Monday, September 30, 2019

BE Reading

This involves creating the opportunity, space and time needed to think about practice and the appropriate action emerging from a reflective thinking process. We argue that being a ‘thoughtful agent' alls requires a deeper understanding of self and of the nature of personal engagement with ongoing reflective activity. This approach enables restrictions to question the ‘paradigms in which one is operating' (Peters and Vandenberg, 2011 : 63) and to be responsive to the need for change and quality improvement in relation to the specific needs of spellbinder, families and settings. Consequently, it requires an understanding of what we mean by being a reflective practitioner, including understanding the terminology we use and the interpretation we apply throughout this chapter.Table 4. 1 explains how we use the terminology that surrounds reflective practice in this chapter. Reflective practice has been identified by educators as beneficial for quality improvement (Arises and Ch on, 1978; Bout et al. , 1985; Brookfield, 1987; Broadband and McGill, 2007). It has been described as a generic term for ‘those intellectual and affective activities in which individuals engage to explore their experiences in order to lee ad to new understandings and appreciation' (Bout et al. , 1985: 19). In addition, reflection has the capacity to create ‘alternative and more productive ways of organizing the workplace' (Brookfield, 1987: 14).Together these two statements indicate that examining our actions and activities, both at a cognitive and an emotional level, can help restrictions to think and learn from experience in order to improve practice. Such reflective activity can also be creative, offering different, new and more effective ways of organizing things, whether applied when working with children or colleagues or to the way we organism the environment. Expressed simply, the core principles Of reflective practice involve reflective thinking and learning, whi ch are used to inform decisions and actions in practice, and by implication, improve quality. A number of ‘models' have evolved to support reflective thinking and practice. Many of these, such as Kola's (1984) model of experiential learning,Ghee and Ghee's (1998) ‘reflection-on-practice' and Brookfield (1995) ‘lenses', have the clear purpose of supporting critical thinking about experience and using what is learnt from this process 60 to inform future actions. In addition Ghee (2011: 28) draws on the work of Bandmaster (1991 ) and asks us to see reflection as a mainstreaming process that includes the satisfaction of four personal needs of purpose, value, efficacy and self-worth'. However, while many recognize the role of self- reflection and the influence of a range of personal ‘drivers', they do not serially encourage practitioners to understand, take ownership or utilities the unique nature Of their reflective activity.Ownership draws on a range Of personal factors, such as heritage, disposition, skills and understanding. A deeper level of engagement with reflective activity also requires understanding and appreciation of personal potential. Self-awareness can support reflective practice that is personally meaningful and therefore more likely TA produce the energy and drive necessary to make significant differences in terms of quality. This perspective includes recognition and acceptance of unique ways of being reflective and how this is supported by an individual's specific professional qualities. Such an approach values different ways of engaging with reflective activity and professes no single model or particular professional context.It also supports the development of reflexive practitioners who question ‘taken for granted beliefs' and develop an ‘understanding that knowledge is contestable' (Peters and Vanderbilt, 201 1: 63). Peters and Vanderbilt argue that such reflexivity supports a focus on ‘doing the right things rather than doing things right', a key principle hat we believe underpins the process of improving quality. An individual's reflective activity often takes place within dynamic and changeable socio- cultural context, which shapes the processes, responses and individuals involved. While the core values and principles of an individual al may remain constant and be articulated and understood as a basis for reflective activity, there are many ways of responding to issues according TA context.Developing as a reflective practitioner means being someone who is able to act in ways that make a qualitative difference and it requires an understanding of the current socio-cultural context and how this affects the nature Of professional responses. Brotherliness's (1986) ecological model may help us to explore this concept of socio-cultural influence on reflective identity and practice. According to Frontbencher an individual's development is affected by a series of environmental influence s: the ‘mortises' of family, school, or neighborhood; the ‘ecosystem' of a town, local policy, or economic influences; and the ‘Microsystems' of cultural influences, national policy, or pervading ideology.A practitioner's reflective reactive may likewise be influenced by colleagues, peers, managers and parents at a setting; who in turn may be influenced by local quality improvement policy, REFLECTIVE PRACTICE 15 THE KEY TO QUALITY IMPROVEMENT 61 risk awareness, and economic status; and overall this is influenced by central government policy and perhaps the perceived ‘culture' of the type of setting. Therefore practitioners may subtly shift in perceived identity and consequent reflective responses according to the social and environmental situation in which they find themselves. The ability to engage positively and constructively thin a changing professional landscape is supported by an individual's understanding of both that landscape and what is possible wit hin a particular situation in terms of their personal responses and qualities.Just as external socio-cultural spheres influence responses, the reflective activity by an individual may influence future qua a lit y improvement in others because the practitioner is an ‘active' agent within their professional context. Recognizing and valuing the impact of this agency may offer an opportunity for reflective practice to be a ‘means of empowerment, leading to change at the individual ND societal level' (Cable and Miller, 2008: 173). Developing a strong sense of one's own identity as a reflective practitioner can have a significant impact on both individual and collective confidence to engage in reflective activity as a means of improving quality.Reflective practice as a ‘way of being' Understanding reflective practice as a ;way of being' that is owned and experienced by a practitioner encourages the development of an individual as a ‘reflective professional practiti oner rather than as a technician' (Moss, 2008: xiii). This allows for the identification of different ways of engaging within a recess. A ‘technician' may go through' the motions of making changes in practice by following a prescribed model of reflective practice. However, it IS essential for a ‘reflective professional practitioner' to emotionally and intellectually ‘own' the process (Moss, 2008: xiii). Ownership means acknowledging that reflective practice can include the use of deeply embedded intuitive ‘reflex responses' and ‘ways Of knowing' (Atkinson and Clayton, 2000: 2).Atkinson and Clayton argue that we should value ‘other forms of reflection' that do not focus solely on reason and articulation; rather, unconscious insight draws on the whole of what has been known'; the enormity and complexity of which cannot always be articulated (2000: 5). Encouraging practitioners to use their full range of personal resources within reflective activity is essential. It is possible that compliance with a prescribed ‘model' limits reflective potential by indicating one preferred way of proceeding towards 62 reflection, or even towards quality improvement. We would suggest that without alternatives, such reliance on an external ‘expert' model may leave practitioners feeling De-skilled and disemboweled. Recognition of reflective practice as unique to individuals celebrates difference, recognizes personal development and is therefore inclusive.Enabling practitioners to utilities their full range of personal resources within reflective activity requires a critical view of what is involved. There is a view that intuitive forms of knowledge and ‘ways of knowing' have been unjustly ignored in our rational technical world (Atkinson and Clayton, 2000). For Atkinson and Clayton intuitive and ‘tacit' forms of knowledge in practice are of equal value and should be equally validated and respected. They even argue that the re are times when we can ‘think too much' in rationalizing processes when we should rely on a more instinctive way of being. This suggests that there is a form of professional reflection that is much more intuitive and instinctive and relies on the inner resources of a practitioner.We see this as important in the context of developing early years practice, which requires an understanding of many complex issues. Kernel and Sheep (2010) suggest that reflective intuition should be respected as a ‘way of knowing' that is particularly useful in dealing with complexity. Intuitive reflective practice respects and releases inner qualities and understandings, which inform actions taken to improve quality in practice. Many models of reflective practice represent what seems to be a relatively simple process. Investigation into the nature of a practitioner's ‘real life' participation in reflective practice reveals a complex array of professional qualities applied and synthesiz ed in different ways at different times according to the situation.Understanding the coming together of the individual al and context offers a way of understanding reflective activity from a deeply arsenal perspective. Through a process of making ‘human sense' (Donaldson, 1987) of one's own reflective activity, practitioners Gin evaluate the ways and extent to which they make changes for the better in all aspects of life. Personalized reflective activity that becomes a positive experience and rewards aspects of self is more likely to become a disposition or ‘habitat mind' (Arnold, 2003), owned by the individual. Practitioners who understand the nature of their own engagement in reflective practice are more likely to be . Emotionally as well as intellectually involved in the process.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Cultural Tourism Essay

