Mass General Hospital

What are the primary challenges in improving operating processes in a health care environment? †¢Maintaining Quality Care. †¢Coordination of department segments †¢Reducing cost without compromising patient care †¢Support from the staff / stakeholders †¢To remove / determine non-value added activity †¢Conformance and control 2. What is a care path? Care path is used to manage the quality in healthcare with regards to standardization of care process by minimizing delays and with resource utilization while maximizing the quality of care. . What are its specific features? †¢Control Cost †¢Diagnostics testing†¢Standardization †¢Create efficiencies †¢Improves communication †¢Improves coordination †¢Allows for flexibility †¢Provides Reliability †¢Faster diagnostics a. What does it not do? ?Apply to all ?Make any guarantees 4. What are the most common causes of extended stay for CABG patients? †¢Not having a Care path †¢Amount of therapy required †¢Level of complications †¢Health care payment method 5. What are some of the important steps the team took to develop the care ath to make it acceptable to everyone involved? †¢Creating of cross functional teams †¢Working with and listening to everyone †¢Making all feel like part of the process †¢Ensuring there are quality controls / checks and balances 6. What are the hazards of standardizing the process too rigorously? †¢Not getting buying from staff †¢Misdiagnosis †¢Increasing cost 7. What are the dangers of allowing too much freedom to customize the process? †¢Increasing cost †¢Failure to collaborate †¢Patient takes too long to be diagnosed or misdiagnosed 8.Does every care path patient have to go through all the steps in the care path? What happens to patients who do not follow the path fully? †¢No, patients can be removed from any step within the care path once it is deter mined that the care path is not going to work for the patient. Obviously there is going to be a percentage of patients that are going to deviate from the standard. For these patients they must follow a path specific to receiving the proper diagnosis and treatment. This may require addition diagnostic testing, seeing specialist, longer stay, additional therapy etc.

My drama group comprised Essay

My drama group comprised of five people including myself. We set out to create an improvised piece of drama, thematically based on greed, love, betrayal, envy and revenge. During the time spent preparing for our improvisation, we came across many sources that had an immense influence on our piece. In order to appropriately progress with the play, we had to research the key elements within the sources to which were relevant to our context. As it was an improvised production we did not follow a set script but created a basic guideline from which we could refer to and enable us to keep on track. Our research into these sources was definitely apparent in our final performance, which was acted out in front of our drama set. In this essay, I intend to compare our improvised piece of drama with the sources we used in order to point out the similarities and illustrate the inspiration we drew from them. During the course of producing our play, we used the well-known novel and recently filmed ‘ The Count of Monte Cristo’ to draw influence on certain scenes, which clearly showed up in our final production. The plot of the ‘ Count of Monte Cristo’ is also thematically based upon betrayal, love, greed, envy and revenge. As a young sailor, Edmond Dantes, an honest and humble man whose peaceful life and plans to marry his wife Mercedes are ruined when his supposed best friend, Vernand, betrays him in order to get Mercedes for himself. Edmond is unjustly sentenced to an island prison after being framed by Vernand for high treason and is trapped in a nightmare for thirteen years. This key element is clearly apparent in our piece of drama, as Fernando, a rich and successful man soon to wed his Fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e Victoria, is betrayed by his two deceitful friends who envy his wealth and is cast away by them to a deserted island. Obviously we have shared and incorporated the same basic ideas and themes in order to create an improvised piece of our own. A similar pattern is followed in the theme of revenge. In the ‘Count of Monte Cristo’ Edmond is aided by an elderly and wise inmate whom he learns from and the two plot to escape from prison but only Edmond succeeds and returns to his mainland execute revenge on those who wronged him, under the title of a mysterious Count of Monte Cristo. We too were able draft the theme of revenge into our play. Fernando is aided by a castaway on the island who helps him survive and teaches him how to fight. Eventually, he escapes back to his homeland alone and executes revenge on his old ‘friends’ using his new skills. This worked effectively in our production and formed the backbone plot to our final improvisation. Both the periods of the ‘Count of Monte Cristo’ and our play is set in the mid seventeenth century so more research had to be done to make our characters realistic. Another key source that we researched carefully to progress with our island scene was the film, Cast Away. In this movie, a man is cast away to a deserted island where he is forced to learn how to survive for only one reason, his love for his wife. This inspired our play as the only things which Fernando wants to live for when he is on the island is to see his wife again and to execute revenge on his friends who betrayed him. We used the idea of being abandoned alone from home on an island but we incorporated a companion to our main character, Dar’tanion, who had been living on the island for more than seven years. Research into his character’s speech, movement, body language etc was essential as we could not comprehend how somebody would be like after living alone on an island for seven years and therefore looking into movie of ‘Cast Away’ was very useful. These two sources were our main areas of influence. However we did look into the classic story ‘Robinson Crusoe’ where a civilized man meets a savage and teaches him how to be civilised. In the case of our play, a savage man teaches a civilised man to be more savage and the basic survival skills. We made it a point to show the character development of Fernando in terms of acting and the on stage relationship between the two. In conclusion, our play was a joint extract of all these sources combined with our own interpretation and improvisation.

The Enduring Revolution of the Renaissance Essay

The Enduring Revolution of the Renaissance - Essay Example The Renaissance is generally described as the period of 1400 - 1600 when European thoughts and concepts went through a dramatic change. It drew its name, the Renaissance, from the reawakening to the ancient texts and knowledge of the Romans and the Greeks. The changes in social justice, art, science, and exploration impacted great change in Western thinking that continues to influence our society. A close examination of our American culture and institutions will uncover many roots that had their origin in the days of the European Renaissance. A major contribution of the Renaissance period was its placing knowledge in the hands of the ordinary person. Prior to this period, classical knowledge was left almost exclusively in the hands of scholars, professionals, and theologians. The invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg gave the general public the access to knowledge and philosophy. According to Thomas Carlyle in Sartor Resartus (1833), "He who first shortened the labor of copyists by device of movable types was disbanding hired armies [...] creating a whole new democratic world" (cited in Kreis 2004). The printing of the first bible in 1452 placed religion in the hands of the ordinary man and had a profound effect on religion. Spurred by classical philosophy, religion turned from the worship of the abstract towards the morality of man (Anesi 2004). This would sow the seeds of the Reformation and alter the Christian religion forever. This change in religion also brought about changes in the attitude towards the individual. Individualism took hold as people developed a respect for each human being and a willingness to work toward self-improvement. It led to changes in the legal and political systems resulting in a representative form of... A major contribution of the Renaissance period was its placing knowledge in the hands of the ordinary person. Prior to this period, classical knowledge was left almost exclusively in the hands of scholars, professionals, and theologians. The invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg gave the general public the access to knowledge and philosophy. According to Thomas Carlyle in Sartor Resartus (1833), "He who first shortened the labor of copyists by device of movable types was disbanding hired armies [...] creating a whole new democratic world" (cited in Kreis 2004). The printing of the first bible in 1452 placed religion in the hands of the ordinary man and had a profound effect on religion. Spurred by classical philosophy, religion turned from the worship of the abstract towards the morality of man (Anesi 2004). This would sow the seeds of the Reformation and alter the Christian religion forever. This change in religion also brought about changes in the attitude towards the individual. Individualism took hold as people developed a respect for each human being and a willingness to work toward self-improvement. It led to changes in the legal and political systems resulting in a representative form of government. The concept of sovereign nations was born out of these ideals. It valued the humanities as an educational endeavor and developed a sense of history and an awareness of our social structure.

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discussion - Assignment Example Information gained contributes to the enhancement of purchase intentions. Further on the consumer moves forward in search of other competitors related to the same product category and then selects the one that best suits one’s need and purchase potentials. In this stage the consumer tends to deal with a plethora of options relating to the product and chooses the one that turns out to be the most applicable. Finally the consumer generally in the course of making high price purchases like luxury cars tends to continually revaluate the decision by focusing on gaining more information that further reinforces one’s purchasing intentions (Baines, Fill and Page 83-86). Automobile companies like General Motors to increase the level of consumer attention tend to enhance their relationship aspects has created a website that helps the consumers choose between a large number of options to select the vehicle suiting their needs. Further the website also informs the consumers relatin g to the different financing options and also the cost parameters related to the different models. General Motors in such ventures also tends to present to the consumers a comparison between its models with other models produced in the same category by its competitor firms. This mode of communication rendered enhances the dimension of consumer loyalty for the luxury goods company here acts as an effective advisor tending to meet the needs of the consumer. Moreover the level of consumer advocacy is enhanced by firms like General Motors inviting the people to take test drives of their models for a continual period of 24 hours. This strategy pursued helps in enhancing the consumer’s relation to the commodity thereby rightly increasing the likelihood for the purchase (Urban 77-81). Thus it is evident that use of information technology has contributed to the development of customer relationship activities for the luxury goods and vehicle companies thereby contributing to the devel opment of brand awareness. The enhanced use of internet based marketing and promotional events contributes to the pulling of consumer interests for the commodities in the pursuit of creating increasing the level of consumer awareness (McGovern, Court, Quelch and Crawford 74). Consumers of luxury good and vehicles further tend to search of new and innovative relationship aspects with the respective companies in the form of evidence of loyalty ventures through which they can earn rebates and occasional or promotional discounts. Introduction of loyalty schemes and creation of loyalty club by the companies tends to excite further consumer attention and interest in procuring the merchandises concerned from the concerned companies (Fournier, Dobscha and Mick 48). Consumption of a Luxury-Car from the Experimental Perspective The consumption patterns of consumers in terms of procuring luxury cars and merchandises tends to be largely governed by the opinions, value sets and attitudes develop ed by them in relation to their existing social and cultural framework. Again the preference patterns of the consumers are also governed in terms of the ideologies reflected by the different groups to which they relate to. Social and cultural affluences along with group influences tend to largely govern the purchasing patterns of the c

How managers motivates their employees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

