Regret by Kate Chopin Essay

In the short story â€Å"Regret† by Kate Chopin, a woman named Mamzelle Aurelie has to watch a neighbor’s four children for two weeks. Mamzelle is an old and lonely woman who never believed in love or marriage. She has never had a man, nor been married, and lives alone on her farm with some animals. She also has African Americans, or â€Å"negroes†, who work around her house for maintenance. Because of a dangerous illness that her mother acquired, the younger neighbor had to leave, and could no longer watch after her children. This is where Mamzelle comes in, who has never had children before. In the beginning, she has great problems managing the children. However, after a short period of time, she begins realizing that humans need more than just food and a place to sleep. This is when she really starts to develop a relationship with the children. Once the children return to their mother, Mamzelle cries very heavily in remorse. In the beginning, Mamzelle is described as â€Å"a good strong figure, ruddy cheeks† and â€Å"a determined eye†. She wears â€Å"a man’s hat† and â€Å"a blue army overcoat†. and even sometimes â€Å"top-boots†. From her brief description, it is clear that there is no femininity, nor does there appear to be any desire to become more feminine. Before meeting the children, there was no desire to become more feminine, until realizing what she had been missing out on. She is forced to play a feminine role, by cooking, sewing, and telling the children bedtime stories to fall asleep. She softens to the point in which she cries, and carries a regret in her heart from never having her own children. The main theme of the story, which is the title of the poem, is regret. The woman in the story has lived a lonely life, and she thought that she was happy with the life she had. It wasn’t until taking care of her neighbor’s children did she realize what she was missing out on by being alone. For the first time, while caring for those children, she began to realize all the joys and sadness that life brings. She has regret that she didn’t live life to its fullest, regret that she didn’t want that priceless joy in her life,  and regret that she was too old to try and acquire it.

