Love is Greater than Hate (Tale of Two Cities)

In Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities, he illustrates the constant battle between love and hate. This battle is never-ending, but in the novel, I believe that love won, and that love is greater than hate. Love is displayed as love for family and friends, while hate is displayed as hate for the aristocrats and revenge. Lucie, a young girl who never met her father, grows into a strong woman and her love for her family is evident. Her love even saved her father from his despair. Miss Pross has love for Lucie, affectionately called Ladybird, and cares for her and her daughter, little Lucie, with her life.However, there is also hate. Madame Defarge hates the aristocrats, mostly the Evremondes, and will go to any length to see them suffer. Sydney Carton hates everyone and hates life in general. Can love overpower these emotions; will love prove it is greater? In Dickens’ novel, it did. Lucie loves her father, from the day they first meet, it is obvious, and the sent iment is soon shared by her father. After living a life of hatred and despair for 18 years, Lucie brings Doctor Manette love.The first glimpse we see of this love that will save Doctor Manette from himself is when Dickens writes, â€Å"His cold white hair mingled with her radiant hair, which warmed and lighted it as though it were the light of Freedom shining on him. † (Dickens, pg. 50). After being with his daughter for awhile, her love freed him from his sufferings and brought him back to the man he used to be. The love that Lucie was able to give him, gave him the strength he needed to overcome the hatred that held him prisoner inside the Bastille for so long.But even then, there were times when he relapsed into his old habits from prison. However, Lucie was the one who could bring him back from that despair and hatred with her love. As Miss Pross remarks, â€Å"In silence they go walking up and down together, walking up and down together, until her love and company have brought him to himself. † (Dickens, pg. 103). This just goes to prove how strong love is and how it is greater than hate. Doctor Manette went through a great ordeal of pain and suffering during his 18 years of imprisonment.He held a hatred for the Evremondes because they are the ones who put him in prison after he tried to condemn them for their unlawful actions towards the peasants. Doctor Manette writes in his letter, â€Å"Them and their descendents, to the very last of their race, I Alexandre Manette, unhappy prisoner, do this very last night of the year 1767, in my unbearable agony, denounce to the times when all these things shall be answered for, I denounce them to Heaven and to earth. † (Dickens, pg. 342).When he is recalled to life by his daughter Lucie, he forgets these troubles and is able to live a happy life. When Lucie falls in love with Charles Darnay, an Evremonde, Doctor Manette’s old pain, hatred, and suffering arises. We see this illustrated wh en Dickens writes, â€Å"In a very curious look at Darnay: an intent look, deepening into a frown of dislike and distrust, not even unmixed with fear. † (Dickens, pg. 86). However, in chapter 10 of Book 2 entitled, Two Promises, Charles Darnay admits to Doctor Manette that he loves his daughter, Lucie.To this, Doctor Manette exhibits that same dark look, but then turns to Darnay and says, â€Å"If she should ever tell me that you are essential to her perfect happiness, I will give her to you. If there were  ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Charles Darnay, if there were (†¦) – any fancies, any reasons, any apprehensions, anything whatsoever, new or old, against the man she really loved – the direct responsibility thereof not lying on his head – they should all be obliterated for her sake. She is everything to me; more to me than suffering, more to me than wrong (†¦)† (Dickens, pg.142).Even with the history of the Evremondes haunting him every time he looks at Darnay, he is willing to put it all aside for Lucie, because he loves her so strongly. This is an excellent example of how love trumps hate. As an example of the battle of love and hate, one could take Miss Pross as being the personification of love and Madame Defarge as being the personification of hate. Miss Pross has been serving Lucie since she was a young girl and has therefore fallen in love with the young woman.She will do anything for her and treats Lucie as if she were her own daughter. When Lucie has a little girl, Miss Pross cares for her the same way, with ample love and compassion. In one of the scenes in the novel, we are given a glimpse of the love Miss Pross has for Lucie. Dickens writes, â€Å"Smoothing her rich hair with as much pride as she could possible have taken in her own hair if she had been the vainest and handsomest of women. † (Dickens, pg. 104). Madame Defarge, on the other hand, shows no compassion to anyone.She hates all the aristocrats, but mos t of all, the Evremondes. This is for the same reason as Doctor Manette, because the peasants that were abused by the family were her family, and they died at the hands of the Evremondes. She has let this blind hatred lead her life and fuel her anger most of her life. We can see her hatred when she is knotting the coins in the cloth at the wine-shop, â€Å"She tied a knot with flashing eyes, as if it throttled a foe (†¦) as if it were another enemy strangled. † (Dickens, pg. 185, 186).On the day of Charles Darnay’s execution, Madame Defarge goes to find Lucie, Doctor Manette and little Lucie to condemn them to death also. Instead, she finds only Miss Pross. Thus begins the largest battle of love and hate in the novel. Madame Defarge is determined, and armed, but Miss Pross is filled with the strength of love and loyalty. As they fight, Dickens describes Miss Pross’ strength by writing, â€Å"Miss Pross, with the vigorous tenacity of love, always so much st ronger than hate (†¦) held her round the waist, and clung to her with more than the hold of a drowning woman.† (Dickens, pg. 379).After they struggle for a while, Madame Defarge tries to pull her gun out, but it works against her and suddenly Miss Pross is struggling with a dead body. Love has triumphed over hate in the truest sense as hate dies and love lives on. Sydney Carton’s character is introduced as a brilliant man who is bitter and depressed. He tells Darnay the first time they meet, â€Å"I am a disappointed drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth and no man on earth cares for me. † (Dickens, pg. 90).He also admits to himself in that same passage that he hates Darnay, because he has all that Carton will never have, he is the man Carton will never be. Later on in the book, Carton tells Lucie that he loves her, but is glad that she will never love him, and then he says, â€Å"If my career were of that better kind and there were an opportunity or capa city of sacrifice in it, I would embrace any sacrifice for you and those dear to you (†¦) think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you! † (Dickens, pg.159).This shows that even though Carton has hate for life, he may still show love, but yet none of the two emotions has surpassed the other, until he fulfils his promise to Lucie. When Darnay is sentenced to death by guillotine, Carton sneaks in and takes his place. He sacrifices his life to give Lucie back her husband, to give her back the man that Carton never liked, even hated. The power of love surpassed that of the emotions of hate that Carton has towards Darnay, his love for a woman who will never love him back led his actions.Even at the guillotine, we see the power of love overcoming hate as Carton helps a young seamstress overcome her fears of dying and gave her love before she died. This love was returned to Carton and gave him strength when he went up to die. His face when he died was, â€Å"The peacefullest man’s face ever beheld there. † (Dickens, pg. 385). This further demonstrates that love can, and will always, be greater than hate. Love is by far greater than hate. Love can save, love can heal, and love can grow.Hate is destructive, and that’s its weakness, it has no grasp on people when love is present because love can rebuild all that hate has torn down. In Dickens novel, he gives plenty of proof to show just how powerful love is, and that even if, like Carton, we feel there is no love present, there is, and eventually we will see it. In his novel, we also see that even if hatred has claimed a person for so long, such as Doctor Manette, they can be saved with love.

