Franz Kafka s The Metamorphosis - 1082 Words

Born 1883 in Prague, to a middle class Jewish family, Franz Kafka earned his doctorate in law but was known for his many works of literature. Despite not having published his three major novels Kafka’s work is highly admired around the world especially his novella â€Å"The Metamorphosis.† The Metamorphosis is based on a salesman named Gregor Samsa, who lives with his family in an apartment near a busy city-street. Samsa was also known as the provider of his family, until he turned into a monstrous cockroach. Kafka uses Gregors transformation to infiltrate a more significant metamorphosis of Samsa’s family. It is Gregor who remains highly unchanged as the rest of his family endures extreme change from being dependent and sympathetic to independent and malicious. In the beginning Samsa’s family is terrorized by Samsa’s transformation and each has a different reaction towards the outcome, moreover start to act and treat Samsa differently due to his physical state as a cockroach. We first encounter change in Samsa’s family when Samsa reveals his new identity as a cockroach while he’s preparing for work , his mother screeched â€Å"Help, Oh please God, Help me!† as she backed up and left the coffee gushing all over the carpet (514). Gregor’s mother’s reaction indicates fear and that she no longer saw Gregor as her son but rather as a monster. Gregor’s mother isn’t the only one acting differently but also Gregor’s father. Gregor’s father is outraged and shows no remorse towards Gregor .Show MoreRelatedThe Metamorphosis Franz Kafka s Metamorphosis1663 Words   |  7 PagesIn The Metamorphosis Franz Kafka tells the story of a young man named Gregor who observes the radi cal changes in his life after transforming into an insect. Gregor’s life was centered on his job as a traveling salesperson and his family. One morning Gregor woke up transformed into an insect. Afraid of the transformation Gregor stays in his room and ignores calls from his family. When Gregor realized that his new body did not allow him to have a normal life, he tried to adapt. After his metamorphosisRead MoreMetamorphosis By Franz Kafka s Metamorphosis1496 Words   |  6 PagesIn Franz Kafka s Metamorphosis, Grete changes from a child into an adult while also trying to do the opposite with her own family. Gregor’s metamorphosis leaves her family without anybody money to pay for their needs. Consequently, Grete replaces Gregor and begins to cook and clean for her family and go to work. These jobs allow Grete to become more experienced and to mature. Similarly, Grete shows displays these changes by dressing more provocatively and becoming more interested in romance. HoweverRead MoreReview Of Franz Kafka s The Metamorphosis 958 Words   |  4 PagesBibliography of the Life of Franz Kafka There are several aspects about the writing of Franz Kafka that make it enticing to the reader and tantalizing enough to keep the reader intrigued. The narrative that I find most intriguing by Kafka is The Metamorphosis. The Metamorphosis is a tale wherein Kafka essentially gives his perception of the story of his life through the use of storytelling devices, which without the use of them would have made it a less interesting tale. Franz Kafka was born on July 3rdRead MoreAnalysis Of Franz Kafka s The Metamorphosis 3979 Words   |  16 PagesAustin Day Professor Imali Abala English 357 18 February 2015 The Theme of Alienation in Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis The Metamorphosis written by Franz Kafka in 1915 is said to be one of the greatest literary works of all time and is seen as one of Kafka’s best and most popular works of literature. A relatively short novel; the story explains how the protagonist, Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a vermin which completely estranges him from the world even moreRead MoreAnalysis Of Franz Kafka s The Metamorphosis 1087 Words   |  5 Pagesmercy were ignored. Franz Kafka’s novella is not about a dictator but it alludes to a person close to Franz that was as close to a dictator that he ever go to. Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, is about a young man that wakes up one day and is a vermin and has to maneuver around his home and come to terms with his six itchy legs. It probably sounds like a load of fictitious ramblings that somehow became a classical novel. Wrong! Look a little closer and the secret message Franz Kafka wrote for his fatherRead M oreFranz Kafka s The Metamorphosis882 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Metamorphosis† is a surreal story by Franz Kafka surrounding the transformation and betrayal of Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one day, reborn into a large insect. Along with the bizarre and nightmarish appearance of his new hard back, brown segmented belly, and many legs, Gregor only desire is to live a normal life, unfortunately, this is impossible because he struggles to even get out of bed. Gregor transformation into an insect is a vivid metaphor for the alienation of humans from around theRead MoreFranz Kafka s The Metamorphosis1222 Words   |  5 Pagestear you down. In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis this destruction is what is seen in the Samsa family. Through what they believe to be necessary, Gregor’s family destroys the environment that he knows, Gregor Samsa destroys his family, and Mr. and Mrs. Samsa bring unnecessary destruction to both of their children. The very nature of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis is change and the effect on people. The first very obvious change is that of Gregor Samsa into a â€Å"monstrous vermin† (Kafka 3). However, oneRead MoreFranz Kafka s The Metamorphosis814 Words   |  4 Pages When Franz Kafka first penned his short novel The Metamorphosis in 1915, he had no idea that it would become one of the most influential pieces of fiction of the twentieth century, continuously being studied in colleges and universities across the Western world. The novel rotates around the life of a man named Gregor Samsa, who wakes up on a routine day, and suddenly finds himself transformed into an insect. As the story progresses, the reader can see how Gregor’s physical transformation triggersRead MoreAnalysis Of Franz Kafka s Metamorphosis1985 Words   |  8 Pagestruly seen? Does one view one’s external self, or do they see a reflection of past experience? Not many have the value of altruism, bu t some do. Sometimes altruism can turn extremist though, to the point where it can be a negative thing. In Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, the main character Gregor Samsa is a workaholic that randomly one day awakens as a bug. Initially, Gregor sees himself with a condition, and then slowly tries to adapt to his bug transformation. Gregor did not put himself first when heRead MoreFranz Kafka s The Metamorphosis1630 Words   |  7 Pagesomnipresent in the context of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. Throughout the story, the Samsa family struggle to balance their own lives and the sympathy for Gregor, the only son, as his transformation from human to cockroach leaves a burden on the family and results in the loss of Gregor’s humanity. Despite the fact that Gregor had been the sole income of the family, the loss of humanity from becoming a cockroach was overwhelming to the family, resulting in selfish tendencies. Kafka displays how humans are

Why People Commit Crimes And Explain How Judiciary...

When we were little children, an adult would ask you what you want to be when you grow up. Most children want to be dancers, singers, doctors, lawyers, etc. I always wanted to be a lawyer and advance to being a judge. Now that I am older, the judicial system is where I need to be, just not a prosecutor or judge. I have changed my mind about being a prosecutor and judge because it is too political. I would be fair. However, I would not make a very good political candidate. Even though each professional holds a specific job that they must perform, there are issues that must be resolved. Professionals in the judiciary branch of the government, including prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges, they must execute justice by upholding†¦show more content†¦Because judiciary professionals face three main issues on a regular basis, the judge is responsible for coming up with a decision. The prosecutor is responsible for having enough evidence to pursue a trial. â€Å"The prosecutor is the representative of the state and wields tremendous power† (Wright, 2012). The defense attorney is responsible for proving beyond a shadow and a doubt that the client is innocent. â€Å"The job of the defense attorney is, by any standard, difficult. It is difficult for a variety of reasons. First, defendants often talk to the police without an attorney present. When they do this, they themselves in crimes and to provide police with evidence that can later be used against them. Second, defense attorneys often handle so many cases that it is simply impossible for them to understand the details of each case. To manage the large number of criminal cases they are responsible for, defense attorneys often have little choice but to spend only a few minutes with each defendant and to base their legal recommendations on the information they receive from their clients and the prosecutor’s office. Third, most of the defendants in the criminal justice system are f rom the lower socioeconomic classes. These defendants sometimes do not fully understand their legal rights, nor do they have resources to hire expert witnesses or to investigate the evidence obtained by the

The School of Athens free essay sample

Raphael’s â€Å"School of Athens† fresco is one of the four frescoes in the Stanza della Segnatura , in the Vatican. The walls are covered with four different scenes, each depicting a different theme. The School of Athens represents Philosophy. The techniques and figures used in the fresco not only pay homage to Raphael’s influences, but are also a presentation of the skills acquired from each. Almost as though he was submitting it for approval. As Raphael traveled throughout Italy, he formed relationships with, and learned a great deal from the masters of the age. In the School of Athens, Raphael depicts his teachers and influences in disguise and presents the skills learned from each. It is because of these influences and the creativity of Raphael’s own mind that he joins his teachers as one of the greats. The Stanza della Segnatura contained apartments for Pope Julius II, who commissioned Raphael to paint them. We will write a custom essay sample on The School of Athens or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Vatican patrons say, â€Å"The Stanza della Segnatura was to be Julius library, Bibiotheca Iulia, which would house a small collection of books intended for his personal use. † The frescoes depict four themes, Philosophy, Theology, Poetry and Law. All of the frescoes show heavy influence from his predecessors as well as his contemporaries. Raphael learned much from his travels around Italy and from studying with his master Perugino in his native town of Urbino. From Perugino, he learned oil painting and how to manipulate figures. Raphael’s earliest intact altarpiece, the Mond Crucifixion, â€Å"is remarkably close to Perugino, in the lightly posed figures, which are meek and decorous in gesture and sweet in expression, in its linear elegance and atmospheric distant hills, which are bare but for soft clumps and individual trees as light as columns of smoke. All details of the formal language—crooked little fingers, solid scaly wings, hooked drapery folds—derive from Perugino, and Raphael also imitated Perugino’s technique of painting, largely in an oil medium. † He built his reputation by these altarpieces and other pieces commissioned by the Court of Urbino. This was still early in Raphael’s career. Upon traveling to Florence and meeting Leonardo Da Vinci, his style expanded once again. There were other artists in Florence that aided Raphael while he was busy honing his style. One in particular, Fra Bartolommeo, most noticeably influenced Raphael’s technique. From him Raphael learnt to replace the fragile grace of Perugino with a more measured movement, far ampler draperies, more gravity and grandeur. † Raphael also studied sculpture while in Florence. He poured over the many great works of both Donatello and Michelangelo. His drawings are great examples of how Raphael’s technique had changed once being introduced to the sculptures by the masters. His most obvious influence was Leonardo. Raphael honed in on Leonardo’s compositional elements and incorporated them into most of his work. For example, Leonardo’s basic pyramid can be seen in most of Raphael’s work around and after this period, â€Å"the example of Leonardo’s compositional ideas lies behind not only Raphael’s portrait of Maddalena Doni (Paris, Louvre) but the Florentine paintings of the full-length groups of the Holy Family in a landscape, in which the figures are arranged into a pyramid or cone with each part retaining a dynamic and organic relationship to the others. † Raphael’s â€Å"Madonna of the Meadow† is an example of how he began shaping his compositions after Leonardo’s pyramid. After study of these works and artists, Raphael’s pieces became more sophisticated. His understanding of emotion and depiction of action grew. His pieces now made more compositional sense. At only twenty-seven years old Raphael set upon the task of covering the Pope’s four walls. The figures in the School of Athens are noticeably turning, twisting, bending, and moving. This feat would not have been possible without the influence of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling. This change is Raphael’s style began after the preliminary unveiling of the ceiling. Raphael’s figures began to be more voluminous and hulking, similar to the Sybils on the Ceiling. An online art archive explained, â€Å"Following the preliminary unveiling of the Sistine ceiling in 1509, the figures in Raphaels pictures acquire more voluminous bodies and more powerful arms, and there is a reduction in their numbers. The bold twisting position adopted by the young woman in the Expulsion of Heliodorus a pose which reappears in reverse in Raphaels late work, the Transfiguration would be inconceivable without the influence of Michelangelo. All doubt can be removed when comparing Raphael’s figures to those of Michelangelo’s Sybils on the Sistine Ceiling. â€Å"Any question as to the cause of the widely-acknowledged sudden change in Raphaels style after 1509 is removed for good, however, when we compare the Sibyls and Prophets executed by Raphael in the Capella Chigi in S. Maria della Pace (1512) with those by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. In addition to the thematic kinship of these frescos with Michelangelo, Raphaels new approach to body volumes and twisting poses makes patently clear the enormous impact which the Sistine ceiling had made upon him. Raphael’s Triumph of Galatea also portrayed women, as well as men, as hulking and voluminous figures. Once again, Michelangelo’s influence is apparent and the glory of antiquity is present. Galatea’s face, however, resembles the characteristics of Leonardo’s angel in Verrocchio’s Baptism of Christ. Said of Galatea’s face, â€Å"its hint of shyness and innocence, as if she were utterly unaware of her physical charms; the expression of devotion on her face,† showed signs of Da Vinci. Also noticeable in the Triumph of Galatea by Raphael is the appearance of diagonal lines. The arrows seem to point diagonally and some bodies are twisting in a diagonal direction. This could possibly be Raphael showing off the fact that he understands movement of the human body and is now able to recreate it in paint. Though Michelangelo’s influence on Raphael’s work was obvious, Raphael placed his figure lower in priority in the School of Athens fresco. Upon observing the placement of figures and characters more closely in the fresco, I realized that there might be some sort of unspoken priority in Raphael’s mind. Plato, otherwise looked at as Leonardo Da Vinci, was probably Raphael’s biggest influence. Thus, understandably his figure is one of the two focal points of the fresco located in the center. It is as if Raphael is showing us who were most important to him, through his work. Perugino is located next to Raphael’s portrait to the far right of the piece. As his first teacher, there must be some sort of kinship associated with Perugino, thus explaining why he’s sitting closest to Raphael. Bramante is portrayed as one of the Greek mathematicians, Euclid or Archimedes, because he was an architect. There is a crowd of students around this figure, drawing the viewer’s attention to this assumed portrait of Bramante. Bramante was the architect of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City and a good friend of Raphael’s. It is said that the building in which â€Å"The School of Athens† is depicted is the blueprint for St. Peter’s. Raphael placed the scene there to possibly pay homage to his friendship with Bramante. The figure of Heroclitus, also seen as the portrait of Michelangelo, can be examined several ways. My conclusion is that Raphael was greatly influenced by Michelangelo’s work and technique, but still there was a rivalry between them due to different views on art. Raphael acknowledges both of these feelings in his portrayal of Michelangelo by placing him near the middle of the fresco, however, he is singled out as a loner and â€Å"a dirty old man† in tattered clothes. Raphael’s â€Å"School of Athens† is a bit more complicated than it appears. Raphael disguises his influences as historical figures associated with the wall theme of â€Å"Philosophy. † When further analyzing the position of the figures, the viewer is able to draw conclusions about the importance of each. Raphael’s biggest influences, Perugino, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Bramante, are the most prominent figures. Their influence is not only shown with their presence in the fresco, but Raphael’s technique shows evident similarities as well. The hulking and voluminous figures of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Ceiling are kin to Raphael’s figures in the â€Å"School of Athens. † Though Raphael acknowledged Michelangelo’s influence on his technique, he also made note of their rivalry by placing him in tattered clothes and toward the bottom of the fresco. Raphael’s work was full of pyramids courtesy of Leonardo, and he acknowledged this by making Leonardo one of the focal points. Keeping all these points in mind, it interesting to note that Raphael tells multiple stories without words in his fresco â€Å"The School of Athens. † â€Å"Raphael’s School of Athens† 2 Nicholas Penny. Raphael. Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. 17 Nov. 2009 . 3 Nicholas Penny. Raphael. Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. 17 Nov. 2009 . 4 Nicholas Penny. Raphael. Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. 17 Nov. 2009 . 5 Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) http://www. artchive. com/artchive/R/raphael. html 6 Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) 7 Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio)

