L’Oreal of Paris: Bringing Class to Market with Plenitude Essay

L’Oreal has always used its Class to Market approach and used its high-end technologically superior products to advertise its brand. It uses the ‘Class to Market’ products to finance its research into newer technologically advanced products. The US Market is a very competitive market where all the companies put millions of dollars into advertising and other promotional events. The US market also has a lot of potential as the people are fashionable and have the money to pay for the products that cosmetic companies make. The US market presents its own challenges; people from across the world live in the US, for a cosmetic company this means that there are many skin tones, skin types etc. importantly, it also means that there are different attitudes and perceptions about cosmetics, consumers income levels, consumers budget towards cosmetics. And this differs from state to state in the US. Community A maybe using a lot of cosmetics vs. Community B where people feel that cosmetics are too fashionable and hence abhor using them; but these opposing opinions like I mentioned also go along with subtle changes in perception amongst communities. Unlike Europe where it is easy to categorize people based on the country, in the US it is extremely difficult. There are companies that are doing it quite successfully but as the CEO mentioned, L’Oreal needs to figure out a couple of things before they can crack the US market. Their market share is stagnant and they are now fighting back; however, what they need in the US is to identify which product go to what area – the expensive products probably sell better on the east coast than the west? The moisturizers probably sell better in the colder parts of the country in a certain season compared to the cleansers which again probably sell better on the east coast as people generally (myth or reality? Only research can tell us) have more money and care more about their looks. Social pressure is also another factor that will affect the way people use and spend money on cosmetics. L’Oreal must also analyze what products to sell and which ones not to. It has hundreds of products and its very difficult to sell all of them successfully in each country. However, going with just 5 or 10 products isn’t going to win the battle either. They should sell high-end products with big profit margins but they must know that there are other companies competing for the same dollars, so the product they sell must either be better or must be properly differentiated. Selling products in beauty parlors is a good idea in the US, however, they must first find out which parts of the US has more beauty parlors, where do customers get what type of treatments, and where do customers ask for specialized products vs. letting the beauty parlor decide for them. The level or research that goes into introducing products for the US has to be much deeper than the research they have done in Europe. They are basically baking on Europe to provide two-thirds of their revenues and profits. The company is focusing their resources on Europe, which is not a bad thing; however, with competition getting successful int eh US it shows that there is a lot that L’Oreal is losing. L’Oreal is also losing on the lucrative South-East Asia India and China market, there are 3 Billion people in that part of the world and less than 20% of their sales come from this region. With the money flowing into China and India, people will eventually have more spending power which means they will spend more money on items of beauty and other personal care products.

Employment and labor scenarios

Prospective Risk Management Identify and describe strategies you could adopt to limit legal risk in this area in the future. Be prepared to address any questions the committee may have. Identify and describe strategies you could adopt to limit legal risk in this area in the future. Hiring panel/ interview panel Suggest a hiring panel or an interview panel. To minimize the possibility of such a scenario happening In the future, a strategy just be developed that requires the Involvement of several relevant resources.These resources Include the human resources department and other managers. Communication, education, and reporting must be Integrated In a plan that successfully nameless the chance of recurrence. We suggest a hiring panel that consist of a human resource manager, hiring supervisor, recruiter, and departmental representative. These members will make up a hiring panel that spread the responsibility of ethics in making hiring decisions. Human resource review Recommend human r esources review all hiring decisions before they are final.Require documentation regarding hiring rationale Suggest that documentation be required explaining rationale for all decisions. A decision to hire or not hire a candidate should be based on qualifications and attributes that are attractive to the hiring organization. Managers make sound decisions in their hiring choice should be able to document rationale. This may materialize as a standard document consistent throughout the organization or as a aroma correspondence supporting the hire of a candidate among the hiring panel.This type of documentation may also serve as a tool to defend an organization or manager in cases like scenario C. Continuing education Promote frequent education of best hiring practices and enforceable laws. The goal of continuing education on hiring practices within the organization is meant to ensure that all affected personnel are aware of best practices, current trends, and laws relevant to hiring. E ducation should Include the Call Rights Act, delimitation scenarios, and related call cases.It Is suggested here that organizations use computer training modules to update and refresh members of the organization on a departments in staff meetings. There should be a way to account for the comprehension of education material. Methods include post educational tests from computer models and statements of attendance and understanding in meetings. Apply the four principles of ethics to hiring practices. Suggestions: Have mediators or arbitrators ready for situations like this.

In the play Capulet wants Juliet to have a good life Essay

Romeo and Juliet is a tragic 16th century Shakespearean love story set in the Italian city of Verona. The life of a father and daughter in our lifetime at the moment would vary considerably from the one Capulet and Juliet lead in the play. In the 16th century women were expected to do many things for men. Men’s expectations for women in the 16th century were that they cleaned the house looked after the children and were treated as second class citizens. Men expected women to obey them and do anything they say if the women disobeyed the men they would subject to punishment in the version of getting hit in those days because there wasn’t strict law and order in those days. So if a women married a man they would become the sole property of their husband. In the 16th century the father was the man of the household who would finalise everything. When they’re daughter was around 14 the father would chose who she would be married to, but as in the play some daughters didn’t feel that their fathers choice was correct and if they turned down his offer they would also be subject to punishment. The rejection of their father’s choice would also make their fathers feel hurt because his daughter had rejected his offer of happiness, the father also feels that his daughter is not proud of her parents and doesn’t thank them. In the play Capulet wants Juliet to have a good life and thinks he’s chosen the right type of man for his daughter . He believes that Paris will give her a stable life. Increase the reputation of his family because Paris has class and is a well-known celebrity who when people know he is part of the Capulet clan and Capulet’s son in law they will like Capulet better. As well as that and the money that Paris earns he believes that Paris is a respectable man of society. That he will also take care of his daughter, e. g. if she is sad he will make her happy and comfort her if she is scared, he will make her feel safe and secure in her home and environment. So all in all he thinks that he has chosen a peach of a man who is respected in aspects of his criteria for his daughter. I believe that in the play Capulet wants his daughter to marry Paris because he feels out of love for his daughter that he has found the right person for his daughter who will take care of her and tend to her when she is sick. Plus love her like he does, but as well as this he also chose Paris who is a very wealthy and popular well-known business man, rather than that his family is at war with the Montague family and would like a celebrity backing to increase his chance of winning. Capulet feels it is tradition at the time for him to select supposedly the lucky man to marry his daughter and when he does this he also expects Juliet to be pleased that he has chosen her such an admirable husband. He hopes that Juliet will feel the same way he does and that it is someone who will care for her and make sure she is given the best love and affection around. In parts of Romeo and Juliet you see the examples of Capulet being a loving and caring father. One of these parts is in Act 1, Scene 2, line 7-11 when Capulet says † My child is yet a stranger in the world, she has not seen the change of 14 years, let two more summers wither in her pride ere we may think her ripe to be a bride†. This shows that he is loving because he is saying to Paris she is only young and just turned 14 give her two more years and you can marry her. Although he says this to Paris when his daughter disagrees with his choice he doesn’t accept her reason or anything he just keeps having a go at her. Whatever reason Juliet gives her father will not accept her reason and keeps forcing her to chose Paris. In conclusion I believe that in the 16th century daughter, father relationships were very different from nowadays. Nowadays the daughter has the freedom to do as she pleases apart from in some certain religions where the marriage is organised between 2 people before they can walk. So in most of the world today women have a free right but in some areas they have stuck to the old fashion way of arrange marriages.