Islamic Studies

ISLAMIC STUDIES Topic:- Islamic Principle Of business And Marketing & Present Business Evils GROUP MEMBERS:- Nauman Mushtaq Raja Hammad Ahmed kiani Farhad Shareef Shamsher Ali Daniyal Haider The teaching of Islam describe that Islam is a complete code of life. Since we talking about business and marketing therefore Islam give brief explanation about it. From the Islamic point of Islamic the first priority of business should be pleasing Allah and establishing Halal as a way of life. Seeking profit is not a bad aim, but it should be secondary.By making Allah the goal, and implementing Islamic rules of honesty, truthfulness, and good behavior with customers, Insha Allah, any Muslim business is bound to boom. Following are the characteristic that should need to present in Islamic business and marketing:- (1)Honesty (2)Trust (3)Fair and Kind (4)Truthfulness (5)Justice HONESTY IN BUSINESS The Holy prophet (pbuh) was declared not only Sadiq and Amin but he was an honest business man. This i s proved by Hazrat Khadija who was richest lady of Makkah. She gave a few things to sell and she sends her servant with him.But Holy Prophet (pbuh) proved his honesty brilliantly. Honesty is needed in everything we do. From the domestic work of daily routine or office work to studies, honesty makes the real difference. Honesty makes it easy for us to survive because an honest person is truthful and such a person does not fell into any trouble. The sad fact of the present day is the lack of honesty in people. Lies, and dishonesty has become standard in everyday matters and it is a common perception that no one can get rid of them now.This point of view is wrong, why cannot we live like honest humans? If one thinks that honesty cannot be achieved or truthfulness is a dream now this is wrong, just by practicing Islam truly in its true spirit we can achieve all this without devising any special plans or any complex system of morals. The world today is a big business hub, i. e. it is a b usiness market now. There are some main stock exchanges that control the money inflow and out flow of the world for example, wall street etc. these stock exchanges are actually business centers where whole world trades.Unfortunately, with the Jewish intervention in the business and introduction of riba in business, there has left no honesty and no halal money in the business any more. The best examples of the honesty in business are the prophets of Islam. From Quran we learn that prophet Yusuf a. s. used to look after the financial matters of the state as His own choice. That’s why It is called that honesty is the best policy, indeed honesty is the best policy. When a business man is honest, he will never sell a low quality product and will never earn unjustified profit.Thus, an honest business man will be God fearing and will never ever dodge his customers over the selling. An honest business man will never like to go for unjust means to increase his earnings neither will he ever like to give bribes or accept bribes thus with honesty in business, the curses of bribery and riba can be shunned. Hazrat abu bakar siddique r. a was one of the best and honest business men of Arabia. He was very rich and his financial as well as moral help was appreciated by Muhammad s. a. w. w as well. He was much honored in his region because he was honest in business.There are several examples in the Muslim world who did not only do business honestly but also earned much more than those who like to earn black money. In honest business ALLAH gives His blessings, thus honesty indeed is the best policy. The Prophet has said the honest and truthful businessman will be in Jannah amongst the Prophets the Truthful and the martyrs. Honesty and truthfulness are essential in this business. And when it comes to Muslim businesses, it means building a relationship of trust with customers, which cannot be done with lies and eceit. The Holy Quran already explains the factor of honesty in business and in every matter of life. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) has a great business skill due to which he was offered marriage. But unfortunately our current business values have been changing day by day. Our environment is lacking in honesty. For having a good business policy we should need to be honest. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said,if you sell goods on lie basis then your goods would be sold with your faith.For instance if there is any medicine who will get expire any shop keeper sell to any uneducated person and he got infection, a person who got infected will complain to doctor not to pharmacy shop keeper. Today lie become the trend we just to sell a 300Rs shirt would lie many time. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said selling thing upon lie basis would break trust of others. TRUST IN BUSINESS For having a successful business a trust of people is require. This does not mean that only one sided trust is require but from both seller and buyer. This enhances better understanding and good c ommunication.A Unit Trust is an investment vehicle that allows investors to take advantage of investing in a diversified group of stocks which manages risk and exposure to one or a few stocks. It also offers the opportunity to participate in the long-term performance of the stock market. Islamic Unit Trusts add other aspects that are a screening process to remove stocks of companies deemed to be inappropriate for Muslim investors and cleansing or purification of a company’s profits by removing any income derived from non-Shariah complaint sources, such as interest a company would earn on its bank accounts and donating them to charities.Therefore, Islamic unit trust schemes are required to additionally appoint a Shari’ah committee or to ensure that their operations are in accordance with Shari’ah. Islamic Unit Trusts can invest in many financial products in conventional financial markets which are not interest-based, or where the element of interest could be elim inated, such as property funds, commodities, financial options and futures and forward transactions in foreign currency. They can take advantage of international markets growth by giving priority to equity investments in Islamic banks and financial institutions, stock markets ofMuslim countries; and companies managed under the Islamic system. The manager of a Unit Trust mutual fund would typically invest the pooled money in a portfolio which may include the asset classes such as cash, bonds and deposits, shares, property and commodities; tangible assets represent more than 51% of the portfolio. Islamic Unit Trusts have also a wide range of investment options based on growth and income, open-ended, redeemable, etc. Their investments can cover international equity markets, currencies and properties.A Mudarabah fund can invest in a specific business activity on the basis of profit and loss sharing; Murabahah fund invest in companies whose transactions are undertaken on a cost-plus basi s; Through Musharakah the Unit Trust and the third party contribute funds in a joint venture, producing equity participation; And in Ijarah fund, the Islamic Trust finances equipment, building or entire project for a third party against an agreed rental. Besides, there will be no restriction to stop non-Muslims investing in an Islamic Unit Trust.A good analogy with Islamic Unit Trusts is one of ethical and green Unit Trusts. Here the universe of investable securities is limited by certain criteria based on moral and ethical considerations (muamalah. com; 2009). An ethical investment is the principle of investing in companies which make a positive contribution to the world and avoiding those which harm the world, its people or its wildlife. Society's increasing awareness of its environmental and social responsibilities is impacting on financial services, more and more investments based on ethical principles are now available.Some may think that the restrictions imposed by ethical inv estment with strict criteria may result in weaker performance; however ethical funds have often matched or beaten their non-ethical counterparts. Ethical investments are generally made through managed funds such as unit trusts which specialty is to seek profits for investors while conforming to certain ethical criteria such as that the company is not involved in activities like illegal armaments, gambling or pornography, or that it doesn’t produce or distribute alcohol, tobacco or drugs.Before buying shares of companies in a chosen sector, an ethical fund manager will run checks on that company to find out if it has interests in a number of areas according to pre-determined criteria. Accordingly, clients who invest in ethical funds can be sure that their money will be invested in companies that engage in legal and ethical activities. Islamic Unit Trusts investments are also based on specific criteria based on morality, the main criteria is to not deal in transactions which in volve the paying and receiving of interest.Islamic Unit Trusts should be run on a transparent and modern corporate basis and up-to-date accounting and within a legal framework in conformity with the Shari’ah. In the same way the decision to invest in the case of ethical unit trusts is made by the fund managers, based on information received from various professional bodies and specially constituted committees of reference, the decision in the case of Islamic unit trusts is conditioned by the a binding approval from the Shari’ah Boards which consist of established religious scholars who make a decision based on the interpretations of particular operations and contexts.A person can earn money by two means; one is agriculture and the other is business. If business is not done according to the ethics then there will always be inflation and shortage of goods. As it can be seen in the case of many commodities like wheat, sugar etc. It is due to the stocking in, speculation a nd the selfishness of some businessmen. The government has also become a trader itself, while the shariah has stopped the Islamic government from trading. As it can be seen that business is an important part of life, the Prophet Muhammad (P.B. U. H) said, â€Å"People get 9/10 of their daily bread by trade. † Islam explains the concept of righteous trade by telling business ethics. If trade or any other thing is done against the morals and creed then this will lead to the bad end on the day of resurrection. Also by the law the person guilty of illegal business would end up nowhere. Islam emphasizes on the importance of the business ethics a lot. Allah says in the Quran, â€Å"they say that buying is also like interest but Allah has declared buying as permissible and interest as forbidden. And â€Å"When you buy or sell then make someone a witness of it. † The Holy Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H) said, â€Å"If trade was not there then you would have become a burden on others. † He also said that â€Å"A trader is the guardian of the means of daily bread and a keeper of the dignity of himself and other people. † The Holy Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H) encouraged the trust worthy traders by these words, â€Å"A trustworthy and truthful merchant shall be with the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the righteous. â€Å"God shows mercy to a person who is kindly when he sells, when he buys and when he makes a claim† The prophet emphasized on the truthfulness and the righteousness of the businessmen a lot. He said that â€Å"Verily, merchants shall be raised up sinners on the day of resurrection, except he who fears God, and is good, and speaks the truth. As Muslims, we have to adhere to ethical standards, not only in business but also in all aspects of life. Both business and ethics are interrelated. There is a reference to this point in the Qur'an, â€Å"For you in the Messenger of Allah is a fine example to follow. Al lah Almighty says, â€Å"To the Madyan people (we sent) Shu'aib, one of their own brethren: he said: ‘O my people! Worship Allah. You have no other god but Him. And give not short measure or weight. I see you in prosperity, but I fear for you the penalty of a day that will compass (you) all rounds. And O my people! Give just measure and weight, nor withhold from the people the things that are their due: commit not evil in the land with intent to do mischief. That which is left you by Allah is best for you, if you (but) believed!But I am not set over you to keep watch! † At one Place Hazrat Ali said, if you dog your friend then don’t think you had brilliantly dodged but think that how much he still trust upon you. FAIR IN BUSINESS Fair is another quality which is also needed for business. WE shouldn’t concern with business whether it is small or big, but we should be fair and kind with people and people with you. The Holy Qur'an and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) have made it clear that a Muslim must be honest and upright in his business and monetary dealing.Also the true Muslim should keep his word and fulfill his promises, shun fraud and avoid deceit and perfidy, encroach not upon the rights of others, nor take part in wrongful litigation. Also a good Muslim does not give false testimony, and abstains from making unlawful money as from usury and graft. According to Islam whoever is not free from these vices, is not a true believer but a renegade and a worthless transgressor. And the Qur'an is rich with verses that confirm all this. Allah says in the Quran, â€Å"Eat not up each other's property by unfair nd dishonest means. † Allah forbids all unclean and corrupt means of making money, such as, dishonest trading, gambling, and bribery. And the Holy Quran has explained and described such practices in many of its verses. He says, â€Å"Woe to those that deal in fraud, – those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, exact full measure, but when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due. Do they not think that they will be asked on a Mighty Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the lords. Another example is given in the coming verse, where Allah urges Muslims to be very particular about their trusts and about other people's rights. â€Å"Allah does command you to render back your trust, to those to whom they are due. † Major principles of fair business dealings According to Islam, the following things must be avoided to commence fair business. 1. No fraud or deceit, the Prophet (P. B. U. H) is reported to have said, â€Å"When a sale is held, say, there’s no cheating† 2. Sellers must avoid making too many oaths when selling merchandise. The Prophet (P. B. U.H) is reported to have said, â€Å"Be careful of excessive oaths in a sale. Though it finds markets, it reduces abundance. † 3. Mutual consent is necessary. The Prophet (P. B . U. H) is reported to have said, â€Å"The sale is complete when the two involved depart with mutual consent. † 4. Be strict in regard to weights and measures. The Prophet (P. B. U. H) said, â€Å"When people cheat in weight and measures, their provision is cut off from them. † He told the owners of measures and weights, â€Å"You have been entrusted with affairs over which some nations before you were destroyed. † 5. The Prophet (P.B. U. H) forbade monopolies. â€Å"Whoever monopolizes is a sinner. † 6. Free enterprise, the price of the commodities should not be fixed unless there is a situation of crisis or extreme necessity. 7. Hoarding merchandise in order to increase the prices is forbidden. 8. Transaction of forbidden (Haram) items, such as intoxicants, is forbidden. Fraud and dishonesty in business Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H) has stressed the importance of honesty in most of his sermons, saying, â€Å"Remember, there is no faith in him who is n ot trustworthy; there is no place for him in religion who cares not for his ledged word or promise. He (PBUH) also said, â€Å"The signs of a hypocrite are three, when he speaks, he is false, when he promises, he fails; and when he is trusted, he plays false. † Condemning those who cheat in business Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has said, â€Å"He who cheats is not of us. Deceitfulness and fraud are things that lead one to Hell. † Once Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H) came upon a heap of corn in the market of Medina and thrust his hand onto it. His fingers felt damp. On being asked, the trader replied that rain had fallen upon it. The Prophet (P. B. U.H) observed, â€Å"Why did you not then keep (the wet portion of) it above the dry corn, so that men may see it? He, who deceives, is not one of us. † Thus traders who deceive by showing to customers a false sample or by concealing from them the defects of the product they're selling are not true Muslims in the judgment of Allah Prophet (PBUH) and, they are going to end up in hell. Prophet Muhammad (P. B. U. H) said, â€Å"The seller must explain to the buyer the defects, if any, in the quality of the article offered for sale. Should this not be done, the seller will permanently be caught in the Wrath of Allah. In short, all manner of deceit and dishonesty in business is prohibited in Islam. The Holy Prophet has expressed his strong dislike for those who do so. The Prophet's general advice to all people was that, â€Å"What is lawful is clear and what is unlawful is clear, but between them are certain doubtful things which many people do not recognize. He who guards against the doubtful things keep his religion and his honor blameless, but he who falls into doubtful things falls into what is unlawful, just as a shepherd who pastures his flocks round a sanctuary will soon pasture them in it.Every king has a sanctuary, and God's sanctuary is the things he had declared unlawful. â€Å"Before the Proph et invited his people towards Islam, it was his truthfulness and trustworthiness which had earned for Muhammad (S. A. W. ) the glorious titles of â€Å"Sadiq† (truthful) and â€Å"Amin†. Therefore, one must follow the teachings of the Holy Prophet (P. B. U. H) in regard to business and all other aspects of life; to become a good Businessman and hence, a better Muslim. Islam puts certain conditions and restrictions to obviate the chances of bitterness between the employer and employees.Islam encourages and promotes the spirit of love and brotherhood between them. According to the Islamic teachings it is the religious and moral responsibility of the employer to take care of the overall welfare and betterment of his employees. Fair wages, good working conditions, suitable work and excellent brotherly treatment should be provided to the workers. The last Prophet of Allah (sws) has explained this principle in the following words: Those are your brothers [workers under you] who are around you, Allah has placed them under you.So, if anyone of you has someone under him, he should feed him out of what he himself eats, clothe him like what he himself puts on, and let him not put so much burden on him that he is not able to bear, [and if that be the case], then lend your help to him. The Prophet (sws) also said: I will be foe to three persons on the Last Day: one of them being the one who, when he employs a person that has accomplished his duty, does not give him his due. The Prophet (sws) is also reported to have said: The wages of the laborers must be paid to him before the sweat dries upon his body. TRUTHFULNESS IN BUSINESSIn order to earn profit and making things Halal truthfulness is essential. People to buy things where ethics like truthfulness is present. Islam encourages truthfulness in business transactions and raises the status of a truthful merchant so much so that he will be at par with the holy warriors and martyrs, in the Hereafter. The Prophe t (sws) is reported to have said: The truthful merchant [is rewarded by being ranked] on the Day of Resurrection with prophets, veracious souls, martyrs and pious people. The Prophet (sws) has also exhorted the believers to strictly adhere to truthfulness in business transactions.He says: The seller and the buyer have the right to keep or return the goods as long as they have not parted or till they part; and if both the parties spoke the truth and described the defects and qualities [of the goods], then they would be blessed in their transaction, and if they told lies or hid something, then the blessings of their transaction would be lost. The tradition implies that Allah blesses business dealings if both the buyer and the seller are true to each other. Telling lies and hiding facts will result in the loss of divine blessing. A tradition reads. The Holy Prophet said: ‘Traders are wicked people’.The Companions asked: ‘O Messenger, has Allah not permitted business? ’ The Messenger replied: ‘Of course He has declared trading lawful. But they (i. e. the traders) will swear by Allah and do evil, they will not speak but tell lies’. JUSTICE IN BUSINESS The Quran also emphasizes on the concept of justice. It is another types of ethics which is deeply needed for running on the business. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, He who deals unfairly with others can never become useful member of society. Among the set of values the Qur'an and the Prophet's sayings emphasize are the concepts of justice and benevolence.The concept of justice (‘Adl) occupies a central place in the economic system of Islam. This value is prescribed in legal, social, moral and economic dealings. It is to be practiced with individuals, orphans, wives, tribes, communities and nations and even with peaceful enemies. It is applicable to speaking, giving witness, acting as a guardian, writing an agreement, arbitrating between parties, dealing with other people, j udging in a court of law and making business transactions. The concept of justice in an economic context encompasses fairness, equity, balance and equilibrium, symmetry and impartiality.The Quranic verses address individuals not only in their personal capacity but also in their capacity of being rulers, administrators, directors, employers, and all who deal with others. Justice, like truth, is a Divine virtue. Islam does not compromise on this value as it does not compromise on truth. While the Qur'an lays great emphasis on the value of justice, the Prophet has repeatedly persuaded the Muslims to stick to the value of Ihsan, which stands for benevolence, generosity, proficiency and magnanimity. The absence of ‘Adl inflicts harm and disturbs peace and harmony, but the absence of Ihsan does not harm anybody.It implies a more liberal treatment than justice demands. It begins where the limits of justice end. Absolute justice is a legal requirement and, therefore, essential, but th e Prophet, in line with the Quranic requirement, has persuaded his followers to behave magnanimously in claiming their rights and be generous in discharging their duty. ‘While ‘Adl eliminates injustice and exploitation and strikes a real balance between rights and responsibilities in society, Ihsan decorates the society with generosity, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, self sacrifice, mutual cooperation and affection. Adl is the primary condition for setting up an Islamic government, while Ihsan plays a vital role in building up a truly Islamic society; the former is a legal phenomenon while the latter is moral and religious. When we say that prices must be just, or fair, does this justice or fairness involve a moral value? Wholesale prices for all the dealers are almost the same. Can we then justify price variations at different centres? In Islamic law, if anybody charges an extraordinarily high price, it is termed as grave deception and is unacceptable.The Ottoman Code of Civil Law defines grave deception as higher than 5% (profit) on goods, 10% on animals and 20% on immovable property. The concept lays down the rate of profit but not the sale price. As a matter of fact, the wholesale price alone does not determine the sale price. It is determined by locality, standard of intramural decoration, packing, service, environment and other overhead costs. A trader has to add all the incurred and accrued expenses to the wholesale price, in addition to a profit for himself/herself.What rate of profit he should charge is determined largely by market forces and the nature of the competition, given a normal or prevailing price. All this proves that the concept of a just price is not a moral concept except where monopolies or oligopolies arbitrarily fix an unrealistically high price quite out of proportion with costs. The concept of the right to justice is mentioned repeatedly in the Qur'an. There is quite a lot of detail in the passages relating to the freedom to justice.In Islam there are two concepts which are considered, Ihsan and Adl. While Adl is typical of monotheistic religions, referring to the need for balance and equality when judging and individual, in Islam perhaps the more important term is Ihsan. Ihsan refers to making up an imbalance or an injustice by returning or giving back something to the person that is at disadvantage. As such, it is not only important to treat all people equally, but to allow those that are at an objective disadvantage compensation.These relate to the two most basic attributes of God, mercy and compassion (Al-Rahman and Al-Rahim. ) These two concepts are often compared to the love of a mother to her offspring. A parent must love equally all of his offspring, but if one of them has a handicap or requires special attention Ihsan dictates that a loving parent will give that child more to help him make his way in life. In the ideal Islamic society, the concept of justice necessarily reflects helping the disadvantaged, like widows, orphans, and those living with handicaps or in poverty. If Musharakah principle† was applied to a bank which holds a huge amount of depositors’ money and no interest rates permitted to earn income, banks will be forced to invest in different projects whether it is new or current. But the bank here is exposed to a risk of loss! It encourages a bank to diversify its investments since interest is prohibited and that leads to a growth in the economy since money is injected in several business and projects. If the economy grows on average, the investment pool will make profit.Banks here make income from investment not form interest by lending money. No interest rates for the depositors but their income increase in line with the growth in the economy. Thus, Islamic system based in â€Å"cooperative† (Sharing) and does not favor rich people. But it works on the principle of sharing which in a way or another leads to justice. The current news is that Sweden government is awarded as best governance. When people asked reason behind this success. They replied, we followed the Hazrat Umar (R. A) Rule of law.

