The Inheritance of Loss Essay

The Inheritance of Loss Essay As might be expected from the rich input of her cultural background, Kiran Desai, daughter of the author Anita Desai is a born story-teller. Her first novel, Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard (1998), is a fresh look at life in the sleepy provincial town of Shahkot in India. At 35 years old, Desai is the youngest woman ever to win the prize and was already highly acclaimed in literary circles for her first novel Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard which won a Betty Trask award  [2]  when it was published in 1998. She spent eight years writing her second novel The Inheritance of Loss  [3]  . Much has been made of the parallels between the book and Desais family history but its not an autobiography. Desai herself has said that in places its about experiences within her family such as the experience of immigration and going back to India. Kiran Desais second novel The Inheritance of Loss can be viewed as a Diasporic  [4]  novel. The various themes which are intertwined in the novel are globalization, multiculturalism, insurgency, poverty, isolation and issues related to loss of identity. The issues and conflicts mentioned in the novel are portrayed in a subtle and intriguing manner through the central characters. The theme of Diaspora in the world of literature describes loss of identity and isolation witnessed by the Indian writers who are settled abroad. Writers like Salman Rushdie  [5]  , Vikram Seth  [6]  and Kiran Desai have given insight into what it means to travel between the West and the East. The novel is set in modern day India, and the story is narrated to depict the collapse of established order due to insurgency. In her novel, Desai portrays excellently the issues of poverty and globalization not being an easy solution for problems of trapped social middle classes. The story revolves around the inhabitants of a town in the north-eastern Himalayas, an embittered old judge, his granddaughter Sai, his cook and their rich array of relatives, friends and acquaintances and the effects on the lives of these people brought about by a Nepalese uprising. Running parallel with the story set in India we also follow the vicissitudes of the cooks son Biju as he struggles to realise the American Dream as an immigrant in New York. Like its predecessor, this book abounds in rich, sensual descriptions. These can be sublimely beautiful, such as in the images of the flourishing of nature at the local convent in spring: Huge, spread-open Easter lilies were sticky with spilling antlers; insects chased each other madly through the sky, zip zip; and amorous butterflies, cucumber green, tumbled past the jeep windows into the deep marine valleys. They can also be horrific, such as in descriptions of the protest march: One jawan was knifed to death, the arms of another were chopped off, a third was stabbed, and the heads of policemen came up on stakes before the station across from the bench under the plum tree, where the towns people had rested themselves in more peaceful times and the cook sometimes read his letters. A beheaded body ran briefly down the street, blood fountaining from the neck   [7]   The Inheritance of Loss is much more ambitious than Hullabaloo in its spatial breadth and emotional depth. It takes on huge subjects such as morality and justice, globalisation, racial, social and economic inequality, fundamentalism and alienation. It takes its reader on a see-saw of negative emotions. There is pathos which often goes hand in hand with revulsion for example in the description of the judges adoration of his dog Mutt, the disappearance of which rocks his whole existence, set against his cruelty to his young wife. There is frequent outrage at the deprivation and poverty in which many of the characters live, including the cooks son in America; and there is humiliation, for example in the treatment of Sai by her lover-turned-rebel, or Lola, who tries to stand up to the Nepalese bullies. Against these strong emotions however, Desai expertly injects doses of comedy and buffoon-like figures. One of these is Bijus winsome friend Saeed, an African (Biju hated all black people but liked Saeed), with a slyer and much more happy go lucky attitude to life. Whereas Biju finds it difficult to have a conversation even with the Indian girls to whom he delivers a take away meal, Saeed had many girls: Oh myee God!! he said. Oh myee Gaaaawd! She keep calling me and calling me, he clutched at head, aaaiiiI dont know what to do!! Its those dreadlocks, cut them off and the girls will go. But I dont want them to go!  [8]   Much of the comedy also arises from the Indian mis or over-use of the English language. Result equivocal the young Judge wrote home to India on completing his university examinations in Britain. What, asked everyone does that mean? It sounded as if there was a problem, because un words were negative words, those basically competent in the English agreed. But then (his father) consulted the assistant magistrate and they exploded with joy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Bose, the Judges friend from his university days is a wonderfully optimistic but pompous individual, made all the more ridiculous by his over-use of British idioms Cheeri-o, right-o, tickety boo, simply smashing, chin-chin, no siree, hows that, bottoms up, I say!  [9]   An original and modern aspect of Desais style is the almost poet-like use she makes of different print forms on the page: she uses italics for foreign words as if to emphasize their exoticness and untranslatability and capitals for emphasis when someone is angry, expressing surprise or disbelief (a natural development of the netiquette that to write in capitals is like shouting). Published to extraordinary acclaim, The Inheritance of Loss heralds Kiran Desai as one of our most insightful novelists. She illuminates the pain of exile and the ambiguities of postcolonialism with a tapestry of colorful characters: an embittered old judge; Sai, his sixteen-year-old orphaned granddaughter; a chatty cook; and the cooks son, Biju, who is hopscotching from one place to another in miserable living conditions. The novel is set partly in India and partly in the USA. Desai describes it as a book that tries to capture what it means to live between East and West and what it means to be an immigrant, and goes on to say that it also explores at a deeper level, what happens when a Western element is introduced into a country that is not of the West which happened during the British colonial days in India, and is happening again with Indias new relationship with the States. Her third aim was to write about, What happens when you take people from a poor country and place them in a wealthy one. How does the imbalance between these two worlds change a persons thinking and feeling? How do these changes manifest themselves in a personal sphere, a political sphere, over time?  [10]   As she says, These are old themes that continue to be relevant in todays world, the past informing the present, the present revealing the past.  [11]   The book paints the act of immigration and how the postcolonial war creates despair resulting in a sense of isolation inherited by each character in the novel. In a generous vision, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, Desai presents the human quandaries facing panoply of characters. This majestic novel of a busy, grasping time-every moment holding out the possibility of hope or betrayal-illuminates the consequences of colonialism and global conflicts of religion, race, and nationalism. The novel is set in 1986 in India at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga, where the Indian border meets that of Nepal, Tibet, Sikkim, and Bhutan, and where people of many classes and cultures collide in their shared struggle to survive. Kiran Desais novel presents the story of one family as a symbol of the global issues related to colonization and the resulting search for identity. As we read the novel, we meet the retired judge, Jemubhai Patel, whose isolated house near the foot of the mountains is home also to his beloved dog Mutt and his cook. The judge and the cook have lived together in apparent symbiosis for many years when the judges orphaned granddaughter, Sai, comes to live with them. Her arrival marks the beginning of the conflicts that defines the novel. Also central to the story are Gyan, Sais Nepali tutor, and Biju, the cooks son, who has travelled to America in hopes of escaping poverty and making enough money to eventually rescue his father from servitude. The central conflict of the novel revolves around the Nepalis fight to gain education, health care, and other basic rights in India. Early in the story, a group of young insurgents storm the judges house and steal his rifles, literally robbing him of the signs of his Western education and professional occupation. When the tutor, Gyan, with whom Sai has begun a romantic relationship, joins the insurgency. Sai finds herself caught in the middle of a war of class and caste discovers that she has also become a symbol of wealth that Gyan despises. While Gyan and the insurgents are fighting a battle for rights and freedom in India, Biju, the cooks son, is fighting for his own survival and struggling to maintain his identity as he adapts to life in the U.S. As he hops from one menial job to the next, Biju discovers that Americas opportunities are not as plentiful as he expected, and he has given up a servants life in one country just to find the same life in new country, where he faces constant poverty and exploitation. He even notes that, through poverty in America is substantially less severe than poverty in India. Desai presents the similarities between the judge, Gyan, and Biju- as they fight to find their identities and reconcile themselves with their histories. The characters in the novel are bewildered and disillusioned by the world, with no initiative to speak of, nor any capacity to learn; quite often theyre not even paying attention. Almost all of characters have been stunted by their encounters with the West. As a student, isolated in racist England, the future judge feels barely human at all and leaps when touched on the arm as if from an umbrella intimacy. Yet on his return to India, he finds himself despising his backward Indian wife. Arguably the most beautiful portions of the book are the nuggets Desai paints of the cooks son Biju who gets by on the barest of bare from one minimum wage job to the other in New York City. In the Gandhi cafà ©, the lights were kept low, the better to hide the stains. It was a long journey from here to the fusion trend, the goat cheese and basil samosa, the mango margarita. This was the real thing, generic Indian, and it could be ordered complete, one stop on the subway line or even on the phone: gilt and red chairs, plastic roses on the table with synthetic dewdrops,  [12]  Desai writes when she describes one of the Indian restaurants Biju works at. What bind these seemingly disparate characters are shared historical legacy and a common experience of impotence and humiliation. For the characters in The Inheritance of Loss, escape is impossible and misery is birthright. Sais parents before they die are filled with the same loneliness as their daughter; the son whose mother was bidding farewell earlier in this review botches his goodbye, and we learn that Never again would he know love for a human being that wasnt adulterated by another, contradictory emotion (37). (The son grows up to be the judge, arranged into a loveless marriage that descends into rape and other abuses.) The cook is an old man with no fulfillment in his own life, desperate that his son do better than he did; this pressure is eventually Bijus undoing. Sais tutor before Gyan is Noni, a spinster who never had love at all (68). And so on, for the entire cast. Its an old story: Certain moves made long ago, we are told, had produced all of them (199). They are, if you like, variations on an absence of dignity: children, criminals, and buffoons. And too often thats all they are or at least the rest is hidden, the civilised sheen of Desais prose obscuring the extent of the violence done to their lives by circumstances. The plot of the novel is fascinating; however, its real charm lies in its atmospheric descriptions and in quirky characters with whom the reader quickly identifies. Desai is careful observer of behavior, both in India and in the US, with a fine eye for details which bring her character and narrative to life. She presents details dispassionately, illustrating her themes without making moral judgments about her characters. Here there are no saints or villains, just ordinary people trying to lead the best lives they can, using whatever resources are available to them. Intensely human, Desais characters, like people from all cultures, make huge sacrifices for their children, behave cruelly toward people they love, reject traditional ways of life and old values, rediscover what is important to them, suffer at the hands of faceless government officials, and learn, and grow, and make decisions, sometimes ill-considered, about their lives. Dealing with all levels of society and many different cultures, Desai shows life humor and brutality, its whimsy and its harshness, and its delicate emotions and passionate commitments in a novel that is both beautiful and wise. The books language, scenarios and juxtapositions are funny, threatening, vivid and tender all at the same time. The comic element always intertwined with irony, as characters struggle with a world bigger than themselves, a world that only ever seems to accept them partially, and rarely on their own terms. The novels elaborate structure takes the reader into the world of Nationalism and migration, which seems contemporary and timeless, familiar and unpredictable. Chapters alternate between India and US, juxtaposing the slow pace of life in the hills with the frantic movements of an illegal migrants existence, maintaining a degree of suspense until discontinuous narratives collide. Kiran Desai writes an elegant and thoughtful study of families, the losses each member must confront alone, and the lies each tells himself/herself to make memories of the past more palatable. It is also true that the book does not have a sense of the movement that has shaped the subcontinents history- in this case the freedom struggle and the movement for Gorkhaland. The backdrop to the action in the novel is political unrest in Kalimpong where Nepali Ghurkas are campaigning at first quite quietly and then with increasing force for an independent