Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literature - Essay Example This passage is from Devora Baron’s â€Å"Bill of Divorcement† on page 55. The language is a translation of a Jewish author’s work. The length of sentences varies to slowly build up the action. The first sentence has 37 words and active voice shows the woman’s sense of control over her life. The second sentence has twelve words. It signifies how much she loves and adores her husband. The word â€Å"boil† seems to be a metaphor for her â€Å"boiling.† It foreshadows her fate as the one who will be cooked. The last sentence has sixty words and reads like a death sentence. Indeed, the word â€Å"sentence† is mentioned. Furthermore, the â€Å"hardness† or harshness of what happens to her can be summarized in how Isser Ber cannot look at her. He is guilty for what he will deliver to the woman who loved him too much. This passage is significant to the story, because it shows the hardships of women as wives in any patriarchal society, where they are supposed to play specific traditional gender roles. They must fit certain social expectations, or else, they will get sacked and get the Bill of Divorcement. The home that they painfully and patiently built will be gone in an instant that society decrees them unfit as a wife. This passage summarizes how society treats women who cannot be exactly what men want them to be. No matter how much a woman loves or sacrifices for her man, she will get no mercy for not being the woman that society wants her to be. ______________________________________________________________________________ 2. H. On the day I became thirteen years old and a member of the congregation, my mother, peace be with her, bound her kerchief around my neck. Blessed be God, who has given His world to guardians. There was not a spot of dirt to be found on the kerchief. But sentence has already been passed on the kerchief, that it was to be lost through me. This kerchief, which I had observed so much and so long, would vanish because of me. This passage is from Agnon’s story, â€Å"The Kerchief† at page 64. The language comes from the viewpoint of a deeply religious person. The sentences vary in length. The first sentence talks about the rite of passage of a Jewish adolescent. His mother must be proud of him to use her best kerchief for him. Agnon believes that God gives His world to His people. The kerchief is also described as spotless, a sign of purity. It is a metaphor for goodness. However, the last two sentences show guilt for losing the kerchief. This passage is significant to the story, because it stands for the meaning of purity. Purity is not something people wear like a kerchief during Sabbath. It is not like an accessory that people can choose to wear or not to wear as they please. Agnon depicts that purity is about following God’s words every day of one’s life, even if it means giving a precious kerchief to a beggar. Through his action of com passion, he shows that indeed, God has â€Å"given His world to guardians,† if these guardians know how to show love and mercy to those who need it the most (Agnon 64). ______________________________________________________________________________ 3. J. The rabbi’s son needs only a single moment to pass silent judgment on the woman who was intended to be his bride: Her dress hangs from her like a sack, her eyes are large, black, and pretty, but she flutters her eyelids

Marketing Channels Essay Example for Free

Marketing Channels Essay Suppliers should not deal with intermediaries who are more powerful than they are. Debate this statement. If a supplier deals with strong intermediaries, they will probably exercise power over him. As they are able to provide him with more utilities (value, benefits and satisfaction). However, if there are many strong distributors in the market offering similar packages of benefits and utilities. Then there will be no harm for a supplier to deal with a more powerful distributor or intermediary as they will no longer be so special and powerful since they know the supplier can switch to a any other intermediary anytime (they are easily replaced). Therefore, the level of dependence of the supplier on the intermediaries will be lower. Another way is to excel in logistics when dealing with downstream channel members. Therefore increasing their rewards for doing business with the supplier and becoming difficult to imitate. In turn, channel members make markets and are the faces of their producer to those markets. Question 4: We should not deal with powerful suppliers. They are sure to abuse us, after they use us. Debate this statement, often heard in the meeting rooms of distributors and sales agents. As the usual channel conflict is a zero sum game where the gains of one party are the loss of the other. Many problems may arise between channel members till they actually reach a compromise where each party is satisfied and is able to see where he benefits from the relationship and cooperation.

