Macbeth :: essays research papers

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, supernatural powers are used by the three witches. These powers are called familiars. A familiar is a spirit often embodied in an animal and is there to serve and guard a person. Each of the witches possesses a familiar except for the third witch. Her familiar is never laid on the table for us to see. In my paper I will show how the owl is the familiar of the third witch.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First you must understand what a familiar is. In Websters dictionary the word familiar is defined as a closely acquainted; an intimate associate or companion, a spirit embodied in an animal and held to attend and serve or guard a person. The clichà © of a familiar is associated to witches and demonic characters. But, this is a very untrue statement. A pet can also be a familiar to a regular person. There are four types of familiars. The first is a physical creature who lives with and has an emotional bond with a human. The second type of familiar is a creature which attaches itself to a human for the purpose of aiding him or her. The third type of familiar is an element spirit. Some witches call upon a spirit to overcome an obstacle. The fourth type of familiar is the sprit of someone who has died. They come back for some reason or purpose usually to set straight an event. These are all different types of familiars, but the one of my focal point would be attachment. In Macbeth, the owl aides the witch and also offers protection and acts as an overseer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The owl is a familiar which is associated with both good and evil. In ancient Greece, the mythological Athena, the goddess of wisdom, held the owl as her bird. The owl served a s a protector to her and accompanied armies to war. The owl was also an inspiration in everyday life for the common man. Some village healers also used familiars to help diagnose illness and to find lost objects and treasures. But, most commonly, the owl is said to be the root of all evil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Roman mythology, a superstition was that witches transformed into owls and sucked the blood from innocent children. Another superstition which surfaced during the middle ages in Europe, was about an owls appearance at night. It is said that when people are helpless and blind, the owl is linked to the unknown, and if an owl called at night, the air would be filled with apprehension: a death was imminent with some evil

