My writing ritual

The writing process Is new to me since Vie been out of school for 2 plus years. I am a new writer thus I am learning new writing techniques that produces a more unique personalized writing for me. The new technique I have learned Is writing rituals which are a detailed act or series of acts carried out by an Individual to relieve anxiety or to forestall the development of anxiety. Also (psycho) any repetitive behavior, such as hand-washing, performed by a person with a compulsive personality disorder.These steps will explain its self and it'll show how it can also be plied to your everyday life. The rituals I use help to relieve stress when writing and is very important doing so. Although the steps I take are very tedious and well- structured, I put myself in a mind to produce well papers that represent not only me as a student but as a creative mouth piece generating an art. In order to succeed with a well-grounded paper I use these steps that I will explain in detail in following p ages. Introduction As for me to begin my process to write, I prepare my mind, body, and soul.Whether, for homework, a speech, guidelines, or announcements, I have to prepare yeses or I won't be able to focus and be easily distracted. I've noticed my preparations have made my writing extremely successful. These steps will explain it and it'll show how it can also be applied to your everyday life. Step by Step Beginning my days at 6 A. M. Get dressed, brush my teeth and wash my face. Then, I go downstairs to make coffee. I like everything to be clean and organized so I clean the kitchen, put all the clean dishes away (from the day before) and fix the couch.I make my coffee and go back upstairs. I play Soft Charlatans music to set the atmosphere. So I'm not so tense while I'm writing, I use the yoga ball to stretch my muscles. Then, I set up my computer, take out my notes that Ill need, and look at the assignments that are due. If I get overwhelmed, I like to go for a walk and think ab out the assignment. I ask myself how I can complete it successfully, have I ever done this type of assignment before, and can it be applied to reality? I also do research to further my understanding and to make sure I have the right ideas for the assignment.Before I get started, I like to get a cold glass of water, some fruit, rackets, or peanuts so I wont lose my focus. Think of this as food for thought! And these are my steps to succeed. With the writing rituals I listed above show what I use to create assignments and how important they are to me producing a well-organized paper. I like to succeed; I take my education very seriously so this exercise has shown me that I'm going down the right path. During this course, Vie learned in order to succeed; I have to take extra steps to accomplish my goals. I think this course has helped me improve in all aspects of my life.

