The Swimmer By John Cheever Essays - The Swimmer, Guggenheim Fellows

The Swimmer by John Cheever John Cheever's story ?The Swimmer? depicts a protaganist, and the society that has nurtured him, as lacking in seriousness and responsibility. Neddy, the bewildered protagonist, represents a society satirized for centering its values on social status and materialism. During the course of Neddy's journey, the illusions he has constructed about his life are stripped away, and in the process the truth behind his society is realized. In unveiling the tragedy of Neddy's existence, Cheever reveals the unworthiness of an unexamined life. The tragedy of Neddy's presence leads to his own demise. Through an unique usage of tone, Cheever foreshadows the misfortunes of the protagonist. Stereotypically, the author hints at the fact that that wealthy people loaf around and indulge themselves with alcohol to rid themselves of their problems (368). In a mocking manner, almost setting Neddy up for his failure, the day begins beautiful and everyone is happy, but a feeling of confusion soon follows (368). Significantly, by exemplifying the point of view, Cheever allows the reader to see Neddy from two different perspectives. According to Neddy, ?his life was not confining and the delight he took in observation could not be explained by its suggestion of escape? (368). The bystanders view of Neddy, however, depicts him as ?close to naked,? as they ?wondered if he was the victim of foul play, had his car broken down, or was he merely a fool? (371). This is the only moment in the entire story where a perspective other than Neddy's is offered, indicating that Cheever wants to maintain an emphasis on the bewilderment of Neddy. In addition, elements of symbolism throughout the story exhibit the troubles of Neddy. The water, a symbol of the unconscious, represents the thoughts and actions of Neddy. Alcohol, a means of escape, lies as a threat to Neddy's existence because he feels that ?whiskey would... carry him through the last of his journey? (373-74). The storm represents a change from the confusion of Neddy into the truth about his existence. The worthlessness of Neddy's unexamined life ultimately forces him awy from reality. Initially, the characterization of Neddy and the society which he represents reveals the meaninglessness of both his life and that of the society. ?My misfortunes? ....I don't know what you mean,?(373) Neddy obliviously responds when receiving sympathy for his financial misfortunes that he seems totally unaware of. Due to the snobbish behavior accustomed to Neddy through his society, he is afraid that the public pool will ?damage his own prosperousness and charm?(372) which he no longer possesses anyway. Furthermore, the constant usage of allusion remains evident throughout the story. Almost Fitzgerald-like in his descriptions of the ?prosperous men and women,?(370) Cheever satirizes the society. Also similar to the works of Fitzgerald, the protagonists' own wealth and power force his social decline. Importantly, symbolism also plays a role in describing the lifestyle of Neddy and the society of whic h he represents. The storm adds to Cheever's satirical story in that confusion is even moreso emphasized(370). The parties and constant drinking of the wealthy society acts as a way for them to escape everyday responsibilities (368). Cheever illustrates the meaningless life of Neddy and his satirized society by uncovering the affliction of Neddy's existence. The fact that Neddy feels that he still holds the same social stature as he previously did, exhibits his ignorance and inability to accept his own misfortunes. Throughout the story, both the society and Neddy think that they can avoid the problems of life by consuming alcohol, obtaining wealth, and partying. Ultimately, the personal tragedy of mankind results from his own ignorance and misperception of reality.

Violence in the Bahamas essays

Violence in the Bahamas essays Causes of youth violence in the Bahamas Train up a in child in the way they should go when they are old never will depart from it. Parents need to take the full responsibility of their youth actions. Such as monitor what they watch on television and the music they hear, Adults should have better control where their youth hang up, and Teachers must be able to excises more discipline in the school. IN the world we are living most parents dont monitor what their children watching and the kind of music they are listerning to. They spend too much time on the telephone gossip with friend and to busy with different activities around them Just about every home in the Bahamas each child room has a cable in it while parents are not aware what they are watching at night. Parents need to take these cable out of the children room because most of them sometime they get bad influence from watching the wrong movie. Majority of youth are playing music sometime they cant understanding what the writer a is saying. Some of the music sendin g bad message across to the youth and once they instill these song sometime they practice exact what the music say. Parents have to show more consideration to the kind of music their youth are listerning to and make sure its sent positive message to them. Most parents marriage or single dont know where there youth hang up. You really have some of them that tell their parent that they are going by a friend went you find out that is not the true. I feel that every parent should know every company that their youth keep and make sure that they fit the characteristic that your youth procession. These youth sometime are looking for love and caring what they cant get from home so they go out there and find it from either gang group that shown the wrong direction or bad companies that lead them to the bar room and selling drug. Everywhere you go these youth are in the nightclub and most of the ti...