Ghurkaland. The uprising brings a new wave of change to the main characters as conditions become significantly worse and much of what theyve come to take for granted is brought into doubt. Desai has been condemned by local people in Kalimpong for portraying them as ignorant and violent and for being condescending. The book has a growing sense of despair and decay as if the people, like the houses they live in and the property they own, are succumbing to the damp and mould of a monsoon season. The Inheritance of Loss is a very inward-looking novel, with far more internal monologues and passages of description than exchange of dialogue, which despite the rough patches mentioned above plays to Desais strengths. As in much of immigrant writing, Kiran Desai is an outsider to all the worlds that form a part of landscape. She is merely the observer passing through. But, her knowledge of alienation makes protagonists search for a sense of belonging more real. The inheritance of loss depicts in its many details the tragedies of a third world country just free from colonialism. The main theme of the novel also appears to be the influence of the West on India and how Indians are wounded by the policies of the West. These influences have oppressed and degraded India. Against the gigantic backdrop of the Himalayas, so savage with beauty and yet the stillness of its towering ranges directly draws upon the boring and mundane life of its characters with tumultuous inner sides and shades. The novel gives us delectable details of the beauty of the natural world. The sound of the wind, the pattering of the rain , the gurgling of pipes, the creaking and clattering of an old house Cho Oyu, the happy snoring of the faithful and happy dog Mutt, sometimes makes reading so refreshing that one can breathe the very crisp Himalayan air and feel surrounded by the looming dark forest. Ms Desai has presented in this book such lovely details that many a times it feels so much like our world.The novel depicts very well in Jemubhai the dilemmas of post colonialism. The judge Jemubhai perfect manners and demeanor is very much British but he cannot get himself free from the shackles (which he thinks to be so) of traditional Gujrati and Indian mentality. He feels guilty of ill treating his wife Nimmi, of shoving away the holy coconut throwing in the water custom. He seems to be a man who is caught, caught between the past and the present, between his days in London and his slow and mundane life in the crumbling house Cho Oyu, between his daughter and his grand daughter, Sai, between the Nepalis struggling for their land and freedom and his own British world of thick volumes of English Literature, of crones at teatime and the choice of white sauce and brown sauce for dinner and his lovely dog Mutt. But soon Kalimpong becomes the hub of activities. The Nepalis struggle to get their own rights and land slowly creeps into the lives of the characters, the cook, the judge, Sai, Noni, Lola and gnaws and questions their very being.. The movement does not even spare Biju the cooks son in America who comes back only to be robbed of all his money and belongings. But yet the reader finds a quaint satisfaction in the union of father and son in the backdrop of a disturbed land of Kalimpong. At least Biju feels safe and at peace compared to his lonely life as a waiter thrown from one restaurant kitchen to another. The progress of the human heart is clearly depicted in Sai. Her yearnings and passion for Gyan, the long wait , the quarrel of English values and Nepali struggles only make her realize and look at life more closely, the very human soul which had been quite frozen and regularized with strict orders in the missionary convent school in Dehra Dun. The novel though rich with details and presenting a picturesque mosaic of life, at times falls prey to monotony and boredom. The darkness and the inner conflict sometimes weigh too much upon the mind and soul. But thats what a good writer should be capable of and Ms Desai has been very successful in touching and stirring the depths of human emotion and thought. A very contemplative work and a must read for all connoisseurs of literature The novel is amazing in many ways. The picture of India drawn is intricate and fascinating. The characters are complex and the writing is simply stunning. However, the whole picture painted in this story leaves no room for hope, no room for joy, no room for even tiny bit of beauty.

The Organizational Structure Of Management Levels Information Technology Essay

The Organizational Structure Of Management Levels Information Technology Essay This chapter contains a discription of the various methods to be used to gather information from the client and customer in other to meet up to the requirement provided when developing the system for the client and others problems assoiciated with the current system. On the completion of this chapter, various requirement will be gathered and analysed and based on these requirement, the system will be developed. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF WELLCARE SHOPPING MALL The mall management is a hierarchal top-to-bottom clear cut system that has clearly defined boundaries. The shopping management follows the standard four-level management levels (Top, Middle, Low and Operational Management Levels). The system is described in full below. TOP LEVEL MANAGEMENT: This level of management, being the pinnacle in every organization is made up of CEO, and Managing Directors Board Meetings are held monthly and the malls monthly profit rankings are discussed among other issues pertaining to the store. At the Board meetings, long range plans for the store are drawn up, and are then broadcast into the store by the Managers then to other departments in the store. MIDDLE LEVEL MANAGEMENT: The Managers of the mall has people under him (he represents the Board of Trustees at the store) who implement the long range plans that the Board has set out to achieve for the store. By breaking up the plans into more realistic year or monthly plans, and dividing the objectives among the departments, the managers also at this level oversees the affairs of the mall. Listed here are the Middle Level Management level personnel at the store: Human Resource Manager, Facilities Manager, Store Manager, Purchase Manager, Sales Manager, Finance Manager, and Front Office Manager. LOW LEVEL MANAGEMENT : For the smooth day-to-day running of the hotel, the managers of each department put in place supervisors, team leaders, group leaders to watch and oversee the actions being carried out daily by the operational level staff. Some of the personnel at this level actually work along with the operational level, but cannot be classified with the operational level because of their level of information and access. OPERATIONAL LEVEL MANAGEMENT: The personnel at this level are the staffs responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the hotels objectives. Sales personnel, cleaners, Store clerks, Drivers, Sales marketer, Security officers, and Store clerks all fall under this category. An organizational chart showing the various levels of management at the mall is shown on the next page. FACT-FINDING TECHNIQUES The listings of fact-finding techniques are as follows: Interviews: Of all the techniques employed this is