Personal Response on Sexuality Identity Essay Example for Free

Personal Response on Sexuality Identity Essay * Relate value systems and critical thinking to your sexual decision making before and after this course. * Describe the effect of environment and historical perspectives on your sexuality. * Discuss the development of your gender identity. * Analyze the effect of attraction and love in your relationships. * Discuss another topic of this course that is interesting and useful to you. Relate this topic to your life. When I first started this class I had no idea of what I was in for and then the first class took me back to when I was a young girl and had no clue about what I wanted or who. I never thought about boys much when I was in school and that made think maybe I was different than other girls, because they dated and I didn’t, was there something wrong with me or was I just waiting until I met the right person. I now know that I was just waiting for the right guy and the right time to even think about sex.I have learned in this class that even though I am not confused now that back then it was a normal thing to be confused and wonder if I was different. Back when I was young the fear of being different was about the only thing that we ever had to face (besides getting pregnant), I was raised Catholic and being different was and still is frowned upon, so when I would talk to my mother she would simply tell me that my body wasn’t ready and now after this class I can see that what she said was right, my body and my mind wasn’t ready to make that choice and when it was I knew what I wanted. That is still what a lot of the youth today have to face and understand, if their bodies are ready they have to make sure that they understand everything that goes along with being sexually active. The biggest thing that helped me understand my sexuality is that I grew up watching â€Å"Little House† and my parent’s, and also my grandparent’s. These things made me realize that I was meant to be with a man and to love only one person for life. I know that before I started dating I thought at one time that maybe I was meant to be with a girl not a boy, but then I went to church more often and after reading the bible (a lot) I was to be with a man if I wanted to be part of my family.  Even today if I was to be with a woman not my husband my family would never talk to me again. That is a lot for one person to have to deal with and that is what a lot of people have to deal with on a daily basis. I believe that if you want to be with the same sex then you should do what is going to make you happy, not everyone around you. In history if you laid down with the same sex as you everyone thought that you had something wrong with you and wanted you locked up, to make you change. I never wanted to be a problem for anyone, so I choose to do the right thing and go along with what everyone in my Catholic family told me that I should be like. I don’t regret it, but sometimes wonder if I gave in to easily and was too scared to be different. History has not been kind to people who are different and the same goes for people these days, if you’re different than them then they want to change you and make you like them. I was always told that I would go to hell if I ever even thought about women the way I was to think about a man, today I tell my daughters that if a women can make them happy and not hurt them then go ahead, I wish that that had been said to me. When I first started to date me only went out with people that I knew my parents wanted me to date, I never thought about being attracted to them or even interested in them. I know that being attracted to someone is one of the most important things when thinking of going out with them, but sometimes people do it (have sex) without thinking about it or any feeling at all. That is what I did for a long time and that took me some time to realize that I was onl y hurting myself and the men didn’t care why I was doing it. When I first fell in love with my husband we weren’t even dating, I met him at my sister’s and felt my heart beat faster every time he was around, that made me want to change for the better and the more I thought about him the more I wanted to be with only him. I know that love doesn’t always happen when you want it to or for whom you want, but it does happen. People I think need to be patient and kind to others and learn that putting yourself out there (so to speak) is the only way that you will realize that someone can love you and once you know that and learn to love yourself in spite of everything that has happened in the past, love is a wonderful thing and so is just being attracted to someone. Just knowing that my husband is going to be there no matter what I do or say gives me the sense of self that I can’t control. The topic that hit home really hard for me during this class was: Sexual Abuse  of Children. This hits home on two different levels, first I was abused as a child by my uncle and my grandfather. No one believed me and I felt completely alone and scared all the time. I do believe that this was one big factor on me not knowing who I was or what I wanted when I was the dating age (as my mother would say), I wouldn’t look or talk to any of the boys and got into fights with the girls, I always tried not to be home when my uncle had to watch us, but it never worked. So I ran away and that was when I started talking to someone who could help me deal with all the feeling that I was having. It took me (what seemed like forever) some time and at times even today I think about it and just want to cry, I still to this day don’t have anything to do with that uncle and never have forgiven him and never let him around any of my daughter’s. The second reason for this topic is that my daughter was raped when she was 15 and that brought up all of the feelings that I had as a young girl. I did everything that I could, I got her counseling and we pressed charges against the man who did it to her. She is doing some what alright,except she only wants to date a lot older men and started being sexually active shortly after that happened to her, she still has night terrors over it, but is getting the help that she needs and is talking more about it which is one of the best ways of dealing with childhood trauma. After taking this class my daughters and I are a lot closer because we talked about my assignments every week and they seem to want to talk to me more about what is going on with them. I never really talked to my mother about what I was feeling and that did more harm than good in my eyes. No day’s you have to be open and honest with young people and then maybe they will want to be open with you. Telling my girls that no matter what is going on with them I will always be there for them is the best thing that I could do for them. If there was one thing that I could change about the way that my thinking was before this class, it would be to be more open minded about things that I wonder about, like how can someone who has been with a man/women all there life’s change and flip it.I mean that I was always confused as to how someone would be gay,bi,and how did they know without a dought in their minds. I never really had any friends that were not straight and this class helped open my eye’s as to maybe why someone would be the way that they are without passing a bad thought about it.I’m really glad that I had the chance to get to know myself a little bit  better and understand a few other things that had me wondering.