Eco Study Question

The affordable bundle that yields the greatest satisfaction to the consumer is: Answer | | the maximum bundle. | | | the equilibrium consumption bundle. | | | the allowable purchasing bundle. | | | the most popular bundle. | Given that income is $500 and PX = $20 and PY = $5, what is the market rate of substitution between goods X and Y? Answer | | 100. | | | 4. | | | -20. | | | 25. | The budget set defines the combinations of good X and Y that Answer | | are desirable to the consumer. | | | are affordable to the consumer. | | | maximizes consumer's utility. | | | maximizes supplier's profit. |The difference between a price decrease and an increase in income is that Answer | | A price decrease does not affect the consumption of other goods while an increase in income does. | | | An increase in income does not affect the slope of the budget line while a decrease in price does change the slope. | | | A price decrease decreases real income while an increase in income increases real inco me. | | | A price decrease leaves real income unchanged while an increase in income increases real income. | All else held constant, as additional firms enter an industry Answer | | more output is available at each given price. | | less output is available at each given price. | | | the same output is available at each given price. | | | output could increase or decrease at each given price. | | | | The law of demand states that, holding all else constant: Answer | | as price falls, demand will fall also. | | | as price rises, demand will also rise. | | | price has no effect on quantity demanded. | | | as price falls, quantity demanded rises. | The economic principle that producers are willing to produce more output when price is high is depicted by the: Answer | | upward slope of the supply curve. | | | extreme steepness of the supply curve. | | downward slope of the supply curve. | | | interaction of the supply and demand curves. | Good X is a normal good if an increase in income leads to Answer | | an increase in the supply for good X. | | | an increase in the demand for good X. | | | a decrease in the demand for good X. | | | a decrease in the supply for good X. | If there are few close substitutes for a good, demand tends to be relatively Answer | | elastic. | | | inelastic. | | | unitary elastic. | | | neither elastic, inelastic nor unitary elastic. | Which of the following is used to determine the statistical significance of a regression coefficient?Answer | | t-statistic. | | | F-statistic. | | | R-square. | | | adjusted R-square. | Assume that the price elasticity of demand is -0. 75 for a certain firm's product. If the firm lowers price, the firm's managers can expect total revenue to Answer (lower than 1 so its inelastic) | | decrease| | | increase| | | remain constant| | | either increase or remain constant depending upon the size of the price decrease. | Assume that the price elasticity of demand is -2 for a certain firm's product. If the firm rai ses price, the firm's managers can expect total revenue to: Answer | | Decrease| | | Increase| | Remain constant| | | Either increase or remain constant depending upon the size of the price increase. | What is the marginal cost of producing the fifth unit? Answer | | 270. | | | 110. | | | 50. | | | 0. | Scarce resources are ultimately allocated toward the production of goods most wanted by society because: Answer | | firms attempt to maximize profits. | | | they are most efficiently utilized in these areas. | | | consumers demand inexpensive goods and services. | | | managers are benevolent. | The additional cost incurred by using an additional unit of the managerial control variable is defined as the: Answer | total cost. | | | net cost. | | | net benefit. | | | marginal cost. | Which is the correct statement about the relationship between government and the market? Answer | | Government should intervene on the consumers' behalf. | | | Government should intervene on the producers' behalf. | | | Government should not intervene on any party's behalf. | | | Government often plays a role in disciplining the market process. | Suppose the long-run average cost curve is U-shaped. When LRAC is in the increasing stage, there exist Answer | | economies of scope. | | | diseconomies of scope. | | economies of scale. | | | diseconomies of scale. | Fixed costs exist only in: Answer | | The long run. | | | Capital intensive markets. | | | The short run. | | | Labor intensive markets. | If the marginal product per dollar spent on capital is less than the marginal product per dollar spent on labor, then in order to minimize costs the firm should use Answer | | less capital and more labor. | | | less labor and more capital. | | | less labor and less capital. | | | more labor and more capital. | Suppose the marginal product of labor is 10 and the marginal product of capital is 8.If the wage rate is $5 and the price of capital is $2, then in order to minimize costs the firm shou ld use Answer | | more capital and less labor. | | | more labor and less capital. | | | equal amounts of labor and capital. | | | none of the statements associated with this question are correct. | A price decrease causes a consumer's â€Å"real† income to: Answer | | increase. | | | decrease. | | | remain unchanged. | | | decrease or increase depending on the size of the price change. | The idea that a consumer is limited to selecting a bundle of goods that is affordable is captured by the: Answer | budget constraint. | | | indifference curve. | | | consumer equilibrium. | | | price changes. | Suppose market demand and supply are given by Qd = 100 – 2P and QS = 5 + 3P. If a price ceiling of $15 is imposed, Answer | | there will be a surplus of 40 units. | | | there will be neither a surplus or shortage. | | | there will be a shortage of 40 units. | | | there will be a shortage of 20 units. | The minimum legal price that can be charged in a market is: Answer | | a pric e floor. | | | a price ceiling. | | | non-pecuniary price. | | | full economic price. | Suppose that good X is a substitute for good Y.Then an increase in the price of good Y leads to Answer | | an increase in the demand of good X. | | | a decrease in the demand of good X. | | | a decrease in the supply of good X. | | | an increase in the supply of good X. | In a competitive market, the market demand is Qd = 60 – 6P and the market supply is Qs = 4P. A price ceiling of $3 will result in a Answer | | shortage of 30 units. | | | shortage of 15 units. | | | surplus of 30 units. | | | surplus of 12 units| As the usage of an input increases, marginal product Answer | | initially increases then begins to decline. | | initially decreases then begins to increase. | | | consistently decreases. | | | consistently increases. | Costs that are forever lost after they have been paid are: Answer | | Production costs. | | | Fixed costs. | | | Sunk costs. | | | Variable costs. | The maximum am ount of output that can be produced with K units of capital and L units of labor is the: Answer | | Production function. | | | Technological constraint. | | | Research and development schedule. | | | Total product. | An isocost line Answer | | represents the combinations of w and K that cost the firm the same amount of money. | | represents the combinations of K and L that cost the firm the same amount of money. | | | represents the combinations of r and w that cost the firm the same amount of money. | | | has a convex shape. | Demand is more inelastic in the short-term because consumers: Answer | | are impatient. | | | have no time to find available substitutes. | | | are present-oriented. | | | are neither impatient, have no time to find available substitutes nor are present-oriented. | Which of the following factors would not affect the own-price elasticity of a good? Answer | | Time. | | | Price of an input. | | Available substitutes. | | | Expenditure share. | Use the figure ab ove to calculate the income elasticity of demand when income increases from $25,000 to $30,000. Answer | | -0. 10 | | | -1. 10 | | | 0. 1818 | | | 0. 20 | | | 1. 10| ? As a rule-of-thumb, a parameter estimate is statistically different from zero when the absolute value of the t-statistic is: Answer | | zero. | | | less than one. | | | greater than or equal to one. | | | greater than or equal to two. | In order to maximize net benefits, firms should produce where: Answer | | total benefits equal total costs. | | | profits are zero. | | marginal cost is minimized. | | | marginal benefits equal marginal costs| | | | Scarce resources are ultimately allocated toward the production of goods most wanted by society because: Answer | | firms attempt to maximize profits. | | | they are most efficiently utilized in these areas. | | | consumers demand inexpensive goods and services. | | | managers are benevolent. | Generally when calculating profits as total revenue minus total costs, accountin g profits are larger than economic profits because economists take into account Answer | | only explicit costs. | | | only implicit costs. | | both explicit and implicit costs. | | | both types of profits are always equal because they account for the same costs. | | | | To an economist, maximizing profit is: Answer | | maximizing the value of the firm. | | | maximizing the current year's profits. | | | minimizing the permanent total costs. | | | minimizing the future risks| At the point of consumer equilibrium the slope of the budget line is equal to the: Answer | | market rate of substitution. | | | indifference curve. | | | marginal rate of substitution. | | | consumer preference. | If the price of good X increases, what will happen to the budget line?Answer | | It will have a parallel shift inward. | | | It will have a parallel shift outward. | | | It will become steeper. | | | It will become flatter. | The possible goods and services a consumer can afford to consume represents t he: Answer | | consumer behavior. | | | consumer preferences. | | | consumer status. | | | consumer opportunities. | | | | | | | At what level of output does marginal cost equal marginal revenue? Answer | | 1. | | | 2. | | | 3. | | | 4. | If marginal benefits exceed marginal costs, it is profitable to: Answer | | increase Q. | | | decrease Q. | | | stay at that level of Q. | | all of the statements associated with this question are correct| The change in total output attributable to the last unit of an input is the: Answer | | Total product. | | | Average product. | | | Marginal product. | | | Marginal return. | The combinations of inputs that produce a given level of output are depicted by: Answer | | Indifference curves. | | | Budget lines. | | | Isocost curves. | | | Isoquants. | ? Suppose the demand for good X is given by Qdx = 20 – 4Px + 2Py + M. The price of good X is $5, the price of good Y is $15, and income is $150. Given these prices and income, how much of good X w ill be purchased?Answer | | 160. | | | 180. | | | 220. | | | None of the statements associated with this question are correct. | Which of the following pairs of goods are probably complements? Answer | | televisions and roller skates. | | | frozen yogurt and ice cream. | | | steak and chicken. | | | hamburgers and ketchup. | A change in income will not lead to: Answer | | a movement along the demand curve. | | | a leftward shift of the demand curve. | | | a rightward shift of the demand curve. | | | all of the statements associated with the question are correct. | Suppose market demand and supply are given by Qd = 100 – 2P and QS = 5 + 3P.The equilibrium price is: Answer | | $15. | | | $19. | | | $17. | | | $20. | The quantity consumed of a good is relatively unresponsive to changes in price whenever demand is: Answer | | elastic. | | | unitary. | | | falling. | | | inelastic. | In the figure above, what is the point price elasticity of demand when price is $60? Answer | | -0 . 50 | | | -0. 75 | | | -1. 00 | | | -1. 60 | | | -2. 00| Demand is perfectly elastic when the absolute value of the own price elasticity of demand is: Answer | | zero. | | | one. | | | infinite. | | | unknown. | Which of the following provides a measure of the overall fit of a regression?Answer | | t-statistic. | | | F-statistic and R-Square. | | | p-value. | | | the t-statistic and the p-value. | | | | When marginal revenue is positive, demand is Answer Selected Answer: elastic. The short run response of quantity demanded to a change in price is usually: Answer Selected Answer: Less than the long run response. Suppose demand is given by Q xd = 50 – 4Px + 6Py + Ax, where Px = $4, Py = $2, and Ax = $50. What is the quantity demanded of good x? Answer Selected Answer: 96. A price elasticity of zero corresponds to a demand curve that is: Answer Selected Answer: VerticalEconomics Answer Selected Answer: exists because of the scarcity. Good A is an inferior good, an increase in i ncome leads to: Answer Selected Answer: a decrease in the demand for good A. A price ceiling is Answer Selected Answer: the maximum legal price that can be charged in a market. A floor price is Answer Selected Answer: the minimum legal price that can be charged in a market. Suppose the demand for X is given by Qxd = 100 – 2PX + 4PY + 10M + 2A, where PX represents the price of good X, PY is the price of good Y, M is income and A is the amount of advertising on good X.Based on this information, we know that good X is a Answer Selected Answer: substitute for good Y and a normal good. The law of supply states that, holding all else constant, as the price of a good falls: Answer Selected Answer: quantity supplied falls. If the marginal product per dollar spent on capital is less than the marginal product per dollar spent on labor, then in order to minimize costs the firm should use Answer Selected Answer: less labor and more capital. Which of the following â€Å"costs† coul d a firm that wants to remain in business avoid if it halted current production? Answer Selected Answer:Variable costs. The marginal rate of technical substitution Answer Selected Answer: is the absolute value of the slope of the isoquant. Accounting profits are: Answer Selected Answer: total revenue minus total cost. Which of the following is an implicit cost to a firm that produces a good or service? Answer Selected Answer: foregone profits of producing a different good or service. The elasticity that measures the responsiveness of consumer demand to changes in income is the: Answer Selected Answer: income elasticity. Demand tends to be Answer Selected Answer: more inelastic in the short-term than in the long-term.What is/are the important things that must be developed when characterizing consumer behavior? Answer Selected Answer: Consumer preferences and consumer opportunities. When quantity demanded exceeds quantity supplied Answer Selected Answer: the price is below the equilib rium price. Graphically, an increase in the number of vegetarians will cause the demand curve for Tofu (a meat substitute) to Answer Selected Answer: shift rightward. Which of the following can explain an increase in the demand for housing in retirement communities? Answer Selected Answer: An increase in the population of the elderly.Demand shifters do not include Answer Selected Answer: the price of the good. If the price of an input rises, producers are willing to produce Answer Selected Answer: less output at each given price. If marginal costs exceed marginal benefits, then: Answer Selected Answer: the firm should decrease its production level. The optimal amount of studying is determined by comparing: Answer Selected Answer: marginal benefit and the marginal cost of studying. Each week Bill buys exactly 7 bottles of cola regardless of its price. Bill's own price elasticity of demand for cola in absolute value is: AnswerSelected Answer: less than one. The long-run is defined as Answer Selected Answer: the horizon in which the manager can adjust all factors of production. Economies of scale exist whenever long-run average costs Answer Selected Answer: decrease as output is increased. Constant returns to scale exist when long-run average costs Answer Selected Answer: remain constant as output is increased. Consumers adjust their purchasing behavior so that: Answer Selected Answer: the ratio of prices they pay equals their marginal rate of substitution. The demand curve for a good is horizontal when it is: Answer Selected Answer: perfectly elastic good. The cross price elasticity of demand between goods X and Y is -3. 5. If the price of X decreases by 7%, the quantity demanded of Y will: Answer Selected Answer: decrease by 24. 5%. If the absolute value of the own price elasticity of demand is greater than one, then demand is said to be Answer Selected Answer: elastic. If consumers expect future prices to be higher Answer Selected Answer: stockpiling will happ en when products are durable in nature. The market supply curve indicates the total quantity all producers in a competitive market would produce at each price, AnswerSelected Answer: allowing input price to vary. Technological advances will cause the supply curve to: Answer Selected Answer: shift to the right. The demand curve for a good is horizontal when it is: Answer Selected Answer: a perfectly elastic good. The market supply curve indicates the total quantity all producers in a competitive market would produce at each price, Answer Selected Answer: holding all supply shifters fixed. When government imposes a price floor above the market price, the result will be that Answer Selected Answer: surpluses occur. If income increases, the budget lineAnswer Selected Answer: shifts to the right. The value of marginal product of an input is the value of the Answer Selected Answer: output produced by the last unit of an input. Which of the following conditions is true when a producer mini mizes the cost of producing a given level of output? Answer Selected Answer: The marginal product per dollar spent on all inputs is equal and the MRTS is equal to the ratio of the quantity of inputs. Since most consumers spend very little on salt, a small increase in the price of salt will Answer Selected Answer: not reduce quantity demanded by very much.The elasticity which shows the responsiveness of the demand for a good due to changes in the price of a related good is the: Answer Selected Answer: cross-price elasticity. Good X is a normal good if an increase in income leads to Answer Selected Answer: an increase in the demand for good X. If A and B are complements, an increase in the price of good A would: Answer Selected Answer: lead to a decrease in demand for B. For a wood furniture manufacturer, an increase in the cost of lumber will cause the supply curve to:Answer Selected Answer: shift to the left.Which of the following conditions is true when a producer minimizes the cos t of producing a given level of output? Answer Selected Answer: The marginal product per dollar spent on all inputs is equal. The long-run is defined as Answer Selected Answer: the horizon in which the manager can adjust all factors of production. What is the horizontal intercept of the budget line, given that M = $1,000, PX = $50, and PY = $40? Answer Selected Answer: 20. 0. Given that income is $750 and PX = $32 and PY = $8, what is the market rate of substitution between goods X and Y? Answer Selected Answer: 4

School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

School - Essay Example Teen Court is held in the court room at the Easton court house. Teen Court is similar to a normal court, but the judge, jury, and lawyers are all kids, 14-17 years old. When I went to Teen Court, some of my classmates were lawyers, and another was the Judge. I was given a chance to explain what happened at the party, and I was questioned by my lawyer and the opposing lawyer. When my case had been heard, I was sentenced by the jury. They sentenced me to serve on three Teen Court juries, and to do thirty-five hours of community service. To make things worse, my parents were out of out of town and my grandmother was staying with me. I was so upset over this I did not know what to do. I wanted to tell my parents when they called, but decided to wait so that I wouldn't ruin their trip. It was on my mind so much I couldn't sleep, and I felt terrible that I had let my parents down. I was also worried that I would not be able to play basketball at school. I love playing basketball; it's one of my favorite sports. Thinking about how I had done something stupid that might ruin my future dream of playing basketball at college was a real eye-opener for me. I have never driven while under the influence nor have I ridden with anyone when they were drinking and driving.