considered the most effective for obtaining information due to its flexible nature as interviewees are able to give proper clarification where such is required and more detail is easily obtainable using this method. Therefore in order to gain a wholesome grasp on the working of the current system certain staff and customers of the store were selected since the customers are the ones to be affected by the project it was necessary to obtain their opinions. Interviews allow us to study the reactions of the interviewees and judge if their responses are unbiased and knowledgeable. Much relevant information was obtained from the interviews conducted with the staff of the store. However this process was carried out over the internet as arranged by the client. Questionnaires: The purpose of distributing questionnaires is to obtain a broader scope of the operations of a store from the views of both the staff and customers of the store. Due to the fact that the staff of the store are numerous it is cumbersome to attempt to interview all of them but it is necessary to ensure that a good number of staff participate in the exercise. It is also not possible to interview all the customers of the store but it is necessary to obtain a broad base of input from the customer because they are the ones to utilize the software which will be designed. Due to these constraints the only technique available is to fill the stated requirements by distributing questionnaires to the various respondents. Since most of the questions in the questionnaires have a restricted set of answers the information obtained using this method is generally more precise. Observation: The purpose of observing at first hand the shopping operations of the store is to get as much personalized information as possible by discovering what is actually happening as opposed to what is supposed to happen. In conducting interviews and surveys it is possible that respondents might not be entirely forthcoming with the true answers but by observing what is actually going on, direct fact will be gathered from the shopping process. INTERVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE DETAILED RESULT DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM HOW THE CURRENT SYSTEM WORKS Based on the facts gathered from our facts finding process, the current manual based shopping system being operated by wellcare shopping mall Abuja can be summarized as follows: There are two main purpose why customers comes into the store that come; the first type of customers are those who want to find information about a product, while the second type of customers are those that want to purchase a product. The current system does have arrangements for both types of customers. MAKING AN ENQUIRY FOR A PRODUCT When customers walks into the store and want to make enquiry about a particular product, the customer then walk up to the shopping attendants to make enquiries. If the enquire is something that can be immediately treated (e.g. the description of a particular product), the shopping clerk can handle on the spot without consulting her subordinates or superiors. If however the customer wants to find out things that exceed the jurisdiction of the clerk, it is mandated for her to refer the customer to the front office manager who then handles the case, and since this also exceeds the boundaries of the shopping system. PURCHASING A PRODUCT Customer who purchase a product in wellcare shopping mall are put through five (3) process that make up the current shopping system. The first process involves customer searching for a products and adding searched products to the shopping basket. These can only be done by searching for products based on product categories in the store. The second process involves the customer paying for the product and specifying the means of payment. Two main modes are encouraged. These means are: payment by cash and payment by cheques. The third process is simply printing out the shopping receipt for the customer. The shopping receipt will contain fields which include Product Number, Product Name, quantity, amount paid and method of payment. The customer checks in the next day if the payment mode is cash, or two days after if the payment mode is by cheque. Based on these facts gathered from our facts finding process, the current manual based shopping system being operated by the wellcare shopping mall in Abuja can be somewhat summarized and represented in a process modeling diagram to illustrate or show how the current system works. PROCESS MODELING Description of the current system using Data Flow Diagram (DFD) Below is a Data Flow Diagram that shows the physical information flow within the current system at the context level. The basic organization structure is decentralized control. By referring to the Context Diagram (see Figure 1), we can see the current system is constituted of the main SHOPPING SYSTEM interacting with three entities; Customer, Bank and the Store Information System. Entity Description Customer The customer is every person that comes to the shop regarding shopping and product enquiry. Whether it is to make enquires, or to buy a product, or to pay for a product. Mall Information System This Refers to the front desk and customer services section of the store. Information regarding the store is kept in store information system. Bank When customers opt to pay by cheque, the store sends the cheque details to the bank for verification and the cash is then sent back to the store database. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM PROCESSES From the Context Diagrams, we can see that the current shopping system has 3 main entity: Customer Bank Shopping information system and below is an ER (Entity Relation Diagram for the current shopping system). PROBLEMS OF THE CURRENT HOTEL RESERVATION SYSTEM IT IS TIME CONSUMING With the current shopping system a lot of time is required to go through the shopping process even for regular shopping customers. It takes customer time to search for product category by category especially if the customer. IT IS TEDIOUS In the current system is very tedious and stressful for both the sales representatives and customer because of the queues often encountered in trying to pay for a product in the mall. The morale of the front office staff is usually reduced after a full days work as they are likely to feel fatigued. IT IS NOT AUTOMATED The current system requires constant supervision and personnel presence to run effectively. The absence of this (supervision) hinders the system and wades off prospective customers as well as taints the reputation of the store. However, the problem involved here is that more attention is given to the shopping process and other areas are neglected because the staff required to manage them are supervising others. THE CUSTOMER HAS LIMITED OPTIONS Here the customers does not get adequate information regarding different product and other important information, as a result these the store might loose their prospective customers. UNRELIABLE The current system has many flaws in its implementation. Flaws such as over out of stock of products, number of product supplied, poor defined specifications, poor documentation. Most of these are caused by the human factors that implement the system. TAKES UP SPACE Data is usually stored in hard copies( in filing