Detailed Analysis Of John Lewis Partnership Commerce Essay

Detailed Analysis Of John Lewis Partnership Commerce Essay The following report will provide a detailed analysis of John Lewis Partnership. The retailer has been very successful in the UK and has performed extremely well in spite of more negative financial issues and other dynamics impacting upon the retail sector at large, predominantly in light of declining consumer income, technological advances such as the internet and increased competition. The reason the company was able to achieve these was because of their commitment towards their clients in providing innovative solutions as well as improved awareness of customer needs and the significance of creating a reliable customer base which ensures positive word-of-mouth and the company has achieved this due to its commitment to providing innovative solutions to clients as well as a heightened awareness of customer needs and further recommendations to increase new revenue streams through an appropriate CRM system in place. Therefore, the reports provides an evaluation of the companys current marketing environment assessing how the external factors impact the retail sector largely and specifically on the strategies that John Lewis chooses to adopt. The report will also evaluate the strengths and weaknesses as well as the threats and opportunities that the company is presented with and how best it can achieve a match with its own internal capabilities to the dynamics at play. The report will also look at how the John Lewis brand and customer proposition is placed in the UK market in comparison to other competitors, with an attempt to provide understanding in to how the company gains advantage through differentiation from other competitors, essentially highlighting how the company implements a differentiated strategy which allows it to maintain advantage. At the same time, the analysis has drawn attention to how the uncertainty which prevails and the continuous rate of change in the external market highlights the implications of continuous observation and continuous re-evaluation of the strategic options applied. Ultimately, the aim is to provide recommendations as to how the company can increase the probability of its advantage over the longer term. The John Lewis Partnerships 81,000 Partners own the leading UK retail businesses John Lewis and Waitrose. Our founders vision of a successful business powered by its people and its principles defines our unique company today. The profits and benefits created by our success are shared by all our Partners (John Lewis, 2012). Write the report as if you were working for an external management consultancy firm, reporting to the Board of Directors of your chosen company. The report should contain sections that address ALL of the main aspects of the module syllabus: that is the report should cover both strategic analysis (internal and external) and strategy formulation. It is essential that in undertaking your research and writing your report you make appropriate use of the strategic management tools and models to conduct internal and external strategic analysis and strategy formulation that you have encountered in this module. Credit will be given for analysis, evaluation and synthesis, and the appropriate selection and use of strategic management tools and models. 2.0 Introduction This report will discuss the strategic management tools demonstrating skills of analysis evaluation and synthesis of John Lewis. The report includes strategic analysis and an External Environmental analysis. The report also covers the strategy formulation in which the SWOT analysis and BCG Matrix will be discussed. John Lewis Partnership plc is one of the UKs top ten retail businesses. They operate amongst 2 sectors known as John Lewis and Waitrose. The company offers food as well as household products i.e. baked foods, fresh fruit veg, wines, household items, furniture, electronic items etc. The company functions in a chain of 287 Waitrose supermarkets, 39 John Lewis shops that include 30 departmental stores and 8 of them at home John Lewis stores. The company operates throughout the UK and is headquartered in London, they sell their products through retail stores, catalogues, and websites. The companys strategic focus is to accomplish its non-core business strategies through partnership with other firms. There are around 81,000 employees working in John Lewis stores who are partners in the business, they have a share in the companys profits and are given the opportunity to participate in the companys progress and growth. This is their unique source of competitive advantage as it encourages staff loyalty through being business partners (John Lewis 2012) 3.0 Strategic analysis 3.1 Mission statement The mission of an organisation highlights the broad directions they need to follow and provides a brief summary of the values and reasons that lie behind it (Lynch 2012). Like other organisations John Lewis also have a mission statement, it highlights their reputation established through their ownership structure as it is unique and they are very successful in being a profitable business. John Lewis aim to keep their staff satisfied so that their business can be a success. Their strategy is based on three key elements partners, customers and profit. (Refer to appendix 1) to see their full mission statement. 