting should be conducted repeatedly until a victor emerges. Whereas there are concerns if the Electoral College represents adequate allocation of voting powers to all the states, there are also concerns as two whether the bipartisanship of the two-party system in the US is likely to represent non-partisan election of the president. Moreover, the focus of the Electoral College on the battleground states attracts disproportionate attention from parties and their candidates, effectively raising questions on the voting powers of the other states. Conclusion Some of the suggested proposals suggested include: (1) amending the constitution to empower the American with the constitutional rights to directly elect the president through a popular vote; (2) apportionment of the electoral votes fractionally according to the population of states so as to eliminate the problem of election reversal; and (3) equal apportionment of the electoral votes to all states to eliminate the problem of state voting powers. The proposal to amend the constitution so as to give American the constitutional rights to directly elect the president stands out as the most superior suggestion because it will eliminate all the problems and challenges associated with the Electoral College. References Miller, N. R. (2008). The US electoral college: Origins, transformation, problems and prospects. UMBC, retrieved on 22 May 2009 from: http://userpages. umbc. edu/~nmiller/RESEARCH/ELECTCOL. CONSTDAY. ppt.

Animal Experiments Essay -- essays papers

Animal Experiments Animal experimentation by scientists can be cruel and unjust, but at the same time it can provide long term benefits for humanity. Animals used in research and experiments have been going on for 2,000 years and keep is going strong. It is a widely debated about topic all over the world. Some say it is inhuman while others say it’s for the good of human kind. There are many different reasons why people perform experiments and why others total disagree with it. Each year 20 million animals are produce and breed for the only purpose but to be tested on. Fifty-three thousands of animals are used each year in medical and veterinary schools. The rest is used in basic research. The demand for animals in the United States is 50 million mice, 20 million rats, and about 30 million other animals. This includes 200,000 cats and 450,000 dogs. The world uses about 200-250 million animals per year. The problem with working with animals is that they cannot communicate their feelings and reactions. Other people say that they can communicate and react to humans just a well as one person to another. Some of the animals the research’s use are not domesticated which makes them extremely hard to control and handle. The experiments that go on behind closed doors are some of the most horrific things a human could think of too torture somebody or something. Animals in labs are literally used as models and are poked at and cut open like nothing is happening. When drug a...

Primary ethical considerations Essay

Ethical norms are the moral standards that help us judge good from bad or right from wrong and living morally. This involves articulating the good habits or character that we should have, the consequences of our behavior on us and others and the duties that we are supposed to follow. Ethical issues touch on the basis of an individual belief and they are bound to differ with individuals depending on cultural and social factors of the individual. McKinney (2004) explains that the primary ethical considerations for teachers in a K-8 education setting   is a form of applied ethics that evaluates ethical guidelines and moral issues that can come up in a classroom environment. The following section will highlight McKinney (2004) ten main principles which teachers in K-8 classes are supposed to follow and adhere to: Establish the significance of academic integrity Schools are committed to pursing integrity and truth; teachers in K-8 should confirm and reestablish the need for integrity and truth based on particular main values such as honest civility and diligence. Teachers need to show and encourage students to practice this. Promote love of learning Teachers in K-8 have an ethical duty to reinforce and foster better class environment for learning. Many children will succeed and thrive in an environment where learning and schooling is viewed as challenging, useful, pertinent and fair. Treat children as ends in teaching Teachers in K-8 should treat their students as being an end and not means children require personal attention and thoughtfulness. The students will in general respond through respecting what the teacher’s values and norms and be committed to academics Foster an atmosphere of trust within the classroom Many students are young and require and value an atmosphere where trust is freely earned as it is given. Enhance student accountability for integrity in academics Young students want to learn in schools where integrity justice and respect is adhered to, while dishonest is punished. With correct direction and leadership, students can cultivate strong accountability to assist in promoting and protecting high levels of integrity in academic work. Formulate just and appropriate assessment forms Students expect to be assessed with fairness using appropriate methods. Teachers in K-8 classes should use, and regularly modify forms of evaluation   and tests which need active thought and enhance learning activities for the students. Challenge any dishonest in learning when it happens Children see how teachers act and what values they hold. Teachers who overlook trivialized dishonest in academics, convey a message that, the teacher do not value core values of academic and that these core values are not worth following. In addition to this the teachers should: †¢ Assist in defining and supporting entire school academic integrity and honesty †¢ Limit chances for students to participate in dishonesty in class and school as a whole †¢ Clarify your expectations for class and students in particular Conclusion The classroom and teaching environment in general during the 21st century have become more complex and demanding. Consequently, the need for more ethical teaching behavior, actions and processes is increasing. As McKinney (2004) notes pressure has been mounted on the teachers in a K-8 to observe and improve their ethics through laws and refined public initiatives. The variety and extent of ethical issues in teaching shows the extent to which ethical values differ and need to be upheld.   Ã‚  This paper has outline several main ethical issues that teachers in K-8 will should follow to establish better values in their class room