cabinets) thus requiring valuable office space:- Since the current system makes use of office files and filing cabinet to store records of product, suppliers and staff, a lot of space is required to accommodate large volume of these records. DATA INSECURITY With the current system, records and other important information are prone to theft, unauthorized manipulation and lose due to fire. These files can even be easily accessed by unauthorized people. IT IS COST INTENSIVE The current system requires lots of funds to maintain its smooth operation due to the purchase of paper, stationeries, filing cabinets, phone bills, e.t.c LIMITED CONTROL OVER PURCHASED ITEMS The current system makes it difficult/tedious for the customers to have control over purchased product for example returning and asking for refunds for an already purchased product. SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS OF CURRENT SYSTEM RE: IT IS TIME CONSUMING The proposed system aims to achieve a record time of 3-6 minutes for registered customers and 6-10 minutes for new customers depending on the customer shopping items. Also, with the customer account module running, the customer need not submit his details every time, he just supplies his user ID and his details are automatically uploaded. RE: IT IS TEDIOUS Since the number of customers to come to the sales would reduce, front office staff fatigue is less likely to occur, and as a result, the morale towards work of the staff would increase. Also, the customers would not have to go through the burden of queuing to lodge. RE: IT IS NOT AUTOMATED The proposed system would be developed in simple everyday language, thus making it simple for any body that can read and use a computer to book a room online. Also, staff supervision is not required for the receptionists and other front office staff, this is because the customer details are simply uploaded to the computer in the hotel, and can be opened by a simple mouse click. RE: THE CUSTOMER HAS LIMITED OPTIONS The new system would not only have information concerning the new system, it would make it possible for the customers to ask questions online and have their answers mailed to them. Thus making the enquiry process easy and increasing customer satisfaction. RE: UNRELIABLE The new system is computer based and thus the issue of human factor does not come up. The computer works with the principle GIGO (Garbage-In-Garbage-Out) which means the computer only supplies what the user had given before. RE: TAKES UP SPACE Since the new system is computer based, space requirement would be a very trivial issue because files would be stored in your computer hard disk. This means there is no need to have physical storage locations. RE: DATA INSECURITY In the proposed system, data security is very important as access specifiers would be made available at virtually every level of information. RE: IT IS COST INTENSIVE Since the system is computer based, the only form of paperwork needed would be printing sales report at the end of every month, which is normal and nothing compared to the tedious paper work which currently is being used. The computerization thereby means that the hotel would no longer have to budget so much money for provision of stationary anymore. RE: LIMITED CONTROL OVER RESERVATION The proposed system provides the customers the flexibility to control their reservations. Customers can modify their reservation at any point before the check in time. They can even cancel reservations without loosing their money as opposed to the current system where the customer looses 50% if he/she does not lodge.

Essay --

In the early 1800’s the United States began to split, but as mid-century came around, the union started to separate drastically. During the period of 1850, until 1861 the union was clearly divided between the north and the sounth. Although the Constitution was not the only factor leading to sectional tension in America, there are many strong points in the North and South favoring the statement, â€Å"By the 1850’s the Constitution, originally framed as an instrument of national unity, had become a source of sectional discord and tension and ultimately contributed to the failure of the union it had created.† When the Constitution was framed in 1787, the founding fathers were concerned about leaving Britain and becoming a Union, as opposed to the issue of slavery that would later prevail. Henry Clay created the Compromise of 1850, which helped solve the problem of slavery in the new territories (Document A). This was not included in the Constitution. When the Missouri Compromise was ruled unconstitutional under the Dred Scott decision. It is evident that although the Constitution is t...

Art Therapy: Helping the Mind and Body :: Health, Treatment

Can art imitate life and healing? The use of art therapy began in the early 20th Century, used by a myriad of education and mental health practitioners, as a means of therapy for children and, eventually, adults (American Art Therapy Association, 2011). Art Therapy is beneficial in treating victims of illness from mental issues, including sexual abuse and schizophrenia, to physical disease like HIV/AIDS and fertility in women. Used in association with group talk therapy, art therapy has been proven to be effective with sexually abused children and with those patients who suffer from more severe mental disorders like schizophrenia. In a study of South African girls, Natascha Pfeifer found that art therapy helped girls who had been victims of sexual abuse to improve self-esteem and with symptoms of anxiety. Pfeifer evaluated 25 sexually abused girls from 8 to 11 years old. The program was based on Gestalt’s client-centered and abuse-focused principles (Pfeifer, 2010). â€Å"The Solomon four-group design was used to investigate the efficacy of the intervention, the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children and Human Figure Drawing were used as measures for assessing symptom change† (Pfeifer, 2010). The girls were asked to explore feelings associated with the abuse they had experienced. In addition, they were asked to draw different feelings and discuss them among the group. â€Å"They were then ask ed to draw or paint a ‘happy box’ and an ‘unhappy box’ in which their feelings could be stored. Hereafter the children drew the person who abused them (as an animal, shape or colour) and their feelings toward the perpetrator. In order to further address any unfinished business regarding the abuser, the girls were given the opportunity to verbally or physically express their feelings, which could then be placed in the happy or unhappy box. This was followed by a discussion on how it felt to express these feelings† (Pfeifer, 2010). The results showed that the girls in the experimental group had lower levels of depression and anxiety than those girls who were in the control groups. Self-esteem seemed flat for all groups, according to Pfeifer. â€Å"The findings of the present study suggest that the programme does not target low self-esteem as successfully as depression and anxiety. Alternatively, the findings may reveal that the HFD is not sensitive to changes in self-esteem symptoms† (Pfeifer, 2010). In targeting s chizophrenia, art therapy has had more promising results in aiding with rehabilitation and socialization. In 2003, Virginia R.