Human Population Essay

Census Bureau of the United States has estimated that the current world human population is about 6,818,500,000 people. In 2009 the United Nation estimated the world human population to be around 6,800,000,000. This is an indicator that the human population is growing at a very alarming rate with an annual birth rate of approximately 134 million per year against 57 million deaths (Freeman. 1974). The alarming increment in the number of human on earth has raised queries as to whether the planet earth is becoming over populated. The human population is experiencing scarcity of resources due to the overpopulation. In order to them to counter this problem they have come up with ways that have in turn threatened the ecosystem. For instance there planet earth is warming up, the air is being populated, and the levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have risen (Freeman. 1974). It is estimated America enjoyed a low population of less than 100 million in the years 1950s. During this period there was a series of epidemics that were believed to have been introduced by their encounter with the explorers from Europe leading high death rates. Evidences provided by archaeologists indicated that most deaths of the current world were cause by diseases by the old world such as influenza, smallpox, and measles. However, with time the natives developed immunity towards these diseases (Collinson. 2002). The life expectancy for children increased tremendously in the 18th Century and so did the human population due to introduction of vaccines, effective medication, and improved sanitation. As a result the United Kingdom alone is said to have doubled in every 50 years population. India’s population has since grown from 125 million in 1750s to 1. billion. The 20th Century recorded the highest increment in human population worldwide. This is also attributed to increased agricultural produce and improved medical knowhow (Collinson. 2002). Researchers have indicated that the rate of population growth has decreased except in the Middle East, Latin America and Sub-Saharan. However some countries such as Eastern and Central Europe and experiencing negative factors as a result of decrease in population. Japan and Western Europe are said to fact similar threats in the near future as a result of change in fertility pattern. A study done by the United Nation in 2006 showed that the drop in population growth was as a result of demographic transition. The report also indicated that should this pattern of growth remain unchanged, there might be zero rate of growth by the year 2050. Research indicates that Asia has the largest number of people of approximately 3. 8 billion, which is 60% of the world human population, while Africa has 12% (Zuckerman. 1996). Prediction The rapid increases in human population lead Thomas Malthus to predict in 1798 that the world would run short of food supply by the mid 19th Century. Paul R.  Ehrilich, in 1968 predicted that famine would occur in 1970s and 1980s. However various economists challenged them as various measures had been put in place to counter the foreseen problem. For instance, the massive awareness of green revolution lead to increase in food production whose increment has been concurrent with the rapid growth of the population. Analysts have however warned that despite the increase in food production, the prices are sky rocketing making its accessibility to those who have the means, and thus a larger number of human population experiencing malnutrition (Collinson. 002). Green Revolution The introduction of Green Revolution lead a 250% increase in food production for the year 1950 to 1984. However, the green revolution being supported by fuel irrigation among other things such as pesticides and fertilizers lead to acute prices of food. Therefore, despite the discovery saving the continent from dire famine, it has not entirely addressed the accessibility of food by the poor. United Nation reported that as at 2005 approximately 850 million people were facing malnutrition due to lack of purchasing power of food. The high production of oil is an indicator that oil is crucial for daily survival. Farming is now mechanized where by bio-fuel is required which has had an effect on the prices of the farm produce (Freeman. 1974). Overpopulation Overpopulation is said to be a serious threat for the next generation. Generally is a state whereby there are more humans on earth than the earth can handle; in terms of provision of enough resources that would make them live happily and live it a fit place for the next generation users. However some countries provide incentives for people to increase their birth rate. This is said to have an impact of the growth of the economy and military security. Other critics have challenged such countries saying that the world is overpopulated and that failure to control birth rate is in fact increasing death rate by default. On one hand, some politicians call for countries, especially MDCs to increase their population size to maintain their economic growth and military security. On the other hand, critics denote that one out of five people living here today is not properly supported and believe that the world is already limited in resources (Freeman. 974). Causes of Rapid Human Population Growth The world has seen a rapid increase in human population due to low death rate and increased birth rates. Above all the high skilled science and technological advancement have contributed in reduction of death rates. These innovations lead to increment in production and supply of food, the public health sector has been able to provide clean water and sanitation as wel l as introduction of effective antibiotics and vaccines which have contributed to prolonging human lives. In the past developing countries way of life was wanting. However, there has been the processes of education and global interactions that has lead to enhancement in their standards of living, and thus longitivity of lives. These innovations have seen discovery of treatment for diseases that once killed so many people such as measles, malaria, and flu (Zuckerman. 1996). Food Production and Distribution There also has been innovation in the agricultural sector, the biggest break through being genetically modified food as well as irrigation. For instance in the United states there was an increase in production from 631 million tones to 1. 65 billion tones between the years 1950 and 1984. This is an indicator that the amount of food produce increased tremendously that can cater for increasing human population (Hutchinson. 2008). These technologies has also allowed new breed of seeds, fertilizers and modern machinery which in turn has lead to expansion of agricultural sectors across the globe. Studies indicate the production of food has increased by 24% in the last 10 years. However, these expansion in food produce has not been witness evenly particularly in African Countries. Researchers have also confirmed that there is no food shortage in the world, but equitable distribution should be considered. There are very many people particularly in African countries that do not have sufficient cash to buy food (Collinson. 2002). Public Health Survival of daily living is depended on basic needs such as safety shelter, food, and clean water. Initially inaccessibility of clean water would contribute to wiping out children from cholera. Studies indicate that in the year 1990, less than 50% of the human populations were capable of getting access to safe drinking water, however there has been in increase of accessibility of clean water to 75% afterwards. It was forecast that the accessibility to clean and safe drinking water was to increase by 14% in the year 2000 throughout the world (Hutchinson. 2008). Housing Due to the rapid increase in human population, there has been the need to expand on housing. This has therefore resulted in evolution of urban centers which are highly populated. Due to high demand in housing, accommodation has become very expensive. As a result there has emerged high class, middle class, and low class societies. The poor are forced to live in slums, whereby women and children are exposed to threats such as rape and exploitation. There have been strategies by various governments throughout the world to eradicate poverty in vain. Cheap housing schemes have been designed by some governments; unfortunately the number of the poor is appalling (Collinson. 2002). Consequences Studies have confirmed that the poorest countries have the largest number of human population. Research has also confirmed that there is a correlation between poverty and fertility as well as high child hood mortality rate. Therefore the people who enjoy high standards of living have low fertility rates, these people also have a longer life span as opposed to the poor as well as lower infant mortality rate. In a nutshell poverty and overpopulation are associates of increase of death and diseases. This is because lack of adequate sanitary housing and clean drinking water lead to health issues (Freeman. 1974). Developing countries have the highest number of human population as opposed to the developed countries. For instance one in every five persons in the Soviet countries live below the poverty line, as opposed to one of every eight person in America. Poverty is said to have been caused by the acute increase in population after the end of the 2nd World War. Poverty has the lead to death of mankind. Instead of allowing poverty to persist, it is important to limit our number be-cause in dense populations too many lack adequate food, water, shelter, education and employment. High fertility, which has been traditionally associated with prosperity, prestige, and security for the future, now jeopardizes chances for many to achieve health and security (Hutchinson. 008). Many governmental and non governmental organizations have been set up to ensure that the projected population in the coming years will be concurrent with production of food, water, heath care, technology, and education. For instance the development countries have put in efforts to ensure that both the social and economic conditions are at par. Programmes such as World Food Programme have been designed to ensure equitable distribution of food especially in developing count ries.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Marquz – Destructive Consequences of Solitude IOP

