Principle of marketing extra credit case study Essay

In stark contrast to British Airways, Aeroflot-Russian Airlines is new to the skies of international commercial airlines. Aeroflot’s 114 planes transported 3.8 million passengers in 1996 compared to British Airlines’ 25.35 million passengers. Aeroflot’s figures are down considerably from 1991, the year before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when its 5,400 planes carried 138 million passengers. Since 1991 the airline has had trouble adjusting from a monopoly to a competitive marketplace as the rival private Russian airline, Transaero, built passenger loyalty by stressing good service and on-time flights. Aeroflot’s attempt to become a world class airline has been hampered by a poor safety record, bad food, surly service, dilapidated cabins and frequently cancelled or late flights. At less than 60%, Aeroflot’s load factor (the percentage of seats on each flight occupied by paying customers), is the lowest in the international airline industry. In order to expand its business in this highly competitive industry Aeroflot has copied many of the strategies the leading airlines. In January 1997, the airline announced a marketing alliance with Continental Airlines to allow Continental flights from Newark, NJ to Moscow’s Sheremetyeva International Airport. Aeroflot has renovated its training academy to include a curriculum that focuses on image and marketing, and includes the slogan, â€Å"the customer is always right.† The airline launched Telephone Confidential, a customer complaint line, and in an effort to modernise its fleet ordered 10 Boeing 737s. Marketing has been a big part of Aeroflot’s fight to gain back passengers. The image the airline has selected for itself in its first multimedia advertising campaign attempts to convince sceptical consumers that the airline has solved its safety and service problems. The campaign uses magazine, billboard and TV commercials, and features a flying elephant with  a slogan that translates into â€Å"light on its feet.† The not so subtle message means that if elephants can fly, so can Aeroflot. Aeroflot’s web page (http://www.aeroflot.org), exhibits a decidedly western influence. The home page has links to pages that describe its airplane fleet, a graphic presentation and description of Moscow’s Sheremetyeva airport, flight schedule, news, information, cargo, routeway, charter, and travel office. Judging from the neat, professional appearance of the Web page, Aeroflot’s competitors need to be prepared for a dogfight to keep this airline from cutting into their business. Questions: 1. What are the advertising objectives for Aeroflot’s Flying Elephant campaign? 2. How could Aeroflot’s build brand recognition in Vietnam? Explain the process with supporting details. 3. Explain how Aeroflot could position their services for maximum competitive advantage in the airline industry in South East Asia. Sources: http://www.aeroflot.org; Alessandra Stanley, â€Å"Hod the Jokes, Please: Aeroflot Buffs Its Image,† The New York Times, June 29, 1997, p. F1; Al Frank, â€Å"Continental Signs with Aeroflot for Daily Moscow Flights,† Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News, January 15, 1997; â€Å"On a Wing and a Prayer: Aviation in Russia,† The Economist, October 5, 1996, p. 103; Victoria Pope, â€Å"The Gray Chicken is Definitely Out, Aeroflot Tries to Learn Service with a Smile,† U. S. News and World Report, October 28, 1996, p. 45.

Outline the Inequality Problems That Persist in Terms of Pay for Men and Women.

Wikipedia The Equal Pay Act 1970 is an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament which prohibits any less favourable treatment between men and women in terms of pay and conditions of employment. It was passed by Parliament in the aftermath of the 1968 Ford sewing machinists strike[1][2][3][4] and came into force on 29 December 1975. The term pay is interpreted in a broad sense to include, on top of wages, things like holidays, pension rights, company perks and some kinds of bonuses. The legislation has been amended on a number of recent occasions to incorporate a simplified approach under European Union law that is common to all member states. Equal pay for women is an issue regarding pay inequality between men and women. It is often introduced into domestic politics in many first world countries as an economic problem that needs governmental intervention via regulation. The Equal Remuneration Convention requires its over 160 states parties to have equal pay for men and women. A report commissioned by the International Trade Union Confederation in 2008 shows that, based on their survey of 63 countries, there is a significant gender pay gap of 15. 6 %. Excluding Bahrain, where a positive gap of 40% is shown (due possibly to very low female participation in paid employment), the global figure is 16. 5%. Women who are engaged in work in the informal economy have not been included in these figures. Overall, throughout the world, the figures for the gender pay gap range from 13% to 23%. The report found that women are often educated equally high as men, or to a higher level but â€Å"higher education of women does not necessarily lead to a smaller pay gap, however, in some cases the gap actually increases with the level of education obtained†. The report also argues that this global gender pay gap is not due to lack of training or expertise on the part of women since â€Å"the pay gap in the European Union member states increases with age, years of service and education†. [4][5] www. employeebenefits. co. uk/item/11642/pg_dtl_art†¦ /pg_ftr_art †¢Under the Equality Act 2010, employers can no longer use secrecy clauses to prevent employees from discussing pay rates. †¢According to figures from the Office of National Statistics, the median gender pay gap for full-time workers in the private sector is 20. %. †¢Employers can identify any pay gap via pay audits and job evaluations. †¢Issues making it difficult for women to get to top jobs should be tackled. Yahoo answers; assume you employ 7 women and 7 men, all the same age, and you pay them all the same wage for the same job.. then 3 of the women tell you that they want to leave, to have a child.. you have to pay them â€Å"maternity leave† and hold their job open, in case they want to return, after they have had their child.. t costs you a fortune to employ 3 other people, and the pregnant women as well.. so, do you pay them the same as a man.. who will not cost you the same even if their wife gets pregnant.. or do you pay the men more, because they will not leave.. or do you just employ men, and then you do not have the problem in the first place !! http://www. tuc. org. uk/equality/tuc-14435-f0. pdf Explaining the gender pay gap There have been a number of studies that have used statistical modelling techniques to explain why we have a gender pay gap. A comparatively recent and very thorough study, using data from the British Household Panel Survey (a large up-to-date survey, that that looks at how people’s lives change over time) explained the gap in terms of four explanations:35 †¢ 36 percent of the gender pay gap could be explained by gender differences in lifetime working patterns, including the fact that women, on average, spend less of their careers than men in full-time jobs, more in part-time jobs and have more interruptions to their careers for childcare and other family responsibilities. 18 percent is caused by labour market rigidities, including gender segregation and the fact that women are more likely work for small firms and less likely to work in unionised firms. †¢ 38 percent is caused by direct discrimination and women and men’s different career preferences and motives (some of which are in turn the result of discrimination). †¢ 8 percent is the result of the fact that older women had poorer educational attainment. Another way of explaining the gaps is to analyse the problem in terms of three broad themes: †¢ Under-valuing of women’s work †¢ An employment penalty for mothers Gender segregation http://assembly. coe. int/documents/workingdocs/doc05/edoc10484. htm C. The wage gap 17. There are several dimensions to the problem of the wage gap: First, there is the classic case of a man and a woman doing exactly the same job (whether in a factory or on the stock market floor), but the woman being paid less for it. This used to be a common problem, especially in Western Europe, and many countries have outlawed this type of wage discrimination – there even exists an ILO Convention designed to eliminate it21, dating back to 1951, as well as a 1975 European Council Directive22. But, as several recent studies conclude, even this type of classic wage discrimination persists in many countries, which prompted the European Commission to issue a (non-binding) â€Å"Code of Practice on the implementation of equal pay for work of equal value of women and men† as recently as 199623. For example, a Eurostat study of 2003 showed that the average earnings of women in full-time employment in the EU (at that time, of 15 member states) stood at only 70-90% of those of men. Similarly, the 2004 UNIFEM study I mentioned in the previous chapter shows that the annual average earnings of women in the year 2000 stood at 73. 28% of men’s in the Czech Republic, 79. 96% in Poland, 75. 01% in Slovakia and 88. 82% in Slovenia24. 18. Second, women are often paid less than men for work of equal value. This type of discrimination is usually based on â€Å"horizontal occupational segregation by sex†. For example, the level of education and experience required to work in a certain job might be the same, but women are paid less (e. . chauffeurs/taxi drivers are usually paid more than cleaners or receptionists). In some countries, wage levels have gone down in certain professions when more and more women enter them (for example, doctors and teachers in Central and Eastern Europe). 2002 data cited by Mrs Leitao relating to the average salary of women working full time compared with that of men in the same circumstances show that, in the 18 countries covered by a recent European survey, the average difference, to women's disadvantage, is till approximately 20%, with wage discrimination in the strict sense being estimated at 15%25. Various other international studies have shown that around one-third of the female-male pay differential is due to occupational segregation by sex, and that about 10 to 30% of the gender pay gap remains â€Å"unexplained† – i. e. due to discrimination26. 19. In the Central and Eastern European countries, certain professions have â€Å"gained† the connotation of being feminized as these professions (the above mentioned teachers, nurses etc. are dominated by women. Nevertheless, even these professions are highly segregated – although women account for more than 70% of all teachers, there is proportionally a larger number of men school directors. This is very often the result of a â€Å"reverse action†, when the need for more men in the profession is felt, and thus their pay-ris e and promotion is faster. When we compare it to the situation in politics, where there are more men than women, the society does not feel any similar need. 20. Third, women earn less, on average, than men in their lifetime (and thus also receive smaller pensions when they retire). In addition to the two factors mentioned above, there are several other possible explanations for this phenomenon: Women work less during their lifetime (calculating periods of maternity leave and part-time work) – and women have less of a career, as they are often discriminated against when it comes to promotions to higher-earning posts27: this is usually called â€Å"vertical occupational segregation by sex†. As the ILO points out: â€Å"Women’s lower educational attainments and intermittent career paths are not, contrary to conventional belief, the main reason for gender differentials in pay. Other factors, such as occupational segregation, biased pay structures and job classification systems, and decentralized or weak collective bargaining, appear to be more important determinants of inequalities in pay. †28 21. Apart from women’s lower pensions, it is important to see the tight interrelation of female length of life and feminization of poverty: since women live longer, for some period of their life, they share their pension with their partner; however, when he dies, they are left to live on their pension which is usually much lower than their living standards. One example connected to women’s pensions is pension insurance – as women live longer and although they generally earn less, to attain a final sum similar to men they are expected to pay higher sums for their monthly pension insurance. 2. Furthermore, economic recessions often affect women more than men as far as unemployment is concerned (many companies unfortunately still believe that it is more important to keep a male â€Å"breadwinner† in employment), and women’s needs or the determination to keep on working therefore leads them to accept levels of pay not consonant with the principles of equali ty and fairness or dissuades them from reporting cases of discrimination for fear of losing their jobs. This is why, as Mrs Leitao correctly pointed out, all those involved in combating wage discrimination (bodies promoting equality, labour inspectorates, courts, trade unions, NGOs etc) should step up their capacity to intervene to try and close the wage gap. 23. This issue can be illustrated with an example common to all European countries: when textile companies, which employ mostly women earning very low salaries, were threatened with closure, no major discussions were held about unemployment issues. But as soon as coal and other mines, where male â€Å"breadwinners† worked, were being closed down, those discussions were launched widely. There are a number of barriers to women’s career development – here are a few examples32: – lack of management or line experience; – lack of mentoring and role models for women at the highest levels; – exclusion from informal networks and channels of communication (the â€Å"old boys network† is apparently still going strong in many countries); – stereotyping and preconceptions of women’s roles and abilities, commitment and leadership style; – sexual and moral harassment, bullying and mobbing; – unfriendly corporate culture.