Global Warming Blog Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Warming Blog - Assignment Example Coal, as a source of energy is not safe for the welfare of the universe (Singer 2001). Carbon compounds are the main constituents of coal. Once the carbon compounds are heated for the production of energy, they are released into the atmosphere. The carbon fumes released during the combustion of coal to release energy result to erosion of the ozone layer. This leads to increased global warming. The Greenpeace non-governmental organization has been on the forefront in fighting the use of coal but instead other environmentally friendly sources of energy. The background to the use of coal as a source of energy is based on the fact it is readily available in different states in the United States of America. Therefore, some people view this as an unexploited avenue hence their decision to use the mineral as a source of energy. Others engage in the coal business to increase their returns and make profits. This is not wise considering the intensity of the impacts after the use of coal as a source of energy. The issue surrounding efforts to stop the use of coal as a source of energy is to some extent of moral nature. The use of coal is an unethical act because the impacts derived from it are of a negative nature in relation to the environment (Veizer 2005). Therefore, with the knowledge of the negative impacts of using coal as a source of energy, then it is immoral to continue using the mineral as a source of energy. As long as the impacts derived from using coal affect the environment negatively, then it becomes unethical and immoral to continue using the energy from coal. The dilemma that community members may be faced with on the matter would be the purchase and use of environmentally friendly sources of energy apart from coal. These may be expensive but better in terms of environmental conservation. It might be tricky for some members of the community to embark on using

