Beawolf is the destruction of peace and order in a community or nation

Violence, in the world of Beowulf, not only carries with it its inherent negative effects but also it helps to bring out good human qualities. The violence being described in the epic is the murder of inhabitants and the plundering of their possessions. The first negative effect of violence as depicted in Beowulf is the destruction of peace and order in a community or nation.In the epic, the key conflict is preventing or stopping evil monsters from causing violence to the hero’s land and those of neighboring shores. The two key enemies are Grendel and the Dragon.Grendel is a â€Å"grim monster†¦a descendent of Cain† who lives in a murky pond with his mother and with â€Å"elves and evil spirits† (Beowulf Book I). Cain is referred to in the Bible as a man who murdered his own brother so that as a punishment God cursed the ground for him and that he was sent out as a wanderer in the earth (â€Å"Genesis† 3). During times of great celebration in the grea t Hall built by King Hrothgar, King of Denmark, Grendel suddenly attacked the King’s guests. The attack brought terror and grief to the Danes and as a result the peace and joy they felt vanished.It is important to note that such merciless act was committed without any provocation from the Danes at all. One day Grendel just decided to come out of his lair and slaughtered his captives. The grief and terror felt by the Danes lasted for twelve long years as Grendel continued his cruelty (Beowulf Book I,II). The Dragon, on the other hand, was a monster â€Å" with a fire belching out of its mouth† who attacked Beowulf’s kingdom in his old age(Beowulf Book XXXII). He, too, was described as ruthless, strong and hard to be subdued.In a Christian context, a Dragon symbolizes evil and death (â€Å"Dragon† 2007). But unlike Grendel, the Dragon attacked upon provocation. His anger was roused when his treasures was stolen from a burial mound. Out of revenge he attack the Geats who at this time were enjoying fifty years of peace and serenity brought about by the wise rule of King Beowulf (Beowulf Book XXXI). Another negative effect of violence as depicted in the epic is the threat it caused to the survival and maintenance of civilization or nation. Grendel slaughtered his victims and carry off some prisoners to his abode.Book II describes his assault this way â€Å"unhallowed wight, grim and greedy, he grasped betimes, wrathful, reckless, from resting-places, thirty of the thanes, and thence he rushed fain of his fell spoil, faring homeward† (Beowulf Book II). Grendel is hard to be defeated because according to the epic no weapon can destroy him. The Dragon, on the other hand, would â€Å"burn homes with fire â€Å"(Beowulf Book XXXII). Both monsters would make their assault at night, a time when the people are supposed to be resting and therefore slightly defenseless.In the cover of darkness both fearsome creatures can carry on their sl aughter swiftly. The Dragon stood unopposed as the people could not get near him due to the flames from his mouth (Beowulf Book XXXII). In such a hopeless situation and without any intervention, the inhabitants will be eventually wiped out. Violence also breeds other violence. When Beowulf killed Grendel, Grendel’s mother was consumed with fury and tried to avenge his death. It does not matter to her if Grendel was the one at fault.In her screwed reasoning, Grendel was his son and therefore needs to be avenged. Prior to his death, Grendel’s mother was not in any way physically involved with the slaughter. However, upon his death, Grendel‘s mother became as ruthless as his son. Without any further delay, Grendel’s mother went out to the Hall hoping to kill the criminal who put his son to eternal sleep. However Beowulf was not around so that angrily she took a Danish nobleman and Grendel’s paw and carried them with her back to her home( Beowulf Book X IX ) .Upon hearing of this incident, Beowulf run after her and with a sword ended her life. In another sense we can say that the death of Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the Dragon at the hands of Beowulf was also a form of violence. However, upon careful analysis, such violence can be considered necessary to end the greater violence committed by the three aggressors. In the epic, violence only ended at the death of the three. If left alive, there is a big possibility that their violence will continue owing to their untamed evil natures.Although violence is a wicked thing to commit and should be avoided at all cost, but if present it helps to bring out the heroic trait of an individual. The hero is the man of the hour who stops and controls the spread of violence. While the enemy is described as evil and ruthless, the hero is describes a s a man possessing a good, companionate and courageous heart. Beowulf was such a man. He was a prince who possessed not only these good human traits but also endowed with great strength that equals, if not surpassed, the aggressors.Even long before he came to the aid of King Hrothgar, he had already proven his fighting prowess when he killed the sea-monsters that plied the sea he swam in on his way to help the Finns in getting rid of their enemies(Beowulf Book I).. He showed his compassionate heart when hearing of Grendel’s cruelty in Hrothgar’s kingdom; he sailed to Denmark without waiting any pleas of help from the Danish king ( Beowulf Book III). Unarmed and single-handedly he engaged Grendel in mortal combat (Beowulf Book XI).Grendel was surprised at the firm grip of Beowulf and according to him he had not yet ever encountered such a strong man in his lifetime. Beowulf managed to tear Grendel’s arm out of his shoulder. â€Å"The awful monster had lived to feel pain in his body, a huge wound in his shoulder was exposed, his sinews sprang apart, and his bone-locks broke). This wound had mortally wo unded Grendel so that he later died in his lair. The Dragon, o the other hand, was challenged by Beowulf in his den. The two struggled against each other until Beowulf killed him with the sword).Unfortunately Beowulf, old at this time, was also wounded and eventually died (Beowulf Book XXII). It is important to note that as a hero Beowulf fought against evil forces from his youth until his old age. The epic delivers a strong message that preventing and controlling violence is a never-ending struggle. When Grendel’s violence ended, another one arose in the hands of the Dragon. In the face of violence, the loyalty of an individual is exposed. During Beowulf’s fight with the Dragon, the struggle became fearful to watch so that Beowulf’s men flee in fright.Only Wiglaf remained to help his aging monarch. Even at the cost of his life, Wiglaf help Beowulf slay the fiery Dragon (Beowulf Book XXXVI). His loyalty and gallantry was later rewarded when before Beowulf died h e proclaimed Wiglaf as his successor to the throne of Geatland (Beowulf Book XXXVIII). This last gesture of Beowulf is a declaration that loyalty in the face of crisis is to be honored. It is possible that without Wiglaf, Beowulf, wounded and old as he was, would have failed to put an end to the Dragon’s life. The Dragon then will continue to terrorize the Geats.Wiglaf’s loyalty was crucial in attaining the victory of that climatic battle. Beowulf was assured that with Wiglaf the struggle against violence will be carried on long after his death. To the eyes of the Geats, Wiglaf is a source of hope for the survival and maintenance of Geatland. On the other hand, those who deserted Beowulf were reproached and reaped nothing but shame. WORKS CITED â€Å"Dragon. † Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2007 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2006. â€Å"Genesis†. The Holy Bible. Korea: Thomas Nelson, Inc. , 1984.