Forward the Foundation Chapter 13

16 Gambol Deen Namarti was not, at even the best of times, noted for his politeness and suavity-and the approaching climax of a decade of planning had left his disposition sour. He rose from his chair with some agitation and said, â€Å"You've taken your time getting here, Andorin.† Andorin shrugged. â€Å"But I'm here.† â€Å"And this young man of yours-this remarkable tool that you're touting. Where is he?† â€Å"He'll be here eventually.† â€Å"Why not now?† Andorin's rather handsome head seemed to sink a bit, as though he were lost in thought or coming to a decision, and then he said abruptly, â€Å"I don't want to bring him until I know where I stand.† â€Å"What does that mean?† â€Å"Simple words in Galactic Standard. How long has it been your aim to get rid of Hari Seldon?† â€Å"Always! Always! Is that so hard to understand? We deserve revenge for what he did to Jo-Jo. Even if he hadn't done that, since he's the First Minister, we'd have to put him out of the way.† â€Å"But it's Cleon-Cleon-who must be brought down. If not only he, then at least he, in addition to Seldon.† â€Å"Why does a figurehead concern you?† â€Å"You weren't born yesterday. I've never had to explain my part in this because you're not so ignorant a fool as not to know. What can I possibly care about your plans if they don't include a replacement on the throne?† Namarti laughed. â€Å"Of course. I've known for a long time that you look upon me as your footstool, your way of climbing up to the Imperial throne.† â€Å"Would you expect anything else?† â€Å"Not at all. I will do the planning, take the chances, and then, when all is quite done, you gather in the reward. It makes sense, doesn't it?† â€Å"Yes, it does make sense, for the reward will be yours, too. Won't you become the First Minister? Won't you be able to count on the full support of a new Emperor, one who is filled with gratitude? Won't I be†-and his face twisted with irony as he spat out the words-â€Å"the new figurehead?† â€Å"Is that what you plan to be? A figurehead?† â€Å"I plan to be the Emperor. I supplied advances of credit when you had none. I supplied the cadre when you had none. I supplied the respectability you needed to build a large organization here in Wye. I can still withdraw everything I've brought in.† â€Å"I don't think so.† â€Å"Do you want to risk it? Don't think you can treat me the way you treated Kaspalov, either. If anything happens to me, Wye will become uninhabitable for you and yours-and you will find that no other sector will supply you with what you need.† Namarti sighed. â€Å"Then you insist on having the Emperor killed.† â€Å"I didn't say ‘killed.' I said `brought down.' The details I leave to you.† This last statement was accompanied with an almost dismissive wave of the hand, a flick of the wrist, as if Andorin were already sitting on the Imperial throne. â€Å"And then you'll be Emperor?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"No, you won't. You'll be dead-and not at my hands, either. Andorin, let me teach you some of the facts of life. If Cleon is killed, then the matter of the succession comes up and, to avoid civil war, the Imperial Guard will at once kill every member of the Wyan Mayoral family they can find-you first of all. On the other hand, if only the First Minister is killed, you will be safe.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"A First Minister is only a First Minister. They come and go. It is possible that Cleon himself may have grown tired of him and arranged the murder. Certainly we would see to it that rumors of this sort are spread. The Imperial Guard would hesitate and would give us a chance to put the new government into place. Indeed, it is quite possible that they themselves would be grateful for the end of Seldon.† â€Å"And with the new government in place, what am I to do? Keep on waiting? Forever?† â€Å"No. Once I'm First Minister, there will be ways of dealing with Cleon. I may even be able to do something with the Imperial Guard-and even with the security establishment-and use them all as my instruments. I will then manage to find some safe way of getting rid of Cleon and replacing him with you.† Andorin burst out, â€Å"Why should you?† Namarti said, â€Å"What do you mean, why should I?† â€Å"You have a personal grudge against Seldon. Once he is gone, why should you run unnecessary risks at the highest level? You will make your peace with Cleon and I will have to retire to my crumbling estate and my impossible dreams. And perhaps, to play it safe, you will have me killed.† Namarti said, â€Å"No! Cleon was born to the throne. He comes from several generations of Emperors-the proud Entun Dynasty. He would he very difficult to handle, a plague. You, on the other hand, would come to the throne as a member of a new dynasty, without any strong ties to tradition, for the previous Wyan Emperors were, you will admit, totally undistinguished. You will be seated on a shaky throne and will need someone to support you-me. And I will need someone who is dependent upon me and whom I can therefore handle you. Come, Andorin, ours is not a marriage of love, which fades in a year; it is a marriage of convenience, which can last as long as we both live. Let us trust each other.† â€Å"You swear I will be Emperor.† â€Å"What good would swearing do if you couldn't trust my word? Let us say I would find you an extraordinarily useful Emperor and I would want you to replace Cleon as soon as that can safely be managed. Now introduce me to this man you think will be the perfect tool for your purposes.† â€Å"Very well. And remember what makes him different. I have studied him. He's a not-very-bright idealist. He will do what he's told, unconcerned by danger, unconcerned by second thoughts. And he exudes a kind of trustworthiness so that his victim will trust him, even if he has a blaster in his hand.† â€Å"I find that impossible to believe.† â€Å"Wait till you meet him,† said Andorin. 17 Raych kept his eyes down. He had taken a quick look at Namarti and it was all he needed. He had met the man ten years before, when Raych had been sent to lure Jo-Jo Joranum to his destruction, and one look was more than enough. Namarti had changed little in ten years. Anger and hatred were still the dominant characteristics one could see in him-or that Raych could see in him, at any rate, for he realized he was not an impartial witness-and those seemed to have marinated him into leathery permanence. His face was a trifle more gaunt, his hair was flecked with gray, but his thin-lipped mouth was set in the same harsh line and his dark eyes were as brilliantly dangerous as ever. That was enough and Raych kept his eyes averted. Namarti, he felt, was not the type of person who would take to someone who could stare lm straight in the face. Namarti seemed to devour Raych with his own eyes, but the slight sneer his face always seemed to wear remained. He turned to Andorin, who stood uneasily to one side, and said, quite;is though the subject of conversation were not present, â€Å"This is the man, then.† Andorin nodded and his lips moved in a soundless â€Å"Yes, Chief.† Namarti said to Raych abruptly, â€Å"Your name.† â€Å"Planchet, sir.† â€Å"You believe in our cause?† â€Å"Yes, sir.† He spoke carefully, in accordance with Andorin's instructions. â€Å"I am a democrat and want greater participation of the people in the governmental process.† Namarti's eyes flicked in Andorin's direction. â€Å"A speechmaker.† He looked back at Raych. â€Å"Are you willing to undertake risks for the cause?† â€Å"Any risk, sir.† â€Å"You will do as you are told? No questions? No hanging back?† â€Å"I will follow orders.† â€Å"Do you know anything about gardening?† Raych hesitated. â€Å"No, sir.† â€Å"You're a Trantorian, then? Born under the dome?† â€Å"I was born in Millimaru, sir, and I was brought up in Dahl.† â€Å"Very well,† said Namarti. Then to Andorin, â€Å"Take him out and deliver him temporarily to the men waiting there. They will take good care of him. Then come back, Andorin. I want to speak to you.† When Andorin returned, a profound change had come over Namarti. His eyes were glittering and his mouth was twisted into a feral grin. â€Å"Andorin,† he said, â€Å"the gods we spoke of the other day are with us to an extent I couldn't have imagined.† â€Å"I told you the man was suitable for our purposes.† â€Å"Far more suitable than you think. You know, of course, the tale of how Hari Seldon our revered First Minister, sent his son-or foster son, rather-to see Joranum and to set the trap into which Joranum, against my advice, fell.† â€Å"Yes,† said Andorin, nodding wearily, â€Å"I know the story.† He said it with the air of one who knew the story entirely too well. â€Å"I saw that boy only that once, but his image burned into my brain. Do you suppose that ten years' passage and false heels and a shaved mustache could fool me? That Planchet of yours is Raych, the foster son of Hari Seldon.† Andorin paled and held his breath for a moment. He said, â€Å"Are you sure of that, Chief?† â€Å"As sure as I am that you're standing here in front of me and that you have introduced an enemy into our midst.† â€Å"I had no idea-â€Å" â€Å"Don't get nervous,† said Namarti. â€Å"I consider it the best thing you have ever done in your idle aristocratic life. You have played the role that the gods have marked out for you. If I had not known who he was, he might have fulfilled the function for which he was undoubtedly intended: to be a spy in our midst and an informant of our most secret plans. But since I know who he is, it won't work that way. Instead, we now have everything.† Namarti rubbed his hands together in delight and, haltingly, as if he realized how far out of character it was for him, he smiled-and laughed. 18 Manella said thoughtfully, â€Å"I guess I won't be seeing you anymore, Planchet.† Raych was drying himself after his shower. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Gleb Andorin doesn't want me to.† â€Å"Why not?† Manella shrugged her smooth shoulders. â€Å"He says you have important work to do and no more time to fool around. Maybe he means you'll get a better job.† Raych stiffened. â€Å"What kind of work? Did he mention anything in particular?† â€Å"No, but he said he would be going to the Imperial Sector.† â€Å"Did he? Does he often tell you things like that?† â€Å"You know how it is, Planchet. When a fellow's in bed with you, he talks a lot.† â€Å"I know,† said Raych, who was always careful not to. â€Å"What else does he say?† â€Å"Why do you ask?† She frowned a bit. â€Å"He always asks about you, too. I noticed that about men. They're curious about each other. Why is that, do you suppose?† â€Å"What do you tell him about me?† â€Å"Not much. Just that you're a very decent sort of guy. Naturally I don't tell him that I like you better than I like him. That would hurt his feelings-and it might hurt me, too.† Raych was getting dressed. â€Å"So it's good-bye, then.† â€Å"For a while, I suppose. Gleb may change his mind. Of course, I'd like to go to the Imperial Sector-if he'd take me. I've never been there.† Raych almost slipped, but he managed to cough, then said, â€Å"I've never been there, either.† â€Å"It's got the biggest buildings and the nicest places and the fanciest restaurants-and that's where the rich people live. I'd like to meet some rich people-besides Gleb, I mean.† Raych said, â€Å"I suppose there's not much you can get out of a person like me.† â€Å"You're all right. You can't think of credits all the time, but you've got to think of them some of the time. Especially since I think Gleb is getting tired of me.† Raych felt compelled to say, â€Å"No one could get tired of you,† and then found, a little to his own confusion, that he meant it. Manella said, â€Å"That's what men always say, but you'd be surprised. Anyway, it's been good, you and I, Planchet. Take care of yourself and, who knows, we may see each other again.† Raych nodded and found himself at a loss for words. There was no way in which he could say or do anything to express his feelings. He turned his mind in other directions. He had to find out what the Namarti people were planning. If they were separating him from Manella, the crisis must be rapidly approaching. All he had to go on was that odd question about gardening. Nor could he get any further information back to Seldon. He had been kept under close scrutiny since his meeting with Namarti and all avenues of communication were cut off-surely another indication of an approaching crisis. But if he were to find out what was going on only after it was done-and if he could communicate the news only after it was no longer news-he would have failed. 19 Hari Seldon was not having a good day. He had not heard from Raych since his first communique; he had no idea what was happening. Aside from his natural concern for Raych's safety (surely he would hear if something really bad had happened), there was his uneasiness over what might be planned. It would have to be subtle. A direct attack on the Palace itself was totally out of the question. Security there was far too tight. But if so, what else could be planned that would be sufficiently effective? The whole thing was keeping him awake at night and distracted by day. The signal light flashed. â€Å"First Minister. Your two o'clock appointment, sir-â€Å" â€Å"What two o'clock appointment is this?† â€Å"Mandell Gruber, the gardener. He has the necessary certification.† Seldon remembered. â€Å"Yes. Send him in.† This was no time to see Gruber, but he had agreed to it in a moment of weakness-the man had seemed distraught. A First Minister should not have such moments of weakness, but Seldon had been Seldon long before he had become First:Minister. â€Å"Come in, Gruber,† he said kindly. Gruber stood before him, head ducking mechanically, eyes darting this way and that. Seldon was quite certain the gardener had never been in any room as magnificent as this one and he had the bitter urge to say: â€Å"Do you like it? Please take it. I don't want it.† But he only said, â€Å"What is it, Gruber? Why are you so unhappy† There was no immediate answer; Gruber merely smiled vacantly. Seldon said, â€Å"Sit down, man. Right there in that chair.† â€Å"Oh no, First Minister. It would not be fitting. I'll get it dirty.† â€Å"If you do, it will be easy to clean. Do as I say. Good! Now just sit there a minute or two and gather your thoughts. Then, when you are ready, tell me what's the matter.† Gruber sat silent for a moment, then the words came out in a panting rush. â€Å"First Minister. It is Chief Gardener I am to be. The blessed Emperor himself told me so.† â€Å"Yes, I have heard of that, but that surely isn't what is troubling you. Your new post is a matter of congratulations and I do congratulate you. I may even have contributed to it, Gruber. I have never forgotten your bravery at the time I was nearly killed and you can be sure I mentioned it to His Imperial Majesty. It is a suitable reward, Gruber, and you would deserve the promotion in any case, for it is quite clear from your record that you are fully qualified for the post. So, now that that's out of the way, tell me what is troubling you.† â€Å"First Minister, it is the very post and promotion that's troubling me. It is something I cannot manage, for I am not qualified.† â€Å"We are convinced you are.† Gruber grew agitated. â€Å"And is it in an office I will have to sit? I can't sit in an office. I could not go out in the open air and work with the plants and animals. I would be in prison, First Minister.† Seldon's eyes opened wide. â€Å"No such thing, Gruber. You needn't stay in the office longer than you have to. You could wander around the grounds freely, supervising everything. You will have all the outdoors you want and you will merely spare yourself the hard work.† â€Å"I want the hard work, First Minister, and it's no chance at all they will let me come out of the office. I have watched the present Chief Gardener. He couldn't leave his office, though he wanted to, ever so. There is too much administration, too much bookkeeping. Sure, if he wants to know what is going on, we must go to his office to tell him. He watches things on holovision â€Å"-he said with infinite contempt â€Å"as though you can tell anything about growing, living things from pictures. It is not for me, First Minister.† â€Å"Come, Gruber, be a man. It's not all that bad. You'll get used to it. You'll work your way in slowly.† Gruber shook his head. â€Å"First off-at the very first-I will have to deal with all the new gardeners. I'll be buried.† Then, with sudden energy, â€Å"It is a job I do not want and must not have, First Minister.† â€Å"Right now, Gruber, perhaps you don't want the job, but you are not alone. I'll tell you that right now I wish I were not First Minister. This job is too much for me. I even have a notion that there are times when the Emperor himself is tired of his Imperial robes. We're all in this Galaxy to do our work and the work isn't always pleasant.† â€Å"I understand that, First Minister, but the Emperor must be Emperor, for he was born to that. And you must be First Minister, for there is no one else who can do the job. But in my case, it is just Chief Gardener we are ruminating upon. There are fifty gardeners in the place who could do it as well as I could and who wouldn't mind the office. You say that you spoke to the Emperor about how I tried to help you. Can't you speak to him again and explain that if he wants to reward me for what I did, he can leave me as I am?† Seldon leaned back in his chair and said solemnly, â€Å"Gruber, I would do that for you if I could, but I must explain something to you and I can only hope that you will understand it. The Emperor, in theory, is absolute ruler of the Empire. In actual fact, there is very little he can do. I run the Empire right now much more than he does and there is very little I can do, too. There are millions and billions of people at all levels of government, all making decisions, all making mistakes, some acting wisely and heroically, some acting foolishly and thievishly. There's no controlling them. Do you understand me, Gruber?† â€Å"I do, but what has this to do with my case?† â€Å"Because there is only one place where the Emperor is really absolute ruler-and that is over the Imperial grounds. Here, his word is law and the layers of officials beneath him are few enough for him to handle. For him to be asked to rescind a decision he has made in connection with the Imperial Palace grounds would be to invade the only area that he would consider inviolate. If I were to say, ‘Take back your decision on Gruber, Your Imperial Majesty,' he would be much more likely to relieve me of my duties than to take back his decision. That might be a good thing for me, but it wouldn't help you any.† Gruber said, â€Å"Does that mean there's no way things can be changed?† â€Å"That's exactly what it means. But don't worry, Gruber, I'll help you all I can. I'm sorry. But now I have really spent all the time with you that I am able to spare.† Gruber rose to his feet. In his hands he twisted his green gardening cap. There was more than a suspicion of tears in his eyes. â€Å"Thank you, First Minister. I know you would like to help. You're-you're a good man, First Minister.† He turned and left, sorrowing. Seldon looked after him thoughtfully and shook his head. Multiply Gruber's woes by a quadrillion and you would have the woes of all the people of the twenty-five million worlds of the Empire and how was he, Seldon, to work out salvation for all of them, when he was helpless to solve the problem of one single man who had come to him for help? Psychohistory could not save one man. Could it save a quadrillion? He shook his head again, checked the nature and time of his next appointment, and then suddenly stiffened. He shouted into his communications wire in sudden wild abandon, quite unlike his usually strict control. â€Å"Get that gardener back! Get him back here right now!† 20 â€Å"What's this about new gardeners?† exclaimed Seldon. This time he did not ask Gruber to sit down. Gruber's eyes blinked rapidly. He was in a panic at having been recalled so unexpectedly. â€Å"N-new g-gardeners?† he stammered. â€Å"You said ‘all the new gardeners.' Those were your words. What new gardeners?† Gruber was astonished. â€Å"Sure, if there is a new Chief Gardener, there will be new gardeners. It is the custom.† â€Å"I have never heard of this.† â€Å"The last time we had a change of Chief Gardeners, you were not First Minister. It is likely you were not even on Trantor.† â€Å"But what's it all about?† â€Å"Well, gardeners are never discharged. Some die. Some grow too old and are pensioned off and replaced. Still, by the time a new Chief Gardener is ready for his duties, at least half the staff is aged and beyond their best years. They are all pensioned off generously and new gardeners are brought in.† â€Å"For youth.† â€Å"Partly and partly because by that time there are usually new plans for the gardens and it is new ideas and new schemes we must have. There are almost five hundred square kilometers in the gardens and parklands and it usually takes some years to reorganize it and it is myself who will have to supervise it all. Please, First Minister.† Gruber was gasping. â€Å"Surely a clever man like your own self can find a way to change the blessed Emperor's mind.† Seldon paid no attention. His forehead was creased in concentration. â€Å"Where do the new gardeners come from?† â€Å"There are examinations on all the worlds-there are always people waiting to serve as replacements. They'll be coming in by the hundreds in a dozen batches. It will take me a year, at the least-â€Å" â€Å"From where do they come? From where?† â€Å"From any of a million worlds. We want a variety of horticultural knowledge. Any citizen of the Empire can qualify.† â€Å"From Trantor, too?† â€Å"No, not from Trantor. There is no one from Trantor in the gardens.† His voice grew contemptuous. â€Å"You can't get a gardener out of Trantor. The parks they have here under the dome aren't gardens. They are potted plants and the animals are in cages. Trantorians, poor specimens that they are, know nothing about open air, free water, and the true balance of nature.† â€Å"All right, Gruber. I will now give you a job. It will be up to you to get me the names of every new gardener scheduled to arrive over the coming weeks. Everything about them. Name. World. Reference number. Education. Experience. Everything. I want it all here on my desk just as quickly as possible. I'm going to send people to help you. People with machines. What kind of a computer do you use?† â€Å"Only a simple one for keeping track of plantings and species and things like that.† â€Å"All right. The people I send will be able to do anything you can't do. I can't tell you how important this is.† â€Å"If I should do this-â€Å" â€Å"Gruber, this is not the time to make bargains. Fail me and you will not be Chief Gardener. Instead, you will be discharged without a pension.† Alone again, Seldon barked into his communication wire, â€Å"Cancel all appointments for the rest of the afternoon.† He then let his body flop in his chair, feeling every bit of his fifty years and feeling his headache worsen. For years, for decades, security had been built up around the Imperial Palace grounds, thicker, more solid, more impenetrable, as each new layer and each new device was added. And every once in a while, hordes of strangers were let into the grounds. No questions asked, probably, but one: â€Å"Can you garden?† The stupidity involved was too colossal to grasp. And he had barely caught it in time. Or had he? Was he, even now, too late?