Why has the concept of work life balance become such a focus concern Essay

Why has the concept of work life balance become such a focus concern in the past decade - Essay Example working from home, compressed work weeks and flexible working hours), leave arrangements (e.g. maternity leave, paternity leave, and leave to care for a sick dependent), dependent care assistance (e.g. on-site daycare, subsidised daycare, eldercare, and referral to child care), and general services (e.g. employee assistant programs, seminars and programs related to family needs)’. These initiatives give employees work flexibility and ensure that those depended on them, children and the elderly parents, are cared about, thus reducing the family-work conflict, as well as providing time to be spent for personal interests and hobbies, which reduces stress and increases employees’ satisfaction with life and work. The issue of work-life balance was aroused in the USA in the mid of 1980s, yet since then it has become only more vital. This was caused by a number of reasons. In this paper we are going to discuss the sources of the problem and highlight the aspects making it a pr oblem, as well as benefits of work-life balance. Work-life balance initiatives are essential for creating normal conditions of work for people. Reports and surveys indicating the problem have been released and conducted for several decades already. However, the issue continues acquiring its vitality. In May 2005 Europe was worried by the report released by the European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO) showing that the workers in 10 new state entrants to the European Union worked three weeks more than employees in 15 core EU countries. Voters blamed politicians for shrinking vacation period. The 22 days of paid vacations in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland ad Slovenia were perceived as the violation of human rights. Meanwhile, according to the Families and Work Institute report 79 percent of US employees got no more than 16,6 days of paid vacation in 2001, the figure having dropped to 14,6 days by 2004. About 37 percent of US workers took less

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict - Essay Example The main and the biggest obstacle to conflict resolution is strong religious values and inability of the parties to accept view points and ideas of ach other. Each of the parties tries to prove his position and correctness. "Prejudiced views on both sides, not only by those directly engaged in the conflict, but by their allies as well, further stoke the flames of hatred and violence" (Wahid and A'La 2009). This conflict vivid portrays that ethical and religious factors and principles dominated in the Arab world and prevent its people to establish peace in the region. This conflict can be overcome with the help of the global peace organizations and UNO (United Nations Organizations). In order to make the conflict peaceful, UNO should force leaders of two countries to take part in summit and sign peaceful agreements. The main policies should involve political negotiations and organization of social life on the disputed territory. In spite of territorial claims, the core of the conflict is religious difference between these states and their ethnical envy. The Israelis would have to choose whether to annex the West Bank and Gaza Strip. And if they did so, they would have to decide whether to grant full civil rights to the Palestinians (Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, 2008).