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 3

I he sleek white limousine raced through the night like a dolphin underwater, carrying Thierry Des-couedres away from the airport. It was taking him to hisLas Vegas mansion, white walls and palm trees, limpid blue fountains and tiled terraces. Rooms full of artwork and museum-quality furniture. Everything anyone could ask for. He shut his eyes and leaned back against the crimson cushions, wishing he were somewhere else. â€Å"How wasHawaii , sir?† The driver's voice came from the front seat. Thierry opened his eyes. Nilsson was a good driver. He seemed to be about Thierry's own age, around nineteen, with a neat ponytail, dark glasses despite the fact that it was nighttime, and a discreet expression. â€Å"Wet, Nilsson,† Thierry said softly. He stared out the window. â€Å"Hawaiiwas very†¦ wet.† â€Å"But you didn't find what you were looking for.† â€Å"No. I didn't find what I was looking for †¦ again.† â€Å"I'm sorry, sir.† â€Å"Thank you, Nilsson.† Thierry tried to look past his own reflection in the window. It was disturbing, seeing that young man with the white-blond hair and the old, old eyes looking back at him. He had such a pensive expression †¦ so lost and so sad. Like somebody always looking for something he can't find, Thierry thought. He turned away from the window in determination. â€Å"Everything been going all right while I've been gone?† he asked, picking up his cellular phone. Work. Work always helped. Kept you busy, kept your mind off things, kept you away from yourself, basically. â€Å"Fine, I think, sir. Mr. James and Miss Poppy are back.† â€Å"That's good. They'll make thenext Circle Daybreak meeting.† Thierry's finger hovered over a button on the phone, considering whom to call. Whose need might be the most urgent. But before he could touch it, the phone buzzed. Thierry pressed send and held it to his ear. â€Å"Thierry.† â€Å"Sir? It's me, Lupe. Can you hear me?† The voice was faint and broken by static, but distant as it was, Thierry could hear that the caller sounded weak. â€Å"Lupe? Are you all right?† â€Å"I got in a fight, sir. I'm a little torn up.† She gave a gasping chuckle. â€Å"But you should see the other wolf.† Thierry reached for a leather-bound address book and a goldMont Blanc pen. â€Å"That's not funny, Lupe. You shouldn't be fighting.† â€Å"I know, sir, but-â€Å" â€Å"You've really got to restrain yourself.† â€Å"Yes, sir, but-â€Å" â€Å"Tell me where you are, and I'll have somebody pick you up. Get you to a doctor.† Thierry made a practice mark with the pen. No ink came out. He stared at the nib of it in mild disbelief. â€Å"You buy an eight-hundred-dollar pen and then it doesn't write,† he murmured. â€Å"Sir, you're not listening to me. You don't understand. I've found her.† Thierry stopped trying to make the pen write. He stared at it, at his own long fingers holding the chunky, textured gold barrel, knowing that this sight would be impressed on his memory as if burned in with a torch. â€Å"Did you hear me, sir? I've found her.† When his voice came out at last, it was strangely distant. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Yes. Yes, sir, I'm sure. She's got the mark and everything. Her name is Hannah Snow.† Thierry reached over the front seat and grabbed the astonished Nilsson with a hand like iron. He said very quietly in the driver's ear, â€Å"Do you have a pencil?† â€Å"A pencil?† â€Å"Something that writes, Nilsson. An instrument to make marks on paper. Do you have one? Quick, because if I lose this connection, you're fired.† â€Å"I've got a pen, sir.† One-handed, Nilsson fished in his pocket and produced a Bic. â€Å"Your salary just doubled.† Thierry took the pen and sat back. â€Å"Where are you, Lupe?† â€Å"The Badlands of Montana, sir. Near a town called Medicine Rock. But there's something else, sir.† Lupe's voice seemed less steady all of a sudden. â€Å"The other wolf that fought me-he saw her, too. And he got away.† Thierry's breath caught. â€Å"I see.† â€Å"I'm sorry.† Lupe was suddenly talking quickly, in a burst of emotion. â€Å"Oh, Thierry, I'm sorry. I tried to stop him. But he got away-and now I'm afraid he's off telling†¦ her.† â€Å"You couldn't help it, Lupe. And I'll be there myself, soon. I'll be there to take care of-everything.† Thierry looked at the driver. â€Å"We've got to make some stops, Nilsson. First, the Harman store.† â€Å"The witch place?† â€Å"Exactly. You can triple your salary if you get there fast.† When Hannah got to Paul Winfield's house the next afternoon, the sheriff was there. Chris Grady was an honest-to-goodness Western sheriff, complete with boots, broad-brimmed hat, and vest. The only thing missing, Hannah thought as she walked around to the back of the house where Paul was hammering boards across the broken windows, was a horse. â€Å"Hi, Chris,† she said. The sheriff nodded, sun-weathered skin crinkling at the corners of her eyes. She took off her hat and ran a hand through shoulder-length auburn hair. â€Å"I see you found yourself a couple of giant timber wolves, Hannah. You're not hurt, are you?† Hannah shook her head no. She tried to summon up a smile but failed. â€Å"I think they were maybe wolf-dogs or something. Pure-bred wolves aren't so aggressive.† â€Å"That print wasn't made by any wolf-dog,† Chris said. On the concrete flagstones outside the window there was a paw print made in blood. It was similar to a dog's footprint, with four pads plus claw marks showing. But it was more than six inches long by just over five inches wide. â€Å"Judging from that, it's the biggest wolf ever heard of around here, bigger than the White Wolf of the Judith.† The sheriff's eyes drifted to the empty rectangles of the broken windows. â€Å"Big and mean. You people be careful. Something's going on here that I don't like. I'll let you know if we catch your wolves.† She nodded to Paul, who was sucking his finger after banging it with the hammer. Then she set her hat back on her head and strode off to her car. Hannah stared at the paw print silently. Everyone else thought there was something going on. Everyone but her. Because there can't be, she thought. Because it has to all be in my head. It has to be something I can figure out and fix quick†¦ something I can control. â€Å"Thanks for seeing me again so soon,† she said to Paul. â€Å"Oh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He gestured, tucking the hammer under his arm. â€Å"It's no trouble. I want to get to the bottom of what's upsetting you as much as you do. And,† he admitted under his breath as he let them in the house, â€Å"I don't actually have any other patients.† Hannah followed him down a hallway and into his office. It was dim inside, the boards across the windows reducing the late afternoon sunlight to separate oddly-angled shafts. She sat in the contoured chair. â€Å"The only thing is, how can we get to the bottom of it? I don't understand what's upsetting me, either. It's all too strange. I mean, on the one hand, I'm clearly insane.† She spoke flatly as Paul took his seat on the opposite side of the desk. â€Å"I have crazy dreams, I think the world is going to end, I have the feeling I'm being followed, and yesterday I started hearing voices in my head. On the other hand, me being insane doesn't explain wolves jumping through the windows.† â€Å"Voices?† Paul murmured, looking around for a pencil. Then he gave up and faced her. â€Å"Yeah, I know. I understand the temptation. Last night after having those wolves stare at me, I was about ready to believe that there had to be something†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off and shook his head, lifting papers on his desk to glance under them. â€Å"Something†¦ really strange going on. But now it's daytime, and we're all rational people, and we realize that we have to deal with things rationally. And, actually, you know, I think I may have come up with a rational explanation.† He found a pencil and with an expression of vast relief began to waggle it between his fingers. Hope stirred inside Hannah. â€Å"An explanation?† â€Å"Yeah. I mean, first of all, it's possible that your premonitions and things are entirely unconnected with the wolves. People never want to believe in coincidence, but it happens. But even if the two things are connected-well, I don't think that means that anybody's after you. It could be that there's some sort of disturbance in this area-something that's stirring up the whole ecosystem, making wolves crazy, doing who knows what to other animals†¦ and that you're somehow sensing this. You're attuned to it somehow. Maybe it's earthquake weather or-or sunspots or negative ions in the air. But whatever it is, it's causing you to think that some terrible disaster is coming. That the world is ending or that you're about to be killed.† Hannah felt the hope sink inside her, and it was more painful than not having had it at all. â€Å"I suppose that could happen,† she said. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. â€Å"But how does it explain this?† She reached into the canvas bag she carried instead of a purse and pulled out a folded slip of paper. Paul took the paper and read it. † ‘They've seen you. They're going to tell him. This is your last chance to get away.' † He stuck the pencil in his mouth. â€Å"Hmmm †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I found it this morning wrapped around my toothbrush,† Hannah said quietly. â€Å"And it's your handwriting?† She shut her eyes and nodded. â€Å"And you don't remember writing it.† â€Å"I didn't write it. I know I didn't.† She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. â€Å"The notes scare me. Everything that's happening scares me. I don't understand any of it, and I don't see how I'm supposed to fix it if I don't understand it.† Paul considered, chewing on the pencil gently. â€Å"Look-whatever's happening, whoever's writing the notes, I think your subconscious mind is trying to tell you something. The dreams are evidence of that. But it's not telling you enough. There's something I was going to suggest, something I don't exactly believe in, but that we can try anyway. Something to get to your subconscious directly so we can ask it what's going on.† Get to her subconscious directly†¦. Hannah held her breath. â€Å"Hypnosis?† Paul nodded. â€Å"I'm not a big hypnosis fan. It's not some magical trance like TV and the movies want you to believe. It's just a state of mind where you're a little more relaxed, a little more likely to be able to remember threatening things without choking up. But it's nothing you can't achieve yourself by doing breathing exercises at home.† Hannah wasn't happy. Hypnosis still seemed to mean giving up control. If not to Paul, then to her own subconscious. But what else am I supposed to do? She sat and listened to the quiet helplessness in her mind for a moment. Not a peep from the cool wind voice or the crystal voice-and that was good, as far as she was concerned. Still, it pointed up the fact that she didn't have an alternative. She looked at Paul. â€Å"Okay. Let's do it.† â€Å"Great.† He stood, then reached for a book on the corner of his desk. â€Å"Always assuming I remember how†¦. Okay, why don't you lie down on the couch?† Hannah hesitated, then shrugged. If I'm going to do it, I might as well do it right. She lay down and stared at the dark beams in the ceiling. In spite of how miserable she was feeling, she had an almost irresistible impulse to giggle. Here she was on a real psychologist's couch, waiting to be hypnotized. Her friends at school would never consider even going to a shrink-out here inMontana craziness was okay. After all, you had to be a little eccentric to be living in this hard land in the first place. What wasn't okay was admitting you couldn't deal with it on your own, paying too much attention to it, asking for help. And allowing yourself to be hypnotized was even worse. They all think I'm the most independent and together of any of them. If they could see me now. â€Å"Okay, I want you to get comfortable and shut your eyes,† Paul said. He was perched with one hip on the edge of his desk, leg swinging, book in hand. His voice was quiet and soothing-the professional voice. Hannah shut her eyes. â€Å"Now I want you to imagine yourself floating. Just floating and feeling very relaxed. There's nothing you need to think about and nowhere you need to go. And now you're seeing yourself enveloped by a beautiful violet light. It's bathing your entire body and it's making you more and more relaxed †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The couch was surprisingly comfortable. Its curves fit under her, supporting her without being intrusive. It was easy to imagine that she was floating, easy to imagine the light around her. â€Å"And now you feel yourself floating down deeper†¦ into a deeper state of relaxation†¦ and you're surrounded by a deep blue light. The blue light is all around you, shining through you, and it's making you more comfortable, more relaxed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The soft soothing voice went on, and at its direction Hannah imagined waves of colored light bathing her body. Deep blue, emerald green, golden yellow, glowing orange. Hannah saw it all. It was amazing and effortless; her mind just showed her the pictures. And as the colors came and went she felt herself becoming more and more relaxed, warm and almost weightless. She couldn't feel the couch underneath her any longer. She was floating on light. â€Å"And now you're seeing a ruby red light, very deep, very relaxing. You're so relaxed; you're calm and comfortable, and everything feels safe. Nothing will upset you; you can answer all my questions without ever feeling distressed. Do you understand me?† â€Å"Yes,† Hannah said. She was aware of saying it, but it wasn't exactly as if she had said it. She wasn't aware of planning to say it. Something within her seemed to be answering Paul using her voice. But it wasn't frightening. She still felt relaxed, floating in the ruby light. â€Å"All right. I'm now speaking to Hannah's subconscious. You will be able to remember things that Hannah's waking mind isn't aware of-even things that have been repressed. Do you understand?† â€Å"Yes.† Again, the voice seemed to come before Hannah decided to speak. â€Å"Good. Now, I've got this last note here, the one you found wrapped around your toothbrush this morning. Do you remember this note?† â€Å"Yes.† Of course. â€Å"Okay, that's good. And now I want you to go back in your mind, back to the time that this note was written.† This time Hannah was aware of a need to speak. â€Å"But how can I do that? I don't know when it was written. I didn't write-â€Å" â€Å"Just-just-just let go, Hannah,† Paul said, overriding her. His voice soothing again, he added, â€Å"Feel relaxed, feel yourself becoming very relaxed, and let your conscious mind go. Just tell yourself to go back to the time this note was written. Don't worry about how. See the ruby light and think 1 will go back.' Are you doing that?† â€Å"Yes,† Hannah said. Go back, she told herself gamely. Just relax and go back, okay? â€Å"And now, a picture is beginning to form in your mind. You are seeing something. What are you seeing?† Hannah felt something inside her give way. She seemed to be falling into the ruby right. Her ordinary mind was suspended; it seemed to have been shuttled off to the side somewhere. In this odd dreamlike state, nothing could surprise her. Paul's voice was gently insistent. â€Å"What are you seeing?† Hannah saw it. A tiny picture that seemed to open up, unfold as she stared at it. â€Å"I see myself,† she whispered. â€Å"Where are you?† â€Å"I don't know. Wait, maybe I'm in my room.† She could see herself, wearing something long and white-a nightgown. No, she was that self, she was in her bedroom, wearing her nightgown. She was in Paul's office, lying on the couch, but she was in her bedroom at the same time. How strange, she thought dimly. â€Å"All right, now the picture will get clearer. You'll begin to see things around you. Just relax and you'll begin to see them. Now, what are you doing?† Without feeling anything-except a kind of distant amusement and resignation-Hannah said, â€Å"Writing a note.† Paul muttered something that sounded like, â€Å"Aha.† But it might have been, â€Å"XJh-huh.† Then he said softly, â€Å"And why are you writing it?† â€Å"I don't know-to warn myself. I have to warn myself.† â€Å"About what?† Hannah felt herself shake her own head helplessly. â€Å"Okay†¦ what are you feeling as you write it?† â€Å"Oh †¦Ã¢â‚¬  That was easy. Paul was undoubtedly expecting her to say something like â€Å"fear† or â€Å"anxiety.† But that wasn't the strongest thing she was feeling. Not the strongest at all. â€Å"Longing,† Hannah whispered. She moved her head restlessly on the couch. â€Å"Just-longing.† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"I want-so much †¦ I want†¦Ã¢â‚¬  . â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"Him.† It came out as a sob. Hannah's ordinary mind watched somewhere in amazement, but Hannah's body was entirely taken over by the feeling, racked with it. â€Å"I know it's impossible. It's danger and death to me. But I don't care. I can't help it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I mean, you're feeling very relaxed. You're very calm and you can answer my questions. Who is this person that you're longing for?† â€Å"The one who comes,† Hannah said softly and hopelessly. â€Å"He's wicked and evil †¦ I know that. She explained it all to me. And I know he'll kill me. The way he always has. But I want him.† She was trembling. She could feel her own body radiating heat-and she could hear Paul swallow. Somehow in this expanded state of consciousness she seemed to be able to see him, as if she could be everywhere at once. She knew he was sitting there on the edge of the desk, looking at her dazedly, bewildered by the transformation in the young woman on his couch. She knew he could see her, her face pale and glowing from inner heat, her breath coming quickly, her body gripped by a fine muscular tremor. And she knew he was stirred-and frightened. â€Å"Oh, boy.† Paul's breath came out and he shifted on the desk. He bowed his head, then lifted it, looking for a pencil. â€Å"Okay, I have to admit, I'm lost. Let's just go back to the beginning here. You feel that somebody is after you, and that he's tried to kill you before? Some old boyfriend who's stalking you, maybe?† â€Å"No. He hasn't tried to kill me. He has killed me.† â€Å"He has killed you.† Paul bit his pencil. He muttered, â€Å"I should have known better than to have started this. I don't believe in hypnosis anyway.† â€Å"And he's going to do it again. I'll die before my seventeenth birthday. It's my punishment for loving him. It always happens that way.† â€Å"Right. Okay. Okay, let's try something really basic here†¦. Does this mystery guy have a name?† Hannah lifted a hand and let it drop. â€Å"When?† she whispered. â€Å"What?† â€Å"When?† â€Å"When what? What?† Paul shook his head. â€Å"Oh, hell-â€Å" Hannah spoke precisely. â€Å"He's used different names at different times. He's had-hundreds, I guess. But I think of him as Thierry. Thierry Descouedres. Because that's the one he's used for the last couple of lifetimes.† There was a long silence. Then Paul said, â€Å"The last couple of †¦ ?† â€Å"Lifetimes. It may still be his name now. The last time I saw him he said he wouldn't bother to change it anymore. He wouldn't bother to hide any longer.† Paul said, â€Å"Oh, God.† He stood, walked to the window, and put his head in his hands. Then he turned back to Hannah. â€Å"Are we talking about †¦ I mean, tell me we're not talking about†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused and then his voice came out soft and boneless. â€Å"The Big R? You know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He winced. â€Å"Reincarnation?† A long silence. Then Hannah heard her own voice say flatly, â€Å"He hasn't been reincarnated.† â€Å"Oh.† Paul's breath came out in relief. â€Å"Well, thank God. You had me scared there for a minute.† â€Å"He's been alive all this time,† Hannah said. â€Å"He isn't human, you know.†