Business Envirmonet

It’s very common in large business to expand abroad; however there are a lot of factors that have to be considered before planning to start business in another country depending on which policies they have or what their background is as well as their stability or whether your product or business will sell over there. In this assignment I’m going to compare the challenges to business activities in two different environments, my two chosen environments are the UK and the Republic of China.I have chosen China and the UK as my two contrasting countries and my chosen business is KFC which is large global fast food chain, china is the most populated country in the world and is also has the largest economy. The Republic of China is an Asian country which is situated in east of Asia and it comes within the 3rd largest country in the world as well as the second largest economy in the works it also has a population of 1. 35 billion people.The capital city of China is Beijing howe ver the most populated city and a global financial center is Shanghai. My chosen business is KFC (Kentucky fried chicken it’s an American based business which is centered all over the world and it’s now moving to China, I will look into the problems they may face in China . The two economic environments that I am going to be describing are recession and growth on the business activities of KFC. Growth occurs when more goods are being produced and bought.During growth people tend spend more money on goods and services because they have more money to spend on products and services and also businesses will invest more and hire more staff as because there is an increase in demand for them. Recession however occurs when people running the business become more cautious with their spending so they cut their spending and orders as well laying of some of their more disposable employees thus making them redundant.It is said n the news that Chinas GDP growth rate has averaged out at 3. 1% In the most recent years, Chinese business has become more efficient and Chinas is now the 1st largest Asian economy, this means that if KFC wanted to expand in china they would al lot of competitions from other successful business who offer similar products. KFC is a one of the world’s leading fast food chain and their products are food and beverages where as Chinas is one of the world’s top producers of rice and wheat as well a livestock .This mean that if KFC wanted to expand into China and start operating there, it might face challenges where the retailers and costumers refuse to buy food from KFC because they’ve got other Chinese based fast food stores whom are just as good or they’d rather go to another major fast food chain e. g. McDonalds. However Chinas media industry is very big and there TV networks have more that billon subscribers or which is nearly triple the size of the UK, this gives KFC a huge advantage because they can advertis e their company through the media, this gives KFC a major opportunity to advertise as well as sell their beverages online.If KFC do decide to expand their business into operating in China, they will be provided with many opportunities , however there also some issues that their business be challenges with these issues are; Import taxes high import taxes are a barrier to many business, especially business like KFC because they have import some of their products, this cost them allot of money, this is one the reason why it’s not responsible for KFC to expand in China, however they could negotiate with China on exchanging goods for a lower import tax but that’s is a high risk to take.Lack of skills its much cheaper for KFC to hire and local labour, it might not be as effective because the workers may lack appropriate skills such as language skills or education. So KFC has to first consider this before they begin to operate in China, because lack of skills will and can aff ect KFC in a negative way e. g. their profits and sales will decrease or get affected because having good employees is essential for a business it creates less problems and make the business work more efficient .Growth affects the business activities for KFC because just as economy can change for a business so can the demand for products and both could be associated with each other. During growth you can expect to see a high demand for KFC’s good quality products so customers as well as potential customers would buy more during this time because customers are freer and relaxed over money spending compared to when it’s in a period of recession.Mostly you could see KFC looking into recruiting more workers as since product demand can increase a lot during the growth environment they’ll need more workers to spread out the job load for their employees because if they didn’t hire more staff To ease the job load and they just overloaded an employee with workload it could de-motivate them as well as make them fee undervalued. I will be looking into these factors which KFC may face when opening up a branch in China InflationRecession is when economy slows down, and the level of sales and production orders start to decline Inflation is the prices different of goods or service may vary they can either increase or decrease over time in the economy. Most businesses in the UK and China, by looking closely at the inflation rate as it could have a big effect on the business and because if the inflation rate increases there could be less sales as the prices of the goods will be high and the customers will spend less on goods and services as the prices will increase.Looking at the current inflation rate in China the rate has reached to 3. 1%. â€Å"Prices rose 3. 1% during the month, from a year earlier, up from 2. 6% in August, the National Bureau of Statistics said. The bureau said that food prices rose 6. 1% from a year ago due to the impact of n ational holidays, as well as droughts and floods in some regions.†Resulting in many Chinese banks such as â€Å"the bank of China† to raise their interest rates this will have an effect on as inflation rate goes high this will result on the customers spending less on fast food stores such as KFC and this would mean that the business will not be making enough money or breaking even on their monthly bases to afford many employees and also pay the bills and taxes so they need to lay down staff or close up their business and open up in either a different countries.In conclusion to this assignment I, in my point of few I don’t this its reasonable for KFC to expand I idea because there are al lot of challenges they may face and it’s not worth the risk.

Chinas One Child Policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chinas One Child Policy - Research Paper Example   Additionally, China's compulsory one-child population law was implemented in 1980. The same law punishes parents for having more than one child. The scientists from the Ministry of Aeronautics and Astronautics Department initially proposed the China's 1980 compulsory one-child population policy. The scientists capitalized on their missile construction concepts to prove their claim that China's compulsory one-child population policy will greatly benefit the residents. The family having less than two children have fewer rearing responsibilities. The parents have fewer growing up expenses to make in terms of the children’s educational needs. Scientific experiments are based on limited evidences. The scientists base their findings on the gathered evidences during the research. The Song Jian group of scientist incorporated their missile technology expertise to come up with China's compulsory one-child population policy. The Deng Xiaoping China government leaders were convinced by the scientific research findings of Song Jian’s group.China's compulsory one-child population policy was crafted based on some missile scientists’ many years of population-based findings. The findings were based on their 1960s and 1970s researches. The current China government under President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao prioritizes human rights and the value of people in enhancing the currently favorable China economy Human rights includes the right to have a second child (Chen 403).   The current China government encourages the grassroots level people to vigorously contribute to the nation’s current favorable global economic environment. The policy change was expected. The government leaders during the 1950s, 1960s were most soldiers. During Deng Xiaping’s 1980s, Chairman Deng Xiaoping persuaded China’s engineers to help in the political management of China’s growing population. Starting in 1990, the government leaders were compos ed of economics and public administration graduates. The graduates were managing China’s control of the normal Chinese citizen’s lives (Chen 403).China’s one child policy created a gender imbalance in China (Li, Hongbin, Zhang, Junsen, Yi, Junjian 1535). The one-child China population policy generated a population situation where there were 104 boys more for every 100 girls during the 1980s. The research further indicated that there were 107 boys for every 100 girls during the 1991 to 2005 era. The primary data came from China’s official statistics-based department, the China Health and Nutrition Survey. China Chairman Deng Xiaoping’s new one child policy focused on reducing the population in order because of the scarce food and other natural resources (Wong 1161). During Deng’s 1980 leadership, several China quarters opposed the one-child policy starting in 1980. The policy drastically curved the uncontrollably ballooning Chinese population . Abortions, effects of China's compulsory one-child Population Policy China's compulsory one-child population policy was implemented through forced abortions (Mosher 1558). The pregnant women were forced to abort their prohibited unborn children. The government forced the helpless women to abort their child during different stages of the mother’s pregnancy. Many women had no other recourse but to comply with the

Kyiv Duty Free's Organisational Culture. A comparison between the Essay

Kyiv Duty Free's Organisational Culture. A comparison between the organisational cultural aspirations of its senior management, and the perceptions of it's fron - Essay Example The discussion not only centers on the question of whether corporate culture affects or indeed effects organizational effectiveness, but also on the very nature of corporate culture. Is the notion of corporate culture a tangible phenomenon, or is it, as suggested by Morgan (1997) a metaphor, through which to explain complex aspects of organizational behaviour? Does the analysis of corporate culture depend upon a homogeneous set of variables through which to analyse those phenomena, or is corporate culture an umbrella for a whole range of cultures within the organization? These might include a culture that generates an effective response to change (Burnes, 1996), a marketing culture (Carson et al., 1995), a customer focused culture(Slater & Narver, 1995), a procedure and policy led culture, an enterprise culture (Gray, 1998), a learning culture (Choueke & Armstrong, 1998). The current research focuses on the differences between the perceptions of rank and file and management employees of Kyiv Duty Free. Through an analysis of such differences, means on how to achieve their end future state could be undertaken more smoothly. There is a need to distinguish between what might be termed "the formal culture" and "the informal culture". The formal culture being that recognized and often "managed" by the owners or senior management of the organization, and the informal being a consequence of both social and job-related interaction both within teams and departments. Schein (1996, p. 9) articulates the difficulties that can be experienced in communication between groups within the same organization. He identifies three typologies: "executives", "engineers" and "operators", each having a mutually exclusive paradigm on the organization and the key drivers of that The discussion on corporate culture and the question of whether culture has an effect upon organizational development