How Managers Motivate Their Employees - Essay Example In any kind of industry, consumer goods, healthcare, service sector these goals for both employees and the employer are important to achieve. Motivational roles of managers are important in this respect (Shanks, n.d., p.23; Neely, 2007, p.433). Theoretical framework: There are various theories of motivation which are used for the purpose of developing the working abilities of the employees in different business organisations. These theories are described below: Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs: In this theory the Maslow (1954), identifies various needs which are necessary for the purpose of motivating employees. These needs are comprises of psychological needs, safety needs, belonging needs, esteem needs and self-actualisation needs. With the help of satisfaction progression, these needs are used for the purpose of moving from one stage of satisfying the need to another stage (Shanks, n.d., p.25) Alderfer’s ERG Theory: In this theory Alderfer (1972) has used three concepts o f existence, relatedness and growth to describe how managers can motivate their employees. Various needs defined by Maslow have been used by Alderfer to define these stages of motivating employees. He also used the frustration-regression principle for the purpose of describing the fact that with the achievement of each level of satisfaction employees will be motivated to achieve the next level of satisfaction (Shanks, n.d., pp.25-26). Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory: Herzberg (2003) has used two motivational factors: Hygienes and Motivators, for the purpose of modifying Maslow’s theory. The first factor provides lower level of satisfaction to the employees, like better working condition, high salary etc. The second factor provides higher level satisfaction to... There are various theories of motivation which are used for the purpose of developing the working abilities of the employees in different business organisations. These theories are described below:Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs:  Ã‚  In this theory the Maslow (1954), identifies various needs which are necessary for the purpose of motivating employees. These needs are comprises of psychological needs, safety needs, belonging needs, esteem needs and self-actualisation needs. With the help of satisfaction progression, these needs are used for the purpose of moving from one stage of satisfying the need to another stage (Shanks, n.d., p.25)Alderfer’s ERG Theory:  In this theory Alderfer (1972) has used three concepts of existence, relatedness and growth to describe how managers can motivate their employees. Various needs defined by Maslow have been used by Alderfer to define these stages of motivating employees. He also used the frustration-regression principle for the purpose of describing the fact that with the achievement of each level of satisfaction employees will be motivated to achieve the next level of satisfaction (Shanks, n.d., pp.25-26). Herzberg’s Two Factor Theo ry:  Herzberg (2003) has used two motivational factors: Hygienes and Motivators, for the purpose of modifying Maslow’s theory. The first factor provides lower level of satisfaction to the employees, like better working condition, high salary etc. The second factor provides higher level satisfaction to the employees.

On Double Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

On Double Standards - Essay Example Men are expected to be more aggressive while women are supposed to be more submissive and reserved. It is readily accepted that some things are naturally "men's" things while some are "women's." For example, a man who is attracted to a pretty woman can always ask her out. However, a woman asking a man out is less acceptable. The commencement of a relationship is seen as the "right" of every guy while ladies can only accept. The essay will look at the different double standards based on gender. The first section will look at the most common double standards present in the society. Afterwards, the essay will expose the arguments for and against double standard. It will also contain various citations from different authors and social scientists who are experts in this topic. In the end, I will give my own opinion regarding the essay. The fate of an individual is undeniably almost always determined by sexuality. It is irrefutable that the society where are living in has this preconceived notion of what is right and what is acceptable action for each gender. Currently, society has readily accepted that some things are naturally "men's" things while some are "women's." The presence of double standard is an undeniable fact.

Strategy and International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategy and International Business - Essay Example Hanson and Ever Ready; BTR; Tarmac. Strategic Planning This style is best suited to businesses that have important potential synergies between businesses, often requiring large, risky decisions and facing tough international competition. This means concentrating on one or two core businesses and divesting peripheral businesses - the fit between the businesses is critical e.g. Cadbury Schweppes; BOC; Lex; STC. Strategic Control This style seems to require some homogeneity between the businesses in terms of their strategic characteristics so that the centre can have a good feel and understanding for each. However, there does not seem to be a need to concentrate upon just one business or industry, or even a closely related set of core businesses, provided that the diversity is not too great e.g. the demerger of ICI into ICI and Zeneca; Courtaulds. Source: Primary Table 3 - Advantages and Disadvantages of each style Style Advantages Disadvantages Financial Control / Portfolio Approach Quantifiable Responsiveness Lose Direction Centre does not add value Strategic Planning / Core competence Approach Empowerment Growth on corporate as a whole Coordination Competitive advantage Effective SBU structure tends to hinder development as competences cross organisational boundaries. Centre out of touch Divisions tactical - by preventing other SBUs exploiting the particular competence of one SBU (e.g. transferring staff). Acquisitions critical Strategic Control / Linkages Approach Centre/divisions Complementary Cost control by monitoring each activity Efficient Coordination Motivation Competitive advantage Problems in sharing...Each style is different in its approach, can offer different advantages to the corporation, but has different strengths and weaknesses. This style works when the businesses in the group are largely autonomous and the centre can act to improve performance in each business, often by turnaround of under-performing businesses, and ultimate disposal e.g. Hanson and Ever Ready; BTR; Tarmac. This style is best suited to businesses that have important potential synergies between businesses, often requiring large, risky decisions and facing tough international competition. This means concentrating on one or two core businesses and divesting peripheral businesses - the fit between the businesses is critical e.g. Cadbury Schweppes; BOC; Lex; STC. This style seems to require some homogeneity between the businesses in terms of their strategic characteristics so that the centre can have a good feel and understanding for each. However, there does not seem to be a need to concentrate upon just one business or industry, or even a closely related set of core businesses, provided that the diversity is not too great e.g. the demerger of ICI into ICI and Zeneca; Courtaulds. Portfolio/Financial Control companies are likely to develop into unrelated products/markets/processes, usually by acquisition, with the decision likely to rest on wheth

Social networking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Social networking - Research Paper Example However, the use of these sites has caused many concerns especially due to the privacy risks involved. At this point the following issue has appeared: should the use of social networking sites be free from limitations or not? Six academic studies have been identified and are presented below for showing that social networking sites are valuable in terms of communication and exchange of information, both at individual and at business level, but their use should be set under monitoring so that the privacy of users is not threatened. Lewis (2010) explored the role of social media in a particular business sector: public relations. He found that for the specific sector the use of social media is quite important, at the level that public relations practitioners consider social media as a unique tool of communication (Lewis 1). However, this role of social media may not be clear to their users. For example, the research developed by Lewis proved that the individuals who study public relation s are not aware, at least not fully, of the potential value of social media in public relations (Lewis 17). It should be noted that most of the participants were proved to be heavy users of social networking sites (Lewis 17). ... These people, even if they do not state it clearly, prefer communication than trust; such view is verified by the fact that the existence of trust among millions of people who are unknown to each other is not feasible (Dwyer, Hiltz and Passerini 2). In the survey conducted among the members of two, popular, social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace it was revealed that the members of Facebook feel that their privacy is protected at higher level than the members of MySpace (Dwyer, Hiltz and Passerini 5). In other words, privacy in social networking sites can be protected, at least up to a level, even if the members of these sites actually set ‘the development of new relationships and the exchange of information’ (Dwyer, Hiltz and Passerini 3) as priorities. The above studies verify the first of this study’s hypothesis, i.e. that social networking sites are quite popular as tools of communication and for promoting business activities. The second of the ab ove studies reveals a critical fact: the involvement of social networking sites in privacy risks does not seem to discourage the users of these sites. The privacy risks related to the use of social networking sites are further analyzed below. Zilpelwar et al. (2012) highlight the popularity and the risks of social networking sites. According to Zilpelwar et al. (2012) a high range of social networking sites has been established for meeting the different needs of people. Indeed, apart from Facebook which is popular worldwide, there are also other social networking sites that address specific categories of people, such as Bebo, for people living in UK and Ireland, LinkedIn for professionals and Ning for those who wish to develop their own

Why Do People Like to Watch Horror Movies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why Do People Like to Watch Horror Movies - Essay Example The experts and scientists have propounded many theories and models to unravel the reasons as to why people find horror movies which obviously are the precursors and harbingers of such seemingly negative emotions, so interesting and riveting. People who do not prefer or like horror movies sometimes do wonder as to what makes people be so receptive to the blood and gore inherent in the horror movies? Some perhaps consider the experience of viewing a horror movie to be positively an excruciating ordeal. No wonder there is something really powerfully inherent in the horror movies that makes people view them. There are a range of valid and plausible reasons that could account for the peoples’ fascination with horror movies, the most salient of them being an avid desire to expose oneself to experiences that go beyond the mundane real life scenarios, a desire to go through and experience the enhanced emotional sensations that a horror movie facilitates and the immense social, person al and psychological relevance that a good horror movie affiliates to. To a large extent horror movies accrue such a fan following going by the adage that â€Å"normal is boring.† In the current modern civilization, human life is increasingly getting regimented and the individuals and groups tend to be involved in tasks and processes that are regular and repetitive, almost on a daily basis. Consequently, over the time the life gets increasingly boring and the human interest and inclinations do yearn for some sort of experience that is an anomaly, beyond the normal and very unlike the day to day social and individual experiences. Herein lays the relevance of extreme experiences like horror movies. Horror movies enable the viewers to satiate their need for intense and raw excitement, fulfill their innate urge to go through a roller coaster ride of emotions that are gripping, intense and scary and the yearning to get oneself exposed to such dramatical forms that are replete with violence and horror and tend to blatantly violate the regular social norms in a way that is seldom seen in the actual or real life (Weaver III & Tamborini 153). In other words, horror movies cater to the human liking for the bizarre and the extraordinary. While watching the horror movies on the one side people do get a chance to vicariously engage in something that is positively antisocial, sometimes obscene and violent, while on the other side allowing them to engage in evincing reactions and emotions that are more in consonance with the more tamed and socially relevant abhorrence for the antisocial and the violent (Weaver III & Tamborini 153). Since times immemorial human civilizations have been searching for the ways to escape from the grip of the ordinary and regular. For the Bacchanalians it was the indulgence in unrestrained narcotic pleasures, for the Romans it was the gladiatorial contests, and in the 21st century the answer to the human panache for extraordinary has found its full scope in the horror movies. Even a cursory perusal of the basic texts of psychology and neural physiology testify to the fact that the human personality has an indelible primitive side associated with it. There is a part of the human brain that is old and animalistic in its essence and that responds to the intense or threatening situations by resorting to the standard fight or flight mechanisms. In contrast the civilized human brain is more rational and is not that capable of experiencing such intense emotional highs. For instance when a person sees a rope lying in the dark, many a times the first human reaction is to mistake the rope for a snake accompanied by an