Gothic Literature: the Fascination with Terror

Traci L. Pugh Dr. Amber Reagan-Kendrick ENG 45023-SU-2012-OA Seminar in American Literature 8 August 2012 Gothic Literature: The Fascination with Terror People have an intrinsic fear of the dark and the unknown. While each person’s level of anxiety and object of terror are different, the fascination to reveal them has inspired Gothic authors such as Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, and Stephenie Meyer for three centuries. Subjects of these classic tales include vampires, reanimation of the dead, ghosts, murder, witches, and love.These stories and poems can terrify audiences because they can encompass reality of things people cherish with a twist of the impossible. Gothic writers use terror, mystery, and excitement to probe the dark aspects of life by exposing inner human fear. Mary Shelley was a Romantic Gothic author, and it is speculated that Frankenstein symbolizes â€Å"internal conflicts and life experiences with what may have been their manifestations in the fictionalized characters she created† (D’Amato 117). She was orphaned at an early age, and death was no stranger to her due to the deaths of her sister and her husband’s first wife.Mary feared giving birth, mainly because her mother died eleven days after giving birth to her, but D’ Amato proposes that she â€Å"may have believed any child she produced would inherit the repressed, hated, and destructive parts of herself† (122). Shelley’s work may have mirrored her life, but it was common for Gothic authors of this time to write about â€Å"the nation’s dreams, and their own† (â€Å"Gothic Undercurrents†). The early nineteenth century was a time of fear due to rapid changes in the nation: abolition, the Great Depression, war, and the bank crisis.These events gave Americans the feeling that â€Å"life was an experiment that had gone horribly wrong,† and these writers explored this fear with prose (â€Å"Gothic Unde rcurrents†). This newfound style of writing exposed the dark side of humanity, but it also questioned the mystery of unsolvable problems. These works probed the demons of the nation and the writers. Frankenstein began as Mary Shelley’s dream in 1816, and her tale of loneliness, reanimating the dead, murder, guilt, and revenge has been dubbed a literary classic.The main character, Victor Frankenstein, believes he has discovered the secret of life and proclaims, â€Å"Darkness had no effect upon my fancy; and a church-yard was to me merely the receptacle of bodies deprived of life, which, from being the seat of beauty and strength, had become food for the worm† (Shelley 79). Once the monster is created, it feels abandoned and starts killing. The creature inadvertently causes the death of an innocent girl. Victor realizes his creation is lonely, and nothing more than an abomination, so he decides to destroy it.A journey into the mountains ensues, but a crack in the ice divides their paths. When Frankenstein dies, the monster comes to see him and says, â€Å"Blasted as thou wert, my agony was still superior to thine; for the bitter sting of remorse may not cease to rankle in my wounds until death shall close them for ever† (Shelley 244). This story reveals the idea that the dead, once reanimated, are like an angry child who lashes out at a parent who has betrayed them. The feeling of abandonment was what Shelley tried to capture in this morbid tale of love and loss, and this theme would continue with future authors.Edgar Allan Poe, considered a Victorian Gothic, was also an orphan whose life seemed to be full of disaster. He suffered an unmerciful surrogate father, was kicked out of the University of Virginia, dropped out of West Point, married his thirteen year old cousin, and lived in poverty with his freelance lifestyle (Doctorow 241). The driving force behind his work was that he embraced his own misery because he believed that his s uffering was natural. His stories were written in the mid-nineteenth century, and people were still afraid of their uncertain futures.Poe used this to his benefit in what he called, â€Å"Imp of the Perverse – the force within us that causes us to do just what brings on our destruction† (241). This kind of thinking was the basis for many of his stories, and most of his characters were the reason for their own problems and demise. Poe â€Å"worked hard at structuring his tales of aristocratic madmen, self-tormented murderers, neurasthenic necrophiliacs, and other deviant types to produce the greatest possible horrific effects on his readers† (Baym 674).He was quite successful in this endeavor, as most people associate Poe’s name with dark, horrific, murderous tales. His â€Å"Philosophy of Composition† tells of his belief that â€Å"the supreme subject for a poem is the death of a beautiful woman† (Doctorow 242). This is evident in one of his most famous poems, â€Å"The Raven. † Possibly one of Poe’s most maddening poems, â€Å"The Raven† is rhythmic and could be set to music with constant mention of the door, Lenore, evermore, and nevermore. The use of vivid imagery causes the reader to see this black raven sitting on the door pecking at it.The main character is a man grieving for his lost love, Lenore, and he believes the knocking sound is her returning. The raven says but one word, â€Å"Nevermore. † The man wonders what this means, and asks the bird if it is a messenger from God or the devil. Again the Raven says, â€Å"Nevermore. † Spiraling into madness and grief, he begs the bird, â€Å"Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door. Quoth the Raven, ‘Nevermore’† (Poe 74). The Raven stays at the door and forever torments the man with his repetitive call.This uncertainty about death was a Gothic specialty, and the introduction of animals and their mysterious qualities would prove to inspire future writers. A century later, tales of Modern Horror would build on their macabre roots and incorporate popular culture to terrify readers like never before. Stephen King, often named the master of horror, has petrified audiences with tales of demonic cars, possessed children, undead pets and people, aliens, and the inherent evil in all people. King’s inspiration stems from â€Å"his own life experiences and fantasies, popular culture, and his reading of archaic burial lore† (Nash 151).Even though most literary critics do not agree with his writing style, horror fans are mesmerized by the images he creates. King and Shelley both play on fears â€Å"such as the problematic nature and popular fear of science and technology† (151), but King is â€Å"more willing to tackle explicitly cultural issues as opposed to the traditional Gothic preoccupation with personality and character† (152). Many of Kingâ⠂¬â„¢s stories concentrate on a fear of the dead, but they also raise the question of whether the dead want to come back and the consequences that follow.Love is a powerful thing and people never want to let go of a loved one, but at what expense are they willing to have that person back? Stephen King’s scariest tale, Pet Sematary, asks and answers this very question by illustrating a modern family and the horrific, yet normal, happenings that tear the family apart and invoke the need for the supernatural. The Creeds move to a new house in Maine to start a new life. Mr. Creed is a doctor at the University, and he befriends the old neighbor next door. The neighbor tells of an Indian burial ground beyond the pet cemetery where the dead can come back.The family cat, Church, is killed by a truck on the busy road in front of the house, and Mr. Creed desperately buries the body in the â€Å"magic circle† of the burial ground to keep from telling this horror to his daughter. The cat comes back to life, but is â€Å"changed, if not psychotic† (Nash 156). Soon, the youngest son, Gage, meets the same disastrous fate as the cat. The father is consumed with grief and frantically buries the little boy in the same place. Gage comes back in the same fashion as the cat and kills his mother and the neighbor.Even though the father is a doctor, and knows what the monster that resembles his son is capable of, he again makes a journey to the burial ground to bury his wife. He sits and waits for her to arrive. Love makes people desperate and willing to cross unrealistic boundaries in order to escape pain. Writers have used the connection between love and death to explore new avenues in horror. Stephenie Meyer has spellbound audiences with her Twilight series by introducing us to a world of supernatural beings, jealousy, ancient pacts, and love.Much like her Gothic predecessors, Meyers uses her dreams and popular culture to inspire her tales. Her vampires differ from the earlier versions in that â€Å"our vampires reflect our fears of new, changing or dissolved boundaries† (Mutch 76). New topics, such as â€Å"violent intolerance in the U. S. and elsewhere† are revealed by her characters going â€Å"to great lengths to hide their true identity† (78). This new generation of creatures reflect the thirst for blood and supernatural strength of the original monsters that began this era, but a regard for human life sets these apart.The overall view of the Twilight series, by Stephenie Meyer, is that love conquers all, even death. Much like Gothic literature itself, this story involves centuries of vampires hiding from the light to maintain existence among their prey. The human girl, Bella, is in love with a vampire, Edward, and they know that being together is impossible. She is willing to end her life and join his dark world, but he is unwilling to claim her mortality. In the same spirit as Frankenstein, Edward sees his cre ator as a father figure, but laments his own vile existence.It is revealed that her best friend, Jacob, who is also in love with her, is a werewolf. The vampires and the werewolves have a pact, but it will be breached if Bella joins the vampires. There are constant struggles between the humans, vampires, and the werewolves, but the undying love between Bella and Edward is unyielding. The two finally marry, and a baby is conceived that almost kills Bella. Although he has fought it diligently, Edward is forced to ferociously inject his venom into her lifeless body to save her in childbirth.The baby is half vampire and human, and instantly demonstrates supernatural powers, and captivates Jacob, which ends the battle between the coven and the clan. The book ends with a glimpse into the beauty of becoming a vampire when Bella remembers the first moments after she wakes as a newborn vampire: â€Å"his face when I’d opened my eyes to my new life, to the endless dawn of immortality . . . that first kiss . . . that first night . . . † (Meyer 753). The Twilight series is a love story with interjections of paranormal powers and the desire to want the things that cannot be obtained.This tale has consumed many and launched the â€Å"Twihard† generation. Meyer made vampires and werewolves vicious and bloodthirsty, but beautiful; unlike their nineteenth century counterparts, who burst into flames in the sunlight and transformed into hideous, drooling monsters, these beautiful creatures glitter in the sunlight and resemble overgrown dogs. Although Meyer made this less horrific than older horror stories, her series encouraged younger generations to discover the beauty of literature again. Stephen King once said, â€Å"Death is a mystery, and burial is a secret† (9).Although it is often grotesque, demonic, and depraved, people have an inherent need to explore the divide between good and evil, the known and unknown, and this world and the next. These tales have endured, yet changed, over the last three centuries. Future writers of the macabre will most assuredly follow in their predecessors’ footsteps and adapt to cultural changes in their own style. As long as people have inner demons, there will be a need for writers to expose them. Even though these horror classics are classified as fiction, what makes them terrifying is that they mimic the reality of everyday life. Works CitedBaym, Nina, ed. â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe. † The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 7th ed. Vol. 1. New York: Norton, 2008. 671-674. Print. D’Amato, Barbara. â€Å"Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: an orphaned author’s dream and journey toward integration. † Modern Psychoanalysis. 34. 1 (2009): 117-135. Web. 7 Aug 2012. Doctrow, E. L. â€Å"Our Edgar. † Virginia Quarterly Review. 82. 4 (2006): 240-247. Web 7 Aug 2012. â€Å"Gothic Undercurrents. † American Passages: A Literary Survey. Annenberg Learne r, n. d. Web 7 Aug 2012. King, Stephen. Pet Sematary. 1st ed. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. , 1984. Print. Meyer, Stephenie. Breaking Dawn. st ed. New York: Atom Books, 2009. Print. Mutch, Deborah. â€Å"Coming Out of the Coffin: The Vampire and Transnationalism in the Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse Series. † Critical Survey. 23. 2 (2011): 75-90. Web. 7 Aug 2012. Nash, Jesse. â€Å"Postmodern Gothic: Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. † Journal of Popular Culture. 30. 4 (1997): 151-160. Web. 7 Aug 2012. Poe, Edgar Allan. The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe With Selections From His Critical Writings. Expanded. New York: Barnes & Noble, Inc. Alfre A. Knopf. Inc.. 1992. Print. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. 2nd ed. Ontario: Broadview Press, 1999. Print.