4.0 External Environmental analysis 4.1 PESTEL Analysis The PESTEL analysis examines the macro-environment in which the business exists in. It is a helpful tool for understanding market growth or decline as well as the position, potential and the direction for business. It is also used for evaluating the Political, Economic, Social Technological, Environmental and Legal factors that a business operates in. The Political factors discuss government regulations such as employment laws, environmental regulations, tax policy and political stability. The Economic factors affect the cost of capital and purchasing power of an organisation. These factors also include economic growth, interest rates and inflation. The Social factors impact customers needs, potential market size such as John Lewiss goods and services, population growth and age demographics. Technological factors of John Lewis will discuss barriers to entry, making or buying decisions, investment and innovation and the technological change. Environmental factors include weather, clim ate and climate change. Climate change affects how John Lewis operates and the products they offer. Lastly Legal Factors include discrimination law, employment law and health and safety law. These factors can affect the way John Lewis operate their costs and the demand for their products. 4.2 Macro- environmental Factors It is commonly known, that those prevailing in the external environment of any firm shall have a significant influence in terms of decision making in the strategic options. Such analysis is known as PESTEL analysis and usually suggested as the first stage in the strategic planning process (Lynch, 2006). As Johnson et al (2008, pg.56) rightly declared, The key drivers for change are environmental factors that are likely to have a high impact on the success or failure of strategy. (Refer to appendix 2) to see the PESTEL analysis for John Lewis. It can be concluded that each factor of the PESTEL has had an effect on John Lewiss actions, some of them are now stated in their mission statement. Previous factors are used to analyse different factors, furthermore, these factors can give a prediction for the future, so can be quiet effective if they are applied correctly. There are also some restrictions in this model, e.g. when the procedure of the checklist is applied to John Lewis it may be tough. The emergent corporate strategies may well comment that the future is so uncertain that prediction is useless (Lynch 2012 page 84), however, some may still give words of caution but still predict the future. The PESTEL analysis isnt the only framework that John Lewis take into consideration, their organisation has many other internal and external factors that also have an effect on the strategy formulation, this is why Porters five Forces framework is applied. The PESTEL analysis has a lot of information but yet doesnt offer a detailed analysis of the business. Porters Five Forces (1985) observes factors that have an impact on competition in the organisation. 4.3 Strategic Options The external analysis undertaken has underlined how the focus and the landscape of the UK retail sector has changed dramatically over the last decade or so. Such developments clearly present both threats, primarily from new entrants and modes of distribution, as well as opportunities such as the increasing utilisation of technology within the current offering to customers. As Johnson et al (2008, pg.3) highlights, strategy is about exploiting the strategic capability of an organisation, in terms of its resources and competences, to provide competitive advantage and/or yield new opportunities. However, many competitors in the retail sector at large have managed to expand into other range of products as well as expanding internationally, John Lewis seems to have adopted a more thoughtful approach and stayed loyal to its customers as well as confident in terms of its offering to the market. At the same time it has also developed a wide range of products as a lower price range to attract more customers across a wider range of segments in society. In times of economic uncertainty this also appears to be a sensible strategy in terms of situations where its loyal customer base may be experiencing declines in disposable income, thus enabling John Lewis to maintain their business through customers trading down to less expensive ranges in store. The recent introduction for its Essential Waitrose Range in 2009 was both a reaction to external events including activities of competitors but was viewed as an effective strategy highlighting the companys attention to external research as well as its innovative approach to dealing with such negative events. Furthermore, Porter put forward the idea that there were three generic strategies; cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy and the focus strategy, which companies follow. It is clear that John Lewis has embraced a combination of these, but essentially, differentiation has remained key to its business model which positions more favourably when compared to other competitors, particularly given the range and extent of the goods and services it provides as well as its highly effective branding and promotional events which appeal directly to customers and incite purchase. Its decision to introduce its Essentials range within its Waitrose stores may have been considered by some as an indication it was lowering its standards, but on the contrary, despite offering a cheaper alternative, quality remained key which ultimately implied that its position in the market would not be negotiated. 