Healthy School Lunches

Healthy School Lunches Waking up to go to high school every day isn’t the most fun thing on earth. Sitting through a few boring classes that seem to drag on forever isn’t an exciting way to spend a day as a kid. But, there is one part of school that everyone looks forward to; lunch. After waiting through a couple periods a student can talk openly with his or her peers, and enjoy some food that the school provides. That is, until, something gets slopped onto their plate that looks like cardboard, plastic, or something some people can’t even describe.School lunches haven’t always been this way though, and new, healthier school lunches are to blame. Healthier school lunches are not acceptable the way that they are now, because of the cost they create and the terrible taste of most of the lunches. There are some arguments though, that are for healthy school lunches, but really they aren’t that great. One of the most important reasons as to why healthy s chool lunches aren’t ideal is that they are costing more money for the parents that have to pay for their children to eat at school. This is a problem, mostly because the healthy school lunch programs haven’t been proven to be very effective.According to the Nappa Valley Register, â€Å"Middle and high school students will be paying an additional 25 cents per lunch — for a total of $2. 75 — beginning in 2012-13† at their school district. This will cost parents an extra $45 if their child buys a lunch every day for a regular 180 day school year. This isn’t the biggest cost, though. The Nappa Valley Register says â€Å"Adding the required half cup of fruit to school lunches, for example, will cost the district 15 cents per serving — or about $193,600 annually† which is occurring to school districts across America that are effected by the recent changes in school lunches.This is a huge chunk of money that the school uses to get fr uit for students. This money could be used for something else, rather than buying fruit and make the students buy them. Overall, the money spent for healthy school lunches just isn’t worth it because of healthy lunch’s ineffectiveness. Arguably the most important factor of healthy school lunches is the child’s reaction to what is put in front of them. Certain kids have different experiences with their school’s lunches, but it’s safe to assume that the ajority of children do not enjoy them one bit. At a school in LA, one child says â€Å"The healthier it gets the more disgusting it is† which is just another reason why healthy school lunches are not a good idea. Some children at the school can barely describe what â€Å"it† is. Kids want to eat what tastes good, not what tastes like garbage, no matter how good it is for them. It’s not just the taste though; it’s the serving size as well. One student says â€Å"Usually we go to the student store and I'll buy a bag of Cheetos†¦ r like chips, sometimes a Gatorade, yeah† when asked what they will do when the school lunch doesn’t fill them up enough. This is a problem that is hard to deal with, because having bags of snacks that students can munch on sort of goes back on the whole idea of â€Å"healthy lunches† and has the student spending money on top of their bought lunch just to get filled up for the rest of the day. Giving students a healthy option is ideal, but having them eat something that tastes bad and won’t even fill them up doesn’t seem right.There are some arguments that some people can make as to why healthy school lunches are extremely important and why they mustn’t change. Probably the most important argument for healthy school lunches is that we live in an obese nation. The Physician’s Committee for responsible medicine says that â€Å"poor nutrition plays an important part in the incr easing childhood obesity rates†. There is no denying that this is true, but a school lunch is just one of 3 meals a child will eat during the day, not to mention any snacks that take place in between.The point is that a school lunch might be healthy, but that doesn’t mean the child will automatically become healthier. With lunch being the only meal that can be controlled by the government, it is being taken advantage of. Making 1 meal healthier won’t solve much. Another argument for healthy school lunches is that it promotes academic achievement. Sara Ipatenco of Livestrong. com says that â€Å"Some of the choices in the school cafeteria, including cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets, are high in saturated fat and sodium, which can leave your child feeling tired and uncomfortable after eating.This can lead to distraction and an inability to focus in the classroom† which is also a true statement. Even though these lunches might make children tired and uncomfo rtable, an argument can be made that leaving children hungry and not feeling good after eating something they don’t enjoy could have a similar effect. Being hungry in the classroom can cause a child to lose attention just as much as being tired would be. In neither option can the student properly focus in a controlled learning environment. Teaching nutrition is also a factor involved in a healthy school lunch.But this point isn’t exactly a great one though, because children rather learn from what their parents do than what their cafeteria workers would do. Just because they eat the food that is provided once a day five days a week doesn’t mean they are learning anything about what they are eating. It can be said they learn more from what they see being made at home and what their parents provide them. There are some valid points made in the argument for healthy school lunches, but, ultimately, the children aren’t benefiting how they should be from a progr am such as this.Being healthy is an important part of life, but the way that children react to their newer, healthier school lunches just prove that they don’t taste so great. It’s not only that, though, but the cost of the lunches are not worth the quality of lunch that is being bought. Almost every argument for healthy school lunches aren’t good because they only think about what the student eats at school, not what they eat anywhere else. Essentially, healthy school lunches aren’t desirable in a student’s life which makes the student unhappy.