Nursing Informatics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nursing Informatics - Essay Example g tools can exert influence on patient awareness and understanding of their health conditions, which in turn encourages enhanced self-management of health problems experienced by the patient. Professional support comes into the picture, when the Telehealth monitoring tools indicate a problem. This scenario of Telehealth raises the possibility of Telehealth offering enhanced quality and patient-centered care for patients, with the added benefits of efficient employment of healthcare resources, and reduction of the costs involved in providing the required care for patients (Steventon et al, 1). Pervasion of information technology and communication tools into the healthcare services, with an impact on the way nursing care services are provided to patients is advancing rapidly. The drivers for this change in health care services stems from several factors. These drivers are the changing demographics of rise in proportion of the elderly among the general population; shortages of nurses and healthcare workers; increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and conditions; better educated customers of healthcare services; and the need for control on the escalating healthcare services related costs (Kinsella & Albright, 320). In a world where tools of different technologies rule the roost, nursing practice is bound to be influenced by innovative technologies like Telehealth, as they make themselves present in the healthcare environment. Telehealth is bound to transform the manner in which nursing care is provided. Transformation in nursing practice can take many forms. Telehealth can be used as a tool to reduce repetitive and mundane nursing care tasks, ease regulatory work, and give greater access to resources, which contributes to greater efficiency in nursing care and enhances patient safety. The use of Telehealth for process transformation in eliminating unnecessary tasks reduces waste of time, with the time saved, reducing the stress on nurses and increasing the

Books of the bible Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Books of the bible - Essay Example Another historical account that emphasizes what happens when people refuse to live under the leadership of God. Elisha's ministry is covered as well as the fall of the northern kingdom. I Chronicles This book lists the chronology of Israel, including the history of the nation and the tribes. Also covered in this book is the reign of David. II Chronicles This book looks into the reign of Solomon, focusing on the unification of Israel. The history of the northern tribe and its revolt is covered as well as Judah's exile to Babylon. Ezra Ezra follows Chronicles with the history of Israel, focusing on their return to the land after being captive. Nehemiah This historical account follows Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls. In addition, Nehemiah also establishes policies and Ezra renews the covenant. Esther Esther is the account of how God's people survived in Persia, focusing on how Esther became queen of Xerxes. Job The purpose of this book is to illustrate the meaning of faith through suffering. This is emphasized through Job's trials and tribulations. Psalms This is a book of poetry, written by David and others that praise God. The Psalms can also be seen as a historical accounts in that they parallel historical events. Proverbs This books is a collection of wise sayings. It is often referred to as a textbook for living a Godly life. Its main theme is wisdom and fear of the Lord. Ecclesiastes Written by Solomon, this book is a collection of situations that is intended to spare readers from the painful experiences of life. Song of Solomon This book is focused on love that exists between a husband and wife. Solomon is the author and his verses emphasize the sanctity of marriage. Isaiah This book is written by... This book explains how Israel prepared to enter their promised land and it is covers the years at Sinai and Moab. Numbers also describes events that are guided by God, who is perceived as a deliverer. This book is an historical account of Daniels' exile in Babylon. He served under the government of Nebuchadnezzar and his descendents. The purpose of this book is to illustrate God's control in our lives.

The Role of Safeguards in Strengthening Independence Essay - 1

The Role of Safeguards in Strengthening Independence - Essay Example While this is so, manipulation of the auditing bodies is completely inevitable as these bodies are appointed and paid by the client. However, it is possible to optimize independence by neutralizing the threats that put independence at stake. Some threats that affect independence include self interest threats, self review threat, management threats, advocacy threats, familiarity threats and intimidation threats. In this light, designing and deploying effective safeguards will increase the level of auditor independence to and ensure integrity in their work. This can be achieved through the mandatory auditor rotation, peer review, independent auditor appointing, free setting and formulation of effective audit committees. Mandatory Auditor Rotation Mandatory auditor rotation is the act of compelling all financial organizations to adopt and engage a different auditor each financial year to avoid the preference of a single auditor. Often, the management prefers to hire the same auditors every year to ensure that they are able to manipulate them to provide audit results that conform to the will of the management (Chung 2004, p. 8). This inclination of the audit results to the management's opinion undermines independence and reduces the integrity of the end results. In this view, mandatory auditor rotation will ensure that the familiarity and the management threats are suppressed and the audit bodies have a better chance to provide results that reflects the true image of the organization (Chung 2004, p. 8). According to Forbes (2013, Para. 2), the US House of Representatives voted for mandatory auditor rotation as one way of setting the audit bodies free from manipulation. Peer Review In a peer review audit, after the principal au ditor completes the audit process, other qualified professionals evaluate the work to verify its integrity and ensure that the financial statements are in accordance with those of the financial investors. This is a quality assurance process that aims at reducing any errors that may have occurred during the initial accounting process. In addition, this helps to reduce any form of data manipulation that may have been done intentionally under the influence of any independence threat (Allen and Siegel, 2002). Although this process may be quite expensive, it ensures that independence threats are neutralized and more credible results are attained. Independent Auditor appointing and free setting In this process, the role of appointing a professional auditor is withdrawn from the financial investor or client and dedicated to another body. The International Organization of the security commission (2002) states that the role of client in appointing the auditor provides a weakness in the indep endence of the audit results. Often, organizations will choose those auditors that they feel are easy to manipulate or threaten to ensure that they are able to cover up or pursue personal interests by imposing their own opinions on these professionals. To reduce this threat, an independent appointing body should be constituted to ensure that familiarity threats are eliminated by selecting professionals that are least affiliated to the firms. For instance, the government agencies can be chosen to appoint audit bodies for financial investors. Alternatively, shareholder committees should be formulated to take up this role of appointing a credible professional audit body that can provide credible results. In essence, giving this role to an

Teaching of Socrates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Teaching of Socrates - Essay Example The three great Socratic philosophers, Socrates, Plato(www.wsu.edu:8080/dee/GREECE/PLATO.HTM), and Aristotle(www.philosophypages.com/hy/2n.htm), were to be "rediscovered" during the Renaissance(www.absoluteastronomy.com/ encyclopedia/c/ch/christendom.htm) and their rational, practical, and scientific ideas were to influence the thinking and the governmental, religious, and educational institutions of the entire western world" it also says that "Socrates was distinct in inculcating ideas on (a) Ethics(www.nd.edu/Departments/Maritain/etext/jmoral01.htm) that that influenced later Greek philosophers (b) Inductive method of reasoning. (www.cs.miami.edu/geoff/Courses/ CSC545-F05/Content/LogicalConsequence.shtml) (c) Imposed Knowledge is happiness. He believed that knowledge or insight is the foundation of virtue (depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/ classics/dunkle/studyguide/apology.htm) and happiness (plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-character/) (d) Rationalism. Thru reasoning, man can reach the truth. His question and answer method, as described below, caused his students and future philosophers to use thinking as a major way of getting to the truth. Future philosophers and Catholic Saints like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas delved into his virtue, knowledge and happiness theories and expanded and brought to the next level Socrates' theories by adding their own modern day philosophical theories. In the "SOCRATIC METHOD . Athens(web.utk.edu/utfp/eoc/athens/) became the classroom of Socrates. He went about asking questions of authorities and of the man in the street in order to arrive at political and ethical truths. He questioned groups of his students as a means of instruction, to compel them to think a problem through to a logical(www.roangelo.net/logwitt/) conclusion. His dialectic(www.english-test.net/gre/ vocabulary/meanings/031/gre-words.php) method, or method of investigating problems through dialogue discussions, came to be known as the Socratic method. It involved: 1. SOCRATIC IRONY(depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/ classics/dunkle/studyguide/apology.htm). Socrates pretended that he knew no answers. His assumed ignorance or willingness to learn from others was the background for adroit questioning to reveal the t truth or expose the error of the answers he received. 2. DEFINITION(www.thefreedictionary.com/definition). The initial question usually required the definition of the concept. 3. ANALYSIS(www.mdx.ac.uk/www/study/glothi.htm - 101k - 28 Okt 2005). Subsequent questions elicited an analysis of the definition in all its implications.4. GENERALIZATIONS(www.friesian.com/founda-1.htm). After examining all of the particular applications and consequences of the concept(radicalacademy.com/philsocrates.htm), Socrates reasoned, or persuaded his students to reason, from the particular to the general, or by the process of induction, to reach a general conclusion". His style of pretending to know