Investigative report, requiring an analysis of a service Essay

Investigative report, requiring an analysis of a service organisation's activities - Essay Example Having a strong internal marketing program could have helped the company overcome such difficult scenario. The project will discuss about the most important aspect in service marketing which is â€Å"People factor†. Given the fact that IAG group has suffered from staff strikes, the need of the hour is internal marketing. This report will throw light on areas of internal marketing that need to be taken care of by the Director of Marketing at IAG. A sound internal marketing campaign will give an edge to the company so that situations like a staff strike do not occur any more. The project will also discuss about giving a boost to the internal marketing campaign of the company by relying on the traditional method of distributing newsletter to the workers. This method will help the company make its employees feel satisfied on their job and motivated to perform well. Services can be defined as the activities which are intangible and does not necessarily require a product or any tangible goods. Services are mainly for the satisfaction of the customers who wants their needs to be catered in a satisfactory manner. Services can be called an act, also an effort or even a performance. The nature of utility of product is also a determinant for defining service (Mudie & Cottam, 1999, p. 2). Services can be found ubiquitously all around in different industries be it education institute, airline industry, hospitals, tourism industry, etc. (Hoffman & Bateson, 2010, p. 3). A service can also be termed as that intangible activity which requires no tie-up with any tangible good. It can be further stated as an activity which is beneficial to an organization and can be suggested or offered to other organizations Employees in an organization an especially in service organization can be designated as the ambassador of the company as well as company’s service or product considering the fact that the employees are the people

Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Marketing - Case Study Example Due to this, the company has recorded a decreased quality in service delivery. Moreover Don Martin Ltd. requires solving issues related to change. The company has expanded significantly and its operations have grown. It is therefore necessary to ensure that there are changes in management which are aimed at managing the changes that the company is facing which are related to growth (Grasby 381). The problems of the company and their implications are analyzed in the following tables in relation to the various segments of the market for the company’s products. ... sports center and garages Shopping for goods and their delivery varies among the various age groups of the consumers Why The prices are higher because of the customer service delivery The needs of the consumers are motivated by the amount that they pay for them The shopping and delivery of goods depends on the kind of consumer and hence the variation The variation in shopping and needs for delivery services depends on the preferences of the various age groups among the consumers How Customers prefer to do their own shopping so that they would save on the costs associated with service delivery The user needs can be achieved through quality of good and service delivery in addition to reasonable prices The shopping and delivery of goods is defined by the ability of the consumers to pay for the services and their preferences The variation in purchase and delivery is determined by how the consumers of different ages want their shopping experience to be Implications Price Usage Needs Demog raphics Age Who The implication of price competition id reflected by the inability of the company to maintain its loyal customers Delivery of user needs will define the ability of the company to achieve business success Every consumer needs different goods and services and therefore the company must make these available The preferences of the various age groups must be met by the company for success What The goods and services of the company have varied prices. The needs of the user means that the management and employees are obliged to ensure that these needs are met The implications of the divergent demographics are expressed by the ability of the company to meet diverse needs of the consumers The needs of different age group have to be met by the company otherwise the customers may be

Renewable Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Renewable Energy - Essay Example le published in How to Power the World, â€Å"the waste products of nuclear power contain â€Å"high levels of radioactive (materials which) is very dangerous. It lasts for tens of thousands of years before decaying to safe levels. It is highly radioactive and is probably the biggest hurdle we face if nuclear power is going to be taken seriously† (How to Power the World 2010). Nuclear energy has great potentials to augment sources of energy in the future. It use, however, should be further evaluated in terms its long term effect to the environment and the risks it poses to the existence of mankind. Another article entitled An Ocean Breeze: Mapping Brazil’s Offshore Wind Power Potential written by Riebeek (2009) proffered his experience on â€Å"assessing the feasibility of an offshore wind farm southeast of Brazil† (Riebeek, 2009, par. 1). His project entailed measuring wind speeds using Nasa’s QuikScat. The limitations of using this approach coupled with other challenges including the number of turbines that must be built in their projected location showed that although this source of renewable energy is viable in Brazil, there are other factors that need to be seriously evaluated prior to its implementation. The high investment cost proved to be a barrier for implementation as private or public organizations need to examine if the returns on investment would justify the initial funds needed to support and sustain this energy source. among all of its potential applications, hydrogens only waste or byproduct is H 2 O pure water, hydrogen fueled combustion engines actually clean the air they pass through (Alternative Energy, n.d., par. 3) it is costly to produce, dangerous to store, difficult to transport, tricky to distribute and its volumetric energy intensity is much lower than that of other liquid fuels like ethanol or gasoline. Safety would be another problem and it would be an enormous job, and would take many years, to accomplish the logistics and