Desegregation of Public Schools in Boston Essay

Desegregation of Public Schools in Boston - Essay Example On the other hand, desegregation in Boston has brought about mixed responses. The opponents of desegregation argue that busing has resulted in an increased white-flight, considerable decline in white enrollment, increased racial imbalance, low levels of educational quality and paved way for more of racial tensions and violence in the Boston public schools (Buell & Brisbin 151-160). Many white-flight studies have pinpointed that school desegregation has resulted in white enrollment drop off and that court-ordered busing was partly instrumental in the â€Å"steep decline in white enrollments during the first two phases of Judge Garrity’s program† (Buell & Brisbin 152). On the other hand, one can never undermine the positive impacts of desegregation on the lives of many black and other minority Bostonians. This paper seeks to explore how desegregation of public Schools in the 1970s has affected the Bostonian society and in doing so the paper addresses key issues pointed ou t by the opponents of desegregation. ... A comparison of the statistics regarding the racial imbalance in Boston Public Schools according to District Court Guidelines in 1975 and 1980 reveals this. In 1975 schools with too many whites were 20 (35 in 1980); schools with too few whites were 47 (44 in 1980); schools with too many blacks were 43 (21 in 1980); schools with too few blacks were 24 (37 in 1980), schools with too many others were 41 (34 in 1980) and schools with too few others were 52 in comparison with 57 schools in 1980 (Buell & Brisbin 155). As evident from these statistics desegregation has considerably reduced racial isolation in the Boston schools. The opponents of desegregation also hold that the system has declined educational quality and has increased high school drop-out rates. For them, desegregation enhances racial achievement gaps as they believe that the pace of white instruction needs to be slowed so as to accommodate such black slow learners (Buell & Brisbin 161). It is also worthwhile to analyze the teacher perceptions of educational quality and to know whether the percentage of high school graduates pursuing higher education has undergone any positive changes. While the number of high school graduates has considerably increased most senior faculties are not so happy with the student performance since judicial intervention: â€Å"almost half of the senior faculty saw decline while only 13 percent reported improvement† (Buell & Brisbin 163). On the other hand, the magnet schools specially designed for desegregation came out with so many success stories of Boston busing and very often the media and press evaluated desegregation progress based on

The Dead Mens Path Theme Analysis Religion Essay

The Dead Mens Path Theme Analysis Religion Essay Dead Mens Path is a short story written in 1972 by African Author Chinua Achebe. It is about Michael Obi, a young and energetic man excited about all things modern who is just assigned a position to run a traditional school. Not long into the job, he finds that along with his misguided zeal, ignoring the traditions of his people can have great consequences. Obi is a bright and enthusiastic young man who is excited to find out that he will be the new headmaster of a school that has been in desperate need of help for some time. Obi was considered a pivotal teacher and he and his wife are both forward thinking and eager to share the modern life with everyone. Chinua Achebe shows the Obis modern enthusiasm by writing: We shall do our best, she Obis wife) replied. We shall have such beautiful gardens and everything will be just modern and delightful He also shows Obis views of the traditionalist people by attacking their character referring to them as, these old and superannuated people in the teaching field. Of his two goals for the school, one was to make the grounds a place of beauty. An upcoming inspection was the perfect motivation to begin what he thought to be great improvements. In time the gardens blossomed with beautiful red and yellow flowers. As Obi is admiring his work, he comes across an old woman from the village who walks str aight across the flowers onto what Obe discovers to be an old faint almost unused path. Obi speaks to a teacher and finds out exactly what the path was used for. It amazes me, said Obi to one of the teachers who had been three years in the school, that you people allowed the villagers to make use of this footpath. It is simply incredible. He shook his head. The path, the teacher said apologetically, appears to be very important to them. Although it is hardly used, it connects the village shrine with their place of burial. Obi didnt care about the reason and for fear that the coming inspector may see people on school grounds who didnt belong, demanded that the footpath be closed off immediately regardless of warnings from the teacher. The path was then blocked with heavy logs and reinforced with barbed wire. A priest was sent by the outraged villagers to try and talk some sense into Obi, pressing upon him the significance that the path has not to just the villagers, but also the dead who walk the path.Look here my son, this path was here before you were born and before your father was born. The whole life of the village depends on it. Our dead relatives depart by it and our ancestors visit us by it. But most important, it is the path of children coming in to be born. Obi rejected the priests words and in mocking replied to him Dead men dont walk. he dismissed his ancestry and instead chose the modern way. The path remained blocked and a few days later a village woman died in childbirth. The villagers took that as a sign that if the path remains blocked they would suffer great misfortune. Believing that the mother would be unable to rest in peace and the child unable to walk the path and enter the world, the villagers became agitated and tore down a school building as well as everything used to block the path and the flowers planted to impress the inspector. When the inspector finally arrived, he was presented with grounds that were completely destroyed along w ith a headmaster who thought only about himself and erasing the past to become modern. In the story, with the descriptions of the pretentious headmaster and his lack of respect for the elders and their traditions the narrator clearly has taken sides with the villagers. Chinua Achebe writes, The whole purpose of our school is to eradicate such beliefs as that. Dead men do not require footpaths. The whole idea is just fantastic. Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas. The main point in question in the story is in reference to the villagers beliefs and customs and the importance it held in their lives. Obi was wrong in his thinking and in his methods, believing that he can just cut the people off from what in our time would be considered a funeral. When it comes to the destruction and rejection of something that was and is important to people such as traditions no matter how old the customs may be, nobody has the right to negate a persons background and nobody has the ability to remove a persons belief and substitute it with their own. An unfamiliar cul tures belief may seem fanciful but to those who believe it, it is as much a vital part of their lives as technology is in ours. The heart of a persons belief is in having faith although what you believe can never be proven. What happens in death is a perfect example of this. Nobody alive can know what happens after death so we are left with our imaginations to hope that our loved ones are in a better place rather than in the ground or left as ashes. People need that faith to carry on because at times the thought of never again seeing those people can be unbearable. Our ancestors traditions and customs are important because the only knowledge we have of things we have no proof on is in the things passed down for generations. Just as the story explained, the villagers were so strong in their beliefs of the path that when it became blocked they attacked the school and everything that was blocking the sacred path: The beautiful hedges were torn up not just near the path but right around the schoolflowers trampledone of the school buildings torn down The importance of a persons culture is more than just the faith of a single person, it connects a group of people who believe alike and allows them to work together with the same end results. As stated in Achebes Dead Mens Path, contemporary community shouldnt do as Obi and try to eradicate the core of a peoples beliefs which, with his mocking reply to the priest is just what he tried to do. Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas. It is important to remember and to honor traditions. Many people fight to keep their traditions alive, whether its an old woman making her 80th annual pilgrimage to a Mexican cemetery to light a candle at Dona Candelaria de Sapiens grave or Native American tribe members dressed in full ceremonial clothing dancing to celebrate the coming rain. In Achebes story, the people fought to keep the path free so that those who pass on can rest in peace and the traditions of the vill agers can carry on for generations to come, far beyond the lives of the priests, villagers and Obi.