Lagrange Multipliers in Mathematics

Lagrange Multipliers in Mathematics Lagrange multipliers arise as a method for maximising (or minimising) a function that is subject to one or more constraints. It was invented by Lagrange as a method of solving problems, in particular a problem about the moons apparent motion relative to the earth. He wrote his work in a paper called Mechanique analitique (1788) (Bussotti, 2003) This appendix will only sketch the technique and is based upon information in an appendix of (Barnett, 2009). Suppose that we have a function which is constrained by . This problem could be solved by rearranging the function for x (or possibly y), and substituting this into . At which point we could then treat as a normal maximisation or minimisation problem to find the maxima and minima. One of the advantages of this method is that if there are several constraint functions we can deal with them all in the same manner rather than having to do lots or rearrangements. Considering only f as a function of two variables (and ignoring the constraints) we know that the points where the derivative vanish are: Now g can also be minimised and this will allow us to express the equation above in terms of the dxs Since these are linear functions we can add them to find another solution, and traditionally is used to get Which is 0 only when both We can generalise this easily to any number of variables and constraints as follows: We can then solve the various equations for the s. The process boils down to finding the extrema of this function:   Ã‚   As an example imagine that we have a fair 8 sided die. If the die were fair we would expect an average roll of . Let us imagine that in a large number of trials we keep getting an average of 6, we would start to suspect that the die was not fair. We can now estimate the relative probabilities of each outcome from the entropy since we know: We can use Lagranges method to solve this equation subject to the constraints that the total probability sums to one and the expected mean (in this case) is 6. The method tells us to minimise the function: Where the first part is the entropy and the other two parts are our constraints on the probability and the mean of the rolls. Differentiating this and setting it equal to 0 we get: Now if we do an integration we know that this value must be a constant function of since the derivative is 0, also since each of the terms in the summation is 0 we must also have a solution of the form: Or We know that the probabilities sum to 1 giving: Which can be put into (A2.1) to get Which doesnt look too much better (perhaps even worse!). We still have one final constraint to use which is the mean value: We can use (A2.2) and re-arrange this to find Which also doesnt seem to be an improvement until we realise this is just a polynomial in : If a root, exists we can then use it to find . I did not do it that way by hand, I used maple to find the solution   to the polynomial. (the script is below) I also calculated the probabilities for a fair dice as a comparison and test. fair dice mu = 4.5 unfair dice mu = 6 p1 0.125 p1 0.32364 p2 0.125 p2 0.04436 p3 0.125 p3 0.06079 p4 0.125 p4 0.08332 p5 0.125 p5 0.11419 p6 0.125 p6 0.15650 p7 0.125 p7 0.21450 p8 0.125 p8 0.29398 lambda = 0 lambda = -0.31521 Table A2. 1: comparison of probabilities for a fair and biased 8sided dice. The bias dice has a mean of 6. > > > > > > Equation also appears in the thermodynamics section. Because can be used to generate the probabilities of the source symbols I think that it would be possible to use this value to characterise the alphabet i.e. take a message from an unknown source and classify the language by finding the closest matching from a list (assuming that the alphabets are the same size). I havent done that but think that the same approach as the dice example above would work (the mean would be calculated from the message and we would need more sides!). When we have a totally random source, and in this case the probability of each character is the same. This is easily seen from (A2.2) as all the exponentials contribute a 1 and we are left with   Ã‚   Where m is the size of the alphabet all the symbols are equally probable in this case.