Questionarise for survey of customer buying performance for Essay

Questionarise for survey of customer buying performance for technological goods - Essay Example 152). Therefore, this study aims at indentifying buying preferences of customers towards sustainable technological goods which in this case will be different brands of cars. Moreover, the study aims at exploring technological elements that make some brands of cars to be highly purchased as opposed to others. Sample size of 1764 was used for the study. The result indicated that consumers purchase technological goods based on the quality, safety, value, performance, design, innovation, and environmental friendliness/green factors. Introduction Numerous factors usually affect the purchase decision of the consumer and most of these factors have been used in understanding market for specific goods and or services. Nonetheless, satisfaction of the consumer is usually pegged on the consumer’s cognitive and effective evaluation of the past experience on certain purchases. Additionally, the consumer’s purchase decision may be analyzed based on perceived risks. Therefore, underst anding these elements are quite beneficial to the new or technological good manufacturers especially those who intend to introduce new goods into the market (Mohr, Sengupta, and Slater, 2010; pg. 101). However, purchasing new technological goods will require more than the risk perception on the good, but will also require limited theoretical assessment of the entire purchase process that is defined within six risk dimension that include the assessments of the performance risk, financial risk, physical risk, convenience risk, social risk, and psychological risk (Pride and Ferrell, 2012; pg. 144). Each of these dimension of purchase risks usually have different significance on product or purchase risk or context; therefore, they must be considered independently by the consumer in determining their purchase decisions (Shaw, 2003; pg. 62). Therefore, these aspects or purchase risks will be considered independently in analyzing the factors influencing the purchase decisions of consumers to purchase technological cars. Literature Review The choice of customer is usually governed by the microeconomic theory that connects the preferences to consume goods and services in relation to the consumption expenditure. Therefore, choice of the customer usually affects the consumer demand curves. The relationship or the link between consumption, personal preferences, and demand curves is usually considered business economics since it helps in analyzing how the customer often achieves the equilibrium between expenditure and preferences (Crane and Mayer, 2003; pg. 179). This analysis is usually done by considering how the consumer maximizes utility as subject of budget constraints. Preference often presents the desire of an individual to consume a good and service thereby translating to consumer choices. Notably, these choices are usually based on wealth or personal income combined with the available time the consumer has to define consumption activities. Thus, it is worth noting that consumption is distinctive of production since there are two different actors that are involved. In other words, consumption is the primary aspect of production. A manufacturer may produce a good that would never be consumed; therefore, different abilities

Taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Taxation - Essay Example First, the paper explores the evidence presented by Mirrlees that is applicable to welfare reform, then analyses the shortcomings of the current benefits and welfare system, the changes proposed to the welfare system, and lastly, criticisms launched by various parties to the proposed changes to the UK benefits and welfare system. The Mirrlees Review delivers a comprehensive review of tax reform drawing on new evidence, new (applied) theory, and new economic environment. The main motivation for the call for reform was a tax structure that does not work as a system (absence of joining up between welfare benefits, corporate taxes, and personal taxes); is not neutral in cases where it should be (irreconcilable savings taxes and a corporate tax system that elevates debt over equity); is not well structured where it should diverge from neutrality, and fails to attain progressivity efficiently (Auerbach 2012, p.685). The impact of taxation on work effort forms one of the core sources of inefficiency of a distortionary tax system. Labour supply models convey the trade off between work and leisure. The evidence detailed in Labour Supply and Taxes detail that the hours of are comparatively inelastic for men, and a bit responsive for married women (Meghir and Philips 2008, p.3). The participation of low education men is more responsive to the incentive to incentives than initially thought. For men with enhanced levels of education, participation is virtually responsive. The Mirrlees Review considered evidence under five headings: critical margins of adjustment to tax reform; measurement of effective tax rates; the significance of information and complexity; evidence on the size of responses; and, implications from theory for tax design (Mirrlees, et al. 2010, p.2). The review delivers empirical evidence on labour supply responses for individuals and families at both the intensive and extensive margins and by age and demographic structure;

Lifespan Development and Personality Paper Essay - 1

Lifespan Development and Personality Paper - Essay Example In addition, alcohol, drugs such as cocaine, lead, pesticides can damage sperm and cause children wit congenital defects. If the mother consumes alcohol during pregnancy, then the alcohol crosses the placenta and can result in children with ‘fetal alcohol syndrome’. The kind of diet that a mother takes, drugs, both legal and illegal would effect the later development of the infant. Mothers who have a healthy life style give birth to well formed babies with the right development of limbs and brains. Tobacco smoking by pregnant women is seen to cause premature babies that have low birth weight and increase in fetal deaths. Such children also show increased behavior abnormalities and cognitive problems. Motor development is mainly due to natural maturity but it can also be affected by environmental influences such as disease and neglect. Children with alcoholic mothers or ones who are neglected show lesser inclination to learn motor skills and may grow up with learning disa bilities and other problems. Piaget showed that an infants intellect is different from an adult and that an infant begins at a cognitively primitive level and that intellectual growth progresses in distinct stages, motivated by an innate need to know. Three major concepts are important: schemas, assimilation and accommodation. Schemas are cognitive structures or patterns consisting of a number of organized ideas that grow and differentiate with experience. Assimilation is the process of absorbing new information into existing schemas and accommodation is the process of adjusting old schemas or developing new ones to better fit with new information. In the first few weeks of life, an infant has multiple schemas based on the innate reflexes of sucking and grasping. These schemas are primarily motor and may be little more than stimulus and response mechanisms and soon other schemas emerge as the infant starts eating solid food. Assimilation and accommodation are the two major

Exegesis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Exegesis - Research Paper Example The use of plain sense to interpret the scripture involves determining if the scripture makes the ordinary common sense and thus we use this in the interpretation. According to the scripture this narrative is meant to develop the idea that Jesus’s entire life was sinless and blameless. Luke 4 repeats most of the themes that are found in the bible. This is exemplified in this passage by the use of keywords that are common in the bible. The Holy Spirit, God, Devil, Son of God and the name Lord, your God, are keywords that are found in many verses of the bible. The common biblical theme of temptation and trial dominate this verse as it has in many others (Beale and Carson, 2007). James 1:13-18 talks about how our bodily desires lead us into temptation. This passage discusses the means one can use to overcome temptation, which is also the theme of first Corinthians 10:13. The structure of the passage enhances the plain sense of the passage significantly because the context makes perfect common sense. The passage starts with Jesus returning from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit, which in turn guides him to the wilderness. The first temptation involved hunger and the devil asked Jesus to turn the stones into bread. Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy to show that the word of God is more important than food (Ford, 1999). The second temptation involved the devil asking Jesus to worship him and become the king of all kingdoms in the world. However, Jesus referred to the scripture again to overcome the temptation. Finally, the Devil asked Jesus to throw himself from the pinnacle of the temple to test if God would protect him. Luke’s structure portrays a process of testing where Jesus overcomes a more challenging temptation than the previous one. Narrative theology generally involves the interpretation of a scripture or passage from the bible through the meaning of the story narrated. From this passage, Luke 4: 3-12, the devil comes out as deceitful

Whose Church Is the True Church Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Whose Church Is the True Church - Essay Example The process involves getting to know the area in which the church is to be situated. Understanding of how the gospel is understood is also very important in the establishment of the church. To start a church, understanding from both the beginners of the church, and the people it is meant for is very important (Elaine 30). Getting people to understand what the mission is the next step that would help the group in the formation of the church. In getting to know the certain aspects that come with the starting of a new church, the mission is to know who the church is being started for. It should also identify its main goals and objectives if it wants to excel in the quest to spread the word. The church could be for either two groups of people. These are the de-churched or the non-churched. The de-churched were once church goers but do not attend church anymore. However, the non-churched simply refer to those that do not want to attend for one reason or the other (Elaine 34). The beginners of these churches have to know the cultural diversity of the people they intend to spread the gospel to. They could be ethnic, class driven, the lifestyle they led, and the deaf or even non-ethnic diversification. Getting to know this is very essential in the beginning of the church (Elaine 36). The author goes on to claim that building the church for only one group of people is not right. The author states the argument the God, the Supreme Being, is the creator of all beings and; therefore, nobody has the right to take that away. Building churches while under the understanding that the word travels faster if the group of people from the same common ground is wrong. The main aim the author is trying to put across is the diverse choices that should be available. Beginners of churches should consider the creation of a diverse church society. This is going to increase the options for everyone rather than just one group of people. In addition, they should consider the