Mass Communications

In the past 10 years, mass communications underwent perhaps one of the most profound revolutions in their history, matched perhaps by the arrival of the telegraph and the telephone. Technology changes affect who we reach and in what ways. They also affect our entertainment and the way we spend free time. The most notable change has certainly been the Internet. Its vast online spaces have made tons of information easily available to masses of people who previously would find difficult and costly to obtain information of similar quality from other sources. In this way, the Internet democratized communication between people, making writing cheaper through e-mail and making voice connections more accessible through Internet telephony and programs like Skype. I regularly use Skype and e-mail to reach my relatives in other countries, and this makes our communication much easier. The use of online communication has also provided people with immense opportunities to address large audiences without considerable expense of starting one’s own media project. To make a site that will deliver content and the author’s news to large groups of people is very easy and inexpensive. This helps overcome the problem of freedom of speech that many saw in the world where media were owned and governed by rich tycoons. The critics of such freedom noted that it did not provide for â€Å"freedom of expression† of those who are not commercial film producers or media barons† (Iyer, 2004). Today, one can air political or social views without investing a lot of money. Blogs are yet another way to make one’s views known to a group of people and make an online community, getting new friends. In 2005, Business Week reported that â€Å"there are some 9 million blogs out there, with 40,000 new ones popping up each day† (Baker, Green, 2005). I tried once to start a diary at LiveJournal.com, but soon got tired of writing there and could not find many people to read my writing. I believe myself to be a slow adopter, although when technical improvements in communication get popular, I do begin to use them. References Baker, S., & Green, H. (2005, May). Blogs Will Change Your Business. Business Week. Retrieved August 29, 2006 College of Communication, the University of Texas at Austin. Thoughts about the Future of Advertising. A White Paper by the Faculty, Department of Advertising. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://www.ciadvertising.org/studies/reports/future/whitepap.html Iyer, V. R. (2004, July). ‘Culture Cops' and the mass media. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://www.indiatogether.org/2004/jul/med-copmedia.htm   