Australian Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Australian Constitution - Essay Example Justice M.D. Kirby (1997) succinctly highlights the difficulties in this manner: "I have elsewhere tried to point out that the Australian Constitution can be viewed as reflecting a struggle, which is still ongoing, between British and United States elements captured in its text." (The Honourable Justice M D Kirby AC CMG, 1997) "In 1992 in Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd v Commonwealth the High Court struck down the Political Broadcasts and Political Disclosures Act 1991 (Cth) which restricted political advertising on the electronic media during Federal, State, Territory and local elections. In doing so, it recognized that the Australian Constitution contains an implied freedom to discuss political matters. This freedom was primarily derived from sections 7 and 24 of the Constitution, which respectively provide that the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives 'shall be ... directly chosen by the people'. As federal laws passed under section 51 of the Constitution are passed 'subject to this Constitution', such laws are invalid if they infringe the implied freedom" (William, George (b); 1996-97). The reason for the High Court decision was clear. The 'implied freedom' took precedence over Political Broadcasts and Political Disclosures Act 1991. Or, the 'implied freedom' was implicitly clear while the written law was irrelevant. The Australian constitution does not guarantee freedom of speech. However, the court ruled in favor of Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd quoting 'implied freedom'. The learned judge ruled on the merits of the case. Had he ruled on the basis of the written constitution, he would have ruled otherwise (William, George (b); 1996-97). The constitution is a powerful document. It is the overriding and supreme determinant. However, sometimes there are verdicts that appear to have little to do with the constitution. At times, they also appear to run counter to the constitution. Nonetheless, the judges are in better position to provide the ruling. The ruling reinforces what many believe that the Australian constitution is a little more than a legal document. In other words, the Australian constitution must be taken with a pinch of salt. Does this also mean that this constitution is inconsistent and has inadequacies No responsible judge will be expected to make such sweeping remarks. However, there could be a silent consensus on what the constitution ought to be (Justice and the Rule of Law). Disputes arise that demand a constitutional resolution. These disputes are handled by legal specialists and settled in the courts. But from time to time, controversies occur, drawing the country's attention to its constitution. These raise major national questions about whether acts of government or parliament, decisions or actions of officials are constitutional, that is, whether they are authorized by the ultimate source of law and power in Australia (Justice and the

Core Values in International Relations and Their Application in the Essay

Core Values in International Relations and Their Application in the Kigndom of Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The researcher states that international relations can be referred to the field of public policy and academy, which in this case, can be normative or positive. This field makes an analysis and formulation of different foreign policies for various countries. Being a political activity, the practice traces its origin back to the times of Thucydides, a Greek historian (460-395 BC). At the beginning go of the 20th century, international relations became an important and discrete academic sector in political science. In general, it is important to realize that international relations have become an important interdisciplinary field that people go to study in colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning. Apart from the field of political science, international relations derive its intellectual materials from various other fields like history, technology, philosophy, geography and international law among many others. The particular scope of the field of international rel ations understands such issues as ecological sustainability, nuclear proliferation, nationalism, international security, human rights among other important fields. International relations traces its history from many centuries ago; for instance, Buzan and Little Richard are believed to have considered the interactions in many of the ancient city-states of Sumeria as a form of fully-fledged and operational international relations. These interactions are believed to have started taking place around 3500 BC. When based on sovereign states, the history regarding international relations can be followed back to the time of Westphalia in 1648. During this time, it is believed that the development of international relations was a major stepping-stone towards the development of the current state systems. Before this particular development, organizations in political authorities in the European medieval period were depended on some kind of vaguely developed hierarchical religious orders.

The Romantic Movement Essay Example for Free

The Romantic Movement Essay Mary Shelleys Frankenstein was written at the time of the Romantic Movement; characterized by innovation (rather than traditionalism), spontaneity (Shelley was brought up in Geneva where freedom of expression was important), an idealisation of nature and the belief of living in an age of new beginnings and high possibilities. All of these characteristics are found early on in the novel in Waltons letters, the discovery of the North Pole being the innovation and new beginning. In this novel, the Romanticism significantly complements the Gothic genre. Robert Walton is a Romantic, with a thirst to express his intense imaginings and daydreams to companion. His dreams of exploration were first inspired by poems and stories and childish fantasies at a young age. As Walton prepares for his journey to the North Pole, the beauty of nature in St. Petersburg seem to him a hint of how the new world will look when he gets there. His excitement is heightened by the brisk and picturesque world around him. However, his beautiful surroundings are also very perilous, and end up being the reason he has to return. Walton describes Frankenstein as completely broken-down by grief, but still able to appreciate the natural beauty of the world around him, which seems remarkable. A man destroyed by sorrow can still look up at the night sky and feel some sense of relief, happiness, or awe at the fabulous beauty that surrounds him: Even broken in spirit as he is, no one can feel more deeply than he does the beauties of nature. The starry sky, the sea, and every sight afforded by these wonderful regions, seems still to have the power of elevating his soul. This appreciation of beauty in a novel so filled with brutality seems an odd contrast, but is elementary for the distinct natural settings that we will come across in the novel, all corresponding to the emotions of the characters involved. The North Pole is a suitably cold, desolate and isolated setting for the meeting of Walton, Victor and the daemon. Mary Shelley also had very liberal religious views. At the time she wrote Frankenstein, Catholicism was very oppressing and she was very against it. In his letters, Walton wishes to discover things that will benefit mankind. We later find out he shares this godlike ambition with Frankenstein. Shelley uses biblical language to emphasise this: Heaven shower down blessings on you. He will be like a celestial spirit that has a halo around him. elevates me to heaven. Walton seems to be playing God or somebody of high divinity by generously giving out heavenly phrases. This is quite foreboding, as the oppressiveness in the historical context also suggests that all is not well. This is backed up by Walton acting against his fathers dying injunction; not to embark in a seafaring life. This is not a very divine thing to do. This is an underlying theme at this early stage in the novel, but as Victor confesses his story of playing God, we realise that this theme mutely prepares us for the tale that is about to unfold. The desire to find out the unknown and to be the first to discover the unseen is a tragic flaw of both Walton and the Victor Frankenstein, and from the very first letter, the theme of glory is heavily established. Walton states: I preferred glory. Of course there are only a select few who have achieved this timeless goal, yet those who pursue it are encouraged by the immortality and recognition awarded to the victorious. Mary Shelleys Frankenstein is a literary rumination of the quest for glory, Waltons discovery of the North Pole being the backdrop for the tale of the title characters pursuit of the knowledge of life.