This book seeks to provide the reader or tourist with insights on how the two worlds, tourism and cultural heritage management intersect, but also how they conflict in that they represent opposite sides of cultural tourism itself. The book outlines for the reader that while tourism professionals evaluate the potential for profit, cultural management professionals evaluate the same assets for their value. Tourism represents the consumption of experiences and products. Cultural tourists want to consume a variety of cultural experiences and assets must be converted into something that tourists can utilize and enjoy, which is important to developing a successful and sustainable management of the cultural tourism product itself. This book attempts to highlight the problems associated with the merging of both as well as offer suggestions or ways that the two can work together effectively and efficiently without causing damage to the asset itself due to environmental factors that tourism brings. Tourism has extensive sociological, economic and political aspects to it everywhere in the world. Greater attention is now being given to tourisms overall social impact, which depending on the circumstances can be positive or negative depending on how tourism is both planned and/or managed. Education and knowledge are tantamount to the approach in attempting to avoid the problems associated with the negative impacts of tourism. A long-term commitment to the planning and management of heritage assets should anticipate the adverse impacts of tourism and develops guidelines that minimize problems that can affect the host communities or can be offensive to the culture. Not all tourists are alike. Some seek very specific indulgences as it is not always about touring the local landmarks, or visiting attractions like theme parks. Some seek, sun, partying, relaxation or a combination of those activities. Depending on what the country or city offers in terms of enjoyment, to encourage tourism they must have the accommodations, amenities, transportation, knowledge based workers and effective cultural management that also preserves the ecological environments because without that, some of the world’s most ancient and precious relics, artwork, artifacts that are at risk and face possible extinction thus, robbing future generations of civilizations treasures. The challenges that tangible materials referred to in the book face should welcome the study by another generation which can offer new ways to present and preserve it without causing further damage. Respect for cultural heritages by tourists, are vitally important to the experience for other generations to come. The book lists five guidelines that the tourism products must provide for it to be successful: 1,A story must be told or associated with that product; 2.It must be able to be brought to life for the visitor; 3.Allow the visitor to participate in some way; 4.Relevant to the tourist; and 5.The product must be of quality and authentic. Overall, the book represents in a comprehensive way that tourism is a double-edged sword. Cultural tourism is the fastest growing segment of the industry and as more travelers can afford to visit global locales and seek to immerse themselves in many different cultures, the more problems it can bring. The tourism industry also attempts to foster increased awareness of other cultural differences by promoting greater understanding and cooperation amongst all cultures. Tourism can also act as a bridge for largely neglected developing countries to generate employment opportunities for the poor, growth and a more viable economy on terms that do not run counter to its long-term interests. The book illustrates the mutual dependence that exists between tourism and cultural heritage that has become more apparent. While cultural heritage creates a foundation for the growth of tourism, tourism itself has the power to generate funds that make the conservation efforts possible. Cultural heritage loses its meaning without an audience and a society participating in and benefitting from it. Ultimately, the success of how well the tourism and cultural heritage management work together is what will bring success to achieve the common goal of fostering better understanding and sustainable growth and the book has attempted to break down some barriers that have previously repressed partnership information. The authors note in the Epilogue that their hope is that by fostering a better understanding of the legitimate interests of cultural heritage management within the tourism industry and of the legitimate interests of tourism within the cultural management sector, more professionals from both sectors will begin to appreciate the benefits of partnership.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Discussion Topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Discussion Topics - Essay Example (The Gilder, 2009) The Civil Rights Movement is very important in American history because it consequently put a stop to obvious discrimination and abuse of people who helped America gain freedom and prosperity. Despite the optimism of the times, African Americans were still being looked down on in American society. I have chosen Rosa Parks as someone who played a very significant role in post-war America. Rosa Parks was just a civilian but what she did on the bus in Montgomery, not giving up her seat in the colored section of the bus for a white person, sparked much needed reform. Mrs. Sparks had paid the right fare and was seated in the right section of the bus. However, because preference was given to white people that time, Mrs. Sparks was ordered to move. The simple act of Mrs. Sparks, even if she got arrested for it, helped bring about tremendous change in the life of African Americans. Thanks to Mrs. Sparks and other like her who fought for the recognition of black people, the white people stopped treating African Americans as lesser individuals and instead, the â€Å"white† society started treating â€Å"black people† as equals. African Americans were given the rightful privileges due to them as citizens of the United States. The Gilder Lehrman Insitute of American History. (Producer). Anthony Badger on the Civil Rights Movement. Historians on Postwar America. Podcast retrieved from

Friday, September 27, 2019

Email to Mr.Hayward Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Email to Mr.Hayward - Essay Example The study tries to find and analyze the factors of alternative monitors of potential romantic partners. With a small sample of 76 people who are in some committed romantic relationship, Niehuis draws on from the literature the most probable predictors that motivate infidelity in the partners. These predictors are categorized into three categories: qualities that partners bring into the relationship (e.g. permissive sexual values, low conscientiousness, low emotional stability etc.); inter-personal feelings and behavior towards each other in the relationship (e.g. lack of trust, lack of commitment and love etc.); and impact of social network (e.g. how the friends, relatives feel about the relationship and its impact). The sample comprised of equal numbers of male and female participants with an average age of 22 for men and 21 for women. The researcher used McCrae and Costas (1985) Big Five Fersonality measure to rate their own and perception of their partner’s personality. Braiker and Kelleys (1979) Love, Conflict, and Ambivalence scales were used for evaluating the strength of their love in varying situations. Felmlee, Sprecher, and Bassins (1990) 6-item Social Support Scale was used for looking at the extent to which others’ views influence the relationship. Stanley and Markmans (1992) Dedication Commitment, Availability of Fartners, Structural Investment, Social Fressure, and Altemative Monitoring scales were used to evaluate the degree of these characteristics within the partners. Use of Larzelere & Huston’s (1980) dyadic trust scale greatly facilitated to gauge the degree of influence of these predictors in infidelity. Hierarchical regression analysis was carried out wi th gender as control variable. The study found that interpersonal feelings and behavior was largely responsible for alternative monitoring and males are more prone to be unfaithful. I find the study particularly interesting because in the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Resort Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Resort Management - Case Study Example The mission of Oceania Club is to provide customers with all-inclusive high-quality services in order ensure customers satisfaction and loyalty. Oceania Club sets out to create a range of high-quality serviced that are distinctive in type, and especially appealing to people who had acquired a taste for good holidays. Oceania Club guarantees the best room, the warmest atmosphere on average price. Oceania Club is aimed to achieve competitive advantage and sustainable competitive creating value for their customers, select markets where they can excel and present a moving target to their competitors by continually improving their position. Three of the most important factors are innovation, quality and inventory reduction. â€Å"Blessed with a rich flora blossoming, its amphitheatric setting, surrounded by pines, olive groves, cypress trees and a golden long sandy beach, makes Oceania the ideal place for a dreamy holiday† (Oceania Home Page 2007). The resort provides lodging and room facilities. The main lodging facilities include: lounge/tv rooms, conference/meeting facilities, business/internet center, outdoor pool, indoor pool, children playground, restaurant Piano, bar, nightclub/disco, fitness center, sauna, beauty salon. Room facilities are â€Å"A/C individual, heating, satellite/pay tv, safe box, direct phone line, terrace, etc. Also, Oceania proposes a wide range of sports and entertainment activities, children and football swimming pools and beaches† (Oceania Home Page 2007). Oceania Club market is very fragmented in terms of supply, with a large number of smaller operators being characteristic. Consolidation is an ongoing process in the sector. A frequent complaint is marketing's preoccupation with short- term thinking, and an almost total lack of 'strategic thinking', or considering the longer-term implications of external and internal influences on the organization (Hayes & Ninmeier 2003). Seasonality is one of the main weaknesses of this business. Economic strains do exist, however, and some of the most sensitive factors relate to seasonal variation in Greece. In order to attract tourist around the world, Oceania Club introduces special summer and winter offers. The price varies from $12,15 in winter to $251 in summer. This strategy helps Oceania Club to avoid empty hotels, carriers and tour operators with idle wheels, and employees jobless. Also, skillful marketing, expensive, but effective, helps Oceania Club overcome some of the problems associated with seasonality (Hayes & Ninmeier 2003). Resort Property A model building is one of the hallmarks of Oceania Club. Oceania Club is "built in a luxurious, contemporary Mediterranean style and inspired by the Greek architectural traditions" (Oceania Club Home Page 2007). Land-use zoning and the spatial separation of accommodation from the buildings increase resort carrying capacity in locations. This model distinguished between the resort which represented culture and the sea which represented nature. What emerged was a transitional zone between culture and nature, a zone of 'ambiguity' - the beach. Oceania Club has 1 building with 5 room wings, 297 rooms, 3 floors and 10 lifts. It proposes the following accommodations: double room, junior suit and deluxe junior suit, suit and deluxe suit (Introduction to

Range of materials for an event Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Range of materials for an event - Essay Example (Charles Bal, 2004). This fact maybe used to convince the sponsors about sponsoring the event. The event: The event that is going to be staged is the Youth Athletics Championship organized by the councils of South London Boroughs including Croydon, Sutton and Bromley. The mission of the event is to raise funds for the regeneration of the area of South London. Youth Athletics Championship is a local public event for the secondary schools of the three boroughs of south London. It will be held on the weekends of 14th - 15th and 21st-22nd of May 2001 in the Crystal Palace Athletics Stadium located in zone 4 of London. 30 students from each of the 36 secondary schools would have a chance to take part in the competition. Objectives: The South London area is known to be one of the poorest areas in London that is lacking good sporting facilities as well as any good extra curriculum teams. One of the main objectives of this event is to encourage students to take part in activities, for exampl e, such as sports.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Non-Governmental Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Non-Governmental Organization - Essay Example In spite of that, an NGO is never constituted as a political party, a criminal group, a government body, or a violent guerilla agency. (Willetts, 2002); (Baehr; Gordenker, 1986) In 1910, around 132 international NGOs formed a coalition under the name, the Union of International Associations. At that time, the NGOs had a variety of names for themselves including international institutes, international unions, and international organizations. Although the initial scheme of the UN charter did not consider any plan to combine forces with private organizations, a grand meeting at the San Francisco conference changed this fact. Thence came into being the United Nations, in 1945. The participation of NGOs in UN greatly increased its role in the social and economic issues around the world, and it also raised the status of the Economic and Social Council to a principal organ. So, in order to differentiate the two types of organizations involved in the UN, specialized agencies was the term set for organizations formed by intergovernmental agreements, while non-governmental organizations was set for private agencies. Both these terms were entered into the official UN vocabulary, but NGO gained a much larger popularity, especially since the 1970's, and so entered into general use. (Willetts, 2002) Growth The number of NGOs increased exponentially after the Second World War, at the national and local level. On the international level, NGOs came into being supporting global issues like human rights, rights of women, and maintenance of the environment. Along with these issues, international NGOs also gained importance in the matter of global politics associated with the UN and its subsidiary organizations. (Karns, 2008); (Ahmed; Potter, 2006) Some of the factors that have contributed to the growth of NGOs worldwide are given below (Karns, 2008); (Baylis; Smith, 2001): Globalization. A rise in popularity of global issues like human rights, environmental protection, etc. An increase in international conferences held under the sponsorship of the United Nations. The boom in technology, which lead to smooth communications between individuals or organizations through facsimile (fax), Internet, and e-mail.An increase in the popularity of democracy, which gave rise to the civil society and provided the opportunity to every person to constitute and manage organizations more freely. General Role NGOs take part in a variety of activities. They provide significant information and consultancies to both governmental and international organizations, for instance agencies affiliated with the UN, regarding current global issues. The data supplied to these organizations is often not available to the local government. (Karns, 2008) NGOs may decide to have a particular policy to tread on, like banning of landmines, acted upon by the International Campaign to Ban