Cross-cultural management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cross-cultural management - Assignment Example That is why all objects that are found on the land are living, since they emanated from the land, which gives life, soul and spirit to the living. According to Ferraro’s notion of culture, â€Å"Everything that people have, thinks, and does, they do it as members of a society.† In relation to the aboriginal culture of spirituality, this notion can easily be confirmed. This is because, in the aboriginal culture, spirituality is expressed in the form of ceremonies, paintings and rituals (Holden, 2002 p42). This fact points to the fact that the expression of spirituality in this culture is not done as individual aspect, but rather as a societal aspect, where all people are enjoined either through ceremonies or rituals to conduct their spiritual expressions. There is a great relationship between the aboriginal spirituality and the land, since the aboriginal culture upholds the fact that land is their food, their culture, their identity and their spirit. Therefore, in any as pect of expressing spirituality; the ceremony, the ritual or the painting, has to start and end with the connection of the people to the land, since land is the fundamental aspect of their lives. The ceremonies and the rituals are conducted on land, since land serves as the major bond that links life and the aboriginal people. The tight connection between the spirituality and land concepts in the aboriginal culture emanates from the fact that, the aboriginal people believe that they originated from the land, and they will end up in the land, once they are dead (Velo, 2012 p77). Therefore, to them, land is as good as the spirit that gives them life, and it is a fundamental source of life for them. No wonder therefore that any spiritual aspect of the aboriginal pe

MGMT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MGMT - Essay Example The internet relays a vast array of information and services within the interlinked documents and emails. However, due to increased technology and widespread use of the internet creates security threats due to the vulnerabilities posed by the system. As a result, internet laws have been established to deal with matters related to internet. It’s necessary for the users to have knowledge of the laws. From the early days, professionals in the technology industry realized that the diversity of the internet functions required trust since it was used by the public. The industry code of conduct was established as a guiding principle to ensure responsible use of the internet by the operators and users. However, with the improving world of technology courts and governments around the world are creating internet laws to handle legal disputes related to internet use. Cyber laws have been designed to fit in the legal system frameworks in order to ensure there is order in the conduct and commerce in cyberspace. The internet law handles cases of trademark and copyright infringement as well as other related cyber crimes (Smith, 2006, 37). Internet has changed the legal landscape since it’s the world largest marketplace. The internet influences committing crimes, torts and infringing intellectual property. The internet law controls many aspects of internet use such as e-commerce, marketing and cyber activities. As a result, the laws protect the users in all the fields that incorporate internet use in their activities. Rules should accommodate new developments such as improvement in the software industry, as well as transformation in the intellectual property laws. The internet creates unique jurisdictional disputes since the technology respects no national borders. The internet rules keep changing due to the advancement in technology posing new threats and challenges. As a result, the legal frameworks must be designed to accommodate the changes to ensure protection of

Managing customer value Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing customer value - Essay Example The company started its operations back in 1882 as a small tea shop in Dresden (Windsor, 2009). Teekanne has an outstanding performance in the European market and it has recently entered into the U.S. market. Actually, the U.S. market is going through a shift in food trends from junky food to healthier food. Teekanne has found it as the best opportunity to expand into the U.S. market. Although company has been able to generate a huge demand in the U.S. market for its herbal tea, still, the huge difference between the European and American consumers, create huge marketing challenges for the company. In consideration to the marketing challenges which Teekanne could face in the U.S. market, this company has been selected. Teekanne herbal teas are different from most of the other herbal teas brands because Teekanne teas are manufactured from 100 percent natural brands. The teas are specifically targeting the health conscious people by offering them no-additive sugars, artificial additives or preservatives and to match their healthy lifestyle (Teekanne). The primary features of the product include healthy body and mind and various natural and herbal flavors. Teekanne herbal tea provides both the flavor choices and functionality like energy and relaxation to mind and body. The following figure describes the product classification of different herbal teas of the company. These teas differ both in terms of their flavors and functionality. Nowadays, consumers ask for the taste of the product along with its functional performance, therefore, the combination of flavor and functionality of Teekanne herbal tea has made it popular among the Europeans. However, the company cannot use the same market strategies i n the United States market because of huge differences in what consumers think and how they behave. Strategy, as defined by Doyle, is the set of decisions which management take when it comes to allocate

The impact of mobile computing on the enterprise Essay

The impact of mobile computing on the enterprise - Essay Example It was a one-to-one relationship if seen from the constructive perspective. Negative points were summed up in the losses incurred on the company’s part whereby these message boards and the like didn’t help the business from any fiscal outlook. Many big companies like Microsoft, WebEx, Intraspect and the like have been facing barriers as concerns with the interaction between the employees who are spread in different locations. These companies were in the need to put up such a system, which could eliminate excessive and undue business travels and easily provide for interaction and more so straightforward communication between the people. Thus, collaboration software was devised and put forthwith and has been going on for a number of years ever since. The collaboration software like Usenet services and others accounted for targeted markets in the field of manufacturing, supply-chain management and product development, not to forget sales and marketing. These types of softw are do not usually work in every kind of workplace and within every other system. Actually, its one thing fitting these into the old system and another to make people change the way they work in the business world of today and interact and communicate with everyone concerned. These services are providing the most benefits in the real-time online dealings of the business and this is one factor, which takes lead over all others, at least in the business corporations. Mobile media is also known as the Portable media which in essence gives a description regarding the 21st century ideology encompassing the viewing of different forms of media, known more popularly as the multimedia on a device which is considered easily portable from place to place at any convenient location dependent on the mercy of the user of mobile media. This mobile media consists of either a mobile phone, a personal

Maureen Frye Essay Example for Free

Maureen Frye Essay Marureen Frye made numerous mistakes in trying to implement her plan, a plan that was going to directly affect the salespeople of Quaker Steel Company as well as the District Sales Managers (DSMs), among other departments in the company. Her major mistake was sending a short-descriptive memo to the sales representatives. Why was this a major mistake? For one, Frye is trying to change the way the sales people allocate their time between big and small accounts, and yet she has not spend enough time in the field and with these salespeople. Although her simulations to optimize sales efforts might be correct, they are based on cold numbers and computations, sitting behind a computer, without taking into account the human factor that goes into those sales efforts. She does not have a feel for how they operate, where does their current success come from, what do they think and feel about how they are doing their job, and above what do they think it can be improved. Not only did Frye ignore the salespeople but she did not make good use of the relationship she thought she had with the DSMs. In fact, she had discussed her project with the Chicago DSM and he had seems to like to idea, with indicates that if more effort was put to introducing her plan to the other DSMs, using her good relationships with them, they could possibly perceive the idea well too idea of using the middle man. If she had no time to spend on the field and get to know the salespeople better, she made the mistake of not taking advantage of the relationship between the DSMs and the salespeople. Due to the hierarchical level of the DSMs, she is probably closer to them. As it is mentioned in the article, the DSMs leave a lot of free space to the salespeople which means that they are used to making their own decisions. This fact shows that the DSMs and the Salespeople have a special communication to understating each-other and to get the work done well. Thus, if a new project needs to be implemented, the DSMs are the most probable people to get through the salespeople and having them on board about this project is significantly important. This powerful link should have been taken advantage by Frye. Not having considered the above-mentioned steps, thus working in person with the salespeople or/and lobbying with the DSMs, Frye should have at least used the power of her superiors, Israel and Bethancourt, not only by  approving it but also as means of enforcement. For example, have them sign the memo she sent or give a direct order to the DSMs for its application. However, needs to be emphasized that this solution used on its own, is a last resort one just because she didn’t make use of the other options. This option would definitely be interpreted as a scare tactic, however it might have worked. As a manager or as the leader of her project, Frye first needs to find the authority from within and then also use the power given to her from her bosses. This option could be best used in collaboration with the previous options.