Demographics And Epidemiological Transition Health And Social Care Essay

Demographics And Epidemiological Transition Health And Social Care Essay Bangladesh is experiencing the third phase in demographic transition that has produced a big number of youthful population and increasing population of older population (Razzaque et al., 2010). At present, the population of Bangladesh is 152518015 million, where percentage of the 60+ elderly populations is more than 6.7 (BBS, 2010). The median age is 23.3. The life expectancy at birth is 70 years for the total population (Index Mundi, 2012). Epidemiologic transition generally refers to the shift from acute, infectious and deficiency diseases to chronic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This is usually reflected in the mortality and morbidity pattern. A study done at Matlab, a rural area of Bangladesh by Karar et al. (2006) found that in 20 years (1986-2006), there has been a massive alteration in mortality profile from acute infectious and parasitic diseases to NCDs, degenerative and chronic diseases. During this period there was great reduction in mortality due to diarrhea and dysentery and respiratory infections (except tuberculosis) and increase in mortality due to NCDs such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and malignant neoplasms. It has been predicted further that the mortality due to NCDs will increase greatly in the next two decades whereas number of deaths due to communicable diseases will decrease. The reduction in the child and infant mortality was explained by improvement in maternal education, primary health care services, water and sanitation practice, use of oral rehydration solution and high immunization coverage. The rise in mortality due to NCDs was explained by possible change in diet and lifestyle (Karar et al., 2006) Due to demographic and epidemiologic transitions, elderly population has rapidly increased and so has their morbidity (Biswas et al.,2006). As Bangladesh is going through both epidemiologic and demographic transitions, there are being reductions in fertility and mortality rates that have resulted in increased life expectancy among the population. This means there are increase in older people in the population and increase in prominence of chronic conditions among these elderly. Chronic diseases usually accumulate with ageing and are presented as multiple morbidities. Multimorbidity in the same person refers to co-occuring of various harmful medical conditions. Khanam et al( 2011) found higher prevalence of multimorbidity among elderly (>60years old) in a rural place in Bangladesh called Matlab. It was around 53.8% among the study population. Arthritis and hypertension occurred the most commonly. Multi-morbidity was higher in women than men and in non-poorest (Not poorest. Socio-econo mic status was divided into two parts: poorest and non-poorest). The same study found that multimorbdity can also be affected by living and working environment, lifestyle pattern, socio-economic status, behavioral risk factors and gender. From the prevalence rate, one can estimate the real burden in the general rural population. It shows every elderly in the population is suffering from at least one chronic condition. This means the health sector of Bangladesh should be prepared to deal with the increasing NCD cases. Through improved diagnostic facilities and better referral system, NCD patients can be helped. Health policy should be updated accordingly to allocate bigger budget to facilitate health services for the elderly (Karar et al, 2009). Formal and informal care Study by Biswas et al. (2006) focused on strategies elderly people use to cope in case of illnesses. As perception of ill health and severity of illness varied from one elderly to another, this study revealed that elderly people avoided visiting a qualified doctor until severity of illness deteriorated because of the associated cost. Even in situations when these qualified doctors are consulted, there are rare follow up visits, again due to the financial barrier. Therefore, elderly people often prefer going to traditional healers (eg. Kobiraj). Huge trust is placed on this type of healers treatments. Often when these treatments bear no result, trust is not lost and the lack of result is often attributed to ill fate (Biswas et al., 2006). On the other hand, if the disease is assumed to be of low severity, self-care is practiced, that is home remedies are undertaken and drugs are bought over the counter at the drugstore by a family member. However decision making process comes into play if severity of the disease increases and is influenced by various factors such as decision about where to take the patient, who to go with the patient and how to manage money. Out of all these factors, the financial issue grabs the bigger priority. Usually a service provider that can ensure flexibility in the treatment cost and payment options is picked. Payment is done with the help of savings, loan from adult children, friends or relatives or sometimes NGO and selling of livestock and poultry (Biswas et al,2006).. In Bangladesh, elderly people depend largely on care provided by the family members. Its a common practice for family members to look after elderly persons. Sometimes even when theres a will, family members cannot take proper care of the elders due to financial constraints. Furthermore, adult children of that family often migrate somewhere else to find work, leaving the elderly behind. In urban areas, this scenario is worse. Along with the men of the family working, theres womens participation in labor force due to which the elderly are also neglected. (Jesmin Ingman, 2011). There is stigmatization of Older women who visit male doctors (who arent direct family members) due to which women stay back home even when they are ill and suffer even more. From the governments side there is meager amount of Old Age allowance and pension for the elderly. This amount hardly covers up treatment costs. There are institutional cares provided by the NGOs in different parts of Bangladesh. But this are being unable to meet the increasing demands of increasing number of the aged people (Hossain et al, 2006). We can see that modernization and urbanization results in migration of young adults and inclusion of women labour force. Elderly people are neglected. There is poor health care service for them. Financially they become weak. They begin to lose their functional ability with age and become dependent on others. But ageing is a natural process for which they are not responsible. Therefore its our duty to provide them with utmost care, respect and security. Ageing population and functional ability: When we talk about functional ability of elderly population, we mean if the elderly person is functionally able to perform daily tasks. We draw conclusions based on physical and cognitive incompetence. But we often neglect the context to which the person belongs. Its environmental and socio-cultural factors. Urban and rural areas vary highly in terms of these factors. There are also gender differences as to certain tasks performed by men and women are bound by social norms and generally dont overlap. Domestic work typically belongs to womens domain and public chores belong to men (Kabir et al., 2001). If we picture a rural context, we can understand how environment plays a role as a barrier to functional ability. Toilets are usually placed outside the home, at a distance and water source is far from toilet. An elderly person has to go a nearby pond or have someone carry the water to them (Ferdous et al., 2009b). Older women who visit male doctors (who arent direct family members) are stigmatized (Biswas et al.,2006). Therefore theres a tendency of women staying home and not seeking help. As a result, with time, they become more ill and functionally disable to perform daily activities. Studies have shown elderly women to have higher prevalence of illness then elderly men (Kalam et al., 2006). Studies done on nutritional status of elderly people have found nutrition to play a vital role in performing daily activities. Elders with poor nutritional status have more limitations in their physical function than elders who are well nourished. Good nutritional status has been associated with better cognitive function as well. (Ferdous et al., 2009a). As the elderly population is increasing in number, its our responsibility to see how they can achieve healthy ageing. There can be many suggestions like having high nutritious diet, improved infrastructure like building ramps in hospitals, treatment at early stage etc but whether these can or will be implemented is highly d ubious. Bangladesh is poverty stricken country and inspite of National Elderly Policy being present, its goals of protecting elderly are inactive (Unnayan Onneshan, 2011). Poverty is beyond our control but policy is something we can take care of. Policies incorporating elderly issues should be implemented and our approaches towards the ageing population should be in such a way that this population is benefited, secured and meets demand of basic needs. The Prevention of Diabetes, Bangladesh Program from life course perspective In the developing countries, there is a growing concern and awareness of the increasing incidence of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) (Darton-Hill et al., 2004). More than 40% of all people with diabetes in least developed countries live in Bangladesh (Novonordisk, 2012). Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is highly preventable and its occurrence can be delayed. The main focus of prevention of this disease is mostly on modification of lifestyle patterns of adults. Behavior such as unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity particularly receives high attention. But there is huge evidence now that supports the fact that a lot of the risks associated to T2DM arise during fetal stages of life. At this stage, these factors are characterized by maternals nutritional status, presence or absence of diabetes and fetal and post-natal environment. This indicates that disease process advances throughout life course. There are also evidences showing that these risks begin during fetal stage and p rogresses till old age (Darton-Hill et al., 2004). A study on genetic changes has revealed high chances of diabetes being activated in the womb. As environmental, genetic and biological factors can be passed from generation to generation, a life course approach is therefore critical to lessen this intergenerational transmission of diabetes. (IDF, 2011a). The primary prevention of diabetes, Bangladesh is a program by the World Diabetes Foundation, partnering with Diabetes Association of Bangladesh (DAB). The program ran for 4 years 10 months (January 2007-October 2011).The objective of the program was to  define and pilot strategies for lifestyle intervention in the primary prevention of diabetes in Bangladesh and to develop guidelines for a long term National Diabetes Prevention Programme (http://www.worlddiabetesfoundation.org/composite-1144.htm). The program will be elaborately discussed from a life course perspective in the following sections. The main focus of this program was on lifestyle interventions. They produced six leaflets that described steps of prevention of diabetes at different levels of society. The levels targeted were individual, family and friend, social/cast level, health service provider, employer and media. Messages about risk factors of diabetes were recorded and used during training sessions. Folk singers, school teachers and religious leaders were involved in delivering messages. Doctors, community counselors, employees and employers were trained in diabetes awareness and lifestyle interventions. Around 87 students took part in diabetes educator program (where the students got trained on educating others about diabetes and the associated life style interventions). All these activities suggest that the focus has been on adults. Though it has not been mentioned which risk factors this program considered, but hoping they have included the three most common behavioral risk factors such as obesity, lack o f physical activities and smoking. Numerous studies have shown these risk factors to be associated with type 2 diabetes. From Fig. 1 (Annex) it can be seen that in adult life, the risk is the risk that accumulates from fetal life, infancy and childhood, adolescence. This accumulated risk is a cumulative risk, which means the consequences are even getter and detrimental. The figure also shows that the risk actually begins before conception of the life. Therefore, interventions should be focused on mothers planning to conceive, alongside focusing on every stage of the life of a person from fetal to adult. This program has not focused on pregnant mothers, let alone pre-conception stage. For preconception phase, the women could be educated that pregnancy can act as a risk factor for the development of diabetes. They could be advocated to take balanced nutrition and refrain from smoking. They could also help their partners to stop smoking. In pregnancy phase, there could be intervention regarding uptake of appropriate nutrition. There could be intervention regarding management of gestational diabetes to lessen the transference of T2DM to the fetus. Mothers with gestational diabetes and the ones with child of low birth weight could also be suggested to have follow-up check-ups (IDF, 2011b) There were no interventions for infancy and childhood period in this program as well. As part of this program, exclusive breastfeeding could be promoted for the first six months. Mothers could be educated and supported on appropriate nutrition for their infants. For school going children, exercise and healthy eating could be promoted (IDF, 2011b). This program also didnt incorporate interventions targeting the adolescence. Adolescents are important group of people who practice unhealthy eating, physical inactivity and lead a sedentary life style. Smoking among adolescents is very popular among Bangladesh. They also should have been a target of this prevention program. Studies have shown that the age of onset of diabetes has shifted from working age group to adolescents. Therefore more women that belong to reproductive age group are having diabetes and their pregnancies are being complicated by diabetes (International Diabetes Federation, 2011b). Therefore lifestyle interventions shou ld have been applied to this population. Healthy diets and awareness about smoking could be promoted at schools and through educational programs. Alongside anti-smoking programs, awareness regarding illicit drug use and alcohol could be built up as well. Adolescents could be well informed about the consequences of consuming alcohol. To combat drug use, children and adolescents could be informed about the physical, psychological and social effects of using drugs. Both adolescents and adults could be taught ways to build confidence and self esteem, which can empower them to say no to drugs (WHO, 1999). At every stage of life, there could be strong emphasis on physical activity. Lack of it, along with other factors, can predispose an individual to T2DM. It has also been shown to reduce gestational diabetes (Dornhorst et al., 1998). The program could encourage physical exercise in children by accommodating it in the school curricula and family activities. Also supportive environments could be helped to be built for all ages to engage in physical activity. Some life course factors such as socio-economic cannot be changed. Behavioral risk factors can be changed. This program should have aimed at all the stages of life course model to be able to cover wider population and reach greater success in preventing diabetes.