Monday, September 23, 2019

COMPUTER CRIME Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

COMPUTER CRIME - Coursework Example The latest statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI (2014) indicates that the complaints received in 2012 were 289,874 amounting to losses of $525,441,110, this representing 8.3% increase in losses reported to the agency in a span of one year. The trend is similar to what has been recorded from 2008. In spite of the adjustments by the FBI in tackling current wave of crimes, the threat continues to present most dynamic transformations, making them increasingly sophisticated, dangerous and common. The widespread interconnectivity leveraging on the Internet is to blame for this trend. The Internet provides a shared and integrated platform that fosters anonymity and inability to be traced thus propagating computer crimes (Stephenson & Gilbert, 2013). Furthermore, there is a rapid increase in computer knowledge in the modern world which propagates formulation of complex attacks. There is an increasing list of the types of computer crimes. Among the common types are hacking, phishing and virus distribution. Hacking refers to the beating of computer system security capabilities so as to gain illegal access to information stored therein. This also includes the hacking of IP addresses so as to transact under a false identity, hence anonymity in carrying out crime. Secondly, phishing entails the acquisition of sensitive information such as passwords, usernames and credit card details in the disguise of a trustworthy source. It could be executed through emails or luring users to key in personal information in criminal websites. Criminals would often use websites having familiar looks so as to gain the users’ confidence. Finally, the crime of computer viruses involves use of computer programs with the capability of self replication that harms computer systems in a network. This occurs without the user’s knowledge and spreads from a computer to anothe r through

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Research in psychology-week3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research in psychology-week3 - Essay Example Furthermore it uses meta- analysis to compare this rate of relapse of offences in juveniles to those of adults and the findings indicate that it was relatively lower but not significantly different. This quantitative research analyses the issue at hand using an appropriate research framework because the situation requires the division of clearly defined variables. The undertaking is most appropriate as it is conducted by the use of meta-analysis. Using this approach the researchers gets the opportunity to critically evaluate and statistically combine results of comparable studies to the one he is currently conducting hence acquiring a comprehensive findings. This in regard to the current study would be to analyze the characteristics of the juvenile justice and compare the probability of repeat offences with that of the instruments of adult risk assessment. The findings indicate the presence of strong similarities between the two. Susan J. Smiths ‘Crime and the structure of soci al relations’ analyses the geography of crime. Looking at the element of victimization in an ethically mixed inner city the findings of the study suggest that the distribution of crime reflects the lifestyle and the activity patterns of a community. Using aspects of an exploratory research and observation the researcher addresses abstract concerns about the problems of law and order by highlighting certain characteristics of a specific residential environment and the effect of crime in terms of social anxieties it faces. The approach taken by the research is deemed most appropriate considering the achieving of an understanding of a complex phenomenon. Furthermore it investigates the relationships and patterns in the context in which the activity happens. This can be seen in the way the findings indicate that the more an environment is prone to violence in terms of trends of lifestyle the more the crime feeds into the structure of a society and social relations. References Cra ig S. Schwalbe. Risk Assessment for Juvenile Justice: A Meta-Analysis. Law and Human Behavior, 31, 449 - 464. Susan J. Smith. Crime and the Structure of Social Relations. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 9,

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Origins of World War I Essay Example for Free

Origins of World War I Essay The World War I fought between 1914 and 1918, is considered the largest of any war in human history and ever since, many refer it as the Great War. It was a culmination of activities and competition across European nations. It’s estimated that 14 million people lost their lives on the First World War. The causes of the World War I were complicated which includes; 1. Imperialism- The scramble for Africa and some other parts of Asia for raw materials by European countries led to a competition and this pushed the world into the World War I. 2. Defense alliances-most countries all over Europe had formed defense agreements that if one country was attacked, allied countries would join and fight back. For example when Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia joined to defend Serbia and German started to attack Russia. 3. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand from Hungary and his wife in June 1914 by a Serbian national is considered to be an immediate cause. It took place in Sarajevo, Bosnia and which was part of Hungary. This was followed by protests as Serbia wanted to take control of Bosnia then Hungary declared war on Serbia leading to an expansion of the war trough the mutual defense alliances. It’s not exactly known which country was responsible for the war though Germany is strongly believed to be responsible for the out break of the war. Through the Schlieffen plan German was supposed first to invade France through Belgium then Russia before it had mobilized. Germany was also a major partner in the triple alliance and it’s perceived that Hungary would not have risked war with Serbia without full backing of Germany through the blank check given on 6th, june1914. However, on the other hand the war started first as conflict between Hungary and Serbia after the assassin of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Hungary. In all fairness historians argue that all senior powers were responsible for war. In conclusion, other than trade, peace alliances and coalitions between nations should be formed and promoted to foster peace and understanding. This will prevent t an out break of another war. References Henig Ruth, 2002, The Origins of the First World War, Routledge.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Understanding Fatigue and the Implications for Worker Safety