4.4 Porters Five Forces Porters Five Forces framework highlights that the environment John Lewis is competing in is constantly changing, (refer to appendix 5). In this model it is believed that customers dont have more importance than any other aspect, however Aker, Baker and Harvey Jones argue that customers are more important than any other aspect of strategy development (Lynch 2012). Porters Five Forces of competition (1985) is a common tool often applied within the strategic management process to firms across several sectors. It is similar to the PESTLE analysis as it takes a predominantly external perspective of the firm within its given industry looking at how it is positioned against other competitors in the same sector. Recently many have criticised the ensuring importance of the framework given the changes that have risen, particularly with regard to the diversification of business which has ultimately created blurring across many previously distinct sectors. This is emphasized by the supermarkets entering into the clothing and electronics sector for example, as well as retailers including John Lewis expanding into financial services through insurance and credit facilities to customers. Barney (1995) and Henry (2008) underlined how Porters model is more helpful when it is applied at a strategic business unit level rather than at higher levels of industry analysis such as the sector at large as it cannot be expected that all competitors will be competing against one another. This tool is also believed to be useful in terms of assessing a companys strengths and weaknesses in light of how it stacks up against competition. As Barney (1995, pg.49) highlights, A complete understanding of sources of competitive advantage requires the analysis of a firms internal strengths and weaknesses as well. The importance of integrating internal with environmental analyses can be seen when evaluating the sources of competitive advantage of many firms. Looking at Porters five forces of competition, it is clear that John Lewis has attempted to not to just react to the external dynamics and actions of competitors, but actively be a step ahead. It has constantly adapted its business model, such as the introduction of store cards, its online offering and the Waitrose Essentials range in order to provide its business with a more appropriate fit to the market in line with Mintzbergs (1994) theory. A major element of its strategy however, is its reputation, branding and subsequent positioning in the market and how consumers view the business in its entirety. It has remained rather committed to its original proposition and further enhanced its appeal through appropriate branding and its reputation for quality and enhanced service to customers. 5.0 Internal Resource analysis 5.1 Value analysis chain The term Value Chain was used by Michael Porter (1985), the purpose of the value chain is to analyse the activities that are performed by the business, linking them to the competitive position. It also evaluates the particular activities to see which add value to the businesses products or services (quickmba 1999-2010) While many critics and leading authorities dispute the validity of Porters earlier theories, many of his ideas do still appear useful from the perspective of strategic analysis, particularly the notion of the value chain. Ultimately, it is within the value chain which John Lewis has created that it has succeeded in terms of sustaining advantage in its market sector. It has created efficiencies and synergies through the interrelationships within (Mintzberg and Ghoshal, 2003). Value Chain Analysis which is often compared to the RBV of the firm as it looks to both internal and external dynamics impacting an organisation. In recent years importance has also been given to joint ventures, collaborations and relationships which add value to the companys positioning. Elements of the chain such as HR which were previously considered as supporting elements are now viewed as core and this is demonstrated by John Lewis in terms of its commitment to and investment in staff. By enhancing the quality of its internal resources it can achieve distinctive competencies which are difficult to emulate by other competitors (Teece et al, 1997; Terwiesch and Ulrich, 2009). As Porter (1985, pg.36) emphasises, the way it performs individual activities are a reflection of its history, its strategy, its approach to implementing its strategy, and the underlying economics of the activities themselves. 6.0 Strategy formulation 6.1 SWOT Analysis: John Lewis Partnership A SWOT analysis is a useful tool for understanding and decision-making, businesses such as John Lewis use this tool in all sorts of situations, a SWOT summarizes the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This framework covers a crucial part of the strategic planning process a scan of the internal and external environment. Strength, Weaknesses are considered to be internal to the business whereas, Opportunities and Threats are part of the external environment. Looking at the SWOT analysis (refer to appendix 6) it can be concluded that John Lewis take this tool into consideration when making business decisions based on their customers. However, John Lewis need to expand their target audience because at the moment they are only targeting an older audience need to improve the diagnostic power of a SWOT analysis is to define the elements from a customer perspective rather than the organizational point of view. (Baker 2007, pg.267). By doing this they will generate a higher profit margin. If john Lewis wants to stay ahead of their competition they need focus on their weaknesses such as they need to ensure their prices are similar to their competitors. Also John Lewis need to focus on threats the business may have to face but they can avoid such matters by acting upon the threat before it occurs. Although the SWOT analysis tool is useful to businesses when making decisions, it has been criticized due to its simplicity and possible misleading approach to strategic analysis. This is because companies have failed to follow a few simple procedures. The SWOT analysis is a focused methodology (Baker 2007), therefore, when John Lewis the using this tool they need to ensure they are able to follow correct procedures of this tool to ensure they are able to achieve success. 