Nations Destroyed by Allah

Nations Destroyed by Allah Comparing past and present PREFACE: Allah has mentioned the stories of perished nations in Holy Quran And at some places He has mentioned to learn lesson from them and try to gain knowlege about their sins. Muslims now a days hardly recite Quran daily. My research will help them know about the deeds pf perished natinos and to stay away from those deeds. I didnt find any article or book comparing the perished nations and todays nation. All of the books which i have read only have discussed the stories of demolished nations. This topic is very important for the people now a days, specialy Muslims. All the people should get aware of Allah power. They should know what will be their end if they get themselves involve in the same actions by which previous nations have faced a fierced end. Not only by the sins they did, but we should abide by all the actions Allah and His prophet (s.a.w) mentioned not to do. By this topic Muslims will know that if they will not stop doing the bad activities and will be involved in these deeds, then they will be punished harshly. Past nations were involved in many wronge activities which were prohibited by Allah. Some of the nations were Nuhs (as) nation (was involved in worshiping false gods), Luts (as) nation (was involved in sodomy), people of Ad (were arrogant and boastful), Thamud (rejected warnings of Allah), Pharaoh (was involved in shirk and was a cruel ruler), people pf Madyan (were dishonest in doing business). Todays nation is also involved in same avtivities where as Allah has clearly mentioned the stories of previous nations and told to learn a lesson from them. Today people are involved in such activities like, seeking help from the dead people, having a wronge concept that visiting a shrine of good people and seek help from them, involve in adultery (even with homosexual), involve in doing shirk. INTRODUCTION: Allah has always sent His prophets in every age since the creation of this world to give humans the knowledge about Allah (their creator). Some people followed those instructions told by prophets and majority of them didnt followed. Some of them even not only denied to follow the right path but they also harmed prophets and the people who followed them. The messengers were generally accused slanderously of falsehood, magic, insanity and conceit and leaders of many peoples even sought to have them murdered. Allah gave those nations many chances to belief in truth, but they never did.And then allah perished them.The Muslims are, therefore, given a constant reminder not to follow the path of these nations.because no one can hide from Allah when His chastisement occurs. Allah reveals in Holy Quran: But how many generations before them did We destroy (for their sins) stronger in power than they? Then did they wander through the land: was there any place of escape (for them)? (Surah Qaf: 36) It is noteworthy that these characteristics belong as well as to the current civilisation, which has established an elaborate world-culture through todays technology and science, and has founded centralised states, huge cities, yet denies Allah, forgetting that all is made possible by His power. Most of the people are involved in the false activities and at some sort denies Allah. PAST: Nation of prophet Nuh (a.s): Prophet Nuh (a.s) was sent to teach people the lesson of tauheed and to tell them to worship only Allah. Prophet Nuh (a.s) preached Islam over 950 years of time period but only few follwed his message. Nuhs people were engaged in worshiping false god in the form of statues. Then Allah sent his prophet to bring them to the right path. Allah says: Indeed, We sent Nuh (Noah) to his people and he said: O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other God but Him. Certainly, I fear for you the torment of a Great Day! [Al-Araf 7: 59] For many generations Nuhs people had been worshipping statues that they called gods. They believed that these gods would bring them good, protect them from evil and provide all their needs. They gave their idols names such as Waddan, Suwaan, Yaghutha, Yaauga, and Nasran, (These idols represented, respectively, manly power; mutability, beauty; brute strength, swiftness, sharp sight, insight) according to the power they thought these gods possessed. Originally these were the names of good people who had lived among them. After their deaths, statues of them were erected to keep their memories alive. After sometime, however, people began to worship these statues. Later generations did not even know why they had been erected; they only knew their parents had prayed to them. That is how idol worshipping developed. Since they had no understanding of Allah the Almighty Who would punish them for their evil deeds, they became cruel and immoral. Prophet Nuh (a.s) warned them and invite them to worship only Allah, but they denied. They firstly denied prophethood of Nuh. As they said that he is also a man like us, he just want superiority on us thats why, he is doing this. Allah says: The leaders of his people said: Ah! we see thee evidently wandering (in mind). (Surat al-A‘raf: 60) The chiefs of the disbeliveers among his people said: We see you but a man like ourselves. (11:27 Quran) Prophet Nuh (a.s) warned his people about the punishment of Allah. Allah says: We sent Nuh to his People (with the Command): Do thou warn thy People before there comes to them a grievous Penalty. (Surah Nuh: 1) Nuh continued appealing to his people to believe in Allah hour after hour, day after day year after year. He admonished his people and called them to Allah day and night, in secret and openly. HE gave them examples, explained Allahs signs and illustrated Allahs ability in the formation of His creatures. But whenever he called them to Allah, they ran away from him. Whenever he urged them to ask Allah to forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears. But they didnt listened and Allah told Nuh to prepare a large boat and collect pairs of every specie and every believer to make them safe from the disaster.Prophet Nuh (a.s) was grief about his people that they will be punished. It was revealed to Nuh: None of thy people will believe except those who have believed already! So grieve no longer over their (evil) deeds. (Surah Hud: 36) The ship was constructed, and Nuh sat waiting Allahs command. Allah revealed to him that when water miraculously gushed forth from the oven at Nuhs house, that would be the sign of the start of the flood, and the sign for Nuh to act. The terrible day arrived when the oven at Nuhs house overflowed. Nuh hurried to open the ark and summon the believers. He also took with him a pair, male and female, of every type of animal, bird and insect. Seeing him taking these creatures to the ark, the people laughed loudly: Nuh must have gone out of his head! What is he going to do with the animals? Slowly the level of water increased and every non-believer died in the flood. Nuhs wife and his son who were non-believers didnt join him and were faced to death. Not a single non-believer was left alive. Then the order to stop the rain and to retreat the water was given and once again dry land was shown but flood had cleaned the non-believers from the land. Nation of prophet Lut (a.s): Prophet Lut (as) was sent as a messenger to one of prophet Ibrahims (as) neighbouring communities. These people, as the Quran tells us, practiced a perversion unknown to the world up till then, namely sodomy. When Lut (as) told them to give up this perversion and brought them Allahs warning, they denied him, refused his prophethood, and carried on with their perversion. In the end, these people were destroyed by a dreadful disaster. This city was filled with evil. Its residents waylaid, robbed and killed travelers. Another common evil among them was that men had sex with men instead of with women. This unnatural act later became known as sodomy (after the city of Sodom). It was practiced openly and unashamedly. It was at the height of these crimes and sins that Allah revealed to Prophet Lut (alai salam) that he should summon the people to give up their indecent behavior, but they were so deeply sunk in their immoral habits that they were deaf to Luts preaching. Swamped in their unnatural desires, they refused to listen, even when Lut warned them of Allahs punishment. Instead, they threatened to drive him out of the city if he kept on preaching. Allah says: And his people gave no answer but this: they said, Drive them out of your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure! (Surat al-A‘raf: 80-82) Lut (as) called his people to an obvious truth and warned them explicitly, but his people did not heed any warnings whatsoever and continued to reject him and to deny the penalty of which he told them. Receiving the above answer from his people, Lut asked for the help of Allah: He said: O my Lord! help Thou me against people who do mischief! (Surat al-Ankaboot: 30) Upon Luts (as) prayer, Allah sent two angels in the form of men. These angels visited Ibrahim (as)before coming to Lut (as). Giving Ibrahim (as) the good news that his wife would give birth to an infant, the messengers explained the reason for their being sent: the insolent people of Lut (as) were to be destroyed. Angels came to Lut (a.s) as guest and stayed at his house. This news was spread in town by his wife who was non-believer and in some time the whole town was standing outside his home. They broke the door and came in. Angels said to Lut (a.s) that dont fear as we are angels and they cannot harm you. After listening that non-believers got feared and ran outside.The angels warned Prophet Lut (pbuh) to leave his house before sunrise, taking with him all his family except his wife. Allah had decreed that the city of Sodom should perish. AN earthquake rocked the town. IT was as if a mighty power had lifted the entire city and flung it down in one jolt. A storm of stones rained on the city. Everyone and everything was destroyed, including Luts wife.In the morning, his people were destroyed by the disaster of which Lut (as) had informed them in advance. Allah says: But the (mighty) Blast overtook them before morning, And We turned (the cities) upside down, and rained down on them brimstones hard as baked clay. Behold! in this are Signs for those who by tokens do understand. And the (cities were) right on the high-road. (Surat al-Hijr: 73-76) People of Ad: The people of Ad lived many years in the windswept hills of an area between Yemen and Oman. They were physically well built and renowned for their craftsmanship especially in the construction of tall buildings with lofty towers. They were outstanding among all the nations in power and wealth, which, unfortunately, made them arrogant and boastful. Their political power was held in the hand of unjust rulers, against whom no one dared to raise a voice. They were not ignorant of the existence of Allah, nor did they refuse to worship Him. What they did refuse was to worship Allah alone. They worshipped other gods, also, including idols. This is one sin Allah does not forgive. Allah wanted to guide and discipline these people so He sent a prophet from among them. This prophet was Hud (as), a noble man who handled this task with great resoluteness and tolerance. Hud (as) condemned idol worship and admonished his people. MY people, what is the benefit of these stones that you carve with your own hands and worship? In reality it is an insult to the intellect. There is only One Deity worthy of worship and that is Allah. Worship of Him and Him alone, is compulsory on you. In Quran: To the Ad People (We sent) Hud, one of their own brethren. He said: O my people! worship Allah! ye have no other god but Him. (Your other gods) ye do nothing but invent! Prophet Hud (as) told them He created you, He provides for you and He is the One Who will cause you to die. He gave you wonderful physiques and blessed you in many ways. So believe in Him and do not be blind to His favors, or the same fate that destroyed Noahs people will overtake you. Hud (as) warned them. With such reasoning Hud hoped to instill faith in them, but they refused to accept his message. His people asked him: Do you desire to be our master with your call? What payment do you want?.Hud (as) replied them that he did not want their money nor reward from them. Allah says: O my people! I ask of you no reward for this (Message). My reward is from none but Him Who created me: Will ye not then understand? Hud (as) tried to speak to them and to explain about Allahs blessings: how Allah the Almighty had made them Noahs successors, how He had given them strength and power, and how HE sent them rain to revive the soil.Huds (as) people looked about them and found they were the strongest on earth, so they become prouder and more obstinate. Thus they argued a lot with Hud (as). Hud (as) taught them everything a prophet teaches to his nation. But they used to ask silly questions. Hud (as) used to answer them gently but they never followed his message. Hud (as) warned them if they wont worship only Allah they will destroyed like Nuhs (as) nation. And they declared we will be safe by our gods. Hud (as) told them that these idols will be the reason of your destruction.There is no one who harms or benefits any one except Allah. The conflict between Hud (as) and his people continued. The years passed, and they became prouder and more obstinate, and more tyrannical and more defiant of their prophets message. Furthermore, they started to accuse Hud (as) of being a crazy lunatic. One day they told him: We now understand the secret of your madness you insulted our gods and they harmed you; that is why you have become insane. Almighty Allah repeated their words in the Quran: O my Hud! No evidence have you brought us, and we shall not leave our gods for your mere saying! And we are not believers in you. All that we say is that some of our gods (false deities) have seized you with evil (madness). (11:53-54 Quran) A drought spread throughout the land, for the sky no longer sent its rain. the sun scorched the desert sands, looking like a disk of fire which settled on peoples heads. The drought increased, the trees turned yellow, and plants died. A day came when they found the sky full of clouds. Huds (as) people were glad as they came out of their tents crying: A cloud, which will give us rain!.But the weather changed suddenly from burning dry and hot to stinging cold with wind that shook everything; trees, plants, tents, men and women. The wind increased day after day and night after night. Huds (as) people started to flee. They ran to their tents to hide but the gale became stronger, ripping their tents from their stakes. They hid under cloth covers but the gale became stronger and still and tore away the covers. It slashed clothing and skin. It penetrated the apertures of the body and destroyed it. It hardly touched anything before it was destroyed or killed, its core sucked out to decompose and rot. The storm raged for 8 days and 7 nights. Almighty Allah recounts: Then when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said: This is a cloud bringing us rain! Nay but it is that torment which you were asking to be hastened! a wind wherein is a painful torment! Destroying everything by the command of its Lord! (46:24-25 Quran) That violent gale did not stop until the entire region was reduced to ruins and its wicked people destroyed, swallowed by the sands of the desert. Only Hud (as) and his followers remained unharmed. They migrated to