Dietrich Bonheoffer makes a case that religious acts are not Essay

Dietrich Bonheoffer makes a case that religious acts are not necessarily a path to righteousness and salvation - Essay Example Other than that, he wrote to Bethge Eberhard where the prison warders helped to sneak them out of prison and became instrumental in building on the Christian faith. The execution order resulted from his alleged involvement with the Abwehr, which was a military intelligence group that planned to wipe out Hitler’s existence. Over time, Bonhoeffer’s letters have become the subject of debate in which this theologian introduced the ‘religionless Christianity’ where to date there is no concrete meaning to this phrase. With this, this essay will delve into the meaning that Bonhoeffer sought to bring in this letter and discussing on how righteous acts do not necessarily lead to a person’s salvation. II. Arguments surrounding Bonhoeffer thinking Ideally, many questioned Bonhoeffer authority to write about Christianity as he confessed to having been smoking at the time that he was writing the letters from prison. In essence, Bonhoeffer argued that the society had changed into one that associated with ‘religionless Christianity’ as many of those that perceived to be religious did not practice anything that the religious principles required. On the other hand, critics argued that this theologian wrote these letters about religion out of the situation that he was living in at that time as he was living in imprisonment while awaiting execution. However, Bonhoeffer maintained his stand that Christians only relied on the miracles and the blessings to confirm their association with God, but could not do so when faced with challenging situations. In making his arguments solid, Bonhoeffer used two ideologies in which one was the historical ideology while the other was on from the theological perspective (Higgins 83). Many were not in support of his theological ideologies mainly because he participated in the assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler despite the fact that this leader had caused too much suffering to the Jews. In many circ les, the interpretations of the letters that Bonhoeffer wrote to his friend have varied partly because of the nature in which he used to communicate his ideologies. III. The interpretation of religious texts in Bonhoeffer’s words To begin with Bonhoeffer intimates that religion had passed on and that was in existence did not portray the true ways that Jesus had called people to follow. As much as religion has lost substance, Bonhoeffer does not mourn of this, but instead welcomes it as a move to establishing true Christian religion. Many Christians only viewed God through the side of being a miracle worker and as one that cannot associate with suffering, which was a concept that was non-binding. According to Bonhoeffer, religion was a way of living and not a new religious concept that had never existed since the time that society started experiencing this relationship with God. However, Bonhoeffer argues that Christians were aware of the requirements of being a Christian, but they deliberately shut them out because they did not sit well with their belief. Further, Bonhoeffer asserts that the existing Christians did not interpret the scriptures as required, but only did so in ways that suited them, but not as Christ would want it. Philosophers had also established a way of interpreting concepts in the bible in a political way in order to suit their

1. To what extent could the United States between 1776 and 1865 be Essay

1. To what extent could the United States between 1776 and 1865 be described as a house divided against itself - Essay Example Slavery resistance began when people started to deny support, overturn the already established orders and more importantly challenging them. Slavery significantly contributed to division among the US citizen (Lowance 45). Political representation was another cause of the division among the Free States and Slave state. Politicians between the Free states and slave states were concerned about power balance in the Senate. The politicians were appealing that every state should be represented by two members of state and more importantly, there should be an equal number of free states and slave states. Resistance became violent when the population of Free States became more than that of slave states in the House of Representatives (Farmer 213). Abolitionist movements were also a contributing factor to the division Americans. In the year 1830, individuals who wanted to see various institutions abolished within the US started becoming more influential and strident. These individuals claimed they preferred obedience to higher law over having obedience to a constitution. When the constitution was passed, it made some explicit mention of slavery. It allowed slaves to be counted as a third of a person. This activity was meant to determine the representation, as well as the population in the House of Representatives. This Act was not supported by everybody especially individuals residing in slave states. The resistance turned out to be more severe in effort to bring more slave states. For instance, resisters sought after to make Missouri a slave state. Instead of making the region a slave state, a Missouri compromise was developed. Missouri Compromise was as federal law that regulated slavery in the western US territories. The law, passed in 1820 restricted slavery in the north region in the former Louisiana Territory. The only areas that were allowed to conduct slavery were the boundary of Missouri State (Lowance

Country with High Mortality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Country with High Mortality - Research Paper Example The total surface area of the country is 238,533 sq. km /92,098 sq. miles (WHO, 2013). According to the United Nations Department Of Population and Social Affairs, the estimated total population for Ghana was 24,392 000 for the year 2010 and a projected 27,315,000 in year 2015.Of the total population, a bigger percentage is estimated to be in urban areas than I rural areas. The total population density for Ghana is estimated to be 82,000 and 146,000 people per kilometre in 2000 and 2030 respectively (WHO, 2013). Ghana is one of the more stable nations in Africa, with a good record of power changing hands peacefully. It has a multi-party system with a presidential representative government, whereby; the president is elected directly by citizens in general elections. The president becomes both the head of state and government (Princeton.edu, 2013). Ghana is the world's second largest cocoa producer behind Ivory Coast, and Africa's biggest gold miner after South Africa. Other top minera ls in Ghana include tuna, bauxite, aluminium, manganese ore, and diamonds. It is one of the continent's fastest growing economies with a projected growth rate of 7% in 2012 although its lower than of the previous year(World Bank,2013). The high growth rate is prompted by strong cocoa production, increased gold production among other factors. The GNI per capita of Ghana is US $1,230 (WHO, 2013) State of Health in Ghana The probability of dying between 15 and 60 years otherwise known as adult mortality rate, in Ghana was 273 per 1000 people. The life expectancy in years is slightly higher in females than in males, at 64% and 60% respectively. According to WHO, the leading cause of death in the country is malaria followed by HIV/AIDS and diarrhoeal diseases. It is estimated that in 2008, the leading cause of death among children under five was malaria, accounting for 26% of the total deaths. The mortality rate as a result of malaria in 2006 was higher in Ghana than in the neighbouring Cote d’ vore.In addition, theHIV/AIDS was also high in that country as compared to Burkina Faso and generally in the African continent in year 2007.Communicable diseases record the highest burden of disease, followed by non-communicable diseases. Injuries have the lowest distribution of burden of disease. According to WHO, the number of deaths from traffic accidents in Ghana was among the highest in the world, which marks a major contribution to the high mortality rates. Being one of the stable nations in Africa, Ghana does not experience a lot of deaths from violence (WHO, 2013). According to a study conducted in Ghana titled â€Å"Public Perceptions on the Role of Traditional Medicine in Health Care Delivery System†, findings suggest that traditional medicine is effective in treating various ailments. Some of the ailments that are effectively treated using traditional medicines in Ghana include malaria, mental illness, infertility, arthritis, boils, and typhoid fever , just to mention a few. While this is the case, it is worth noting that the traditional medicines are non-standardised as emphasized by Gyasi, Mensah, Osei-Wusu & Agyemang,2011). To most Ghanaians, poverty is a strong barrier to the utilization of health people than the orthodox care services. It’s no surprise then that traditional medicine is found to be cheaper and more readily available to the medicine.

Techniques of Research in Health Essay Example for Free

Techniques of Research in Health Essay STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Immigrants to the United States represent a substantial and rapidly growing group that totaled more than forty-three million people or 13.5 percent of the U.S population in 2015 (Migration Policy institute (MPI), 2015). Since 1970, this percentage has almost tripled rising from 4.7% of the population to the current 13.5% in 2015 and shows no signs of decreasing (MPI Immigration over time 1850-2015). The inflow of immigrants even into smaller states is having a profound effect on a growing number of local communities as immigrants settle in non-traditional destinations like Minnesota and North Dakota. States that had relatively low percentages of immigrants are seeing these populations grow by big margins up to 90 percent in some cases  (Derose, K. et al, 2007). The make-up of this immigrant population is diverse, for instance, India was the leading country of origin for recent immigrants, with 179,800 arriving in 2015, followed by 143,200 from China, 139,400 from Mexico, 47,500 from the Philippines, and 46,800 from Canada. In 2013, India and China overtook Mexico as the top origin countries for recent arrivals. While Minnesota still has proportionally fewer immigrants than the U.S. as a whole with 8.3% of its population being immigrants compared to 13.5% nationally, the state’s foreign-born population is actually increasing faster than the national average. (Immigration Overview Minnesota Compass)In Minnesota, the number of immigrants has tripled since 1990, but nationally it only doubled. Immigrants are among the fastest growing populations in Minnesota, growing by 76 percent since 2000, compared with a 12 percent growth rate for the states population overall. This translates to around 457,000 Minnesota residents who are foreign-born by the end of 2015, including many refugees who fled their home countries. Over 80% of these immigrant groups are concentrated in the 7-county twin cities metro area. (Immigration Overview Minnesota Compass) Immigrants are often identified  as a vulnerable population, that is, a group at increased risk for poor physical, psychological, and social health outcomes and inadequate health care. The vulnerability is shaped by many factors, including political and social marginalization and a lack of socioeconomic and societal resources. Addressing the health care needs of immigrant populations is challenging both because of the heterogeneity of this group and because recent federal and state policies have restricted some immigrants’ access to health care. These policies have exacerbated existing differences in access, for example, legal residents versus undocumented and long-term residents versus recent arrivals. The stigma associated with some forms of immigration status; for example, undocumented versus refugee, can also contribute to vulnerability. (https://studymoose.com/issues-facing-latino-immigrants-in-todays-political-climate-essay). Given immigrant’s concentration in the 7-county twin cities metro area, a major public health concern is their access to health services. At present in the United States, health insurance is the best way to ensure access to health care. A key provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the requirement that private insurance plans cover recommended preventive services without any patient cost-sharing. This provision is important because it increases access to preventive healthcare by lowering costs and eliminating some costs. According to the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, uninsured individuals are less likely to receive preventive care or care for routine medical conditions and injuries. Lack of preventive health care and lack of treatment for medical conditions can lead to more serious illnesses and health problems. This, in turn, can result in hospitalizations and deaths that could have been prevented. (Health Key Measures Minnesota Compass). As these Immigrant groups assimilate and acclimatize into the system, the issue of Immigrant access to health care falls off as they begin to work and can gain access to health insurance through their employers. Existing literature suggests that there is a disparity in the utilization of healthcare in general and even preventive health care. Statement of the problem Preventive care includes health services like screenings, check-ups, and patient counseling that are used to prevent illnesses, disease, and other health problems, or to detect illness at an early stage when treatment is likely to work best. Getting recommended preventive services and making healthy lifestyle choices are key steps to good health and well-being. The existing literature on preventive care tends to focus on access to these procedures and even those few that are focused on utilization are mainly leaning towards individuals already diagnosed with specific disease states such as diabetes. However, since preventive care utilization recommendations are intended for all eligible individuals, it would seem more appropriate to apply a broader view on the use of preventive care services among healthy, disease-free individuals. (Prevention | Office of the Associate Director for Policy | CDC) The significance of the problem The purpose of this study is to analyze trends in the utilization of preventive care services among eligible immigrant groups in the twin cities area and comparing it to that of the non-immigrant population. Findings from this study will assist in identifying subpopulations that are not utilizing preventive care services adequately, thereby increasing their risk for developing chronic conditions. Taking a broad approach through predicting the use of preventive care services for all eligible individuals will draw the attention of policymakers towards individuals less likely to use health promotion and prevention services, and thus enable appropriate health care intervention recommendations. Research questions This study will seek to answer the following research questions: What are the rates of utilization of preventive health care among these different immigrant subgroups in the twin cities? What is the rate of utilization of preventive health care among the non-immigrant population in the twin cities? What are the differences or similarities in preventive healthcare utilization rates among the different subgroups and the non-immigrant population? Assumptions The study assumes that all participants will answer truthfully to all the questions, to this end, all participants are informed of their anonymity and confidentiality that will be preserved. The participants are informed about their right to withdraw from the study at any time and with no ramifications. Limitations This study depends on self-reports of participants, it is possible for participants to provide answers that they deem to be socially acceptable even if not true. The interviewer will prod for more accurate answers by trying to reformulate the question where they believe this to be the case. Access to these subgroups is dependent on social contacts information and although helpful, it may not be representative of the subgroups. A profile of each subgroup can help eliminate potential variations created by this limitation. This study also designates a geographical region, the 7-county twin cities metro area. The study assumes that the sample in the metro is representative of those in the greater Minnesota. Given the cultural heterogeneity of the participants, the researcher may not be culturally competent in the different cultures and may have to depend on a guidance from social contacts. The time needed to conduct this study is limited and therefore requires a limited sample size. Delimitations Focus on Immigrant groups in the twin cities metro area provide convenience in location of residence and the concentration of immigrants as opposed to those living in the greater Minnesota. Some immigrant groups originate from areas where healthy practices are automatically built into their lifestyles. For instance, if you cannot afford to buy a vehicle, then you will have to walk to and from the nearest means of public transportation. Likewise, some immigrant groups do not go to visit a doctor or a hospital unless they are unwell. These differences inspired the focus on gauging utilization of preventive health care services. The sample size will be determined by the subgroups population proportion to the population of Minnesota. This research will focus on adults with health insurance; this is so as to eliminate access to preventive health procedures as a variable in the study. Definition of terms Preventive healthcare: Health procedures including screenings, immunizations, and counseling. The study will select six overall procedures two from each category. Utilization: The measure of the populations use of the health care services available to them. The term immigrants also are known as the foreign born refers to people residing in the United States who were not U.S. citizens at birth. This population includes naturalized citizens, lawful permanent residents, certain legal nonimmigrants like persons on student or work visas, those admitted under refugee or asylee status.( U.S. Immigrant Population and Share over Time, 1850 ) References: Derose  KP,  Escarce  J,  Lurie  N.  Immigrants and health care: sources of vulnerability.  Health Aff.  2007;26(5):1258–1268. Migration Policy Institute (MPI) tabulation of data from U.S. Census Bureau, 2010-2015 American Community Surveys (ACS), and 1970, 1990, and 2000 Decennial Census. All other data are from Campbell J. Gibson and Emily Lennon, Historical Census Statistics on the Foreign-Born Population of the United States: 1850 to 1990 (Working Paper no. 29., U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC, 1999). U.S Census Bureau, Selected Characteristics of the Native and Foreign-Born Populations: 2016 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_16_1YR_S0501prodType=table. L.J. Larsen, â€Å"The Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2003,† Current Population Reports no. P20-551, August 2004, Fuseya, Y., Yamamoto, Y., Takahashi, T., Naito, D., Shima, K., Takahashi, K., Sakai, N. (2016). A62 CLINICAL ASPECTS OF CAP, HCAP, HAP, AND VAP: Social Factors On Hospitalization Period Of Elderly Patients With Pneumonia In Japan. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 193, 1.