Solitude is defined as remoteness from society or the state of being remote from others. In Marquez' OHYOS, solitude is what ultimately brings the village of Macondo to its tragic end. Throughout the novel we explore the interesting theme of the various forms and reasons behind solitude and its consequences. Psychological studies show that, on the individual level, various needs are assumed to promote growth and self-actualization. For instance, John Burton's Deviance, Terrorism and War specifies eight basic human necessities: the need for others' response (and consistency thereof); stimulation; security (for instance, freedom from everyday preoccupation with death fears); recognition (through which individuals receive social confirmations that their reactions to social stimulations are relevant and approved); distributive justice (not merely a consistency in response but a response or reward deemed appropriate in terms of individuals' experiences and expectations); the need to appear rational (which follows from the need for consistency of response– rationality calls attention to the fact that there is a need for consistent behavior in others); need for meaning to be deduced from consistent response; and the need for a sense of control. From this list are various â€Å"camps† promoting the centrality of their distinctive need systems. These include, for instance, the need to belong, to bond or connect with others; the need for meaningfulness and the need for transcendence. As put by Richard Nixon, â€Å"Unless a person has a reason to live for other than himself, he will die–first mentally, then emotionally, then physically. † Studies of terminally ill individuals reveal the need for assurance that they have a legacy, that their lives made a difference, and that others are who they are because of oneself and that these others will carry one's memory with them. The mere fact that isolation is commonly known as a form of torture demonstrates that too much solitude leads to destructive consequences. These studies are relative to my topic because throughout the novel we encounter situations in which characters are driven to insanity as a result of their solitude, even if it is a self-selected decision. To quote Francis Bacon, â€Å"Whosoever is delighted with solitude is either a wild beast or god. † One is the example of Jose Arcadio Buendia, the first great solitary of the novel. He becomes so obsessed in his pursuit for truth and knowledge that he neglects his family and ultimately loses all touch with outer reality. Another is the example of Colonel Aureliano Buendia, who retreats into the solitude of his sadness and becomes incapable of expressing emotion other than sorrow and resignation. Aureliano Buendia is an interesting character because, in the novel, he first expresses his clear preference for solitude after his encounter with a girl who is forced to sleep with other men in order to pay her debt to her grandmother. Because he feels uncomfortable in society, he retreats into the comfort of his own solitude, which brings me to introduce psychologist Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The hierarchy of needs is a sequential, graduating set of needs that a person must satisfy to reach one's full potential or self-actualization. The needs are ranked bottom from top as physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, self-esteem needs, and self actualization. These needs must be satisfied in order to get to the top, but one may go backward as well as forward, which relates to the theme of time as a cycle, and the Buendia's inability to progress. Because they are unwilling to communicate outside of themselves, the Buendia family is never able to move forward but moves instead in cycles, or a downward spiral, collapsing in on itself. According to Marlow, when one is unable to achieve the needs of love and belonging, it is assumed they regress back to the stage of securing their safety needs, which is most clearly demonstrated in Aureliano Buendias case. The solitary characters are often contrasted to the antisolitary characters of the novel such as Ursula Buendias and Pilar Ternera, and other characters who combat their solitude. Ursula Buendias and Pilar Ternera both live very long lives and devote their lives to strengthening social bonds. In her younger years, Pilar Ternera comforts the Buendia men with her sex and bear many of their children. She is extremely prosperous as the madame of a nunnery, which stands for a bountiful sexuality. Many other instances in the novel indicate that sex and love is used to combat solitude, especially the notion of free love. The most obvious example for this is perhaps the cold, barren relationship of Aureliano Segundo and Fernanda del Carpio in contrast with his relationship with Petra Cotes, in which his farm animals begin to proliferate and bring him great prosperity. This instance conveys the message that sexual liberation leads to progress and prosperity. Incest is a secondary theme of solitude. Essentially, incest is the practice of keeping family members within the family, which demonstrates the Buendias' habit of isolating themselves from the rest of the community and their inability to reach out to others. The incest that occurs throughout the novel only perpetuates the Buendias' solitude, and reflects the eventual destruction of the town. From the very beginning of the novel, Ursula warns of deformity as a result of incestuous relationships, and ironically, the last of the Buendias is born with the tail of a pig, and ends the family line. The novel ends with an interesting passage, in which the narrator explains, â€Å"He had already understood that he would never leave†¦ races condemned to 100 years of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth. † Here solitude can be seen very differently, portraying the solitude of Latin America forced upon their race by the West, who denies their access to the opportunities of the developed world, in comparison to the Buendias inability to join the moving world. â€Å"The opposite of solitude is solidarity,† says Marquez. Solidarity is defined as a union of interests, purposes or sympathies among members of a group, or a fellowship of responsibilities and interests, an obvious lacking quality in the town of Macondo. Psychological studies show that social systems have various â€Å"needs† to function successfully. There is, for instance, the social need for a collectively shared sense of order and that rules for a society's game board of life are understood and respected by all social actors. An ordered world is a predictable world and the essence of society is the predictability of its members' actions. There are the needs for solidarity between social members (including, as anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn observed, â€Å"a set of common values that give meaning and purpose to group life†), their willingness to accept their social duties and to make personal sacrifices for the welfare of others, and their cooperation with each other. Further, if we perceive social systems to be analogous to organisms struggling to survive in potentially hostile environments, there are such individual needs as defense, coordinated action toward collective goals, and the ability to adapt to challenging new internal and external conditions. The Buendias are obviously lacking in this cooperative quality and often struggle with their meaning in life, which is reflected in the destruction of the town. In quoting HG Wells, â€Å"A downtrodden class.. will never be able to make an effective protest until it achieves solidarity. † In order for the Buendias to leave their solitude, solidarity must first be achieved. From this it can be concluded that Marquez is promoting the same message for the solitude of Latin America, having been so long controlled by the West, before they must suffer the consequences of Macondo and the Buendia family.