6.2 BCG Growth-share Matrix The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) growth-share matrix was developed by Bruce Henderson, founder of BCG, in the late 1960s (Baker 2007, pg.125). The BCG Matrix is a simple tool used to assess a companys position in terms of its product range. It simplifies how a companys thinks about the products and services and makes decisions about which it should keep and let go and which products to invest in further. It provides a useful way of seeing the opportunities that are open to the company and also helps to consider how the company can maximise the profits in the future. Below is the BCG Matrix for John Lewis, highlighting where in the market the different departments of John Lewis are positioned. John Lewis was voted Britains best retailer in 2009 and have won awards House Beautiful Awards 2008: Online Home Retailer of the Year Gold Award (washerhelp 2012), making them leaders in departments such as House and Garden, Electrical Appliances, Fashion, Gifts and Toys. They now have a high growth and a high market share in this segment, thus putting them in the star category. Further, technology and baby departments are between the star and question mark category this could be due to high growth and market share or high growth and low market share as they are faced with high demands but have low returns. Moving on to the sport department as it is in the cash cow category, as a markets it isnt growing but yet the market share for the products is high. Looking at the final category it can be said that John Lewis are safe as there isnt any products in the dog category. 7.0 conclusion Overall, the company has responded admirably to the changing dynamics impacting upon its market and customers, it is also clear that going forward, more challenges and threats shall be presented to it, particularly given persistent uncertainty relating to the global economy as consumer confidence within the UK. It would appear that in addition to a thorough and consistent approach to its markets in relation to external analysis of those factors deemed to impact most significantly; the company also adopts an internal approach, evaluating its inherent resources and competencies within the business. In line with the resource based view of the firm (Barney, 1991) and subsequent research by other authors such as Grant (2005), this analysis is often viewed as a more appropriate approach to the task of strategic management as ultimately, organisations have much more control over their internal resources than external market variables. Such an approach enables companies to incite the innovat ion process and thus create change in the wider environment as well as improvements to its value chain. This appears to be exactly what John Lewis has done to date through its expansion into other areas, as well as extending its range to customers through on-line facilities as well as credit, insurance etc. Threat of New Entrants This is considered to be fairly low for John Lewis given the original capital investment required as well as the regulations governing the market. At the same time, the fact that discount retailers and the supermarkets who benefit from vast scale economies can offer many of the same goods at substantially lower prices, is a concern and is perhaps indicative of why many retailers such as John Lewis now provide an electronic service in addition to their store offering. More entrants to the online space does seem inevitable though may become increasingly difficult given the variety currently in existence as well as the perception that customer service is often diminished. In this respect, John Lewis is clearly at an advantage given its reputation in the market. Threat of Substitutes The threat of substitutes is low from a product viewpoint yet in terms of suppliers, is high and is underlined by the success of the supermarket chains in their clothing lines as well as the competitive landscape in the online space and the continuing popularity of price comparison websites and similar forums. Over time, online retailers could exert increased pressure on officials such as John Lewis, particularly in terms of pricing as well as sourcing of product ranges. Bargaining Power of Buyers This is considered as being extremely high given the range of suppliers in the market and the realisation that customers are faced with unprecedented choice. Price is clearly a key advantage for the retailers, but at the same time, in the particular segment in which John Lewis manages factors such as location, quality, customer service and atmospherics and added benefits to be derived from the in-store experience are significant. Such variables also assist in terms of differentiating the store from other competitors in the High Street. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Though it was just few years ago the retailers were considered as having a major effect over suppliers, this seems to be fairly changing, particularly with regard to restrictions in supply of some raw materials as well as other concerns in the global supply chain which might put the suppliers in a more favourable position and increase their bargaining power. Degree of Rivalry Rivalry is obviously intense mainly due to the immense choice available as well as the increasing pressure from on-line retailers. On this basis, competitors are ultimately jockeying for position (Porter, 1979) and increasingly retailers challenge themselves to differentiate in some manner through providing expanded ranges as well as complementary goods and other services. The success of John Lewis Christmas promotional campaigns in the last few years highlights how the company attempts to differentiate itself, particularly focusing on those matters which are considered to impact most on subsequent motivation of customers to make a purchase.