Ethical Issues Facing Internet Technology Essay

Ethical Issues Facing Internet Technology - Essay Example The print media have undergone a facelift by adapting website technology and blogging. Human interactions have been redefined by social networking, internet forums and instant messaging. Online shopping is another major boon from the internet technology. However, something with a positive effect will have a negative side too. However, as Williamson, Clow, Walker and Ellis (2011) point out, these technological advancements in information and technology have resulted in negative effects of which raise various ethical questions with regard to the Internet. This paper discusses the ethical issues that surround internet use. An area of concern in modern times includes the bad effects of internet on students and children. According to Salma and Ali (2013), one ethical question that arises because of internet use is whether the Internet is doing more harm or good on children. It is found that girls and boys use internet at the same rate at home. As Newburger (2001) points out, children†™s internet use varies with age. Only 7 percent children of the age 3 to 5 use internet at home; and 25 percent of children of the age group 6 to 11 and 48 percent of children of the age 12 to 17 use internet. Internet has the worst effect on children if it is misused. Children spend more time on the internet thereby evading home works and spending time with family and friends. Michael A. Weinstein, professor of Political Science at Purdue University believes â€Å"Internet will intensify the negative effect television has already had on our social skills† (Weinstein, 1995, as cited in Affonso, 1999). Internet browsing without proper supervision gives children easy access to inappropriate contents like pornography, violence, profanity etc. Pornography has serious effect on child’s mental make up. Pornography is unchecked on the internet as pedophiles can download illegal pictures from anonymous sites and escape law enforcement (Verdik.Org). If one searches the word à ¢â‚¬Å"sex†, one will receive more than 180,102 websites that contain pornographic material (Westfall, 2013). Overuse of internet leads to addiction thereby making the individuals secluded or isolated entities living in a virtual world. Experts say that exposure to inappropriate content at a younger age may lead children to anxiety and ‘behavioral expression disorders’. Another deleterious effect of internet on children is that spending excessive time on it makes the child lose his/her confidence, diet, activity levels leading to health problems like constant head ache and sleep disorders. Unmonitored use of internet can lead children astray by wandering in online chat groups, forums and social networking sites where they are prone to be in contact with people ranging from pedophiles to people with personality disorders. The only remedy for internet addiction is providing unconditional parental love, care, and support so that the kids don’t turn to internet overuse. Another important issue related to ethical issues arising from internet use is cyber crimes. Crimes like online fraud activities associated with internet banking, copyright infringement, espionage and cyber warfare are all on the rise with the advent of internet. Online heist has advanced from identity thefts to much organized ones. The attacks leads to compromising a bank’s database with system level implications. Credit card fraud is usually done through personal information accessed through the Internet (Wall, 2007). Another offence is cyber

Cystocele, Rectocele, and Vaginal Prolapse Essay

Cystocele, Rectocele, and Vaginal Prolapse - Essay Example Vaginal prolapse on the other hand resembles a hernia for there is protrusion of part of the abdominal or pelvic contents through an aperture in the supporting structures. Protrusion takes place between the two levatores ani and, in more severe cases, through the orifice of the vagina when vaginal prolapse occurs (Hamilton-Fairley, D., 2004). Signs and Symptoms: The commonest complaints are feeling of fullness of the vagina, a lump coming down, a dragging sensation or bearing down in the back or lower abdomen, vaginal discharge due to congestion of the cervix, an ulcer of the ectocervix or cervical ectropion, and a bloodstained discharge may occur if there is ulceration. Difficulty with coitus may be experienced if the cervix protrudes or is greatly elongated. Urinary symptoms include frequency of micturition. This is common and is often daytime only. Nocturnal frequency may be present if there is added cystitis. Some patients may have urgency of micturition due to weakness of the bladder sphincter mechanism and urge incontinence may occur in some cases. There may be difficulty in emptying the bladder completely and the woman may find she has to push the prolapse up with a finger to complete the act of micturition. Complete retention of urine may follow urethral overstretch. This may be associated with stress incontinenc e. Many women with prolapse complain of constipation, and this may be due to difficulty in emptying the rectum completely because it bulges into the vagina. Others notice discomfort on sitting on a firm surface; the vaginal wall over the rectocoele can bulge down between the labia. With age, the labia become atrophic and less protective and the prolapsed vagina is exposed to trauma when sitting on hard surfaces (Hamilton-Fairley, D., 2004). A cystourethrocoele is usually obvious and the distance from the introitus to the bulge can be measured using a special ruler. The woman is asked to cough and any leakage of urine and/or descent of the cervix is noted. As the speculum is withdrawn any posterior vaginal wall prolapse can be noted. Where there is a complaint of stress incontinence, examination is best made with some urine in the bladder; the urethra and bladder neck may then be supported with two fingers to demonstrate that this maneuver controls the incontinence (Hamilton-Fairley, D., 2004). Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures: Stress incontinence must be distinguished from other causes of incontinence of urine such as urge incontinence and incontinence due to neurological disease. General examination should include fitness for surgery. Abdominal examination should be performed to exclude an intra-abdominal mass. Manual pelvic examination or ultrasound should exclude a pelvic mass and delineate the size of the uterus and ovaries if present. If prolapse is not evident, even with a Valsalva manoeuvre, the patient should be examined in the upright position. It is important to reproduce the symptoms and signs with which the patient presents. If a woman has significant urinary symptoms, urodynamics may help define the cause of the symptoms, which will enable the gynaecologist to give some prognosis for treatment. Hence, if urodynamics

Justification of vendor ROI for a major equipment used in radiology Assignment

Justification of vendor ROI for a major equipment used in radiology - Assignment Example The report also highlights the relationship between cost justification and return on investment in detail from the manager’s point of view providing justification for the feasibility of the capital purchase or investment decision to be made to the Vice president of the company. Variance report is a method of communicating the performance of the company between the executives. A comparative analysis is conducted by comparing the available set of figures to reach an effective outcome. The sole purpose of the variance analysis is to review the budgetary goals and targets which the company plans to achieve. The management required to review the monthly budget because the expenses of the salaries were higher and the supplies and equipment which were available in the particular department were comparatively lower than the budget breakup. A properly formed variance reports includes the overspending or under-spending trends. In this case the hospital is spending more on the salaries of the employees and less on the equipment although the prescribed budget is sufficient to do so. A variance analysis must include proper graphs and figures and it must define the favorable and unfavorable position of a particular decision (Microsoft, n.d.). A variance analysis must include the comparison of the actual and the budgeted figures. The difference in the variation of the actual and the budgeted figures of the hospital will be clearly predicted to reach to a conclusion. A variance report identifies the areas which will improve the installation of the Linear Accelerator. The equipment and the vendor from which the equipment will be purchased are discussed in this report. During the analysis the calculation of the cash budget will be analyzed. A detailed structure of the estimated rise in the number of patients for the economic period will be projected with the figures of the receivables and the cash

Culture and Health paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Culture and Health paper - Essay Example Moreover, cultural factors are significant in health problems such as obesity, drug addiction, and child sexual abuse. Socioeconomic and cultural issues therefore underlie key global health problems, such as the spread of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, infant deaths as a result of preventable diseases, and diseases from environmental contaminations as well as social pathologies. This paper is a discussion on how the cultural behaviors and Islamic culture contribute to the spread of cholera and its impact on the community. According to Grim and Hsu (2011), the present global estimates of Muslim population cited in several academic literature approximately fall between one billion and two billion people. The results of the research carried out in 2009 showed that the population of Muslims across the globe is approximately 1.57 billion of 6.8 billion people inhibiting the world. Presently, Muslims are thus approximated to be 25% of the world population (Grim & Hsu, 2011). A big Muslim population is found in Asia-Pacific zone totaling approximately 62% of global Muslim population. In Middle East and North Africa, Muslim population is around 20% of the total international Muslim population. More than half of the territories and states in North Africa and Middle East have 95% or higher Muslim populations (Grim & Hsu, 2011). Asia presents the four largest Muslim populated countries across the world. The largest Muslim populated country in the world is Indonesia. It comprises of 202,867,000 Muslims, which is 12.9% of the global Muslim population. The next leading Muslim populated country is Pakistan with a Muslim population of around 174,082,000, translating to 11.1% of global Muslim population. India is reported to be the third-largest country of Muslim inhabitants with an approximate of 160,945,000 Muslims, accounting for 10.3% of global Muslim population. Bangladesh is occupied by around 145,132,000 Muslims,