Effects of Japans Ageing Population on Business

Effects of Japans Ageing Population on Business Introduction Many nations in the world have faced with many problems of their population growth. However, the dominant factor in the next society might expose these problems in more details, which most people might begin to pay attention deeper on these problems such as the rapid growth in the amount of older population and the rapid shrinking of the younger generation, with the threats of demographic development such as welfare effects, social conflicts and reducing workforce, etc. Therefore, the government in each nation should have more considerations on these problems before it is growing to be the unsolved problems. Recently, this phenomenon is spreading its effect to many nations in this globe. Specifically in Japan, there are many researches and figures which can be clearly shown that Japan are staying at the highest position of the middle ages average and also leading in the decline of population growth. This scale of the problem in Japan is unprecedented for the world. Therefore, Japan could be an example for many nations that are facing the same crisis which could learn how to handle or find out any solutions or policies to cope with this problem. In one effect, this change created many problems in Japan such as the declination of workforce, extra welfare burden and the lack of opportunities and chances for new generation. It is also includes the issue integration of young and old people in workplaces. Nevertheless, aging population has not had only drawbacks. On the other hand, it is the opportunities for many companies to invent any innovations which suit with middle aged and old age groups. This essay consists of three sections. The first section will focus on two topics which comprised by increasing life expectancy and declining population in Japan. The second section of the essay will examine on shrinking population of working age and Japans health care service industry. The final section of the essay will present the opportunities opened up for business by population aging such as how to develop products, design, innovation and services for silver market customer that suitable for the elderly target groups. Part I: Demographic changes and economic growth in Japan To comprehend the demographic component that caused population aging that would be refer to stable populations. According to the graph that presents age-specific fertility and the figure of mortality rates remain stable over time, from this conclusion in a number of contribute to population aging that remain constant and eventually becomes time instant as well. The report shows that in a global context, Japans ageing is remarkable for its pace. The country took only 24 years to transform from the elderly society, where the older population accounted for 7% from the total population to the elderly society, where it doubled of the share, according to UN definitions. Source: World population prospects, 2008 Revision, United Nations. ( http://www.gereports.com/healthymagination-studies-japans-aging-population/) The abstract foundation of a decreased form models applied in econometric studies are: (1) saving and investment in the life cycle model (2) age-specific modification in labour productivity. The reason why this theoretical is that important to focus on is peoples economic needs modulate at different the way of life and peoples behavior, the effect of economic performance that effects in a countrys age structure has been changed. By contrast, most of young people demand investment in education and health, adults contribute labour and savings, and the aged demand retirement income and health care. (Kohlbacher, Herstatt, 2008) Life expectancy Some people said that the experience of happiness could be changed in case of getting older. According to a research from 80 countries over the world shows a notably in a same pattern. Happiness is looks like a U-shaped curve, many people are happiest from the beginning until end of their lives. Most people reach at the bottom at age 44. At the lowest point of the graph, they will be stuck in this point until age 50 as long as their healthy, the level of their happiness will increase and the risk of depression will decline. This pattern is still the same even in rich or poor persons. (Moynagh and Worseley) Furthermore, those people who born between 1925 to 1945 will count in the ranks of the extreme older age. This group has faced difficult improvements in their life expectancy over the past 40 years than earlier generations. However, the propellant of longer life will increase in the elderly following by changes in lifestyle such as less smoking, advances in medicine such as the use of antibiotics, environmental improvement such as living in the place that have less pollution and healthier diets such as eat more fibre. Declining population in Japan Japan is one of the most recently a rapid growing of aging country but low birth rate. In 2005, over the next several decades, the figure of people who aged over 64 will increase rapidly whereas the possibility of actual population has been declined. In Germany and Japan that facing the fertility rates that are far under the replacement rate wanted to maintain a steady population. Nowadays the number of birth rate in Japan and German y are approximately 2.1 children per woman. Assuming of authentic projections, which is the figure of fertility rate might be slowly revert to the replacement proportion in Japan. By contrast this figure could be remaining nearly to the recent level (1.4) in Germany. In fact, Assuming of German forecasts are durable but still declining of the immigration, which is approximately 2 immigrants per 1,000 residents within an annual, compared with 5.6 earlier from this decade. In Japan, the immigration is assumed to be negligible compared with Germany. (http://www.brookings.edu/articles/1997/summer_saving_bosworth.aspx) Part II: Effect of population aging on the countrys economy According to the increasing number of Japans population aging that have many effects on their country such as decreasing of working age as the quantity of retirement has risen rapidly and one more reason that effect on this country is the quality of Japans health care service industry which is very important section for the elderly due to an increasing demand of the elderly therefore health care services will be necessary to prepare their equipments and services to deal with the rising number of older people from now on. Shrinking population of working age As Japan has explored, when a large amount of the population who is in a sector of retirement-planning years (34 percent are aged 40-64 versus 27 percent in the U.S.) the figure of saving rates can increase to levels that lower economic growth and consumption. In a situation known as Ricardian equivalence when budget deficits have fueled an increasing concern about Japans economic in the future, these caused ageing workforce due to respond to prepare their saving. Never the less, most of countries, the numbers of retirement are probably to have an opposite effect. One OECD analysis found that in the industrial, the figure of saving rates world might be decreased approximately eight percent of GDP during the late 2020s. Especially in Japan, where the number of retirees depends on their personal savings to finance in their old age and these has also caused all companies that have to train new employees due to the increasing of retirement of aging people so far. (http://www.globalaging.org/health/world/depopulationeuropejapan.htm) Japans health care service industry This is the most pledge industry of the health care service industry because of a constantly growing customer base and many factors that followed by requiring among the elder people in health care services. Normally, the consumption on health care services of elder people who aged 70 and above are around three times those compared with their age average. Even if this effect on the aid from the health insurance plans, it is evident that the possible demand of elder people for health care services should rise with rising number of the elderly. Furthermore, same as other quality services, the income flexibility of health care services is usually higher than to live together in unity. This means that most of elder people are willing to pay without considering for the quality further than quantity of the services. According to the statement, the health care service industry should produce only the good value services that most of people are willing to pay. On the other hand, the government with fewer considerations and fewer responses for the difference of the quality services legislated to fix the price for the health care services. This frequently according to ineffective resource allocations, incorporating the creation in black markets. Eventually, the condition of health care services is extremely arranged by two layers of arrangements. The first one is the arrangement on clinics and hospitals. The qualification of medical services staffs, nurses and doctors. Another condition is a process to apply to the health care services of the public health insurance. These conditions were primordially set for patients profits. However, sector fact are commonly used in subsist poor health care supplier for the protection. Consequently, they actually obviate in supply increased of capable health care services encounting with the potential require. If the conditions were removed, all of the health care services can be mushrooming substantially. Part III, Opportunities opened up for business by population aging Among of the problems that many nations have faced to including in Japan whereas there still have the opportunities for certain business to prevent many products, design, innovation and improve their services including the way to manage business to handle with changing consumer values and lifestyle of the elderly. Developing products, design, innovation and services for silver market customer According to the aging of industrialized, led by Japan, demand of the facilities of elderly people to help them manage everything in their life easier than common life. For this reasons, many companies in Japan are trying to find the methods, ideas and helpful facilities to create a new product for providing attractive and helpful solutions dealing with elderly people to very old consumers. This is a great chance for companies, commerce, manufacturers and service providers to develop their products for these aging groups. Until now, the figure of the elderly people are remain rising share in the total population, also a rise in life expectancy, products and services have been considered and researched so far for old age to support them lead their lives easier as an independent. These problems have become important hardly contain any attention for a long time in the past and the elderly users rejected the common friendly solution because these solutions clearly created from the technology of handicapped and rehabilitation. Thus, developing the new innovative products should be covered for all age in a concept design for all however, all products should be thoroughly considered on safety and comfort especially for elderly age. From the idea as above, the new research project Sentha has prevented. Sentha is stand for Everyday Technology for Senior Households and it also start establishing to develop new product concepts and new approaches. With the mission for the research, contributory observation for Sentha achieved quite fundamental importance. The advantage of Contributory observation has been sensitive including habitual, unreflective and everyday action. There is no accident that contributory observation which is regarded as the royal road area research due to the linguistic-interrogative methods such as interviews and group discussions which cannot be explored by a position to train ones sights on things. Contributory observation is thus, different from an interview, sensitive and usable equipment for researching everyday life. Hand movement and motions that can go on in a completely routine manner, especially it can be a point of departure for ones work. This can be a trick from spending life of an elderly people. For instance, a screwed-in light bulb as a darning mushroom which is illuminated from within for elderly age who cannot see well in dim light. These are some hi-tech products and services in Japan that they created for the elderly which is dominated by nursing care, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. Intelligent toilets In many Japanese hotels, the healthiness of defecations can be showed by this machine, variety of heat functions are set at the seat to push up elderly people in order to help them getting off the toilet easier. Now, with a co-operation of two large companies Toto and Daiwa house installed toilets for pensioners which is a concept for this mergence. These toilets are installed medical sugars that can measure blood pressure, body fat and blood sugar rates of the user. Including a built-in internet device that can email any healthy information directly to the doctor to ensure their health. Cars Carmakers have created intelligent cars with dashboards that have large numbers and letters to let the driver especially the elderly people see the dashboards easily. Moreover, this car is including accelerator and hand controls for the brake, and swiveling seats to make it easier when the driver want to get in and out. Robot pets It quite difficult to the elderly who want to have a pet therefore this is a high technology to create a robot pet that seems like a real pet which can be responded the owners with opening and closing its eyes and it also moving its tail as well. Furthermore, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research in Japan has developed the robots which is working as a nurse that can help and lift the elderly up and help them out of bed. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/mar/20/japan-ageing-population-technology) Changing consumer values and lifestyle Japans recent dynamic social environment, merged with economic globalization the development of information technology, mostly influences the diversification of people with their values and lifestyles. To be more precise, people become more liberal toward different ways of thinking therefore not only the internet and communication technology that infiltrate on peoples lifestyle and values but also the way that their communication styles and personal relations as well. The important factors that affect in changing consumer values and lifestyles are the spread of epidemic. For instance, tainted food and avian flu and also disasters from other natural that cause greater concern for security and disease prevention. This enhanced concern encourages consumer for safe, healthy food also in other health-related goods. However, it would be difficult to analyze or specific factors to influence them to change their habits. These are mechanism of change in and diversification of values in Japan: awareness of health ,safety and prevention, will to learn, value seeking, generosity in differences, view of family and marriage (Kohlbacher, Herstatt, 2008) Marketing for the silver market The demand of the older customers is very necessary in a market of retailing trade due to the possible of the best-agers is quite underestimated. This is varied target group, including the elderly who age over 50 years with the difference of socio-demographic characteristics, leisure time activities, value orientations and consumer preferences. In fact, these can be considered that, negligence of the specific interests and consumption habits of the elderly, in common they share the basic needs to provide themselves by retail shopping as long as they are able to do these activities. The report in German, the amount of the spending power of aging people is also attractive. Aging people between 50-59 years old spent approximately 24000 euro in the retail trade whereas those aged over 60 had 20000 euro in each year to spend. However, the implication of the demographic on retail trade affects the decision on the location of commercial establishments. Demanding of the elderly groups regard ing comfort and convenience when they need shopping coincide with the target groups of younger people. Purchase outlets should be accessible includes the design of products that can make the consumer feel satisfied. (Kohlbacher, Herstatt, 2008) Conclusion