The Family Essay :: essays research papers

When I was in India, I have heard lot of people going America for study. One of my cousins also came her for study. She told me that study in America and in India is so different. I was very eager to know about it. She told me the main difference is: The relationship between teacher and student, study policy, unity of students. To respect teachers is very important in India. Students have to respect their teachers. When they attend school every student has to respect teachers by standing up. They are not allowed to argue with teachers. If they try to do argue with teachers then they must thrown out of the class or may be out of the school. While here in America students call their names and disrespect teachers. I like one thing most that here students has to change room to attend the classes but in India teachers has to change the room to teach the students which is very unhealthy for students. Policies in Indian schools/collages are same for students. It is very unusual for Indian students to different policies from different professors. Policies like: Attendance policy, exam policy, grading policy. In America schools aren’t strict for students. They can take as many leaves as they want. The Indian schools are very strict for teenage students. The colleges are very smooth to go because no need to go to collage and here in America each and every day student have to attend collage. The Indian college has no policy for exam if one has missed the test then its all over. While in here everyone can get chance to make up the test. Unity of students is the most important. In collages students celebrate all the festival together with teachers. It is not important while celebrating that student is Hindu or Muslim or christen.

More Technology More Problems

These are some statements that show what the advantages of technology in our lives. Technological change has its advantages and disadvantages. itsolves problems. Modern technology makes life easier more comfortable and more convenient for most people.. However, there are many people who see the advantages of technology. first of all, the products of new technologies like electronic devices are very useful. technology makes the world become smaller. for instance 3G people connected at all times and in all places. ecnology put enjoable materials to our lifes like smart phones; tablets or even mp3 players.. and Companies need to use their competitive advantage in technology. Although the positive influence of technology on our lives is credible but at the same time various drawbacks of technology can not be neglected, technology has so many disadvantages it has created harzards to the health of societies. it damege human relations. for example people dont meet their friends and collater al kins in crowded dining out†¦One disadvantage is that as technology develops, robots a will take over many jobs and people will loose their jobs by contrast. As people loose their jobs, they will have hard time getting money which would make it hard for them to continue to meet living expenses. it will create a large expense to repair them. To sum up even as there are as many advantages ad disadvantages of technology. I personally wish a more advanced world with great technologies. Don’t you think it will be awesome with in 3D to go stores and buy new clothes in our house confortably. I hope these days come within my lifetime.

Election a benchmark election

The united States survived this conflict under Abraham Lincoln, the Republican from Illinois. After the war ended, Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party were viewed as heroes. They had ended slavery in the United States and won the war. Most importantly they were able to keep a nation, divided by a monumental issue such as slavery seen as creating Irreconcilable differences, together. As a result of the viewed successes of the Republicans during this era, they were able to dominate the White House, even though Lincoln Vice President, Andrew Johnson, as a Democrat.Johnson would only serve one term in office after Lincoln assassination, due to the poor policies he would enact as president. The following US Presidents would be Ulysses S. Grant, a Republican war hero, and three more Republicans, Hayes, Garfield and Arthur, before another Democrat would become president. The most successful president of the era was Abraham Lincoln who Is widely considered the greatest president in US h istory for his accomplishments during the Civil War. On the other hand Andrew Johnson is considered one of the worst, and is one of only two presidents to be impeached.Lincoln achievements, coupled with the distrust of southern Democrats after the Civil War, paved the way for Republicans to control the White House for the latter half of the 19th century. SYSTEM OF 1896 (1897-1933) The System of 1 896, also known as the Progressive Era, was another span of time that was dominated by the Republican Party, for all except an eight-year gap where a Democrat held the White House. The trend started under President McKinley as he expanded America's borders with the Spanish American War, trade in China, and acquisitions of the Philippines and Hawaii, before he was assassinated.Teddy Roosevelt, who followed McKinley, made many reforms that Improved the food (meat packing factories in particular), built the Panama Canal, and built up American naval strength, both of which fostered the theme of American Imperialism set by McKinley. William Howard Taft continued the Progressive Era by reforming the American workplace at the time. Taft instituted the concept of an eight-hour workday as well as continuing to break up monopolies and trusts, such as American Standard Oil, more than Teddy Roosevelt had in his time as president . After the end of Tuft's first term,Roosevelt felt he hadn't done enough as president and ran against him under the Bull-Moose party. This led to Taft and Roosevelt splitting Republican votes and a moderate Democrat, Woodrow Wilson, winning the election. From 1892 to 1928 the Republicans were winning at or above 50% in all regions besides the south, a region Democrats considered their base at the time, the sole exception being in 1912 when Teddy Roosevelt ran against William Howard Taft under the Bull-Moose Party. This resulted in Taft and Teddy Roosevelt splitting the Republican vote .This demonstrates how strong the Republicans were during the System o f 1896 wrought the nation. Wilson would lead the nation through World War I and with it create a prosperous nation. But by the end of his presidency it was his failed ideas that would stick with him and the Democratic Party leading to Republicans controlling the White House for the next twelve years. Willow's successes included creating the Federal Reserve, Federal Trade Commission and Clayton Antitrust Act. In addition he was president when the 19th amendment, woman's right to vote, was ratified.However, what he'll always be remembered for was the idea of the League of Nations which would help dead to his party's losses in the next election. The next twelve years of Republican presidents were generally indistinct, remembered primarily for Herbert Hover's inability to deal with