AND A HAPPY ________TO YOU!

AND A HAPPY ________TO YOU! As an ex-full-time greeting card writer for the once third largest greeting card company in America Norcross (Hallmark being #1 and American Greeting #2), I thought I’d pass on some info on this market from my years in the â€Å"humor† department. It was fun being paid to sit and fold white paper from 9-5 everyday and come up with clever (and nice) ways to wish people happiness and well-being. Even though Norcross is now defunct, the rules for writing greeting cards haven’t altered much through the years. Yes, more risquà © humor has entered the market, as well as controversial subjects (such as divorce cards) but the basics haven’t changed. The most important basic is to keep it conversational: write as if talking to a friend. Never invert words or force a rhyme. Some companies still buy rhymes, but greeting card verse is NOT poetry since it is always conversational in style. Rhyming can work when it’s used with familiar figures of speech that are popular in everyday language. However, the main ingredient in a card is a wish, a greeting, a compliment or an expression of appreciation. Always keep the message informal. i.e. don’t say: Just like flowers, our friendship blooms†¦ rather say: It means a lot to have you as a friend†¦ The more natural the verse, the more marketable the card, so if you wouldn’t speak it out loud, don’t write it. Keep it sounding genuine. A good idea before attempting greeting cards is to read and study the market (just like in any other market). Once you become familiar with what’s published (without borrowing anything you see), jot down some of today’s popular expressions. You can pick these up from TV, conversations, or hit songs. Then, think about what you would want to say to a friend or loved one on his birthday, anniversary or when they’re ill. The ability to put yourself in the other person’s shoes is a successful tactic in writing a greeting card wish. Of course, you’ll find it easier to be funny and nasty than funny and nice! But most companies are looking for a pleasant wish to pass along. In submitting ideas, try to limit the number to no more than 10 at one time. Nowadays, depending on the company, you either submit one idea per page with SASE or type your ideas in the body of an email (no attachments allowed). Set up the card like this popular onc I once wrote for Norcross: The very best thing about the Old Days is†¦Inside: They were the YOUNG Days!Happy Birthday! Or this rhyming verse for â€Å"Our Anniversary†I always knew that we would shareA happiness beyond compareThrough ups and downs, through thick and thinInside: I’m with you Ba Though both these verses have been around awhile, they are still viable for today’s market because the sentiment is sincere and the language colloquial. Also, while greeting cards are sent mostly to celebrate an important sentimental or emotional occasion, don’t get too sappy or you could embarrass the one receiving it. And lastly, do limit the personal pronouns (me, I, we) because their usage could limit sales (of course, that does not include Special Title cards for Wife, Husband, Sister/Brother or Sweetheart). In closing may I say: May your verse be sweet and funny And bring you lots of extra money! Seven Current Greeting Card Markets Avanti Press Blue Mountain Pays well, sometimes asks to test market first Designer Greeting Moonlighting Cards Pays $25. Looking for â€Å"love† cards Oatmeal Studios – Looking for humor CaddylackGraffix– funny and sarcastic cards