Understanding Fatigue and the Implications for Worker Safety Introduction Workplace safety requires a systematic approach that includes an understanding of risk factors and identification of hazards. Worker fatigue has been identified as a risk factor for both acute and cumulative injuries. Fatigue and incomplete recovery can lead to decreased capacity that can result in an increased risk of injury and a decline in work efficiency (Kumar 2001, de Looze, Bosch, and van Dieà «n 2009, Visser and van Dieà «n 2006). In addition, fatigue contributes to accidents, injuries and death (Williamson et al. 2011). Over $300 million in lost productivity time in US workplaces can be tied to fatigue. Significantly reducing the incidence of fatigue-induced workplace injuries and lost productivity depends on the accurate and timely detection of fatigue to allow for appropriate intervention. Although the term fatigue is commonly used, it has come to refer to many concepts in occupational safety and health. In order to manage and mitigate fatigue and the associated risks, it is essential to understand the different types and components. Fatigue is generally accepted as resulting in the impairment of capacity or performance as a result of work. However, fatigue is multidimensional, either acute or chronic, whole body or muscle level, physical or mental, central or peripheral. In addition, it includes a decline in objective performance, as well as perceptions of fatigue. Of added importance are the roles of sleep and circadian function. Each of these aspects of fatigue do not occur in isolation, but interact to modify worker capacity and injury risk. Both mental and physical fatigue can result in poor decision making, which may result in an acute injury (Williamson et al. 2011). The risk of injury is dependent on both the injury mechanism and the characteristics of the work being performed. Parameters of importance in the development of fatigue, and subsequent risk, include the length of time-on-task between breaks, work pace, and the timing of rest breaks (Williamson et al. 2011). Researchers have postulated that through delineation of the quantitative details of relevant variables, appropriate interventions and injury control can be developed (Kumar 2001). How to best quantify workplace conditions, particularly physical exposures experienced by the worker, remains an open research question (Kim and Nussbaum 2012). Current approaches to fatigue monitoring and detection often rely either on fitness-for-duty tests to determine whether the worker has sufficient capacity prior to start work, monitoring of sleep habits, or intrusive monitoring of brain activation (using electroencephalography (EEG)) (Balkin et al. 2011) or changes in local muscle fatigue (using electromyography (EMG)) (Dong, Ugaldey, and El Saddik 2014). While there is no single standard measurement of fatigue, there are numerous subjective measurement scales and objective measurement techniques that can be adapted for workplace use. Recent advances in wearable technologies also present an opportun ity for real-time and in-the-field assessment of fatigue development. Why should we care about fatigue? Fatigue in the workplace is often described as a multidimensional process, which results in a diminishing of worker performance. It results from prolonged activity, and is associated with psychological, socioeconomic and environmental factors (Barker and Nussbaum 2011, Yung 2016). From an occupational health and safety perspective, fatigue must be managed and controlled since it has significant short-term and long-term implications. In the short-term, fatigue can result in discomfort, diminished motor control, and reduced strength capacity (Bjà ¶rklund et al. 2000, Cà ´tà © et al. 2005, Huysmans et al. 2010). These effects might lead to reduced performance, lowered productivity, deficits in work quality, and increased incidence of accidents and human errors (Yung 2016). Fatigue can also result in longer term adverse health outcomes, including, e.g., chronic fatigue syndrome (Yung 2016) and reduced immune function (Kajimoto 2008). It can be seen as a precursor to work-related muscu loskeletal disorders (WMSDs) (Iridiastadi and Nussbaum 2006). These outcomes have been associated with future morbidity and mortality, work disability, occupational accidents, increased absenteeism, increased presenteeism, unemployment, reduced quality of life, and disruptive effects on social relationships and activities (Yung 2016). The safety impacts of fatigue are best evidenced in the transportation domain. In the U.S., an estimated 32,675 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2014 (2015a). In 2013 there were 342,000 reported truck crashes that resulted in 3,964 fatalities and ~95,000 injuries (2015b). While these crashes often result from several factors, it is estimated that driver-related factors are the leading cause for 75-90% of fatal/injury-inducing crashes (Craye et al. 2015, Stanton and Salmon 2009, Medina et al. 2004, Lal and Craig 2001). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that about 20% of all crashes are fatigue-related (Strohl et al. 1998) and 60% of fatal truck crashes can be attributed to the driver falling asleep while driving (Craye et al. 2015). Drowsy driving increases crash risk by 600% over normal driving (Klauer et al. 2006). For many years, a succinct definition of fatigue has been sought after (Aaronson et al. 1999). In our estimation, there is no simple and standard definition for fatigue. For example, our statement above: Fatigue in the workplace is often described as a multidimensional process, which results in a diminishing of worker performance, while true, is not sufficient to describe fatigue, since there are many other conditions that may result in a diminished workers performance (e.g., motivation). Perhaps, more importantly, there are several other factors that impact our ability to determine one standard definition: Workplace fatigue development mechanisms differ significantly according to the occupation type. For example, in manufacturing, the focus is typically on physical/muscle fatigue or related to the shift schedule, and in transportation drowsiness and sleepiness are often the root-causes for driver fatigue. Given the complexity of the human body, a single mechanism unlikely explains fatigue under all conditions, even for a single task and fatigue type (i.e. muscle fatigue) (Weir et al. 2006). No one definition can explain the complex interactions between biological processes, behavior, and psychological phenomena (Aaronson et al. 1999). It is unlikely that a single theory can be used to explain all observations of performance deterioration (Weir et al. 2006). Thus, we cannot provide a single definition of fatigue in this paper. Instead we refer the reader to Yung (2016, p.14) for a summary of multiple example fatigue definitions from various domains. Measuring and Quantifying Fatigue In this section, we divide how fatigue is measured according to cognitive and physical functions respectively. Talk about PVT and reaction time as the main standards for sleep-related fatigue There are several important cognitive characteristics that are typically assed in the context of fatigue. These include: a) arousal, b) alertness/ attention, c) cognitive control, d) motivation, and e) stress. Arousal is commonly measured in transportation safety studies since it aims at assessing sleep deprivation, an important root-cause for trucking crashes (especially at night) (Philip et al. 2005, Strohl et al. 1998). Measures of arousal include heart rate, electrodermal response (EDR), pupil dilation and self-report questionnaires (Yung 2016). Alertness and attention are important in translating sensory and work-related inputs into actionable items. They can be measured using gaze direction, EEG, validated scales, and questionnaires. The third characteristic, cognitive control, has to do with the time taken to process information, and thus, reaction time is perhaps the most commonly used measure for evaluating it. The fourth characteristic is perhaps the hardest to measure sinc e motivation cannot be assessed except through questionnaires and validated scales. Stress can be assessed through a number of measures which include heart rate variability, blood pressure and body postures (Yung 2016). The reader should note that the measures for quantifying mental fatigue include intrusive monitoring systems (e.g. EEG and blood pressure monitoring systems), non-intrusive measures (camera systems to detect gaze direction), and somewhat subjective measures (questionnaires and scales). Table 1 provides a summary of physiological and physical indicators of fatigue. Table 1: Typical Physiological and Physical Indicators of Fatigue Development Measurement Direction of Change with Fatigue Heart rate Increases with physical fatigue Heart rate variability Decreases with mental fatigue (for root-mean square of the successive differences (RMSSD)) Increased Low Frequency / High Frequency (LF/HF) power ratio Electromyography Decrease in mean power frequency Increase in root mean square amplitude Strength Decrease in maximum exertion Tremor Increase in physiological and postural tremor Pupil dilation Increases with mental fatigue and drowsiness Blink rate Increased percentage eyelid closure over the pupil, over time (PERCLOS) Reaction time Increased reaction time and lapses (using psychomotor vigilance task (PVT)) Performance Increase in errors and task completion time Force variability Increase in variability with physical fatigue Subjective assessment Increase in ratings of discomfort and fatigue On the physical side, electromyography is one of the most commonly used evaluation tools for muscle fatigue in a laboratory setting. The gold standard is to detect cellular and metabolic changes through blood sampling techniques (Garde, Hansen, and Jensen 2003). Since these approaches are intrusive, some researchers attempt to detect symptoms of physical fatigue. These symptoms include an impairment in postural control (Davidson, Madigan, and Nussbaum 2004), increased sway (Davidson, Madigan, and Nussbaum 2004), and joint angle variability (Madigan, Davidson, and Nussbaum 2006). Additional symptoms include an increase in exerted force variability (Svendson et al. 2010) and increased tremor (Lippold 1981). Note that these symptoms can be observed through the use of check sheets, visual inspection (manual and/or through cameras), and self-reported questionnaires among other tools. In our estimation, most methods described above are of limited use in practice since they are either invasive (and will be resisted by individuals/unions) or rely on visual inspection performed by an observer. Perhaps, more importantly, each observational and measurement technique also focuses primarily on one main risk factor, such as posture or force, or a combined set of factors but for a repetitive task, such as the NIOSH work practices guide (Waters et al. 1993). This fails to capture the interactive nature of many fatigue precursors as well as the variability of the work performed. In addition, these methods do not take into account the characteristics of the individual, beyond general anthropometric and demographic attributes, such as height and age. One important consideration is that the application of these methods in field studies and practice have also been limited by the question: can we detect if fatigue (or its symptoms) has occurred? Note that this question is binary with a yes/no answer. However, it is well understood that fatigue is a process that occurs as a function of loading, time and exertion and is not an end point. From a safety perspective, a more interesting question is: Can we predict when fatigue will occur for a given worker based on their schedule, environment and job tasks? If this can be done, then fatigue management will progress from a reactive state (equivalent of the personal protective equipment state in traditional hazard control theory) to higher/safer levels of engineering controls, substitution and/or perhaps elimination through modeling and scheduling. The increasing availability of pervasive sensing technologies, including wearable devices, combined with the digitization of health information has the potential to provide the necessary monitoring, recording, and communication of individuals physical and environmental exposures to address this question (Kim and Nussbaum 2012, Vignais et al. 2013). In the following section, we describe some of the research and commercially available products that are used for predicting/monitoring fatigue development. Predicting Fatigue Development Models for fatigue development are not new, but the existing models are often incomplete. Models for predicting/understanding how humans fatigue have received significant attention over the past few decades in the fields of aviation, driving, mining, and professional athletics. In the transportation areas (i.e. aviation and driving), the models originated from efforts to model the underlying relationships between sleep regulation and circadian dynamics (Dinges 2004). Dinges (2004) present a survey of the biomathematical models used in this area. There are also some surveys on driver fatigue detection models, see e.g. Wang et al. (2006). However, based on our interactions with one of the larger trucking companies in the U.S., these models do not offer answers to the following question: Given the massive data collected on each truck that include indirect indicators of fatigue, e.g. lane departures and hard brakes, and individual characteristics of each driver, can we predict how each driver will fatigue for a given assignment, traffic condition and weather profile? With the advent of big data, this is the direction that is needed for fatigue development in the trucking industry. One can make parallels for aviation and military applications. In mining, there are commercially available products that claim to predict fatigue among mine workers. The authors did not have the chance to test these products and thus, we cannot verify/validate these claims. However, if true, this system will be a significant contribution to mining safety. Based on the above discussion, there are several important observations to be made. First, there has not been much independent research verifying the claims made for any commercial products. Thus, practitioners should use them with caution and in tandem with their current safety methods. Second, there have been only limited attempts to perform inter-disciplinary research in fatigue development. Thus, the current approaches are domain-dependent and are often incomplete since they consider only a few precursors. There needs to be a systematic move towards utilizing big data analytics as a mechanism to harness the massive amounts of data that is being captured on our equipment, workers, etc. The research challenge is to ensure that we are asking the right questions prior to considering what the technology can (or cannot) provide. Third, it is somewhat inexplicable that the manufacturing safety community is significantly behind other safety domains. We believe that there is a significant opportunity for both researchers and practitioners in examining how other disciplines are managing fatigue. General Strategies for Fatigue Management and Mitigation There are several somewhat recent publications that detail how to manage physical and/or mental fatigue indicators (Hartley and Commission 2000, Caldwell, Caldwell, and Schmidt 2008, Williamson et al. 2011, Williamson and Friswell 2013). These studies have presented the typical hazard control recommendations, which include administrative and engineering controls that can reduce/mitigate the development of fatigue. Practitioners should also consult the documentation from Transport Canada on Developing and Implementing a Fatigue Risk Management System (https://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/ca-standards/14575e.pdf). Typical interventions include: rest (for physical fatigue), sleep (for alertness), modified work-rest schedules, and limits on the cumulative hours worked in a week (or shift changes). While these strategies are effective for population averages/overall, they do not address the weakest link in the workforce (i.e. those most likely to fatigue and/or get injured). We see much w ork needed in this area. Concluding Remarks In this paper, we have provided an overview of some of the current issues in fatigue detection/ management research and practice. Based on our review of the literature, we offer the following advice to safety professionals: Transportation Safety Professionals: There is a significant body of research that highlights the impact of lack of sleep (e.g. from sleep apnea and/or scheduling), night driving, weather (e.g. cloudy or rainy), and work-rest schedules on fatigue development. In general, less sleep, night driving, bad weather and frequent changes in the work-rest schedule are more detrimental to transportation safety. To mitigate these risks, the routing/scheduling can be modified to alleviate some of these precursors. In addition, wearable sensors and on-vehicle systems (e.g. lane departure and hard brake detection sensors) can provide real-time indicators of fatigue development in driving. The data from these sensors can be used through simple dashboards that provide the dispatcher with information on which drivers are at risk. The dispatcher can then force these drivers to rest if fatigued (and sleep in-cabin at a truck stop if necessary) since a short break/nap can help mitigate these effects. Manufacturing Safety Professionals: Fatigue has been shown to be a precursor to risky behaviors and long-term injuries. It is also associated with a diminished performance and, therefore, can result in significant quality problems. Based on our discussion with several safety managers from large automotive companies, we have learned that it is often easier to sell safety projects to upper management when it is combined with quality improvement initiatives. The rationale is simple to management since they can see a return on investment (ROI) on these projects when compared to a softer objective (reducing/eliminating the probability of a safety problem that has not occurred before). In addition, we challenge practitioners to categorize their at-risk populations (e.g. unexperienced workers, obese and/or elder workers, etc.). These workers cannot be modeled by existing ergonomics and safety models that consider an average worker. Thus, a dashboard and sensors that monitor their absenteeis m, quality of their work and/or complaints can be used to trigger appropriate interventions. Mining Safety Researchers: The technology with fatigue monitoring (and more general safety) in mining has evolved significantly over the past decade. There are several commercial products that allow for active monitoring, scheduling, and equipment safety checks. To our knowledge, at least one major equipment manufacturer has released a safety systems suite that incorporates all these data sources to present a clear picture of a workers fatigue and distraction risk. We did not test the validity of these claims and therefore, we ask safety practitioners to ask for system demos and ensure that this particular system meets their needs. A word of caution: fatigue detection systems do not mitigate and/or eliminate fatigue. In addition, we urge safety professionals to embrace the role of technology and its potential to redefine safety from a one system fits all to an individualized approach. For researchers and educators, we believe that there is a sufficient body of literature that suggests that our community is headed to individualized safety models. To develop these models, there needs to be an emphasis on managing large amounts of data, revisiting our old models and ensuring that we can offer data-driven interventions for safety/ergonomics problems. In essence, our field is moving towards individualized models and evidence-based interventions. Acknowledgments This research was partially supported by the American Society for Safety Engineers (ASSE) Foundation grant titled ASSIST: Advancing Safety Surveillance using Individualized Sensor Technology. Bibliography 2015a. Crash Stats: Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2014. edited by U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration. Washington, DC: NHTSAs National Center for Statistics and Analysis. 2015b. Large Trucks: 2013 Data (Traffic Safety Facts. DOT HS 812 150). National Center for Statistics and Analysis, accessed 06/01. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812150.pdf. Aaronson, Lauren S, Cynthia S Teel, Virginia Cassmeyer, Geri B Neuberger, Leonie Pallikkathayil, Janet Pierce, Allan N Press, Phoebe D Williams, and Anita Wingate. 1999. Defining and measuring fatigue. Image: the journal of nursing scholarship 31 (1):45-50. Balkin, Thomas J., William J. Horrey, R. Curtis Graeber, Charles A. Czeisler, and David F. Dinges. 2011. The challenges and opportunities of technological approaches to fatigue management. Accident Analysis Prevention 43 (2):565-572. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2009.12.006. Barker, L. M., and M. A. Nussbaum. 2011. The effects of fatigue on performance in simulated nursing work. Ergonomics 54 (9):815-29. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2011.597878. Bjà ¶rklund, Martin, Albert G Crenshaw, Mats Djupsjà ¶backa, and Hà ¥kan Johansson. 2000. Position sense acuity is diminished following repetitive low-intensity work to fatigue in a simulated occupational setting. European journal of applied physiology 81 (5):361-367. Caldwell, John A, J Lynn Caldwell, and Regina M Schmidt. 2008. Alertness management strategies for operational contexts. Sleep medicine reviews 12 (4):257-273. Cà ´tà ©, Julie N, Denis Raymond, Pierre A Mathieu, Anatol G Feldman, and Mindy F Levin. 2005. Differences in multi-joint kinematic patterns of repetitive hammering in healthy, fatigued and shoulder-injured individuals. Clinical Biomechanics 20 (6):581-590. Craye, Cà ©line, Abdullah Rashwan, Mohamed S. Kamel, and Fakhri Karray. 2015. A Multi-Modal Driver Fatigue and Distraction Assessment System. International Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems Research:1-22. doi: 10.1007/s13177-015-0112-9. Davidson, Bradley S, Michael L Madigan, and Maury A Nussbaum. 2004. Effects of lumbar extensor fatigue and fatigue rate on postural sway. European Journal of Applied Physiology 93 (1-2):183-189. de Looze, Michiel, Tim Bosch, and Jaap van Dieà «n. 2009. Manifestations of shoulder fatigue in prolonged activities involving low-force contractions. Ergonomics 52 (4):428-437. doi: 10.1080/00140130802707709. Dinges, David F. 2004. Critical Research Issues in Development of Biomathematical Models of Fatigue and Performance. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 75 (3):A181-A191. Dong, Haiwei, Izaskun Ugaldey, and Abdulmotaleb El Saddik. 2014. Development of a fatigue-tracking system for monitoring human body movement. Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference (I2MTC) Proceedings, 2014 IEEE International, 12-15 May 2014. Garde, A Helene, Ã…se M Hansen, and Bente R Jensen. 2003. Physiological responses to four hours of low-level repetitive work. Scandinavian journal of work, environment health:452-460. Hartley, Laurence, and National Road Transport Commission. 2000. Review of fatigue detection and prediction technologies: National Road Transport Commission Melbourne. Huysmans, Maaike A, Marco JM Hoozemans, Allard J van der Beek, Michiel P de Looze, and Jaap H van Dieà «n. 2010. Position sense acuity of the upper extremity and tracking performance in subjects with non-specific neck and upper extremity pain and healthy controls. Journal of rehabilitation medicine 42 (9):876-883. Iridiastadi, H, and MA Nussbaum. 2006. Muscle fatigue and endurance during repetitive intermittent static efforts: development of prediction models. Ergonomics 49 (4):344-360. Kajimoto, Osami. 2008. Development of a method of evaluation of fatigue and its economic impacts. In Fatigue Science for Human Health, 33-46. Springer. Kim, Sunwook, and Maury A. Nussbaum. 2012. Performance evaluation of a wearable inertial motion capture system for capturing physical exposures during manual material handling tasks. Ergonomics 56 (2):314-326. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2012.742932. Klauer, Sheila G, Thomas A Dingus, Vicki L Neale, Jeremy D Sudweeks, and David J Ramsey. 2006. The impact of driver inattention on near-crash/crash risk: An analysis using the 100-car naturalistic driving study data. Washington, DC. Kumar, Shrawan. 2001. Theories of musculoskeletal injury causation. Ergonomics 44 (1):17-47. doi: 10.1080/00140130120716. Lal, Saroj K. L., and Ashley Craig. 2001. A critical review of the psychophysiology of driver fatigue. Biological Psychology 55 (3):173-194. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0301-0511(00)00085-5. Lippold, OCJ. 1981. The tremor in fatigue. In Human muscle fatigue: Physiological mechanisms, 234-248. Pitman Medical London (CIBA Foundation symposium 82). Madigan, Michael L, Bradley S Davidson, and Maury A Nussbaum. 2006. Postural sway and joint kinematics during quiet standing are affected by lumbar extensor fatigue. Human movement science 25 (6):788-799. Medina, Alejandra L., Suzanne E. Lee, Walter W. Wierwille, and Richard J. Hanowski. 2004. Relationship between Infrastructure, Driver Error, and Critical Incidents. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 48 (16):2075-2079. doi: 10.1177/154193120404801661. Philip, Pierre, Patricia Sagaspe, Nicholas Moore, Jacques Taillard, Andrà © Charles, Christian Guilleminault, and Bernard Bioulac. 2005. Fatigue, sleep restriction and driving performance. Accident Analysis Prevention 37 (3):473-478. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2004.07.007. Stanton, Neville A., and Paul M. Salmon. 2009. Human error taxonomies applied to driving: A generic driver error taxonomy and its implications for intelligent transport systems. Safety Science 47 (2):227-237. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2008.03.006. Strohl, KP, SL Merritt, J Blatt, AI Pack, F Council, and S Rogus. 1998. Drowsy driving and automobile crashes. nccdr/nhtsa expert panel on driver fatigue and sleepiness. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, accessed 01/25. http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/drowsy_driving1/Drowsy.html. Vignais, Nicolas, Markus Miezal, Gabriele Bleser, Katharina Mura, Dominic Gorecky, and Frà ©dà ©ric Marin. 2013. Innovative system for real-time ergonomic feedback in industrial manufacturing. Applied Ergonomics 44 (4):566-574. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2012.11.008. Visser, Bart, and Jaap H. van Dieà «n. 2006. Pathophysiology of upper extremity muscle disorders. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology 16 (1):1-16. doi: DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2005.06.005. Wang, Qiong, Jingyu Yang, Mingwu Ren, and Yujie Zheng. 2006. Driver fatigue detection: a survey. WCICA 2006: The Sixth World Congress on Intelligent Control and Automation, Dalian, China. Waters, Thomas R., Vern Putz-Anderson, Arun Garg, and Lawrence J. Fine. 1993. Revised NIOSH equation for the design and evaluation of manual lifting tasks. Ergonomics 36 (7):749 776. Weir, JP, TW Beck, JT Cramer, and TJ Housh. 2006. Is fatigue all in your head? A critical review of the central governor model. British journal of sports medicine 40 (7):573-586. Williamson, Ann, and Rena Friswell. 2013. Fatigue in the workplace: causes and countermeasures. Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health Behavior 1 (1-2):81-98. doi: 10.1080/21641846.2012.744581. Williamson, Ann, David A. Lombardi, Simon Folkard, Jane Stutts, Theodore K. Courtney, and Jennie L. Connor. 2011. The link between fatigue and safety. Accident Analysis Prevention 43 (2):498-515. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2009.11.011. Yung, Marcus. 2016. Fatigue at the Workplace: Measurement and Temporal Development. PhD, Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Punishment of a Sinner in The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Punishment of a Sinner in The Scarlet Letter Who should punish a sinner? Should it be religion, society, or the individual? In Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter all three affect the main character Hester Prynne. Religion punishes her with the Scarlet Letter, society ostracizes her as punishment, and individually she was able to move on in life but still returned to her haunting past where she died. Religion plays a big part in the Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne wore the Scarlet Letter to remind her of the mistake ahe made. Instaed of taking Pearl away the people wanted her to wear the "A" for adultry. Hester brought up her child forcing the the thought of the heavenily father. Hester's whole lifestyle was altered. She obeyed everyone and for seven years was cursed by standing on the scaffold. The people's beliefs strongly enforced the idea that Hester would wear the Scarlet Letter, so she did. It constantly forced the tought of the sin she had commited and would haunt her for good. "I have thought have death," said she, - "have wished for it, - would even have prayed for it, were it fit that such as I should pray for anything." Society was an influence on the scarlet letter. People of the town believed that Hester was a witch as well as sinner. Society ostracized her because no one in the town had ever delt with any kind of sin as adultry so they looked at her as a witch. The people in a way wanted to ruin her life because people actually thought she was bad. One of the real canadites that wanted to ruin Hester was Mistress Hibbins. Through out the whole story Mistress Hibbins constantly gives Hester her piece of mind. "Thou thyself wilt see it, one time or another. They say, child, thou art of the lineage of the Prince of the Air! Wilt thou ride with me, some fine night, to see thy father." Individually she was ostracized and critizied no matter where she went. As time went on she helped the people proving there was a true side to Hester Prynne. That led to the "A" no longer standing for adultry but for able.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Thanksgiving :: essays research papers