Hadramaut and lived there in peace, worshipping Allah, their true Lord. Thamud (samood): Prophet salih (as) was sent on people of thamud. People of thamud were also engaged in the same sins in which people of Ad were involved. Thamud rejected the warnings of Allah just as ‘Ad did and perished in consequence.Thamuds denial of the warnings coming to them is an incident which is itself a warning to people of all ages. Prophet Salih (as) was sent to Thamud to warn them. Salih (as) was a recognised person within the Thamud society. His people, who did not expect him to proclaim the religion of truth, were surprised by his calling on them to abandon their deviation. A small part of the community complied with Salihs (as) call, but most of them did not accept what he told. The leaders of the community in particular denied Salih (as) and took an antagonistic stand towards him. They tried to impede those who believed Salih (as) and tried to oppress them. They were enraged at Salih (as), because he called them to worship Allah. This rage was not specific only to Thamud; Thamud were repeating the mistake made by the people of Nuh (as) and by Ad who had lived before them. This is why the Quran refers to these three communities as follows: Has not the story reached you, (O people!), of those who (went) before you? of the people of Prophet Nuh, and Ad, and Thamud? And of those who (came) after them? None knows them but Allah. To them came messengers with Clear (Signs); but they put their hands up to their mouths, and said: We do deny (the mission) on which ye have been sent, and we are really in suspicious (disquieting) doubt as to that to which ye invite us. (Surah Ibrahim: 9) Despite the Prophet Salihs (as) warnings, the people continued in their ways on overcome by doubts. But still, there was a group who believed in the prophethood of Salih (as) and those were the ones who were saved along with Salih (as) when the great catastrophe came. The leaders of the community tried to oppress the group believing in Salih (as). Moreover, a certain group openly denied Salih (as). A group among those who rejected faith supposedly in the name of Allah made plans to kill Salih (as). Salehs people disbelieved and thought he was bewitched. Then they asked him to show them a sign from Allah that he was indeed a prophet. They pointed at a huge rock that was standing by itself, and proposed to him that he ask his God to create a she-camel out of it. They of course thought that it was a good way to dumbfound him and silence him. But Saleh, in turn, took a strong oath from them that if Allah provided them with this sign they would believe in him and follow him. He then fervently prayed to Allah to answer their request. The huge rock moved and split and from it came a wonderful she-camel, which was pregnant and soon to give birth. Allah provided the Thamud people this miracle which was also a test for them, to see if they obey His orders. In Quran: Saleh told them: O my people! This she-camel of Allah is a sign to you. Leave her to feed on Allahs earth, and inflict no harm on her, or a swift punishment will seize you! (Hud, 11:64) The she-camel and her young offspring lived among the Thamud people, she would drink from the water of the well for one day, and leave it to them the second day as Allah ordered: She has a right to drink (water), and you have a right to drink water, each on a day appointed, (Al-Shuara, 26:155). Allah ordered Prophet Saleh to tell his people of the camels rights, saying: And tell them that the water is to be shared between her and them. Each ones right to drink being established by turns, (Al-Qamar, 54:28). On the day the she-camel was to drink from the well, she would have enough milk for all the people of Thamud who would milk her and fill all their containers. She would graze in the valley and she was so huge that when she came near their sheep, they would flee and leave the way for her, and the cattle would not come near the well on the day she would drink from it. The Thamud people were very amazed and some of them believed and followed Prophet Saleh. It was clear that she was not a normal camel but was a miracle from Allah and a blessed animal. The disbelievers, however, were very much bothered by her for she was always reminding them of that oath They plotted to kill her and get rid of her, so that way they would use the well every day. There were nine men in the city who were known for their mischief and crimes, and hence they were trusted with the mission of killing the camel. After making sure that all the disbelievers were in agreement to kill the she-camel, the men went out secretly by night to the well when she came to drink water. They hit her and killed her, then ran to kill the child but he ran away and vanish in the mountain from where she-camel came. When saleh (as) heard of their horrible crime, Prophet Saleh (as) warned them saying: Enjoy yourselves in your homes for three days. This is a promise that will not be belied! (Hud, 11:65). This warning was an occasion for them to repent to Allah, but to the contrary, they not only disbelieved in the threat but also decided to kill Saleh as well. After three days Angel Gabriel (as) shaked the walls of their homes and when they came out of their homes, he made a loud sound by which they were caused to death.Except saleh (as) and his believers. The Pharaoh: The pharaoh who ruled Egypt was a tyrant who oppressed the descendants of Musa (as). He used every means to demean and disgrace them. They were kept in bondage and forced to work for him for small wages or nothing. Under this system the people obeyed and worshipped the pharaoh, and the ruling class carried out his orders, thereby authorizing his tyranny and crazy whims.The pharaoh wanted the people to obey him only, and to believe in the gods of his invention. Perhaps, during that time, there were many classes of people who did not believe in or practice polytheism; however, they kept this to themselves and outwardly did as they were expected to do, without revolting or revealing themselves to anyone.Pharaoh came to know that a child will be born who will be cause of his destruction and death. He gave command to kill all the male children among the children of israel. Ibn Abbas narrated: Pharaoh saw in his vision a fire, which came from Jerusalem and burned the houses of the Egyptians, and all Copts, and did not do harm to the children of Israel. When he woke up, he was horrified. He then gathered his priests and magicians and asked them about this vision. They said: This means a boy will be born of them and the Egyptian people will perish at his hands. That is why Pharaoh commanded that all male children of the children of Israel be killed. But that child was born. He was prophet Musa (as). Even he was cherished by pharaoh in his palace. But after the prophethood Musa (as) conveyed the message of Allah. Musa (as) and Harun (as) went to pharaoh in obedience to Allahs command and conveyed to him the message of the religion of truth. They asked him to stop tormenting the Children of Israel and let them go with Musa (as) and Harun (as). It was unacceptable to pharaoh that Musa (as), whom he had kept near him for years and who most probably was to have been his successor on the throne, stood up to him and talked to him in this manner. For that reason, Firawn accused him of ingratitude. In Quran: (Firawn) said: Did we not cherish thee as a child among us, and didst thou not stay in our midst many years of thy life? And thou didst a deed of thine which (thou knowest) thou didst, and thou art an ungrateful (wretch)! (Surat ash-Shuara: 18-19 Out of pride and greed for power, pharaoh did not listen to what Musa (as) said. He tried to make fun of him, attempted to prove his power, and denied him. At the same time, he aimed to portray Musa (as) and Harun (as) as anarchists and accuse them of being politically motivated. Finally, neither Pharaoh nor the leaders of the people within his close circle, except for the magicians, obeyed Musa (as) and Harun (as). They did not follow the religion of truth shown to them. Therefore Allah first of all sent some disasters to them. pharaoh and his close circle were so deeply engaged in their polytheism and their idolatry, that is the religion of their ancestors, that they never considered leaving it. Even the miracles of Musa (as) were not enough to make them move away from their superstitions. Moreover, they expressed this openly. They said: Whatever be the Signs thou bringest, to work therewith thy sorcery on us, we shall never believe in thee. (Surat al-A‘raf: 132) Because of their conduct, Allah sent them a number of disasters as separate miracles to make them taste the torment in this world, before the eternal torment of the next world. The first of these was drought and scarcity of crops. In relation to the subject, it is written in the Quran: We punished the people of Firawn with years (of droughts) and shortness of crops; that they might receive admonition. (Surat al-A‘raf: 130). However, instead of taking heed as they should have, they held all that had happened was because of ill fortune brought by Musa and the Children of Israel. They were overcome by such conviction because of their superstitions, disobedience and devotion to the religion of their ancestors and, as a result, they suffered great distress for years. Allah sent to them a series of disasters, and warned them. These disasters are described as follows in the Quran: So we sent (plagues) on them: Wholesale death, Locusts, Lice, Frogs, and Blood: Signs openly self-explained: but they were steeped in arrogance a people given to sin. (Surat al-A‘raf: 133) In pharaohs time, this kind of chain of disasters appears to have occurred. According to this scenario, when the Nile was contaminated, fish also died, and the Egyptians were deprived of an important source of nutrition. Without predator fish, the frogs could initially breed freely in both ponds and the Nile and thus overpopulate the river, eventually escaping the anoxic, toxic, and putrefying environment by migrating to land, hence dying on land and decomposing along with the fish. The Nile and adjacent lands thus became fouled, and the waters became dangerous to drink or to bathe in. Moreover, the extinction of frog species causes bugs such as locusts and lice to reproduce excessively. Finally, no matter how the disasters took place, and what effect they left, neither pharaoh, nor his people turned to Allah by paying heed, but they continued in their arrogance. Musa (as) set out from Egypt with the Children of Israel who obeyed him. However, pharaoh could not accept their departure without his permission. He and his soldiers followed them . By the time Musa (as) and the Children of Israel reached the shore, pharaoh and his soldiers had caught up with them. Some of the Children of Israel, who saw this, began to complain to Musa (as). This weakness of the community is also described in the Quran in the following verse: And when the two bodies saw each other, the people of Musa said: We are sure to be overtaken.' (Surat ash-Shuara: 61) Allah revealed to Musa (as) that he should strike the sea with his rod. Upon this, it divided, and each separate part became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain. (Surat ash-Shuara: 63). In ordinary circumstances, at the moment when pharaoh saw such a miracle, he should have understood that there was something extraordinary about the situation that he was seeing Divine intervention. The sea opened for the people whom pharaoh wanted to destroy. Moreover, there was no guarantee that the sea would not close back after they passed across. Still, he and his army followed the Children of Israel into the sea. Most probably, Pharaoh and his soldiers had lost their ability to think reasonably because of their insolence and spite, and were unable comprehend the miraculous nature of the situation. The Quran describes the last moments of pharaoh as follows: We took the Children of Israel across the sea: Firawn and his hosts followed them in insolence and spite. At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in: I am of those who submit (to Allah in Islam). (Surah Yunus: 90) The People of Madyan: The people of Madyan were Arabs who lived in the country of Maan, part of which today is greater Syria. They were a greedy people who did not believe that Allah existed and who led wicked lives. They gave short measure, praised their goods beyond their worth, and hid their defects. They lied to their customers, thereby cheating them.They led a very happy and a prosperous life. Due to Allahs grace and endowments, they were very wealthy. But instead of thanking Allah for His bounties, they turned greedy and started cheating and betraying people in business. They used to cheat in weighing goods i.e. when they sold goods they weighed less whereas while buying they asked for more. Fraud and deceit were commonplace and the one who was more expert in this field was considered more intelligent and wise. Allah sent His Prophet Shoaib (as) armed with many miracles. Shuaib preached to them, begging them to be mindful of Allahs favors and warning them of the consequences of their evil ways, but they only mocked him. Shuaib remained calm as he reminded them of his kinship to them and that what he was doing was not for his personal gain. In Quran: And to Madyan (We sent) their brother Shoaib. He said, O my people! Serve Allah, you have no god other than Him. Clear proof has indeed come to you from your Lord. Therefore give full measure and weight. And do not diminish to men their things and do not make mischief in the land after its reform. This is better for you if you are believers. (Araaf: 85) Shoaib (as) prohibited the people from committing such contemptible deeds, and also reminded them about Allahs chastisement. But people mocked at him and said, You want us to worship as you worship? You expect us to leave the religion of our forefathers? You expect us to employ some other method in our trade? You want us to deal honestly and suffer losses? Never! Certainly we will never heed you! Since you have become old and also have children, we pardon you. Else we would certainly have stoned you to death! They seized the belongings of Shoaib (as) and his followers, then drove them out of the city. The Messenger turned to his Lord for help, and his plea was answered. Allah sent down on them scorching heat and they suffered terribly. On seeing a cloud gathering in the sky, they thought it would bring cool, refreshing rain, and rushed outside in the hope of enjoying the rainfall. Instead the cloud burst, hurling thunderbolts and fire. They heard a thunderous sound from above which caused the earth under their feet to tremble. The evil doers perished in this state of horror. PRESENT: Todays Muslims are the followers of the last prophet of Allah, Muhammad (s.a.w). He was sent as a seal of prophets. As Allah also declared that Muhammad (s.a.w) is the seals of prophets and after him no prophet will come. He (s.a.w) was the noblest man on earth ever. And no one will come better than him. We are his nation known as Muslims. Todays Muslims are proud to be Muslims. But should they really get proud of it? Todays Muslims are also involved in the activities the previous nations used to be involved in and they cam to no good end. They were perished by Allah. Muslims are involved in different sins like; stealing, killing, greed, not to be thankful to Allah, arrogant, mean, boastful, diminish, and the worst sin shirk. As it