Jane Austen and Convention of the Gothic

Jane Austen and Convention of the Gothic Introduction The novel Northanger Abbey adversely mentions gothic literature; it even influences the main characters’ actions and decisions. However, the use of this genre is done to mock and trivialise the genre.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Jane Austen and Convention of the Gothic specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More How Jane Austen challenges conventions of gothic novels As one reads the novel, one comes across a series of gothic titles throughout the narration. The characters talk about and reference various pieces in the book. Catherine meets with Isabella at the beginning of her adventure at Bath. Their main topic of conversation is gothic literature. These two ladies especially mention the Mysteries of Udolpho, by Ann Radcliffe, but their fondness for the books makes them appear one -dimensional and detached from reality. Jane Austen also mocks gothic literature by selecting a very unconventional heroine . Gothic novels usually feature beautiful young women as main characters. Catherine is average-looking at best; sometimes, Austen leads readers to believe that her main character is even unattractive. The first page states that Catherine had â€Å"an awkward figure, sallow skin colour, dark lank hair and strong features† (Austen 1817, p.1). In eighteenth century Britain, strong features and sallow skin were undesirable traits. Jane Austen wanted to defy conventional expectations of gothic literature by choosing an individual who had little physical appeal. Furthermore, Catherine’s social background was nothing extraordinary. She came from a large middle income household, yet most gothic novels either focused on incredibly poor or exceptionally wealthy heroines (Rose 1993). Furthermore, Catherine was not talented in the conventional ways of English society at the time. She could not draw or paint, and neither could she write. Even Austen remarks that she was â€Å"a st range and unaccountable character† (Austen 1817, p.6). Catherine appears to have challenges with social interactions as well. She does not seem to understand people; yet this is a predominant quality in most gothic books. Catherine did not know about Isabella’s true intentions until the situation had gone overboard. She could not hide her suspicions about Henry’s father from him. Furthermore, she fails to realise that she was leading-on John Thorpe. Catherine lacks social experience, which was a quality that was hard to miss in the gothic genre. In choosing such a heroine, the author wanted to challenge stereotypes of women in romantic literature, of which gothic novels belong (Summers 1964). In the narration, the main character appears to grow and learn about the workings of English society. This was not initially true at the beginning. In fact, one detects Catherine’s naivety when she first visits Bath. She seems to have an overblown imagination about th e way the world works. Catherine looks at the world through the eyes of the characters in gothic novels (Glock 1978).Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In these books, seemingly ordinary events can lead to terrible occurrences in the future. The main character thinks of Mrs. Tilney’s death as one such tale, but later realises that she had distorted reality. Jane Austen wanted to demonstrate how gothic novels can feed the mind with unrealistic and fantastic expectations. For instance, when Henry drives her out to Northanger Abbey, he indulges her imagination: â€Å"In one perhaps there may be a dagger, in another a few drops of blood, and in a third the remains of some instrument of torture; †¦ your lamp being nearly exhausted, you will return towards your own apartment. In passing through the small vaulted room, however, your eyes will be attracted toward s a large, old-fashioned cabinet of ebony and gold, which, though narrowly examining the furniture before, you had passed unnoticed.† (Austen 1817, p. 144) Catherine is quite gullible at this point because she expects nothing short of gothic mystery in the place. She is deeply disappointed when she realises that Henry’s home is quite ordinary. The house possesses none of those concealed spaces that she read about in the gothic tales. Clearly, Catherine is deluded by these readings; the author wanted to show that such exaggerations can impede one’s functioning in society. Catherine paid a heavy price for these wild imaginations when Henry discovered that she thought that someone has murdered his father. Some critics summarise this depiction through the following summary â€Å"Again and again we see the kind of malediction novels confer on Catherine, teaching her to talk in inflated and stilted clichà ©s, training her to expect