Importance of education Essay Example for Free

Importance of education Essay Parents having or not having a college degree should not determine if their child will go to college. Some may say the amount of money the parents make should determine if the child will be able to attend college. If the parent’s income is low that should motivate the kid to try harder to at least earn a scholarship to college. On the news there was a teenager about the age of 18; she was a senior who is getting ready to graduate. Her parents had no money to put her through college. She told the reporter that she was not going to allow that stop her from going to college. This young lady is now going to University of Notre Dame on a full ride scholarship. There is no reason not to attend college, because without a college education there are fewer opportunities. Others think about the physical benefits of education to motivate them such as money, cars and clothes. They think about how their life would be with all those materialistic things. There are some children whose parents did not attend college but they did not let that stop them from going to college and doing what they wanted to do in life. Although some families cannot afford to put their children through college that should not stop them because education is significantly linked to many other outcomes and changes viewpoints. Ever since I can remember, my friend’s father has preached the benefits of good education. He never tires of quoting Alexander Popes maxim: â€Å"The height that great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night†, as his stand-in for  get all the education you can obtain, and while you’re at it, don’t slack off. He knows what he is talking about because he has several degrees to back it up—a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, as well as a PH.D in English education. Mother, with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and a Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia, is not too far behind. Growing up with them, I am awed by how many the parents, who came from extremely humble educational backgrounds in our native Ghana, achieved. My friend Michael told me none of his grandparents had a college degree. Some of the outcome education holds is: it gives the freedom for one to get married, and to raise a child outside of poverty. According to Michael Greenstone, (2009) â€Å"In 2010, more than 38 percent of the 14 million children of mothers who had not graduated from high school lived below the poverty line. Among other things, they are less likely to do well in school, which creates a vicious cycle where the children of less-educated parents fall farther behind their peers who were born into more-educated families†. Good education has a major effect on how one will live their future. Parents who have less education have a hard time finding a decent job, getting married or supporting their children. Most families with less education live pay check to pay check because their income is not enough to support them. I agree with this statement because I have could relate. When I first moved to the States from Ghana, my parents’ degrees were not valid in the U.S. My parents had to find low income jobs to work at; we lived pay check to pay check. Parents with good education financial freedom can raise a child without and trouble financially. For example my friend Michael’s parents have a good education background they have three kids, two boys and one girl. The two boys are both attending Michigan State University. I have been blessed with a family that has used education as their gateway to success. For example, my mother has three brothers and one sister. My mother and father decided to help my   uncle come to America from their homeland of Ghana. When they got here, my parents helped pay for his school to a community college. Now each of them has beautiful families they are able to provide for, thanks to their  education. My uncle now has his masters in biology and is a professor at a community college in Ohio. After my uncle graduated he told me how happy he was about the choice he made to go to college to get his masters. Unfortunately, my aunt could not make it to America because she has family obligation back in Ghana, and to this day she still depends on my parents for basic sustenance. With a good education my family was able to provide for my other family members when they need help the most. Not saying with a less a education people cannot provide for their families, I am simply saying a good education makes it an easy task not a burden. My best friend was a smart person but his parents did not have the money to help him attend college. He went through a lot of difficulty to get his scholarship: He asked family members to help pay; he went to the bank for a loan; he worked the entire summer as a full time cashier at Best Buy; he then got the call about his full ride scholarship. My best friend’s parents did not finish college, but he did not let that affect his decision to college even though he knew his parents didn’t have the money. He later on told me he didn’t know what to do about the money situation for college, but he worked hard in high school to get a full ride scholarship to Andrews University. My best friend did not only work hard, but he has to also give up high school sports to focus on his education. He was in the honors program and was an honor roll student; he was also valedictorian of our high school. These are some of the characteristics which made him the best person for the scholarship. I honestly think that there should not be any reason for anyone not to go to college becau se in the long run people tend to wish they had gone to   college. But who really cares about education? Who besides me and my parents care about the benefits education brings to the person who pursues their education to a higher level? A crucial reason education is so important is the fact that the lack of education can lead to ignorance which can be very dangerous. When you learn new things you not only grow scholastically, but you also change your views about topics you didn’t fully understand. For instance, my friend Michael grew up never hating homosexuals; however, he didn’t understand them so he understood the idea that homosexuality is a choice behavior. In his church  school junior high religion classes, he was taught that homosexuality is immoral because people essentially choose that lifestyle. Michael later on came to the public school where I attended. He took several biology classes where he learned that for the most part there is significant biological component to homosexuality. By definition, education is the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life. Education is not only about who has the money but rather who has the motivation to strive for success. Knowledge has a way o f enriching the life of the student as well. Throughout my years as a student I have had wonderful teachers who have helped me appreciate knowledge for its own sake. Nowadays finding a job without a good education is hard; people are going back to college to further their education just to land a good job. At my college I see people old enough to be my grandparents; they are not there because they have nothing better to do. They are there because they want a good education and financial freedom. Education is not only about who has the money but rather who has the motivation to strive for success. Throughout my years as a   student I have had wonderful teachers who have helped me appreciate knowledge for its own sake and I will continue to strive for success. Reference Greenstone, M. (2010). The Importance of education: An Economics View. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/11/07/11greenstone_ep.h32.html