licensed to kill :: essays research papers

Licensed to Kill   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is there a difference between murder and justifiable murder? By definition, a murder is the unlawful killing of one human by another, especially with premeditated malice. In contrast, the definition of a justifiable murder is a non-criminal homicide, usually committed in self-defense of another. The real question is, is there really a difference between justifiable murder and murder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When someone is killed, they are either killed from an accident, natural causes, or an intentional killing. So where does a justifiable murder fit in? In a case where someone is being attacked and forced to use a lethal method to subdue an attacker, such as rape, robbery, or simply, life threatening physical abuse, it could be argued that murder was only used in self defense as a last resort. In this sort of case, for it to be completely justifiable, killing an attacker must only be done if other alternatives had failed. Simply killing someone and saying that they â€Å"could have† hurt them is not justifiable. When there are other methods to subdue an attacker are available in a certain situation, is murder necessarily justifiable simply because it was the easiest way to solve a conflict. For example, if a person is acting hostile towards a police officer, and the police officer resorts to shooting and killing a person, is that justified? In today’s society, there are numerous lesser-lethal alternatives to a pistol. For example, there are paralyzing tazers, gasses, and even rubber or beanbag ammunition for pistols and shotguns. When all of these alternatives are available, how could the use of a firearm be at all necessary? In conclusion, the term justifiable murder has been used so often in cases where it should have been considered a murder. licensed to kill :: essays research papers Licensed to Kill   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is there a difference between murder and justifiable murder? By definition, a murder is the unlawful killing of one human by another, especially with premeditated malice. In contrast, the definition of a justifiable murder is a non-criminal homicide, usually committed in self-defense of another. The real question is, is there really a difference between justifiable murder and murder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When someone is killed, they are either killed from an accident, natural causes, or an intentional killing. So where does a justifiable murder fit in? In a case where someone is being attacked and forced to use a lethal method to subdue an attacker, such as rape, robbery, or simply, life threatening physical abuse, it could be argued that murder was only used in self defense as a last resort. In this sort of case, for it to be completely justifiable, killing an attacker must only be done if other alternatives had failed. Simply killing someone and saying that they â€Å"could have† hurt them is not justifiable. When there are other methods to subdue an attacker are available in a certain situation, is murder necessarily justifiable simply because it was the easiest way to solve a conflict. For example, if a person is acting hostile towards a police officer, and the police officer resorts to shooting and killing a person, is that justified? In today’s society, there are numerous lesser-lethal alternatives to a pistol. For example, there are paralyzing tazers, gasses, and even rubber or beanbag ammunition for pistols and shotguns. When all of these alternatives are available, how could the use of a firearm be at all necessary? In conclusion, the term justifiable murder has been used so often in cases where it should have been considered a murder.

moralant confant Conflicting Values in Sophocles Antigone :: Antigone essays

Conflicting Values in Antigone In the play "Antigone" by Sophocles, Creon and Antigone have distinct and conflicting values. Creon's regard for the laws of the city causes him to abandon all other beliefs. He feels that all should obey the laws set forth by him, even if other beliefs, moral or religious, state otherwise. Antigone, on the other hand, holds the beliefs of the gods in high reverence. She feels that the laws of the gods should be obeyed above all others, especially when in respect to family. Creon has a very strong opinion about the laws of the city and the laws passed by him. His method of enforcing them is very strict. Creon orders that Polyneices will not be buried because of his dishonor towards Thebes. Furthermore, if anyone is caught burying him they will be killed for disobeying his order. Polonieces is Antigone's brother. He is being punished because he attacked Thebes and betrayed Creon and the people of Thebes. Creon's harsh punishment on those who disobey the law makes many fear him and dare not to go against him. One example is Ismene's regard for Creon's laws. She tries to talk her sister out of burying her brother because of what could happen to her if Creon found out that she went against him. Ismene says "We must obey them.....I yield to those who have authority"(5). Not only do the people of Thebes obey the laws of the city because of their fear but because it is a shame to dishonor the king. To go against the kings claim and dishonor the law is to die a more shameful death then Antigone's mother and father(59-60). Antigone does not want to let her brother be left without a proper burial. Her belief is to show respect and love towards her brother she must bury him. Her beliefs in "The sacred laws that Heaven holds in honor" are far more important than those set by the king(Antigone 78). She feels that the king cannot override her belief in the gods. Â  Antigone feels very strongly about burying her brother against Creon's orders. She refused to back down from her opinion even when confronted by the king and sentenced to death. Antigone reasoning is: "It was not Zeus who published this decree, Nor have the powers who rule among the dead Imposed such laws as this upon mankind; Nor could I think that a decree of yours- A man-could override the laws of Heaven Unwritten and unchanged"(450-455).