Using Technology to Help Resolve Employee Conflicts free essay sample

Anonymous polling software allows company leaders to ask questions or lead discussions by embedding questions into presentations and enabling individuals to respond anonymously via a clicker or smartphone. The software instantly tallies responses and presents results in aggregate form via a chart during the presentation. Here are some of the advantages of this approach:†¢ Anonymous polling promotes open discussions: It might seem like a contradiction since anonymity is inherently non-transparent, but carefully crafted questions and the open sharing of combined responses lets everyone know exactly what the issues are. anonymous polling allows company leaders to define the conflict in clear terms and discuss alternatives.Anonymous polling gives every employee a voice: One of the pitfalls of discussions in an all-hands-on-deck meeting is that the conversation tends to be dominated by the most outspoken individuals, and they may not represent popular opinion. With anonymous polling through response technology, even people who typically avoid the limelight have their say, and employees can contribute their two cents without fearing repercussions from managers or peers with whom they d isagree. We will write a custom essay sample on Using Technology to Help Resolve Employee Conflicts or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Anonymous polling lets everyone know where the group stands: In the heat of a conflict, perceptions tend to get skewed, and sometimes it’s hard to determine what the prevalent opinion is on any given topic. A meeting where employees contribute their opinions anonymously in response to questions presented onscreen provides a quick snapshot of where everyone stands. This information can be invaluable to executives tasked with driving consensus.Anonymous polling signals when consensus is reached: Just as juries tasked with reaching a verdict may take votes periodically to determine where members are, leaders who are attempting to create consensus on potentially divisive issues may benefit from a reality check in the form of an anonymous poll. It can also be helpful to take a baseline pulse via a poll at the beginning of the meeting and periodic polls to view how much progress has been achieved.Building Relationships: Building relationships can be done by adding employees to a group where people can work together, brainstorm ideas and ultimately to build relationships between employees. Issues can perhaps be addressed on groups by the employees as a whole. Being part of a group ensures that all employees are on the same page and know what is going on in a business.Although at the present time there are limited methods in which Volkswagen is able to deal with conflict in the future there may future methods created which could help deal with conflict using technology.

Free Essays on Comedia Dell Arte

One of the most popular forms of drama from the Italian Renaissance is Commedia Dell’arte. This drama is said to be an outgrowth of the Italian farce. (Herrick, 211) This all began around the fifteenth century, but did not become popular until the end of the sixteenth and all of the seventeenth century. Commedia dell’arte means an improvised or unwritten drama. There was never a script or set lines. However, the actors were given detailed plot outlines, also called scenarios, of what they would perform. In the outline the characters would be named, and given relationships, and the situations would be outlined as well. This information was then dived into scene, acts, prologues and epilogues. (Bellinger) With that information the actors would put everything together and began to improvise. The dialogue had to flow smoothly along with the storyline of the play. This caused the actors to be very discipline and be professional in everything that they do. The finest of them marked their parts with uniqueness, newness and vividness, and gave value to pieces that were usually worthless. Most of the actions were improvise except for certain gestures that the character is known for doing these were called Lazzi. Lazzi usually was acrobatic feats, juggling, or wrestling. An example of this would be a servant being so disgusted with an order his master gave that he does a somersault. Commedia dealt with the subject matter of disgraceful love intrigues, clever tricks to get money, out witting a simpleton. The actors began to form groups and travel together as troupes. By traveling they were not only popular in Italy, but in most of Western Europe. Since it was the same actors traveling around they would tend to be the same character. The actors tend to play the same part and rarely played more than one character. (Smith, 4) He would be typecast as that character and play it until he retired or died. The most popular characters were the †Å"... Free Essays on Comedia Dell Arte Free Essays on Comedia Dell Arte One of the most popular forms of drama from the Italian Renaissance is Commedia Dell’arte. This drama is said to be an outgrowth of the Italian farce. (Herrick, 211) This all began around the fifteenth century, but did not become popular until the end of the sixteenth and all of the seventeenth century. Commedia dell’arte means an improvised or unwritten drama. There was never a script or set lines. However, the actors were given detailed plot outlines, also called scenarios, of what they would perform. In the outline the characters would be named, and given relationships, and the situations would be outlined as well. This information was then dived into scene, acts, prologues and epilogues. (Bellinger) With that information the actors would put everything together and began to improvise. The dialogue had to flow smoothly along with the storyline of the play. This caused the actors to be very discipline and be professional in everything that they do. The finest of them marked their parts with uniqueness, newness and vividness, and gave value to pieces that were usually worthless. Most of the actions were improvise except for certain gestures that the character is known for doing these were called Lazzi. Lazzi usually was acrobatic feats, juggling, or wrestling. An example of this would be a servant being so disgusted with an order his master gave that he does a somersault. Commedia dealt with the subject matter of disgraceful love intrigues, clever tricks to get money, out witting a simpleton. The actors began to form groups and travel together as troupes. By traveling they were not only popular in Italy, but in most of Western Europe. Since it was the same actors traveling around they would tend to be the same character. The actors tend to play the same part and rarely played more than one character. (Smith, 4) He would be typecast as that character and play it until he retired or died. The most popular characters were the †Å"...

Dutch Republic essays

Dutch Republic essays In 1650 the Dutch republic, a political union of seven provinces, was a formidable commercial, financial, and naval power. The wealthiest and most powerful province was Holland, dominated by the influential merchant elite of Amsterdam, the leading banking and trading center in Europe. For the Dutch Republic, the period from 1650 to the Peace of Utrecht (1713) was one of shifting alliances and a series of military conflicts with other European powers. There were many challenges to the security of the Dutch republic from 1650-1713. The Anglo-Dutch Wars with England from 1652-54, 1664-67 took a major toll on the security of the Dutch republic. These wars resulted from the first of the English Navigation Acts, which required that English goods be transported on English ships, which was a huge boost to the development of an English merchant marine. By this time, there was a great commercial rivalry between the English and the Dutch. According to Document 1, it is seen that many naval battles were fought along the coasts of both England and the Dutch republic. In these little wars, England was relatively successful. Shown in Document 3, the Dutch seized only 500 ships from the English, while the English siezed between 2,000 and 2,700 from the Dutch. By 1672, Louis XIV of France focused his attention on the Dutch, and started the third of the Dutch Wars, in which France overran the Netherlands. This war devestated the provinces , but in the Treaty of Nijmegen (1678-79), the Dutch obtained important concessions from France. According to Document 7, the Resolution of the Amsterdam City Council states, "Not only the French monarch, but other kings seem more and more to scheme how to ruin what remains of the trade and navigation of the Dutch republic...." Many countries in Europe knew the great wealth that the Dutch republic held, and they wanted to take control of that power for themselves. Once again, the Nether...

Business Communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Communications - Essay Example Nonverbally, smiles, head nods, focused eye contact, and facial expressiveness work well (Knapp and Vangelisti 2004). It is possible to say that nonverbal communication is more important to American audience because of cultural and social diversity. All cultures and nations have different behavior patterns and communication patterns which influence their perception of the information and interpretation of the environment. Non-verbal communication can be interpreted differently by different cultural and religious groups (Gesteland, 1999). First, the vast majority of nonverbal behaviors is intuitive and is based on normative rules. Except for behaviors such as good manners or etiquette, little formal training is provided for nonverbal communication. For instance, eye contact may indicate a liking for the other person. It also serves as simultaneous communication because eye contact allows people to send and receive messages at the same time (Knapp and Vangelisti 2004). According to cultural traditions, Muslim women avoid direct eye contact while Europeans interpret this behavior as impolite and suspi cious. In Japan and China, status and power are shown by eye contact. In meetings, organizational members with the most power will be looked at more often.