Mobile Phones :: Technology, Marketing

Mobile phones are reaching whole around the world and will dramatically change to express the new lifestyle of people (Friedrich et al 2009; Xinze, 2008). Such technology has made more and more everybody be reachable (Marez et al. 2007). The mobile penetration and adoption are almost 100% in western countries and several Asian countries (Netsize, 2007; The Economist, 2005). This phenomenon is the ubiquitous revolutionary helped in the adoption and distribution of mobile commerce since it allows marketing activities tailored to actual customer needs and tastes (Barutà §u, 2007), and more precisely targeting customers by using face-to- marketing communications person compared with impersonal and mass media (Carter, 2009;. Shaw et al 2001). An incredible number of innovations introduced annually, and the rapid technological developments (Easingwood and Koustelos, 2000), is also changing the advertising philosophy (Barwise & Farley, 2005), leading businesses to accept mobile marketing s trategy as a way to their advertising messages broke through the clutters (Zhang and Mao, 2008). Once students complete mobile marketing provides marketers with a real chance to get a high response rate compared with traditional media (e.g. Wood and SONI, 1991). The justification for this is that people within the mobile telephone network marketing as customers, firms, advertising agencies, marketers and brands to interact with each other in the more creative and fashionable way unlike before (Hanley and Becker, 2009). Recent statistics show that mobile marketing budgets, specifically and more than 11 billion by 2011 mobile advertising rising from nearly 1 billion in 2007 (Leek and Christodoulides, 2009; O'Shea, 2007), since both expected to mobile subscribers will surpass 4 billion by 2011 (Higginbotham, 2009). Other research results show that about 22% of businesses using online advertising as a tool to promote the real efforts has to do mobile marketing (Ask, 2006). In the Middle East, especially in Jordan, there are four mobile service providers, and the number of subscribers more than 6 million, slightly more than the population numbers. In percentage terms, the mobile penetration in Jordan 101% compared to the population (The Times Jordan, 2009). In addition, according to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, the internet penetration in Jordan reached around 30% in 2009 and is expected to more than 50% by 2010 (The Times Jordan, 2009). However, although the market is rapidly maturing mobile in many Western European countries, the infant is still in many Asian countries and the Middle East. In addition, most of the previous studies examining marketing in mobile western context, and little attention are paid to the investigation of this strategy in the Arab world.