Best Leader Essay Example for Free

Best Leader Essay INTRODUCTION That I had chosen is Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad which is our Malaysian fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia. He is one of a good Malaysian politic leader. He held the post for 22 years from 1981 to 2003, making him Malaysias longest serving Prime Minister. His political career spanned almost 40 years. Born and raised in Alor Setar, Kedah, Mahathir excelled at school and became a medical doctor. He became active in the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Malaysias largest political party, before entering parliament in 1964. He served one term before losing his seat, before falling out with the then Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman and being expelled from UMNO. When Abdul Rahman resigned, Mahathir re-entered UMNO and parliament, and was promoted to the Cabinet. By 1976, he had risen to Deputy Prime Minister, and in 1981 was sworn in as Prime Minister after the resignation of his predecessor, Hussein Onn. ACHIEVEMENTS Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad had achieved lot of achievement during being a Prime Minister of Malaysia. He brings many good programs, mission and vision to Malaysia such as â€Å"Wawasan 2020†, first Malaysia cars†Proton â€Å", good education system and many more. There were lots of changes happen in Malaysia during his Management. Although he was rise from an ordinary family, he becomes a successful person in his life. This is indeed the great achievement of Tun Dr Mahathir in his twenty-two years as the Prime Minister of Malaysia. In my opinion an award is given to Tun Dr Mahathir in recognition for his achievement in changing, the mental altitude of the Malaysians. We can say that Tun Dr Mahathir is able to change to a certain extent the negative mental attitude of the Malaysians to a positive mental attitude. Tun Dr Mahathir has come with the slogan that change the negative mental outlook of the Malaysians to become positive mental outlook and this has becomes the basi s towards making Malaysia an advance country by the year 2020. Tun Dr Mahathir has set the vision that Malaysia is to become an advance country by the year 2020. An advance country to Tun Dr Mahathir is not only advancing materially but also spiritually. He wants Malaysia to becomes advance in all fields and to become advance in their thinking and achievements. In order to achieve vision 2020 all Malaysians especially the Prime Ministers must cling to the vision, slogan set by Tun Dr Mahathir. Unfortunately the Prime Ministers Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi comes with the vision of Islam Hadari, and the Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak comes with the slogan of Satu Malaysia. In my opinion, we should stick to the vision, slogan set by Tun Dr Mahathir. All of us should work hard to achieve the vision that is to make Malaysia an advance country in the year 2020. During the times when Tun Dr Mahathir becomes the Prime Minister of Malaysia, there were so many infrastructure developments in Malaysia. We have the north and south highways built during his time, the twin towers, once the highest building in the world, the airport and many others built during his time as the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Malaysians are sent abroad to study and acquire knowledge and it is during his time that Malaysia start sending students to Japan and Korea. Tun Dr Mahathir is in the opinion that we do not sent student only to acquire knowledge but also to acquire good working attitudes. Since the Japanese and Koreans have better working attitudes than the Americans and Europeans, the decision made by Tun Dr Mahathir to send our students to these countries to learn good working attitudes are commendable. Tun Dr Mahathir knows very well that having only knowledge without good working attitudes will not make Malaysia an advance country. In order to become an advance country Tun Dr Mahathir want the Malaysians to acquire knowledge as well as to acquire good working attitude. CHANGES IN MALAYSIA CONCLUSION As a conclusion, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad is a great man and a very good leader which I saw in my life. A simple normal man changes the country to become a one of the top country in the world. He is a good and intelligent leader, bring along our Malaysia community to a become a successful community by his good management.