elmer gantry :: essays research papers

Elmer Gantry, the Terwillinger College president and a star football player, is continually enticed by many temptations including girls, alcohol and cigarettes. One day, when he travels with his friend Jim Lefferts to a near-by town, he drunkenly stands up for Eddie Fislinger, the Y.M.C.A. president, and his religious preaching. Inspired by the statements made by Elmer that defend religion; Eddie incessantly attempts to persuade Elmer to convert. When Judson Roberts, a former college football star, arrives at Elmer’s town, he is converted by the belief that it takes a strong man to accept Jesus and have eternal glory and life. Later on, Elmer and Frank Shallard, a fellow student at Mizpah Seminary, are called to be preacher and assistant at the church in Schoenheim. There, Elmer has a relationship with Lulu Bains, whom he is expected to marry. Elmer devises a scheme that he executes perfectly to make sure that this marriage does not take place. Elmer goes on with his training in the ministry and is presently assigned another church for the Easter service. On the way there, he meets a man who lives by his temptations. Foolishly, Elmer agrees to a rendezvous with the man and his friends from the Pequot Farm Implement Company. Elmer is unsuccessful in his attempt to hold off the enticement of alcohol during this tryst and is worse for the encounter. Elmer fails to show up for the Easter service and is replaced with another preacher who is assigned to find Elmer’s whereabouts. Upon finding Elmer drunk at a cafà © telling of his exploits, the pastor reports back to Dean Trosper. Elmer is subsequently fired from Mizpah and is taken on by the Pequot Farm Implement Company. In his travels, he encounters Sharon Falconer, a traveling evangelist. He immediately falls in love with her, along with her lilted voice, enthusiastic mind and focused nature. She contributed to the fact that Elmer was now virtuous and free of his temptations. Her life is full of falsities although she preaches about the erroneous ways of lying. Her real name is Katie Jonas and has stolen many of her sermons from other people and places. As the traveling group of evangelists, musicians and the choir continually reduced expenses, Sharon saved up for a permanent base in which she could preach. She finally bought a pier on the New Jersey coast and decided on an opening night.