impossibly villainous or virtuous b ehaviour from people whose motives are more complex than she suspects, binding her to the mundane selfishness of her contemporaries (Gilber and Gubar, 2000, 132). Although Austen satirises gothic novels through Catherine’s extreme indulgences, one must realise that the main character still sensed the pretentiousness of the people around her. She was right about questioning General Tilney’s character, because he turned out to be mean spirited and elitist. The author of the book wanted to show that gothic elements can skew one’s reality, but may lead to unconscious revelations about such people. As such, Austen did not completely write-off gothic fiction. She wanted to satirise its flaws, but also acknowledge that it did possess some insights. The writer defied conventions of gothic novels by starting with a naive character, and then developed and nurtured her to the woman that she becomes at the end of the novel.Advertising We will write a custom essay sa mple on Jane Austen and Convention of the Gothic specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In most gothic works, the heroines of the narrations are highly perceptive. They are well experienced in the world, and know what to expect from people. These are all qualities that Catherine lacks at the beginning of the book (St.Clair 2004). Catherine is not the only character in the novel to defy conventional gothic depictions: General Tilney also signifies this indifference to the status quo. At the time when Austen wrote her novel, most gothic novels had villains that were forceful, violent or even murderous. However, Northanger Abbey has none of this; in fact, the villain does not seem to possess the typical traits of such a character (Sadlier, 1944). Nonetheless, Austen depicts his undesirability through his intentions and interests. The General is overly concerned about Catherine’s wealth regardless of her admirable qualities as a person. A woman ’s social status is so important to the ‘villain’ that he is willing to ruin his relationship with his son for it. Henry Tilney chooses to defy his father rather than abide by his dictatorial rules. One can perceive that Jane Austen wanted to speak out against the ills of male patriarchy in her society (Varma 1966). She, therefore, preferred to use this role in order to advance her themes rather than to advance her plot, unlike the case is in eighteenth century gothic literature. Perhaps even the treatment of General Tilney as an antagonist is misguided in this analysis. He comes off as a man who cares too much about money and reality. The General is so concerned about maintaining his status that he meddles into the affairs of his children. Austen opted to mock gothic books by having a character that takes the shape of villain, but is not really one. Sometimes gothic pieces focused on man’s weaknesses and his inability to control his surrounding. Rarely di d they caricature society’s flaws (Levine 1999). Northanger Abbey was the exact opposite of this propensity. It satirises society’s obsessions with power and wealth through its plot as well as its characters. One such individual was Isabella who claims to care for nothing more than love. However, she gets very frustrated at her fiancà ©e when she realises that he is not as wealthy as she had presumed. She causes James great anguish when he realises that she was flirting with another man. Additionally, General Tilney is quite hospitable to Catherine when he thinks that she comes from a wealthy family. However, he kicks her out when John tells him otherwise. These people were all depictions of what society can become when it places too much emphasis on wealth. Jane Austen challenges conventions of gothic literature by going in this direction. One should note that most females in the late eighteenth century had minimal economic or social options. Writing was one of the f ew professions that individuals could use in order to earn a decent living (Kate 1993).Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They were not politicians or property owners, but they had an opinion and needed to express it somewhere (Todd 1980). The author of the novel chose to mock societal practices through the use of a common literary genre, that is: the gothic novel. While the main character of the book is unattractive, Isabella is beautiful and charming. The author used conventional qualities of protagonists in gothic literature to satirise Isabella’s obsession with material wealth (Monaghan 1981). This choice in character traits may seem unintentional, but it reaffirms the fact that the book is indeed a parody of gothic work. In order to mock certain elements of fiction, some authors may choose to mirror the stylistic devices of their parodied work in order