Corporate Social Responsibility of IKEA company Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility of IKEA company - Essay Example 47). Consumption rate is expressed in terms of preference to the products and services and the way customers feel and perceive they can associate with the values of the organization or its cause. Pressure to be the best corporate citizen also emerges from the business consumers who buy the components as well as raw materials from the dealers and desire them to act in an ethically acceptable way and environmentally sound manner. This study analyses the case of IKEA’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, devotions and communications and relation to various stakeholders in the Soviet Union. IKEA as a company provides an amazingly rich case for analyzing CSR. IKEA is the biggest global firm dealing in furniture retail chains. The company has enjoyed the privilege of high profile marketing achievements. The retail turnover of the organization has risen up by about 400% in the past ten years (Porter and Kramer, 2006; p. 57). The business model of the firm is based on the concept of getting the control over tactical resources especially via logistical management of a network that consists of 1,500 dealers in 50 emerging and developing nations. The dealers assume the mediators and supply the materials straight to IKEA, which reduces the costs associated with retailers to enable the company to provide low cost furniture to the consumers. Nonetheless, the seeming elimination of the globe’s natural forest has led to a piling pressure on IKEA from various advocates of environment and its global outlook which has made it a spotlight of protesters of anti-globalization. Hence IKEA has included concerns of sustainability, in particular the CSR principles (Economist, 2005: p. 13). With approximately 298 retail stores in about 26 country outlets and 139, 000 employees across the globe, IKEA Group has continued to grow its services in wood sourcing, value chain sales to