Rehabilitation and Treatment of Methamphetamine Addiction Essay

Rehabilitation and Treatment of Methamphetamine Addiction - Essay Example Most of those who are affected are the poor because the drug is much cheaper and the effects last longer than those of cocaine. Cruickshank and Dyer (2009) explain that the chemicals used in making the drug have toxic waste that is quite explosive. The toxins that remain behind after cooking methamphetamine are also risky to those who stay in the neighborhood where methamphetamine laboratories previously existed. For total cleanliness of such laboratories, there should be complete overhaul of the structure with absorbent materials like carpets being destroyed together with sinks, drains and toilets and after the new structures have been fitted, thorough inspection should be carried out by a qualified health worker. The rehabilitation and treatment of the addicts is dependent on the attitude of the health workers. This is also affected by the existence of myths surrounding the treatment of addicts. Some beliefs state that whether addicts seek treatment or not, they still continue usin g the drug. This however improves with the health workers realizing that the treatment involves doing away with the involuntary desire to continue using the drug. The treatment process requires referrals for psychiatric treatment. When there is commitment on the part of the addict and the health care provider, addiction of methamphetamine is treatable. Assessment and management of withdrawal symptoms is important in the recovery process. The objective of the study is to determine whether emergency health departments address issues related to health including drug abuse. Also it determines whether health centers in Kansas have policies put in place to provide care and treatment to addicts.... addition to the availability of formal protocols. Proper application of the above provisions will reduce the health, financial and environmental effects of the drug. The findings of the study help in making the public aware of the fact that the location of a hospital does not influence acquisition of quality health care unless the facility is equipped with adequate facilities. Those practicing nursing should also know that the process of taking good care of addicts is fundamental in their recovery and that the notion of addiction being a voluntary decision is largely misguided. They should also formulate and implement policies consistently for effective treatment so as to avoid the destructive effects of addiction.The study is however limited because of the use of telephones for interviews. Therefore, there is no surety that the person answering the call is the best representative of the emergency department of the specific health facility. The sample size is small and may fail in so me respects adequately represent the population.

Paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Paper 2 - Essay Example passing the message and expressing emotion. He easily moves his tongue and lips to change sounds as he speaks and hence his voice articulation is good. He does not change his tone all through the video. His inflection is fairly even since they is little change in voice pitch. The quality of his voice is clear, and it matches the message being passed across. He accentuates stress on syllables in some words he utters. The pace of her words is smooth, and one can clearly hear all that she says. This video has at least three speakers, but the main speaker is Hope Solo. The tone of her voice changes depending on the kind of questions she is responding to. Her tone is both subjective and emotional at some point and at other times her tone becomes serious. She is very subjective when talking about the future of her career. Her voice becomes emotional when she talks about the harm that has taken place in her career. She uses long and short sentences to reveal her emotions at different points. The pace of her voice varies depending on her emotion. When speaking about positive issues she speaks fast but the paces slows down when she talks about the negative things. The volume of her voice also differs depending on the question she is responding to. At the beginning of the interview, the volume of her voice is high indicating confidence but she lowers it when the questions asked affect her emotions. Intonation of her voice is rises and falls depending what she is stressing on. Her voice articulation is perfect since she does not have any pronunciation problems. Her voice quality is clear, and she communicates with the reporter smoothly. The pitch of the voice in this video is moderately high since the speaker is confident about what he is talking about. His tone is bold and very convincing. He changes his pace depending on the stress that he wants to put. The pace of his voice reduces when he speaks about critical matters of entrepreneurship. A slowed pace

How has the internet and social media changed our society Essay

How has the internet and social media changed our society - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the internet and social media has played a great part in transforming people’s life and making it be much easier and worth living it. In about 20 years ago, very few people had ever heard of the name internet if there were any. In 1991, if a person was asked to say what a domain name is, they could have looked at the one asking in a blank face. All that has changed since the internet was discovered. People use the internet services each and every day in their activities, which include online banking and communicating with their friends. Social media was launched about nine years ago. Social media has also changed the way people live to a better way since people can share their problems with their friends and get comfort and encouragement. The Internet can be considered as one of the greatest inventions that have been witnessed in our generation. This has prompted some people to claim that the internet has ushered in an important new revolution which they claim that is as important as the industrial revolution. The Internet has altered the way people communicate with each other, how people shop and how they get their information. The internet influence has spread far beyond the online world confines which have affected many aspects of the lives we live. One of the main ways the internet has transformed our lives is by giving us an access to any information that we need. It has helped in opening up a world of possibilities where information can be shared. Before internet was invented, students had a lot of difficulties doing their research since they had to do it in the library. That is not the case in the internet era since the information that the students want is right at their fingertips. There are search engines in the interne that have ready information that the students and other researchers look for. These search engines includes Google and Yahoo search engines (Golden 2010). The Google website is on e of the most successful sites which tend to be the most visited site and the leader in a market that is very competitive. Google has a big coverage and a high speed of results that makes it easier for the researchers. Internet has made the world to be seen as a global village. Internet has helped in eliminating communication barrier that is caused by geographical distance (Golden 2010). Through the social media sites, one can have friends from all over the world, from as far from Zimbabwe to China. Internet has also helped in growing of businesses. This is by having devices like the dedicated serves which allows the offices to remain connected every time. It has also made shopping easier which can nowadays been done online (Lyn Gorman and David McLean,2009). This has made the whole world to look like a normal shopping mall, where someone can buy dresses from Paris and designer shoes from London. Internet has also made banking easier, where one can bank online and manage their finances without having to go to the banking hall each and every time they need the banking services. In early days, searching for jobs was a difficult task where one could only find jobs from the local newspaper and the recruitment agencies (Dijck 2013). . This has however changed thanks to internet as one can now search for jobs online. Talking of jobs, internet has helped many people by giving them an opportunity to work on the comfort of their homes. This is through the online jobs where one can earn with their pajamas on. This is an easier way to work, where one becomes his or her own boss, meaning that they do not experience the wrath of the bosses as other workers do. However, the greatest gift that is brought by the revolution that internet has experienced is education, where a person can learn everywhere by having online classes (Golde