to achieve this objective (Dentith 2000). Likewise, Jane Austen does the same thing with her novel. She integrates gothic elements in her piece in a manner that satirizes them rather than validates them. Most gothic novels have an air of myst ery about them. They tend to cause suspense by leaving out vital pieces of information. Readers often read on in order to discover what will happen to the main character. Austen uses mystery in her novel as well, but this achieves different objectives. For instance at some point, Henry describes Abbey exaggeratedly to Catherine. Of course she realises that Henry is fooling around. However when she finds a manuscript, she presumes that she can uncover some proof about her suspicions. However, darkness engulfs her and she hears receding footsteps and the closing of a distant door† (Austen, 155). She cannot validate the significance of this piece of paper until morning. When morning comes, she soon appreciates that it was nothing but a laundry list. The passage about the dark room may fill a reader with suspense. Nonetheless, when one discovers the reason behind her fear, one realises that there was no mystery behind it. Jane Austin employs gothic tactics to satirise the genre by showing that all the mystery was created in the mind of the protagonist. Most gothic novels often focus on oppressed individuals. These situations may elevate readers’ perceptions of the main characters after they triumph over their adversaries. Usually, such heroines will scream and act in terror. Sometimes them may cry and faint over an issue. Others may appear overly emotional or too sentimental (Mandal 1999). It is through their sorrow and anger that the readers get to connect with them. In Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen also uses sentimentality as a trait, but only as a mechanism to defy the oppressed-heroine stereotype. In one instance Catherine seems to have lost it all; her potential father in law sends her out of his house. It is almost as if her whole world has been shattered, although John Thorpe was partly to blame for this occurrence. Regardless of these circumstances, the reader does not necessarily think of Catherine as a damsel in distress. Furthermore, things change for the better when Henry pays her a visit in her hometown (ART 2008. General Tinley eventually consents to the marriage, so she ceases to be the oppressed victim. In another scenario, the death of Mrs. Tilney preoccupies Catherine’s mind when she suspects that her husband killed her. However, little proof exists for her to validate this statement. She seems deeply disturbed by these issues, and one may even assume that she is living in a dangerous place. Later on, she realises that there was nothing to these suspicions. â€Å"The absurdity of her curiosity and her fears could they ever be forgotten? She hated herself more than she could express† (Austen 1817, p.183). Austen mocks this aspect of victimisation in gothic literature by dismissing off ‘dangerous situations’ as misguided thoughts or delusions. Conclusion Jane Austen satirises gothic literature by using unconventional characters in her novel. The protagonist is not a damsel in distress, unattractive or even talented, yet one cannot miss these qualities in the gothic genre. Additionally, the villain does not fit conventional gothic depictions because he commits no explicit wicked acts. The author also uses her characters to mock society’s obsession with wealth; an uncommon trait in gothic work. Even the stylistic devices she borrows from the latter genre are designed to dismiss such works as remote from reality. References ART, 2008, ‘Northanger Abbey and Persuasion’, Quarterly Review, vol. 24 no. 3, pp. 48. Austen, J, 1817, Northanger Abbey, John Murray, London. Dentith, S, 2000, Parody, Routledge, London. Gilbert, S Guber, S, 2000, The madwoman in the attic, Yale University Press, New Haven. Glock, W, 1978, Catherine Morland’s gothic delusions: A defence of Northanger Abbey’, Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature, vol. 32 no. 1, pp 33-46 Kate, F, 1993, The woman reader, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Levine, G, 1999, Translating the monstrous: Northanger Abbey, McMillan, London. Mandal, A, 1999, The gothic heroine. Web. Monaghan, D, 1981, Jane Austen in a social context, Barnes Noble, Totowa. Rose, M, 1993, Parody: Ancient, modern and post modern, Cambridge University press, Cambridge. Sadlier, M, 1944, Things past, Constable, London. Summers, M, 1964, The Gothic quest, Russell, New York. Todd, J, 1980, Gender and Literary voice, Holmes and Meier, New York. St.Clair, W, 2004, The reading nations in the romantic period, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Varma, D, 1966, The Gothic flame, Russell, New York.