Grammatical aspect Essay Example for Free

Grammatical aspect Essay When my students go through Jose Rizal’s expenses in Europe, they note that his biggest and most regular expenses were for the purchase of books and postage stamps. This is not surprising because we all know that he liked to read and study, and to write home a lot because he was homesick in Madrid. Students also note that he bought 1/10 of a lottery ticket every week. When I ask what he did with a ball of yarn, students reply that Rizal probably had a pet cat, and that he used the yarn to darn the holes in his socks or to tie up the maid for kinky sex. We see ourselves in historical records and I often allow the students to make their own crazy conclusions before drawing them back to the primary source and what it actually says. Other teachers will not allow silly comments in class but I do, hoping that new insight will sometimes be found in a side remark. Rizal’s letters are seldom read because we are so focused on his novels and poetry in a classroom. Yet it is in and through these letters that we see Rizal plain and gain insight into his works. It may be a trivial matter, but Rizal’s letters to family members are the most endearing. Remember 7-11: that Rizal was the seventh child of 11 born to Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso. He was the second of two boys in a home dominated, literally, by women. Rizal’s sisters were as prolific as their parents, so he was often told about new additions to the family. In a letter dated Nov. 23, 1883, Teodora Alonso related: â€Å"Now I’m going to mention to you, one by one, my new debts to the Lord. On June 6, 1882, Lucà ­a delivered a baby boy who was named Josà ©. On 15 Sept. 1882, Neneng gave birth to a boy who was named Alfredo. On 14 June 1883, Sisa gave birth to a girl who was given the name Marà ­a Consolacià ³n; on 3 Sept. 1883, Olimpia gave birth to a boy who was named Aristeo; on 24 Nov. 1883, Lucà ­a gave birth to a girl. On the 26[th] of this month, Neneng gave birth to a girl also. Both girls are not yet baptized but they will be on Sunday. Here many die of childbirth but they went through it safely.† One of thememorable characters of â€Å"Noli Me Tangere† is â€Å"Sisa† a name taken from the nickname of Rizal’s favorite sister Narcisa. On Feb. 27, 1886, she wrote: â€Å"I suppose you don’t know yet that I’m now the mother of six children. In this letter you will see the names of the three older ones written by themselves, and of the last ones, the older was Isabel, the deceased one, and the two, one girl and one boy, are called Consolacià ³n and Leoncio Là ³pez, who is as fat as a melon. The children of Sra. Neneng are three: They are called Alfredo, Adela, and Abelardo. Olimpia’s shortly will be three, like Sra. Neneng’s. The two who are not here are called Aristeo and Cesario; the older one called Aristeo, what a lively boy he is! His godfather is Sr. Paciano. He will be a useful boy when he gets older. At the age of two, he already knows a great deal. He is the only consolation of our parents, I tell you, because when you see this child, even if you are angry, you will be obliged to laugh, he is so funny.† One can only imagine what joy Rizal, homesick in Europe, got from letters. Neneng, for example, described Alfredo Porfirio or â€Å"Freding† in a letter dated Dec. 14, 1882, as having â€Å"a well-shaped body, †¦ stout, round-faced, having a sharp nose, small chin and eyes, flat head, bald on the left side. When we go to Manila, we shall have his picture and mine taken and will send them to you.† Lucia Herbosa, in a letter on Nov. 13, 1882, described a son born to her in that year that they named Jose: â€Å"I amuse myself with Josà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s ear, which is like yours. I tell you that it is really like yours, but I pray that the likeness does not stop there, but that he may have your disposition, your goodness , and diligence in good works.† In July 1886 Lucia’s husband wrote Rizal about their daughter Delfina who was suffering from â€Å"a little inflammation of [her] eye, which is the cause of her absence from school. What a pity she did not become a boy! She is bright and very studious. Her mother is always telling her not to read because her inflammation might worsen, but she is so hardheaded.† Imagine a child insisting on reading! Delfina was to figure in Philippine history 12 years later, in 1898, when she assisted Marcela Agoncillo in Hong Kong in the sewing and embroidering of the first Philippine flag. Education was important for Rizal’s nephews and nieces. His brother Paciano, on July 18, 1886, requested him: â€Å"Furnish me with information of the best schools there. We have many nephews, most of them promising. It is a pity that these ones should fall into the hands of teachers who teach unwillingly and do so only for show. It is true that they inculcate in children very sane principles, such as fear and humility, the first being the beginning of wisdom and the second of apostolic and civic virtue, but it is also true that fear and humility lead to dullness.† It is not enough to see Rizal as a doting uncle; one should also appreciate that the Rizal family put a premium on the education of their little ones. It was no better way of investing in the future, for children were the bella esperanza de la patria mia (the fair hope of the motherland). Posted by Nomerson R. Abedoza at 3:31 am THE DEATH OF JOSE RIZAL: Ambeth Ocampo’s Version Editor’s note: The following is the article written by today’s most famous Filipino historian Ambeth R. Ocampo on Jose Rizal’s death. Simply entitled, â€Å"The Death of Jose Rizal,† this historical piece by the current head of the National Historical Institute (of the Philippines) could be deemed refreshing and controversial, as it offers several unpopular and unorthodox accounts of what (presumably) transpired on the day of Rizal’s execution. For one thing, it virtually proclaims that Rizal refused to kiss the crucifix before he was executed, thereby negating the claim of other historians (like Zaide) that the national hero even asked for this Catholic sacramental. Happy reading! THE OBSERVANT WILL NOTICE metal footprints on the pavement running from Fort Santiago to the Luneta in seafront Manila. They resemble dancing patterns, but actually trace the last steps of Jose Rizal as he walked from his prison cell to the site of his execution on December 30, 1896. The Rizal Centennial Commission claims that the footprints are based on Rizal’s actual shoe size. When people ask why the steps are so small, the quick reply is: â€Å"If you are walking to your death, would you hurry?† The slow walk to Bagumbayan field (as Rizal Park or the Luneta was once called) began at 6:30 a.m. on a cool, clear morning. Rizal was dressed in a black coat and trousers and a white shirt and waistcoat. He was tied elbow to elbow, but held up his head in a chistera or bowler hat. A bugler signaled his passage, while the roll of drums muffled in black cloth gave cadence to his gait. From Fort Santiago he took a right turn, and walked along the Paseo Maria Cristina (now Bonifacio Drive), which gave him a view lifting the darkness over Manila Bay on the right, and a last glimpse of Intramuros, shadowed by the missing sun, on his left. He walked between two Jesuits, Father Estanislao March and Father Jose Villaclara. They too were in black – the trademark black hats, tunics, and heavy coats that made the young Rizal and his Ateneo schoolmates refer to them aspaniki (bats, or colloquially perhaps, batmen). Behind Rizal walked the brother of his former bodyguard, Lieutenant Luis Taviel de Andrade, who had vainly defended him in a farce masquerading as a trial. The streets were lined with people who wanted to see the condemned man, since Rizal was many things to different people: â€Å"leader of the revolution,† physician, novelist, poet, sculptor, heretic, subversive. Rizal was a person one could not be neutral about. Like him or hate him, he was a celebrity. Although he was walking to his death, eyewitnesses desc ribe Rizal as serene – a bit pale, not because of fear of his fate, but because he had not had any breakfast. All he had been given were three hard-boiled eggs, which he took to a corner of his prison cell, saying, â€Å"This is for the rats; let them have a fiesta, too.† Then he left his cell. Rizal is said to have nodded left and right to acknowledge familiar faces in crowd. From time to time he smiled, and is said to have made a few jokes, and laughed at these himself because the Jesuits flanking him remained somber. Others noticed his eyes dart quickly from left to right, and some believed that members of his family or the Katipuneros would make a last-ditch effort to save him from death. Was Rizal waiting for help that never came? And perhaps for an opportunity to spurn that help? Had he expected to see his family by the roadside? We will never know more than the fact that he was walking to his destiny. In the clear morning Rizal could probably see as far as Suson g Dalaga, and appreciate the silhouette of a naked woman on the mountain range across from Manila Bay. â€Å"What a beautiful morning!† he said, â€Å"On mornings like this I used to take walks here with my sweetheart.† Before reaching Bagumbayan, he glanced at Intramuros, sighed, and seeing the spires of the church of San Ignacio, said: â€Å"Is that the Ateneo? I spent many happy years there.† The Jesuits’ response is not recorded. Someone had the foresight to take a photograph of the execution. The scene looked like a box, lined, three or four people deep, on three sides. The empty fourth side faced the bay, and the executioners’ line of fire. Eight Filipino soldiers armed with Remingtons formed the firing squad. Behind them stood the drummers and another line of Spanish soldiers with Mausers, ready to shoot the Filipinos if they refused to shoot, or purposely missed their target. When everyone was in place, there was a slight delay because Rizal refused the customary blindfold, and asked to face the firing squad. The Spanish captain who had guided Rizal to the site insisted that he be shot in the back as ordered, because he was a traitor to Spain. Rizal declared that he had never been a traitor to the country of his birth or to Spain. After some coaxing, Rizal finally turned his back, but again refused the blindfold, and furthermore refused to kneel. After all this haggling he made one last request: that the executioners spare his head, and shoot him in the back towards the heart. When the captain agreed, Rizal clasped the hand of Lieutenant Taviel de Andrade and t hanked him once more for the vain effort of defending him before the military court that sentenced him to death. Meanwhile, a curious Spanish military doctor felt Rizal’s pulse, and was surprised to find it regular and normal. The Jesuits were the last to leave the condemned man. They raised the crucifix to his face and lips, but he turned his head away and silently prepared to meet death. The captain raised his saber in the air, ordered his men to get ready, and barked the order: â€Å"Preparen!† This was followed by the order to aim the rifles: â€Å"Apunten!† In the split second before the saber was brought down with the order to fir – â€Å"Fuego!† – Rizal shouted the last two words of the crucified Christ: â€Å"Consummatum est!† (It is done). The shots rang out, the bullets hit their mark, and Rizal executed that carefully choreographed twist that he had practiced years before, which made him fall faced up on the ground. People held their breath as soldiers came up to the corpse and gave Rizal the tiro de gracia, one last merciful shot in the head at close range to make sure he was really dead. A small dog, the military mascot, ran around the corpse whining, and the crowd moved in for a closer look, but were kept at bay by the soldiers who stood in the first row of spectators. After a short silence, someone shouted: â€Å"Long live Spain! Death to the traitor!† The crowd did not respond. An officer approached the person who had shouted, and berated him. To fill in the gap, the military band played theMarcha de Cadiz. It was 7:03 a.m. The show was over. â€Å"The Death of Jose Rizal: Ambeth Ocampo’s Posted by Nomerson R. Abedoza at 3:22 AM Looking Back Fighting over champagne By Ambeth R. Ocampo Philippine Daily Inquirer 11:01 pm | Thursday, May 23rd, 2013 Marcelo H. del Pilar once quoted Jose Rizal as saying, â€Å"Where there are two Filipinos unity is not possible.† We will never know if Rizal was misquoted, but that line should encourage us to do some soul-searching. It is more relevant to us today than another famous line put in Rizal’s mouth about the necessity of looking to the past to achieve one’s goals: â€Å"Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinagdaanan, di makararating sa paroroonan.† Rizal never said this; he actually wrote something better, in 1879, as an epigraph to his play â€Å"Council of the Gods.† It goes: â€Å"Con el recuerdo del pasado entro en el porvenir (I enter the future remembering the past).† If our textbooks carried better quotes to live by, the world would be better off. People who think Rizal would have become a good president of the Philippines should think twice. He may have had a high IQ but he lacked EQ. He was respected but was not as well-liked as Plaridel (D el Pilar). If Rizal went into politics today, he would not even be elected barangay captain because he was too serious. He would not sing or dance Gangnam style to woo voters. He would neither cheat nor buy votes. And if Rizal were elected at all, he would surely end up being shot in Bagumbayan all over again! This anecdote narrated by Plaridel to Deodato Arellano in March 1891 is one reason Rizal did not get elected leader of the expatriates in Madrid: â€Å"It is a tradition in the [Filipino] colony to have a fraternal dinner on the night of the 31st of December. In the morning of that day the question of serving champagne was brought up in our lodgings, all the more since the boys had taken a great deal of trouble preparing speeches. A thousand ways were discussed to make champagne available that night, and at lunch time there was a great deal of chaffing about it among ourselves, but I kept my mouth shut, and without saying a word was planning to pay for the champagne myself; I wanted to give them a surprise. No sooner said than done; after lunch I went to Bayo’s house to get hold of some money for the night’s champagne. From Bayo’s house I went, at about three o’clock in the afternoon, to the house of Doà ±a Justa Jugo where we had been invited to tea on the birthday of her son. While I was there Rizal arrived and called me aside to tell me: ‘Before coming here I passed by your house and I saw a resolution being prepared asking you to pay for the coffee tonight.’ ‘Agreed,’ I answered. Imagine, how could I not agree when I had been ready to pay for something more expensive! â€Å"Came the night and the young people, in high spirits as usual, signed a paper which they would not let me read: when we were sitting down to dinner, a resolution, very wittily drafted by Lete, and signed by twenty-five guests (we were all in all thirty-one, I believe) was read out, asking me to pay for the coffee, Cunanan for the cigars, and Rizal and Dominador Gomez (who had not yet arrived) for the champagne. â€Å"I expressed my agreement and so did Cunanan. But Rizal had the good or bad taste to protest and argue. I tried to head off his protest by suggesting that the champagne be paid [for] by Modesto Reyes and Mariano Abella, who had agreed to do so, in addition to those already named; but perhaps because Rizal did not hear me, we being far apart, I at the head of the table and he at the extreme left, with the authors of the resolution at the extreme right, my suggestion for reinforcements was not taken up and, on Rizal’s initiative, he began at the left end of the table to collect one peseta per person to pay for the champagne. In the midst of the hubbub someone approached me and whispered: ‘Mr. Editor, the resolution is withdrawn but we are grateful for your kindness with regard to the coffee; we expected nothing less from your generosity.’ â€Å"I understood the bitterness that Rizal’s protest had aroused. The latter, who was oblivious to it, continued gay and witty while I worried about a quarrel breaking out. The collection of one peseta was paid from the left end to the center, but from there to the right end nobody wanted to contribute. â€Å"Witticisms, very ingenious and wounding, began to be directed against Rizal from the right end, but I took advantage of the fact that Rizal did not seem to realize the point of the jokes and stood up to approach those at the right end and asked them confidentially not to spoil such a brotherly gathering. They all listened to me and there were no more jokes for the rest of the dinner. â€Å"Came the time for the toasts. Dr. Rosario started them off and he was so eloquent in the periodic sentence in which he bewailed the lack of diligence of some in their studies that he drew tremendous applause, but at the end of the clapping Rizal was heard saying: ‘We should be sorry for it, not applaud it.’ This caused some sour looks but it passed.† (Translated from the original Spanish by Leon Ma. Guerrero) It is unfortunate we only have Plaridel’s account of Rizal’s surly behavior. All we know is that the election between them was cooked up shortly afterward, resulting in Rizal’s election after repeated balloting. But Rizal walked out, thus giving the leadership to Plaridel by default. In a letter to Plaridel in October 1891, Rizal referred to this episode with bitterness: â€Å"A glass of champagne has dissolved the idol made of clay. If it was really clay, what does it matter if it is gone?† * * * Comments are welcome at [emailprotected] Read more: http://opinion.inquirer.net/53205/fighting-over-champagne#ixzz2beA8vc4j Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook Looking Back ‘Rizal and me’ By Ambeth R. Ocampo Philippine Daily Inquirer 10:26 pm | Thursday, June 20th, 2013 (Concluded from Wednesday) Why should students endure boring textbook biographies of Rizal when he practically left an autobiography scattered in the 25 volumes of his compiled writing? Here, Rizal and me discuss his mother. JOSE RIZAL (JR): Without her, what would have been my education and my fate? Next to God, a mother is everything to a man. AMBETH R. OCAMPO (ARO): I agree. JR: She taught me how to read, she taught me how to stammer the humble prayers that I addressed fervently to God, and now that I’m a young man, oh, where is the simplicity, the innocence, of my early days? ARO: What else? JR: My mother is called Mrs. Teodora Alonso de Quintos, of the family of Mr. Josà © Florentino [of Ilocos], granddaughter, if I remember correctly. ARO: I think Florentino was her cousin. Perhaps your literary gifts were inherited from Leona Florentino of Vigan who is one of the few women remembered in our early Philippine literary history. Thus, you are also related to her son Isabelo de los Reyes. Let’s not get distracted, please continue. JR: My mother was a woman of more than average education. She was conversant with literature and spoke better Spanish than me. She corrected my verses and gave me good advice in rhetoric. She was a mathematician and read many books. Her father [Lorenzo Alberto Alonso], a deputy in the Cortes representing the Philippines, was her teacher. Her brother [Jose Alberto] was educated in Europe and spoke German, English, Spanish and French. He was also knighted with the Order of Isabel la Catolica. ARO: Was it your mother who taught you to read? JR: My first remembrance concerning letters goes back to my earliest age. I must be very small yet because when they polished the floor of our house with banana leaves, I would still fall, slipping on the shiny surface, as did little skilled skaters on ice. It was still difficult for me to climb up a chair. I went down the staircase step by step, holding on to every baluster, and in our house, as in the whole town, petroleum was unknown. Neither had I seen until that time any quinque lamp, nor had any carriage ever passed through the streets of my town that I believed to be the height of joy and animation. One night, when everybody else at home was already asleep, when the lights in the globes had already been put out by blowing them off by means of a curved tin tube that seemed to me the most exquisite and wonderful toy in the world, I don’t know why my mother and I remained watching beside the only light that in all Philippine houses burned all night long, and that went out precisely at dawn, waking the people with its cheerful hissing. My mother then was still young. After a bath her hair, which she let down to dry, dragged half a handbreadth on the floor, by which reason she knotted its end. ARO: Wow! I have seen 19th-century paintings and photographs depicting Filipino women whose hair reached the floor. My mother once had hair that measured over four feet. As a sign of her freedom from her parents, the first thing she did upon marriage was to cut that marvelous Rapunzel-like hair. Next, she turned my father’s favorite shirt into a basahan (rag). Sorry, please continue. JR: My mother taught me to read in Amigo de los Nià ±os (The Children’s Friend), an old book [by the Abbot Sabatier translated from the original French to Spanish] that [at the time] had become quite rare. It had lost its cover and one of my sisters cleverly covered it again by pasting a thick blue paper, the remnant of the wrapper of a bolt of cloth, on its back. That night my mother was annoyed listening to me read poorly. I didn’t understand Spanish and couldn’t add expression to the phrases. She took the book from me. After scolding me for drawing rude pictures on its pages, she began to read, asking me to follow her example. My mother, when her sight was not yet impaired, read very well. She could recite and write poetry. How many times during Christmas vacation afterward, she corrected my poems, making very apt observations. I listened to he r full of childish admiration. I marveled at the ease with which she read sonorous phrases from the same pages that cost me so much effort to read and that I deciphered haltingly. Perhaps my ears soon got tired of hearing sounds that meant nothing to me. Perhaps due to my natural distraction, I lacked attention to the reading and watched more closely the cheerful flame around which some small moths fluttered with playful and uneven flight. Perhaps I yawned, and my mother noticed I had lost interest. She stopped reading and said to me: â€Å"Now I’m going to read to you a very pretty story. Listen.† ARO: Ah, the famous story of the gamu-gamo known by all Filipino children. Prewar â€Å"Philippine Readers† carried illustrations by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo, one of you and your mother reading. Who else told you stories when you were a boy? JR: We would go to the azotea or to some window where the moon could be seen, then my aya would tell us stories, someti mes sad and at other times happy, in which skeletons and buried treasure, and trees blooming with diamonds, were mingled in confusion, all born of an Oriental imagination. Sometimes she told us that men lived on the moon, or that the markings we could see on the moon were nothing else but a woman forever weaving. The publication of â€Å"Rizal and me† is forthcoming. * * * Comments are welcome at [emailprotected] The Auxiliary Verb Recognize an auxiliary verb when you see one. Every sentence must have a verb. To depict doable activities, writers use action verbs. To describe conditions, writers choose linking verbs. Sometimes an action or condition occurs just once—bang!—and its over. Nate stubbed his toe. He is miserable with pain. Other times, the activity or condition continues over a long stretch of time, happens predictably, or occurs in relationship to other events. In these instances, a single-word verb like stubbed or iscannot accurately describe what happened, so writers use multipart verb phrases to communicate what they mean. As many as four words can comprise a verb phrase. A main or base verb indicates the type of action or condition, and auxiliary—or helping—verbs convey the other nuances that writers want to express. Read these three examples: Sherylee smacked her lips as raspberry jelly dripped from the donut onto her white shirt. Sherylee is always dripping something. Since Sherylee is such a klutz, she should have been eating a cake donut, which would not have stained her shirt. In the first sentence, smacked and dripped, single-word verbs, describe the quick actions of both Sherylee and the raspberry jelly. Since Sherylee has a pattern of messiness, is dripping communicates the frequency of her clumsiness. The auxiliary verbs that comprise should have been eating and would have stained express not only time relationships but also evaluation of Sherylees actions. Below are the auxiliary verbs. You can conjugate be, do, and have; the modal auxiliaries, however, never change form. Be| Do| Have| am is are was were being been| does do did| has have had having| Modal Auxiliaries [Never Change Form]| can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, would| Understand the dual nature of be, do, and have. Be, do, and have are both stand-alone verbs and auxiliary verbs. When these verbs are auxiliary, you will find them teamed with other verbs to complete the verb phrase. Compare these sentences: Freddy is envious of Beatrice’s steaming bowl of squid eyeball stew. Is = linking verb. Freddy is studying Beatrice’s steaming bowl of squid eyeball stew with envy in his eyes. Is = auxiliary verb; studying = present participle completing the verb phrase. We did our homework for Mrs. Long. Did = action verb. We’re not slackers! We did prepare our homework for Mrs. Long. Did = auxiliary verb; prepare = main verb completing the verb phrase. Selena has twelve orange goldfish in her aquarium. Has = action verb. Selena has bought a catfish to help keep the tank clean. Has = auxiliary verb; bought = past participle completing the verb phrase. Form progressive tenses with the auxiliary verb be. All progressive tenses use a form of be. Present progressive follows this pattern: am, is, or are + present participle Use the present progressive tense to convey an action or condition happening right now or frequently. I am baking chocolate-broccoli muffins today. Am = auxiliary verb; baking = present participle completing the verb phrase. Alex is sitting at the kitchen table, anticipating his first bite. Is = auxiliary verb; sitting = present participle completing the verb phrase. Alex must wait a while longer because the muffins are cooling by the window. Are = auxiliary verb; cooling = present participle completing the verb phrase. Impatient Alex is always waiting to taste whatever I cook. Is = auxiliary verb; waiting = present participle completing the verb phrase. Past progressive follows this pattern: was or were + present participle Use the past progressive tense to show either 1) an action or condition that continued in the past or 2) an action or condition interrupted by another. Naomi was hoping for an A in her organic chemistry class. Was = auxiliary verb; hoping = present participle completing the verb phrase. Unfortunately, Naomis lab reports were missing the nutritional data on chocolate-broccoli muffins. Were = auxiliary verb; missing = present participle completing the verb phrase. While Naomi was obsessing about her grade, Jason shared the data that she needed. Was = auxiliary verb; obsessing = present participle completing the verb phrase. Future progressive looks like this: will + be + present participle Use the future progressive tense to indicate an action that will continue in the future. I will be growing broccoli in the backyard this spring. Will, be = auxiliary verbs; growing = present participle completing the verb phrase. Soon, Alex will be eating organic chocolate-broccoli muffins! Will, be = auxiliary verbs; eating = present participle completing the verb phrase. Form passive voice with be. You can make any transitive verb—an action verb that can take a direct object—passive with the auxiliary verb be. Active voice looks like this: subject + verb + direct object. Here are some samples: We licked our lips. Frank devoured a bacon double cheeseburger. Everyone envied his enjoyment. Passive voice makes these changes: direct object as subject + form of be + past participle + by + subject as object of the preposition. Now read these revisions: Our lips were licked by us. The double bacon cheeseburger was being devoured by Frank. His enjoyment was envied by everyone. Notice how wordy and clunky passive voice is! Now you know why English teachers tell you to avoid it! Form perfect tenses with have. All perfect tenses use a form of have. Present perfect follows this pattern: has or have + past participle Use the present perfect tense to convey an action or condition that began in the past but continues [or is finished] in the present. Marge has bought earplugs to drown out her husbands snoring. Has = auxiliary verb; bought = past participle completing the verb phrase. The earplugs have saved Marges marriage to George. Have = auxiliary verb; saved = past participle completing the verb phrase. Past perfect follows this pattern: had + past participle Use the past perfect tense to show that one action in the past occurred before another. Because Marge had purchased the earplugs, she no longer fantasized about smothering George with a pillow. Had = auxiliary verb; purchased = past participle completing the verb phrase. Future perfect follows this pattern: will + have + past participle Use the future perfect tense to indicate that an action will be finished in the future. This Sunday, Marge will have gotten an entire week of uninterrupted sleep. Will, have = auxiliary verbs; gotten = past participle completing the verb phrase. Form emphatic tenses with do. When you use a form of do as an auxiliary verb, you form the emphatic tense. This tense is useful for asking questions or emphasizing an action. The patterns look like these: form of do + main verb form of do + subject + main verb ? I did not eat your leftover pizza! Did = auxiliary verb; eat = main verb completing the verb phrase. Do you always accuse the first person you see? Do = auxiliary verb; accuse = main verb completing the verb phrase. Doesnt the evidence point to Samuel, who still has a bit of black olive stuck to his front tooth? Does = auxiliary verb; point = main verb completing the verb phrase. Understand the job of modal auxiliary verbs. Modal auxiliary verbs never change form. You cannot add an ed, ing, or s ending to these words.Can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, and would have only one form. You can use modal auxiliary verbs in these patterns: modal + main verb modal + be + present participle modal + have + past participle With modal auxiliaries, you can indicate necessity or obligation: To lose her orange glow, Yvonne should eat fewer carrots. John must remember his wifes birthday this year. If Cecilia wants a nice lawn, she ought to be raking the leaves. Or you can show possibility: Fred might share his calculus homework if you offer him a slice of pizza. Ann could have run the half marathon if she had started to train four months ago. Modal auxiliaries also show willingness or ability: Nicole will babysit your pet iguana for a reasonable fee. Jason can pass chemistry this semester if he stops spending his study time at the arcade. Your answers were:| 1. I will have the soup| Main Verb Auxiliary Verb| 2. Police are investigating the incident| Main Verb Auxiliary Verb| 3. It is very peaceful here| Main Verb Auxiliary Verb| 4. Where does your brother work?| Main Verb Auxiliary Verb| 5. They have decided to advertise your job| Main Verb Auxiliary Verb| 6. He does his homework on the way to school| Main Verb Auxiliary Verb| ReviewAuxiliary verbs always occur with a main verb, but main verbs can occur alone. So the main verbs in this exercise are in (1), (3), and (6). In (1), the main verb have has the modal auxiliary will before it. In (3), the main verb isoccurs without any auxiliary it is a simple present tense verb, third person singular. In (6), does is a main verb, without any auxiliary.The other highlighted verbs are auxiliaries. In (2), the progressive auxiliary are comes before the main verbinvestigating.In (4), does is the present tense form, third person singular, of the dummy auxiliary do. Here it is used to form a question, and the main verb is work.In (5), have is the perfective auxiliary, and the main verb is decided.This exercise shows that the verbs be, have, and do can be both auxiliaries and main verbs. It is easy to distinguish between the two uses if you apply a replacement test. For example, in He does his homework we can replace the main verb does with other main verbs:He does his homework ~He writes/scribbles/loses his homeworkBut this does not work if the verb were replacing is an auxiliary:Where does your brother work? ~*Wherewrites/scribbles/loses your brother workNow try the same test with the following pair:Main Verb: I will have the soup Auxiliary Verb: They have decided to advertise|