Thanksgiving Day In today’s meeting, the President of the United States of America, George W. Bush, officially announced he is having a Thanksgiving party at his ranch in Crawford, Texas this weekend. Throughout the day, invitations were sent out all over the White House. My body grew tremendously excited at the possibility that maybe this year I would be invited. My partner Bill walked in with his invitation in his hand, wagged it around as though it were merely nothing to him and then threw it aimlessly towards the trash can but missed. My eyes grew large as I was extremely angered by the offense he had just committed in front of me. To my surprise, he caught my severe look and politely asked, â€Å"Would you rather go instead of me? I could simply change the name without anyone knowing.† The tension on my face began to ease as I looked up at him from my seat and to my amusement my lips formed a strong smile in answer to his question. The process took only a short moment but in that t ime I carefully observed the paper in Bill’s hand and couldn’t help but notice its beauty. The thickness of the card clearly showed its expense and the soft colors of the shade blue played along the edges of the card, showing its artistic side for the affair. And now I was a member. Once I got to my apartment I called my family back home to tell them about the exciting news. Father wasn’t home but the message was reassured to get through to him, making sure plans were still set. I packed everything I thought I would need and headed off to sleep. My legs trembled as they always did at times like these and before I knew it the sunlight crept into my bedroom, slowly covering it completely. Now, it was time to go.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I arrived at the ranch on time with everybody else so that I would blend in. There stood President Bush, his lovely wife Laura and the adorable twins Barbara and Jenna. It was the twin’s 23rd birthday as well, so the celebration was going to be a big hit. On the left side of the President stood everybody else from his team like Vice President Richard B.Cheney, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Powell, and National Security Advisor Rice. The Vice President seemed happy and eager to eat as he kept rubbing his pot belly.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