Separation Between Church And State

Separation Between Church And State The concept of separation between the church and state refers to the strained relationship distance between organized religion and the nation state. The relationship between the Church and feudal state in the medieval era went through a series of developments, round about the end of Roman Empire down to the birth of Reformation. The Western world is shaped due to the struggle for power between the kings and Popes. With the idea of divine right monarchs ruled for centuries. Monarch began to use this to support the notion that king to rule not only his kingdom but also the churches within the kingdoms boundaries such notion can be known as caesaropapism. On the other hand, the catholic doctrine stating the Pope being the Vicar of Christ in earth is to have absolute power over the Church and also secondary over the state. Furthermore, the relationship between Church and State can be related as the institutional form of the relation between religion and politics(Answers). Due to this com plication, Church and State has been a remarkable concern of the Western and Christian. This is not only because Western secularization has desired a limit of powers that is to belong to the religious authorities, though its origins sprung form an earlier period, during the advancement of separate Church and State institutions in Christendom which were natural rivals to a level which was incomprehensible in the sphere of other well-known religions. Thus the conflict between Emperor and Pope was an important feature to Europe in the middle Ages of politics also during the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth century the rivalry between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines was one of the greatest contest in Italian politics. Western society therefore has a great past of conflict between Church and State, which has helped advance the movement in anticlerical and secular spheres. Countless modern states and parties embrace the separation of Church and State, but a suspicion has often been att ached to predominantly Protestant countries Catholic politicians, such as John F. Kennedy, that they are, whatever they may say, religiously committed to extending the influence of their Church over the State.(Cambridge University) In ancient civilizations the segregation of political and religious orders was not given meaning. With the occurrence of Christianity, the concept of two separate orders emerged, on the bases of Jesuss command to Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesars, and to God what belongs to God (Mark 12:17). The intense union of religion and politics, nevertheless, proceeded even after the victory of Christianity as emperors such as Constantine who exercised authority amongst both church and state. During the premature Middle Ages secular rulers claimed to rule by Gods grace, and later in the Middle Ages popes and emperors fought for global supremacy. During the Investiture Controversy the church clearly established distinct and separate secular and religious orders, which lead to the so-called papal monarchy foundation. The Reformation greatly weakened papal authority, and the pendulum swung toward the state, in addition many monarchs demanding to rule both the church and state by divine ri ght. Enlightenment thinkers, as evinced in the U.S and post-revolutionary France, influenced the concept of secular government. In Western Europe today all states protect and maintain freedom of worship along with the distinction between religious and civil authorities. However, during the Middle ages the Pope claimed the right to overthrow the Catholic Kings of Western Europe and often exercise these rights, because the kings where taking control over the churches in their border which turned out successfully sometimes and sometimes not, such cases were with Henry VIII of England and Henry III of Navarre. In the West, the matter of separation of church and state during the medieval period focused on monarchs who ruled in the secular sphere but violated the churchs rule of the spiritual sphere. For example, in 1530s Henry VIII, angered by the Catholic Churchs refusal to annual his marriage with his wife Catherine of Aragon, resolved to break with the Church thereby setting himself as the ruler of the new church of England; the Anglican Church, thereby ending the separation that had existed between Church and State in England. Of the many remarkable structural and ideological changes that have taken place in the European history, the French revolution renders an essential social shift in the relations between the people and the church as prosperous partner with the state. By discussing how the French Revolution produced a dramatic and structural restrain in the relation of the Church to the state, I do not intend to propose that the revolution ended in a complete separation of the church and state. It does, nevertheless, the contribution to the diminishing role of the Church in state and in public affairs are indicated by important factors such as the role of the nation-state has diminished. In early modern Europe, the churchs power over people was reduced by the birth of the sovereign state. In the role of religion in regards to a state, theres no doubt in mind that civil liberties for all citizens and the full protection of human rights can be endangered by religion. For instance, the rights of non-believers and supporters of other religions the right of homosexuals along with the rights of women, at the most basic level, this is mostly an issue of tolerance, we should not impose their moral values, beliefs, and practices on others if such people dont inflict harm, even if we think people act immorally from their religious point of view and neither should we draw a distinction among people when they think speak or act in ways that are conflicting with our own beliefs. But the problem goes beyond the level of relations between citizens. The question about the proper role and place of religion in a state isnt restricted to the dilemma of how we act toward each other in our daily lives. In a democratic state, the people interpret their beliefs in government policy and legi slation. Hence, I wonder to what extend people can use their religious beliefs as basis or reason for legislation. Religion appears in liberal theory first and foremost as an occasion for neutrality and tolerance. The initiation is supplemented by both the categorization of religion as essentially as a private issue and the belief that religion is in some sense survival from an earlier era not a field of vital growth within modernity. We should see religious internationalism both under the problematic structure of colonial and postcolonial missionary work and in the engagements shaped by Vatican II, peace movement and liberation theology.(Burleigh) To summarize all, the proper role of religion in a state is based on individuals and their distinctive religious beliefs and faith. It has become a stock phrase that the spread of modernity throughout the industrial west and much of the world beyond has developed a system of secular nation-states that actively promote science but refrain the advancement of religion. This idea is much in line with contemporary controversy over globalization, postmodernism, human rights and church-state relations. Yet the growing recognition that science is a cultural and social product would seem to weaken the asymmetry between religion and science upon which this modern notion of the state rests . Observers of politics in the early modern era took it for granted that a state conscious of its own interest would or at least out to guide the religious behavior of its subject. Until recently, similar hypothesis about the importance of state policy in religious activities have informed historical writing about Europes protestant and catholic reformation. But scholars of the last four decades or so has made it vivid that one cannot ima gine the religious life of the people as simply decided for by their rulers. The modern state advanced toward a concept of secularism, whereby a state or country purports to be officially neutral in matter of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion. Most modern states claim to treat all its citizens equally regardless of religion, and claims to avoid preferential treatment for a citizen from a particular religion or non-religion over other religions or non-religion. Secular states become secular either upon establishment of the state or upon secularization of state, for example Frances religious monopoly was politically challenged by secular institutions, which lead to the comprehensive victory of secularism. Historically, the process of secularizing a state typically involves granting religious freedom, disestablishing state religions, stopping pubic funds to be used for religion, freeing the legal system from religious control, freeing up the education system, tolerat ing citizens who change religion or abstain form religion, and allowing political leadership to come to power regardless of religious beliefs. Many states of nowadays are secular in practice may have legal mark of an earlier established religion. Secularism also has various forms that may coincide with some magnitude of official religiosity. Thus, in the Commonwealth Realms, the head of state is required to take a Coronation Oath swearing to sustain the Protestant faith. The United Kingdom also retains positions in its upper house for 26 senior clergymen of the prominent Church of England known as the Lords Spiritual. While Scotland is part of the United Kingdom the Scottish Parliament proclaimed Scotland a secular state but conserves the religious monarch. The reverse sequence can also occurs, a state can go from being secular to a religious state as in the case of Iran where the secularized state of the Pahlavi dynasts was replaced by the Islamic Republic. Over the last few decade s, there has been a trend towards secularism. In the modern period, the separation of the church and state and the exercise of secularization have brought about a movement away form folk pattern of ordered religion. Migration of ethnic groups as an end result of colonial expansion, the rise of modern capitalism and individualism have also brought about a much greater recognition of the multi-cultural nature of society and a significance upon personal choice with respect to the issue of religious affiliation. One consequence of thee western world has been the tendency to convince religion as importantly a private rather than a pubic matter.