Midterm Exam questions

1. How can agriculture be seen as a development caused by politics or religion? What are the main ideas behind those theories? The development of agriculture as caused by religion and politics is comprehended when seeing how this economic activity affects food – its supply and production. Food, when its supply is limited and its acquisition is very difficult, tends to be equally distributed among those who engaged in its production. This was what characterized the earlier stages of our evolution. Everything, from food gathering and hunting, to cooking and eating, were social in nature because man was pitted against an environment that he still did not master. Thus, working together was the sole manner in which man was able to adapt to his environment and eventually survive. Cooking, with man’s discovery of fire, and subsequently eating food carried with it certain rituals that celebrated its availability and the human sustenance it will provide. As this process of mastering and changing nature as a culture continued, other ways of producing greater and more reliable amounts of food were discovered as in animal domestication and agriculture. When production activities eventually produced more food than what the social group needed, it was then that inequality in terms of the distribution of work involved and of its products emerged (p.51). This was what characterized the earlier engagement of man with plant propagation. While the elite (the nobility or those who ruled) do not work because they owned the land, they had an abundance of food. They are categorized as the non-food producers of society. Below them in the class structure, farmers toiled in the fields and ate less, giving land tribute to those who owned it. This kind of politics or the power over access to food without actually engaging in its labor enabled the elites to engage and further develop knowledge, not only in production but in warfare, philosophy, religion and the sciences. The social rituals involved in the pre-agriculture way of life of man, gave rise to religions that were integrated into the cycles of agricultural food production (p.52). Each stage of the cycle involves rituals that would ensure a season of plenty and bountiful harvests are celebrated with grand, religious festivals of eating the fields’ first produce. For example, the Aztecs conducted mass eating of sacred beans and corn stew, ingredients that came from the season’s harvests. Hence, both the political system and religious practices established the role of agriculture in society’s methods of food acquisition. 2. What are the common features of government and religion across all the river valley civilizations? Why were they common? Civilizations tended to rise in river valley areas because the physical conditions of these environments permitted a sustainable source of water for agriculture. This is a far better situation as opposed to farmers’ dependence on unpredictable rain fall. The waters also served as carriers of minerals vital to the maintenance of soil fertility. A reliable supply of water means a higher probability of superior crops and good harvest. Good harvest also means food abundance or excess, human energy and life. The excess in food supply enabled man to engage in other fields of human development. Governments or their political structures are also quite similar in that there are rulers-emperors and pharaohs for example, who belong to the elite class. Serving them as officials are the religious (priests, scribes) and military leaders and bureaucrats. Governments are centralized with institutionalized ways of administration as evidenced in the laws, codes and policies enacted and enforced through force or otherwise (p.79). The consolidated political control over the whole population resulted in an integrated economy and a homogenous culture (p.86). Hence, the trading of the surplus of economic production through the labor of farmers or artisans became possible and gave rise to a class of merchants and traders. Trading, or the export of excess food and other products and the import of food and other products not available locally, was a financially lucrative enterprise for elites and governments, not to mention the luxury food and non-food items they acquired out of it. Hence, kingdoms, empires and dynasties waged conquests upon their neighbors to control trade i.e. to eliminate competition (p.95). The enhancement of its routes (i.e. master the rivers, seas and land for trade) was also one objective. The history of the Silk Road is an example of this. These imperialistic undertakings also made way for them to obtain other tradable resources made abundant in the conquered societies through the latter’s own production efforts (p.96). In this manner of establishing control of others through force, they also protected their society’s resources (including their food supply). Religions across the river valley civilizations are characterized as involving elements of the natural environment as their gods (p.64). The Hindus considered water and some animals as sacred, Chinese religions centered on man’s harmony and unity with nature, civilizations pay tribute to the sun and moon. Incidentally, religion was not separate from government and their theology involved not just one but many deities who form a hierarchical system. Their practices reflect their interaction with nature as in crop cultivation, hunting, silk production, pottery making, etc. However, these religions were influenced by other religions as cultural contact as the result of trade became possible. The commonalities in government and religion among river valley civilizations stems from the same objective economic and political conditions which are consequences of their capacities to produce surplus food and other products for human consumption, adaptation to their environment. 3. What common characteristics of the empires of Assyria and Babylon share? What factors caused their failure? The empires of Assyria and Babylon were both river valley civilizations located in what is called the Fertile Crescent, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. They both had a developed agricultural production, engaged in trading, philosophy, science and technology, the latter leading them to build ships, hanging gardens and more sophisticated weapons. They both had armies and conducted imperialistic conquests of each other and neighboring states. Failure was mostly due to internal instabilities of their empires (p.105). For instance, Assyria focused so much on war, its military and related technologies, spreading its armies so thinly in efforts to conquer as many other states as possible. Their thin dispersal made them vulnerable to other empire-states who were after the same objective or who just did not wish to be subjugated and reduced to slave labor. As a result, the basic agricultural production for food was neglected as more of the population became soldiers. More importantly, diversification of food production was not considered significant to merit attention. Reliance on just one method of domestic food production as well as conquest and trade for obtaining resources also fostered reliance on the great rivers for irrigation as a trade route (p.126). This did not prepare them for environmental and climate shifts wherein the rivers receded and became heavily silted adversely affecting agriculture and trade. Partner states in trade also ceased to engage in it because of their own specific internal problems. The resulting limitations in food and resources supply led to more wars and conquests which characterized the region of Mesopotamia and eventually wore down some of the empires (p.127). 4. Compare and contrast the three Chinese philosophical ideologies: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism. Taoism is an ideology that focuses on the individual and his life’s mission of finding his place in the world. In order to achieve this, one has to study nature and one’s self as integral to it. Taoism promotes a view of nature whose beauty and rhythm is driven by a pervasive power in the universe. Drastic changes to the natural course of things would ruin this rhythm and balance (p.316). Confucianism emphasizes unity with one’s social and natural environment, establishing social stability through non-violent means (p.317). Man should nurture himself and the natural environment as well. It teaches adherence to society’s values and rituals, the hierarchical social order, education for further self-development and the government’s role of earning trust through ensuring and protecting public welfare. It further promotes the common good in every endeavor through both individual and cooperative efforts. Legalism on the other hand, teaches the absolute rule of law in creating social stability. Because man is considered as innately self-centered, punishing those who break the law and rewarding those who adhere to it makes people law-abiding. It advocated utilitarianism, or engaging in activities that directly benefits others such as agriculture (p.317). Both Taoism and Confucianism promote harmony with the environment while Legalism, through its utilitarian principles, sought the labor of people in transforming the environment through agriculture, the building of the Great Wall and others. While Taoism values the individual, Confucianism values the social structure while Legalism, the law. Nature unobstructed is central to Taoism, while Confucianism tends to include promote harmony with nature as well as changing it as long as it constitutes the common good. Legalism discourages discourse on non-practical matters and focuses on nature only if it is within the realms of the law. Reference: Fernandez-Armesto, F. (2006) The World: A History Volume One to 1500. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Â   Â   Â  