censorship sucks @*$ Essay examples -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The word censorship dates back to the sixth century B.C. in the Roman Empire. Roman officials titled censors would assess citizen’s property, and they would proclaim its value. The wealthier a citizen was the more rights that citizen received. Censorship is defined presently as the suppression of all or part of a publication, play, or film considered offensive or a treat. Unfortunately due to current political and social circumstances, or just very wealthy right winged conservatives; the oppression of censorship has been stretched over the very head of the first amendment like the lower lip of a man stretched over his head. Countless times in our society we find cases of over censoring, causing many to question whether or not censorship has a rightful place anymore?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In The New York Times there was an article printed about a censorship issue at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. In October of 2003 a film student named Paula Carmicino was told to stop production on four-minute documentary of the â€Å"portrayal of the contrast between unbridled human lust and banal everyday behavior.† They administration felt that her film was inappropriate, even for a university. The film required two actors to have sex on camera in front of the class. Her professor approved, but the administration of the Tisch School saw it as not acceptable. The matter caused a very tempestuous situation on campus.   Ã‚  Ã‚   ...

Imperfect Punishments Essay

Imagine a place where tyrants stand up to their ears in boiling blood, the gluttonous experience monsoons of human filth, and those who commit sins of the flesh are blown about like pieces of paper in a never-ending wind storm. Welcome to Dante’s Inferno, his perspective on the appropriate punishments for those who are destined to hell for all eternity. Dante attempts to make the punishments fit the crimes, but because it is Dante dealing out the tortures and not God, the punishments will never be perfect because by nature, man is an imperfect creature. Only God is capable of being above reproach and of metering out a just punishment. While Dante’s treatment towards the tyrants is fitting, his views on the inhabitants of the Ante Inferno and Limbo seem to be backwards and these poor people are doomed to suffer misguided punishments. Therefore, despite Dante’s best attempts to justly punish each sinner, he makes a few mistakes because he is not God and Dante is un able to unbiasedly judge each sinner. If you were to attempt a journey through Hell, the first unlucky hellions you would encounter are the inhabitants of the Ante Inferno. The residents of this â€Å"not quite heaven, not quite hell† domain were placed here because while living, they chose to neither side with God nor with the Devil. By choosing neither good nor evil, these people sinned because they never chose to live by a set of Christian ideals. The punishment for these sinners is to constantly chase a white flag. The color of the flag symbolizes the blank and empty life the sinners led because they did not choose to follow God. The sinners are also bitten by wasps because in real life, they were never forced into any type of moral decision, so in the Ante Inferno, the wasps sting them and force them to chase the white flag. While the ordeal these sinners face seems entirely appropriate, their physical location in hell, or lack there of, is what makes their punishment wrong. This becomes very obvious when the punishment for those in Limbo is considered. Limbo is the First Circle of Hell and it is the final resting place for the people who died before the birth of Christianity or who were never baptized. Notable figures like Moses and Noah are former residents of Limbo, until  Christ granted them a pardon. Virgil resides in Limbo and has been given a temporary leave of absence to guide Dante through Hell because Beatrice, Dante’s former love who holds a high place in heaven, is worried that he is headed on the path towards Hell. Dante shows pity for those who are stuck in Limbo because as Virgil describes, â€Å"Some lived before the Christian faith, so that They did not worship God aright – and I Am one of these. Through this, no other fault, We are lost, afflicted only this one way: That having no hope, we live in longing†(Canto IV 28-32). Dante is said to be seized with â€Å"heartfelt grief† (Canto IV 33) after hearing this, but no pity is supposed to be felt towards sinners who are receiving just punishments. But how just is it that people who never knew the word of Christ and had no knowledge of Heaven or Hell are sentenced to Hell? It is not a fair punishment to doom those unlucky enough to be born before Christianity to Hell when they were not given a fair chance to learn how to gain entrance to Heaven, especially when you consider that those living in the Ante Inferno were perfectly aware of God and knew the consequences of not living a Christian life. Knowing about God and simply ignoring him seems to be a worse crime than being born before Christ. Perhaps some of the residents of Limbo may have ended up in Hell had they know about Christianity, but some may not have. The people in Limbo were never given the choice to live a life with God, so their punishment and placement in Hell should be less severe t han the people who ignored their chance to gain entrance to Heaven. If Limbo and the Ante Inferno could geographically switch positions, Dante’s reasonsing and punishments for the two groups would make more sense. The sinners in the Ante Inferno experience what seems to be a greater punishment  than what one would face in Limbo. Being constantly stung by wasps and forced to chase a white flag would be mentally and physically exhausting and seems to be a torture straight out of hell†¦ yet they aren’t even technically in hell. On the other hand, in Limbo one merely walks around and talks to other luckless souls, which does not seem to be a punishment constant with what other sinners face in hell. Dante correctly assigned the right punishments to each group of sinners, but he misplaced both groups. Limbo should be outside of Hell because they did not have the knowledge of either Heaven or Hell. The Ante Inferno should be the first level of Hell, reserved for those who knew about Heaven and Hell, choose neither side, and now must fac e the fact that by their indecision, are bound to suffer in Hell. While Dante may have geographically misplaced these two groups of sinners, he did correctly punish most of the sinners in Hell. For example, â€Å"the river of blood – in which boils everyone / Whose violence hurt others† (Canto XII 41-42) describes the perfect punishment for those who were violent while they were alive. The degree of the violence committed also factors into the punishment. Tyrants who slaughtered many people are completely covered in boiling blood, while those who were violent against only a few suffer with blood up to their torsos. This is the perfect punishment because violence is a crime of passion and causes bloodshed. It is appropriate for these sinners to be in boiling blood, which would have been similar to their blood, simmering with rage and passion, while they committed their sin. Being immersed in this disgusting pool of heated blood would be a terrible punishment and it is just that those who commit the crime of violence and murder should s uffer this endless torment. In order to place the sinners in the appropriate levels of Hell, Dante relies on his personal experiences and opinions about the crimes committed. The little bit that we know about Dante and his life, we learn through the opening scenes of the epic and conversations he has with spirits in Hell. The epic opens with Dante, â€Å"In dark woods, the right road lost† (Canto I 2). This shows the Dante is neither a devout Christian, nor is he a sinner. At his place in his life, being neither good nor bad, Dante would most likely be sentenced to life in the Ante Inferno. Throughout the epic, Dante likens  himself to Virgil, but at the same time appears to know that his work is not quite as good as Virgil’s. Perhaps by placing himself and the Ante Inferno in a level of Hell less severe than Limbo, Dante may still not be as good of a poet, but he is able to represent himself as a better person morally. This may not seem just to me, but to Dante this is a perfectly reasonable pu nishment. Dante feels the need to be superior to Virgil and since he was not able to accomplish this in life, he supercedes Virgil in the afterlife. It is also evident that Dante has a personal bias towards those who commit the sin of violence. While venturing through their circle of Hell, Dante says there â€Å"in that crowd / Were many I recognized† (Canto XII 114-115). He mentions that Alexander resides there and that â€Å"he held Sicily under / For many a sad year† (Canto XII 100-101). Dante may have placed such a harsh, yet still just, punishment on the Violent because he is avenging his country and people for the violent crimes committed against them. Alexander was responsible for an innumerable amount of Italian lives during his occupancy of Sicily and Dante is making sure that he is correctly punished for his sins. In life, Dante was unable to stop Alexander from committing his atrocities, but he is able to condemn him in Hell. Had Dante and his country not experienced the terrors of a tyrant, it is possible that without his need for revenge, Dante may have awarded the Violent a lesser punishment. Our personal experiences and feelings are what make us human, but yet they also lead us to biases, which prevent us from being as fair and just as God. It is obvious that those in Limbo who were never given a chance to have their soul saved by Christ should not be doomed eternally to a lower level of Hell than those in Ante Inferno who ignored the chance to save their soul. Yet Dante misplaces these two domains of Hell to put himself in a level nearer to Heaven than Dante will ever be able to acheive. While Virgil’s literary abilities will always be remembered as better pieces of work, by making Virgil his guide to salvation, Dante will reach Heaven, the ultimate goal of a Christian, while Virgil never will. The punishment of the Violent is a strong statement against those who have brought bloodshed to Italy and reflects Dante’s hope for peace in Italy. Dante shows that while these sinners may have dominated the lives of others on Earth, that in hell  the Violent are completely overwhelmed by the blood that they created. Despite Dante’s good intentions of creating a Hell where the punishment fits the crime, his opinions cloud his judgement. He uses Hell as a way to punish or degrade those whom he had some sort of a conflict with while alive. It is obvious that I do not agree with all of his ideas about Hell, but then again I am also not a fourteenth century Italian male. A just hell is different for everyone, depending on your own beliefs or lack of beliefs. The only universally just Hell that can be experienced is a Hell of God’s making and hopefully I will never know how his punishments compare to Dante’s.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Abigail Williams Character Analysis Essay