Uniqueness and Importance of Medieval Music Essay Example for Free

Uniqueness and Importance of Medieval Music Essay The musical component of the medieval period is noted to have been one of the most important musical experiences in history. Every aspects of medieval music that have survived left legacies that deeply impact both the sacred and secular musical structure of today. Nonetheless, the music that permeated at that period has tangibly contributed in the musical heritage and tradition of present day society, most especially those of the Catholic Church. In this regard, it is therefore an imperative to look back on the historical overview of medieval music and its importance in the field of music as a whole. Medieval Music Medieval music is identified as the music that permeated in Europe during the middle or medieval ages. The said era covered the periods ranging from the Roman Empire’s fall and ascent of Gregory the Great to papacy, until approximately the early fifteenth century. This form of music excludes that of the Byzantine Empire, which is noted to have a separate development. Basically, medieval music is divided into two principal categories: the sacred and secular. As Christianity was a dominant force during the medieval era, entire musical style was developed in order to support it. Therefore, sacred music was either inspired or set by the biblical text. Sacred music was originally composed in order to pay homage to God. Unlike sacred music, secular music has not been observed early in the said period. Yet medieval secular music played a significant role during the medieval period as it was created for the purpose of its entertainment value such as for dance or expressing ones love, which deeply reflects the lifestyle during that era (â€Å"Medieval music: Birth of polyphony†). Early Medieval Sacred Music Chant The earliest body of song documented from the medieval period was the chant, which is sometimes referred to as plainchant or plainsong. Chant is a monophonic, or music with just one part, which has been the earliest form of music used by the Catholic church. The account of the nun Egeria from her pilgrimage to Jerusalem from circa 400 AD was noted as the earliest evidence of plainchant practice. The account includes descriptions pertaining to psalms and singing (Cyrus). The evolution of chant was accounted to various regional liturgies like the Roman, Gallican, Celtic, Ambrosian, Mozarabic and the likes. Likewise, the traditions of the Byzantine Church as well as the Jewish synagogue’s psalm singing were pointed as strong influences in the emergence of chants (â€Å"Medieval music†). Over the next years, the practice of chant continued to develop until it became an important component in the mass and office that is familiar among the students of the medieval church (Cyrus). It is noteworthy that the adaptation of chant in the liturgical practice was a result of the religious reforms spearheaded by Charlemagne, who perceived the church as an important body that would enable him to unify his empire. He then replaced the regional varieties of plainsong with a single unified version. According to biographers, approximately in the ninth century Charlemagne decided to ask for the supervision of Rome in order to have the doctrinally unified versions of the chant. The resultant liturgical practice is commonly known as the â€Å"Gregorian Chant,† which is acknowledged as the central musical tradition in Europe during the medieval period (â€Å"Medieval music† n. p. ). Gregorian chant was named so in honor of Pope Gregory I, who is believed to have organized around 3,000 melodies for the Roman Catholic worship. Such form of chant interblend ancient melodies, coming from the oral traditions of sources like Greek, Hebraic and Eastern, with the early Christian churches liturgical prayers (Pen). It is believed that many of the Gregorian chants were written in the western monasteries during the reign of Charlemagne (â€Å"Medieval music†). The music of the church is divided into chants used for the mass and for the office. Chants for the mass are a combination of celebrating the word of God and the Holy Eucharist, while chants for the office or ordinary are those that are part of the churches daily services which includes psalms and prayers. The text that change daily are known as â€Å"proper,† while the stable texts which are repeated for most of the church services are tagged as â€Å"ordinary† (Cyrus n. p. ). Plainchant fuses text and tunes so as to function as a prayer, while the Latin text serves as the musical rhythm dictator in order for the text and tune to exactly correspond with each other. Normally, the melodic contour of such music is shaped by the words direction, which is set syllabically, making the text understandable. Other chants are also set in a melismatical manner where in â€Å"one syllable is sustained over several notes† for the purpose of ornamenting and emphasizing important syllables (Pen 119) and neumatic melodies where the music contains two to five notes for each syllable. Every service is embedded with a mixture of the said styles, making the liturgical action more dramatic (Cyrus). Notation The Carolingian cantors adapted almost four thousand chants every church year. In order to organize the imported chants they developed systems that organize the musical materials involved. As music during the early medieval period was not written down, the pressures of memorizing every song is perhaps the very reason why the Carolingian cantors created the system of notation. The system of church modes, wherein chants are classified according to their range, central pitch or final and melodic idioms were also developed. Alongside with the development of notation systems, liturgical books became widespread, regularizing the liturgical practice (Cyrus). Notation Improvements By the end of the ninth century until the 12th century both composers and performers created means for the liturgical process to prosper. Various feasts were developed alongside with new chants. Liturgical compositions from the past were copied through the use of a new system known as staff notation which was developed by Guido of Arezzo. Such notation was able to specify pitches of a melody through the combination of staff or set of horizontal lines and one or more clefs in order to identify the pitches of the chant. Guido also created a sightsinging system involving solmization, a process where pre-assigned syllables are used for certain pitches (Cyrus). Additionally, other improvements in the sacred medieval music were observed such as the polyphony. Early polyphony As plainchant was sung slowly and without rhythm or harmony, perhaps sacred composers grew weary of the chants and began experimenting with their music by adding musical lines in order to create harmony. This is known as polyphonic music, which gave birth to harmony. Around the end of ninth century, monastery singers like Switzerland’s St. Gall added voice in parallel motion to the chant, wherein they can sing in perfect musical intervals of the fourth and fifth together with the original tune. Such development is known as â€Å"organum,† which is considered as the beginning of â€Å"counterpoint,† an important feature of music where â€Å"two or more melodic strands occur simultaneously† (â€Å"Medieval music† n. p. ). From then on, the organum developed into several ways. The â€Å"Florid organum† is one of the most significant forms of organum that was developed around 1100 in the south-west of France. Also referred to as the school of St. Martial, named after a monastery in France that is noted to have the best-preserved manuscripts of such musical style, â€Å"Florid organum† is incorporated within the chants in such a way that the original tune is being sung in long notes, while another voice would serve as an accompaniment by singing many notes to each of the original piece that is often done in â€Å"highly elaborate fashion† in order to further emphasize the perfect consonances of the music (â€Å"Medieval music†n. p. ). Middle Medieval Music Subsequent developments of the organum took place in England, specifically at Notre Dame in Paris, which is said to be the center of musical creativity all through the 13th century. The emergence of the Notre Dame School of Polyphony around 1150 until 1250 is said to be the vehicle for a more modernized form of the organum, and paved way for the beginning of â€Å"Ars Antiqua†Ã¢â‚¬â€a period in which rhythmic notation is recognized in the Western music; a period that greatly applies the method of rhythmic notation which is known as the rhythmic modes (â€Å"Medieval music† n. p. ). Basically, Notre Dame organum employs three distinct rhythmic styles that adheres to the rhythmic modes: (1) â€Å"organum purum† wherein both upper and lower voice freely moves without a specific rhythm to follow, (2) â€Å"copula† which upper voice moves in accordance to a strict rhythm while the lower voice moves freely, and (3) â€Å"discant† wherein both the upper and lower voice follows a strict rhythm (Cyrus n. p. ). Also this period, the concept of formal structure emerged, allowing composers to become more attentive with proportions, architectural effects and musical texture. Composers of the said period created various musical forms such as the â€Å"clasulae,† melismatic (technique of placing several noted in a single syllable of text) parts of the organa are extracted and fitted with new wordings so as to improve musical elaboration; the â€Å"versus’ or the â€Å"monophonic conductus† has a structure known as strophic, wherein the music is repeated for each successive stanza of the liturgical reading or poetry; and the â€Å"trope† where new musical and textual materials are added to a pre-existing liturgical composition, most especially the introductory chants of the mass and the short chants of the ordinary. Trope singers, which are usually soloist, can come before, in the middle or after the host chant or choral; they simply amplify the meaning of the original composition. In some cases, tropes inject dialog and short interludes within the music; as such, they are though to be the forerunners in the field of liturgical drama which also emerged in this period (Cyrus n. p. ). â€Å"Sequence† also emerged during the era of liturgical consolidation in the medieval period. â€Å"Sequence† is identified as a separate form of choral composition that follows the Alleluia during mass. Credited to Notker Balbulus, sequence is a syllabic genre that contains irregular phrase lengths. In this type of chant genre, the musical lines normally contain one to four clauses, while the entirety of the music is often repeated before starting a new musical material (Cyrus n. p. ). The â€Å"motet† is profoundly one of the most significant forms of music created during the Middle Ages, specifically during the early parts of the Notre Dame period. Made out of the clausula, motet is focused on the usage of multiple voices, as stated by European composer, Perotin. Motet was further developed into a greater form of musical elaboration and sophistication during the 14th century which is noted as the era of â€Å"Ars Nova† (â€Å"Medieval Music†). Secular Music Although the plainchant was dominant in the sacred musical landscape of the middle age, other musical forms were used for the purpose of secular expression (Pen 119). Secular music existed in the shadow of secular music during the medieval period as most of the music scribes in this era were inclined in the creation of sacred music. Likewise, Medieval secular music was usually passed along orally and are rarely written down. As such, only limited number of composition has survived. Nonetheless, those existing copies of secular music serve as a vehicle for present day people to view the life at court in town during Middle Age. One of the earliest surviving music in secular form was accounted to the Goliards, who are wandering poet-musicians in Europe during the tenth until the mid-thirteenth century. Their secular compositions were consolidated in an early thirteenth century musical collection known as the â€Å"Carmina Burana. † However, due to the unclear notation, the reconstruction of the actual secular melodic sounds created by the Goliards was impossible, except for some pieces that have similarities with sacred music (Cyrus n. p. ). Most of the poetry created by the Goliards are secular in form, while some songs celebrate religious ideals and others are notably profane that tackles drunkenness, lechery as well as debauchery (â€Å"Medieval Music†). The secular music of the Troubadours of southern France and the Trouveres of the northern region are said to be the largest collection of secular music. The music created by the said groups are from their poems and utilized the vernacular tradition of monophonic secular music that are probably accompanied by varying instruments and performed by professionals ranging from skilled poets, singers and instrumentalists. Likewise, their poems have adopted the language of their regions—Troubadours used lyrics written in Occitan also referred to as old Provencal or langue d’oc while the Trouveres used old French or langue d’oil. The music of the Troubadours was complimentary with the cultural life of Provence. Typically, their music describes war, courtly love and chivalry. Troubadour musical period lasted through the twelfth century until the first decade of the thirteenth century. The abrupt end of the Troubadour period was accounted to the Albigensian crusade, a campaign spearheaded by Pope Innocent III, which aims to eliminate Albigensian heresy, thererby eliminating the whole civilization of the Troubadours. Troubadour survivors of the fierce campaign migrated to Spain, Northern France or Northern Italy, where their musical inclination is said to have contributed in the secular music tradition of the said places (â€Å"Medieval Music†). The music of the Trouveres, on the other hand, was similar to that of the Troubadours. However, they were unaffected by the extermination directed towards the Albigenses unlike the Troubadours, allowing their music to survive until the thirteenth century. Most of the 2,000 surviving songs of the Trouveres showed musical sophistication that deeply highlights the poems it accompanied. Other than the Goliards, Troubadours and Trouveres, vast numbers of secular songs were also composed by civilization such as the Minnesingers, who are said to be the German counterpart of the Troubadours and Trouveres, and the Flagellants, who were noted for the geisslelieder songs that aims to appease the anger and wrath of God through this penitential music along with the mortification of their bodies (â€Å"Medieval Music†).