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The Organization of African Unity Known as African Union Research Paper - 1

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Should state legislatures be removed from the redistricting process for congress and their own seats and would doing so improve - Essay Example In the US, redistricting is fundamentally political because legislators are responsible to draw electoral districts in many states. Courts have been intervening in the process to a great extent. These aspects of redistricting are inter-related and have made the process highly controversial because the outcomes are mostly prejudiced in favoring one political party over another. Redistricting matters a lot because people’s representatives in the state and federal governments frame regulations, which impact several issues such as taxes, security, prices and the environment in which people live. This paper will examine whether state legislatures should be removed from the redistricting process for Congress and whether doing so will improve the public policy process. Main Body Elections are held at regular intervals in ensuring that people’s representatives work towards welfare activities. All state legislators and many legislators in the Congress represent districts that pa rtition states and voters into geographical regions. In majority districts, voters are eventually represented by legislators that win the maximum votes. The manner in which voters are assembled into districts has a strong bearing on the people that will represent them and the kind of policies they will follow. For instance, a district comprising mainly of farmers will, in all probability elect a legislator who will work towards their cause. But a district that comprises of mainly urban citizens would in all probability elect a person who has different concerns. In similar vein, regions characterized with groups of similar language, ethnicity, race and political lineage will probably elect a person with similar characteristics. Therefore, the manner in which the districts are created can impact the constitution of the legislature. It is thus apparent that there would be different legislators if the districts are drawn in different ways. The process of redistricting mostly draws a lot of attention and controversies are created because the process determines the communities that will be represented and the laws that will be made (Griffith, 2011). Redistricting is resorted to in the United States in reacting to change in populations that are determined by the outcomes of the census. The state legislature is vested with the authority to create redistricting plans that are in some cases subject to the governor’s approval. Every state in the US has its own law and constitutional requirements to redistrict. There are some aspects of the law concerning the federal government that have been introduced following decisions by the US Supreme Court. The Congress established the Voting Rights Act in 1965 that was amended in 1982. The Congress also exerts some control in the context of putting restrictions on the creation of electoral boundaries during the redistricting process. The courts in the US have played a major role in developing and interpreting redistricting laws. Essentially, a redistricting plan should create districts that have a balanced population and should not reduce the say of minority voters. In order to improve upon the public policy process, the redistricting plan should give credence to conventional redistricting issues such as contiguity, density and respect towards political subdivisions and communities (Canon, 1999). According to Halper and Simon (2011), removing state

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Educational Issue in the U.S. Supreme Court - Essay Example In the words of the new Chief Justice at the time, John Roberts, "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.† This is a key remark and the key to understanding the view the court has taken of race and education since the landmark ruling of Brown v. Board of Education. What this really means for classroom practice is that we should see students for all that they are, not just the colour of their skin. Many people who wanted to so-called public school choice plans were keen to get more diversity in their school districts. That’s not a bad idea, but as with so many things when you being to legislate something that doesn’t always obvious follow. The government is not the best way to go about such business. Diversity is a lot more than race and using such superficial qualifications to impose diversity would likely not create diversity in the first place. The court ruled that looking on at race in the drive for greater diversity was unconstitutional and effectively a reversal of Brown v. Board of Education. Justice Breyer used a phrase, "Never in the history of the court have so few done so much so quickly." And he was talking about Chief Justice Roberts and Justice [Samuel] Alito making this court a far more conservative institution in just one year. And at that phrase, "And never have so few done so much so quickly," both Justice Alito and Chief Justice Roberts looked over at Breyer and went, whoa, thats pretty personal by the standards of the Supreme Court. (Toobin, 2007) It is clear that some parents may still have different views of what diversity means compared to the court and would like impose more racial diversity even if it means limiting students choice. It is important to be mindful of this. What this case also means is that there is a little bit of a rollback of the Nanny State is on that uses excessive state controls, be they regulations or laws, to restrict its

Torture Definition Essay Example for Free

Torture Definition Essay According to David Luban, â€Å"Torture used to be incompatible with American values. Our Bill of Rights forbids cruel and unusual punishmentAmericans and our government have historically condemned states that (practice) torture; we have granted asylum or refuge to those who fear it† (Luban, 1425).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But after 9/11, the American public was divided over the issue of the torture of prisoners of war or civilians suspected of being involved in terrorist activities. The torture debate intensified with the emergence of media exposes regarding the inhumane treatment of prisoners in US military jails such as Guantanamo (2002) and Abu Ghraib (2004). Indeed, is torture justifiable if it was committed by the country that prides itself as the worlds bastion of democracy and human rights?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The 1984 United Nations Convention against Torture (UNCAT) provided the following definitions of torture: â€Å"Any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession† (Garcia, 5); â€Å"Punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind† (Garcia, 5); â€Å"When such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions (Garcia, 5).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Torture reinforces the notion that slaves should be subjugated completely (Luban, 1432). Hence, when a person is tortured, he or she is transformed into a slave – an isolated, overwhelmed, terrorized and humiliated individual, stripped of any semblance of dignity (Luban, 1432). It is from the dynamics of the master-slave relationship that David Luban (2005) based the five aims of torture: Victor’s Pleasure – In his article Liberalism, Torture and the Ticking Time Bomb (2005), Luban argued that â€Å"the predominant setting for torture has always been military victory† (Luban, 1432). Torture, therefore, is the torturer’s way of relieving military victory and establishing his superiority over the faction he defeated (Luban, 1432). Terror – Dictators such as Adolf Hitler, Augusto Pinochet and Saddam Hussein tortured their political prisoners to warn people that anyone who opposed them will share the same fate. Terror can easily subdue a population than the idea that dissidents will be dealt with humanely upon capture. Punishment – Until the last two centuries, criminal offences were punishable with torture (Luban, 1433). But as society became increasingly industrialized (and adopted liberal polities in the process), the concept of torture as a form of criminal punishment was discarded. The French historian and philosopher Michel Foucault explained that this was so because torture was â€Å"a ritual of royal dominance and royal revenge, acted out in public spectacle to shock and awe the multitude† (Luban, 1434). In a liberal democracy, where there is emphasis on popular sovereignty, it is the people who decide how criminals should be penalized. Hence, the concept of using torture to impress the majority became pointless. Extracting Confessions – Before the advent of liberalism, â€Å"legal rules required either multiple eyewitnesses or confessions for criminal convictions† (Luban, 1435). Torture was necessary to achieve these two (Luban, 1435). But in a liberal society, a guilty verdict can be derived from different kinds of evidence that are proven to be credible, instead of just relying on a confession. Hence, torture was no longer needed to secure a conviction. Intelligence Gathering – Luban defined this aim as â€Å"the only one rationale for torture that might conceivably be acceptable to a liberal† (Luban, 1436). However, this motive is dangerous as it rationalizes an act that is strictly prohibited in every global human rights agreement (Geneva Convention, UNCAT, Rome Statute, etc.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For Luban, the liberals banned torture because it is the microcosm of a tyranny (Luban, 1430). Torture is an integral component of all the evils of an absolutist rule – military conquest, regal punishment, dictatorial terror, forced confessions and the repression of dissident belief (Luban, 1438). Torture victims are â€Å"isolated and reduced instead of engaged and enlarged, terrified instead of active, humiliated instead of dignified,† in sharp contrast to the liberals’ idea of all human beings bearing an innate dignity regardless of race, creed or social status (Luban, 1433). Furthermore, torture is the starkest manifestation of a tyrannical leader – one who takes pleasure in degrading those who oppose his rule (Luban, 1433).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But what if torture was used to supposedly obtain information that will deter future terrorist attacks? Luban argued that this was the premise of the â€Å"liberal ideology of torture† (Luban, 1439). The â€Å"liberal ideology of torture† asserts that torture was necessary for â€Å"intelligence gathering to prevent a catastrophe† (Luban, 1439). Furthermore, torture should not be associated with state tyranny because it was motivated by self-defense and not by cruelty (Luban, 1439).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Torture became part of the â€Å"War on Terrorism† because the latter operated on the war model, which argued that fallen or captured combatants can be replaced by other combatants (May, 310). Hence, the fate that the captured terrorist will experience while in incarceration can serve as a warning to those who will take his place (May, 310). However, this conclusion is based on the premise that the captured terrorist has already been proven to be a real terrorist. What if the torture victim was not a terrorist, but someone who was just suspected to be a terrorist? Under the guises of â€Å"intelligence gathering† and â€Å"preventing terrorism,† the suspected terrorist’s rights to life, counsel and due process were violated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Torture defeats terrorism at the expense of civil liberties. To make matters worse, the Bush administration wants to make it appear that the United States is exempted from every international law governing human rights. William T. Cavanaugh (2005) elaborates: Many would appeal to what has been called American exceptionalism, the idea that the U.S. is different from other nations and may be held to a higher standard†¦What we need is a frank recognition that America is not different. Approval of torture at the highest levels of government puts the U.S. in the same category as Chile under Pinochet, France in Algeria, Myanmar, Israel, Saudi Arabia and dozens of other countries today. Amnestys annual reports make clear that disregard of human rights in the name of national security is common†¦ (Cavanaugh, n. pag.) Indeed, Luban was right when he wrote in Liberalism†¦, â€Å"The liberal ideology of torture, which assumes that torture can be neatly confined to exceptional ticking-bomb cases and surgically severed from cruelty and tyranny, represents a dangerous delusion† (Luban, 1461). References Allhoff, F. (2005). Philosophy 9/11: Thinking about the War on Terrorism. Illinois: Open Court. BNET. (2005, January 25). Taking Exception: When Torture Becomes Thinkable. Retrieved January 27, 2008, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_2_122/ai_n9505722 Garcia, M.J. (2007). U.N. Convention against Torture (CAT): Overview and Application to Interrogation Techniques. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service. Human Rights Watch. (2005, January 7). Abu Ghraib, Darfur: Call for Prosecutions. Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   January 25, 2008, from http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/07/global9968.htm Human Rights Watch. (2005, January 5). US: Mark Five Years of Guantanamo by Closing It. Retrieved January 25, 2008, from http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/01/05/usdom14974.htm Luban, D. (2005). Liberalism, Torture and the Ticking Time Bomb. Virginia Law Review, 19,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1425-1461. May, L. (2007). War Crimes and Just War. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.

What Was the Chicano Movement?