One of the main characters of the play The Crucible, Abigail Williams, is the villain of the play, even more than Parris or Danforth. In Act One her skills at manipulation are very noticeable. John Proctor, who has dumped her after his wife found out about this sinful affair, â€Å"Abby, you’ll put it out of mind. I’ll not be comin’ for you no more.† Since she was also dismissed from her job at their house, Abigail becomes increasingly envious of Elizabeth. Abigail always has a different story from what actually happens and convinces people that her story is the truth. One event that happens that displays this would be when Abigail was in the woods with the girls dancing and took it to the next level by drinking blood and taking off her clothing. Before the questioning of what happen in the woods Abigail states â€Å"Shut up! All of you. We danced. That is all, and mark this, if anyone breathe a word or the edge of a word about the other things, I will come to you in the black of some terrible night, and I will bring with me a pointy reckoning that will shudder you!† When she’s on the brink of getting busted for messing with witchcraft, she skillfully manages to pin the whole thing on Tituba and several of Salem’s other woman. The horrible thing is that Abigail is the one who persuaded Tituba to go out and cast the spells. Ever since Abigail’s affair with John Proctor, she’s been out to get his wife, Elizabeth. Abigail convinced Tituba to put a curse on Elizabeth, hoping to get rid of her and take her place at John’s side. It’s ironic that Abigail, who encouraged the witchcraft in the first place, is the one who goes around accusing everybody else. Abigail’s main skill seems to be finding people’s flaws, their weaknesses, and mercilessly manipulating them to her advantage. Act 2 In Act 2, Abigail Williams has thought over her encounter with Proctor for seven months. The more she thinks about the affair, the more Abigail convinces herself that Proctor loves her but cannot express his love because of Elizabeth. Abigail continues to think about her memories until they accurately portray her as the center of Proctor’s existence. Rather than seeing herself as a seventeen year-old who took advantage of a man’s loneliness and insecurity during his wife’s illness, Abigail sees herself as Proctor’s true love and his only choice for a wife. She believes she has only to eliminate Elizabeth so that she and Proctor can marry and fulfill her fantasy. Throughout the play Abigail will tell things to people to make them think and make them believe what she says or make them do what she wants them to do. Most people look down at this quality but this is the way Abigail gets her way. Abigail has manipulated just about everyone in the town with the stories she tells. In the words of Abigail she states to the town â€Å"I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil† When Abigail said this she was just trying to get out of punishment, she knew if she confessed of doing the devils work and state she wanted God she wouldn’t be charged as a witch.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Poor Liza Character in 20th Century Russian Literature Essay