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Essay Example for Free

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Essay The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin explores the sense of liberation for social forces that holds the character down and focuses on the feminine gender’s side of such struggle. Caged in a patriarchal society, women have been rightfully fighting for a life worth living. Born in such a society, women are often aware of their right to happiness. In this story, it takes an accident, particularly her husband’s death, for Mrs. Mallard to realize her self-worth. Mrs. Mallard symbolizes women’s situation with respect to her role in society. Her husband represents the patriarchal mindset of culture and society and it is in a sense ironic, that Mrs. Mallard’s sense of awakening, her â€Å"birth,† was made possible by the death of her husband. In the same way, that her new-found freedom is cut short by her demise. Writers are known to apply aspects of their life into their writings and works. Some literary critics may view such process as insignificant, citing that any analysis of such works in literature must concentrate mainly on the work body rather than any external consideration outside the work. The mention of Mrs. Mallard’s health condition at the very onset of the short story paves the way for the consistency of the story’s ending. The simplicity of the setting indicates less the material sense of the story. For everything is much a personal sensing and contradiction of the main protagonist. In fact this particular part in the story is significant. She writes, â€Å"She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life.† Sensory images flood her being and all of a sudden the vision of the window means a lot to her. These nostalgic sensory images are an onset of Mrs. Mallard’s new sense of liberation. The vision through the open windows means a fresh perspective into her life. The husband may have treated her wife fairly as dictated by social norms of the time. Mrs. Mallard utterance of those words was not an implication of an unhealthy and brutal marriage but was more a declaration of Mrs. Mallard new found sense of independence, a sort of unbinding from the social chains of familial duty. The closing of the door and the opening of the window was very much symbolic to Mrs. Mallard’s closing of one aspect of her life, her marriage, and an advent of life of new possibilities. In a sense, it was a certain kind of freedom from a socially-imposed â€Å"prison.† As she imagines life without her husband, she embraces visions of the future. She realizes that whether or not she had loved him was less important than this possession of self-assertion she now feels. Marriage for women at those times was more of a one-sided arrangement in favor for the male species. Although one might argue that, at present, this is less prevalent. But the fact remains that gender bias is still incorporated into society in much subtle ways. This is very much how Mrs. Mallard felt towards her marriage. Her happiness was much subordinated by her sense of duty. Duty was highly regarded in Victorian view of morality. The symbolic travel is Mrs. Mallard’s personal journey of liberation paved by a sense of foreboding and tinge of sweet joy. Chopin uses parallelisms between her real life and that of her character Mrs. Mallard in the story. These are the death of her husband, the train wreck and issues on personal freedom. As recorded in her biography, the author Kate meets a Louisiana native, Oscar Chopin, a cotton broker. We see glimpses of her relationship with him by the way she follows her husband wherever he hauls their family from one place to another. At some time during their marriage, they establish a new home in New Orleans while waiting for their first child. However, her husband’s brokerage business fails in 1879 and again he decides to move north to his family plantations in Natchitoches Parish. We see Kate here, subservient as any woman of her time, following her husband wherever he summons herto follow. Author Wyatt posits that Oscar was â€Å"by all accounts, he adored his wife, admired her independence and intelligence, and allowed her unheard of freedom† (Wyatt). However, one is not sure if this was a real freedom she experiences from her husband because it is also told that â€Å"After their marriage they lived in New Orleans where she had five boys and two girls, all before she was twenty-eight.† (Wyatt). Having five children before one is twenty-eight years of age means that she bore these children practically one after another. Thus, how could a woman who possesses a freedom of her own give birth one after the other? In much the same way, The Story of an Hour tells of Mrs. Mallard as she learns of the death of her husband from people who even exercise great caution not to tell the bad news to her right on since â€Å"Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husbands death.† It is the next few scenes that give us an inkling as to how she really views this death because she retreats to her room and instead of grieving, ponders on her life now that she had all the freedom in the world. Even the train wreck is replete with vignettes from her own story. Kate has her own share of â€Å"train wrecks† in life. The deaths of her loved ones within a short period of time prove disastrous for her and derail her life. In a similar vein, for Chopin ‘s character, Mrs. Mallard, the train wreck her husband figures in signifies not so much as a tragedy but as the beginning of freedom for her. Chopin points out that Mrs. Mallard actually disdained her husband as she pens, â€Å"And yet she had loved himsometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter! What could love the unsolved mystery, count for in face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!† The character was portrayed in an understated state of joy amidst the apparently bad news of her husband’s death. Reading Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour inspires driven women to write many literary pieces on the issues at that time. Change is highly valued by women today who feel that they are incorporating the best of the modern world into their lives. Open to ideas and innovation, women are receptive to those who can explain how change will benefit them, just like Louise in Kate Chopin’s work. They now walk a narrow bridge between the past and the future. They will reject visions of the future that only repeats the past. Indeed, the theme, the setting and the characters and some events of this story may well derive more from her own set of personal experiences translated poignantly in a short yet memorable story. WORKS CITED Henry, S. The Deep Divide, Why American Women Resist Equality. The Macmillan Publishing Co: New York. 1994. Kate Chopin The Story of an Hour The Norton Introduction to Literature (eight edition) Real Life: Katherine Chopin. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998. Wyatt, Neal. â€Å"Biography of Kate Chopin.† Retrieved March 8, 2007 at: http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/katebio.htm

The History Of The Liberal Neutrality Politics Essay

The History Of The Liberal Neutrality Politics Essay The question is should all government decisions be made on a neutral basis or is there a point where the government should be able to make a decision that they believe if for the best interest of the individual? This issue is discussed by multiple authors and looked at from different angles. John Stuart Mill discusses his opinion of government authority as it affects an individuals interests in his essay On Liberty. Joseph L. Sax discusses his opinion of government authority as it affects the national parks and individuals different interests within the parks in his book Mountains without Handrails. Both Mill and Sax look at government involvement and decision making in two different ways. One as it applies directly to any interest of an individual and the other as it applies only to an individuals interests in a specific area. The main topic of Mills essay is civil or social liberty. He defines social liberty as the nature and limits of the power which can be legitimately exercised by society over the individual (Mill, 5). Social liberty allows an individual to govern themselves to a certain point. This point is where they potentially could cause harm to others. Once an individual has reached this point, society or the government can step in to prevent harm of another person. Society is neutral in an individuals interests until this point has been reached and they have the authority to interfere with an individuals interest if they deem it harmful to others. This is the idea of the harm principle. Mill says the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others (Mill, 14). In one sense social liberty follows the idea of liberal neutrality but it has a loop hole that allows for some bias decision making by society to protect others. Where society does interfere with an individuals interest it is doing so for the best interest of the rest of society and preventing harm to them. The negative effect of interfering with a single individuals interests is outweighed by protecting one or more individuals from harm that is not necessary for them to endure. All decisions come down to choosing between protecting the interests of an individual or society as a whole. One topic that Mill discusses is the struggle between liberty and authority. Liberty was put in place as means of protection for people from their political rulers. At the time people were born into power and liberty was kind of like a clause if the ruler became a tyrant. Authority is needed to prevent individuals from taking actions that would be morally wrong (causing harm to others). Society then changed and all rulers were no longer born into power, they were chosen to represent the people. The representatives of the people were to represent the best interests of the individuals and this would eliminate the need for some forms of liberty and authority since the people would be need to be protected from their own will. One thing that was over looked was the fact that a single group of representatives cannot accurately represent the entire population, they can only represent the majority and the majority is made up of the individuals who are active in getting their voice heard and does not necessarily represent the entire population. This is the idea of tyranny of the majority. Tyranny of the majority occurs when the majoritys interests are placed above the minoritys interests and causes minorities to be discouraged in getting their opinions heard. This brings society back to the same struggle of liberty and authority and where to draw the line between the two. Individuals want to have the power to so as they please but there should be some guide lines or limits to this power. Mill does not explicitly state what all of these guidelines or limits should be with the exception of causing harm to others. Are more guidelines really needed than that? What is society as a whole just decided to do away with rules, regulations and all types of society authority with the exceptions of something that enforced not doing harm to others and just let an individual decide how they wanted to live their life? This is what libertarians advocate for, liberal neutrality. Having a society with no rules or regulations with only a few minor exceptions, would allow for an individual to focus on their interests and preferences and allow them to achieve their version of the good life since there would be not interferences from society. Having liberties can produce a positive effect in individuals if they are given the opportunity to effectively utilize their liberties. Although Mills essay was published in 1859, the ideas he presents are still currently being discusses such as in Mark Sagoffs Can Environmentalists be Liberals?, Cary Coglianeses Implications of Liberal Neutrality for Environmental Policy and Andrew Vincents Liberalism and the Environment. There is no wrong answer to the struggle between liberty and authority and there is a possibility of multiple right answers for this struggle. Mill discusses liberty in a broad sense, and does not apply it to a specific area of interest but to all areas of interest to an individual. Sax discusses liberty and authority as it directly affects national parks and the individuals who benefit from them. He tries to answer or at least present the different sides of answering the question should the national parks basically be treated as recreational commodities, responding to the demand for development and urban comforts that visitors conventionally bring to them or should they be reserves as temples of nature worship admitting only the faithful? (Sax, 2) Preservationists represent one side of this issue and want national parks to remain undisturbed by human activities. The preference for undisturbed nature and recreation in nature is merely just a matter of taste specific to each individual and no policy will be able to please all parties. One individuals interest and preference for a national park may contradict another individuals interests and preferences, which make it difficult for society to remain neutral n its decision making process. National parks are owned by the public and consist of remote and scenic land in large quantities. Parks were first preserved for the scenery they provided so the average citizen would be able to enjoy them. It was though that the more people who came to the national parks the more support there would be for the future preservation of other parks. People wanted different things from the parks though; some wanted them for sites for picnics and resorts while others wanted them preserved as museums. The parks could potentially provide engagement with nature which provides an opportunity for detachment from the submissiveness, conformity and mass behavior that dogs us in our daily lives; it offers a chance to express distinctiveness and to explore out deeper longings (Sax, 42). The nature within the park has the ability to stimulate reflectiveness and self-understanding. It provides a model of continuity, stability and sustenance, adaption, sustained productivity, diversity and evolutiona ry change. Humans can learn a lot by observing nature and applying it to their lives. If this nature is disturbed then these revelations cannot be observed and applies to other aspects of daily life. The problems of recreation can cause many conflicts in national parks. Recreation can be defined in different ways depending on the individual and can vary from hiking to snowmobiling and from five stat resorts to building your own lean to. A compromise has to be made between the many types of recreation. One possible compromise is to try fully to serve the quantitative demand for conventional recreation and to provide opportunities for all of the different kinds of activities the public wants, but not to assure those opportunities in locations that have a special value for reflective recreation (Sax, 63). There is a demand for different types of recreation including intensive-use activities. A balance has to be determined on what types of recreation can take place where and to what extent do they damage the environment and prevent future usage. Sax described how he believes the national park ought to be. One important note that he makes is to discourage motorized travel within the national parks. He also mentions decreasing crowds and allowing visitors the opportunity to experience the park at their own pace. The problem with some of the ideas that Sax proposes is that there is no easy way to determine how to effectively please each individuals wants from the park. The park service is in a dilemma between too many people wanting to utilize the park and not enough park resources to go around and conflicting interests between multiple parties. Sax recommends dealing with this dilemma by separating the choices that have to be made from each other. This will allow clarity about each decision that is made and how it will impact future decisions made. All decisions made have to bear in mind that the park belongs to all individuals but some forms of activities that consume a lot of the resources for everyone should be avoided so m ore individuals can potential benefit. The parks are there to be utilized by the individuals but individuals attitudes contribute to decisions made directly affect the potential future of the park. A certain level of tolerance is required for all parties to allow for the most effective use of the park and its resources. In Saxs book he looks at the governments role in the preservation of the national parks. The government has the authority to put in place rules and regulations that would limit the activities allowed within the parks. This would interfere with an individuals liberties to make their own decisions to pursue their individual interests and preferences. Saxs opinion is to limit an individuals liberties within national parks and to allow for the government to have the authority to control what happens within the parks. Sax and Mill seem to stand on different sides of liberal neutrality. Mill agrees with liberal neutrality with the exception of causing harm to another individual. Sax disagrees with liberal neutrality and thinks that the government should enforce rules and regulations for the individuals within national parks even if they interfere with an individuals liberties and their versions of the good life. Although Sax is talking about a specific situation were liberty and authority conflict, it can be assumed that Mills argument applies to all aspects of an individuals life including national parks. Assuming both Mill and Sax are focused on national parks and an individuals liberties within the park they are really not all that different. Mill and Sax both want individuals to be able to pursue their interests and preferences within national parks. Mill allows for these interests and preferences to be followed until they will cause direct harm to another individual. Sax allows for these interests and preferences to be followed until they will cause direst harm to the environment and potentially cause indirect harm to other individuals trying to utilize the national parks resources. Sax allows an individual to govern themselves to a certain point and his point is where an individuals actions will potentially cause harm to the environment. Causing harm to the environment will limit the availability of current and future park resources for other individuals to enjoy and could harm them and not allow them to pursue their interest and preferences within the national park. In this sense preservationists and environmentalists are liberals and allow people to do as they please without interference form society until they reach the point of harm. The idea of liberal neutrality centers around being open to different individuals version of the good life and being neutral in the decision making process that will affect an individuals ability to achieve their version of the good life. Mills essay he defines liberty and discusses limiting the authority society has over the individual/ Saxs book focuses more on allowing society to have the authority to interfere with individuals liberties as they pertain to the national parks. Both Mill and Sax present different points about the struggle between liberty and authority, they both agree on the authority to interfere with an individual if they are going to cause harm to something else. Mills version of harm focuses on harm to other individuals while Saxs versions of harm focuses on harm to the environment which is a public good and could cause harm to others if not looked out for.