What Was the Chicano Movement? To some of us the Chicano Movement was a period of time where historians describe as a civil rights movement. Although the Chicano Movement has open many opportunities for different cultures and ethnicity to be acknowledged, it s a fight that well always be remembered in history. What made is era between 1960s to1970s so special, is that it opens many public viewers on the Spanish community and all the obstacles that Mexican-Americans had to encountered. This gives Americans a chance to understand other peoples cultures. Society has portray America as the land of the free, but looking back at the past many different ethnicities and different skin color people had to go from end to end encountering numerous suffering and pain in order to have the freedom they do today. Taking into consideration that some people today still take the Chicano Movement in vein, failing to understand its impact. Although at the heat of the battle many Mexican-Americans gave up hope and faith in their community. In spite of this, there is still some Latinos left that was willing to fight until the end. A man that believes in what is justified and moral; and that man is Cesar Chavez. The Chicano Movement inCalifornia started in the 1960s when Cesar Chavez led the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee. He organized the farm workers in the central valley of California. Chavezs main strategy for the farm worker was to focus most his ideas into the strikes, boycotts, and committing himself not use violence, and the importance of having faith and praying to achieve his goal. Not only was Cesar Chavez a big influence to the Mexican community, other organizations such M.E.cH.A, and New Raza Left had a major impact too. M.E.cH.A, (Movimento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan) is an organization that search for and help students from high school and colleges understand the importance of Mexican-Americans culture. On the other hand, the New Raza Left was an organization that helps the Latinos community. The purpose of this organization is to close the issues in California to the anti-immigration Proposition 187, as well ass the anti-affirmative action Proposition 209, and the anti-bilingual education Proposition 227. Importantly this organization has help fought against colleges and universities that refused to educated the mistreating of different ethnic such as; Mexican-Americans, Asian-Americans and African-Americans. In the spirit of the Chicano Movement it help colleges and universities to have an open mind on a higher level of education that led to the foundation of the Chicano studies. During the 1960s until now many Mexican Americans has fought their heart out to have the right to be treated as an equal, not gather than or less than any human being. Part of the Chicano Movement was to create a mixture of educational goals, cutbacks on school dropout rate, improving educational achievement, and creating a bilingual-bicultural program. While the civil rights movement was reaching across the nation and over hearingMartin Luther king non-violent protest, other ethnicity groups saw a chance to stand up and doing something for their community. Which led into aLos Angeles high school blowout in 1968. At the students walkout protest in Lincoln High School and Roosevelt the Los Angeles police officers brutally attacking several students for blocking a fire exit. During this big blow out young Mexican-Americans got to witness their peers fighting for a change. They also got to experience how the Latinos community was not respected and treated as second-rate citizens. On an interview, Rosales stated, remembers that farm workers were thought of as ignorant, lazy, stupid, and dirty. In another segment, a second interviewee recalls that being Mexican was a burden(Chicano; History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement). The Chicano movement has indeed affected and help changed California to what it is today, it was every cultural as well a following movement helping to create a new global cultural of different individuality. The time has come for the American people to learn about the civil/human rights struggle that minorities had to face. What is now consider a mistake in the past, is knowledge to the future that will help young students open their eyes to greater understanding of different ethnicities. Without the Chicano Movement, young Mexican-American would not understand the value of their freedom. Whereas, in todays world many of us are free to live among any different nationalities. The reason we have this freedom, is because of all the hard works that our ancestors had to go through in order for this generation to not suffer the same pain they went through. In todays education it is more rounded, meaning that in school, professors/teachers have to teach about the past history, like different cultures, religions races and etc. However, back in the 1960s many students did not get the education students have today. In a chronicle Art Fights the Power written by Sam Martian talks about a young boy (Malaquis Montoya) that also fought through the civil rights movement and was also a big part in the Chicano Movement. Like the rest of the Latinos community, struggling to live in the society of racism and discrimination. Although life was rough for Montoya he soon later get into University of Berkeley and become s professor at Davis. The government was finally beginning to recognize the problems that were being brought into the mainstream of society. People that were not of Mexican descent were shown what was happening in other social and economic groups. Local organizations gained strength and many started to campaign together in an attempt to raise public awareness. Education was at the top of this organizations priority list. People actively involved in the movement saw the need for a change in the system that for so long satisfied a narrow-minded society. There are several events that initially sparked the kindling of the Chicano Movement. The huge outcry by lower-middle class Mexican citizens was publicized more as people began to take action. These actions were not always legal or morally justified, but they did show the power behind the movement. The public saw many acts of violence against policemen and white businessmen. These acts were often the only thing seen by the general public, due in part to the press. There was much more to the movement than just this, however. Education for Mexican-Americans, or Chicanos, was something that was fought long and hard for. Years of oppression and social inequality were ingredients for an unpleasant time of protest, and violence, and incriminating actions. For many years, Chicanos in California and the Southwest had to deal with segregation, police brutality, and unlawful convictions. The children were thought of as future laborers so they werent taught with the same standards as other children. There was an ongoing struggle with Chicanos all over the country along with the African-Americans who felt cheated in similar ways to gain the civil rights that the Anglos had. These actions were eventually brought to the attention of The Supreme Court and overturned and set new standards for the events to come. The 1960s were a time of movement and struggle for the Chicanos in the United States. Chicano students felt that they were being deprived their education and that it was becoming a big problem. This had been the first time that they had actually begun making actions since there were some in college, and they realized that what was being done was unfair. High school students had begun to talk and begun to plan their walkouts. They had many reasons to Many schools that were predominantly made up of Mexican Americans, as well as African American were funded less than the Anglo schools of other areas. In Texas in 1970, Mexican American schools only received 3/5 of the Federal appropriations that Euro American schools were receiving. In Bexar County, a poor Chicano district, with five times less property value than the Euro American district, received less state aid per pupil than its wealthier Euro American neighbor. (Acuna, 413) The Chicanos realized that without educational equality, access to higher education was impossible. So once again, as in other instances, the people took it to the courts. This time there was more than one case involved in gaining progress. In 1968, the first case was Serrano v. Priest where John Serrano Jr. sued the California state treasurer on the grounds that his son received an inferior education in East Los Angeles because of the of the local property taxes financed the local schools. The argument was that the poor districts did not receive as much funds as the wealthier ones and in turn, the students were given the unequal treatment. He was trying to prove that money equaled education. As a result of Serrano taking his case to the Supreme Court, the court ruled in favor of Serrano stating that Californias school districts violated the state Constitutions equal protection clause by denying equal access to education. In a similar case, San Antonio School District v. Rodriguez, filed in 1968, the Supreme Court found that the U.S. Constitution did not include equal education as a fundamental right.

The Uplifting Tale of Today Will Be a Quiet Day Essay -- Today Will Be

The Uplifting Tale of Today Will Be a Quiet Day  Ã‚        Ã‚   Some readers see death, but when I read the story "Today Will Be a Quiet Day" by Amy Hempel, I find it to be a light hearted, first-hand account of people coping with transition. Even its location in the table of contents under the heading "Childhood and Adolescent" (Barnet), implies that the story is not about death at all. A newly defined family, one man, a boy and a girl, is faced with the aftermath of divorce and explore among themselves the intricacies of life. The story gives us sublime but keen insight into the transition and adjustments these three people make in this story. The children’s transition is marked by a rivalry, one that surfaces early on in the story and is portrayed through delightful banter and retorts. The children’s bantering relieves some stress created by the unknown tiny steps they are taking in establishing a new type of relationship with their father in the absence of their mother. At no time do the children’s harmless antics towards one another escalate as indicated by critic Tara Baker when she explains that their arguments become deeper than the usual childish bickering. Baker seems to believe the children’s digs into one another are being fueled by difficult situations they have had to deal with lately (170). Brian Motzenbecker supports my idea that the parents are divorced but finds symbolism in what the children discuss and the father’s "quips" (174). I can suggest to the contrary that these stories within the story are meaningful but not symbolic at all. The rapid succession of jumping from one topic to the next suggests to me that the need for conversation without a break is necessary. It keeps everyone from simultaneously t... ...d happily due to the father being able to encompass the entire day’s events into his affirmation. The natural resilience his children display is admirable and probably has much to do with how he and their mother raised them. They show a type of frustration that is both contained and civilized. They avoid expressing their emotions too much throughout the story. Their lives are continuing, and at this point I’m sure the children know that even their father is going to be "all right." Work Cited Baker, Tara. "Is Today Really Quiet?" Ode To Friendship Ed. Connie Bellamy. Virginia Beach: Gann Designs, 1997. Hemple, Amy. "Today Will Be a Quiet Day." Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: HarperCollins, 1991. Motzenbecker, Brian. "Does It Spell Disaster?" Ode To Friendship. Ed. Connie Bellamy. Virginia Beach: Gann Designs, 1997.      

Politics and Religion in the Herbert’s Dune Novels Essay -- Dune

Politics and Religion in the Herbert’s Dune Novels There are a variety of political and religious concepts throughout the Dune novels that varies so much through the novels which makes it a complex and cogitative science fiction series. The Dune novels are popular with many fans and partly this is due because of its political and religious structures. This essay will be focussing primarily on the first four Dune novels written by Frank Herbert. In the first novel, the Qizarate is composed of missionaries and is a religious body that carries Muad'dib's religion across the universe (Herbert Dune Messiah 8). Muad'dib is a character in three of the Dune novels and originally was named Paul Atreides who was heir to the Atreides throne of power. After living on a planet called Arrakis also known as Dune, the Fremen renamed him Muad'dib after they accepted him into their society. The Fremen are native people that had lived on Arrakis for a long time but were never political or religious leaders of the planet as they were mostly detached from off world influence. The Qizarate maintains control of the planets it occupies with Muad'dib's religion. The population of the universe see Muad'dib as their god whether they like it or not and they can not deny his power religiously. Korba, the person in charge of the Qizarate in Dune Messiah, works with Muad'dib about Muad'dib's religion and is a panegyrist who delivers eulogies and pr aise for his god (Herbert Dune Messiah 8, 57). Korba seems to be fanatically involved with this religion. Korba goes far enough to attempt to create a martyr of Muad'dib, all for the sake of his religion (Herbert Dune Messiah 9). The Bene Gesserit wanted to control the religion of the univers... ...l structure struggles with internal and external forces. The Dune series is popular because it requires the reader to think, and there is more to that than just a story. Works Cited Herbert, Frank. Children of Dune. New York : Ace Books, 1987. Herbert, Frank. Dune Messiah. New York : Berkley, 1969. Herbert, Frank. God Emperor of Dune. New York : Putnam, 1981. McLean, Susan. "A Question of Balance: Death and Immortality in Frank Herbert's Dune Series". Death and the Serpent: Immortality in Science Fiction and Fantasy. (1985): 145-152. O'Reilly, Timothy. Frank Herbert. Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., Inc. 1981. Palumbo, Donald. "The monomyth as fractal pattern in Frank Herbert's Dune novels". Science Fiction Studies 25.3 (Nov. 1998): 433-58. Touponce, William F. Frank Herbert. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1988.