How Does Corruption Effect International Development Politics Essay

How Does Corruption Effect International Development Politics Essay Corruption is omnipresent in society and is taking total control over the minds of citizens at an alarming rate. Even though actions are being taken worldwide, corruption is still a main issue of concern for world leaders and prestigious organizations like the United Nations and the Southern African Development Community. With reference to several surveys carried out by great economists, psychologists and watchdog bodies around the world, we have carried out this project to investigate how far corruption affects development and creates inequality in Mauritian society. However due to time and word constraints, we have preferred to focus on the Mauritian society. [Introduction] Corruption may be simply defined as The abuse of public or private office for personal gain (Prevention of Corruption Act 2002) or The abuse of authority for personal gain (Independent Commission Against Corruption, Hong Kong) Bribery, favoritism, helotism, extortion and embezzlement and use of influence are examples of acts of corruption. Corruption is omnipresent in the society. However, many people do not realize that corruption is having a great and deep impact on our Mauritian society. The gap between the rich and the poor is growing wider and wider with corruption and this is also hindering our economic progress. Corruption may thus be compared to a cancer which needs to be controlled at all cost before it spreads dangerously and threaten the very fabric of our democratic nation. As the saying goes, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, both public and private sectors in Mauritius or even worldwide should work together in the battle against corruption- a fight against corrupt individuals, practices and systems. This strategy will help to enhance good governance and transparency in the economical mechanisms throughout the world. Risks of bribery and extortion between the private and public sectors as well as private companies should be minimized. Each organization should establish its own anti-corruption policies and strategies; corruption-prevention checkups should be reinforced and systems improved. The help of foreign fraud specialists and consultants should definitely be solicited if positive results want to be seen. The Mauritian ICAC adopts a three-pronged strategy to fight corruption, namely, through law enforcement, education and prevention. Its vision: Mauritius-our home, clean and fair. ICAC needs support and cooperation and commitment of the national population to succeed in its fight against corruption. The ICAC acts independently, impartially, fairly and in the sole interest of the public. Such organizations are one major step in the cleansing process of the society; in eradicating corruption. Corruption prevention programs can help increase confidence in such organizations. They enhance integrity in the organization financial reporting and promote the development of an ethical culture while ensuring transparency and good governance. However, risks of corruption can rarely be completely eliminated. The boards of organizations, and not sole individual, must constantly be alert about these types of risks. Only then shall acts of corruption diminish and society progress. Chapter 1 [why corruption?] Ivan Pavlov, the Nobel Prize winner in Psychology or Medicine in1904, described the operant condition as the food of all corrupt acts. Pavlov suggested in 1904 that the corrupt man acts similarly to a trained dog. He answers to stimuli which trigger his memory. As such the memory is related to corruption. Actually, the need of prevailing over someone and gain power over him is what triggers corruption. A person compares himself with one of his fellow friend. The desire of seeing this friend unsuccessful triggers reinforcement for corruption- jealousy. Human psychology explains that since jealousy means not willing to abide by the success of someone, it forces the person to apply force so as to triumph over him. Such mediocre thoughts are the image of a mediocre mindset. Memories which trigger such acts are accumulated through a persons life- from childhood till death. The stimuli-response behaviour is so subconscious that we are not able to recognize it and take actions against it. Therefore, if the person gains profit when he abuses human relationships, his brain captures the situation and causes the person to act repetitively in this way. Thus corruption and lust for power makes a persons life immoral. When such a stage is reached, the person cannot go backwards. He finds pleasure in taking advantage of other persons to gain profit. He cannot do otherwise since he will fail and will eventually need to abide by corruption. Last time, when I took advantage of that gullible guy, I won that prize. So now I guess that I will win again. Why should he succeed? I cannot allow this. I shall do something!These are what might be passing through the mind of a person just before he commits an act of corruption: If I do that, I will be the one gaining profit from it. I shall do it. Then, only will people recognize me. I must attain that height, no matter what! I must do it! Let me bully that guy so that he does the dirty work for me. However, some people do not corrupt deliberately but instead they are forced to do so. Corruption consumes the person bit by bit until it becomes his way of living. This is a major psychological phenomenon prevailing in many countries. Corruption is triggered by many factors which cause the human mind to become feeble and rely on corrupt measures to earn a living. Such factors are listed below: Low wages Hope is all what a low-waged employee can have. However, as time passes, lust and impatience take over his mind. This is the beginning of corruption which eventually leads to the death of the society. Low wages pressurizes the person to obtain more money. Between his social status and familial pressures, he opts for corruption to seek for a better future. Since most of the employees in Mauritius earn a modest living, they will normally be tempted to easy-money. This scourge is spreading worldwide and the real root of this problem is none other than the merged action of a lack of meritocracy and an unprecedented rise in the standard of living. Weak sense of civilization So much is being said nowadays and so little is being done. After so much years of moral and social enlightenment, it is a matter of shame that the corrupt can still act blind in front of the suffering that he is both directly and indirectly inflicting to others. It is shocking to find that even highly educated persons and high dignitaries are implicated in fraud cases. Such a case to be noted is The Watergate Scandal in 1974. The President, Richard Nixon, governing over America then was arrested after having been proven guilty of stealing, abusing indulging in campaigns frauds, political espionage and sabotage, fund laundering, massive wire tapping and the list goes on. Such a high dignitary and he stooped so low. This shows the hypnotic power lust and materialism can have on the human brain. In President Nixons case, he did not even ponder on the feeling of betrayal the millions of Americans felt on the day they found out this scandalous truth. Indeed, corruption kills our inner self and makes us as death as a corpse. Culture In African countries, it has become a tradition that after rendering a service, the person should be rewarded in terms of gratuity or tip. This tradition is so intensely practiced in some countries that the glimpse of abolishing it might create a huge cultural rift. In Africa, the reward is usually to gift the chief special honours, and in this way, politicians accepting such honour and rewards are considered acceptable. As such some politician might take advantage of this tradition and render its value nil. They would ask for gifts and rewards for jobs. This type of corruption makes the society sick and even worse is when the whole society indulges in corruption, thereby leaving not a ray of hope for a reestablishment of law and order. Absence of institutional mechanisms In a country where there are no institutions, either internal or external, to investigate into complaints related to corruption, the tendency of people practicing corrupt acts is relatively high. This is so since the chance of getting caught is minute. The absence of watchdog institutions also minimizes the consequences if the offender is caught. Wisely, such institutions should be built. It will increase the countrys economic growth since less fraudulous trades will be done. As such the country will regain a better image in terms of financial security. This will furthermore increase the Foreign Direct Investments of the country which will be the start of an unprecedented rise in wealth and status for the country. Absence of rules and regulations and lack of transparency Rules and regulations should remain omnipresent in an organization so that the employees can behave and conduct themselves in an appropriate and acceptable way. Such limitations allow everyone to be treated and judged fairly and equally. The effectiveness of these rules depends on the way of communicating them to individuals so that they are implemented and followed. The presence of a clear policy and legislation, and a wide range of enforced rules and regulations and policies might help to decrease the level of corruption in an organization or even a country. On the other hand, the absence of transparency increases the risks of corrupt acts. Transparency, as such, means tasks and functions been conducted and are open for examination by the Government officers or the general public. Also, the media must have the right of freedom of speech so that the media can inform citizens about any act of corruption been reported to it. Corruption is deterred by a transparent system as civil servants remain constantly vigilant. Therefore, strict rules create the fear of been defame by the media if the act is reported. This can drastically decrease the rate of corruption in a country because every person cherishes most his status. Discretion and absence of accountability In every system, there should be a person or an authority to take decisions. Such a person or authority has the freedom to act within certain limits. Corruption can occur where public officials: Have immense authority, Are not accountable to anyone, and Have lust instead of the grey matter. An environment with more discretion and without accountability is more prone to be submerged by corruption. Public leaders and civil servants should be accountable to the general public in a democratic country. This means that they should be able to answer to people for the action taken if a question is raised on the topic in question. Lack of effective laws can cause corruption to flourish as people will be carefree and act as they want. Therefore accountability is definitely one of paths toward neutralizing corruption. Chapter 2 [trend of corruption in mauritius] Several studies have been carried out during the last decade about the opinions of Mauritians on the perception of corruption. The Research Institute Analysis carried a survey in 1998 by interviewing 500 people. The results obtained have been classified into 3 main categories: The Tolerance of Mauritian Towards the Perception of Corruption It has been concluded that Mauritians normally tolerate, or more specifically, favour corruption whenever they can benefit from it. Paradoxically, they are the first one to condemn acts of corruption. Thus, within 37% of managers interviewed within the private sector. Corruption is commonly accepted in businesses since it plays a vital role in ensuring the success of the enterprise and thus output a favourable profit. On the whole, 85% of the interviewed people agreed that they do not tolerate corruption while the remaining 15%confess that indeed corruption does affect their activities directly. In 2004, 58% of people questioned said they would report any case of corruption they witnessed. However 30% thought that in doing so they might create problems for themselves. The remaining 22% feared possible acts of vengeance. The Most Corrupted Sectors in Mauritius From the surveys carried out, The police sector and the National Transport Authority (NTA) have been considered as most corrupted in terms of awarding contracts to private enterprises. The politicians are the most cited among the most corrupted persons of the country. The general opinion of the public about the private sector is also pessimistic. According to a survey carried out by the ICAC in 2004, 28% of people questioned think that the private sector runs in a corrupt environment, while 54% think that the private sector operates in a clean atmosphere. The Effectiveness of Legal Measures In 2004, an interview revealed that: 29.5% of people queried believed that laws against corruption are efficient, 26% thought the opposite, 20% considered that laws are efficient but are unfortunately not applied effectively, 32.8% assumed that the power of the court as an institute is limited and insignificant towards high dignitaries (the part of the general public did not receive University Education). On an international ground, The Transparency International Corruption Perception Index has rewarded Mauritius as follows: Chapter 3 [corruption and development] Corruption has always existed. During recent decades, however, corruption has grown both in terms of intensity and geographic extent. Since the 1970s, it has infiltrated every country in the world. After the end of the Cold War, it was expected that political and economical restrictions would somehow reduce this trend. People hoped that the process of democratization and openness, resulting from political pluralism and freedom of the press, should mobilize efforts to overcome corruption. Unfortunately, emergent democracies are still delicate and seem to find the duty of tackling with corruption very difficult. Nowadays, it is seen that weakened state structures, such as inappropriate legislations, powerlessness on the part of the judicial system to fight against corruption, and pursuit of easy money, altogether contribute to aggravating the situation. Such a state of affairs surely has an effect on those who are involved and concerned by development issues. As such corruption is one of the major obstacles in a countrys progress and its effects on development are disastrous. On analyzing the effects that corruption has on development, we found out that corruption adversely affects development in the following ways: Corruption increases the costs of goods and services. Although there is 5% reduction in the profit margin, corruption levels of 10% to 20%, which is the price and will consequently, be paid for through the national or foreign resources of the country. Thus, it is the national economy that suffers the consequences of an unreasonable surcharge on the goods or services bought. Since such operations are normally financed by bank loans or by foreign parties, through concessional loans, corruption indirectly increases the country debts. Corruption affects the quality of services supplied to the public. The corrupt person is tempted to accept a substandard quality of service which increases his personal profit margin. Then, the complicity between the Government and the contractors may result in corner-cutting with regard to agreed quality standards so that the savings made may be shared out between the two parties. Corruption affects the conception of a project. In this section, we are referring to situations in which the real development priorities of a country are neglected in favour of operations which generate the greatest personal gain for the decision-makers. Corruption causes the Government to spend more on the construction of unwanted projects or on lower order investments in infrastructure rather than on social areas. In most corrupted countries, corrupt politicians tend to choose projects irrespective of their intrinsic economic factor but rather on the bribes and kickbacks that these projects offer which results in poor infrastructures leading to economic imbalance. Rise in the public burden. Due to corruption, many countries that borrow money to finance projects and are not able to satisfy their real needs will see their debt burden increase. The loss will be 100% if one views it in terms of the cost of the unproductive investment t the national economy. From the many researches we have carried out and investigated on, we have found out that political corruption is the main object of concern as far as development is affected. It is a fact that politicians are the one who control the whole development mechanism. This phenomenon is not present in every state but the moment its presence is confirmed, that state starts degrading. Political corruption takes place when decisions are made on the budget. This is the root of political corruption which accounts for a massive load of corruption across the world. As such, high rates of corruption divert resources away from their real functions and it also reduces the Government revenue. This decrease in income further decreases the resources available for public investment: development is eventually affected. High corruption rate is also associated with poor infrastructure; bodies are not working at full efficiency thus decreasing output. So, when corrupt politicians influence the approval of an investment project, the rate of return, as calculated by the cost-benefit analysis, is no more the criterion for project selection. A compilation of corrupt decision as such often fails to generate the wanted economic growth. Further on, negligible economic growth halts any type of social and infrastructural development. Corruption leads to tax evasion and poor administration. In many cases, tax collection is much less than estimated financial commitments: Pensions, Interest payments, Public debts, Salaries, and Subsidies. This was one of the major problems that Mauritius faced in the past years due to uneven governance from the various politicians in power. However, gradually politicians have become aware of the danger they are going to face in the near future. As remedial measures, they have taken long term effect measures to prevent any further misbalances to the economy. The positive results of these crucial but necessary measures can be perceived and yet many more are to come. Chapter 4 [corruption and inequality] Corruption and inequality are directly linked. There are two ways in which they are correlated: The change of economic inequality due to corruption, and Economic inequality as a factor of corruption. In other words, an increase in corruption due to economic inequality can produce additional drawbacks. Judicial corruption has also a very big hand in bringing economic inequality. The first example that can be taken is in terms of the tax system. Nowadays, due to corruption, we have a biased tax system where wealthy are favoured and become richer and the poor are marginalized and remain poor. The result of this favouritism leads to a defective tax administration causing an unprecedented increase in social inequality as the gap between the poor and the rich is maintained. Adding to this situation is the poor effective targeting of social programs which, due to corruption, are having a serious problem. Funds that are supposed to help in alleviating poverty are being shifted from trust funds to reach powerful individuals. This is really going to increase inequality in society as the poor people will not be able to enjoy their merits while on the other hand the rich people will continuously play with money. Poor people are the only victim of acts of corruption. Hence an increase in the rate of the perception of corruption will cause an increase in poverty, causing the regression of a country and ultimately the downfall of the world. It is true that when you invest in corruption, there is always the uncertainty that you will get what you actually wanted. The rules constantly change. Thus if a poor person invests in a corrupt plan, then the powerful and wealthy individuals might easily turn the tables and take all the profit. Therefore, inequality will always prevail amongst individuals as long as the barrier between the poor and the rich is not breached. Social trust also plays a fundamental role between equality and corruption. If politicians of one country will keep on trusting the population and vice-versa, then corruption will be totally eradicated. Rich and poor people will never be tagged. Thus, everyone will earn equal amount of money and eating the same quality and amount of food. However, it is all due to mans vile mind that social trust is gradually disappearing from the society. People tend to snatch others possessions and in trying to be like others, they simply crush the desires of others. This disease is due to social inequality and the materialistic barrier between the poor and the rich. Chapter 5 [government measures] Corruption has become one of the most serious problems in Mauritius. In order to fight this scourge, the leading Governments, over time, have taken several corrective measures: Strict Judiciary System Obligations Watchdog Body Strict Judiciary System With enforced laws and regulations, people caught practicing corrupt acts are dealt with more severely. Through time, much legislation has failed in their task of rendering justice and controlling the rate of corruption. In a more optimistic point of view, several legislations have been modified in order to adopt a more realistic and righteous approach to criminal acts- corruption. They have permitted through the years to bring development in the society and to help people stay within their limits. Watchdog Bodies The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was established on the 1st April 2002 as the Prevention of Corruption Act (PoCA) 2002 was put into effect by official proclamations. The principal aim of the ICAC is to plan and implement the national strategy against corruption in the Republic of Mauritius. Its mission statement is: With the community, the ICAC is committed to fight corruption through effective law enforcement, education and prevention to help keep Mauritius fair, just, stable and prosperous. The ICAC is an independent body and acts impartially. The ICAC investigates all allegations of corruption that are reported in respect of both the public and private sectors and then takes appropriate remedial measures. For instance, the ICAC and the MQI launched the second edition of the Best Anti-Corruption Framework 2008 at the Rajiv Gandhi Science centre on Wednesday 7th May 2008. Its aim was to identify loopholes and weaknesses in enterprises that may give opportunities for corruption and initiate actions for fraud detection and prevention. In addition, the ICAC plays an important role in education whereby its goals are: Make educators more concerned about imparting knowledge Promote good control education Enhance professional and moral principles among teachers Provide strength and support to teachers to enable them to fight actively against corruption Boost up the inclusion of anti-corruption education in the school curriculum Obligations The Republic of Mauritius is growing day by day and in order to bring sustainable development, the Government is continuously making commitments with several high order organizations: The United Nations Convention Against Corruption, The SADC Protocol Against Corruption and The African Union on Preventing and Combating Corruption among many others. The fundamental raison dà ªtre of such obligations is to attract foreign investments to the country in order to have a positive economic growth and hence progress in the world. Chapter 6 [evaluation of measures] In this section we will be dealing with a local case and explain how the case in question affected development and created inequality in society. Also, we will try to find out what more can be done in order to prevent such situations in the future. 1 Mr. Robert Rivalland was prosecuted in this year for being part of a plot which was to the detriment of Air Mauritius. He was part of a money laundering case between 1982 and 1997, along with three other high officials of the Air Mauritius and The Rogers: the case was withdrawn from the three other partners. Robert Rivalland was the only one accused of having corruptly diverted about Rs. 85 million. His lawyer, Mrs. Yamilla Moonshiram, declared that the case of his defendant was stronger compared to one of the three other accused. Mr. Rivalland was finally condemned. Analysis: During this case, Mr. Rivalland seemed to be quite silent, especially during the case hearing. This may be seen in two ways: either he is truly innocent or he is really a culprit. Being part of the so called suspicious commission during 1982 and 1997 made it a hard attack against his defense in Court. As such, his name was mentioned several times when one of his fellow partners was accused: he was the one who approved the cheques which were diverted from the Air Mauritius account. During the 15 years of conspiracy, the Air Mauritius suffered a colossal loss. The Rs. 85 million could have been used in the expansion of the airport. This would furthermore enable a more massive flow of tourists in and out of the country. Since tourism is one of the pillars of the economy of our country, the whole nation would have benefited to a much larger extent. Moreover, the employees of Air Mauritius could have enjoyed a better salary which would have led to a higher standard of living and increase their productivity at work. The plot created a great disturbance in the Mauritian economy. The employees of Air Mauritius were marginalized. They could not benefit from any rise in their salaries and this further increased the gap between the rich and the poor in the society. The poor workers had to struggle to satisfy their needs which created a rift between their wealthier colleagues. Consequently, this increased social inequality. aaa Chapter 7 [recommendations] Mauritius is trying hard to polish its image around the world. Among poverty eradication and literacy, corruption is yet a problem that the Mauritian Government is facing. Some of the measures that can be implemented are: Keep the issue of acting against corruption under regular review. Collaborate with other countries and work together to devise strategies to counterattack corruption. Adopt the International Code of Conduct for Public officials. Hand over the power of a system to a Board of people rather to a single person. (Decisions that are voted by a Board are less doubtful compared to that made by a single person.) Abolish old and ineffective laws and establish new and stricter ones. Organize campaigns to both prevent and control corruption. Zero tolerance towards corrupt officials and high dignitaries (Through this measure, many high dignitaries were found to be implicated in corrupt acts in Zimbabwe- a member of the SADC. Since Mauritius forms part of this community, the same measure can be implemented to combat corruption). Sensitising workers on the causes, trend and impact of corruption Inculcating ethics and moral values as early as from primary schools so that children understand the implications of corruption. [conclusion] Ivan Pavlov rightly said that corruption is a conditioned-reflex action; a persons past corrupt gains boosts up his corrupt endeavours. Due to the innumerable factors discussed above, corruption has in fact become a vulnerable stage from which a feeble mind cannot abstain for long. Indeed, as several worldwide surveys have shown it, the scourge of corruption is a perpetual process that keeps on devouring a persons life. Once addicted to corrupt acts, it is nearly impossible for him to escape from the clutches of corruption. Nowadays, people of the higher hierarchy want to go ahead and earn even more money while on the other side, the poor remains unemployed and keeps on trying to meet the ends monthly. Both, corruption and inequality coexist in society and in order to eliminate one, we need to eliminate the other; they are mutually related. We should stop favouritism and start keeping faith in one another. Corruption will lead to nowhere while social trust will show the way to a country with a sustainable economy and hence a healthy population. We have, in the course of this project dealt with very resourceful information and have tried to bring forth the slowly emerging plague of the society- corruption- and we have also tried to suggest some recommendations. At the end of this highly resourceful project, we have realised that corruption is nothing more than the fruit of humans mind. We need to control it before it gets at arms length in the race of such a materialistic world. Facts and figures are the witnesses of its unprecedented rise. It is also a fact that people are becoming more aware of it but much remains to be done so as to eradicate corruption in not only Mauritius but in the whole world. Appendix The interview of Mr. Boodhoo, Chief Officer at the Corruption Prevention and Education Division on Monday 5th May 2008(10.00 a.m.) According to ICAC, how can corruption be defined? Corruption is an abuse of power or authority for personal gain. Now, according to the law and constitution of Mauritius, what is the definition of corruption? PoCA defines corruption as an abuse of power in the public and private sector for personal gain. What do statistics say about the trend of corruption in the Mauritian society? Corruption cannot be measured. It is impossible to measure corruption. It is a secretive activity. Nothing is gained from surveys about corruption. Only the perception of corruption is measurable. However, this is not 100% efficient. What procedure does the ICAC adopt to treat corruption cases? The complaint is directed to the board of ICAC. The board refers the matter for investigation if required. In terms of national and international relationships, how does corruption affect our countrys status? Investors will not be willing to invest if they perceive the country as corrupted. Knowing that for every business, bribes will be needed. Hence, there will be no Foreign Direct Investment. Laws and bills are still being voted in the Mauritian assembly. How far do you think that these measures are reliable and effective? We should know how far the laws are enforced. We should not only pass laws