Macbeth :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning Shakespeare presents Macbeth as a sort of hero. He is presented as a great warrior and loyal servant of the king, Duncan. However, as we progress through the play we see another side of Macbeth. This is the side of evil all powered by his unstoppable lust for power and greatness. We see this lust for power become stronger and stronger until he leaves the whole of Scotland in a terrible state.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The play starts with the witches talking about Macbeth and what a great warrior he is. In Shakespeare’s time witches were thought of as evil and the fact that they were talking about Macbeth made the audience make the connection between Macbeth and evil. The witches also give the audience the setting of the play and the story so far. They tell the audience about the battle in which Macbeth is fighting and that they will meet Macbeth on his return.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the king hears of Macbeth’s heroics in battle he is very pleased and refers to him as â€Å"valiant cousin, worthy gentleman.† The king also presents Macbeth with the title of the Thane of Cawdor. This just adds to Macbeths already great status and shows him to be even more of a hero. This is backed up again by the sergeant who refers to him as â€Å"brave Macbeth† and â€Å"Valour’s minion.† Ross also admires his bravery by referring to him as â€Å"Bellona’s bridegroom.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first time we see Macbeth is when he arrives on the heath where the witches are settled. Even before Macbeth appeared for the first time we had quite a clear picture of him. The first words Macbeth speaks, â€Å"So fair and foul a day I ne’er have seen† mirror the first words we hear from the witches. When Macbeth meets the witches they seem to know a lot about him and start implanting the idea of becoming king in his mind. Macbeth is taken aback by the witches and their prophecies which suggests that Macbeth has thought about it before and is frightened that his secret has been uncovered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the messengers arrive with the news that Macbeth has earned the title of Thane of Cawdor this acts as a catalyst in his lust for power and quest to become king. The contrast between Macbeth and Banquos attitude towards the prophecies shows how Macbeth has great ambitions and is starting to think about killing the king.

A Reaction Paper on the Article on Studies in the Area of Brain Research

The article, â€Å"Studies in the area of brain research, reported from Tel-Aviv University.   (2008,  November). Health & Medicine Week,1224.   Retrieved December 2, 2008, from Research Library  database.(Document ID:  1584699101), is a case study that aims to present an argument to question or disprove Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution which, according to the research conducted,   Darwin recognized that the conditions of life play a role in the generation of hereditary variations as well as in their selection.The problem being investigated and is currently subjected to a crisis is Darwin's Theory of Evolution by natural Selection.Due to several tremendous advances made in molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics over the past fifty years (Darwin's Theory of Evolution, n.d.), the main argument of the recent study conducted by the Tel-Aviv University, Israel is that â€Å"it is clear that a notion of hereditary variation that is based solely on randomly va rying genes that are unaffected by developmental conditions is an inadequate basis for evolutionary theories† and that â€Å"such a view not only fails to provide satisfying explanations of many evolutionary phenomena, it also makes assumptions that are not consistent with the data that are emerging from disciplines ranging from molecular biology to cultural studies.†The data collection method used for this article, written and reported by the Tel-Aviv University in 2008 to question Darwin’s theory of evolution, is mainly research on the results of several studies conducted in the various disciplines abovementioned and the study that they conducted,   Evolution in Four Dimensions (2005), wherein they identified the four types of inheritance namely (genetic, epigenetic, behavioral, and symbol-based) which can provide variations on which natural selection will act, to further solidify their argument.The conclusion of the article, Studies in the area of brain rese arch reported from Tel-Aviv University.  (2008,  November). Health & Medicine Week,1224.   Retrieved December 2, 2008, from Research Library  database. (Document ID:  1584699101), is that the premise, notion andbasis of several theories of evolution that has arisen throughout the years from Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is an inadequate basis for the evolutionary theories. Due to the fact that to understand the evolution of human behavior, it is important to clearly understand the four dimensions of heredity the study reached a conclusion that â€Å"the genome is far more responsive to the environment that previously thought and that not all transmissible variation is underlain by genetic differences†.They also have found out that â€Å"a better insight into evolutionary processes will result from recognizing that transmitted variations that are not based on DNA differences have played a role.†ReferencesARTICLEStudies in the area of brain research reported from Tel-Aviv University.  (2008,  November). Health & Medicine Week,1224.   Retrieved December 2, 2008, from Research Library  database. (Document ID:  1584699101).WEB PAGENo Author (n.d.). Darwin’s Theory of Evolution – A Theory in Crisis. Retrieved December 5, 2008, from http://www.darwins-theory-of-evolution.com/

How Human Influence Heredity In Mice Essay

Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Breaded animals are known as breeds, while breaded plants are known as varieties, cultigens, or cultivars. The cross of animal’s results in what is called a cross breed, and crossbred plants are called hybrids. A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. The difference between selective breeding and genetically modified organisms is with selective breeding the animals are bred for certain re asons for their fur or eye color also they do it naturally with a professional breeder. But when you have genetically modified organisms they use technology to breed the animals or plants. From the reports I researched I have found out that mice originated in India and Southeast Asia. Many theories explain that Mice appeared on the earth 65 million years ago when dinosaurs still existed. The common ancestor to mice and humans was an inconspicuous rodent-like mammal that scurried along the surface of the earth. It had to be inconspicuous because the earth was ruled by enormous dinosaurs, many of whom would have eaten any small mammal that could be caught. It has been predicted that the existence of mice resulted in the formation of a thick cloud of dust that, lead to a scenario like a nuclear winter with the disappearance of all green life, and with that, all large animals that depended either directly on plants for survival or indirectly on the animals that ate the plants would die. At least a small number of our rodent-like ancestors were able to survive these long sunless winter‘s because of their small size which allowed them to get by eating seeds alone. When the sun finally returned, the seeds scattered on the ground sprung to life and the world became an extremely fertile place. In the absence of competition from the dinosaurs, the mice were able to become the dominant large animal group, and they created numerous species. Since there are such a wide variety of mice they use them for all sorts of things. Mice are sometimes breaded as laboratory mice so that they can be used for experiments. They use mice and not dogs to test out medicine for humans because like I stated earlier the similarities of mice and humans are so close that when you test the medicine on the mouse you know that if you tested the medicine on a human that they would have the same reaction. That’s why 65 million years ago the genes from a mouse mixed with genes from a human and created a rodent like mammal to roam the earth. Outdoor mice provide an essential food source for owls, hawks and other predatory birds and animals. They may also be important consumers of weeds and insects. Indoor mice are not beneficial indoors, but if there are cockroaches or other insects in infected buildings, mice are probably eating them. Eliminating mice may result in a rise in the building’s visible population of insect pests.The only disadvantages of mice are that the indoor mice are usually intruders to a family’s garage or dark closet. This results in the poisoning or planning of mice traps that will kill the mice instantly. Some environmental concerns of selective breeding mice are the breeding could cause genetic problems which would make it easier for mice to get sick. With every type of selective breeding (which consists of linebreeding, outcrossing, and inbreeding) there are always safety concerns. If you breed them wrong the mother or the baby could die or get a genetic disease which could stop them from hearing, seeing, or walking. Selective breeding appears to violate mice’s rights, because selective breeding involves manipulating mice for human’s ends as if the animals were nothing more than human property, rather than treating the animals as being value in themselves. Mice are worth more than a failed laboratory experiment in a dark dungeon they are magnificent creatures that deserve sunlight, food, water, shelter, and most importantly love.