Consumer Culture and Identity Essay -- Cultural Identity Essays

Introduction Fonseca (2008) defines Consumer culture as a process that â€Å"represents a condition in which consumption is seen as having the role of increasingly mediating certain aspects of social relations and consumption has the symbolic ability to represent affiliation to a certain group and its lifestyles, as well as to generate a sense of identity.† The mention of identity in Fonseca’s definition brings about an understanding of the impact consumer culture can have on social agents, and not just on the economic or capitalism that comes with consumption. This essay will discuss the relationship between Consumer culture and Identity. The essay is divided into five parts; the first section is an introduction into what Consumer culture is, the second section is also an introduction into what Identity is and how it is used in the context of the essay, the third section deals with the crisis of identity in modern day, the fourth section introduces consumption in a contemporary society, the fifth section explains the impact consumption have on identity (how we reflect on ourselves and use goods to shape our identity). This essay concludes by using Giddens (1991) argument about the modern dynamic reflectivity has an impact in the process of reconstructing ones identity when it comes in contact with the post traditional setting, to show that the relation between consumer culture and identity is that Identity is formed as consumption takes place. Introduction to Consumer Culture The word â€Å"culture† has been defined as â€Å"one of the two or three most complicated words in English Language† (William; 1958). Over the years the meaning of the word has changed and varied in different parts of the world. In 1881, Taylor defined culture a... ...society: Myths and structures (Vol. 53). Sage. Beck, U., & Beck-Gernsheim, E. (1995). The normal chaos of love. Cambridge: Polity Press. Blumer, H. (1969). Symbolic interactionism. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Davis, J. (2007). The Promise of Potential. Minnesota: JD Coaching and Consulting. Dittmar, H. 1992. The Social Psychology of Material Possessions: To Have Is To Be, Hertfordshire, Harvester Wheatsheaf. Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and self-identity: self and identity in the late modern age. Cambridge: Polity. Lury, C. 1996. Consumer Culture, Cambridge, Polity Press. Sassatelli, R. (2007). Consumer culture: History, theory and politics. Sage. Slater, D. (1997). Consumer culture and modernity. Blackwell Publishing: Malden Stryker, S. (1980). Symbolic interactionism: A social structural version. Menlo Park: Benjamin Cummings.