the Great Depression, leading to the election of Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt as president. THE NEW DEAL AND THE GREAT SOCIETY (1933-1969) The Great Depression changed the way government operated in the United States. Under FED and the New Deal the US Government grew to the largest it has ever been .Figure 1 Instead of the government being there to protect the people in times of crisis when Americans needed help, the New Deal dramatically changed the scope of government. The government changed from reactionary to precautionary, resulting in a larger, more involved federal government. FED and the New Deal helped guide the nation out of the Great Depression and through World War II, but not without changing the federal government forever. The effects of this change are still seen today with welfare, Social Security, and the Tennessee Valley Authority among other government programs created by the New Deal.After FED came Truman and the Marshall Plan continuing the trend of the United States becoming a global power by offering aid to Europe to rebuild from the aftermath of World War II and the threat of Communism. Truman also presided over the creation of the United Nations, establish ment of Israel as a country, the Berlin the mold of Fad's ideologies. After 20 years of Democratic presidents, moderate Republican and war hero Dwight D. Eisenhower won the presidency. Eke oversaw the building of the interstate highway system, as well as the beginnings of the Space Race, and the Civil Rights Era.These accomplishments were good, but did not signal a full shift from the important issues odd FED and Trauma's presidencies. Following Eisenhower presidency civil rights became a focus of national politics and focal points of both KEF and Lab's presidencies. Lyndon B. Johnson would represent the end of the Democratic hold on the presidency. Despite his role in the civil rights movement, ending all forms of segregation, and â€Å"The Great Society', he will be remembered for beginning involvement in the Vietnam War. American involvement in Vietnam would be critical in leading Richard Nixon and the Republicans to taking the presidency.REAGAN REVOLUTION (1981- ) Ronald Reagan is one of the most popularizing presidents in our nation's history and was the father of the last era of presidencies in the United States. Ronald Reagan defeated sitting president Jimmy Carter in the 1980 election. Carter will be remembered for the oil crisis and gas shortage, the recession, the Iran hostage crisis, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This propelled the American people to elect Ronald Reagan, and not by a small margin. In 1980 Ronald Reagan won 489 electoral votes and 50. 8% of the popular vote to Carter's 49 votes and 41%. In 1984 Reagan would win 525 votes and 58. Of the vote to Walter Module's 13 votes and 40. 6% . It was unprecedented to see a Republican to do so well nationally, as the South had been a Democratic lock. In the lead up to the 1980 election the South had been moving towards the Republican stronghold it has become. In the 1950 midterms, Republicans had won Just two seats in the House from the South. In 1980 Republicans won around 40% of seats . As president, Reagan would oversee economic growth through lowering taxes and using supply side economics, the pushing back of the Soviets and thawing of the Cold War, and progress of his goal to hiring the federal government (see figure 1).Reggae's view of conservatism has been evident from then until now. George H. W. Bush, Reggae's Vice President, would continue following Reggae's beliefs while president. In 1982 approximately 35% of the nation identified themselves as Republicans, by 1994 it had increased to 43%5. George Bush as president oversaw the fall of both the Soviet Union and Berlin Wall, led a successful Persian Gulf War, and would institute the Americans with Disabilities Act. President Bush would lose reelection when he raised taxes, against his promise of â€Å"read my lips: no new taxes† .This provided the opportunity for a moderate Democrat from Arkansas, Bill Clinton, to win the 1992 Presidential election. Clinton continued to strengthen the economy, but in a different way than Reagan. Clinton balanced the federal budget by raising taxes and reforming the welfare systems put in place by FED in the New Deal. In line with Reggae's policies he ensured that there was free trade between North American countries with NONFAT. Following Clinton, George W. Bush was elected President based on many of his that would dictate his presidency (Afghanistan and Iraq).In addition to the wars, the ND of Bush's presidency saw the beginning of another major recession, leading to the election off liberal democrat, Barack Obama. Has the Reagan Revolution ended? We may not know for another 5-10 years. Despite Obama, a liberal Democrat, being elected president, many of Reggae's ideas are still championed by Tea Party Republicans. This faction of the Republican Party seeks a smaller federal government, smaller federal budget, and more rights being returned to the states, as opposed to being federal issues.WHAT HAS CAUSED THIS PATTERN TO EXIST The past 150 y ears can be divided into four distinct eras. The first two marked by Republican presidencies, the third, and longest of the periods, a Democratic era, and finally a return to Republican control of the presidency with the Reagan Revolution. When looking at each era, a few things are evident; one or two great presidents define every one of these time periods, those presidents' party is the dominant party of the era, one bad presidency or event can end the era, and that in between each era there is some form of realignment.It is these conditions meshed together that create a pattern of presidential dynasties to exist in America. The top 10 presidents in history are (in order) FED, Teddy Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Wilson, Truman and Eisenhower. Outside of the founding fathers each of these presidents were part of one of these eras, either as the one whose ideologies defined the era or as the moderate of the other party who followed these ideologies, but with their party's themes.The only president whose policies defined an era not on this list was Reagan. According to a 2012 Gallup Poll 19% of Americans, the most common answer, thought Ronald Reagan is the Greatest in US history. Callus's top 10 consists of Reagan, Lincoln, Clinton, Kennedy, Washington, FED, Obama, Teddy Roosevelt, Truman, and George W. Bush. When broken down by party the results are similar. Figure 2 A great president defines an era, but how does the era end? These presidential dynasties end via a realignment of political issues in the United States.This can be caused by a single event in history, for example The Great Depression, or a bad president who brings forth a need for change, such as Herbert Hoover or, potentially, George W Bush, who impact is not yet known. The era of Lincoln ended when a trio of Republican presidents (Hayes, Garfield and Arthur) did nothing to move the country forward. The System of 1896 ended ender Hoover when the US entered the Great Depression allowing FED to win the presidency for the Democrats. The era of the New Deal