Jenny Holzer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Jenny Holzer - Research Paper Example Modern viewer wants to come, to see and to grasp the idea at once. Perhaps, due to these features of our contemporary life art responds with new techniques more suitable for perceiving by contemporary people. One of these techniques is test-as-image. Long before, Jasper Johns placed familiar images and stenciled words on equal footing thus giving birth to a new direction in art. To introduce art and text I have chosen Jenny Holzer, who, among modern artists, perhaps more than anyone, has restricted contemporary art to text. For more than 30 years this conceptual artist has been creating the relationship between didactic text and image. In her works she manages to reflect the bitter realities of our everyday life so strongly and vividly that her messages are clear for everyone despite of education, level of cultural development and view of life. In the late 70s she filled the streets of Lower Manhattan with her posters contained Nietzsche-like Truisms. First this look strange and was not accepted as works of art but later it turned out that in her works Jenny Holzer acted as art world’s soothsayer. She foresees and expresses important aspects of our life, for example, her best known truism reads: â€Å"Abuse of power comes as no surprise.† Isn’t this what we can see in politics? For Jenny Holzer text means much if not everything. At first she wrote her own texts but later started using the texts written by other famous, well-known people, such as the Polish Nobel laureate Wislawa Szymborska, Henri Cole (USA), Elfriede Jelinek (Austria), Fadhil Al-Azawi (Iraq), Yehuda Amichai (Israel) and Mahmoud Darwish (Palestine). Why are her works getting more and more popular today? I think the reason is that they are burning. They are not aimed at satisfying out aesthetic needs, they do not please our eyes with bright colors, beautiful sceneries, and interesting faces. Holzer’s works are aimed at uncovering the realities. This is why they are ful l of violence, sexuality, oppression, power, war and death. At the same time they seem to have mercy upon our feelings as all these things are depicted not through the images but mostly through the text. With her works Jenny Holzer makes us think and understand the life, which surrounds us. She brings to light and shows us something that was in shade and in silence, something that was intended to be hidden. Most of jenny Holzer works impress me greatly – I adore her ability to perfectly combine text and image. She does it so precisely that you can add nothing to this – everything is already expressed by only a few words. She applies texts from different contexts governmental documents or passages from de-classified US Army documents from the war in Iraq. For instance one of her LED works presents passages â€Å"from the minutes of interrogations of American soldiers who had committed human rights violations and war crimes in Abu Ghraib† (Walleston). Thus she wan ts to make public what was once hidden. Depicting dark dirty aspects of her country and citizens’ life Janny seems to repent American sins before the whole world and warn Americans of possibility to fall into the fire of war, violence and hatred. In my work I would like to draw attention to the hardest political edge of Holzer’s works – â€Å"Redaction Paintings†. They are huge black-and-white silkscreens presenting the passages from de-classified governmental documents blacked out by censors. They vividly expose the secret deeds

Gimme Shelter and the 1960s Counter Culture Term Paper

Gimme Shelter and the 1960s Counter Culture - Term Paper Example People make culture, and culture makes them. Through making culture, individual and collective identities are formed (Cushman, 1996, p. 7). The construction of cultural institutions reflect â€Å"commonsense beliefs about human behavior† (Bruner, 1990, p. 38) Take the case of the men playing in a hobby band. The descriptive terms that one uses for these men and their vocation, such as â€Å"playing†, â€Å"audience† and â€Å"instrument† are all cultural meanings, and these cultural meanings control how we act. An individual’s experiences and acts are shaped by his intentional states, and these states are †realized only through participation in the symbolic systems of culture† (Bruner, 1990, p. 33). It is only through cultural interpretations of one’s personal autobiography that this story becomes understandable. Through this cultural mediation, meaning becomes communal and public, as opposed to private. The difference between cul ture and biological inheritance is that the latter does not necessarily shape human experience and action, but, rather, constrains action in a modifiable way. Culture shapes the human mind and life by giving â€Å"meaning to action by situating its underlying intentional states in an interpretive system.† (Bruner, 1990, p. 34). ... 42). Culture externalizes internal feelings, states of consciousness and thoughts into concrete forms that are shared by individuals. These concrete forms, such as music, are viewed as cultural objects (Cushman, 1996, p. 90). How music functions in any culture depends on how that culture operates socially, and these circumstances vary between one culture and another. Listeners responds to popular music physically, by singing along, dancing, clapping, etc.; emotional, by feeling the music, reminiscing or romanticizing; and cognitive, by learning, stimulating thought, processing information, and framing perceptions, etc (Lull, 1987, p. 141). Related to the concepts of culture, as it relates to the dominant culture, are countercultures and taste culture. Counterculture is the result of engaging in alternative forms of communication among social actors who are collectively pursuing alternative ways of living (Cushman, 1996, p. 8). The base of knowledge amongst the social actors in the co unterculture runs counter to the dominant culture. Rock music counterculture means a group of individuals who are committed to disseminate rock music that is neither overtly nor covertly influenced by the dominant culture. Countercultures are often formed around music, due to music’s ability to communicate and mediate common experiences. For instance, the 1960s were marked by the Vietnam War, which gave birth to the activists and hippies, two examples of 1960's countercultures. The youth of those times, influenced by the Vietnam War and a general feeling of unrest, basically made war on their elders, and this was a world-wide phenomenon, even in the countries were Vietnam

Brand Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Brand Management - Coursework Example Overall branding is viewed as a differentiated strategy through which the customers can easily distinguish the features of a product from that of similar products offered by other marketers. It is also viewed as a tool used by the marketers to position the products with a reliable image of quality and values to make certain the growth of a recurring fondness by the consumer. That is why it is often said that products are something which is manufactured in the factories. Brands are something developed in the minds of the customers; and, hence, the customers do not buy the product; customers actually buy the brand. From the discussion it is quite evident that in order to gain a competitive position in the market it would be important for the marketers to develop a strong brand. However, developing a strong brand is not an isolated approach; rather it is a holistic one which includes a combination of marketing activities. The present study has been conducted in lieu to critically analyz e various aspects related to a brand. The brand chosen happens to the largest coffee chain in the world, Starbucks. During the course of study various elements of the brand, the present branding strategy of the company, the marketing and communications strategy of the company as well as the key factors related to the brand equity of the brand has been analyzed by using various analytical and marketing tools and models. Back ground of the brand By Origin Starbucks is an American coffee chain which has now become the largest coffee chain in the world and the one of most popular global brands. The company began its journey in 1971. The headquarters of the company is located in Seattle, US. The company has 20,891 stores in sixty two countries. The product of the company includes Coffee, Tea, Smoothies and Frappuccino beverages. As on 2012 the company had 149,000 employees and the revenue of the firm happened to be US$ 13.29 billion. The chairperson, President and CEO of the company is M r. Howard Schultz. . Brand Elements Brand elements are a set of elements that are utilized by a brand to develop a unique position in the minds of the consumers. Brand elements play an instrumental role in creating brand identity. Creation of a unique brand identity is quite important as it helps the marketer to define how brands plan to leverage the brand to reach the predefined corporate vision; to support to corporate values and achieve the corporate vision. Ultimately it helps the company to achieve brand loyalty and equity (Keller, 2012, p.399). One of the key brand elements of Starbucks has been the logo of the company; the first logo of the company was developed in the year 1971. The next was built in the year 1987. The next logo was built in the year 1992. The present logo is almost the same as the one built in the year 1992. The star of the logo represents the company that provides high quality offerings and has been living up to the expectations of the customers for quite a long time. Another key element of the brand would be the packaging of the products (Arvidsson, 2006, p. 201) The packaging of the cups are simple and yet attractive. One of the key features of is the cups are recyclable (Elliott and Percy, 2007, p. 291). Through such brand elements the Starbucks

UK Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

UK Politics - Essay Example Hover the UK does not have a written constitution but it's governed by convections which are non statutory rules and are equally binding. The monarch is advised by ministers who hail from parliament and it appoints the prime minister, approves legislation and confers honors. As a head of state the monarch is the head of the armed forces. The British monarch (the queen) today has two roles that of head of state and as head of the nation. As the head of sate for Britain she plays an important role in undertaking important constitutional and representational duties. E.g. opening of parliament, approving of the orders in of council, signing acts of parliament plus meeting and conversing with the prime minister and ministers concerning state matters. Other duties include those of representing the state of Britain to the outside world In relation to the government of UK that is headed by a prime minister. The British parliament consists of the monarchy as where the queen is the head, the House of Lords and the House of Commons-which posses the dominant political power hence always supports the government of the day. Her maj esty duties involve the opening of new sessions of parliament and addressing it through the queen's speech. (Drafted by the government and outlines the government agenda), issuance of prorogue, dissolving parliament, assenting to bills and approving orders and proclamations through the Privy Council. Parliament can only meet without a royal summon if the sovereign head has died and parliament is not running. Other duties concern the devolve units of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. On April 10th 1998 the Northern Ireland assembly was formed as part of the Good Friday agreement. It has authority over all devolved responsibilities. The assembly has full legislative authority over education, agriculture, health, social services and on wealth creation. Scotland on the other hand has two parliaments. The Westminster assembly legislates on matters that touch on the whole UK as a state while the one in Edinburgh legislates for the devolved domestic matters. The legislation for legislation was taken from Scotland in 1707 and taken to London till the 21st century on September 1997 when the majority of the Scots voted for a Scottish parliament in a plebiscite. The parliament was official opened by the queen on July 1999 and the new building officially opened by the queen in 2004. It has jurisdiction over primary legislation on matters that concern education, police, environment, economic development law and sets the basic rate of income tax among others. The members of p arliament of the Scottish parliament take the oath of allegiance to the crown. The parliament's first minister is appointed by the queen and receives weekly report from the Scottish parliament. This is done under the statutory law that established the parliament. Wales's power on legislation was devolved in 2006 where the Wales assembly has had power and authority to pass laws to address the local issues in Wales such as on health and education. These acts are passed without the approval of the UK-Parliament. These actions of devolution are clearly