The Host Chapter 17: Visited

The heat hit me first-like a wall of steam, the moist, thick air rolled over me and dewed on my skin. My mouth opened automatically as I tried to pull a breath from the abruptly denser air. The smell was stronger than before-that same metallic tang that clung in my throat and flavored the water here. The murmuring babble of bass and soprano voices seemed to issue from every side, echoing off the walls. I squinted anxiously through the swirling cloud of moisture, trying to make out where the voices came from. It was bright here-the ceiling was dazzling, like in the big room but much closer. The light danced off the vapor, creating a shimmering curtain that almost blinded me. My eyes struggled to adjust, and I clutched at Jeb's hand in panic. I was surprised that the strangely fluid babble did not respond in any way to our entrance. Perhaps they couldn't see us yet, either. â€Å"It's a bit close in here,† Jeb said apologetically, fanning at the steam in front of his face. His voice was relaxed, conversational in tone, and loud enough to make me jump. He spoke as if we were not surrounded. And the babble continued, oblivious to his voice. â€Å"Not that I'm complaining,† he continued. â€Å"I'd be dead several times over if this place didn't exist. The very first time I got stuck in the caves, of course. And now, we'd never be able to hide out here without it. With no hiding place, we're all dead, right?† He nudged me with his elbow, a conspiratorial gesture. â€Å"Mighty convenient, how it's laid out. Couldn't have planned it much better if I'd sculpted it myself out of play dough.† His laugh cleared a section of mist, and I saw the room for the first time. Two rivers flowed through the dank, high-domed space. This was the chatter that filled my ears-the water gushing over and under the purple volcanic rock. Jeb spoke as if we were alone because we were. It was really only one river and one small stream. The stream was closest; a shallow braided ribbon of silver in the light from above, coursing between low stone banks that it seemed constantly in danger of overrunning. A feminine, high-pitched murmur purred from its gentle ripples. The male, bass gurgle came from the river, as did the thick clouds of vapor that rose from the gaping holes in the ground by the far wall. The river was black, submerged under the floor of the cavern, exposed by wide, round erosions along the length of the room. The holes looked dark and dangerous, the river barely visible as it rushed powerfully toward an invisible and unfathomable destination. The water seemed to simmer, such was the heat and steam it produced. The sound of it, too, was like that of boiling water. From the ceiling hung a few long, narrow stalactites, dripping toward the stalagmites beneath each one. Three of them had met, forming thin black pillars between the two bodies of flowing water. â€Å"Got to be careful in here,† Jeb said. â€Å"Quite a current in the hot spring. If you fall in, you're gone. Happened once before.† He bowed his head at the memory, his face sober. The swift black eddies of the subterranean river were suddenly horrible to me. I imagined being caught in their scalding current and shuddered. Jeb put his hand lightly on my shoulder. â€Å"Don't worry. Just watch your step and you'll be fine. Now,† he said, pointing to the far end of the cavern, where the shallow stream ran into a dark cave, â€Å"the first cave back there is the bathing room. We've dug the floor out to make a nice, deep tub. There's a schedule for taking baths, but privacy's not usually an issue-it's black as pitch. The room's nice and warm so close to the steam, but the water won't burn you like the hot spring here. There's another cave just past that one, through a crevice. We've widened the entrance up to a comfortable size. That room is the farthest we can follow the stream-it drops underground there. So we've got that room fixed up as the latrine. Convenient and sanitary.† His voice had assumed a complacent tone, as if he felt credit was due to him for nature's creations. Well, he had discovered and improved the place-I supposed some pride was justified. â€Å"We don't like to waste batteries, and most of us know the floor here by heart, but since it's your first time, you can find your way with this.† Jeb pulled a flashlight from his pocket and held it out. The sight of it reminded me of the moment he'd found me dying in the desert, when he'd checked my eyes and known what I was. I didn't know why the memory made me sad. â€Å"Don't get any crazy ideas about maybe the river taking you out of here or something. Once that water goes underground, it doesn't come back up,† he cautioned me. Since he seemed to be waiting for some acknowledgment of his warning, I nodded once. I took the flashlight from his hand slowly, being careful not to make any quick movements that might startle him. He smiled in encouragement. I followed his directions quickly-the sound of the rushing water was not making my discomfort any easier to bear. It felt very strange to be out of his sight. What if someone had hidden in these caves, guessing I would have to come here eventually? Would Jeb hear the struggle over the cacophony of the rivers? I shone the flashlight all around the bathing room, looking for any sign of an ambush. The odd flickering shadows it made were not comforting, but I found no substance to my fears. Jeb's tub was more the size of a small swimming pool and black as ink. Under the surface, a person would be invisible as long as they could hold their breath†¦ I hurried through the slender crack at the back of the room to escape my imaginings. Away from Jeb, I was nearly overwhelmed with panic-I couldn't breathe normally; I could barely hear over the sound of my pulse racing behind my ears. I was more running than walking when I made my way back to the room with the rivers. To find Jeb standing there, still in the same pose, still alone, was like a balm to my splintered nerves. My breathing and my heartbeat slowed. Why this crazy human should be such a comfort to me, I couldn't understand. I supposed it was like Melanie had said, desperate times. â€Å"Not too shabby, eh?† he asked, a grin of pride on his face. I nodded once again and returned the flashlight. â€Å"These caves are a great gift,† he said as we started back toward the dark passageway. â€Å"We wouldn't be able to survive in a group like this without them. Magnolia and Sharon were getting along real well-shockingly well-up there in Chicago, but they were pushing their luck hiding two. It's mighty nice to have a community again. Makes me feel downright human.† He took my elbow once more as we climbed the rough stair-case out. â€Å"I'm sorry about the, um, accommodations we've got you in. It was the safest place I could think of. I'm surprised those boys found you as quick as they did.† Jeb sighed. â€Å"Well, Kyle gets real†¦ motivated. But I suppose it's all for the best. Might as well get used to how things are going to be. Maybe we can find something more hospitable for you. I'll think on it†¦ While I'm with you, at least, you don't really have to cram yourself into that little hole. You can sit in the hall with me if you prefer. Though with Jared†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off. I listened to his apologetic words in wonder; this was so much more kindness than I'd hoped for, more compassion than I'd thought this species was capable of giving their enemies. I patted the hand on my elbow lightly, hesitantly, trying to convey that I understood and wouldn't cause a problem. I was sure Jared much preferred to have me out of sight. Jeb had no trouble translating my wordless communication. â€Å"That's a good girl,† he said. â€Å"We'll figure this all out somehow. Doc can just concentrate on healin' human folks. You're much more interesting alive, I think.† Our bodies were close enough that he was able to feel me tremble. â€Å"Don't worry. Doc's not going to bother you now.† I couldn't stop shivering. Jeb could only promise me now. There was no guarantee that Jared would not decide my secret was more important than protecting Melanie's body. I knew that such a fate would make me wish Ian had succeeded last night. I swallowed, feeling the bruising that seemed to go all the way through my neck to the inside walls of my throat. You never know how much time you'll have, Melanie had said so many days ago, when my world was still under control. Her words echoed in my head as we reentered the big room, the main plaza of Jeb's human community. It was full, like the first night, everyone there to glare at us with eyes that blazed anger and betrayal when they looked at him and murder when they looked at me. I kept my gaze down on the rock under my feet. From the corner of my eye, I could see that Jeb held his gun ready again. It was only a matter of time, indeed. I could feel it in the atmosphere of hate and fear. Jeb could not protect me long. It was a relief to scrape back through the narrow crevice, to look forward to the winding black labyrinth and my cramped hiding place; I could hope to be alone there. Behind me, a furious hissing, like a nest of goaded snakes, echoed in the big cavern. The sound made me wish Jeb would lead me through the labyrinth at a quicker pace. Jeb chuckled under his breath. He seemed to get stranger the longer I was around him. His sense of humor mystified me as much as his motivations did. â€Å"It gets a bit tedious down here sometimes, you know,† he murmured to me, or to himself. With Jeb, it was hard to tell. â€Å"Maybe when they get over being cheesed off at me, they'll realize they appreciate all the excitement I'm providing.† Our path through the dark twisted in a serpentine fashion. It didn't feel at all familiar. Perhaps he took a different route to keep me lost. It seemed to take more time than before, but finally I could see the dim blue light of the lamp shining from around the next curve. I braced myself, wondering if Jared would be there again. If he was, I knew he would be angry. I was sure he wouldn't approve of Jeb taking me for a field trip, no matter how necessary it might have been. As soon as we rounded the corner, I could see that there was a figure slumped against the wall beside the lamp, casting a long shadow toward us, but it was obviously not Jared. My hand clutched at Jeb's arm, an automatic spasm of fear. And then I really looked at the waiting figure. It was smaller than me-that was how I'd known it was not Jared-and thin. Small, but also too tall and too wiry. Even in the dim light of the blue lamp, I could see that his skin was dyed to a deep brown by the sun, and that his silky black hair now fell unkempt past his chin. My knees buckled. My hand, grasping Jeb's arm in panic, held on for support. â€Å"Well, for Pete's sake!