Symbolism in The Glass Menagerie :: Glass Menagerie essays

Symbolism in The Glass Menagerie      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Glass Menagerie uses an extensive pattern of symbolism that describes the characters of Tom,Amanda,Laura and Jim. Glass,light,color and music constitute the substance of the dominant symbols and motifs,serving to reveal deeper aspects of characters and underlying themes of the play.Tennessee Williams wrote the play so that each character had a special symbol which resembled their personality.But he didn't only give the characters of the play a a resembling symbol;he also mentions the apartment blocks to be hivelike conglomerations of cellular living-units resembling a beenstock.The way he describes their location also has a lot of symbolism in its roots because he describes them to be flowering   as warty growths in overcrowded urban centers.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tennessee Williams used many symbolic aspects to describe Laura and the world she lives in.In the play,Laura represents the very fragile,shy and emotionally crippled girl.In her mind she lives in a world of glass animals and doesn't have a connection to the real world.The managerie of glass also represents the fragile relationships among all the characters.The glass unicorn is most obviously a symbol of Laura-- delicate,sadly different,an anomaly in the modern world.The glass motif recurs throughout the whole play in many other forms.When Laura dropped out of college she constantly visited the zoo,a glass house of tropical flowers that are as vulnerable as she is.During Laura's and Jim's brief romantic encounter,Laura is gaining more confidence about herself.It seems as if she is starting to escape her world of illusions.When they started dancing together,Jim accidently knocked the little glass horse over. Laura,who usually worships her glass collection more than anything else,replied to his excuse;"He's lost his horn.It doesn't matter.Maybe it's a blessing in disguise." and   "I'll just imagine he had an operation.The horn was removed to make him feel less--freakish!Now he will feel more at home with the other horses,the ones who don't have horns....".These two quotes give an impression that Laura is finally escaping her illusive world.She thinks that she might have a chance to survive the real world.What she doesn't know is that she is about to be wounded by the news of Jim's engagement.After Jim tells her the news,she gives him the unicorn as a souvenir and retreats into her land of the glass menagerie never to come out again.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   In the play,Tom is the adventure seeking man trying to escape the prison Amanda is keeping him trapped in.To escape the real world,Tom constantly goes to the movies.The movies make him think about all the adventures he missing.It his little land of dreams.He is jealous of his father who left his family and achieved what Tom always wanted,

Essay --

The ONE Fighting Championship event will roll this coming Friday, December 6, 2013, 7 in the evening at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Pasay City, with the theme â€Å"ONE FC: Moment of Truth.† Moment of Truth consists of ten sets of clashes, as seven Filipino fighters will slug it out with 13 foreigner counterparts, with the titles such as ONE FC Featherweighton the line. Highlighting the night of battles will be the rematch between HonorioBanario and Koji Oishi. For Banario, a win against Oishi is a must. The Filipino striker is on the verge of avenging his loss against the Japanese tormentor whom also took the title away from him following the defeat. Oishi has only lost once in his 14 ONE FC fights, and one of the victories he garnered came at the expense of Team Lakay’s â€Å"The Rock† last May. Also headlining the main event was the battle between Kevin Belingon, and David ArandaSantacana for the bantamweight title. Another Team Lakay fighter, Belingion, tagged as â€Å"The Silencer,† will also avenge his loss last May as he faced the undefeated Spaniard, whom have also won the majority of hi... Essay -- The ONE Fighting Championship event will roll this coming Friday, December 6, 2013, 7 in the evening at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Pasay City, with the theme â€Å"ONE FC: Moment of Truth.† Moment of Truth consists of ten sets of clashes, as seven Filipino fighters will slug it out with 13 foreigner counterparts, with the titles such as ONE FC Featherweighton the line. Highlighting the night of battles will be the rematch between HonorioBanario and Koji Oishi. For Banario, a win against Oishi is a must. The Filipino striker is on the verge of avenging his loss against the Japanese tormentor whom also took the title away from him following the defeat. Oishi has only lost once in his 14 ONE FC fights, and one of the victories he garnered came at the expense of Team Lakay’s â€Å"The Rock† last May. Also headlining the main event was the battle between Kevin Belingon, and David ArandaSantacana for the bantamweight title. Another Team Lakay fighter, Belingion, tagged as â€Å"The Silencer,† will also avenge his loss last May as he faced the undefeated Spaniard, whom have also won the majority of hi...

Resurrection of Lazarus in Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment :: Dostoevsky Crime and Punishment

Resurrection of Lazarus in Crime and Punishment In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Raskalnikov undergoes a period of extreme psychological upheaval. By comparing this death and rebirth of Raskalnikov's psyche to the story of the resurrection of Lazarus, Dostoevsky emphasizes not only the gravity of his crimes, but also the importance of acceptance of guilt. From the moment when Raskalnikov murders the old woman, his personality begins to change drastically. Dostoevsky challenges the reader to understand the madness which ensues by first demonstrating that the ideas and convictions to which Raskalnikov clung died along with the women. While the reader struggles with this realization, Dostoevsky incorporates the Biblical legend of Lazarus as a symbolic mirror for Raskalnikov's mind. By connecting the two, the reader encounters the foreshadowing of a rebirth of morals and beliefs, though what form this may assume remains cryptic. As references to Lazarus continue to occur, the feeling of parallelism increases in intensity. Just as Raskalnikov slowly struggled through madness, Lazarus lay dying of a terrible disease. When Lazarus eventually dies, Raskalnikov mimes this by teetering on the edge of insanity, the death of the mind. Eventually Sonya begins to pull Raskalnikov back to reality by relieving a portion of his guilt. As his Christ fi gure, she accomplishes this by providing the moral and spiritual sturdiness which Raskalnikov lost after his debasement during the murders. Sonya affects him not by active manipulation, but via her basic character, just as Christ personified his beliefs through the manner in which he lived his life. No matter what Raskalnikov says or does to her, she accepts it and looks to God to forgive him, just as Jesus does in the Bible. This eventually convinces Raskalnikov that what he did was in fact a crime and that he must repent for it and"seek atonement". Through this realization, Raskalnikov decides he must redeem himself not only in the eyes of the law, but in the eye of God as well. By foreswearing his old philosophy and accepting his guilt, Raskalnikov again mirrors Lazarus's acceptance of Jesus as his savior. While Lazarus accepts his new life through his rebirth, Raskalnikov acknowledges his guilt and therefore allows his mind to begin life anew.