The Affordable Care Act Essay Example for Free

The Affordable Care Act Essay The Affordable Care Act objective is to decrease health care expenses through services presented to individuals at this time that cant acquire insurance. Individuals in society with no healthcare insurance regularly use hospital emergency departments as their primary care physician (PCP), which increases cost for everybody. Some advantages to Affordable Care Act are: Preventive services are free, which drops health care costs by handling illnesses in advance, so they won’t reach an expensive crisis. On behalf of individuals who don’t have sufficient amount of money for health insurance, the Federal government will compensate the states for adding individuals to the Medicaid program. The income condition is stretched out up to 133% of the Federal poverty level, roughly $31,000 for a family of four according to (The Affordable Care Act). Individuals who are not eligible for extended Medicaid is given tax credits. States are required to set up insurance interactions, or use the Federal governments exchange. Insurance businesses cannot reject children coverage for pre-existing illnesses. Insurance businesses can no longer drop someone from coverage when they have an illness. If a company rejects somebody’s coverage, that individual can go to an external appeals method. Parents can put their children up to age 26 on their health insurance plans. Obamacare does not relate to businesses with less than 50 employees at their company. Big businesses are obligated to offer health insurance, but receive tax credits to benefit staffs premiums. Disadvantages to Affordable Care Act do exist. There are millions of people who presently purchase private health insurance. American has canceled their own insurance company because the plan doesnt benefits the living health status or situation. Replacing insurance is greater since it provides various services, like maternity care, that many people dont want. Those who dont purchase insurance by March 31, 2014, and dont qualify for Medicaid, will  be assessed a tax of $95 (or 1% of income, whichever is higher) in 2014 according to (Healthcare reformation, CNN.com). Pharmaceutical corporations will pay an additiona l fee to close the gap which exists in Medicare Part D. This may possibly increase drug prices if they permit this onto users. General public could lose their company sponsored health care plans. A lot of companies will find it more cost operative to pay the penalty. Other small businesses might find they can get a better plan through the state-run exchanges according to (â€Å"The Effects of the Affordable Care Act on Employment-Based Health Insurance†). Services and equipment that supports individuals with injuries, disabilities, or chronic, the Obamacare plans will also cover goods and services to help you preserve a standard of living if you contract a chronic disease. The Affordable Care Act keeps insurers from cutting benefits to lower costs. Do you think they be required to raise people premiums? Not certainly, since their returns will increase as millions of people uninsured start paying premiums. Republicans holds much more negative views of The Affordable Care Act and the federal government than Democrats. Furthermore, when told that the federal government (rather than the state) will implement their exchange program, Republicans are far less self-reliant that program will prosper. Democrats oppositely were at least as confident in the federal government’s capacity to manage the exchanges as they were in the states’. These differences in observations, together with the opinionated makeup of states that have opt ed for state versus federal implementation of the health insurance exchanges, have the prospective to lead to further overall disbelief of the federal government and greater separation across states and parties. Practically all Republican states are opting for federally managed exchange programs and nearly all Democratic states are opting to run the exchanges themselves. As a result, federally run health insurance exchanges are likely to experience more struggles than are state-run exchanges, but not necessarily due to shortcomings of the federal government. Reasonably, the struggles of federally run exchanges will stem from biased disagreement to health care reform at the state level. Due to the baffling role of opinionated time-wasting, we cannot unswervingly associate states with federally run platforms to those with state run programs to evaluate which level of government is more capable of performing this difficult policy reform. The  problem arises when each state has dissimilar preferences, and based on those choices, the states â€Å"category† into two sets: one group that wants to, and does, receive the treatment, and one group that does not want to, and therefore does not, receive the treatment. Republicans plan to challenge health care reform, and then criticize that it does not work, although attributing guilt to the Obama administration. For the time being, states with Democratic governance want the reform to succeed, and likely to work together with the federal government. In an effort to help the policy prosper, these states are taking a more hands on approach and applying the contacts themselves. In addition, in states where both the federal and state governments want the reform to succeed, the program will be well applied and public approval of health care reform, the state government, and also the federal government will rise. The ability of the House of Representatives and the Senate to approve this legislation scored a historic victory in the century long battle to reform the nations health care winning final approval of legislation that expands coverage to 32 million people and attempts to contain spiraling costs. The House voted 219 to 212 to approve the measure, with every Republican voting. Over the next 10 years, the measure will set in gesture a complex series of deviations to the health insurance market that will transform into the biggest enlargement of coverage since Medicare and Medicaid were created in 1965, and the most aspiring power ever to restrain health-care costs. Presidents as far back as Theodore Roosevelt have rued the nations approach to health coverage, a structure that assists fairly well to 150 million Americans who have health insurance through their jobs but offers few affordable choices for individuals who work part time, are independent or work for establishments that dont propose health benefits. The bill will affect almost every man, woman and youngster in the United States in some way, from the young adults who establish one of the largest uninsured groups to poor and childless adults who are not eligible for Medicaid in most states. The healthcare debate affected many moral issues in American life The impact on the American consumer is very important. These authorized assistances will allow more individuals to find and treat chronic illnesses beforehand. Millions of families will be able to dodge economic failure by receiving treatment early, or by having the insurance to cover these expenses. In the  forthcoming, this ought to lower health care costs by reducing disastrous care. Many people will get insurance, thanks to the motherhood, newborn and pediatric care. This will reduce health insurance charges overall. Near to the ground income drug addicts, alcoholics and the mentally ill will have insurance coverage to aid their circumstances. While no one can make them to get spotless, clear-headed, defensive coverage can show. References †¢TITLE I-QUALITY, â€Å" AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS,† The Affordable Care Act http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/rights/law/index.html †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Healthcare reformation†, CNN.com †¢(â€Å"The Effects of the Affordable Care Act on Employment-Based Health Insurance†, March 15, 2012) †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Affordable Care Act: An Experiment in Federalism?,† Kyle A. Dropp, Molly C. Jackman, Saul P. Jackman †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"House passes health-care reform bill without Republican votes† By Shailagh Murray and Lori Montgomery, Monday, March 22, 2010