Liberals LOVE Gun Control Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Liberals Love Gun Control      Ã‚  Ã‚   Gun Control can be called the 'acid test' of liberalism. All true liberals must favor stricter gun controls. After all, doesn't the United States have the most heavily armed population on the earth? Are we not the world's most violent people? Surely these facts must be at least casually connected. Therefore the apparently desperate need to "do something" about the vast quantity of firearms and firearms abuse is obvious.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Guns are employed in an enormous number of crimes in this country. In other countries with stricter gun laws, gun crimes are rare. Many of the firearms involved in crime are cheap handguns, so-called Saturday Night Specials for which there is no legitimate use or need.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The public is polarized on the issue of gun control, Anti-gun control activists believe that it is each and every American's individual right to bear arms. After all, the Second Amendment to the Constitution states that:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Advocates of gun control say that even with 20,000 gun control laws already in existence, the serious problems due to firearm misuse continue. Obviously, the controls that have been designed have not been sufficiently effective. Therefore the pro-gun controllers argue, we need more uniform legislation, more extensive gun controls, and effective enforcement.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Various pro-gun control organizations disagree on methods of gun control needed. For example, there are individuals who would ban all handgu... ...med there is less incidence of crime? The examples from California and Switzerland are evidence to that fact. Enough freedoms have already been lost in this country, can we afford to lose another? With some 20.000 firearms regulations now on the books, we do not need still more gun-control laws. We need to enforce the laws that we have now. It's time to stop the wait. The only thing Congress should rush is the adoption of meaningful criminal justice reforms to keep violent predators off our streets. We do not need more laws that restrict the ability and the right of honest women and men to protect themselves from criminal attack.    WORKS CITED    Lee, Patricia.   "Fighting for Freedom."   Guns & Ammo Sept. 1992: 26.    Cramer, Clayton.   Are Concealed Carry Permits a Threat to Public Safety?. American Rifleman Sept. 1993: 27-28

Essay :: essays research papers

LeBron James was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio. His mother was Gloria James who was only 16 at the time. His father was Anthony McClelland. Gloria raised LeBron on her own. Life was often a struggle for LeBron and his mother. LeBron James, who has been called "the best high school player ever," is a creative dunker with the explosiveness of Jordan and the passing ability of Magic Johnson. Not since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a high schooler in the '60s has a high school sensation gotten so much exposure and generated so much excitement. He is known as a call showstopper" who has, during his tenure at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, exhibited the kind of fan-pleasing ability that will likely make him the NBA's No. 1 draft pick on June 26. James, who has a 32-point scoring average and 3.75 grade-point average, is a cordial, sometimes engaging youngster who is characterized by his unselfishness on the court that's mixed with a bit of flamboyance. And it's those credentials that elevated him to the level where he was the focus of what was called the "Fantastic Scholastic LeBron James Tour," an 8,500-mile, cross-country road schedule that included stops in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Dayton and Greensboro, N.C. But with so much attention devoted to James, it has created the sometimes circus-like environment that surrounds him. Even so, he has been able to handle it with the maturity of one who is much older than his 18 years. "Sometimes it's tough because you don't get to be a kid anymore. But I've chosen this lifestyle and you have to take it for what it is," he says. "I love every moment of it. I'd rather people know me as a great basketball player than see me on the news [and people] saying something bad that I did." The McDonald's High School Player of the Year is a unique package of athletic ability and charisma that has enthralled spectators in ways not seen before at this level. This spring, for example, sellout crowds of 20,000 or more attended several All-Star games in which he played, and some paid upward of $85 to see him. There are nearly 1,100 LeBron James items listed on eBay. And when was the last time that a high schooler has generated so much excitement that his regular-season games were nationally televised?