Science and Technology in Novels

Attitudes on Science and Technology in Novels Three novels that were written in three completely different times all were able to contribute to different views and attitudes towards science and technology. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Time Machine, and Fahrenheit 451 are all accurate portrayals of the effect that science and technology have had on this world even as far back as 1886 when The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was first published.Although each book was written for different purposes and in different times, they all had mainly positive attitudes that were able to portray what the author thought science and technology would be like as the future progressed. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, it seemed that Robert Louis Stevenson had a positive attitude with a negative twist towards science and technological advances throughout the book. This book is ultimately about a scientific potion that affects a man, Dr. Jekyll.By having a posi tive attitude with a negative twist, it is meant that it showing advances in science, but it has negative consequences. Although this book was written so long before our time, the emotions towards scientific advances were there. On page 62 of this book in Dr. Jekyll’s statement of the case, he states that â€Å"From an early date, even before the course of my scientific discoveries had begun to suggest the most naked possibility of such a miracle, I had learned to dwell with pleasure, as a beloved daydream, on the thought of the separation of these elements.If each, I told myself, could be house in separate identities, life would be relieved of all that was unbearable. † Dr. Jekyll shows that he â€Å"dwelled† with pleasure, which signifies a neutral type of attitude that the author portrays. The positivity of the science of his potion was that he was able to do something that no one else had. The negativity was the consequences of the evil in Mr. Hyde and the s uicide that ended it all. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells had both the aspect of science and technology. H.G. Wells had a very positive attitude, seeing as this book was solely about time traveling and being able to find the scientific needs to build a time machine. A quote on page 43 of this book stated† To sit among all those unknown things before a puzzle like that is hopeless. That way lies monomania. Face this world. Learn its ways, watch it, be careful of too hasty guesses at its meaning. In the end you will find clues to it all. † This quote clearly shows a positive attitude towards science and technology.The time traveler is in an unknown place and therefore, feels hopeless, but he knows that there will be identifiers on how to proceed. The time traveler uses his needs of technology and science, but knows that there is more to the future world of Eloi than just those aspects because they get along very well without everything being scientific and technological. F ahrenheit 451 is set in the twenty-fourth century, which would be in the year 2300. Throughout Fahrenheit 451 there are references to technology and science that seem rather odd to us living in the twenty-first century.If this twenty-fourth century world was compared to the twenty-first century of today, they would be considered antonymous to each other. Firefighters in our time do just as their name says, they fight fires. Watching television does not replace our families and learning about history is crucial to our lives. In Guy Montag’s world, this is all considered defiant. The one similarity between our two worlds is that of technology. The technology is very different than that of ours, but there is technology, and that is one thing that cannot be compared to the past.Ray Bradbury seems to use technology as a scape goat for his characters so that they are not drawn to books and to create an image of what life would be like without books or history. This gears his attitu de in a more positive perspective towards technology. His use of â€Å"parlor walls† was a way for his characters to disengage from reality and to do and be whoever they wanted to be. Parlor walls were used as a whole room and basically an interactive television set where you could put yourself in the scene.While reading this book, one might say that Bradbury was trying to show the role that books play in reality thus far and that without them, our lives would only involve technology and less knowledge and social instances. In Fahrenheit 451 on page 63, there is a conversation about the statement that books aren’t real and the role of the parlor walls. This conversation occurs between the main character, Guy Montag, and Professor Faber, who believes in the necessities that books give. â€Å"It becomes and is the truth. Books can be beaten down with reason.But with all my knowledge and skepticism, I have never been able to argue with a one-hundred-piece symphony orches tra, full color, three dimensions, and being in and part of those incredible parlors. As you can see, my parlor is nothing but four plaster walls. † Professor Faber is one of the few that does not engage in using the parlor walls. With most people gaining their knowledge from these parlor wall interactive shows, there is no room to see real truth in what a book is. Faber is also one of the few that has knowledge and admits to this knowledge, noting that he is skeptic of this technological universe that he is living in.The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Time Machine, and Fahrenheit 451 all were positive portrayals of author attitudes on science and technology. Although there were some neutral or negative aspects in each novel, the main attitude was positive. The future always seems to have a higher capacity for science and technology and seems to have been viewed as a positive attribute to all three authors. Science and technology continue to have positive impacts on the attitudes of authors when it comes to novels in this time.