Biography of James A. Garfield, 20th U.S. President

Biography of James A. Garfield, 20th U.S. President James A. Garfield ( November 19, 1831- September 19, 1881) was an educator, lawyer, and a major general in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was elected to the Ohio State Senate and to the U.S. Congress before becoming the 20th American president on March 4, 1881. He served only until Sept. 19, 1881, when he died from complications caused by an assassins bullet 11 weeks before. Fast Facts: James A. Garfield Known For: 20th president of the United StatesBorn: Nov. 19, 1831 in Cuyahoga County, OhioParents: Abram Garfield, Eliza Ballou GarfieldDied: Sept. 19, 1881 in Elberon,  New JerseyEducation: Williams CollegeSpouse: Lucretia RudolphChildren: Seven; two died in infancy Early Life Garfield was born in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, to Abram Garfield, a farmer, and  Eliza Ballou Garfield. His father died when Garfield was just 18 months old. His mother tried to make ends meet with the farm, but he and his three siblings, two sisters and a brother, grew up in relative poverty. He attended a local school before moving on to Geauga Academy in Geauga  County, Ohio in 1849. He then went to the Western Reserve  Eclectic  Institute (later called Hiram College) in Hiram, Ohio, teaching to help pay his way. In 1854, he attended Williams College in Massachusetts, graduating with honors two years later. On Nov. 11, 1858, Garfield married  Lucretia Rudolph, who had been a student of his at the Eclectic Institute. She was working as a teacher when Garfield wrote to her and they began courting. She contracted malaria while serving as first lady but lived a long life after Garfields death, dying on March 14, 1918. They had two daughters and five sons, two of whom died when they were infants. Career Before the Presidency Garfield began his career as an instructor in classical languages at the Eclectic Institute and was its president from 1857 to 1861. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1860, and he was ordained a minister in the  Disciples of Christ  church, but he soon turned to politics. He served as an Ohio state senator from 1859 to 1861. Garfield joined the Union army in 1861, taking part in the Civil War battles of Shiloh and Chickamauga and reaching the rank of major general. He was elected to Congress while still in the military, resigning to take his seat as a U.S. representative and serving from 1863 to 1880. During this time he had an extramarital affair with a woman in  New York City. He later admitted the indiscretion and was forgiven by his wife. Becoming President In 1880, the Republicans nominated Garfield to run for president as a compromise candidate between conservatives and moderates. Conservative candidate Chester A. Arthur was nominated as vice president. Garfield was opposed by Democrat Winfield Hancock. Acting upon the advice of President Rutherford B. Hayes, Garfield shied away from actively campaigning, speaking to reporters and voters from his home in  Mentor, Ohio, in what was referred to as the first â€Å"front porch† campaign. He won 214 out of 369 electoral votes. Events and Accomplishments Garfield was in office for only six and a half months. He spent much of that time dealing with patronage issues. The one major issue that he faced was an investigation of whether mail route contracts were being awarded fraudulently, with tax money going to those involved. The investigation implicated members of his Republican Party, but Garfield didnt flinch from continuing. In the end, revelations from the incident, called the Star Route Scandal, resulted in important civil service reforms. Assassination On  July 2, 1881, Charles J. Guiteau, a mentally disturbed office seeker, shot  Garfield  in the back in the Washington, D.C., railroad station while he was on his way to a family vacation in  New England. The president lived until Sept. 19 of that year. Guiteau apparently was driven by politics, saying to police after he surrendered, Arthur is now president of the United States. He was convicted of murder and hanged on June 30, 1882. The cause of death was massive hemorrhaging and slow  blood poisoning, which was later described as being related more to the unsanitary way physicians treated the president than to the wounds themselves. Doctors of the time were unschooled in the role of hygiene in preventing infection. The standard procedure was to devote most of the treatment effort to removing the bullet, and a number of doctors repeatedly poked his wound in an unsuccessful search. Legacy Garfield served the second shortest presidential term in American history, topped only by the 31-day term of William Henry Harrison, the ninth president, who caught a cold that turned into fatal pneumonia. Garfield was buried in Lake View Cemetery in  Cleveland. Upon his death, Vice President Arthur became president. Because of Garfields brief time in office, he couldnt achieve much as president. But by allowing the investigation into the mail scandal to continue despite its effect on members of his own party, Garfield paved the way for civil service reform. He also was an early champion of the rights of African-Americans, believing that education was the best hope for improving their lives. In his inaugural address, he said: â€Å"The elevation of the Negro race from slavery to the full rights of citizenship is the most important political change we have known since the adoption of the Constitution of 1787. No thoughtful man can fail to appreciate its beneficent effect upon our institutions and people.†¦It has liberated the master as well as the slave from a relation which wronged and enfeebled both.† Garfields prolonged death is credited with helping to establish the American president as a celebrity. The public and the media of the day were described as being obsessed with  his lengthy passing, more so even than they had been with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln 16 years before. Sources James Garfield. WhiteHouse.gov.James A. Garfield: President of the United States. Encyclopedia Brittanica.

Risk assessment analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Buying Decision Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Buying Decision Assignment - Essay Example rchase the laptop was also influenced by the social needs such as engaging with my friends and relatives through social sites including tweeter and face book. Based on my interest to understand the culture of other people, the laptop could assist me to research on ethnicity of other people including their languages and beliefs. Before I made my purchase, I had first to compare the prices in various shops as well as the best brand that could meet my needs. Additionally, a number of customers were still looking for the same laptop during the early morning hours. The major factors influenced my purchase decision were efficiency, dependability, motivation and learning. As a new technology that is adopted my individuals and organizations, I realized that the laptop would assist me in storing information, providing solutions through the use of software, give me motivation during my research as well as make learning process easier. The purchase was a high involvement decision. In most cases, consumers go for personal computers rather than laptops due to the high prices of the laptops. Additionally, laptops have a high risk of getting a fault especially if improperly handled. As compared to my expectations after purchase, I realized that I had to extensively study most of the applications that were in the laptop as well as add more software into it in order to meet all my needs. One of the key concepts that I have learned from this assignment is that consumers are guided by various factors during their purchasing process (Kerin 31). These include economic needs, psychological variables, social needs, culture, and reasons for