† Jeb exclaimed, obviously irritated. â€Å"Can't nobody keep a secret around this place for more'n twenty-four hours? Gol' durn, this burns me up! Bunch of gossipmongers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off into a grumble. I didn't even try to understand the words Jeb was saying; I was locked in the fiercest battle of my life-of every life I'd ever lived. I could feel Melanie in each cell of my body. My nerve endings tingled in recognition of her familiar presence. My muscles twitched in anticipation of her direction. My lips trembled, trying to open. I leaned forward toward the boy in the hall, my body reaching because my arms would not. Melanie had learned many things the few times I'd ceded or lost my command to her, and I truly had to struggle against her-so hard that fresh sweat beaded on my brow. But I was not dying in the desert now. Nor was I weak and dizzy and taken off guard by the appearance of someone I'd given up for lost; I'd known this moment might come. My body was resilient, quick to heal-I was strong again. The strength of my body gave strength to my control, to my determination. I drove her from my limbs, chased her from every hold she'd found, thrust her back into the recesses of my mind, and chained her there. Her surrender was sudden and total. Aaah, she sighed, and it was almost a moan of pain. I felt strangely guilty as soon as I'd won. I'd already known that she was more to me than a resistant host who made life unnecessarily difficult. We'd become companions, even confidantes during our past weeks together-ever since the Seeker had united us against a common enemy. In the desert, with Kyle's knife over my head, I'd been glad that if I had to die I would not be the one to kill Melanie; even then, she was more than a body to me. But now it seemed like something beyond that. I regretted causing her pain. It was necessary, though, and she didn't seem to grasp that. Any word we said wrong, any poorly considered action would mean a quick execution. Her reactions were too wild and emotional. She would get us into trouble. You have to trust me now, I told her. I'm just trying to keep us alive. I know you don't want to believe your humans could hurt us†¦ But it's Jamie, she whispered. She yearned for the boy with an emotion so strong that it weakened my knees again. I tried to look at him impartially-this sullen-faced teenager slumped against the tunnel wall with his arms folded tightly across his chest. I tried to see him as a stranger and plan my response, or lack of response, accordingly. I tried, but I failed. He was Jamie, he was beautiful, and my arms-mine, not Melanie's-longed to hold him. Tears filled my eyes and trickled down my face. I could only hope they were invisible in the dim light. â€Å"Jeb,† Jamie said-a gruff greeting. His eyes passed swiftly over me and away. His voice was so deep! Could he really be so old? I realized with a double pang of guilt that I'd just missed his fourteenth birthday. Melanie showed me the day, and I saw that it was the same day as the first dream with Jamie. She'd struggled so hard all through the waking hours to keep her pain to herself, to cloud her memories in order to protect the boy, that he'd come out in her dream. And I'd e-mailed the Seeker. I shuddered now in disbelief that I'd ever been so callous. â€Å"Whatcha doing here, kid?† Jeb demanded. â€Å"Why didn't you tell me?† Jamie demanded back. Jeb went silent. â€Å"Was that Jared's idea?† Jamie pressed. Jeb sighed. â€Å"Okay, so you know. What good does that do you, eh? We only wanted to -â€Å" â€Å"To protect me?† he interrupted, surly. When did he get so bitter? Was it my fault? Of course it was. Melanie began sobbing in my head. It was distracting, loud-it made Jeb and Jamie's voices sound farther away. â€Å"Fine, Jamie. So you don't need protecting. What do you want?† This quick capitulation seemed to throw Jamie off. His eyes darted between Jeb's face and mine while he struggled to come up with a request. â€Å"I-I want to talk with her†¦ with it,† he finally said. His voice was higher when he was unsure. â€Å"She doesn't say much,† Jeb told him, â€Å"but you're welcome to try, kid.† Jeb pried my fingers off his arm. When he was free, he turned his back to the nearest wall, leaning into it as he eased himself to the floor. He settled in there, fidgeting until he found a comfortable position. The gun stayed balanced in the cradle of his lap. Jeb's head lolled back against the wall, and his eyes closed. In seconds, he looked like he was asleep. I stood where he'd left me, trying to keep my eyes off Jamie's face and failing. Jamie was surprised again by Jeb's easy acquiescence. He watched the old man recline on the floor with wide eyes that made him look younger. After a few minutes of perfect stillness from Jeb, Jamie looked back up at me, and his eyes tightened. The way he stared at me-angry, trying hard to be brave and grown-up, but also showing the fear and pain so clearly in his dark eyes-had Melanie sobbing louder and my knees shaking. Rather than take a chance with another collapse, I moved slowly to the tunnel wall across from Jeb and slid down to the floor. I curled up around my bent legs, trying to be as small as possible. Jamie watched me with cautious eyes and then took four slow steps forward until he stood over me. His glance flitted to Jeb, who hadn't moved or opened his eyes, and then Jamie knelt down at my side. His face was suddenly intense, and it made him look more adult than any expression yet. My heart throbbed for the sad man in the little boy's face. â€Å"You're not Melanie,† he said in a low voice. It was harder not to speak to him because I was the one who wanted to speak. Instead, after a brief hesitation, I shook my head. â€Å"You're inside her body, though.† Another pause, and I nodded. â€Å"What happened to your†¦ to her face?† I shrugged. I didn't know what my face looked like, but I could imagine. â€Å"Who did this to you?† he pressed. With a hesitant finger, he almost touched the side of my neck. I held still, feeling no urge to cringe away from this hand. â€Å"Aunt Maggie, Jared, and Ian,† Jeb listed off in a bored voice. We both jumped at the sound. Jeb hadn't moved, and his eyes were still closed. He looked so peaceful, as if he had answered Jamie's question in his sleep. Jamie waited for a moment, then turned back to me with the same intense expression. â€Å"You're not Melanie, but you know all her memories and stuff, right?† I nodded again. â€Å"Do you know who I am?† I tried to swallow the words, but they slipped through my lips. â€Å"You're Jamie.† I couldn't help how my voice wrapped around the name like a caress. He blinked, startled that I had broken my silence. Then he nodded. â€Å"Right,† he whispered back. We both looked at Jeb, who remained still, and back at each other. â€Å"Then you remember what happened to her?† he asked. I winced, and then nodded slowly. â€Å"I want to know,† he whispered. I shook my head. â€Å"I want to know,† Jamie repeated. His lips trembled. â€Å"I'm not a kid. Tell me.† â€Å"It's not†¦ pleasant,† I breathed, unable to stop myself. It was very hard to deny this boy what he wanted. His straight black eyebrows pulled together and up in the middle over his wide eyes. â€Å"Please,† he whispered. I glanced at Jeb. I thought that maybe he was peeking from between his lashes now, but I couldn't be sure. My voice was soft as breathing. â€Å"Someone saw her go into a place that was off-limits. They knew something was wrong. They called the Seekers.† He flinched at the title. â€Å"The Seekers tried to get her to surrender. She ran from them. When they had her cornered, she jumped into an open elevator shaft.† I recoiled from the memory of pain, and Jamie's face went white under his tan. â€Å"She didn't die?† he whispered. â€Å"No. We have very skilled Healers. They mended her quickly. Then they put me in her. They hoped I would be able to tell them how she had survived so long.† I had not meant to say so much; my mouth snapped shut. Jamie didn't seem to notice my slip, but Jeb's eyes opened slowly and fixed on my face. No other part of him moved, and Jamie didn't see the change. â€Å"Why didn't you let her die?† he asked. He had to swallow hard; a sob was threatening in his voice. This was all the more painful to hear because it was not the sound a child makes, frightened of the unknown, but the fully comprehending agony of an adult. It was so hard not to reach out and put my hand on his cheek. I wanted to hug him to me and beg him not to be sad. I curled my hands into fists and tried to concentrate on his question. Jeb's eyes flickered to my hands and back to my face. â€Å"I wasn't in on the decision,† I murmured. â€Å"I was still in a hibernation tank in deep space when that happened.† Jamie blinked again in surprise. My answer was nothing he'd expected, and I could see him struggling with some new emotion. I glanced at Jeb; his eyes were bright with curiosity. The same curiosity, though more wary, won out with Jamie. â€Å"Where were you coming from?† he asked. In spite of myself, I smiled at his unwilling interest. â€Å"Far away. Another planet.† â€Å"What was -† he started to ask, but he was interrupted by another question. â€Å"What the hell?† Jared shouted at us, frozen with fury in the act of rounding the corner at the end of the tunnel. â€Å"Damn it, Jeb! We agreed not to -â€Å" Jamie wrenched himself upright. â€Å"Jeb didn't bring me here. But you should have.† Jeb sighed and got slowly to his feet. As he did so, the gun rolled from his lap onto the floor. It stopped only a few inches from me. I scooted away, uncomfortable. Jared had a different reaction. He lunged toward me, closing the length of the hallway in a few running strides. I cowered into the wall and covered my face with my arms. Peeking around my elbow, I watched him jerk the gun up from the floor. â€Å"Are you trying to get us killed?† he almost screamed at Jeb, shoving the gun into the old man's chest. â€Å"Calm down, Jared,† Jeb said in a tired voice. He took the gun in one hand. â€Å"She wouldn't touch this thing if I left it down here alone with her all night. Can't you see that?† He stabbed the barrel of the gun toward me, and I cringed away. â€Å"She's no Seeker, this one.† â€Å"Shut up, Jeb, just shut up!† â€Å"Leave him alone,† Jamie shouted. â€Å"He didn't do anything wrong.† â€Å"You!† Jared shouted back, turning on the slim, angry figure. â€Å"You get out of here now, or so help me!† Jamie balled his fists and stood his ground. Jared's fists came up, too. I was rooted in place with shock. How could they scream at each other this way? They were family, the bonds between them stronger than any blood tie. Jared wouldn't hit Jamie-he couldn't! I wanted to do something, but I didn't know what to do. Anything that brought me to their attention would only make them angrier. For once, Melanie was calmer than I was. He can't hurt Jamie, she thought confidently. It's not possible. I looked at them, facing off like enemies, and panicked. We should never have come here. See how unhappy we've made them, I moaned. â€Å"You shouldn't have tried to keep this a secret from me,† Jamie said between his teeth. â€Å"And you shouldn't have hurt her.† One of his hands unclenched and flew out to point at my face. Jared spit on the floor. â€Å"That's not Melanie. She's never coming back, Jamie.† â€Å"That's her face,† Jamie insisted. â€Å"And her neck. Don't the bruises there bother you?† Jared dropped his hands. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. â€Å"You will either leave right now, Jamie, and give me some space, or I will make you leave. I am not bluffing. I can't deal with any more right now, okay? I'm at my limit. So can we please have this conversation later?† He opened his eyes again; they were full of pain. Jamie looked at him, and the anger drained slowly from his face. â€Å"Sorry,† he muttered after a moment. â€Å"I'll go†¦ but I'm not promising that I won't come back.† â€Å"I can't think about that now. Go. Please.† Jamie shrugged. He threw one more searching look at me, and then he left, his quick, long stride making me ache again for the time I'd missed. Jared looked at Jeb. â€Å"You, too,† he said in a flat voice. Jeb rolled his eyes. â€Å"I don't think you've had a long enough break, to be honest. I'll keep an eye on -â€Å" â€Å"Go.† Jeb frowned thoughtfully. â€Å"Okay. Sure.† He started down the hall. â€Å"Jeb?† Jared called after him. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"If I asked you to shoot it right now, would you do it?† Jeb kept walking slowly, not looking at us, but his words were clear. â€Å"I'd have to. I follow my own rules. So don't ask me unless you really mean it.† He disappeared into the dark. Jared watched him go. Before he could turn his glower on me, I ducked into my uncomfortable sanctuary and curled up in the back corner.