American Dream Essays (804 words) - Harlem Renaissance, Free Essays

American Dream Essays (804 words) - Harlem Renaissance, Free Essays American Dream What is the AMERICAN DREAM? I concluded the matter of dreaming about lifes basics wants that are exclusive to North America. The American Dream is the following: Go to college, get a good job, and finally get your own family. If we think about it, the American Dream is indeed a UNIVERSAL DREAM. The concept of the American Dream is created by this value system. The American Dream is intended to be a way of life attainable to all Americans. Whatever maybe the case, the act of trying to escape reality and the result such an act brings, is evident throughout the three novels Jews without money, by Michael Gold, Street Corner Society by William Whyte, and Passing, by Nella Larsen. All three of these books confront the myth of the American Dream. The American Dream can either be a reality or a nightmare depending upon the cultural prejudices and availability of freedom. Individuals who are united through some common bond, which may be religion social status of color, create a group or class of people. While individuals are subject to racial prejudices, which often makes up upward mobility not possible. Without equal opportunities to move upwards within society, the American Dream is not attainable. But it is possible in cases where people are willing to sacrifice their heritage culture etc. Nella Larsen, show us through this novel, that if people want, they can achieve the American Dream, but they would have to pay a price for it. This is especially true of Clare Kendry. Her passing is motivated by her desire to improve the conditions of her socioeconomic life. She is successful in achieving her American Dream, but in the end she does face the consequences of her actions. She manages to rise from being a poor girl to settling down in a well household. Using her white skin color and blond hair as commodities, she escapes the reality of her true character. She gained wealth and respect in the community through marrying an affluent successful white man. But the truth is that she paid the price of passing because she couldnt express who she was and her true identity in the fear of being caught and then left aside abandoned from the whites and the black communities. In her case, her decision to pass was self-initiated. Clare was afraid to face everyone, especially her husban d, with her blackness. When one cannot stand in front of a mirror and except him or herself, that person is bound to be doomed. In Clares case it resulted in her death. So it can be said, that in this case Clare achieved the dream of being accepted into society and a well off rich husband, but in the end she did pay the price for that sacrifice she made. Jews Without Money is a novel of life of Jewish immigrants in the tenements of New York City's Lower East Side in the early part of this century. It's a day-in-the-life tale of thieves, gangsters and honest folks just trying to get by in a new country. The novel Jews without money by Michael Gold explores the fundamental discrepancy between the American Dream v/s the American Reality due to the warping of poverty. The immigrant Jews step from steerage in search of the American dream and instead find themselves crowded in filthy, roach-ridden tenements, at the mercy of factory owners, and gangsters (the American Reality). Social depression arising due to extreme poverty led to the establishments of ghettos a completely new lifestyle. Thus the fundamental discrepancy between the American Dream v/s the American Reality exists due to the existence of poverty. Poverty seems to be the underlying cause of every misfortune in life, and thus even in their make believe world, everything they v ainly want is due to poverty and nothing else. The novel displays different forms of struggles that immigrants go through in order to escape the reality. Michael Gold wishes to be rich, but he is not able to fulfill his dreams and he believes that the American Dream is a lie. His family is unable to lift itself from the bottom of the ladder and prosper. One of their main struggle, is