The Basics of Mammalian Temperature Regulation

The Basics of Mammalian Temperature Regulation Do you find it surprising that reindeer, which spend much of their time standing in snow, dont get cold feet? Or that dolphins, whose thin flippers are gliding constantly through cool water, still manage to pursue very active lifestyles? A special circulatory adaptation known as countercurrent heat exchange enables both of these animals to maintain the appropriate body temperature in their extremities, and this is only one of the many clever adaptations mammals have evolved over the last hundred million years to help them to deal with variable temperatures. Mammals Are Endothermic All mammals are endothermic- that is, they maintain and regulate their own body temperature, no matter the external conditions. (Cold-blooded vertebrates, like snakes and turtles, are ectothermic.) Living in widespread environments around the world, mammals face daily and seasonal fluctuations in temperatures and some- for example, those indigenous to harsh arctic or tropical habitats- have to deal with extreme cold or heat. To maintain their correct internal body temperature, mammals must have a way to produce and conserve body heat in colder temperatures, as well as dissipate excess body heat in warmer temperatures. The mechanisms mammals have for producing heat include cellular metabolism, circulatory adaptations,  and plain, old-fashioned shivering. Cellular metabolism is the chemical process that constantly occurs within cells, by which organic molecules are broken down and harvested for their internal energy; this process releases heat and warms the body. Circulatory adaptations, such as the countercurrent heat exchange mentioned above, transfer heat from the core of the animals body (its heart and lungs) to its periphery via specially designed networks of blood vessels. Shivering, which youve probably done some of yourself, is easiest to explain: this crude process generates heat by the rapid contraction and shaking of muscles.   If An Animal Gets Too Warm What if an animal is too warm, rather than too cold? In temperate and tropical climates, excess body heat can accumulate quickly and cause life-threatening problems. One of natures solutions is to place blood circulation very near the surface of the skin, which helps to release heat into the environment. Another is the moisture produced by sweat glands or respiratory surfaces, which evaporates in comparatively dryer air and cools the animal down. Unfortunately, evaporative cooling is less effective in dry climates, where water is rare and water loss can be a real problem. In such situations, mammals, like reptiles, often seek protection from the sun during the hotter daylight hours and resume their activity at night. The evolution of warm-blooded metabolisms in mammals wasnt a straightforward affair, as witness the fact that many dinosaurs were apparently warm-blooded, some contemporary mammals (including a species of goat) actually have something akin to cold-blooded metabolisms, and even one type of fish generates its own internal body heat.