Helping the Little Children Essay -- Personal Narrative Essays

Helping the Little Children    I feel the pounding footsteps under my feet and the intense air rush past me as I run, squirming to keep my posture. I struggle to stay glued to the beast's side. If I miss one crucial step, it may mean tragedy for this innocent little disabled boy. I stay close to Dakota's ribs as we move into the turn. Relieved, I gasp for the warm mountain air as we slow to a walk. With my arms still extended above my head, I smile at the partially toothless grin.    As I drive my topless jeep, rounding bend after bend, I find myself staring at the lightly snow-capped mountains in the distance. I run my hands through my windblown hair and notice nature's brilliant autumn colored aspen patterns whiz past me.    Just over the ridge, I casually pull into Chris Turpin's leaf covered driveway. To my left, stands a squatty farm house that has dirty tan siding with dark brown trim, topped with a new forest green metal roof. The few windows the house displays are abnormally small and are always dark. The simple wood siding, though patched with dust and cob webs, has a neat, serene air to it. A branch-covered lawn, which looks as though it has not been mowed in weeks, makes a narrow ring around the house. To my right, stands a pole barn with no solid sides, rising far above the many tarnished orange corrals surrounding it. The barn is just old enough to have collected a nice assortment of ragged bird nests in its rafters, but the wood is not yet discolored. The barn encloses a small rectangular arena, which has one corner rounded off by an old log. In the spare corner is an ancient water faucet and invincible weeds. Extending from the east side of the barn are large corrals... ...e highest mountain when he grows up. Even though he hurts whenever he moves now, he has such an incredible desire to reach this goal and make his dreams come true. I believe he will someday fulfill his dream, and it will be a result of the magic that happens at this very place. It is just a quaint farm house with a rickety barn and a handful of hospitable souls all put together to create something incredible.    However, this place is not just a place for disabled children's dreams to come true, it is a place for my dreams to come true as well. This is a place I feel I am needed and truly inspired to reach my highest goals. It was here I discovered my gift of helping disabled children, and it was here that I learned to slow down for the turns in my life and enjoy the ride. Someday I will create my own TER Program; that is my dream.      