Alice Walker Research Paper Example

Alice Walker Research Paper Example Alice Walker Paper Alice Walker Paper Journal 4 The Flowers Alice Walkers, â€Å"The Flowers†, is a short story about a young girl Myop. One day, Myop is happy and carefree as she skips around her familys cabin playing with the animals. On this day she decides to explore the woods as she had done many times with her mother in late autumn while gathering nuts. Myop then leaves the safety and peacefulness of her familys cabin to search for new and wonderful flowers. The flowers represent innocence, life, and the beauty of life. This summer morning she makes her own path and finds herself about a mile from home in unfamiliar surroundings. The cove she had come upon was gloomy, damp and had a mysterious silence. This description of the cave is very effective because it provides a picture for the reader to visualize, and makes the later events all the more shocking. In her quest to recapture the happiness of the morning, and find her way back to her cabin, she stumbles onto the remains of a man who had clearly been killed in a lynching. She sees the brittleness of his death when she discovered his large white teeth, all of them cracked or broken showing that he might have been beaten before his murder. She then looks up at a tree and sees the rotted remains of a noose. The dead man represents death, and shows that even though he was once a big, strong man, this had no bearing on preventing his own death. Myop laid down her flowers was a sign of releasing her youthfulness, as she was forced to face one of the most violent forms of racism. The end of her childhood innocence was recognized in the last sentence of the story with the statement And the summer was over.

Understanding Shakespeares Seven Ages of Man

Understanding Shakespeares Seven Ages of Man The poem The Seven Ages of Man is a part of the play As You Like It, where Jacques makes a dramatic speech in the presence of the Duke in Act II, Scene VII. Through the voice of Jacques, Shakespeare sends out a profound message about life and our role in it. Shakespeares Seven Ages of Man All the worlds a stage,And all the men and women merely players,They have their exits and entrances,And one man in his time plays many parts,His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,Mewling and puking in the nurses arms.Then, the whining schoolboy with his satchelAnd shining morning face, creeping like snailUnwillingly  to school. And then the lover,Sighing like furnace, with a woeful balladMade to his mistress eyebrow. Then a soldier,Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,Jealous in honour, sudden, and quick in quarrel,Seeking the bubble reputationEven in the cannons mouth. And then the justiceIn fair round belly, with good capon lind,With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut,Full of wise saws, and modern instances,And so he plays his part. The sixth age shiftsInto the lean and slipperd pantaloon,With spectacles on nose, and pouch on side,His youthful hose well savd, a world too wide,For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,Turning again towards childish trebl e, pipesAnd whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,That ends this strange eventful history,Is second childishness and mere oblivion,Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. In this drama of life, each one of us plays seven distinct roles. This, the author says, is the Seven Ages of Man. These seven roles begin at birth and end with death. Stage 1: Infancy Birthmarks the entry of man in the first stage of life. An infant in the caretakers arms is just a helpless child learning to survive. Babies communicate with us through their cries. Having been nourished in the womb of the mother, the baby learns to accept breast milk as its first food. Vomiting is common among all babies. Once a baby is breastfed, you need to burp the baby. In the process, babies throw up some milk. Since babies do nothing most of the day, other than crying and spitting up after feeding, Shakespeare says that the first stage of life is marked by these two activities. Babies have been perceived as cute since the beginning of time. They feed and spit up, and between these two activities, they also cry. A lot. Young parents know the drill even before they become parents. While babies continue to be puking and mewling little adorable beings, the difference between then and now is that raising babies is a concerted effort between the parents. Stage 2: Schoolboy At this stage of life, the child is introduced to the world of discipline, order, and routine. The carefree days of infancy are over, and schooling brings about a regimen in the life of a child. Naturally, the child takes to whining and complaining about the forced routine. The concept of schooling has seen a great change since the time of Shakespeare. In Shakespeares time, school was a forced practice usually overseen by the church. Depending on the status of the parents, a child went to either a grammar school or a monastic school. School  began at sunrise and lasted the whole day. Punishments were common, and often harsh.   Modern schools are quite unlike their ancient counterparts. While some kids still whine and complain about going to school, many actually love school because of the play while you learn approach to schooling. Modern day schools have taken a holistic approach to education. Children are taught through role plays, visual presentations, demonstrations, and games. Homeschooling is another option that most parents prefer to formal schooling. Also, with the abundance of online resources, modern education has extended the boundaries of learning. Stage 3:  Teenager Teenagers in the medieval times were accustomed to social etiquettes of wooing a lady. The teenager during Shakespeares time pined for his lover, wrote elaborate verses of love ballads, and mooned over his object of desire. Romeo and Juliet  is an icon of romance during the period of Shakespeares. Love was sensual, deep, romantic, and full of grace and beauty. Compare this love to the teen love of today. The modern age teen is technically savvy, well-informed, and romantically astute. They dont express their love in amorous love letters. Who does that in the age of texting and social media? Relationships are not as elaborate, or romantic as they were for the medieval teenager. The youth of today is far more individual-centric and independent than those in Shakespeares time. Back in those days, relationships were nurtured towards matrimony. Nowadays, marriage is not necessarily the goal of every romantic affiliation, there is more sexual expression and less adherence to social structures such as monogamy. However, despite all these differences, the teenager of today is as angsty as the teenager of the medieval time. They have to deal with unrequited love, heartbreak, and depression just as those in ancient times. Stage 4: Youth The next stage Shakespeare talks about in the poem is that of a young soldier. In old England, young men were trained for combat. The young soldier developed an attitude of brash courage, raw passion mixed with the impetuous temper that is characterized by unwarranted rebellion. The youth of today have the same zeal and energy for rebellion. They are far more expressive, vocal, and assertive about their rights. Though the youth of today would not necessarily be enlisted for service in the army, they have enough avenues to form social groups to fight for a political or social cause. With social media platforms and the global reach of mass media, the young can reach their voice to the far corners of the world. A widespread reaction is almost instantaneous because of the global reach and effectiveness of propaganda.   Stage 5: Middle Age The middle age has hardly changed over the centuries. Middle age is the time when men and women settle down, and kids, family, and career take precedence over personal indulgences. Age brings wisdom and a sense of peaceful acceptance of realities of life. Idealistic values get pushed behind, while practical considerations become important. While the middle-aged man (and woman) of today have more options to further personal or professional interests, perhaps the medieval middle-aged man had fewer such options, and, not surprisingly, even less so the medieval woman. Stage 6: Old Age In medieval times, life expectancy hovered around 40, and a man of 50 would consider himself lucky to be alive. Depending on the social or economic class of the person, old age could be harsh or at best, ambivalent. Though the old were respected for their wisdom and experience, most old people suffered due to neglect and degeneration of physical and mental faculties. Those who were oriented towards religious pursuits fared better than the household man. Today, life is alive and vibrant for a 40-year-old. Many senior aged people (starting in their 70s) in the modern era are still actively involved in social activities, secondary occupations, or hobbies. Also, there are good retirement plans and financial devices available to make old age comfortable. It is not so uncommon for a healthy and young-at-heart senior citizen to go on a trip around the world, enjoy gardening or golf, or even continue to work or pursue higher education if they so desire. Stage 7: Extreme Old Age What Shakespeare talks about in this stage of man is an extreme form of aging, where the person is no longer able to perform basic tasks such as bathing, eating, and going to the toilet. Physical frailty and incapacity no longer allow them the freedom to live unassisted. During Shakespeares time, it was quite okay to treat old people as senile. In fact, in the Elizabethan era, where slavery and discrimination against women were highly prevalent, ageism  was hardly considered a problem. Old people were treated as little children, and as Shakespeare describes this stage as a second childhood, it was socially acceptable to treat the old with disdain. Todays modern society is more humane and sensitive to seniors. Though ageism still exists and is prevalent in many spheres, with growing awareness, seniors sans teeth, sans eyes, and sans taste still live with the dignity that ought to be afforded to the elderly.

Peer Review primary research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Peer Review primary - Research Paper Example Yes. The article’s goal according to Aazam et al 2010 is to indicate how one can cope up with life after undergoing a surgical operation due to various diseases. Through the support of nurses, the patients are educated on how to manage the situation. The treatments of the disease include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy which cause a lot of pain to the patient and worries. Yes a qualitative methodology is appropriate. Aazam et al 2010 indicates various techniques that are qualitative in nature that can be applied by the patients as well as nurses to address the disease. The article focus was to indicate how a patient can continue with life after undergoing surgical operation, according to this article, the problem is quality of life in ostomy patients incase one is diagnosed and treatment starts for instance in case the doctor decides to do a biopsy which may work or not. This is a weakness since if biopsy does not work then pain and bleeding may occur increasingly and the only remaining thing is to start chemotherapy and radiotherapy which again may work or not which is given a number of day so that the doctor can diagnose and see whether things are okay. According to Aazam et al 2010, qualitative methodology is the right methodology for addressing the research goal since at long last is to survive through the entire period with a colostomy, urostomi es and ileostomies maintaining good relationship with the stoma nurse. Yes. Aazam et al 2010, article research design was appropriate to address the aims of the research. Aazam and others adopted various ideas from experts in order to address his aims. Additionally, the article included ideas from published nursing articles in order to provide adequate information that is reliable and resourceful for nurses. According to the article, during the entire period of pain and worries, one may have a major or a minor surgery but major surgery is mostly done and this

Women in 20th century America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women in 20th century America - Essay Example Hence, the number of working women has increased since the last quarter of the 20th century. Women in 20th century America were more dedicated towards their families than they are today. In the colonial times, women would help their husbands with agricultural work, knit, sew etc. Also it was part of the mother’s job to make sure that she would effectively pass on all of her skills to her daughters so that she would in turn make a good wife/ mother. As time progressed, and the industrial revolution took place, changes occurred gradually. There were changes in methods of work, transportation etc. Consumer goods were now readily available which meant that the things that the women were required to do before were no longer required. This meant that there was more time for family. There was also a rise in perception of the people towards education and its importance. Unmarried females from the middle class got jobs and worked. More women were going for higher education. In the time of the World War II, more women got employment, whether they were married or not. In the later years, the rise in feminism in the 1960’s led women to organize for equal rights. In the 1960’s to 1970’s era there were much more women employed as ever before.

Mandatory Arbitration Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mandatory Arbitration - Coursework Example Given that I have a start up business on car detail, I cannot create a contract that with mandatory arbitration. This is because, mandatory arbitration requires one or more parties while in this situation there is only one party which is me. Secondly, having been a smart entrepreneur, I have been trading on used equipment in order to keep my expenses as low as possible. Since, I was ecstatic when I did find a carpet cleaning machine for vehicles on craigslist. When I drove for three hours to the outskirts of Kansas City, so that, I could pick up the machine that was for two thousand dollars The seller Sam Sneeky had made an advertisement to the effect that the machine had only been used for two times and was still in perfect condition. But, on returning to my shop, I was grossly disappointed on finding out that the machine wouldn’t even turn on. Since am so disappointed that I want Sam to refund my two thousand dollars. The best state that I would report my case to is Kansas in a court that enjoys the jurisdiction on this matter. This is due to the fact that, the case did arise in Kansas City. A number of legal issues are presented in the above highlight. For example, when I had made a decision to enhance my car detail business, I have settled on negotiating a contract with the some of the car rental companies. Given that, I can provide a detailed cleaning whenever any of the company is ready and willing to sell the vehicle. Having approached the ‘We Rent Cars’ company with this noble proposal, they did let me know that, whenever they hire any individual or company to work for them. They often demand that, a detailed contract be reached that outlines all the terms. For in stance, I should fill in detailed information about my service or company. The legal issue presented here is that, the agreement fails to bind since; it’s not formulated with the consent of