It is no accident that the name that is attributed to the heroine in a number of Russian novels of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is named after some derivation of the name Elizabeth. Karamzin is the first to revere this name in his work Poor Liza and it is this work that sets off a chain reaction that causes the occurrence of subsequent characters in Russian literature. This character can particularly be found in works such as Pushkin’s Queen of Spades, Griboyedov’s Woe from Wit, and even briefly in Gogol’s Dead Souls. At the time that Karamzin published Poor Liza, Russia had recently seen the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1741-1761) who played a great role in shaping Russia’s identity and culture. Through a close reading of those Russian texts which include the Elizabeth character, an understanding of this name’s historic role in Russian literature can be achieved and its parallels to the monarch that this name evokes. Before tracing t he Liza name in the Russian texts, it is important to better understand the character traits and lives of the empresses after whom this name takes. The more significant of these being Queen Elizabeth of Russia as it was not long after her reign that Karamzin wrote Poor Liza. Elizabeth was born to Peter I of Russia and Catherine I of Russia; however due to the fact that her parents’ marriage was not publically acknowledged at the time of her birth, this would be a detail used to challenge her legitimacy to the throne by political opponents (Antonov, 104).In her outward appearance, Elizabeth delighted everyone, â€Å"with her extraordinary beauty and vivacity. She was commonly known as the leading beauty of the Russian Empire† (Antonov, 104). Politically, Elizabeth was seen as the heroine of the Russian cause as was attributed to her, â€Å"steady appreciation of Russian interests, and her determination to promote them at all hazards† (Rice, pg 121). Russia under Elizabeth’s rule reasserted her power over foreign repression as the country had been under direction of a number of German favorites and pres sure from the West. It was upon her coronation that a royal decree was issued stating, â€Å"the Russian people have been groaning under the enemies of the Christian faith, but she has delivered them from the degrading foreign oppression† (Antonov, 109). Elizabeth is also remembered for championing the arts and scholarship through the vast funding she poured into projects such as the Moscow State University, the Winter Palace, and the Imperial Academy of Arts (Antonov, 106). The image of Elizabeth is also painted by her deep devotion to religion in that she disengaged many of the legislations that her father had done to limit the power of the church (Rice 149). In many ways, Elizabeth I becomes the perfect root from which the image of the heroic Russian woman springs from as is later manifested in Russian Literature following her reign. The first time that Russian is introduced to the Liza character is in Karamzin’s Poor Liza which was published in 1792, following Elizabeth I’s rule . The main heroine, Liza’s, characteristics can be attributed to those of Elizabeth herself. The first of these similarities can be found in both of the female’s fathers. Liza’s father is described as, â€Å"a rather well-to-do settler, for he loved work, tilled the land well† (Karamzin, 80). The hardworking nature of the father can also be seen in the traits of Elizabeth I’s father, Peter the Great who’s restless work made Russia into an empire. However the greater likeness lies in the negative effects caused by each of the women’s father’s deaths. In Poor Liza, soon after Liza’s father’s death, â€Å"his wife and daughter grew poor†¦and they were forced to rent out their land for a pittance sum† (Karamzin, 80). Similarly, after the death of Peter I, â€Å"no royal court or noble house in Europe could allow a son to pay court to Elizabeth, as it would be seen as an unfriendly act to the Empress Annaâ₠¬  (Coughlan, 59). The lowering of stature for both Liza and Elizabeth made it difficult for both to find a fitting husband. In Liza’s case, lest she ends up marrying someone she does not love. When Erast and Liza are discussing the marriage arrangements that are being made for her to be married to a peasant boy and Erast asks if she would marry him instead, she says to him, â€Å"but you can never be my husband!†¦ I am a peasant girl† (Karamzin, 87). Since Elizabeth I was shunned from the royal courts after her father’s death and at the same time she could not marry below her so as not to lose the royal title, the empress died unmarried, as did Liza. However, this is not the only shared experience of the Russian heroines. Another parallel between the empress and Karamzin’s peasant girl can be found in their educational background. For a queen, Elizabeth I was considered lacking of the solid education needed for her role. This could mostly be blamed on Peter I’s focus on state affairs and her mother’s illiterateness and laissez-affair approach to her daughter’s studies (Antonov, 104). A comparable trait can be drawn in Liza, specifically when she is saying good-bye to Erast and she says, â€Å"Oh! Why do I not know how to read or write!† (Karamzin, 89). And so, both women were undereducated for the role they had come to fill, a ruler and a worried-sick lover. Taking a closer look at Elizabeth’s and Liza’s personalities it becomes evident that they share commonalities. For instance, when Karamzin first introduces his Liza character, he says that, â€Å"to soothe her mother she tried to hide the grief in her heart and appear at ease and gay† (Karamzin 81). This gayness can be also found in Elizabeth I as she was well known for her gaiety and playfulness as was evidences by the cross-dressing balls that she held at her court (Rice 136). Another example of their similar characters can be found in the virginal beauty and pious image created by both. Karamzin describes Liza as being a â€Å"rare beauty† (Karamzin, 80) and Elizabeth in her youth was as already mentioned the premier beauty of Russia in her day. It is also important to note the pureness in the aura created by Liza as she is unspoiled by the trivialities of high-society. The color white can be found in a number of images in connection with Liza, the first being the lilies of the valley which Liza sells at the market in Moscow (Karamzin, 81). These flowers are typically small and white in nature and by Christian are attributed to the tears of the Virgin Mary during the crucifixion of Christ, thus by having Liza the vendor of such flowers, she is placed into a wholesome and holy light (Krymow, 18). Another place in which the color white and purity is shown in connection to Liza is when Erast visits her home and says, â€Å"I am very tired. Would you have any fresh milk?† (Karamzin 82). Liza, â€Å"ran to the cellar, brought back a clean earthenware pot, washed it and dried it with a white towel, poured and handed the glass through the window† (Karamzin 82). Even when Liza falls in love she is described as having a , â€Å"pure, and open heart† (Karamzin, 85) and there are more images of purity and whiteness as is seen when the two lovers meet at night and, â€Å"they embrace – but chaste, shy Cynthia did not hide from them behind a cloud; their embraces were pure and sinless.† (Karamzin, 86). Karamzin also describes Liza through Erast’s eyes as a shepherdess, again evoking an image of purity (Karamzin, 86). Even when Liza gives up her virginity to Erast, Karamzin still evokes images of purity when he says, â€Å"like a lamb she submitted to his will in everything† (Karamzin, 89). These holy referents in Karamzin’s Poor Liza, create a sacred image out of the Liza character which is similar to the character traits of Elizabeth I. Part of the reason that the empress Elizabeth built so many churches was that at one point she was considering becoming a nun. For this reason The Convent was built and erected by her order (Bain, 138). She is also attributed to building the most number of churches as compared to any other Russian monarch, the most famous being the Smolny Catherdral (Bain, 138).In her religious devotion, and her unmarried life lie some of the stronger parallels to Karamzin’s Liza character from which the spring the lineage of the Liza characters. Following Poor Liza, other writers also began evoking the image of Elizabeth I in their writing. The next one being Griboyedov’s in his Lizzie character in Woe from Wit. Again the Liza character, in this case being Lizzie, is painted as a picture of pure virginal beauty. Lizzie’s outer appearance is described by Molchalin: There’s one thing I’m thinking of: These cheeks, these veins and all Have not yet seen the flush of love. (Griboyedov, IV.xii.4-6) In the last line, Mochalin especially points out the paleness of her skin which shows her virginity. Another similarity between Elizabeth I Liza, and Lizzie, is that they all reject or lovers who rank higher or equal to them. Lizzie for example pushes away Molchalin when he tries to embrace her (Griboyedov, IV.xii.51-52) and instead loves someone of lower or equal rank: So strange these people seem to be! She craves for him, he craves for me, And I’m†¦ the only one who’s scared of love, Barman Petrusha, my sweetest dove. (Griboyedov, I.xiv.4-6) Lizzie also rejects Famusov when he corners her in the hall and embraces. She is stern with him and shows little interest, despite his rank: It’s you who’s frivolous, let go, will you? Compose yourself, old man. This is corresponds with the relationship dynamics of Elizabeth I in that she was once betrothed to Prince Karl Augustus but he died before they could be married(Coughlan, 23). Instead of seeking a husband of equal stature, which proved difficult because she was not welcome in noble circles she pursued lovers in the military and service, eventually settling on a Ukrainian peasant in a church choir by the name Alexis Razumovsky (Coughlan, 59). Yet there are more similarities that can be traced between Elizabeth and Lizzie’s characters. Elizabeth I’s rule was marked by the extravagant balls and events who would throw. On average, her weekly balls would host approximately 800 guests and she would also often throw smaller parties for her court members (Rice, 135). Lizzie, like Elizabeth, also enjoys a celebrations and parties. For this reason when she is speak with Sofia she reminds her, â€Å"the holiday is coming! Time for fun!† (Griboyedov, I.v.1). Lizzie is referring to the get together that will happen in the play as it will give her a chance to see her beloved Petrushka. Following Lizzie’s character, the Liza image carried over next to Pushkin’s work, Queen of Spades. The Lizaveta character in Queen of Spades is reminiscent of the young Elizabeth I who was unpopular at the royal court. Lizaveta is first described to the reader as the â€Å"martyr† of the house as she was always being scolded and blamed for everything (Pushkin, 348). This again evokes the saintly images created by Karamzin and Griboyedov. Particularly similar to the young queen is Lisaveta in the following passage: â€Å"She had a fixed salary, but it was never paid in full; at the same time she was expected to dress like everyone else, that is, like the few. In society she played the most pitiable role. Everybody knew her, but nobody took any notice of her; at the balls she danced only when an extra partner was needed for a vis-à  -vis.† (Pushkin, 349) This image is similar to that of Elizabeth in that she had royal blood and for this reason was expected to dress and act a certain way; however she was not accepted by the society she was a part of. In addition to the way in which the young Elizabeth fit into society, Lisaveta is also similar to Elizabeth in her later age. When Elizabeth I was growing old she began having complications with her health that caused dizzy spells. She grew increasingly depressed and disallowed the word ‘death’ to be spoken in her presence (Antonov, 109). This antic can also be seen in the actions of Lizaveta in her interactions with Tomskii: â€Å"By the way, methinks she must be getting on, Princess Daria Petrovna? â€Å" What do you mean getting on?† Tomskii answered absentmindedly. â€Å"She’s been dead for these seven years.† The young lady raised her head and signaled to him. He remembered the old Countess was never informed of the death of any of her contemporaries, and he bit his lip.† (Pushkin, 345). In this instance the image of Elizabeth I gets somewhat muddled since it is unclear whether the countess disallows the subject of death to be brought up in front of her or if it is Lisaveta who does not like the idea. The old Countess herself mirrors Elizabeth I in that she cares a great deal about her outer appearance as the countess dressed in a fashion, â€Å"strictly following the fashions of the 1770s, spending just as much time on and paying just as much attention to, her toilette as she had sixty years before† (Pushking, 345). In similar fashion, Elizabeth I in her older age, had a monstrous collection of clothing, having owned 15,000 dresses and would change outfits two to six times a day (sAntonov, 107). Like the young Elizabeth and Lisaveta, the countess did not quite fit into the society she was a part of, â€Å"she participated in all the trivial events of high society life, dragging herself to balls, where she would sit in a corner, †¦the guests, as they arrived, would go up to her bowing low†¦but afterwards would pay no attention to her† (Pushikin, 348). If the relationship between Lisaveta and the Countess is further explored their dynamic can be seen as the countess being an old Elizabeth I and Lisaveta being the young Elizabeth I. Pushkin plays tricks on the reader with the images of Lisaveta and the countess. Perhaps the most striking example of this is that when Hermann is leaving the old Countess’s house and he, â€Å"pressed her cold, unresponsive hand, kissed her bowed head, and went out† (Pushkin, 362). It is not transparent here whether Hermann had just kissed the Lisaveta or the dead countess, which could be done by Pushkin on purpose. Perhaps the reason for the two Elizabeth-like characters is so that the old one can have the young one avoid marrying a person of above or of her own class and instead marry down. This is because the marriage of the countess is what brings the countess the cursed secret she has to keep since the old count refused to pay her debts and she had to seek outside help(Pushkin, 342). For this reason, when the apparition of the old countess comes to Hermann, she tells him, â€Å"I will forgive you my death under the condition that you marry my ward, Lizaveta Ivanovna†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pushkin, 365) and so the Elizabeth I image is put forth by Lizaveta. The final image of the Liza character appears in Gogol’s Dead Souls, in the form of Manilov’s wife Lizenka. Here the Elizabeth character is portrayed in a sickeningly sweet form. The relationship between Manilov and his wife are described as constantly feeding one another little tid-bits and candies. In the Lizenka character, Gogol is ultimately poking fun at the sentimentalist nature of the Liza character which can be contrived from Elizabeth I’s own character. Gogol does not take Karmzin’s sentimentalist writing as true literature and for this reason names Karamzin in the following instance: â€Å"Nor were his colleauges a wit inferior to him in enlightenment. For instance, one of them made regular practice of reading Karamzin, another of conning the Moscow Gazette, and the third of never looking at a book at all.† (Gogol, 142) Here Gogol takes on a sarcastic tone in describing the â€Å"great works† that the collegues indulge in. For this reason, Gogol choice of the diminutive form of Elizabeth, Lizenka is further support that her character her sweetie pie character is a parody to Karamzin’s Liza. This play on the the Liza character can be seen as a commentary on, Elizabeth I’s character as she was described as â€Å"kind and warm-hearted for the emotions sake alone† (Rice, 135). Gogol sees this type of personality as unintelligent and makes fun of Lizenka’s schooling which is somewhat similar to Elizabeth I’s in that Lizenka only learned French, the piano, and housewifery (Gogol, 22). However, regardless of her schooling, Lizenka through her relationship with Manilov is in charge of the souls which is perhaps a view he takes on Elizabeth I’s rule of the Russian people. By tracing the character traits and life events of Elizabeth I of Russia in Russian Literature following her rule, the emergence of the heroine Liza becomes evident. Beginning with Karamzin who evokes many of the holy and pure images that surround Elizabeth I’s and as well as Gribodev who shows the virginal beauty of the empress in his writing. Their literature is then followed by Pushkin, who focuses more on the outcast member of society that Elizabeth I was growing up under her Cousin Anne’s rule. And so the Liza character, heroine of Russian literature is created in celebration to Elizabeth I only to be ridiculed by Gogol in his brief apostrophes to Karamzin’s original work. So Liza’s character becomes an enigma in Russian literature history in that it is unclear whether her name is ultimately venerated or ridiculed in the minds of the readers of these great works. Works Cited Antonov, B. I., and Kenneth MacInnes. Russian Tsars: [the Rurikids, the Romanovs. St. Petersburg: Ivan Fedorov, 2005. Print. Coughlan, Robert. Elizabeth and Catherine: Empresses of All the Russias. London: Macdonald and Jane’s, 1975. Print. GogolÊ ¹, NikolaÄ ­ VasilÊ ¹evich, Constance Garnett, and Clifford Odets. Dead Souls. New York: Modern Library, 1936. Print. Griboyedov, Aleksandr Sergeyevich. Aleksandr Griboedov’s Woe from Wit: A Commentary and Translation. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen, 2005. Print. Karamzin, NikolaÄ ­ MikhaÄ ­lovich, and Henry M. Nebel. Selected Prose of N.M. Karamzin. Evanston: Northwestern UP, 1969. Print. Krymow, Vincenzina. Mary’s Flowers: Gardens, Legends & Meditations. Cincinnati, OH: St. Anthony Messenger, 1999. Print. Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich, and Paul Debreczeny. The Captain’s Daughter and Other Stories. London: David Campbell, 1992. Print. Rice, Tamara Talbot. Elizabeth, Empress of Russia. New York: Praeger, 1970. Print.