Trauma in Adjudicated Youth and Treatment Strategies

Trauma in Adjudicated Youth and Treatment Strategies Morgan Carella Abstract Research indicates there is a high prevalence of trauma in adjudicated youth (Brown, McCauley, Navalta, Saxe, 2013; Ford, Steinberg, Hawke, Levine, Zhang, 2012; Davis, Sheidow, McCart, 2014; Rosenberg et al., 2014; Stimmel, Cruise, Ford, Weiss, 2014). It is possible that effectively addressing trauma could reduce the probability of recidivism. youll need a statement tying youth with a Hx of trauma to probability of recidivism, not just prevalence in adjudicated youth. Aggressive behavior, trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are highly prevalent in juvenile offenders (Stimmel, Cruise, Ford, Weiss, 2014) Keywords: juvenile-justice-involved youth, trauma, PTSD Prevalence of Trauma in Adjudicated Youth Rosenberg et al. (2014) surveyed the incidence of trauma in juvenile-justice-involved youth and the psychiatric impact of that trauma. Rosenberg et al. hypothesized that there would be higher rates of trauma exposure, PTSD, depression, and substance abuse in juvenile-justice-involved youth compared to the general population. Rosenberg et al. gathered data from 350 juvenile-justice-involved youth; 269 in New Hampshire and 81 in Ohio using a customized, online survey. The authors combined and modified a number of tests in order to create the web-based Stress and Resources Survey used for this study. Ninety-four percent of the youth from the sample reported at least one trauma, 45.7% screened positive for PTSD, 49.4% for depression, and 61.2% for substance abuse. In addition, trauma exposure (total trauma) was significantly correlated with PTSD, depression, and substance abuse (Rosenberg et al., 2014). The results of this study confirm the high incidence of trauma in juvenile-justice-involved youth and the need for psychological intervention. Early psychological intervention among juvenile delinquents could lead to more appropriate treatment strategies and decreased recidivism. Rosenberg et al. (2014) created an online screening tool that could be easily replicated and used for subsequent studies. The Stress and Resources Survey measures a broad range of items in a consolidated, simple tool. The online, self-report survey allowed for uniformity of administration across the testing sites. In addition, by using an online survey, there was no chance for altering how questions were asked, or what order they were asked in. The survey also provides the opportunity for youth to answer survey questions honestly, instead of conducting face-to-face interviewing, where youth may be more prone to lying. One of the possible concerns about The Stress and Resources Survey created by Rosenberg et al. (2014) was that it abbreviated many existing surveys without necessarily providing enough information on whether or not it is a reliable or valid measure. Rosenberg et al. combined parts of other measures in order to more succinctly measure the information they were trying to obtain. It is not possible to tell whether the customized Stress and Resources Survey used for this study was a valid or reliable measure because there was no pre-test. Types of Trauma in Adjudicated Youth Stimmel, Cruise, Ford, Weiss (2014) investigated the relationship between exposure to different specific types of traumatic events, PTSD symptoms, and aggression. Stimmel et al. were interested in answering the following research questions: Will juvenile offenders who endorse multiple types of traumatic events exposures endorse greater levels of PTSD symptoms and aggression compared with juvenile offenders who endorse a single type of event exposure? Among juvenile offenders who endorse multiple types of potentially traumatic events, does PTSD symptom severity account for the relationship between violence exposure and aggression? (p. 185). Over an 8-month time period, self-reported trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms and aggression were assessed among 66 detained 12-16 year old boys from two juvenile detention centers in a northeastern state. Results indicate that 57 youth experienced at least one potentially traumatic event, 47 youth experienced at least two potentially traumatic events and the average number of potentially traumatic events endorsed among the sample was three. Participants who experienced multiple types of traumatic events scored three times higher on PTSD symptom severity than the participants who experienced a single type of event (Stimmel et al., 2014). Types of traumatic event exposure and the event that participants found most-troubling were recorded. This data was further analyzed to see if the event identified as the most-troubling met overall Criterion A for PTSD in the DSM-IV. Nearly fifty-percent of participants (16/33) selected learning about the violent death or serious injury of a loved one as the most troubling event, and of these 16 participants, more than 80% met Criterion A for PTSD. Similarly, when community violence (witnessed or experienced) was recorded as the most troubling event experienced by participants, 54.2% (13/24) met Criterion A for PTSD. Participants who met Criterion A endorsed more severe PTSD symptoms than those who did not meet Criterion A. In addition, results indicate a significant relationship between reactive aggression and total PTSD severity. Stimmel et al. (2013) define reactive aggression as â€Å"acts that occur in response to being provoked or threatened by others.† Reactive aggression was found to be significantly related to endorsement of PTSD Criterion B (intrusive re-experiencing) and Criterion D (hyperarousal) symptoms (Stimmel et al., 2014). These results support the view that it is important to screen for amount and types of trauma exposure in juvenile offender populations. All data collection occurred in a private room in the detention center, which increased the internal validity of the study. Ninety-one-point-seven percent of the parents and 91.6% of youth with whom contact was made agreed to participate in the study. Self-report measures were used in this study and are subject to state-dependent reporting, as well as under-and over-reporting. Complications involved in obtaining consent from parents reduced the sample size and lowered the generalizability of the results. The sample used for this study was a convenience sample, rather than a random sample, which also lowers the generalizability of the results. Types of Treatment Some treatment modalities have been proven more valuable than others. Ford et al. (2012) conducted a randomized clinical trial on the effects of an emotion regulation therapy (Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy, or TARGET) and a relational supportive therapy (Enhanced Treatment as Usual, or ETAU) on delinquent girls in the community. Ford et al.’s primary study hypothesis was that TARGET would be more effective reducing the severity of PTSD and enhancing emotion regulation skills. Ford et al.’s secondary hypothesis was that TARGET would also be more effective at reducing symptoms and cognitions associated with PTSD and increasing optimism and self-efficacy. Participants were recruited by announcements and presentations throughout the Hartford, Connecticut metropolitan area. The sample consisted of 59 delinquent girls (ages 13-17) living in the community. A baseline assessment interview was conducted and then participants were randomly assigned to either the treatment condition (TARGET), or the comparison condition (ETAU). Participants then completed a posttest interview at the conclusion of treatment (12 sessions), and 4 months after the baseline interview for individuals who did not complete treatment. Results indicate that TARGET was more effective than ETAU in reducing intrusive re-experiencing of traumatic events and symptoms of emotional numbing and avoidance. The number of participants assigned to the TARGET treatment group who met full criteria for PTSD dropped from 21 (baseline) to 9 (post-treatment) and those who met partial criteria for PTSD reduced from 12 (baseline) to 7 (post-treatment). The number of participants assigned to the ETAU treatment group who met full criteria for PTSD dropped from 16 (baseline) to 10 (post-treatment) and those who met partial criteria for PTSD reduced from 10 (baseline) to 3 (post-treatment). Results indicate TARGET was associated with reduction in PTSD symptom severity, as well as clinically significant changes in PTSD. Whereas ETAU only achieved small effect size changes, TARGET was associated with medium effect size reductions in anxiety and posttraumatic cognitions. However, individuals assigned to the ETAU treatment group scored higher on gains in optimism/self-efficacy and reduced anger (Ford et al., 2012). The small sample size and attrition limited the study’s ability to detect statistically significant differences between the therapy interventions. All measures were self report, thus subject to possible expectancy or other biases for which other data sources could offer a valuable counterpoint. One female assessor conducted all pre-and post- therapy assessments and therefore could not be blind to treatment type or phase, which is subject to bias between-group differences and may have inflated the estimates of pre- and post-change. Despite its limitations, the results of the Ford et al. (2012) research suggest TARGET may be a viable treatment approach for delinquent females. Trauma Systems Therapy (TST) Trauma Systems Therapy (TST) is a clinical and organizational model for treatment of traumatic stress in children and adolescents. TST was originally created as an outpatient and home-based treatment model, however, providers in residential settings saw its utility for their programs. TST acts to facilitate communication and shared goals among direct care providers, youth and families. TST also emphasizes the importance of functioning among direct care staff, who acts as the youth’s immediate caregivers during residential treatment. Individual, private practice therapists are likely to follow their own approach based on their individual experience and training. In contrast, TST can provide a uniform, systems-based approach and framework agency wide and across staff. TST has been implemented in three residential programs and different sets of outcomes have been tracked in each. The Boston Intensive Residential Treatment Program (Boston IRTP) is a 20 bed residential treatment center that provides long-term, intensive treatment to children and adolescents with SMHC. â€Å"Most residents have had repeated unsuccessful inpatient and residential care treatment before they are admitted to an IRTP setting† (Brown et al., 2013, p. 698). TST was initiated at Boston IRTP in September 2000 and data on total seclusion, restraint and injury episodes was collected until December 2007. Results indicate the number of incidents of seclusion; restraints and staff injury reduced substantially and sustained reduction following the implementation of TST. The Children’s Village (CV) provides short-term residential care for more than 1,200 youth per year in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y (Brown et al., 2013). In 2007, The Children’s Village implemented TST in two residential cottages and after one year, TST became the program treatment model for all 15 residential settings . The Children’s Village has not completed a program evaluation; however, they have tracked clinical outcomes over the course of treatment and used the data to develop treatment. The Child Ecology Check in (CECI) was used to track the child’s emotional regulation capacity and stability of the social environment prior to, and after, putting into place the TST intervention program. Prior to implementation of the TST model, the participant scored high in emotion dysregulation when the environment was distressed. Results indicate that as the environment became more stable post-implementation of TST, participant’s emotion regulation became significantly more stable. A subpopulation of youth from the Prairie Ridge Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility in Kansas City received out-of-home services in TST from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. â€Å"The overarching goal of the project was to ensure that youth leaving residential care received the same, consistent, child-specific TST services in the community upon discharge† (Brown et al., 2013, p. 699). By the end of the first year, levels of functional impairment scores dropped from 120 to 56 (high scores = lower level of functioning), placement stability for youth increased from 48% to 89%, the average number of placement moves per child dropped from 3.4 to 1.4; and the use of seclusions and restraints within the residential program dropped significantly (Brown et al., 2013). Multisystemic Therapy for emerging adults (MST-EA) â€Å"The peak years of offending in the general population and among those with serious mental health conditions (SMHC) are during emerging adulthood †¦ individuals with SMHC have greater justice system involvement than those without SMHC, both as juveniles and emerging adults† (Davis et al., 2014). Davis et al., (2014) modifies Multisystemic therapy (MST) for use with emerging adults (ages 17-25) with SMHC and recent justice system involvement. â€Å"Multisystemic therapy for emerging adults (MST-EA) targets MH [mental health] symptoms, recidivism, problem substance abuse, and young adult functional capacities† (Davis et al., 2014). Participants were recruited from individuals receiving case management through child welfare or mental health services or receiving juvenile or adult justice system supervision services (e.g., probation) in an urban/suburban region of a Northeastern state. â€Å"MST-EA was the clinical intervention provided to all participants. The state agency charged with treatment of justice-involved adolescents and emerging adults contracted with a private nonprofit provider to offer the MST-EA intervention †¦ Of the 41 participants who enrolled in the study, 21 (51.2%) fully finished the intervention, with 36.5 (range=14.7-64.8) weeks of intervention.† There was a significant reduction in mental health symptoms, with the median number falling considerably from 20 symptoms to between 5 and 6. The number of criminal and juvenile charges in the 6 months post-intervention (29%) was less than those in the 6 months prior to baseline (12%)à ¯Ã†â€™Ã… ¸ (Not statistically significant). â€Å"Recruitment rates into the research were high, and research retention rates were also very strong, as were interview completion rates. Selected measures showed good variability with results generally detecting change. The final fidelity measure captured adequate variability and participants expressed no confusion about final items.† â€Å"†¦study limitations include the absence of a control group, and the absence of examining the feasibility of randomization of a control condition. The absence of a control group limits understanding the relative strengths or weaknesses of the outcomes; however, that would be the main goal of a larger randomized controlled trial. The absence of employing randomization procedures limits the ability to specifically predict recruitment and retention issues that may arise as a result of either randomization or being assigned to a control condition† Discussion References Brown, A. D., McCauley, K., Navalta, C. P., Saxe, G. N. (2013). Trauma systems therapy in residential settings: Improving emotion regulation and the social environment of traumatized children and youth in congregate care. Journal of Family Violence, 28, 693-703. Davis, M., Sheidow, A. J., McCart, M. R. (2014). Reducing recidivism and symptoms in emerging adults with serious mental health conditions and justice system involvement. Journal of Behavioral Health Services Research, 1-18. Ford, J. D., Steinberg, K. L., Hawke, J., Levine, J., Zhang, W. (2012). Randomized trial comparison of emotion regulation and relational psychotherapies for PTSD with girls involved in delinquency. Journal of Clinical Child Adolescent Psychology, 41(1), 27-37. Rosenberg, H. J., Rosenberg, S. D., Ashley, S. W., Vance, J. E., Wolford, G. L., Howard, M. L. (2014). Trauma Exposure, psychiatric disorders, and resiliency in juvenile-justice-involved youth. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 6(4), 430-437. Stimmel, M. A., Cruise, K. R., Ford, J. D., Weiss, R. A. (2014). Trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder symptomology, and aggression in male juvenile offenders. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 6(2), 184-191.