Thorn Queen Chapter One

Sad fact: lots of kids know how to use knives and guns. I'd been one of them, but instead of pursuing a life of crime, I'd trained to be a shamanic mercenary. This meant that while my friends were at dances and football games, I'd been out banishing spirits and wrestling down monsters with my stepfather. On the upside, I grew up never fearing muggers or any other assailants. On the downside, an adolescence like that really screws with your social development. It meant I'd never really been like other kids. I'd had some friends, but compared to theirs, my world had been terribly stark and terribly deadly. Their dramas and concerns had seemed so petty next to mine, and I could never fully relate. As an adult now, I still couldn't really connect to kids because I had no shared experiences to draw on. Which made my job today that much more difficult. â€Å"Go ahead, Polly,† crooned the girl's mother, smiling with over-plump lips. Too much collagen, I suspected. â€Å"Tell her about the ghost.† Polly Hall was 13 but wore enough make-up to rival a 40-year old whore. She sat slouched against the back of a couch in her family's perfectly decorated house, chewing gum loudly, looking everywhere but at us. The more I studied her, the more I decided she probably did have problems. I suspected they had less to do with supernatural influences and more with having a mother who had named her Polly and let her wear thongs. It was an unfortunate side effect of Polly's low-cut jeans that I could see the aforementioned thong. After a minute of silence, Mrs. Hall sighed loudly. â€Å"Polly, dear, we've been over this. If you aren't going to help us, we can't help you.† Smiling, I knelt down in front of the couch so I could look the girl in the eyes. â€Å"It's all right,† I told her, hoping I sounded sincere and not like an after school special. â€Å"I'll believe whatever you tell me. We'll get it taken care of.† Polly sighed just as loudly as her mother had a moment ago and still refused to look at me. She reminded me of my unstable teenage half-sister who was currently MIA and wanted to conquer the world. â€Å"Mom,† she said, â€Å"can I go to my room now?† â€Å"Not until you've talked to this nice lady.† Glancing back to me, Mrs. Hall explained, â€Å"We hear strange noises all night: bangs, cracks, bumps. Things fall over for no reason. I've even†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She hesitated. â€Å"I've even seen things fly around the room. But it's always when Polly's around. Whatever this ghost is, it seems to like her†¦or be obsessed with her.† I turned my attention back to Polly, again taking in the sullen mood and thinly veiled frustration. â€Å"You got a lot on your mind, Polly?† I asked gently. â€Å"Problems at school or something? Problems around here?† Her blue eyes flicked to me ever so briefly. â€Å"What about any electrical issues?† This I directed to her mother. â€Å"Things shorting out? Stereos or appliances not working right?† Mrs. Hall blinked. â€Å"How'd you know that?† I stood up and stretched the kinks out of my body. I'd fought a wraith last night, and he hadn't been gentle. â€Å"You don't have a ghost. You have a poltergeist.† Both of them stared at me. â€Å"Isn't that a ghost?† asked Mrs. Hall. â€Å"Not really. It's a manifestation of telekinetic powers, often brought on by rage and other strong emotions during teenage years.† I'd evaded after school special mode, only to slip into infomercial mode. â€Å"I†¦wait. Are you saying Polly's causing this?† â€Å"Not consciously, but yeah. In cases like this, the subject – Polly – lashes out without realizing it, venting her emotions in physical ways. She probably won't stay telekinetic; it'll fade as she gets older and settles down a bit.† Her mother still looked skeptical. â€Å"It sure seems like a ghost.† I shrugged. â€Å"Trust me. I've seen this lots of times.† â€Å"So†¦isn't there anything you can do? Anything we can do?† â€Å"Therapy,† I suggested. â€Å"Maybe get a psychic to come out.† I gave Mrs. Hall the contact information for a psychic I trusted. Waiving my banishing fee, I simply charged her for the house call. Once I'd double-checked the cash she gave me – I never took checks – I stashed it away and made moves toward the living room door. â€Å"Sorry I couldn't be of more help.† â€Å"No, I mean, I guess this helps. It's just so strange.† She eyed her daughter with perplexity. â€Å"Are you sure it's not a ghost?† â€Å"Positive. These are classic symp–â€Å" An invisible force slammed into me, pushing me into the wall. I yelped, threw out a hand to keep my balance, and shot daggers at that little bitch Polly. Eyes wide, she looked just as astonished as I felt. â€Å"Polly!† exclaimed Mrs. Hall. â€Å"You are grounded, young lady. No phone, no IM, no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her mouth dropped open as she stared at something across the room. â€Å"What's that?† I followed her gaze to the large, pale blue shape materializing before us. â€Å"Um, well,† I said, â€Å"that's a ghost.† It swooped toward me, mouth open in a terrible screech. I yelled for the others to get down and jerked a silver-bladed athame out of my belt. A knife might seem useless against spirits, but they needed to take on a substantial form to inflict any real damage. Once solid, they were susceptible to silver. This spirit bore a female shape – a very young female shape, actually. Long pale hair trailed in her wake like a cloak, and her eyes were large and empty. Whether it was a lack of experience or simply some inherent trait of hers, her attack proved floundering and uncoordinated. Even as she screamed at the first bites of the athame, I had my crystal studded wand out in my other hand. Now that I'd regained my bearings, I could do a banishing like this in my sleep. Speaking the usual words, I drew from my internal strength and sent my own spirit beyond the boundaries of this world. Touching the gates of the Underworld, I ensnared the female spirit and sent her over. Monsters and gentry I tended to send back to the Otherworld, the limbo they lived in. A ghost like this needed to move on to the land of death. She disappeared. Mrs. Hall and Polly stared at me. Suddenly, in her first show of emotion, the girl leapt up and glared at me. â€Å"You just killed my best friend!† I opened my mouth to respond and decided nothing I had to say would be adequate. â€Å"Good heavens, what are you talking about?† exclaimed her mother. Polly's face twisted with anger, her eyes bright with tears. â€Å"Trixie. She was my best friend. We told each other everything.† â€Å"Trixie?† Mrs. Hall and I asked in unison. â€Å"I can't believe you did that. She was so cool.