A Grim View on the Grimms’ Class Message Essay -- Literature Fairy Tal

A Grim View on the Grimms’ Class Message In one of Aesop’s most famous fables, the dastardly Wolf in Sheep’s clothing consumes a delicious meal of lamb and teaches the moral that appearances can be deceiving. Indeed, this principle is useful in dissecting the seemingly innocuous editing work of the Brothers Grimm. At first glance, it appears that the general changes enacted by the Grimms in their stories are nothing more than simple acts of censorship designed to achieve compliancy with the teachings of the Bible. However, a closer look reveals that these changes reflect a message about class status rather than piety. Christian ideas such as the preservation of the family unit and the burden of original sin are pervasive in the Grimms’ stories, but are used to induce fear in the audience rather than to attempt a spiritual explanation like in Romantic fairy tales. Themes of continued humility and hard work in the face of adversity replace notions of brashness and craftiness to escape poverty found in fol k fairy tales. Rampant xenophobia and anti-Semitism elicits fear of foreignness and the non-Christian, while frightened main characters are passive and must be rescued by saviors. While it appears that the Grimms cater their stories to the wellbeing of the middle-class, they deceptively and perhaps unintentionally convey the class message that one must remain stagnant in one’s position in life, and thus their stories serve as a social tool of class oppression contrary to the interests of the populace. To understand why the Grimms’ new class message is an important change, one must first understand the role of a story within society to understand how the Grimms take advantage of the fairy tale tradition and spread their dog... ...must be rescued from his or her problems rather than solve them, a significant paradigm shift from earlier genres of fairy tales that suggested at least some semblance of individuality. When there are problems, some outside authority will in due course come to the rescue. Given the ubiquity of the Grimms’ presence in German culture and literature, it is appropriate to consider the impact of this new ideology on the German psyche leading up to the Nazi era, if indeed this message permeated throughout Germany. Thus, while the Grimms’ motivation for their writing is worthy of further study and has not been addressed, the implications of their works are undeniably important. The Grimms have no intention of advancing fairy tales as a pure art form, but rather use their edited stories as a soapbox upon which to preach a new message of class subservience and vulnerability.

Comparing Innocence in Grendel, Neil Young and Portrait of a Lady Essay

Fall from Innocence in Grendel, Neil Young and Portrait of a Lady      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the Bible, God created man pure and innocent, oblivious to good and evil. The serpent of evil lured them to the tree of knowledge, however, and its fruit proved too much of a temptation. With a bite, their "eyes... were opened," and the course of their lives, and the lives of mankind, were changed (Gen. 6-7, 22). Whether or not one accepts the Christian concept of creation, countless works of art are patterned on this account of the "fall from innocence." The novel Grendel by John Gardner shows us a side of the "beast" the epic Beowulf never considered - the child-like innocence before the brutality. The song "Country Girl" by Neil Young is a subtle commentary on the effect the sexual revolution had upon one woman. In addition, The Portrait of a Lady, a film by Jane Campion, an adaptation of Henry James's novel, shows the downward spiral of a headstrong American girl in the late 1800's. These three distinct pieces cut a swath through the art world, repre senting an established author, a modern musician, and a feminist filmmaker, yet central to their relevance is one theme: the fall from innocence.    Innocence? In Grendel? Grendel is a monster, right? Wrong, in the eyes of John Gardner. Taking the role of the Shaper, Gardner makes us see Grendel as an ostracized person, one so lonely he "relishes the thought of acceptance," even though the idiocy of their society repulses him at times (Milosh 221). He is just a naà ¯ve teenager, searching for his role in life.    In The Portrait of a Lady (POAL), Isabel is searching as well, traveling where her caprice leads her. "You're drifting off to some great mistake," her friend Henriett... ...    Gardner, John. Grendel. Vintage Books, 1989.    Kneubuhl, James P. Written interview. 12 April 1998.    Milosh, Joseph. "John Gardner's 'Grendel': Sources and Analogues." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale Research, 1979. 221-222.    Portrait of a Lady, The. Dir. Jane Campion. Gramercy, 1996.    The portrait of a lady production notes. [Online] Available http://www.hollywood.com/movies/portrait/text/1.html, April 13, 1998.    Strehle, Susan. "John Gardner's Novels: Affirmation and the Alien." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale Research, 1979. 218 -219.    Travirca, Chet. Written interview. 12 April 1998.    Young, Neil. "Country Girl." Perf. Young, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash. Dà ©jà   vu. Atlantic, 1970. Comparing Innocence in Grendel, Neil Young and Portrait of a Lady Essay Fall from Innocence in Grendel, Neil Young and Portrait of a Lady      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the Bible, God created man pure and innocent, oblivious to good and evil. The serpent of evil lured them to the tree of knowledge, however, and its fruit proved too much of a temptation. With a bite, their "eyes... were opened," and the course of their lives, and the lives of mankind, were changed (Gen. 6-7, 22). Whether or not one accepts the Christian concept of creation, countless works of art are patterned on this account of the "fall from innocence." The novel Grendel by John Gardner shows us a side of the "beast" the epic Beowulf never considered - the child-like innocence before the brutality. The song "Country Girl" by Neil Young is a subtle commentary on the effect the sexual revolution had upon one woman. In addition, The Portrait of a Lady, a film by Jane Campion, an adaptation of Henry James's novel, shows the downward spiral of a headstrong American girl in the late 1800's. These three distinct pieces cut a swath through the art world, repre senting an established author, a modern musician, and a feminist filmmaker, yet central to their relevance is one theme: the fall from innocence.    Innocence? In Grendel? Grendel is a monster, right? Wrong, in the eyes of John Gardner. Taking the role of the Shaper, Gardner makes us see Grendel as an ostracized person, one so lonely he "relishes the thought of acceptance," even though the idiocy of their society repulses him at times (Milosh 221). He is just a naà ¯ve teenager, searching for his role in life.    In The Portrait of a Lady (POAL), Isabel is searching as well, traveling where her caprice leads her. "You're drifting off to some great mistake," her friend Henriett... ...    Gardner, John. Grendel. Vintage Books, 1989.    Kneubuhl, James P. Written interview. 12 April 1998.    Milosh, Joseph. "John Gardner's 'Grendel': Sources and Analogues." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale Research, 1979. 221-222.    Portrait of a Lady, The. Dir. Jane Campion. Gramercy, 1996.    The portrait of a lady production notes. [Online] Available http://www.hollywood.com/movies/portrait/text/1.html, April 13, 1998.    Strehle, Susan. "John Gardner's Novels: Affirmation and the Alien." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale Research, 1979. 218 -219.    Travirca, Chet. Written interview. 12 April 1998.    Young, Neil. "Country Girl." Perf. Young, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash. Dà ©jà   vu. Atlantic, 1970.