Islam - The Life of Muhammad Essay Example for Free

Islam The Life of Muhammad Essay A prophet is someone through whom Allah speaks. The Quran names 25 prophets, but tradition says there have been 124,000 in all. For Muslims, Muhammad in Allahs last prophet, known as the seal of the Prophets. The exact date of Muhammads birth in Mecca is unknown, but it is thought to have been no later than 570 AD. His father was called Abdullah, which means servant of God and his mother Aminah- peaceful. Both were members of the Hashim clan, a sub-division of the Quraysh tribe which had lately abandoned its nomadic life as desert Bedouins and risen to dominate the trading city of Mecca. Muhammad had a sorrowful early childhood. The name Muhammad is said to have been given to him as a result of a dream his grandfather had. He is also said to have had other names, such as Abul-Qasim, Ahmad, and Mustafa. There were many legends about Muhammad. One said that before his birth his mother Aminah heard a voice telling her the child would be a great leader. Another told of a heavy shower of rain, a blessing that ended a long drought. Yet another legend was that two angels removed Muhammads heart, washed it clean, then weighed it against first one man, then ten, then a hundred , then a thousand. Finally they said Let it be. Even if you set the whole community in the scale, he would still outweigh it. These stories show that Allah was preparing Muhammad for his prohetetic mission in future. His father was dead by the time of his birth and his mother died before he was six, meaning he was raised as an orphan. According to Quraysh law he was to be given to a Bedouin foster mother and sent of into the desert, and would be unable to inherit from his fathers estate. So almost from the beginning of his life he was both poor and something of an outcast from Meccan society. This shows that muslims are taught to trust in Allahs goodness, and to accept death as a stage in their life and not the end of it. It is, however, known for certain that when he was eight Muhammad was sent to live with his uncle, a merchant called Abu Talib. From the age of 12 Abu Talib took him with him on his long trading trips, which sometimes lasted for many months. A number of stories surround Muhammad in this period of his life. One tells how he and his uncle stopped at a Christian monastery on their travels, and a monk named Bahira recognised the mark of a prophet on Muhammads shoulder.His future prophetic status was indicated by certain marks on his body and by miraculous signs in nature. Muhammad first worked as a camel driver, but as both his horizons and business acumen expanded, he became known as The Trusted One (al-Amin) for being fair in his dealings and honoring his obligations. The most important hadith about his early life, and the ones with some of the largest degree of unanimity, are about a trip to Syria, where he was recognised by a Christian monk as Shiloh the non-Jewish Prophet whose coming was foretold in the book of Genesis. It seems that Muhammad, from an early age, believed himself to be Shiloh, the first and last non-Jewish Prophet who would bring the final message and warning to mankind in the last days before the end of the world. It may have been for this reason that he became something of a mystic, spending long periods of isolated meditation in the desert. From his early twenties onwards he began to have religious experiences and visions of various sorts, but was on the whole confused by their significance. He is also reported to have become a expert on the Jewish and Christian religions and to have engaged in long religious debates with both monotheists and pagans. At the age of 25 Muhammads social status changed markedly. He had been employed by a wealthy widow, Khadijah, to run her trading interests and, after they had prospered, she asked him to marry her. He accepted, even though she was to prove faithful, understanding and supportive wife and the marriage was happy. They had six children-two sons, Qusim and Abdullah, and four daughters, Zainab, Ruqaiyyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatima. The two boys died in infancy. The couple had only one surviving child, a daughter called Fatima who in later life became a fanatical Muslim. After her death he had several others, perhaps the best known of whom was the young Aisha. Muhammads uncle Abu Talib fell on hard times, and Muhammad repaid his kindness by taking responsibility for his little son Ali. Another child in the house was Zaid ibn Haritha, a slave boy given to Khadijah as a present. One day Zaids father, who had been searching for him for years, discovered where he was and offered to buy him back. Zaid was asked what he wished to do and chose to stay with Muhammad. Muhammad was so moved that he freed the boy instantly, and raised him as his own son. At that time Mecca was tumultuous melting pot of Christianity, Judaism, and the various pagan religions practiced by the desert tribes and Meccan clans. Khadijahs family had been exposed to monotheism, which was growing in popularity in its various forms and it is known that her uncle was a practicing Christian. In contrast, the pagan clan cults of the Qursysh in the city had become decadent, especially in their shameless worship of material goods and worldly wealth and the consequent huge disparities between rich and poor, which Muhammad, with his varied background, was able to appreciate. These problems, springing from the difficult transition of the Quraysh from nomadic poverty to sedentary merchant wealth, concerned him greatly, and social injustice-especially the treatment of orphans like himself-is the theme of many of the early surahs of the Quran. The cults of the pagan desert Bedouin clans, who visited Mecca only occasionally, were equally divisive, degenerate and cruel. Human sacrifice and female infanticide were widely practiced. Each Arab tribe had its own gods and worshiped idols. The most important of these was the House of God (Kabah), located in Mecca itself. When Muhammad was a young man it contained 360 pagan idols, worshipped by dozens of separate tribes and clans. His clan, the Hashemites, had the honour of guarding it, through tradition which held that the monument had been re-built by their ancestors Ibrahim and Ismail after the original- believed to have been built by Adam at the beginning of time- had fallen into disrepair. The Quyrashs wealth was based on the dozens of pagan cults who used the Kabah as their central shrine. They sold idols, and Meccas position as a trading city was largely based on contacts made with the visiting tribes. New religions were welcomed as good for business. At first Islam was seen as just another money-making cult and Muhammad was encouraged to use the Kaba alongside the others in a spirit of fair and toleration. But in 613 Muhammad began preaching to the public at large, rejecting all other religions, demanding the removal of idols from the Kaba and therefore threatening trade. As Quyrash hostility grew Muhammad showed himself to be skillful politician as well as a learned theologian. Steadily he gathered around him the elders of minor clans and middle ranking merchants through preaching a return to the religion of Ibrahim. Whilst the Quyrash continued to ridicule him, called him a madman and an impostor. Muhammad had begun to receive Allahs final message to mankind in the form of the Quran through miraculous revelations which did not come until he was by the standards of the time- already an old man. The Quran Muhammad received his first revelation during the month of Ramadan in the year 610 AD when he was about 40 years old. He was engaged in one of his regular periods of solitary meditation in a cave known as Hira near the top of Mount Jabal Nur, near Mecca, when he received a visitation from the angel Gabriel(Jibreel). Muhammad had experienced religious visions before, but this was quite different. Angel Gabriel (Jibreel) commanded him to Recite in the name of your Lord, and the Prophet lost control of himself and, Muslims believe, began to speak the actual words of Allah. Eventually he was told to recite what is now the beginning of Chapter 96 of the Koran: Recite in the name of your Lord who created, created man from blood congealed. Recite! Your Lord is the most beneficent, who taught by the pen, taught men that which they did not know. After a short period during which he received no further revelations, they then began again and continued until the end of his life. In the 23 remaining years of his life Muhammad received a total of 114 separate revelations which were compiled as the Quran after his death. Muhammad was illiterate so he would repeat each revelation afterwards. Some were written down on whatever was available, from parchment to palm leaves and animals bones, but the majority, in the tradition of the times, were memorized. A year after Muhammads death they were collected together by his secretary, Zayd, under the supervision of a committee, shown to many of the Prophets companions, and agreed to be accurate. But by about thirty years after his death a number of different versions were circulating and being recited, so a definitive canonical version was issued and sent to the four main Islam cities of Basra, Damascus, Kufh and Medina. Two of these original copies still exist today. One is in Tashkent in Soviet Uzbekistan and other is in the Topkapi palace in Istanbul, Turkey. The text is divided into 114 surahs, each containing the words of one revelation. The number of verses, or ayahs, in each surah varies from three to 286 and totals 6,239. Each has a title, and 86 have sub-headings indicating they were received in Mecca, whilst another 28 were received in Medina. The Meccan surahs are shorter, more mystical and warn about the dangers of paganism, marked by vigorous semi-poetic language, and concerned with warnings that men would inevitably be judged by God for their behaviour in this world and severely punished if they did not mend their ways. The Medinan surahs are in general longer, less urgent in tone, and deal in great detail with aspects of Allahs law such as the rules for declaring war, accepting converts, divorce proceedings and the mandatory punishments for various crimes more concerned with the solut ion of practical problems facing him and his followers. The structure of the Quran is unusual and, apparently, illogical. In general the longer Medinan surahs, given last, are at the front of the Book and shorter Meccan surahs, the earliest, at the back. There is no logical explanation for their order but at the same time Western scholars, attempting to reorganise them on this basis, have found that no other order works without splitting the surahs up into scattered verses. Sunni Muslims hold that the order was dictated by Jibree to give the Quran an esoteric inner meaning reflecting the Divine rather than human order of things. Acceptance of every word of the Quran as the literal word of Allah is a binding obligation on all Muslims. The idea that Muhammad was the author of the Quran, or any part of it, is rejected absolutely. At the heart of the Quran is the simple, repetitive warning that mankind must renounce paganism, accept Allah as the one God of all mankind and live according to his laws. The message is directly addressed to the pa gans, Jews and Christians of Mecca, amongst whom Muhammad lived, complete with threats of dire consequences if they failed to mend their polytheistic ways. The first revelation received by Muhammad deals with this very theme. In another early revelation Allah openly threatens Muhammads brother-in-law Abu Lahab, who, as head of his Hashemite clan, had disowned Muhammad and annulled the marriage between his son and Muhammads daughter Fatima. Allah also shows himself to be equally angry with Abu Lahabs wife, who had ridiculed the idea of Muhammads Prophethood. The Hijah Muhammads flight into exile is the most significant episode in the Prophets life apart from the revelations he received which made up the Quran. It marks the point in the Prophecy when Allah demanded not just a reform of the religious life of Mecca, but a total break with it. It also marks the start of jihad (Holy War both spiritual and physical) against the pagan Quyrash and, ultimately, all those oppressing Muslims and opposing by force the spread of Allahs word. The date of this declaration of war was later chosen as the first day of the Muslim calendar, with 622 the first year of the Age of Hijrah. By this time most of Medinas population regarded themselves as his followers. Many, in addition, had signed military treaties with his followers in Mecca promising military aid. They now eagerly awaited Muhammads declaring of war. But instead, after receiving fresh revelations, he decided to first convert the nomadic Bedouins in the surrounding desert. Between 622 and 628 Muhammad set in motion the biggest tribal avalanche Arabia had ever seen. The tribal chieftains rapidly converted to Islam and joined Muhammads army. The process was helped by Islams being an entirely new religion free from the feuding assocations of both the localised pagan cults and the foreign monotheist doctrines of Judaism and Christainity. Muhammad showed himself to be a brilliant military leader in early skirmishes with the Quyrash and this, along with further revelations promising Allahs support and certain victory, is likely to have persuaded yet more shayks to join. In just six years Muhammad assembled an army of 10,000 Arabs a huge force for those times and marched with the people of Medina against Mecca. The force was so overwhelming the city was taken without resistance. Muhammad issued a general amnesty to the Quyrash and urged them, without pressure, to convert to Islam, which they slowly did. The conquest of Mecca also gave him control of the Kabah and he resumed his preaching to pagan pilgrims as they visited the shrine. Conversion was rapid and only nine months after the occupation of Mecca his army had grown to 30,000. More clans and tribes converted to Islam. Muhammad died at Mecca on June 8th 11 AH/632 AD. Respect is shown towards Muhammad by saying peace be upon him (PBUH). He was respected as a man who was close to God, who thought deeply and was kind and wise. Muhammad had known the Kaba all his life, with its many shines. He had also known the greed, exploitation, lack of compassion of the rich merchants. Muhammad spent his life searching for spiritual guidance, drawing ever closer to God. Islam is not just a matter of ritual prayers or fasting or feasts. It is the conscious bringing of every moment of the day, every decision, every detail of the muslims thoughts and actions, into deliberate line with what they accept as being the will of Allah. How is the will of Allah known? The muslim bases all decisions on the revealed words of the Holy Quran, the messages that were delivered, over a period of 23 years, to the inspired prophet Muhammad. Not one word in the Quran is believed by muslims to be the thought or teaching of Muhammad himself- although he is refered above all human beings as one od the most perfect of Allahs messengers. Other messengers were Abraham, Moses, Jesus and, in fact, at least 24,000 prohets. Muhammads ministry was not based on any mircles other than the receiving of the Quran. Muhammad is so important to muslims because be was the last prophet, the seal of all that was revealed to the prophets before him. Muslims family life The Quran speaks about the family more than any other topic and deals with the rights and responsibilities of husbands and wives, divorce, orphans, inheritance and so on. The Sunnah also deals with relationships within the family: in one tradition, the Prophet says that a man is the guardian of his family and a women is guardian of her husbands home and children. Two particular Quranic verses underline the Islamic view of the family: . . . he created for you mates that you may dwell in tranquillity with them and he has put love and mercy between your hearts . . . 30:21 We created you from a simple pair of a male and a female. . . that you may know each other (not that you may dispise each other) 49:13 This declares the essential equality between men and women but Islam does not see this as contradicting different roles played by men and women. For example, muslim men carry the heavy burden of family maintenance and are supposed to be the only, or the main, breadwinners supporting not only their wives and children but other married or widowed women in the family. If a mans wife does not wish to live with his family or anyone else, he must respect her wishes. The major responsibility which falls to the woman is creating a harmonious family atmosphere and bringing up the children. Women may kake up paid work outside the home but it is not expect ed of them as part of the equal partnership and many muslims feel women should only do so if there is a real need for the money. Mature muslim men and women are allowed to mix at work, in public places and social gatherings. Divorce Islam allows divorce if circumstances warrant or necessitate it. Islam has permitted divorce reluctantly, neither liking nor recommending it. The Prophet of Islam has said: Among lawful things, divorce is most disliked by Allah Islam has not made it necessary that the grounds of divorce should be publicized. It, however; does not mean that Islam views divorce lightly. In fact, publicity of grounds may not be of any positive consequence. The grounds may not be pronounced but genuine. On the other hand, the grounds may be stated and may in reality be false. Islam does not also want washing dirty linen of private affairs in public or in the court except in exceptional circumstances. It is for this reason that court comes in as a last resort in the Islamic scheme of separation of husband and wife. The Quran states as regards grounds of divorce in very general terms: And if you fear that the two (i.e husband and wife) may not be able to keep the limits ordered by Allah, there is no blame on either of them if she redeems herself (from the marriage tie) (2 : 229). The general ground of divorce in the Quran, therefore, is hopeless failure of one or both parties to discharge their marital duties and to consort with each other in kindness, peace and compassion. Long absence of husband without any information, long imprisonment, refusal to provide for wife, impotence etc. are some of the grounds on which wife can ask for divorce. Either party may take steps to divorce in case of chronicle disease, insanity, deceptive misrepresentation during marriage contract, desertion etc. A Muslim male is allowed three chances, that is to say, acts of divorce on three different occasions provided that each divorce is pronounced during the time when the wife is in the period of purity. A husband may divorce his wife once and let the Iddat (the period of waiting after divorce) pass. During the waiting period the two have the option of being reconciled. If however the waiting period passes without reconciliation, they stand fully divorced. If after the first divorce the husband is reconciled with his wife but the hostility and conflict begins all over again, he may divorce her a second time in the same manner as stated above. In this case also he can return to her during the Iddat (or waiting period). If however, after second reconciliation, he divorces the wife the third time, he can not take back the wife during the Iddat. She is totally prohibited for him. The lady, thereafter can marry any person she likes according to her choice. The wife can divorce her husband if this condition is stipulated in the marriage contract. This kind of divorce is called Delegated Divorce (Talaq Taffiz). Marriage can also be dissolved through mutual consent. This is called Khula in the technical language of Islamic law. Marriage can also be dissolved by judicial process through the court on complaint of the wife on the grounds explained before. One of the consequences of the divorce is the commencement of waiting period for the wife. This usually lasts three months. If there is a pregnancy, it lasts as long as pregnancy lasts. The waiting period is basically a term of probation during which reconciliation can be attempted. It is also required to establish whether the wife has conceived. It also allows time for planning the future. Maintenance of wife during the waiting period is on husband. The wife can not be expelled from her place of residence and he can not in any way harass her. These will constitute moral as well as criminal offence. In case of divorce, the young children remain in the custody of their divorced mother. However, the father has to provide the cost of maintenance of young children though they remain under the custody of mother. Islamic law of divorce is based on practical considerations. The process of separation is basically a matter of husband and wife. However; when conflict arises, attempts should be made for reconciliation. It has not made judicial process obligatory in divorce for reasons explained earlier. The intervention of court has nowhere reduced the number of divorce. Judicial process in Islam is the last resort in so far as divorce is concerned. Islamic law on divorce if followed in true spirit will enhance the dignity of man and woman, reduce conflict and ensure justice. The Holy Quran explicitly prohibits the divorcing husbands from taking back their marriage gifts no matter how expensive or valuable these gifts might be In the case of the wife choosing to end the marriage, she has to return the marriage gifts or money to her husband. Returning the marriage gifts in this case is a fair compensation for the husband who is keen to keep his wife while she chooses to leave him. But the majority of ulamma have agreed that to act unfairly against the husband is not allowed and the marriage cannot be annulled by such way. The Holy Quran has instructed Muslim men not to take back any of the gifts they have given to their wives except in the case of the wife choosing to dissolve the marriage. Also, a woman came to the Prophet Muhammad seeking the dissolution of her marriage, she told the Prophet that she did not have any complaints against her husbands character or manners. Her only problem was that she honestly did not like him to the extent of not being ab le to live with him any longer. The Prophet asked her: Would you give him his garden (the marriage gift he had given her) back? she said: Yes. The Prophet then instructed the man to take back his garden and accept the dissolution of the marriage. The children usually stay with their mother unless she is shown to be incapable or unsuitable but she loses the right of custody of her children if she remarries. Marriage The most important ingredients in a Muslim marriage are shared values and beliefs, so that even if a couple come from different cultures and backgrounds they possess the same basic world view, attitudes and habits which will bind them together. Many Muslims seem to marry their cousins, Islam neither encourages nor refuses this practise. The prophets seventh wife, Zaimab bint Jahsh, was his cousin, but he only married her when she was 39 after his foster son Zaid divorced her. Cousin marriages inbreeds genetic disorders, and makes it very hard for a couple to divorce from a failed marriage if other close relatives will be offended. Muslim boys may marry Christians and Jews, but Muslim girls are not permitted to marry non- Muslims because in Islam the children have to take the religion of the father, and so would bec ome non-Muslims. The prohet said : A woman should only be married to a person who is good enough for her or compatible to her. The prophet permitted marriages between people of vastly different social status and financial backgrounds, knowing it was not these factors which made for compatibility, but what they were like in their hearts. Do not marry only for a persons looks, their beauty might become the cause of moral decline. Do not marry for wealth, since this may become the cause of disobedience. Marry rather on the grounds of religious devotion. ( Haddith) Islam sees marriage as the only moral and legal status for a sexual relationship as it provides in public for the security and well being of man and woman. The ceremony itself is extremely simple and takes the form of a basic contract set in a social gathering. It can take place anywhere usually in a home in Muslim countries but in Britain it is most likely to be in a mosque. The imam does not need to be present and there is no fixed formula but it must be clear that both man and woman agree to the marriage and there may be readings from the Quran on the theme of married life. The contract- Aqd nikah- is written, as well as spoken, and bride and groom sign three copies. They keep one each and, in a Muslim country, the third is kept by officials. The Quran requires that the groom give the wife mahr- a sum of money or property or some other gift of value. It remains hers, whatever happens, and they agree between them what it is to be and when it is to be given. Jihad Arabic for exerting ones utmost efforts to a determined objective, such objective normally being the struggle against anything that is not good. Two kinds of jihad traditionally exist for mainstream Muslims: the greater (al-jihad al-akbar) and the lesser ( al-jihad al-asghar). The greater jihad is also known as jihad al-nafs, and is understood as an individuals inner, spiritual struggle against vice, passion, and ignorance. The lesser jihad is defined as meaning holy war against infidel (non-Muslim) lands and subjects. It has both legal and doctrinal significance in that it is prescribed by the Koran and mainstream Muslim hadiths (recorded sayings and actions ascribed to the Prophet Muhammad and accorded a status on a par with revelation). Holy war is the sole form of war that is theoretically permissable in mainstream Islam. Muslim law has traditionally divided up the world into dar al-Islam (abode of Islam) and dar al- harb (abode of war, that is, of non-Muslim rule). As Islam is the last, most superior and universal of mans divinely ordained religions, it is believed that the entire world must ultimately surrender to its r ule and law, if not its faith. Until that time, a jihad against non-Muslim neighbours and neighbouring lands is the duty of all adult, male, and able-bodied Muslims. According to this traditional view, Muslims who die in jihad automatically become martyrs of the faith and are awarded a special place in Paradise. According to the law-books, two kinds of non-Muslim enemies exist, kafir (pagans) and ahl al- kitab (people of the book). The term people of the book originally meant only Jews and Christians, but later on it included other groups such as followers of Zoroastrianism. People of the book need only submit to Muslim political authority to avoid or end jihad and may keep their original faith: their status, defined as dhimmi (a protected non-Muslim), is inferior to that of a Muslim and they must pay the prescribed jizya (poll tax). As for pagans, that is, those whom Muslims do not recognize as a people of the book, such as Buddhists and Hindus, they must either convert to Islam or suffer execution. This drastic alternative, however, was rarely enforced in practice. There can be no going back for a convert to Islam-be that person a dhimmi or pagan-since it is a capital offence to abandon Islam, even for a former religion with a recognized revelation. However, ways of avoiding the strict enforcement of the law were often found. Jihad can also be defensive, that is, for the purpose of protecting Muslim lands from non-Muslim incursions such as, for example, the crusades of the Christians in the Holy Land during the Middle Ages or the Spanish Reconquista. Some modern Muslim scholars have stressed the defensive aspect of jihad above others. In contrast to the Sunnis, some Muslim groups like the Imami and Bohora-Ismaili Shiites are forbidden from participating in offensive jihad. This is because for both sects the only person legitimately capable of conducting an offensive jihad is their Imam, and he is presently in occultation (that is, in hiding and incommunicado until the end of time). The two sects, however, are permitted participation in defensive jihad. I have been asked to evaluate the following statement The Quran would be more useful to everyone if it were translated into modern English. Whether the Quran may be translated from its original Arabic into another language, and, if so, under what circumstances a translation may be used, has also been a matter of dispute. Nevertheless, it has been translated by Muslims and non-Muslims into a variety of languages. Today there are many versions available in English and the other major languages of the world. Although it can now be read in at least 40 languages, all translations lose part of the inspiration and meaning, and are not treated with the same respect as the original. Since the Quran is believed to be from Allah, every word, every letter, is sacred to muslims. It is therefore considered very important to keep the Quran in the language in which it was first spoken i.e. Arabic. Muslims were taught to recite it, and it must still be learnt in Arabic. As Islam spread from Arabia, its language was adopted by a number of Islamic countries, and is still spoken in these countries today. Muslims in these countries should find the Quran quite easy to read, even though the style of modern Arabic has naturally changed since Muhammads time. In other countries, muslims need to learn enough Arabic to take part in their worship and to read the Quran. You can find translations of the Quran for people who do not know Arabic, or copies with both Arabic and another language for those who do not have Arabic as their first language, but muslims do not accept these translations as proper Qurans. The main argument used to defend the Divine authorship of the Quran is the incomparable quality of writing. Much of it is composed in rhyming Arabic and the language is particularly beautiful and graceful. The surahs were given in Arabic and, since it would be a sin to alter the word of Allah, Arabic remains the sacred language of Islam. Non- Arabic speaking muslims can use translations but the Quran is so important to them that many learn Arabic just so they can read it in its original form. Muslims and non-believers alike agree the full power and beauty of its writing can only be appreciated in the original. But for muslims it goes further than that. Translations can only be interpretations which cannot truly say what is said in Arabic. The combination of the words and rhythms in the original language- the way the Quran sounds when recited- is also an important part of its power. Muslims think of the Quran as a complete philosophy, a comprehensive description of the universe and the entirety of the law by which people must live. The longer and later Medina surahs stress Allahs merciful nature more fully, with extensive friendly practical advice on personal and family matters. The Quran is also the focus of Islamic art. Many individuals copies of the Book are major works of art in their own right with sublime Arabic calligraphy on superb hand-made paper, and high quality decorative leather and metal work. Figurative art is forbidden by classical Islam, especially the creation of images of Allah and the Prophets, and the astonishingly fine decorative art found in many mosques is largely based on Arabic calligraphy, woven into patterns repeating passages from the Book. Even the most sceptical non-believer, Muslims insist, is forced to admit that the Quran is a book of immense beauty and importance not least because it has now almost certain become the most widely read and memorised book in the world. The preface to one of the most widely available Quran in English, the Tahrike Tarsile translation, puts it like this: The Qurans miracle lies in its ability to offer at least something to non-believers and everything to believers. Learning large parts of the the Quran by heart is an important part of Muslim religious devotion and children start memorising it at an early age. In many Muslim countries learning the Quran by heart forms the basic curriculum of primary school education. Muslims who memorise its contents in their entirety are given the honourable title of al-hafiz.