Family and Child Law: Negotiation

Family and Child Law: Negotiation Introduction Addressing the position of the parties on these facts, their views as to desired outcome are completely opposed in respect of where the children should be live. It is interesting to note however, that whilst Isabelle wants to relocate to Canada,[1] she suggests that she may remain in England if the children cannot move with her. In other words, she may be open to staying to have a better relationship with the children. The importance of this is that Isabelle is not completely inflexible. Initial Discussions with Isabelle Two important initial points must be made clear to Isabelle. The first, is that the Court will only make an order in respect of children if it believes that it is necessary for the childrens best interests.[2] Secondly, it is the childrens wellbeing that is paramount in all considerations for these issues.[3] Even though previously the Courts may have suggested that the effect on a parent not being able to relocate should be given great weight,[4] this approach is now considered wrong and the impact on the parent is only one of several factors taken into account when assessing the effect on the childs welfare.[5] In this respect, the welfare-checklist factors[6] are relevant considerations.[7] To this end, Isabelle must, prior to commencing negotiations, be made aware that she should approach the matter by considering what approach the Court might take. The CAFCASS report, whilst not making any specific recommendations, suggest that an order may be necessary in this circumstance and therefore, whilst the Court is not obliged to make an order of the type sought by the parties,[8] is likely to do so. This means that Isabelle should be made aware that if she does not reach a negotiated settlement, the Court may make orders of the type sought by Russell. It may not do, of course, but it would be wrong for Isabelle to enter negotiations believing that the Court will favour her position in any way. This approach may assist Isabelle in being more open to compromise. Furthermore, Isabelle, in her email, demonstrated a degree of anger towards Russell in respect of her assertions regarding to affairs and drug use. Isabelle also shows a great deal of animosity towards Destiny. She should be made aware that this kind of approach will not assist in terms of engendering co-operation from Russell, and may ultimately be damaging should the matter proceed to Court.[9] In this respect, the authority on these matters will consider the true reason for the wish to relocate,[10] and may consider that Isabelles real reason for wishing to take the children is to limit their contact with Russell, rather than her suggested intention that the move would give them a new start and a better standard of living.[11] Isabelle would also be extremely ill advised to mention Russells alleged drug use, given that she freely admits that she has used drugs recreationally. Negotiation Options Contact, is a fundamental right for children[12] and parents.[13] It seems clear that Isabelle will not convince Russell that the children should be allowed to leave with her unless she is able to provide a robust solution in respect of contact.[14] To this end, she must offer contact for all or most of the childrens school-holidays,[15] and must be open to indirect-contact(Skype)[16] in Canada at other times. It also seems sensible that she should consider addressing the issue of how daily contact can be affected given the time difference. Although the children are perhaps a little young, offering to provide them with some way of contacting their father whenever they want may assist. It seems that she may also have to accept that the children will have contact with Destiny and that they enjoy the contact they have. Whilst this approach may assist Isabelle, it seems that the CAFCASS report is moderately in favour of retaining the status-quo[17] and, because this is something that the Courts consider very important in respect of welfare,[18] (this approach is reflected throughout the welfare-checklist comments made by CAFCASS) it is possible that Isabelle may need to make concessions beyond simply allowing extensive contact. It is, at this stage, that Isabelle may be faced with a difficult decision and it may be appropriate to expressly ask her prior to negotiations whether moving to Canada, promotion and Pierre are more important than regular contact with the children.[19] This may shock her, but will clarify the position in her mind. If Isabelle decided to move to Canada alone, it seems reasonable for her to be able to assert that similar robust contact arrangements are put in place. It also seems that, based on the CAFCASSs view that the children enjoy contact with their maternal grandparents that such an approach may be acceptable to the Court and ought to be accepted by Russell. If Isabelle decides to remain in England, the position becomes less complicated, in that the current residence and contact provisions can be maintained. It seems reasonable that if Isabelle can show that she can alter her work patterns accordingly, she could seek to extend this contact, but since she asserts that the children spend 50% of their time with her already, she may have difficulty in justifying further contact. It is important to stress to Isabelle that the fact that she does not like Destiny is irrelevant because, according to CAFCASSS, the children like her and she can take care of them.[20] Conclusions If Isabelle is intransigent regarding relocation, the only concession she can make is to offer extended contact. On balance, the Courts may favour the status-quo and prevent the children leaving for Canada. Presuming that Russell is properly advised and aware of this, it seems likely that he will retain his current position. In this circumstance, Isabelle must attempt to secure her regular contact with the children. This will be the case regardless of whether she chooses to remain in England or leave for Canada without the children. It seems likely that the Court would support contact. 1000 Words Bibliography Primary Sources Table of Cases K v K (Relocation: Shared Care Arrangement) [2011] EWCA Civ 793 K v K [1992] 2 FLR 98 M v F [2016] EWHC 3914 (Fam) Payne v Payne [2001] EWCA Civ 166 Re AR [2010] EWHC 1346 Re B (RO: Status Quo) [1998] 1 FLR 368 Re F (International Relocation Cases) [2015] EWCA Civ 882 Re H (Children) (Residence Order) [2007] 2 FCR 621 Re L (A Child) [2016] EWCA CIV 821 Re W [2005] EWCA Civ 1614 Table of Legislation: UK Children Act 1989 Table of Legislation: EU European Convention on Human Rights 1950 The United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 Secondary Sources Table of textbooks Gilmore S and Glennon L, Hayes and Williams Family Law (5th edn, OUP 2016) Herring J, Family Law (Longman Law Series) (7th edn, Pearson 2015) Lowe N and Douglas G, Bromleys Family Law (11th edn, OUP 2015) [1] Children Act 1989, s 8(1). [2] Children Act 1989, s 1(5). [3] Children Act 1989, s 1(1). [4] Payne v Payne [2001] EWCA Civ 166. [5] Re F (International Relocation Cases) [2015] EWCA Civ 882 [49]. [6] Children Act 1989, s 1(3). [7] Re F (International Relocation Cases) [2015] EWCA Civ 882. [8] Children Act 1989, s 1(3)(g). [9] K v K [1992] 2 FLR 98. [10] Payne v Payne [2001] EWCA Civ 166 [40] (LJ Thorpe). [11] K v K (Relocation: Shared Care Arrangement) [2011] EWCA Civ 793. [12] United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, Art9(1). [13] European Convention of Human Rights 1950, Art8. [14] Re AR [2010] EWHC 1346. [15] Re L (A Child) [2016] EWCA CIV 821. [16] M v F [2016] EWHC 3914 (Fam). [17] Re B (RO: Status Quo) [1998] 1 FLR 368. [18] Re H (Children) (Residence Order) [2007] 2 FCR 621. [19] Re W [2005] EWCA Civ 1614. [20] Children Act 1989, s 1(3)(f).

Critique of Movie The Insider Essay -- Tobacco Nicotine Insider Film E

Critique of Movie The Insider A dramatization of 1995 events in which the tobacco industry allegedly covered up proof that nicotine is addictive and harmful. When Brown and Williamson executive Jeffrey Wigand (Crowe) tries to expose the industry's cover-up, he is threatened into silence. He eventually gets his story to 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman (AL Pacino), but CBS decides against airing it due to political and economic pressures, and the threat of lawsuit from Brown and Williamson. Before we start, I think it's important that you know a little thing about me, and where I'm coming from. I do smoke. But I believe that most of the lawsuits filed against the tobacco industry are unfounded, desperate attempts for people to put the blame on anyone but themselves. I think social security is a safety net for the financially irresponsible. I thought The Insider was a great movie from a strictly entertainment perspective (don't get ahead of me on this one!), and I enjoyed it very much. Russell Crowe is Jeffrey Wigand, a Brown and Williamson VP of Research and Development whose conscience compels him to blow the whistle on the industry. He claims that Big Tobacco has been covering up scientific research that proves nicotine is addictive and harmful. The writing puts a lot of energy into making sure that Wigand is a sufficiently complicated character, and one that we sympathize with. To be sure, he's not entirely one-dimensional. Initially, he does what most of...

Homers Odyssey Essay -- Homer Odyssey Odysseus Temptation

Homer's Odyssey On a ten-year voyage across cold and choppy seas with nothing but the bitter wind at one’s back, physical strength is a necessity. The chances of successfully trekking home with weak limbs are not great. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is the epitome of power. His brawny physique undoubtedly grants him the strength to swim, climb, run and even kill his way back to his wife. But Odysseus cannot return home on physical force alone, as many of the obstacles he faces are mental. Perhaps the greatest of these obstacles is temptation. The "battle-weary" man’s odyssey is brimming with temptations of the mind, body and soul that he must not only grow out of, but conquer, in order to return home and stake his glory. The first blatant example of temptation in Odysseus’ journey happens on the island of the Lotus-eaters. The delicious but devious fruit of the lotus, he and his men discover, has the power to muddle one’s memory so that he forgets about home. While some of the men succumb to the fruit, Odysseus demonstrates remarkable self-control. This is in stark contrast to the way he handles himself in other tempting situations along the voyage. In this scene, though, Odysseus does not forget his longing for home and that is why his reaction to this temptation is interesting. It immediately shows us that he does possess self-control and has a goal he is eager to reach. It suggests that the willpower he lacks later in the poem is, in fact, always inside of him. It is not something he needs to learn, but something he needs to improve upon and make a permanent part of his identity instead of a fleeting one. This scene proves that Odysseus has the power to be confronted by something all uring and not be taken in by it. Nonp... ...e voyage, the cunning fighter is not hasty at the end of the poem. Disguised as an old beggar, he could have revealed his true identity much earlier than he does. Instead, he waits for the right moment to strike. The suitors test his patience and perhaps his temper seethes within, but he does not make his fury known until the perfect moment. When the time comes to strike, he combines the cunning he has had all along with a newfound sense of control. The belief that what does not kill someone can only make them stronger is especially true in Odysseus’ case. His journey is peppered with temptations that collectively build up his will. Some of them temporarily distract him, while others are meant to seal his doom. And even though he falls down, makes mistakes, and tests the limits along the way, his courage and his yearning for home lead to his ultimate enlightenment.