Frostbite Chapter 19

Nineteen I HATE BEING POWERLESS. AND I hate going down without a fight. What had taken place outside in the alley hadn't been a real fight. If it had- if I'd been beaten into submission †¦ well, yeah. Maybe I could accept that. Maybe. But I hadn't been beaten. I'd barely gotten my hands dirty. Instead, I'd gone quietly. Once they had us sitting on the floor of the van, they'd bound each of our hands behind our back with flex-cuffs- strips of plastic that cinched together and held just as well as anything made of metal. After that, we rode in near silence. The men occasionally murmured something to each other, speaking too softly for any of us to hear. Christian or Mia might have been able to understand the words, but they were in no position to communicate anything to the rest of us. Mia looked as terrified as she had out on the street, and while Christian's fear had rapidly given way to his typical haughty anger, even he didn't dare act out with guards nearby. I was glad for Christian's self-control. I didn't doubt any of these men would smack him if he got out of line, and neither I nor the other novices were in a position to stop them. That was what really drove me crazy. The instinct to protect Moroi was so deeply ingrained in me that I couldn't even pause to worry about myself. Christian and Mia were the focus. They were the ones I had to get out of this mess. And how had this mess started? Who were these guys? That was a mystery. They were human, but I didn't believe for an instant that a group of dhampirs and Moroi had been random kidnapping victims. We'd been targeted for a reason. Our captors made no attempts to blindfold us or conceal our route, which I didn't take as a good sign. Did they think we didn't know the city well enough to retrace our steps? Or did they figure it didn't matter since we wouldn't be leaving wherever they were taking us? All I sensed was that we were driving away from downtown, off toward a more suburban area. Spokane was as dull as I'd imagined. Unlike where pristine white snow lay in drifts, slushy gray puddles lined the streets and dirty patches dotted the lawns. There were also a lot fewer evergreen trees than I was used to. The scraggly, leafless deciduous trees here seemed skeletal by comparison. They only added to the mood of impending doom. After what felt like less than an hour, the van turned down a quiet cul-de-sac, and we drove up to a very ordinary- yet large- house. Other houses- identical in the way suburban homes often are- stood nearby, which gave me hope. Maybe we could get some help from the neighbors. We pulled inside the garage, and once the door was back down, the men ushered us into the house. It looked a lot more interesting on the inside. Antique, claw-footed sofas and chairs. A large, saltwater fish tank. Swords crossed over the fireplace. One of those stupid modern art paintings that consisted of a few lines splayed across the canvas. The part of me that enjoyed destroying things would have liked to study the swords in detail, but the main floor wasn't our destination. Instead, we were led down a narrow flight of stairs, down to a basement as large as the floor above. Only, unlike the main floor's open space, the basement was sectioned off into a series of halls and closed doors. It was like a rat's maze. Our captors led us through it without hesitation, into a small room with a concrete floor and unpainted drywall. The furniture inside consisted of several very uncomfortable-looking wooden chairs with slatted backs- backs that proved to be a convenient place for rebinding our hands. The men seated us in such a way that Mia and Christian sat on one side of the room, and the rest of us dhampirs sat on the other. One guy- the leader, apparently- watched carefully as one of his henchmen bound Eddie's hands with new flex-cuffs. â€Å"These are the ones you especially have to watch,† he warned, nodding toward us. â€Å"They'll fight back.† His eyes traveled first to Eddie's face, then Mason's, and then mine. The guy and I held each other's gaze for several moments, and I scowled. He looked back over at his associate. â€Å"Watch her in particular.† When we'd been restrained to his satisfaction, he barked out a few more orders to the others and then left the room, shutting the door loudly behind him. His steps echoed through the house as he walked upstairs. Moments later, silence fell. We sat there, staring at each other. After several minutes, Mia whimpered and started to speak. â€Å"What are you going to- â€Å" â€Å"Shut up,† growled one of the men. He took a warning step toward her. Blanching, she cringed but still looked as though she might say something else. I caught her eye and shook my head. She stayed silent, eyes wide and a slight tremble to her lip. There's nothing worse than waiting and not knowing what'll happen to you. Your own imagination can be crueler than any captor. Since our guards wouldn't talk to us or tell us what was in store, I imagined all sorts of horrible scenarios. The guns were the obvious threat, and I found myself pondering what a bullet would feel like. Painful, presumably. And where would they shoot? Through the heart or the head? Quick death. But somewhere else? Like the stomach? That would be slow and painful. I shuddered at the thought of my life bleeding out of me. Thinking of all that blood put me in mind of the Badica house and maybe having our throats slit. These men could have knives as well as guns. Of course, I had to wonder why we were still alive at all. Clearly they wanted something from us, but what? They weren't asking for information. And they were human. What would humans want with us? Usually the most we feared from humans was either running into crazy slayer types or those who wanted to experiment on us. These seemed like neither. So what did they want? Why were we here? Over and over, I imagined more awful, gruesome fates. The looks on my friends' faces showed I wasn't the only one who could envision creative torments. The smell of sweat and fear filled the room. I lost track of time and was suddenly jolted out of my imaginings when footsteps sounded on the stairs. The lead captor stepped into the hall. The rest of the men straightened up, tension crackling around them. Oh God. This was it, I realized. This was what we'd been waiting for. â€Å"Yes, sir,† I heard the leader say. â€Å"They're in here, just like you wanted.† Finally, I realized. The person behind our kidnapping. Panic shot through me. I had to escape. â€Å"Let us out of here!† I yelled, straining at my bindings. â€Å"Let us out of here, you son of a- â€Å" I stopped. Something inside of me shriveled up. My throat went dry. My heart wanted to stop. The guard had returned with a man and a woman I didn't recognize. I did, however, recognize that they were †¦ †¦ Strigoi. Real, live- well, figuratively speaking- Strigoi. It all suddenly clicked together. It wasn't just the Spokane reports that had been true. What we'd feared- Strigoi working with humans- had come true. This changes everything. Daylight wasn't safe anymore. None of us were safe anymore. Worse, I realized these must be the rogue Strigoi- the ones who had attacked the two Moroi families with human help. Again, those horrible memories came to me: bodies and blood everywhere. Bile rose in my throat, and I tried to shift my thoughts from the past to the present situation. Not that that was any more reassuring. Moroi had pale skin, the kind of skin that blushed and burned easily. But these vampires†¦their skin was white, chalky in a way that made it look like the result of a bad makeup job. The pupils of their eyes had a red ring around them, driving home what monsters they were. The woman, actually, reminded me of Natalie- my poor friend whose father had convinced her to turn Strigoi. It took me a few moments to figure out what the resemblance was because they looked nothing alike. This woman was short- probably human before becoming Strigoi- and had brown hair with a bad highlighting job. Then it hit me. This Strigoi was a new one, much as Natalie had been. It didn't become obvious until I compared her with the Strigoi man. The Strigoi woman's face had a little life in it. But his †¦ his was the face of death. His face was completely devoid of any sort of warmth or gentler emotion. His expression was cold and calculating, laced with malicious amusement. He was tall, as tall as Dimitri, and had a slender frame that indicated he'd been Moroi before changing over. Shoulder-length black hair framed his face and stood out against the bright scarlet of his dress shirt. His eyes were so dark and brown that without the red ring, it would have been almost impossible to tell where pupil ended and iris began. One of the guards shoved me hard, even though I'd been silent. He glanced up at the Strigoi man. â€Å"You want me to gag her?† I suddenly realized I'd been hunching into the back of my chair, unconsciously trying to get as far away from him as possible. He realized this too, and a thin, toothless smile crossed his lips. â€Å"No,† he said. His voice was silky and low. â€Å"I'd like to hear what she has to say.† He raised an eyebrow at me. â€Å"Please. Continue.† I swallowed. â€Å"No? Nothing to add? Well. Do feel free to pipe up if something else comes to mind.† â€Å"Isaiah,† exclaimed the woman. â€Å"Why are you keeping them here? Why haven't you just contacted the others?† â€Å"Elena, Elena,† Isaiah murmured to her. â€Å"Behave yourself. I'm not going to pass up the chance to enjoy myself with two Moroi and †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He walked behind my chair and lifted my hair, making me shudder. A moment later, he peered at Mason and Eddie's necks as well. â€Å"†¦three unblooded dhampirs.† He spoke those words with an almost happy sigh, and I realized he'd been looking for guardian tattoos. Strolling over to Mia and Christian, Isaiah rested a hand on his hip as he studied them. Mia could only meet his eyes for an instant before looking away. Christian's fear was palpable, but he managed to return the Strigoi's scrutiny. It made me proud. â€Å"Look at these eyes, Elena.† Elena walked over and stood beside Isaiah as he spoke. â€Å"That pale blue. Like ice. Like aquamarines. You almost never get that outside of the royal houses. Badicas. Ozeras. The occasional Zeklos.† â€Å"Ozera,† said Christian, trying very hard to sound fearless. Isaiah tilted his head. â€Å"Really? Surely not†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He leaned closer to Christian. â€Å"But the age is right†¦and that hair†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He smiled. â€Å"Lucas and Moira's son?† Christian said nothing, but the confirmation on his face was obvious. â€Å"I knew your parents. Great people. Unparalleled. Their deaths were a shame†¦ but, well†¦ I daresay they brought that on themselves. I told them they shouldn't have gone back for you. Would have been wasteful to awaken you so young. They claimed they were going to just keep you around and waken you when you were older. I warned them that that would be a disaster, but, well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He gave a delicate shrug. â€Å"Awaken† was the term Strigoi used among themselves when they changed over. It sounded like a religious experience. â€Å"They wouldn't listen, and disaster met them in a different way.† Hatred, deep and dark, boiled behind Christian's eyes. Isaiah smiled again. â€Å"It's quite touching that you should find your way to me after all this time. Perhaps I can realize their dream after all.† â€Å"Isaiah,† said the woman- Elena- again. Every word out of her mouth seemed like a whine. â€Å"Call the others- â€Å" â€Å"Stop giving me orders!† Isaiah grabbed her shoulder and shoved her away- except that the push knocked her across the room and almost through the wall. She just barely threw her hand out in time to stop the impact. Strigoi had better reflexes than dhampirs or even Moroi; her lack of grace meant he'd completely caught her off guard. And really, he'd barely touched her. The push had been light- yet it had packed the force of a small car. This further enforced my belief that he was in another class altogether. His strength beat hers by magnitudes. She was like a fly he could swat away. Strigoi power increased with age- as well as through the consumption of Moroi blood and, to a lesser extent, dhampir blood. This guy wasn't just old, I realized. He was ancient. And he'd drunk a lot of blood over the years. Terror filled Elena's features, and I could understand her fear. Strigoi turned against each other all the time. He could have ripped her head off if he wanted. She cowered, averting her eyes. â€Å"I†¦ I'm sorry, Isaiah.† Isaiah smoothed his shirt- not that it had been wrinkled. His voice took on the cold pleasantness he'd affected earlier. â€Å"You clearly have opinions here, Elena, and I welcome you voicing them in a civilized manner. What do you think we should do with these cubs?† â€Å"You should- that is, I think we should just take them now. Especially the Moroi.† She was clearly working hard not to whine again and annoy him. â€Å"Unless†¦you aren't going to throw another dinner party, are you? It's a complete waste. We'll have to share, and you know the others won't be grateful. They never are.† â€Å"I'm not making a dinner party out of them,† he declared loftily. Dinner party? â€Å"But I'm not killing them yet either. You're young, Elena. You only think about immediate gratification. When you're as old as me, you won't be so †¦ impatient.† She rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking. Turning, he swept his gaze over me, Mason, and Eddie. â€Å"You three, I'm afraid, are going to die. There's no avoiding it. I'd like to say I'm sorry, but, well, I'm not. Such is the way of the world. You do have a choice in how you die, however, and that will be dictated by your behavior.† His eyes lingered on me. I didn't really get why everyone seemed to be singling me out as the troublemaker here. Well, maybe I did. â€Å"Some of you will die more painfully than others.† I didn't need to see Mason and Eddie to know their fear mirrored mine. I was pretty sure I even heard Eddie whimper. Isaiah abruptly turned on his heels, military-style, and faced Mia and Christian. â€Å"You two, fortunately, have options. Only one of you will die. The other will live on in glorious immortality. I'll even be kind enough to take you under my wing until you're a little older. Such is my charity.† I couldn't help it. I choked on a laugh. Isaiah spun around and stared at me. I fell silent and waited for him to throw me across the room like he had Elena, but he did nothing else but stare. It was enough. My heart raced, and I felt tears brim in my eyes. My fear shamed me. I wanted to be like Dimitri. Maybe even like my mother. After several long, agonizing moments, Isaiah turned back to the Moroi. â€Å"Now. As I was saying, one of you will be awakened and live forever. But it will not be me who wakens you. You will choose to be awakened willingly.† â€Å"Not likely,† said Christian. He packed as much snarky defiance as he could manage into those two words, but it was still obvious to everyone else in the room that he was scared out of his mind. â€Å"Ah, how I love the Ozera spirit,† mused Isaiah. He glanced at Mia, his red eyes gleaming. She shrank back in fear. â€Å"But don't let him upstage you, my dear. There's strength in common blood, too. And here's how it will be decided.† He pointed at us dhampirs. His gazed chilled me all over, and I imagined I could smell the stink of decay. â€Å"If you want to live, all you have to do is kill one of these three.† He turned back to the Moroi. â€Å"That's it. Not unpleasant at all. Just tell one of these gentlemen here you want to do it. They'll release you. Then you drink from them and are awakened as one of us. Whoever does this first walks free. The other will be dinner for Elena and me.† Silence hung in the room. â€Å"No,† said Christian. â€Å"No way am I killing one of my friends. I don't care what you do. I'll die first.† Isaiah waved a dismissive hand. â€Å"Easy to be brave when you aren't hungry. Go a few days without any other sustenance †¦ and yes, these three will start to look very good. And they are. Dhampirs are delicious. Some prefer them to Moroi, and while I myself have never shared such beliefs, I can certainly appreciate the variety.† Christian scowled. â€Å"Don't believe me?† asked Isaiah. â€Å"Then let me prove it.† He walked back over to my side of the room. I realized what he was going to do and spoke without fully thinking things through. â€Å"Use me,† I blurted out. â€Å"Drink from me.† Isaiah's smug look faltered for a moment, and his eyebrows rose. â€Å"You're volunteering?† â€Å"I've done it before. Let Moroi feed off me, I mean. I don't mind. I like it. Leave the rest of them alone.† â€Å"Rose!† exclaimed Mason. I ignored him and looked beseechingly at Isaiah. I didn't want him to feed off me. The thought made me sick. But I had given blood before, and I'd rather him take pints from me before he touched Eddie or Mason. I couldn't read his expression as he sized me up. For half a second, I thought he might go for it, but instead he shook his head. â€Å"No. Not you. Not yet.† He walked over and stood before Eddie. I pulled against my flex-cuffs so hard that they dug painfully into my skin. They didn't give. â€Å"No! Leave him alone!† â€Å"Quiet,† snapped Isaiah, without looking at me. He rested one hand on the side of Eddie's face. Eddie trembled and had gone so pale, I thought he would faint. â€Å"I can make this easy, or I can make it hurt. Your silence will encourage the former.† I wanted to scream, wanted to call Isaiah all sorts of names and make all sorts of threats. But I couldn't. My eyes flicked around the room, searching for exits, as I had so many times before. But there were none. Just blank, bare white walls. No windows. The one precious door, always guarded. I was helpless, just as helpless as I'd been from the moment they'd pulled us into the van. I felt like crying, more from frustration than fear. What kind of guardian would I be if I couldn't protect my friends? But I stayed quiet, and a look of satisfaction crossed Isaiah's face. The fluorescent lighting gave his skin a sickly, grayish hue, emphasizing the dark circles under his eyes. I wanted to punch him. â€Å"Good.† He smiled at Eddie and held his face so that the two made direct eye contact. â€Å"Now, you won't fight me, will you?† As I've mentioned, Lissa was good at compulsion. But she couldn't have done this. In seconds, Eddie was smiling. â€Å"No. I won't fight you.† â€Å"Good,† repeated Isaiah. â€Å"And you'll give me your neck freely, won't you?† â€Å"Of course,† replied Eddie, tilting his head back. Isaiah brought his mouth down, and I looked away, trying to focus on the threadbare carpet instead. I didn't want to see this. I heard Eddie emit a soft, happy moan. The feeding itself was relatively quiet- no slurping or anything like that. â€Å"There.† I glanced back when I heard Isaiah speak again. Blood dripped from his lips, and he ran his tongue across them. I couldn't see the wound on Eddie's neck, but I suspected it was bloody and horrible too. Mia and Christian stared wide-eyed, both with fear and fascination. Eddie gazed off in a happy, drugged haze, high from both the endorphins and the compulsion. Isaiah straightened up and smiled at the Moroi, licking the last of the blood off his lips. â€Å"You see?† he told them, moving toward the door. â€Å"It's just that easy.†