Discuss the Presentation of the American Dream in John Steinbeck’s Novel, “Of Mice and Men” Essay

â€Å"The American Dream†, the leap from â€Å"rags to riches†, is a dream that has always been thought of as achievable through hard work. To achieve the American dream you must leave all you have and be willing to give up everything for excitement, adventure and a better life. It is a romantic view of life where someone can leave his or her troubles behind and find happiness. The concept of the American Dream is often viewed in conjunction with the Western Frontier. For many years, America was a country with a frontier. Early colonisation took place on the East Coast and the frontier played a pivotal role in American thinking where it stood as a boundary beyond which civilisation ceased to exist. Beyond the frontier lay many miles of land, which was for the taking, and a life of excitement and adventure, where men could have free of the cares of urban or modern life. People rarely took advantage what the frontier lands had to offer, but it acted as a safety valve as people felt they could follow the American Dream if they wanted. The Dream and the frontier could be referred to in any time of need for Americans. Many authors have explored the concept of the American dream in their work, including John Steinbeck. I am going to explore how Steinbeck has presented the American dream in the novel, â€Å"Of Mice and Men†. The novel is set in the great depression of the 1930’s. At this time, the country’s economy was going through a severe drop and thousands found themselves with nothing. Many looked to the American Dream and a vision of the western frontier, as a means for a better life. The novel represents a microcosm of America at this time, with various characters representing a different group of people in the time of the American depression. In the main body of this essay I will study the dreams of George and Lennie, Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s Wife and how they are employed in the Novel, â€Å"of Mice and Men†. I will explore the functions and general roles that these dreams play to the people concerned. Finally I shall study how and why these dreams go wrong. George Milton and Lennie Small are the main protagonists in the novel, and share the main dream. It is a typical itinerant worker’s dream, where a man can follow the American dream and buy some land to live on and be his own boss. It is a dream focusing on living for oneself as Lennie says, â€Å"An’ live off the fatta the lan'†. The dream is of ten acres of land with a house. Here they can grow what they need to survive with a â€Å"vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens†. This dream would mean they only worked when they wanted to, giving them independence and in general a variable life. This would mean small advantages like not working if the weather wasn’t nice enough or â€Å"if a fren’ came along†¦ we’d say: â€Å"Why don’t you spen’ the night,† an’ by God he would†. The dream offers freedom from the life they know. They could leave all their troubles behind and start out fresh usin g the money they worked for. It gives them pride to think they can do it, and became members of the owners. For George and Lennie, the dream has many features of appeal. The first is that they can reap the fruits of their own labour. This is an ancient, biblical notion where in the Bible it states â€Å"as yes shall reap, so shall ye sow†. This is honest and humble living. The dream offers autonomy and also self-control linking to freedom and the ambition of the self made man, as George says, â€Å"we’d have our own place where we belonged†. The men will feel they belong there as they have environmental ownership so the dream also offers long-term security, â€Å"it would be our own, and nobody could can us†. This means financial security as well as social security, as Lennie can be controlled as George has appointed him to look after the rabbits. Society doesn’t know how to control someone like Lennie, and keeping him isolated and protected will keep him safe. As they consider the dream, they live in a bunkhouse with six other men, and so the dream presents privacy. Overall there would be a role reversal as George and Lennie could control and put limits on manual labour of their own, â€Å"If we don’t like a guy we can say: â€Å"Get the hell out†. They could also have the ability to form relationships and put down solid roots, as they would be stationery, rather than moving around all the time. On the ranch, Crooks and Candy are the only permanent workers and they don’t have any relationships: after all the ranch is a lonely place, and all other men come and go. The dream serves many functions. It doesn’t seem plausible at many points in the novel and we never really feel that it can happen but it’s the thought that it could which directs the way many of the characters think. The dream is a comfort and boosts the morale of George and Lennie when they need solace. Ironically at times when they most need it in this respect, it seems furthest away. The dream is a way to make life more variable and in doing so more bearable: their current lives are all very scheduled. One of the most important roles of the dream in the lives of Lennie and George is that it is used as a tool to keep Lennie under control. Lennie’s focus throughout the novel is on tending the rabbits. For Lennie as a character, the dream represents a place of safety. George uses the story like a bedtime story for Lennie. It’s like a fairy tale showing how subconsciously at least, the dream isn’t feasible. To the shrewd reader, the dream is never presented as realistic. At face value the reader’s mind is guided by the opinion of George and the structure of the novel: whenever the dream seems plausible, something happens to halt it. Conflicts are continuously brewing and it appears impossible for the dream to realise itself as Lennie’s behaviour threatens it at all times. George describes Lennie continuously as a â€Å"liability†. There is constant evidence of this that structurally point forward to Lennie’s behaviour causing the dream to end. Firstly, George tells the story of Weed where Lennie caused trouble when he didn’t mean any harm, and we actually witness Lennie’s liability when we see he has killed the puppy, again when he didn’t mean to. His overwhelming strength is often described as animalistic. The animal imagery used to describe him represents how he is simply not human, and more importantly he is below. His actions are all instinctive with images of his clutch like a â€Å"bear†. Another aspect of Lennie’s character is that he poses such strength and can never be contained because as Slim says, â€Å"he’s like a child, ain’t he†. Lennie is too often underestimated, and George is often seen as culpable as he is the one that underestimates his potential for destruction most. George often turns a blind eye to Lennie’s problems due to the nature of their relationship: it is a rare strong bond of companionship with mutual gain: â€Å"I got you to look after me and you got me to look after you†. The reader is directed by George’s language. His words are always rhythmic and show that subconsciously he doesn’t ever believe in it. Even when it appears they are close to the dream his words have a negative undertone, suggesting the dream is a long way away; â€Å"the future cats which might dare to disturb the future rabbits†. We hear from George at numerous points in the novel of the counter dream. It is the idea that he could live a normal life without the burden of Lennie. This would include making money then blowing it immediately on short, immoral pleasures. The continuous mention of the counter dream shows us a reality rather than a dream that is lived by many of the men. It is just another reminder of how unrealistic the dream is. The ending of the novel consists of the inevitable shattering of the dream. Lennie is eventually killed by George with the same gun that killed Candy’s dog and in the same way, for the same sort of reasons; society can’t deal with certain members. Directly foreboding aspects point forward to the death of the dream. In particular, is the figure of Curley’s Wife with her protective violent husband. Her loneliness caused her to be an underlying problem throughout the novel and her death physically signified the death of the dream because it signified the death of Lennie. This is because the dream could not exist without both George and Lennie due to their long emotional bond. It is a relationship of mutual gain and among other things, both men have companionship unlike any other on the ranch. Without this, George particularly, would live out the counter dream. The novel is circular as suggested in the title which comes from a Burns poem: â€Å"The best laid plans o’mice and men†¦ leave us nought but grief and pain†. At the beginning of the Novel, George makes Lennie remember where to run to if he gets in trouble. Therefore, we know that the novel will come full circle due to Lennie’s behaviour. This is such a problem because society doesn’t know how to deal with the insane, and as Slim comments, the only way society knows how to deal with people like Lennie, â€Å"That ain’t no good†. Therefore what shatters the dream, is Lennie’s death due to Lennie’s character and also subsequently the men’s reactions. All of the men underestimate Lennie’s control over himself including the â€Å"god-like† Slim who says, â€Å"He ain’t a mean guy†. Because he’s underestimated, he can never learn and never has done. Even when he murders Curley’s wife, he thinks he should hide the puppy, which he previously killed. George kills Lennie but leaves in his mind the thought that the dream will still come true, â€Å"You†¦ an’ me.† This means that the dream is never really shattered for Lennie. For George, there is nothing left, and the dream is destroyed, with George only left with the counter dream. Candy becomes caught up with the main dream. It should be noted that it is not his dream so it’s hard to feel that he could ever feel the same way about it as George and Lennie. At the time, Candy had become completely alone, as Carlson had shot his dog, his only companion. Candy felt he should have been the one to shoot the dog, â€Å"I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog†. He is therefore emotionally unstable as he feels he has nothing left. Candy builds up courage to ask if he can be apart of the dream, â€Å"S’pose I went in with you guys†. His offer is a suggestion, but as it is of financial backing it is too great for George to resist. There are many features of appeal for Candy apart from the features he shares that George and Lennie will gain. The land offers Candy a place of safety like for Lennie. But unlike Lennie, Candy’s safety is in retirement. The land will be a peaceful place to live after his retirement. He knows that when he stops swamping he will be â€Å"canned†, just like how his dog was shot. But the dream has other features of appeal for Candy. It gives him a sense of self-respect and dignity. Being thrown out with nothing would kill his self esteem at the end of his life, but owning his own land would restore his confidence in himself so he could die a happy man. The last main feature of appeal for Candy is companionship. He always has people around him on the ranch but because he’s permanent and all the others aren’t, Candy never really gains their friendship. Owning the land with George and Lennie would mean he has people to spend the end of his life with: â€Å"I’d make a will an’ leave my share to you guys†. This is obvious but the fact that he has no one else he could give the money to is proof of his loneliness, a key theme of this novel. Candy’s involvement in the dream no doubt gives it a more realistic dimension. The fact that George’s â€Å"eyes were full of wonder† when Candy becomes involved suggests is more realistic. The time scale involved until the dream’s completion has been decreased and it is in the near future. The problem of Lennie not being able to be kept under control was seemingly dealt with, as Candy ands Lennie could move on to the land and set up the farm whilst George works for the rest of the money needed. It seems as if the dream is very likely, however, we find that the time scale to get the land is a month. This doesn’t seem a long time, but we know there’s no way Lennie can be kept under control for a whole month. Evidence of this is his behaviour in Weed. Therefore, although Candy’s involvement makes the dream much more realistic, it still isn’t really plausible. Candy is the first to discover the body of Curley’s Wife. Subconsciously he is the one that first knows the end of his dream is nigh, â€Å"his face was hard and tight as wood†. When he looks for confirmation he speaks â€Å"his greatest fear†. Candy â€Å"dropped his head† showing how he has been defeated and destroyed psychologically and spiritually. The reader already knows the implications that this has for his future. Indeed, the issue of Candy raises the idea of protest against the treatment of the elderly in the microcosm of the ranch, which represents the bigger macrocosm that is 1930’s America. At this time the elderly were not treated very well, and in the position in which Candy stands, as he grows too old to work, he’ll be â€Å"canned† and will have nothing, not even companionship. We know that Candy will suffer this utilitarian view, suffering the same fate as his dog. Crooks has a cynical view of the dream, he thinks it’s â€Å"crazy†. He says, â€Å"†You’re nuts† Crooks was scornful, â€Å"I seen hundreds of men come by and they all got that same damn thing in their heads.†Ã¢â‚¬  It’s clear that his view has developed over time, as Crooks is one of only two men on the ranch that are permanent. The scornful view is also linked to his bitterness; you get a sense that Crooks doesn’t want people to succeed due to his hard life and his own limited destiny as a black man. He’s always studying his rights as a black man, as seen by the â€Å"mauled copy of the California civil code†. He remembers when he lived on his father’s own land and he had equality in his once innocent mind when he was a child. Now, in his own words, â€Å"If I say something, why it’s just a nigger saying it†. Another issue for Crooks is that he’s living in such a racist time in history, that he suffers severely from loneliness. He’s surrounded by men crippled in some way by society, and he is himself physically crippled, yet he must tend to his own injuries, constantly rubbing ointment into his back. He’s constantly segregated, living in an annex of barn, in a room littered with broken imagery, â€Å"broken harness†¦ a split collar†. He always tries to retain pride, â€Å"he kept his distance and demanded that other people kept theirs†. The truth is that he’s forced to be separated from the other men. It’s these social boundaries that have kept Crooks lonely throughout his life; the way Candy has to break through an emotional threshold to walk into Crooks’ room gives a very small implication that the two â€Å"permanent† men could possibly have been companions in different circumstances. Crooks has suffered so much in his life, that he has no capacity to dream left as he speaks of the al the men he has seen speaking of the same dream of land waiting for them â€Å"Just like heaven†. This biblical imagery refers to how Crooks feels that there is no such thing as paradise; only suffering exists. Despite his deeply negative view of the dream, even Crooks becomes caught up in it. The fact that the cynic is converted directs the reader to once again thinking the dream is possible. The dream has so many features of appeal for Crooks that he cannot help but believe in it. After all he believes he has rights as he studies and speaks of them constantly. The dream would give him rights in many ways, socially and economically. It would give him companionship, something denied to him due to social boundaries. He thirsts for companionship as we see when Candy enters his room; â€Å"It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger†. The dream offers Crooks many similar aspects as it offers Candy. Safety is one of these. Like Candy, Crooks is crippled and getting older so the dream will give him security when the time where he won’t be able to work will come. The dream will thereafter offer a peaceful resting place after his retirement. One reason why Crooks is so focused on his rights is that rights will give him dignity and a sense of self-respect. He is described as a â€Å"a proud, aloof man† yet in society he has no dignity as he has no rights. The dream will offer him rights in the society that he will be in. The social boundaries are so strong that, as Candy says, â€Å"I been here a long time†¦ an’ Crooks been here a long time. This’s the first time I ever been in his room†. Crooks must therefore be very brave, forgetting the pride he uses as a defence mechanism, to ask if he could be a part of the dream. He knew he was open to rejection yet he has such a huge belief that he could have a better life, that he chooses to risk his proud appearance, the only thing he possesses. It is inevitable that the dream will be shattered for Crooks, as things will never change. When Curley’s Wife enters, the reader’s faith is structurally restored yet trouble appears. Curley’s Wife makes a shrewd observation, â€Å"They left all the weak ones here†. By this she is referring to their relative weakness within the capitalist society. A white woman, especially with the power of being the boss’s daughter in law, would be stronger than a black man, which means Crooks’ dream is bound to be shattered. This is exaggerated by the way Curley’s wife appears to be looking for trouble and then shrugs off Crooks, as â€Å"nigger† whom she threatens to have lynched. â€Å"Crooks had retired into the terrible protective dignity of the Negro† as he always knows that he is powerless. It’s ironic that although Curley’s Wife has more power than Crooks, they are both powerless in their own situations. â€Å"Crooks seemed to grow smaller, and he pressed himself against the wall†. The body language he expresses shows he is humiliated and deflated. His language becomes the deferential kind of a servant: â€Å"Yes, ma’am†. Crooks symbolises the position of blacks in the Novel, which is a macrocosm of 1930’s America. They were nothing, â€Å"Crooks had reduced himself to nothing† and his voice had become â€Å"toneless†. Things cannot change and will not change for Crooks no matter what he does, until society’s opinions towards blacks change. Thus Chapter Four begins and ends with Crooks â€Å"rubbing his back†. The dream has come full circle. In Chapter Five we finally hear Curley’s Wife’s story and her own dream. Up until this point, she is viewed by the reader through the eyes of the men on the ranch. The result of this is that the reader is directed to build up a certain opinion of her that we later find to be distorted. Her behaviour is symptomatic of her loneliness. When we see her for the person she has become, we hear her own dream. It consists of fame and glamour and all privileges that accompany it. She says she â€Å"coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes†. She dreams of looking the part and living the lifestyle of all areas of the media. She wants to sit â€Å"in them big hotels, an’ had pitchers took of me†. This shows how she wants to have people know who she is and that she wants to feel she is loved. Her dream is in moral contrast to the humble dream of the men, supporting the capitalist society that the men wish to escape from and focusing on material aspects of life. It represents an idea of rags to riches, a concept lying within the American dream, but there is a contrast in the perception of â€Å"riches†. Curley’s Wife’s dream is superficial and artificial, promoting the capitalist machine. Her dream offers an easy lifestyle lacking self-effort but still achieving wealth. It lacks moral depth. Fundamentally she desires attention and longs to be in the public eye. She’s always looking for attention and company in general by the way she comes looking for the men, as well as how she talks quickly for fear of loosing her audience. We do not criticise Curley’s Wife for her dream as we see what it promises her, but we still condemn the dream. She is young and uneducated but the dream is still shallow. In realism, forgetting Curley’s Wife, the dream of Hollywood is unrealistic, after all there are many that share the dream and the vast majority don’t make it. Curley’s Wife is unsure herself if she believes in it. You feel that she is very insecure, as she seems to feel the dream is impossible for her by the use of the word â€Å"coulda† but she still tries to live her dream in her situation seen by the way she â€Å"made a small grand gesture†. This shows much pathos and poignancy especially when she says â€Å"Maybe I will yet† as the irony lies in the fact that her impending death is very near. In her own story we see Steinbeck making protest against the treatment of women. She was obviously used with the temptation of living her dream. She was told that she received a letter and when she didn’t she blamed her mother. This was a scapegoat as was marrying Curley who she admits â€Å"I don’ like Curley. He aint a nice fella.† The dream is really an escape from her unhappy life and lacks sincerity. Curley’s Wife’s dream is shattered in her restricted lifestyle and finally in her death. Her death ironically frees her from the cycle she has developed, whereby she tries to escape from her life. The manner of her final escape is therefore poignant and we finally see her for who she really is an innocent young girl: â€Å"She was pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young†. Steinbeck must step in here and portray her in this way because her previous appearance would suggest otherwise. She is seen before through the eyes of the men who use only derogatory terms to describe her such as â€Å"jail bate† and â€Å"tart†. The question remains as to whether to condone or condemn her. Steinbeck steps in to direct us to sympathise with her in case we may have already condemned her. The protest is made by the author against the treatment of women at the time and shows that this along with the resulting characteristics it develops, is a repeating cycle of action then reaction. Steinbeck does more than present dreams; he shows how they are smashed and disintegrated. So does this mean that â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is a pessimistic book? In my opinion, it does not. Dreams are inevitably smashed, or rather; this does not deprive them of value. More importantly the novel raises the issue that American society of the 1930’s was problematic and in some ways corrupt: it represents real groups of people who lead pessimistic lives. At this time in American history, America was suffering depression so the country would be split into optimists and pessimists. In my opinion, Steinbeck is saying that it is hard to reach the dream. Having a burden like Lennie is an extreme of the problems the road to the dream poses. However, it must be remembered that Lennie was half of the reason that the dream was even thought about. Steinbeck is making a statement that the American dream is a goal, and whether it is achievable or not, it is very good incentive for the cap acity to hope and inspire.