Aggression in the 1930s

Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin are two of the most prominent figures in world history.   Both are intimidating personalities recognized as dictators in their own countries.   Hitler and Stalin are also similar for having significant roles in the aggression in the 1930s that was World War II.   However, it must be noted that Hitler had a more distinct role in the World War II than Stalin.   Though both men were active dictators during the Second World War.Adolf Hitler had a bigger responsibility in the conflict than Joseph Stalin.Hitler and Stalin were both dictators.   It is appropriate to give them such title as they had absolute power over their respective countries.   They had similar strategies and motives in terms of their aggression that resulted in the war.For instance, both men were motivated by a superiority complex.   Hitler was a firm believer in the superiority of the German race (Weinberg, 2008).   He asserted that Germany needed vast areas of land for ex pansion, so he attacked other countries to create an expansive territory for Germans.   It was this attack which brought Hitler and Germany at the helm of the global conflict.Likewise, Stalin also had a superiority complex.   Immediately after succeeding Lenin as the head of the Soviet Union, Stalin inspired a culture of self-glorification (Perry, 1989).   It was therefore no surprise that Stalin entered into an agreement with Hitler.The German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact stated that the Soviet Union would not intervene with the German aggression against Poland on the grounds that it would receive half of the acquired Polish territory (Knight, 2008; Perry, 1989).However, despite the distinct similarity, there was a significant difference between the political roles they played in the Second World War.   Hitler proved to be the more aggressive dictator, as he initiated the war itself.   On the other hand, Stalin merely tolerated Hitler’s aggression.   Though the Sovi et Union had made an alliance with Germany, this did not guarantee immunity from the said aggression (Weinberg, 2008).Stalin and the rest of the Soviet Union were alarmed when Germans attacked them (Knight, 2008).   It became evident that Germany was in the center of the war, since it began to bypass the authority of the nations it had alliances with.Eventually, it was proven that Hitler had a more dominant political role in the war than Stalin.   Stalin was a mere participant in the German aggression; in time, he and his country became the victims.   It was Hitler who was in control of the war situation.Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were dictators who took part in the aggression during the 1930s, resulting in the historical event known as World War II.Their aggression was both motivated by a sense of superiority, and their strategy included the participation in the war.   Nonetheless, there was a difference between the leaders.   Hitler had a more dominant political role in the war, since he started the international conflict.   He was powerful enough to undermine an alliance with the Soviet Union to further his ends.Meanwhile, Stalin’s aggression was only evident in the agreement with Germany.   Hence, Adolf Hitler had a bigger political role in the Second World War.ReferencesPerry, M. (1989). A History of the World.   Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin.Knight, A. (2008). Joseph Stalin. In Microsoft Encarta Online Dictionary. Retrieved December 18, 2008, from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761559200/Stalin.htmlWeinberg, G. (2008). Adolf Hitler. In Microsoft Encarta Online Dictionary. Retrieved December 18, 2008, from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761556540/Hitler.html

Impossibility of Certainty in Hamlet

The Impossibility of Certainty in Hamlet â€Å"Doubt is that state of mind where the questioner faces no single answer nor the lack of one, but rather a choice between a pair of alternatives. † – Harry Levin in The Question of Hamlet It is appropriate that William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is regarded as the Bard’s greatest dramatic enigma, for misunderstanding is the unavoidable condition of Hamlet’s quest for certainties. Not only is Hamlet bewildered by puzzling visions and by commands seemingly incapable of fulfillment, but he is also the victim of misinterpretation by those around him.The dying Hamlet urges the honest Horatio to â€Å"report me and my cause aright To the unsatisfied†, because none of the characters except for Horatio have caught more than a glimpse of Hamlet’s true situation (V. ii. 371-372). We as an observing audience, hearing the inner thoughts and secret plots of almost every significant character, should remember that we know vastly more than the play’s characters. In Hamlet, we cannot pretend that we are unaware of what happens next or how it all comes out  essay writer prank. This is Shakespeare’s richest source of dramatic irony.However, the characters are faced with rival options: to revenge or not to revenge, whether a Ghost comes from heaven or from hell. It is this doubt, this hesitancy in the face of two possibilities, that is central to Hamlet at every level. Hamlet is a play of misunderstanding and impediment. Its central theme is the elusiveness of knowledge and certainty. From the very first scene, the play establishes uncertainty through the interrogative dialogue between Barnado, Francisco, Marcellus, and Horatio: Barnardo: Who’s there? Francisco: Nay, answer me. Stand and unfold yourself Barnardo: Say, what, is Horatio there? Horatio: A piece of him. (I. i. 1-24) Having established a mood of fear and uncertainty, the apparition of the Ghost causes Horati o to declare â€Å"It harrows me with fear and wonder† (I. i. 51). This antithetical placement of words heightens the paranormal and eerie setting of the play. The â€Å"portentous† Ghost acts as an omen for what is to come (I. i. 121). The seemingly extravagant monologue where Claudius appeals to his subjects to accept the validity of his marriage to Gertrude hints that the new King is putting on a facade. Read more about Dramatic CriticismClaudius uses many oxymoronic phrases to try and reconcile the death of Old Hamlet and Claudius’ subsequent marriage to Gertrude such as, â€Å"With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage† (I. ii. 12). This rhythmically balanced but significantly dissonant sentence serves to highlight that there is something suspect and â€Å"Rotten† in the state of Denmark. Claudius further enforces the idea that nothing can really be trusted. Similarly, the relationship between the actions and internal thought processes of human beings is evident in the scheming Polonius.Polonius is also a man with little integrity capable of great deceit. He tells his son Laertes, â€Å"To thine own self be true† (I. iii. 84). But later Polonius enlists Reynaldo to spy on his son, stating, â€Å"Your bait of falsehood take this Carp of truth† (II. i. 70). This metaphor and the oxymoronic placement of â€Å"falsehood† and â€Å"truthà ¢â‚¬  exemplify the presence of duality in the play. He dismisses Reynaldo saying, â€Å"You have me, Have you not? † (II. i. 75). The uncertainty and lack of trust within the play is reflected in the chiastic syntax of this sentence.Polonius is distrusting of his own servant. The allusions to ancient Greece and Rome throughout Hamlet further support the ideas of duality and deception. Hamlet, in a simile, compares his father to Claudius like â€Å"Hyperion to a Satyr† (I. ii. 144). Hamlet later has the Players recite lines referring to the â€Å"ominous horse† of Troy (II. ii. 479). Polonius makes a reference to Brutus’ betrayal of Julius Caesar (III. ii. 109-110). All three of these references contribute to the duality and deception evident in the play.A Satyr is only half a man, the Trojan horse is heralded as one of the most treacherous and deceitful means of conquest, and Julius Caesar is murdered by people he thought were loyal to him. David Beving ton notes in his commentary on Hamlet that the name Claudius stems from two words. The first is the verb claudo, meaning â€Å"to imprison†. The second is the adjective claudus, meaning â€Å"disabled, wavering, or uncertain† (Bevington). It goes without saying that a character whose name literally means â€Å"uncertain† highlights the theme of doubt that is apparent through the whole play.The arrival of the Players and their presentation of â€Å"The Murder of Gonzago† in Act 3 also demonstrate duplicity within the text. Hamlet modifies the play within a play to have it reflect the murder of his father. This dramatic device conjures up the notion of appearance versus reality. The duality of Claudius, Polonius, and Hamlet demonstrate the lack of certainty and absolute truth within the play. The perpetual search for meaning and questioning of the established order within the play reflects the unattainability of truth and certainty in greater society.Hamlet ’s numerous soliloquies of self-questioning and self-loathing paint an image of a man overcome by excruciating self-observation. Morris Weitz notes that Hamlet’s speeches show signs of existentialism (â€Å"How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world†, I. ii. 137-138), relativism (â€Å"For there is nothing good nor but, but thinking makes it so†, I. ii. 268-270), and moral subjectivism (â€Å"Vicious mole of nature†¦in their birth†¦wherin†¦they are not guilty since nature cannot choose his origin†, I. iv. 27-29).Although the Greek Sophists had dabbled in these concepts, and Socrates had once said, â€Å"The only thing I know is that I know nothing†, this questioning of the societal and philosophical norms of the time was revolutionary and unparalleled (Weitz). The King at the time of Hamlet’s publication was James I, who had affirmed the â€Å"Divine Right of Kings† to rule. At a time when the sovereignty of the Monarchy reigned supreme, Hamlet’s questioning of the afterlife, (â€Å"To be, or not to be†¦what dreams may come†, III. i. 64-74), lamentation at the inequality n the world (â€Å"Th’ Oppressor†¦that patient merit of the unworthy takes†, III. i. 79-82), and rejection of the superiority of Monarchs (â€Å"Our monarchs and outstretched heroes the beggars’ shadows†, II. ii. 282-283), is a testament to the elusiveness of certainty and truth in the play. The themes of duality and deceit and the search for meaning and order are central to the essential message of Hamlet that certainty is unattainable. This duality makes up the entire structure of Hamlet, proving that, â€Å"A double blessing [truly] is a double grace† (I. iii. 58). Works Cited Bevington, David M. Introduction.Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet ; a Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1968. 1-12. Print. Levin, Harry. â€Å"Interrogation, Doubt, Irony: Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis. † The Question of Hamlet. New York: Oxford UP, 1959. 48+. Print. Weitz, Morris. Introduction. Hamlet and the Philosophy of Literary Criticism. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1964. Vii-Xiii. Print. Bibliography Bevington, David M. Introduction. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet ; a Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1968. 1-12. Print. Levin, Harry. Interrogation, Doubt, Irony: Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis. † The Question of Hamlet. New York: Oxford UP, 1959. 48+. Print. Weitz, Morris. â€Å"Hamlet: Philosophy the Intruder. † Shakespeare, Philosophy, and Literature: Essays. Ed. Morris Weitz and Margaret Collins. New Studies in Aesthetics 10. New York: Lang, 1995. 17-33 Weitz, Morris. Introduction. Hamlet and the Philosophy of Literary Criticism. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1964. Vii-Xiii. Print. West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption. † Readings on Hamlet. By Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 1999. 106-11. Print.