Iago’s Manipulation of Othello in Shakespeare’s Othello Essay -- Othel

Iago’s Manipulation of Othello in Shakespeare’s Othello Once a seed of suspicion or doubt is planted in a person’s mind, the noxious effect of jealousy is soon to ensue. Jealousy and suspicion are Othello’s flaws hubris throughout the play and foreshadow to the audience his imminent downfall. He believes what Iago tells him so strongly that he compromises his close relationship with his best friend and his love for his wife. Iago manipulates Othello through the use of extortion, literary techniques, and his keen judge of character. His syntax and diction are so simple yet so powerful because he uses the correct rhetorical questions and addresses Othello with respectful terms such as â€Å"my lord.† He allows Othello do most of the talking and the thinking; then begins to twist his mind usi...

Generous Generosity

Generous is an adjective frequently adopted by poets; generosity is a virtue greatly valued by nobilities; generous generosity is a depiction historically inherited by generations. I am always wondering that how does ‘generosity’ develop its personal charisma to attract so much attention? Is it possible to decode its mystery by tracing the origin of ‘generous’?Browsing through books, I discovered that some clues keep emerging. From a historic perspective, tracing word’s development back in time shows that in many cases what are now separate lexical items were formerly identical words. The deep prehistory of language has nurtured little word-seeds that over the millennia have proliferated into widely differentiated families of vocabulary. ‘Generous’ is a word of no exception.Originally, it was a derivative of genus in the sense â€Å"birth, stock, race,† and harks back semantically to its ultimate source in the Indo-European base â €˜gen’ denoting ‘produce’. Its Germanic offshoots include kin, kind, and probably king, but for sheer numbers it is the Latin descendant genus â€Å"race, type†. It probably entered the language in the 16th century coming via Old French genereux from Latin generosus, which originally meant â€Å"of noble birth† (a sense which survived in English into the late 17th century – Richard Knolles, for instance, in his General history of the Turks 1603, wrote of â€Å"many knights of generous extraction’).Years of evolution witness the moderate changes in the meaning of â€Å"generous†, and its semantic progression from ‘nobly born’ through ‘noble-minded, magnanimous’ to ‘liberal in giving’ impresses me while reading classics. In the field of literature, ‘generous’ enjoys a great rate of exposure. Let alone other authors, solely William Shakespeare used it for at least dozen times. Its first appearance was in Love’s Labour’s Lost, a work of Shakespeare’s early comedy.For instance, in scene one the fifth Actï ¼Å'a humorous dialogue conducted between the egg-headed Holofernes and Armado: Armado: Sir, it is the King’s most sweet pleasure and affection to congratulate the Princess at her pavilion, in the posteriors of this day; which the rude multitude call the afternoon. Holofernes: The posterior of the day, most generous sir, is liable, congruent, and measurable, for the afternoon. The word is well cull’d, chose, sweet, and apt, I do assure you, sir, I do assure. Under this circumstance, generous is an expression of nobility. As for a noble man, soul of innate generosity, every task is gracious and magnificent as well as every utterance.However, when this word was spoken by the bookish Hologernes, it sounded like a cheap flattery rather than a sincere approbation. In Love’s Labour’s Lost, generous was endowed wi th a new meaning, namely, kind giving. In scene two the fifth Act, Holofernes shouted that â€Å"This is not generous, not gentle, not humble† when he was roughly treated by courtiers. The above context reflects that generous stresses warm hearted readiness to give and demonstrates kindness to others in want of helps. Through Shakespeare’s interpretation, a generous sir can be defined as a well born person characterized by a noble spirit; generosity means the quality of being liberal and magnanimous.In addition, according to Alexander Pope 1, many people are capable of doing a wise thing, more a cunning thing, but very few a generous thing. What Pope intended to convey was that doing generous things demands lofty characters and unconditional dedication. Hovering in my mind, generous incorporates kind, wise and noble. Sometimes, the generous giving of ourselves can produce the generous harvest. Sometimes, barely detectable as it is, generosity can change someone elseâ⠂¬â„¢s life forever. Generous generosity is the most enchanting expression in English language, and the greatest wisdom cherished by civilized society, which urges people to do the generous deed, and to carry on the virtue of generosity.