Asher Levs Crucifixion Paintings as an Act of Disrespect Towards His P

Asher Lev's Crucifixion Paintings as an Act of Disrespect Towards His Parents Asher Lev paints against the values of his family and community. He disregards Jewish traditions and observance by pursuing his passion for art. His individuality has him disobeying the Rebbe, the mashphia, his mythic ancestor as well as his parents. Asher does not intend for his artwork to be harmful, but that they convey truths and feelings. Yet, the Brooklyn Crucifixions cause shame for his observant Jewish parents. In that way, he disrespects their teachings and wishes. He challenges the Jewish belief on modesty in creating nude works and disturbs the Hasidic community in his Christian imagery. Worst of all is the reflection of the life-like representation of his family in the paintings. This causes a shocked and angry reaction from the public. The climax evolves towards the last chapter of My Name is Asher Lev, when Asher's parents react hurtingly after the paintings are exposed to them in the New York Museum. Chaim Potok writes their reaction as happening slowly in a step-by-st ep movement; in silences; building up readers' expectations of a negative outcome. Guilt and fear of disobedience induces a silence from Asher. "They're not the truth, Papa; but they're not lies either". Asher appears to be speaking in his mind while thinking of the memories that the pictures portray. He disregards his father's lesson on how 'one Jew can cause the rest of the Jews to suffer'. Asher feels his disrespect as a son and justifies himself in his mind, but does not speak to his parents about the Cruxifixion paintings at all. Disrespect for his parents makes Asher scared. He anticipates their disappointment and hurt. Readers sympathize in acknowledging his inner suffering as he struggles to communicate freely with them. Asher fears his father's reaction more than his mother's reaction for it is his father that disapproves of Asher drawing in the first place. The father appears to be the one who should be feared the most. Other characters suggest this, for example, Asher's teacher who says,"What will your father say if he saw this?" in regards to the picture of the Rebbe Asher drew in his Chumash. His mother is more supportive of Asher and just wants him and his father to get along. After finishing their journey for the Rebbe, she says " I want you and your father to be friends", The te... ...an ugly sickening picture of the boy at school. Asher and his art is an ultimate form of disrespect towards his parents and perhaps the Jewish community. They warn him of the day of hurt and resent like the opening day of Asher's paintings in the New York Museum. Asher's father returns from Russia, and says "Do not forget your people Asher" It is the same as if one Jew aches, the whole community hurts, Asher's mythic ancestor haunts him in his dream, and indicates that his art is a waste of time at the end of Chapter 4. It is Asher's 'gift' that separates him from the Jewish community. He causes so much pain for his parents and the community that the only resolution is too send Asher away, which the Rebbe does at the end. Like the father and the mother, Asher is journeying for him to prevent Jews from suffering. The conclusion ends with Asher's parents watching in silence as Asher's cab pulls away. Similarly, at the museum, he had watched his parents, who did not utter a voice or a glance at him, pull away in a cab. In his parents' eyes, Asher has crossed the boundary of obedience and disrespect, with such immense rage and hurt that it causes a deadly silence between them.

A Window into Adolescent Literacy Essay -- Literary Analysis, Wise, Sc

Over the course of the 21st century, there has been a steady decline in the rate of high school graduates. With such an important factor to the success of adolescents, school administrations have begun to take notice of such unacceptable findings. In this process they have attempted to understand the needs of our youth and the methods that give them the opportunity to become better readers, writers and overall students. To these young individuals, these years of development are pivotal to there success as adults. Educators must work together with the student to understand their individual forms of learning, not every student is the same and must be given the opportunity to learn no matter what the circumstance might be. The years prior to when an individual reaches the opportunity to attend college, is one of much importance. Especially when it comes to Literacy, this alone spreads into all subject areas. Literacy should be considered one of the most important aspects of a student’s career, if not the most important. Research by Bob Wise (2009) suggests that the main problem in today’s districts is that a good amount of administrations believe that literacy comes after school reform on the list of important topics. The belief is that the problem is not associated to all adolescents; therefore it should be the responsibility of the English teachers. The problem there is that students start to fall behind in all subjects and many end up having to repeat grade levels. Teachers in all subject areas should put a strong emphasis on literacy, and when the student starts to struggle, there responsibility should be to refer them to extra help or provide assistance themselves, its never benefi cial for the student if the educators belie... ...g, you don’t learn it, you absorb it. You don’t even realize it because it’s such a joyful feeling that it just sticks with you. You want to learn more about it and in the process you pursue as much information as you possibly can. I honestly believe that in this new era of social networking, the students I teach one day will have better literacy skills then I did at their age. They are constantly bombarded by messaging, texting, emailing etc†¦ It’s our job to understand them and take the fundamental values of literacy, combine it with our own instruction, and then implemented with there own interests and give these students all a better opportunity at learning. It sounds like plenty of work for educators, but we should not look at it as work, but more of passion to teach these students the fundamental values of literacy, which will one day, provide them success.

Poking the Parts :: Women Sexuality Society Masturbation Essays

Poking the Parts While sex and sexuality are considered to be two of the most intensely private parts of a person’s existence, a woman's personal sexuality and experience of the sexual in the context of the greater society is not always her own. "[Women] are being imprinted with a sexuality that is mass-produced, deliberately dehumanizing and inhuman"(Wolf, 162). Our sexuality is being created for us before we even have the knowledge that we have something to fight for. Very often, we do not get to decide what our sexuality means, the world has already decided for us. And one aspect of female sexuality that has had been most intensely labeled is masturbation. So my questions are, what cues are women really picking up about their sexuality? How do women create their own sense of sexuality independent of these cultural norms and dictations? My goals in exploring female masturbation as a symbol of female sexuality and its relationship to women and to society are multi-layered. In this pap er, I plan to outline the theoretical history of the taboo on female masturbation as it relates to female sexuality as a whole. I also plan to discuss the way that several women are experiencing and negotiating their sexuality now. In addressing each of these issues, I hope to present a better understanding of how the sexuality of women is affected and the way that women then manage the internalization of these cultural expectations and how they experience and conceive of their sexuality as a result. Those who fear and disapprove of female sexuality and masturbation have taken several standpoints throughout history. It is clear, however, after looking over the propaganda issued on the horrors of female masturbation, that much of it was the work of the self-serving and insecure male. One of the first standpoints taken is the notion that women are inherently insatiable when it comes to sex and that masturbation is simply encouraging sinful and inappropriate behaviors. Another is that due to the nature of female sexual arousal and response, men have the potential to become effectively obsolete as sources of sexual satisfaction, and if it is accurate that women are both unsatisfied by heterosexual encounters and sexually insatiable, they will clearly then resort to masturbation even more. And finally, the general belief that any form