Explore the theme of escapism in Peter Pan Essay

The theme of escapism is prominent in much children’s literature. Frances Hodgson-Burnett’s The Secret Garden is, like Peter Pan, an example of Edwardian children’s literature. Both these novels are tales of escapism from real life into another world. There are also more recent examples of escapism in children’s literature. In the 1950s C. S. Lewis invented Narnia, and in even more recent literature, Harry Potter escapes his everyday life to go to school at Hogwarts. J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, an early Edwardian novel, is one of the great classics of British children’s literature and is, on the surface, a tale about a boy who refused to grow up. There is however, an underlying plot concerning a girl who must grow up. It is from this obligation that Barrie’s Neverland acts as a form of escape. Throughout Peter Pan, there is little focus on the female characters. It is almost assumed that Wendy will grow up and become a Mother, as all daughters do. Although Neverland allows Wendy to escape from her home and from the domestic world she knows, she does not escape domesticity altogether. She almost becomes mother to the Lost Boys, and is given a number of domestic duties such as ironing Peter’s shadow. However, Wendy’s relationship with Peter is not entirely conventional. She appears to be the closest thing Peter has to a girlfriend, as he rejects the sexual advances of both Tinkerbell and Tiger Lily. However, Wendy also appears to be acting as his mother, something Peter has been deprived of his whole life. It is the childish energy of Barrie’s imagination filled with such a â€Å"splendid jumble of pirates, redskins, fairies and mermaids† that enthrals so many children (Carpenter p172). Through this manipulation of other people’s minds and emotions, Barrie â€Å"carries them off from the real world †¦ to a country of his own invention† (Carpenter p179). Barrie seems to be presenting his readers with a substitute faith, to act as a form of escape from the Christian teachings of the Victorian era. It has even been suggested that Peter Pan is in fact an alternative religion. Humphrey Carpenter suggests that in many respects Peter is Christ-like. Possibly the most obvious example of this is when he takes Wendy and her brothers on a flight of fantasy to â€Å"his own heavenly land† (Carpenter p182). The Lost Boys who live there seem to represent the souls of the dead as Peter asserts, â€Å"They are the children who fall out of their prams when the nurse is looking the other way†, therefore further increasing Neverland’s resemblance of heaven. The concept of escaping to heaven was extremely important to Barrie. He lost his brother David at a young age and subsequently spent much of his life trying to become a living version of the boy â€Å"who by dying †¦ remained ever young† (Wallshli ger p120). To observe Peter and Hook as the Christ and Satan of Barrie’s religion, the reader must have faith in the novel. The theme of belief is interesting throughout Peter Pan as the reader is, like the Darling children, constantly being asked, â€Å"Do you believe? † In order to fly, the Darling children must have faith, and â€Å"think lovely wonderful thoughts†, as Peter’s fairy dust is, in itself not enough. In turn the reader or audience must have faith and believe in the fact that a child can fly. Similarly, in order to escape to Neverland, a reader must have faith that there is such a place â€Å"somewhere past the second star to the right and straight on until morning†. The theme of belief is particularly important at the end of Barrie’s story when the darling children lose their faith and no longer believe in Peter, and so cannot see him. Though faith and belief are important in Peter Pan, the dream of escaping to another world seems to be almost self-sufficient. Barrie implies there is little need to grow up or awaken from this dream as it is in fact already framed by the Edwardian domesticity of the â€Å"real† world where wealth and relationships are important. Carpenter in fact goes further than this by asserting that children must not grow up and claims that to visit Neverland â€Å"requires an act of belief that children cannot sustain as they grow up† (Carpenter p180). Peter himself seems to be of the opinion that it is only children, who can escape the drudgery of everyday life and claims, â€Å"I want always to be a little boy, and to have fun†. Barrie’s adventure story and his creation of such a magical hero seems to have achieved what so much children’s literature had previously tried to do. Peter represents the shift from the Victorian perception of the child as a â€Å"moral icon† to â€Å"a craze for the child as a fun-loving playboy hero† (Wallshli ger p111). Peter has no memory or emotion, and so â€Å"can live only for the moment† and experiences ecstasies that other children can never know (Wallshli ger p117). Peter is an asexual child rather than a young man. Barrie himself was also somewhat sexless, and it is doubtful whether his marriage was ever consummated. This lack of sexuality and romantic relationship is represented well on stage as Peter is often played by an actress, and is therefore viewed as an androgynous figure. Another interesting aspect of the casting of Peter Pan is that of Mr. Darling and Hook, who traditionally, are played by the same actor. This becomes particularly significant when considering the theme of masculinity in Peter Pan. There is much evidence of male competitiveness in the novel. The most obvious example of this is Peter’s dual with Hook, which appears to be an assertion of masculinity by Peter. It is particularly interesting that it is Peter and the lost boys who triumph over Hook who is a mature villain. This youthful triumph acts as another form of escape for a young reader. Traditionally in Victorian society adults were in control and would have power over children. In Barrie’s Children’s fantasy, it is youth and sexual immaturity that enable Peter to triumph over his adult rivals. It has been suggested by many critics that Peter, â€Å"The boy who wouldn’t grow up†, is a representation of Barrie himself. Barrie was a short man and despite a moustache â€Å"retained a markedly boyish look until old age† (Carpenter p173). He was in a physical respect, quite literally, a boy who couldn’t grow up. This figure of a man in a child’s body is undoubtedly the principle model for Peter, who is â€Å"neither child nor adult† (Carpenter p177).

Anthology of Poems

â€Å"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth. † This persuasive essays purpose is to persuade the reader to include three phenomenal poems in an anthology of Indigenous Poetry. Each of the poems that will be introduced have been written by indigenous Australians, and each includes a form of a relationship within them, not only with people, but with culture, and Aboriginal and European Australians. The first poem to be introduced is Aboriginal Australia, by Jack Davis.This gut wrenching poem is about the treacherous acts that the Europeans committed against the Aborigines. The second poem that will be discussed is Took the Children Away by Archie Roach. This poem, or song, is about the Stolen Generation, and the repercussions that it had on the children that experienced that event. Finally, the poem Son of Mine by Oodgeroo Noonuccal will be introduced. Son of Mine is about the emotions behind the fighting of the Europeans and Aborigines. Each of the three poems has a rightful place in an anthology of Indigenous Poetry.The first poem that will be introduced is Aboriginal Australia written by poet Jack Davis. Aboriginal Australia is a raw and overwhelming poem about what the Europeans did to, and the effects that it had on most indigenous Australians. To support this heartfelt poem, Davis uses metaphors to accentuate the bold words that he has felt. The line, â€Å"I would find a pen to probe your freckled mind,† demonstrates the emotions that he was feeling in detail. It shows that between particular people relationships do not always have a strong foundation, and are often weak.Likewise Davis’ use of imagery in, â€Å"The smile on the Governor’s face,† validates not only the emotion that the Governor was feeling, but what he thought about everything that was happening to the aborigines. Aboriginal Australia is a heart wrenching poem about the tumultuous ev ents that were caused by the white people when they unjustly murdered and kidnapped a large sum of the indigenous population. The poem demonstrates the idea that at one point in time the relationships between white and black people was that of hatred.The second poem that I wish to discuss is Took the Children Away, by Archie Roach, is a heartfelt story about the Stolen Generation. Having been one of the children that were taken away by the whites, Roach takes an insightful approach to his lyrics. The emotive and accusatory tone that Roach acquires, gives real meaning to his poem. Using the simile, â€Å"And how they fenced us in like sheep,† to convey the idea that the Aborigines didn’t really think that they had a say in how their life went, they were metaphorically trapped in their own skin.The aboriginal children started to lose their relationship with their land and culture. The Aboriginal children were taught how to act and live, being told that it was good manner s to always do what they were told, no matter how ridiculous the order was. Likewise, Roach’s shrewd use of visual imagery in, â€Å"said to us come take our hand, sent us off to mission land,† creates an idea of juxtaposition as they told the children that they were going to help and teach them, when all they did was send them off to white families as servants.The aboriginal people were told that they would be treated with respect, and they would be educated, but were treated the exact opposite of what they were told. Took the Children Away deserves to be in the anthology of Indigenous Australian poetry as it has been written from a personal perspective, and has the exact emotions that were felt by one of the stolen children. The third and final poem that I would like to talk over is Son of Mine by Oodgeroo Noonuccal.Son of Mine is a short and straight to the point poem on the experiences that the Aboriginal people went through while fighting the Europeans. It discuss es the good and bad emotions, and actions that the Aboriginals went through, including the heartbreak, and brotherhood that both races experienced. Noonuccal has great pride in her tone when she mentions the, â€Å"†¦ brave and fine,† men that put others before themselves during the often hard and tumultuous events that occurred. She describes the different relationships between the two different races.Noonuccal really defines the large gap between the two different relationships, and how quick the relationship could change. Noonuccal’s use of juxtaposition in, â€Å"black and white entwine,† deeply expresses the relationships between the two different cultures of indigenous, and European. Son of Mine definitely deserves to be in an Anthology for Indigenous Australians as it is one of the only texts that include both the hatred, and the brotherhood between the white and indigenous Australians. It would be a great addition to the anthology.All three of these poems demonstrate some sort of a relationship. They show great compassion for whatever topic they are artistically discussing. Aboriginal Australia, Took the Children Away, and Son of Mine all demonstrate feelings of hurt, happiness and heartbreak, thus making them beneficial for the anthology. The three poems that have been introduced each have a theme of relationships, whether between race, or culture. They definitely deserve a spot in an anthology of Indigenous Poetry.