Strategies to Prevent Cyber Crime

Strategies to Prevent Cyber Crime Andrew Rayner Cyber Crime: Preventing the Horrific Crimes on the Internet In today’s society, there are many aspects of crime committed on a regular basis. Civilians take advantage of people using online resources such as a fraudulent website requiring credit card information to get a free monthly trial. Other venues that may contain a potential for cyber crimes are online chatting websites, full of predators or websites requiring a downloadable program that contains a hacking virus. Sadly, there are many cases of cyber crime populating the internet. Acts of cyber crimes are considered violent acts like any other. Every day, citizens are constantly losing money and being victimized due to a variety fraudulent activities. Cyber crime, including fraud, identity theft, stalking, and hacking, is a growing problem which can be prevented by taking the proper precautions. The biggest case of cyber crimes are cases of fraud. â€Å"Online fraud comes in many forms. It ranges from viruses that attack computers with the goal of retrieving personal information, to email schemes that lure victims into wiring money to fraudulent sources† (What is â€Å"online fraud†). When browsing the internet, people will stumble upon websites offering a free trial. Some of these websites are real, but many are fake. Real examples can include ones like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. A fake website, such as one offering too great of a deal often contains attempts of fraud, to gain access to credit card information. Another way of committing fraud is by sending fake emails to Craigslist advertisers make the victim think that he/she is getting a great deal. This type of fraud has to do with shipping. Criminals respond to Craigslist advertisements pretending to be a company such as PayPal, saying that the money is being held until the victim replies to the email with a valid tracking number. When the victims gives the requested information, the criminal ignores the victim and takes their money. Protection against offenders requires cautionary steps. â€Å"Perpetrators act as hackers who intercept personal information while victims are online, either through website entry or through phony [emails] in which they disguise themselves as legitimate firms attracting victims to do business with them† (Dyke 3). Keeping personal information secure on the internet is vital for any person’s safety. Never give out credit card information online to any company unless the company is verified. One way of checking for authenticity is to see if the websites has a verification certificate. These certificates cant be given to any website unless it is approved to take vital information. This is a safe way of making sure credit card information is not given to anyone who might steal it. Although they don’t take credit cards, when dealing on Craigslist, never ship anything, for any reason, as this is a scam; instead, the deal should be handled in person. There is no safe way on the internet to ship any item between private parties, so it is best to avoid anyone wanting to work with shipping or money shipments. Anyone can use a credit card number online without a tangible card. Keeping credit card details safe is important when dealing online. Only give credit card information to a website if that the website is certified to take a card. Almost any credit card will have bank protection when purchasing virtual goods, but it is important to make sure card information is not given to an unknown or untrusted website. Many scam websites will have a fake certification seal to verify that the website is real, the seal should link to a valid certification location. A form of cyber crime involving personal information is identity theft. When browsing the internet, people often come across ads that supposedly allow the user to win an iPad or other expensive device when completing a survey. This is a scam and is never a valid offer. These surveys require the user to input personal information such as an address, email, phone number, and name. This is a common method to steal identities. People may also come across a practice of identity theft such as Free-Credit-Score websites. These websites will ask for every bit of personal information including a social security number. A common victim pool is false advertising on Craigslist such as a fake job offer. Social engineers are predators who prey on victims to get personal information resulting in a scam, or even worse, identity theft. Do not deal with anyone on Craigslist when trying to find a friend to chat with. They often are cyber thieves wanting every bit of information to use to their advantage. To prevent identity theft, never give personal information to any website or any person unless that website can is trusted. Some common websites that are trustable are PayPal, Amazon, Squirll, and verified bank websites. These sites all have approved certifications seals. Normally this is checkable by looking to the left of the URL (Website Address) for a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) installation, which is indicated by a lock icon. Having stalkers outside of the web is dangerous, but because of advancements in technology, the internet is full of cyber stalkers as well. â€Å"A cyberstalker only needs access to a computer and a modem. Due to the enormous amount of personal information available through the internet, a cyberstalker can easily locate private information about a potential victim with a few mouse clicks or key stokes† (Cyberstalking). Many websites on the internet offer instant messaging. A few examples are Omegle, Craigslist, and teen chat rooms. These rooms are normally a hangout for predators. The predators will act as someone they arent to try and convince victims to like them, resulting in giving them personal details. Chatting sites are extremely dangerous, and it is imperative that chat rooms are avoided to prevent a perpetrator finding you outside of the internet. Social sites such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter are also websites that require caution when using. Creating an account on these websites require no identification possibly resulting in the predator disguising as someone they arent such as a relative or friend. Never give information to anyone online in a chatting program such as Skype or instant messaging system. Putting information online having to do with personal information is never a good idea even if it is Facebook or other websites such as Google+. Cyber stalkers are normally found on chat websites and social media websites. It is important to always exercise caution for protection when speaking to anyone online, no matter the situation because of the dangers. â€Å"Cyberstalking is just as frightening and potentially dangerous as a stalker at the victim’s front door† (Cyberstalking 2). The biggest form of cyber crime is hacking for malicious reasons or personal gain. â€Å"There are some career criminals who steal by electronic means. This small group poses a large problem for society, but it’s not a new one. Thieves are thieves† (Harvey 2). There are thousands of people on the internet trying to hack for gain on a daily basis. This is done through key loggers, Remote Administration Tools (R.A.T.S), and other types of malicious software. These are normally found within an executable file (.exe). These viruses will infect computers and try to steal information such as logins to websites, credit card information in files, or any type of person information. Many kids and some adults fall for this scam on a daily basis. When trying to find a premium code for a service such as Xbox Live or Spotify, people will come across a multitude of websites that give them instruction to complete a survey to unlock a premium code. These are not real. Do not download anything from a survey. Surveys will ask for permission to download a program to unlock the file which supposedly contains the free premium code for such service. Normally these programs are prone to contain an infected type of file, forcing advertisements and malicious software onto a computer. The last major type of virus is a phony antivirus program. When attempting to download a program to help fix an infected computer, normally the user results in having more remotely downloaded viruses. Instead of stealing information or logging computers, these viruses are typically used to force people to purchase the antivirus software to make the annoying virus go away. These are also used to lock ones computer and make him or her pay to have it unlocked. These viruses normally are the worst kind because they are so hard to remove from an infected machine, and scare the unknowing victim. Trustworthy programs are normally anything from trusted developers, such as Microsoft or Adobe. However, there are plenty of trustworthy ones on the internet. To determine if the websites/programs are trustworthy, check the SSL on the website from which the program is being downloaded, which means it is certified. If ever unsure about a program, websites such as Virus Total can scan the program for infections. These websites scan files for anything malicious. If any sort of malicious viruses are found, it will notify the user before the computer decides to run the file. Most of the time anything having to do with a bot, survey, free cracked program contains a virus. There is no reason to download any program having to do with a free item, which will completely prevent someone from being infected. These crimes are a few of the dangers on the internet. To provide full safety, never give personal information to dubious-looking website, download programs that are not trustworthy, speak to anybody on the internet unless positive of their identity, and never for any reason, try to get something for free that costs. These things are the most common type of cyber crimes people see on a daily basis. Although the internet is a great source for making money in legal ways, it can also be used for plenty of malicious black market money scams. It is imperative to carefully browse the internet when downloading programs, and talking to people online. Works Cited Cyberstalking. Marshall University. Marshall University, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014. Dyke, Van, and Albrecht W. Identity Theft. U of NEBRASKA–LINCOLN. U of NEBRASKA–LINCOLN, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014. Harvey, Brian.Computer Hacking and Ethics. Ed. Paul Goodman, P.G. Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. U of California, Berkeley, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014. What is â€Å"online fraud†? National Crime Victim Law Institute. Lewis Clark, 27 July 2010. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.