Biography of Charles Dickens, English Novelist

Biography of Charles Dickens, English Novelist Charles Dickens (February 7, 1812–June 9, 1870) was a popular English novelist of the Victorian era, and to this day he remains a giant in British literature. Dickens wrote numerous books that are now considered classics, including David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations. Much of his work was inspired by the difficulties he faced in childhood as well as social and economic problems in Victorian Britain. Fast Facts: Charles Dickens Known For: Dickens was the popular author of Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, and other classics.Born: February 7, 1812 in Portsea, EnglandParents: Elizabeth and John DickensDied: June 9, 1870 in Higham, EnglandPublished Works: Oliver Twist (1839), A Christmas Carol (1843), David Copperfield (1850), Hard Times (1854), Great Expectations (1861)Spouse: Catherine Hogarth (m. 1836–1870)Children: 10 Early Life Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsea, England. His father had a job working as a pay clerk for the British Navy, and the Dickens family, by the standards of the day, should have enjoyed a comfortable life. But his fathers spending habits got them into constant financial difficulties. When Charles was 12, his father was sent to debtors prison, and Charles was forced to take a job in a factory that made shoe polish known as blacking. Life in the blacking factory for the bright 12-year-old was an ordeal. He felt humiliated and ashamed, and the year or so he spent sticking labels on jars would be a profound influence on his life. When his father managed to get out of debtors prison, Charles was able to resume his sporadic schooling. However, he was forced to take a job as an office boy at the age of 15. By his late teens, he had learned stenography and landed a job as a reporter in the London courts. By the early 1830s, he was reporting for two London newspapers. Early Career Dickens aspired to break away from newspapers and become an independent writer, and he began writing sketches of life in London. In 1833 he began submitting them to a magazine, The Monthly. He would later recall how he submitted his first manuscript, which he said was dropped stealthily one evening at twilight, with fear and trembling, into a dark letter box, in a dark office, up a dark court in Fleet Street. When the sketch hed written, titled A Dinner at Poplar Walk, appeared in print, Dickens was overjoyed. The sketch appeared with no byline, but soon he began publishing items under the pen name Boz. The witty and insightful articles Dickens wrote became popular, and he was eventually given the chance to collect them in a book. Sketches by Boz first appeared in early 1836, when Dickens had just turned 24. Buoyed by the success of his first book, he married Catherine Hogarth, the daughter of a newspaper editor. He settled into a new life as a family man and an author. Rise to Fame Sketches by Boz was so popular that the publisher commissioned a sequel, which appeared in 1837. Dickens was also approached to write the text to accompany a set of illustrations, and that project turned into his first novel, The Pickwick Papers, which was published in installments from 1836 to 1837. This book was followed by Oliver Twist, which appeared in 1839. Dickens became amazingly productive. Nicholas Nickleby was written in 1839, and The Old Curiosity Shop in 1841. In addition to these novels, Dickens was turning out a steady stream of articles for magazines. His work was incredibly popular. Dickens was able to create remarkable characters, and his writing often combined comic touches with tragic elements. His empathy for working people and for those caught in unfortunate circumstances made readers feel a bond with him. As his novels appeared in serial form, the reading public was often gripped with anticipation. The popularity of Dickens spread to America, and there were stories told about how Americans would greet British ships at the docks in New York to find out what had happened next in Dickens latest novel. Visit to America Capitalizing on his international fame, Dickens visited the United States in 1842 when he was 30 years old. The American public was eager to greet him, and he was treated to banquets and celebrations during his travels. In New England, Dickens visited the factories of Lowell, Massachusetts, and in New York City he was taken to the see the Five Points, the notorious and dangerous slum on the Lower East Side. There was talk of him visiting the South, but as he was horrified by the idea of slavery he never went south of Virginia. Upon returning to England, Dickens wrote an account of his American travels which offended many Americans. A Christmas Carol In 1842, Dickens wrote another novel, Barnaby Rudge. The following year, while writing the novel Martin Chuzzlewit, Dickens visited the industrial city of Manchester, England. He addressed a gathering of workers, and later he took a long walk and began to think about writing a Christmas book that would be a protest against the profound economic inequality he saw in Victorian England. Dickens published A Christmas Carol in December 1843, and it became one of his most enduring works. Dickens traveled around Europe during the mid-1840s. After returning to England, he published five new novels: Dombey and Son, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Hard Times, and Little Dorrit. By the late 1850s, Dickens was spending more time giving public readings. His income was enormous, but so were his expenses, and he often feared he would be plunged back into the sort of poverty he had known as a child. Later Life Epics/Getty Images Charles Dickens, in middle age, appeared to be on top of the world. He was able to travel as he wished, and he spent summers in Italy. In the late 1850s, he purchased a mansion, Gads Hill, which he had first seen and admired as a child. Despite his worldly success, though, Dickens was beset by problems. He and his wife had a large family of 10 children, but the marriage was often troubled. In 1858, a personal crisis turned into a public scandal when Dickens left his wife and apparently began a secretive affair with actress Ellen Nelly Ternan, who was only 19 years old. Rumors about his private life spread. Against the advice of friends, Dickens wrote a letter defending himself, which was printed in newspapers in New York and London. For the last 10 years of his life, Dickens was often estranged from his children, and his relationships with old friends suffered. Though he hadnt enjoyed his tour of America in 1842, Dickens returned in late 1867. He was again welcomed warmly, and large crowds flocked to his public appearances. He toured the East Coast of the United States for five months. He returned to England exhausted, yet continued to embark on more reading tours. Though his health was failing, the tours were lucrative, and he pushed himself to keep appearing onstage. Death Dickens planned a new novel for publication in serial form. The Mystery of Edwin Drood began appearing in April 1870. On June 8, 1870, Dickens spent the afternoon working on the novel before suffering a stroke at dinner. He died the next day. The funeral for Dickens was modest, and praised, according to a New York Times article, as being in keeping with the democratic spirit of the age. Dickens was accorded a high honor, however, as he was buried in the Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey, near other literary figures such as Geoffrey Chaucer, Edmund Spenser, and Dr. Samuel Johnson. Legacy The importance of Charles Dickens in English literature remains enormous. His books have never gone out of print, and they are widely read to this day. As the works lend themselves to dramatic interpretation, numerous plays, television programs, and feature films based on them continue to appear. Sources Kaplan, Fred. Dickens: a Biography. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.Tomalin, Claire. Charles Dickens: a Life. Penguin Press, 2012.