and the Great Society ended when LB] entered the Vietnam War.Finally the Reagan Revolution may have ended after the George W. Bush saddled the country with two wars and an economic crisis. While not all these presidents are historically bad, Lyndon B Johnson is historically remembered as an above average president due to the policies enacted during the Great Society, the majority of these presidents are remember for the harm they caused to America rather than any good they may have provided. For example George W. Bush led us through the worst terrorist attack in American history, 9/1 1, but his failures outweighed his successes and have cost the Republican Party in Republican dominance.A different issue has defined each era, so what causes the changes in issues? Realignment is a dramatic change in an era of politics. This includes a change in the dominating issues, dominant party and even change s to the party bases. The signs of realignment include a flurry of political activity not normal to U. S. Politics (I. E. Progressive Era, New Deal, Great Society, Ergonomics), a single party controlling the House, Senate, and White House, and the emergence of a third party. â€Å"To bring about a realignment, the new issue must be one that cuts across the existing line of party cleavage. -James Conduits . Each of these eras had a cross cutting issue that divided the country, and therefore needed someone to unify them. Lincoln had to deal with slavery, both the System of 1896 and the New Deal had to deal with economic hardship. The Great Society had to face the issue of race in America once again. Each of these issues divided the existing parties forcing individuals to realign based on new party beliefs. The issue can't be a small issue, such as a setting a national driving age, it must be popularizing that everyone must pick a side, like the issue of slavery during the Civil War.R ealignment causes old cleavage issues to fade away. This can be seen today because the New Deal is no longer a dividing issue among people, while in the sass's and sass's it divided Republicans and Democrats across the country. A third party arises when both major parties in power straddle the issue. The third party forces one of the two major parties to adopt the issue and if not the third party rises power (e. G. Republicans and slavery during the sass's). The New Deal era is the best example of a realigning election. Franklin Roosevelt won 472 electoral votes and 57. 4% of the vote .In addition to the presidential election, the Democrats made big strides in Congressional elections. Democrats gained 90 seats in the House and nine in the Senate , signaling a major shift in issues for the At-enact people. WILL WE ENTER A NEW PRESIDENTIAL ERA OR HAVE WE REACHED THE END? Barack Obama is not a disciple of the Reagan Revolution, if anything he is a disciple of the New Deal. Does this me an the Reagan Revolution is over? Is Obama the beginning of a new era, dominated by Democrats? Or have we reached the point where the patterns are over and there will no longer be a dominant party in America?If you look solely at history it points towards the emergence of â€Å"The Obama Era† of the American presidency. Obama was president when the United States exited the recession, much like FED and McKinley. When he was first elected in 2008 it was the highest percentage of voter turnout since 1968, signaling the potential of it being a realignment election . The beginning of Beam's first turn was filled with active legislating, including the passing of the Affordable Care Act. All of these events fit into James Squint's Theory of Partisan Realignment. What about today's current political conditions?Yes, many of the conditions that existed during Beam's first term are similar to the pattern of other presidential eras, faction of the conservative right. The Tea Party fits i n line with the small government beliefs of the Reagan Revolution and not Beam's belief in a large, active federal government. If the Tea Party does rise to power its ideologies would be a shift from Beam's. In addition to the third party not aligning with Beam's views, their influence has been steadily decreasing over time. Secondly, there is no outbreak of political activity.The opposite is true as both the House and Senate find themselves gridlocked, unable to pass any legislation. Figure 3 The most recent Congress has been the least productive of the past 32 congresses . This is in part due to straight line partisan voting by members of Congress when both the House and Senate are almost evenly split in membership as is. During the previous presidential eras either members of Congress were able to work with each other to pass legislation or one party dominated the government so it was possible force any legislation through Congress.These conditions no longer exist as the United S tates Government becomes more and more popularized. Where does all of these leave the future America? It is always safe to look back because history does have a tendency to repeat itself, but with the current conditions it isn't likely that Democrats will hold the White House for a long time. Since Gallup began monitoring presidential approval ratings, starting with Harry Truman, the two presidents who have defined their respective eras, Reagan and Johnson, have both had average approval ratings above 50%, 52. 8% and 55. 1% respectively. Beam's current average its below 50% at 48% .A president with an approval rating less than 50% isn't going to set the tone for future presidents if less than half the nation approves of him. Another strike against an â€Å"Obama Era† is following the 2008 election there was potential for realignment, but it never actually happened. Movements such as Occupy Wall Street faded away while the Tea Party's voice only got stronger. The Democrats had a chance to grab hold of the government but didn't take it. In the following 2010 midterm elections the Republicans picked up a net of 63 seats to gain back control of the House and a net of six seats in the Senate.This isn't to say that it is impossible for President Obama can't be the start of a new era of Democratic presidents but given recent history it is unlikely. CONCLUSION As President of the United States one has the potential to shape the nation. The electorate rewards these presidents (Lincoln, both Roosevelt, LB], and Reagan) by electing presidents who emulate those same positive ideologies. This led to the creation of eras of dominance by a single party. These eras produced some of most prosperous times in American history. However, the time of single party dominance has ended.The government has become more popularized, which has led to partisan gridlock. The people have been losing faith in the government to actually get anything done, which seems to be a result of ne w popularization, illustrated by the â€Å"Do- nothing Congress†. As a result the electorate changes its views and votes for the other party hoping they will actually be able to break the gridlock in government. This is not to say there will never be another great president like Lincoln or Roosevelt again, but the time of presidential eras is reaching its end, unless the federal government becomes less popularized.