Essay --

Disease and disorders affect a vast amount of lives in today’s world. Diseases are conditions that affect normal functions of the body. Many diseases and disorders are still being discovered and explored by scientists. One disorder that can disturb a person’s daily life and events is Generalized Anxiety Disorder also known as GAD. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a disorder causing constant and often unrealistic worry and anxiety. It alters the way a person thinks and can ultimately lead to physical symptoms. This disorder, while having many physical and emotional affects, can be managed and maintained. Pathophysiology Worry, doubt, irritability, exaggerated anxiety, and unexplained tension are just a few of the many effects of Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD. While the symptoms aren’t life threatening, they remain unpleasant to control and many feel so overwhelmed, this can lead to patient’s use of substances and occasionally suicide. Though the cause of this disorder remains unknown, the main source of GAD comes from the brain. Genetics, Brain chemistry, and environmental factors are believed to be the main causes of onset of GAD. â€Å"Trauma and stressful events, such as abuse, the death of a loved one, divorce, changing jobs or schools, may lead to GAD†(WebMD: Anxiety & Panic Disorders Health Center, 2012, p.2). The neurotransmitters tell the brain how to feel and react. Many neurotransmitters have been connected to this disorder, including serotonin, GABA, and Norepinephrine. When hormones become thrown off or unbalanced this can also trigger Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Calm Clinic: Neurotransmitters and Anxiety states (2013), â€Å"Interestingly, too much or too little of any hormone may also affect anxiet... ...d health professionals as well. Medical practitioners encourage healthy habits, such as an exercise plan, to push the body to producing and releasing more endorphins. The medical provider may also recommend life style changes and that the patient find a hobby to preoccupy those anxious thoughts. There are many options available to help a patient deal with this illness. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is becoming more commonly recognized every day by healthcare providers; therefore the physical and mental symptoms are becoming more easily managed. The worrying, stress, and physical symptoms brought on by GAD can be treated with many options, previously not available. While an untreated patient may feel hopeless and helpless, with a treatment plan created by healthcare professionals, a person can feel like they are in control of their mental status and life again.

Vitality and Death in James Joyces The Dead Essay -- Joyce Dead Essay

Vitality and Death in The Dead  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In his short story The Dead, James Joyce creates a strong contrast between Gabriel, who is emotionally lifeless, and the other guests, who are physically aging and near death. Though physical mortality is inevitable, Joyce shows that emotional sterility is not, and Gabriel ultimately realizes this and decides that he must follow his passions. Throughout the story, a strong focus on death and mortality, a focus that serves as a constant reminder of our inevitable end of physical life, is prevalent in Joyce's selection of details. In the story, the unconquerable death ultimately triumphs over life, but it brings a triumph for the central character, not a loss. Despite the presence of death, the characters’ passions and individuality oppositely flourish, an irony that Joyce dares to make humorous. Every year Kate and Julia Morkan, two aging sisters, hold a dinner party at their house in Ireland for their relatives and music students and peers. The two ladies, often referred to as Aunts because of their relationship to the main character Gabriel Conroy, make sure to have a festive event full of dance and rich in food, although they are not wealthy. The story begins at the commencement of this party, and we first learn about Lily, the youngest person in the story, who serves as the housemaid. She is described as a growing girl, but also as "pale in complexion," indicating weakness and frailty. Even her "tagname, that of the funereal flower, serves as a symbol of death." Joyce comically describes the busy girl with a "hyperbolic figure of speech (‘run off her feet’), which although figurative, is offered to the reader to be accepted ‘literally,’" (Benstock 165) hinting at pending death. ... ... Gale, 1990. 239-245. Friedrich, Gerhard. "The Perspective of Joyce’s ‘Dubliners.’" College English (March 1965) Vol. 26 No. 6. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism Vol. 35. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 166-169. Handy, William J. "’Joyce’s ‘The Dead.’" Modern Fiction: A Formalist Approach. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism Vol. 35. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 183-189. Joyce, James. "The Dead." The Dubliners. Rpt. in The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: W W Norton & Company. 2345-2373. Magalaner, Marvin, and Kain, Richard M. Joyce: The Man, the Work, the Reputation. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 222-224. Walzl, Florence L. "Gabriel and Michael: The Conclusion of ‘The Dead.’" James Joyce Quarterly (Fall 1966) Vol. 4 No.1. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 233-239.       Vitality and Death in James Joyce's The Dead Essay -- Joyce Dead Essay Vitality and Death in The Dead  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In his short story The Dead, James Joyce creates a strong contrast between Gabriel, who is emotionally lifeless, and the other guests, who are physically aging and near death. Though physical mortality is inevitable, Joyce shows that emotional sterility is not, and Gabriel ultimately realizes this and decides that he must follow his passions. Throughout the story, a strong focus on death and mortality, a focus that serves as a constant reminder of our inevitable end of physical life, is prevalent in Joyce's selection of details. In the story, the unconquerable death ultimately triumphs over life, but it brings a triumph for the central character, not a loss. Despite the presence of death, the characters’ passions and individuality oppositely flourish, an irony that Joyce dares to make humorous. Every year Kate and Julia Morkan, two aging sisters, hold a dinner party at their house in Ireland for their relatives and music students and peers. The two ladies, often referred to as Aunts because of their relationship to the main character Gabriel Conroy, make sure to have a festive event full of dance and rich in food, although they are not wealthy. The story begins at the commencement of this party, and we first learn about Lily, the youngest person in the story, who serves as the housemaid. She is described as a growing girl, but also as "pale in complexion," indicating weakness and frailty. Even her "tagname, that of the funereal flower, serves as a symbol of death." Joyce comically describes the busy girl with a "hyperbolic figure of speech (‘run off her feet’), which although figurative, is offered to the reader to be accepted ‘literally,’" (Benstock 165) hinting at pending death. ... ... Gale, 1990. 239-245. Friedrich, Gerhard. "The Perspective of Joyce’s ‘Dubliners.’" College English (March 1965) Vol. 26 No. 6. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism Vol. 35. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 166-169. Handy, William J. "’Joyce’s ‘The Dead.’" Modern Fiction: A Formalist Approach. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism Vol. 35. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 183-189. Joyce, James. "The Dead." The Dubliners. Rpt. in The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: W W Norton & Company. 2345-2373. Magalaner, Marvin, and Kain, Richard M. Joyce: The Man, the Work, the Reputation. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 222-224. Walzl, Florence L. "Gabriel and Michael: The Conclusion of ‘The Dead.’" James Joyce Quarterly (Fall 1966) Vol. 4 No.1. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 233-239.