Urban Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Urban Health - Essay Example It is tabulated that about two-thirds of Europeans lives in towns and cities (WHO, 2010, p. 1). It is estimated that, by 2050, 70% of the people will migrate and live in cities. Urban health is known to depend on factors such as governance, characteristics of the population, food security, social and economic developments (Which, 2010, p. 2). This paper deals with TB as an urban health hazard in Newham, London boroughs. We will discuss how determinants of health contribute to TB infection. Moreover, the infection and transmission mechanisms of the diseases will be discussed under various sections of urban life. Finally, strategies and recommendations in control of the disease will be highlighted. According to Centre for Disease Control, TB is an airborne disease that is caused by bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (CDC, 2013, p. 2). The disease was declared a global disaster in 1993 with a campaign plan against it being scheduled in 2006 to save about 14 million victims by the year 2015 (WHO. 2011, p. 23).The pathogen specifically attacks the lungs, but other parts such as spine, kidney and brain are attacked. Extra pulmonary TB occurs outside the lungs. On the other hand, pulmonary TB occurs in the lung. However, the two types can co-exist. Improper treatment of the disease is fatal and may lead to death. Its spread through the air makes it transmittable through coughs, sneeze and other respiratory droplets. It is recorded that in every ten case of TB, half the number that is left untreated leads to 50% deaths (WHO, 2011, p. 3). A third of the whole world’s population is assumed to be affected by M. tuberculosis. Approximations of 1% of new infections are known to occur each year (WHO, 2002, p. 4). In 2007, 13.7million cases of active chronic infections were reported globally. However, in 2010, the number reduced to 8.8 million cases with an approximation of about 1.5 million global deaths. Most of the cases

Topic relating to Thanatology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Topic relating to Thanatology - Essay Example Thanatology is derived from the Greek word â€Å"Thanatos† which literally means death. It is the scientific study of death and all other events that are associated with it. This study is interdisciplinary in nature and encompasses the events that precede the death of an individual and those that happen after death. It also takes a keen look at the society’s reaction to death and other rituals that happen during this sad period. The grief that hits the family members, close friends and colleagues is also captured in this study. Florence and Austin (2003) are of the view that death was previously ignored by philosophers due to the preoccupation with more logical aspects of life most of which bring pleasure and keep pain away. They argue that man is naturally tempted to talk about things that bring pleasure and avoid those that bring pain. The two also point out that individuals (especially in Africa) avoid the subject of death because they believe that the mere mention of the name attracts misfortune. However with time, people begun to appreciate the inevitable and hence the study of thanatology was accepted in the modern society. Today it is a core subject in the medical profession. It is studied by nurses, psychologists as well as psychiatrists with the sole aim of helping individuals handle death and its ripple effects. Asked how they wished to die in a random radio interview, people gave various responses. Some said that they would wish to die in their sleep while others said that they would rather say goodbye to this world courtesy of an airplane accident. Others pointed out that they would wish that Jesus comes back and gave them their judgment while still alive. Quite a number said that they would rather not discuss the subject. As evident in the radio interview, the issue of death draws mixed reactions and emotions among different people. Philosophers argue that the manner in which one dies determines the emotion