Prisons essays

Prisons essays As the general population of America ages, so do its inmates. It is predicted that by the year 2010, at least one in ten will be age fifty or older. In Florida for example, the growth rate of geriatric inmates already exceeds that of the younger inmate. The reason for this epidemic is partially due to tougher long-term sentencing guidelines, resulting from the get tough on crime campaign. Because of these long sentences, seniors are concentrated in prisons well beyond their proportions in civilian public. Prisons can lose substantial litigation costs if heath care programs and concerns are not met. The older inmate will also need to be separated from the younger inmate who potentially could overpower a geriatric inmate easily. As the government struggles with the issues of elderly inmates, the problem is only getting worse. The creation of the supermax prison is due to the current dangerousness of the adult male prison situation. These prisons are overcrowded to the point of danger and are forcing administration to act. Because of tougher sentencing guidelines, and longer sentences, the prisons have filled up without a turnover rate that eases the crowding problem. Prison administrators are being forced to release non-violent offenders from prison back into the community, leaving the violent offenders all together in the prison. This creates a tense situation inside the prison, and creates an opportunity for deviance such as riots or fights. Intermediate sanctions are beginning to fill the gap between prison and probation extremes. They can range from fines to boot camps and expand options in the criminal justice system to better suite a crime with an appropriate punishment. The particular punishment holds the offender strictly accountable for their actions. With the limited recourses available for the criminal justice system, intermediate sanctions permit effective and effic ...

Market Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Market Research - Essay Example For any new business to know about the market to be ventured into, it is necessary to conduct primary and secondary researches so as to collect qualitative and quantitative data to use in guiding its operations. It is advisable for a new entrant into the market to carry out a marketing research. This can be of great benefit to them. First, it will provide them with all the necessary information about the customers and whatever expectations they have about the new product. Besides, it can enable the investor to acquire much information about the market situations. Meaning, they will know about the available supplementary and complementary commodities, their prices, supply and demand. This will make it easier for the business to ascertain the level of competition existing in the market. By conducting a well organized and coordinated marketing research, the business will reap a lot of benefits from it such as knowing about the necessary steps to segment the available market based on the clients’ geographical, social, political, cultural, demographic, gender and age factors. This will be instrumental in knowing how to effectively utilize the available market without leaving any chance. Once the market is properly segmented, it will be easier to come up with strategies on how to satisfy each of their dynamic demands on the business’ products. The other important contribution of a market research to a business is that it can enable the management to conduct a SWOT analysis so as to be privy with the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Indeed, these are very important areas which should be adequately looked into before making the right decision on how to conquer the market. By ascertaining its threats, the organization will have to come up with creative and innovative strategies like sales promotion, quality improvement and implementing favorable pricing policies. These can put the business in a

Beauity Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Beauity Drama - Essay Example Contrary, Bethany is intelligent and brilliant in that she is outstanding in school but she is not as beautiful as Carla (Martin 15). The beauty drama portrays discontent and jealousy of the two characters (Bethany and Carla). As evident in the story, the two characters have different personalities and fortunes. For instance, the author asserts that Carla is beautiful but a failure and with negative personality. Contrary, Bethany is not beautiful but a successful in writing appealing short stories. She hates her appearance and desires she was like Carla (Martin 1.10). The author was creative and imaginative in that he utilizes â€Å"the genie† to demonstrate the wishes and desires of Bethany to be beautiful and her unhappy with her life. â€Å"It is ironical that Bethany perceives beauty as a major significance than anything else in life because she thinks it will bring her good things than what she possess†. On the other hand, Carla says she understands the demerits and problems of beauty. Due to this, she attempts to tell Bethany not to desire to become beautiful (Martin 32). It is clear from the story that people are never satisfied with what they have in life. Further, human beings always view the negative side of their life and the positive side of others. In addition, it demonstrates that individuals value appearance more than intelligence and good personality traits. For instance, Bethany has a successful career as an accountant, she is intelligence and with great personality but she is not satisfied with her appearance and instead desires to be beautiful like her friend (Carla). Additionally, she does not recognize the positive side of her life and the good things she has acquired. These unreasonable view of her life makes her wish to be like Carla. According to Bethany, beauty will give her what she desires in life. However, Carla warns Bethany about her desires