Types of Literary Criticism

Types of Literary Criticism Since ancient times, readers have debated and critiqued literature from a variety of perspectives. Some have looked at a story or play from a moral stance, considering how values are represented in a text. Another critic might evaluate a poem in terms of its form. Recent critics have looked at literature to see what it might be saying about our lives in society, our political or power relations, gender roles, or sexuality. Below I have summarized some types of literary criticism you might consider when reading or writing about literature.If you're interested in knowing more, see the Purdue Online Writing Lab or OWL or read Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide, by Louis Tyson. The Gavilan library website offers resources for students conducting research on literature. (You will need a Gavilan library card to access this information and can apply for a card in person or online. ) The library also has a helpful website on Academic Research Guidelines that will help you identify legitmate sources for your research and avoid plagiarism.See me, a librarian, and/or a writing assistant at the Gavilan Writing Center for help with writing about literature. * Moral Criticism, Dramatic Construction (~360 BC-present) * Formalism, New Criticism, Neo-Aristotelian Criticism (1930s-present) * Psychoanalytic Criticism, Jungian Criticism(1930s-present) * Marxist Criticism (1930s-present) * Reader-Response Criticism (1960s-present) * Structuralism/Semiotics (1920s-present) * Post-Structuralism/Deconstruction (1966-present) * New Historicism/Cultural Studies (1980s-present) * Post-Colonial Criticism (1990s-present) Feminist Criticism (1960s-present) * Gender/Queer Studies (1970s-present) Sociological criticism: Like historical criticism, sociological criticism examines literature in the cultural, economic, and political context in which it is written or received. This type of criticism may analyze the social content of a literary work—the cultural, economic, or political values a particular text implicitly or explicitly expresses. Reader-response criticism: This type of criticism attempts to describe what happens in the reader’s mind while interpreting a text.A reader-response critic might also explore the impact of a particular text on his or her own ideas or values. For example, one might reflect on how a particular character seems admirable or unlikable and why. One might reflect on how one’s religious, culture, or social values affect readings. It also overlaps with gender criticism in exploring how men and women may read the same text with different assumptions. Gender criticism: This type of criticism examines how sexual identity influences the creation and reception of literary works.Gender studies originated during the feminist movement, when critics began investigating the unexamined assumptions around gender in a piece of literature. Feminist critics explored how an author’s gender migh t—consciously or unconsciously—affect his or her writing. These critics may also explore how images of men or women in literature might reflect or reject the social norms around gender in a particular society. Mythological criticism: Mythological critics explore the universal patterns underlying a literary work.This type of criticism draws on the insights of anthropology, history, psychology, and comparative religion to explore how a text uses myths and symbols drawn from different cultures and epochs. A central concept in mythological criticism is the archetype, a symbol, character, situation, or image that evokes a deep universal response. For example, critic Joseph Campbell, in his books like The Hero with a Thousand Faces, demonstrates how similar mythic characters and situations, like the hero’s journey, appear in virtually every culture.Biographical criticism: Biographical critics explore how understanding an author’s life can help readers more thor oughly comprehend the literary work. Note: biographical critics are not concerned with simply describing the author’s life but instead with interpreting the literary work using the insights provided by knowledge of the author’s life. New Historicism: New historicist critics look at the impact of the politics, ideologies, and social customs of the author’s world on the themes, images, and characterizations of a text.This type of critic considers the historical events or conditions during which the work was written. Psychoanalytic criticism: This type of criticism views the themes, conflicts, and characterizations of a work primarily as a reflection of the needs, emotions, states of mind, or subconscious desires of the author. Formalist criticism: Formalist critics look closely at the work itself, analyzing the various elements of the work as a way of explicating or interpreting a text.