† Polly's voice turned a little wistful. â€Å"I just wish we could have gone shopping together, but she couldn't leave the house. So I just had to bring her Vogue and Glamour.† I turned to Mrs. Hall. â€Å"My original advice still stands. Therapy. Lots of it.† I headed home after that, wondering for the hundredth time why I'd chosen this mercenary shaman profession. Surely there were other jobs that were a lot less trouble than interacting with evil supernatural beings. Accounting. Advertising. Law. Well, maybe not that last one. About an hour later, I arrived back home and was immediately assaulted by two medium-sized dogs when I cleared the door. They were mutts, one solid black and one solid white. Their names were Yin and Yang, but I could never remember who was who. â€Å"Back off,† I warned as they sniffed me, tails wagging frantically. The white one tried to lick my hand. Pushing past them, I entered my kitchen and nearly tripped over a tabby cat sprawled on the floor in a patch of sun. Grumbling, I tossed my bag onto the kitchen table. â€Å"Tim? Are you here?† My housemate, Tim Warkoski, stuck his head in. He wore a tee shirt with silhouettes of Native Americans that said Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorism since 1492. I appreciated the cleverness, but it lost something since Tim wasn't actually an American Indian. He merely played one on TV, or rather, he played one in local bars and tourist circles, using his tanned skin and black hair to elude his Polish heritage. It had gotten him into trouble with a lot of the local tribes. With a garbage bag in one hand and a cat scoop in the other, he gave me a dark look. â€Å"Do you know how many boxes of litter I've had to change today?† I poured a glass of milk and sat down at the table. â€Å"Kiyo says we need one box for every cat and then an extra one.† â€Å"Yeah, I can count, Eugenie. That's six boxes. Six boxes in a house with 1500 square feet. You think your deadbeat boyfriend's ever going to show back up and help out with this?† I shifted uncomfortably. It was a good question. After three months of dating between Tucson and Phoenix, my boyfriend Kiyo had decided to take a job here to save the hour and a half commute. We'd had a long discussion and decided we were ready to have him simply move in with me. Unfortunately, with Kiyo came his menagerie: five cats and two dogs. It was one of the woes of dating a veterinarian. He couldn't help but adopt every animal he found. I couldn't remember the cats' names any better than the dogs'. Four of them were named after the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and all I could really recall was that Famine ironically weighed about 30 pounds. Another problem was that Kiyo was a fox – both literally and figuratively. His mother was a kitsune, a sort of Japanese fox spirit. He'd inherited all of her traits, including amazing strength and speed, as well as the ability to transform into an actual fox. As a result, he frequently got ‘the call of the wild,' making him yearn to run around in his animal form. Since he had downtime between jobs now, he'd left me to take a sort of wild vacation. I accepted this, but after a week of not seeing him, I was starting to get restless. â€Å"He'll be back soon,† I said vaguely, not meeting Tim's eyes. â€Å"Besides, you can get out of chores if you want to start paying rent.† That was our deal. Free lodging in exchange for food and housework. He wasn't deterred. â€Å"Your choice in men is questionable. You know that, right?† I didn't really want to ponder that too much. I abandoned him for my room, seeking the comfort of a jigsaw puzzle depicting a photograph of Zurich. It sat on my desk, as did one of the cats. I think he was Mr. Whiskers, the non-Apocalyptic one. I shooed him off the puzzle. Doing so took about half the puzzle pieces with him. â€Å"Goddamned cat,† I muttered. Love, I decided, was a hard thing. Well aware of my grumpy mood, I knew part of my anxiety over Kiyo stemmed from the fact that he was also passing part of his sabbatical in the Otherworld, spending time with his ex-girlfriend who just happened to be a devastatingly beautiful fairy queen. Fairies, sidhe, shining ones†¦whatever you wanted to call them, they were the tall, long-lived rulers of the Otherworld. I and most shamans referred to them as gentry, an antique term. Maiwenn, Kiyo's ex, was almost nine months pregnant, and although they'd broken up, he was still a part of her life. I sighed. Tim might have been right about my questionable taste in men. Night wore on. I finished the puzzle while blasting Def Leppard, making me feel better. I was just shutting off the music when I heard Tim yell: â€Å"Yo, Eug. Kujo's here.† Breathless, I ran to my bedroom door and flung it open. A red fox the size of a wolf trotted down the hall toward me. Relief burned through me, and I felt my heart soar as I let him in and watched him pace around in restless circles. â€Å"About time,† I said. He had a sleek orange-red coat and a fluffy tail tipped in white. His eyes were golden and sometimes bore a very human glint. I saw nothing like that tonight. A purely animal wariness peered out at me, and I realized it'd be a while before he changed back. He had the ability to transform to a wide range of foxes, everything from a small, normal-sized red fox to the powerful shape before me. When he spent a lot of time in this bigger form, turning human took more effort and time. Still, hoping he'd transform soon, I dumped another puzzle on my desk and worked it as I waited. Two hours later, nothing had changed. He curled up in a corner, wrapping his body in a tight ball. His eyes continued to watch me. Exhausted, I gave up on him and put on a red nightgown. Turning off the lights, I finally slipped into my bed, falling asleep instantly for a change. As I slept, I dreamed about the Otherworld, particularly a piece of it that bore a striking resemblance to Tucson and the Sonora Desert surrounding us. Only, the Otherworldly version was better. An almost heavenly Tucson, warmed by bright sunshine and ablaze with flowering cacti. This was a common dream for me, one that often left me yearning for that land in the morning. I always tried my best to ignore the impulse. A couple hours later, I woke up. A warm, muscled body had slid into bed with me, pressing against my back. Strong arms wrapped around my waist, and Kiyo's scent, dark and musky, washed over me. A liquid feeling burned inside of me at his touch. Roughly, he turned me toward him. His lips consumed me in a crushing kiss, blazing with intensity and need. â€Å"Eugenie,† he growled, once he'd paused long enough to remove his lips – just barely – from mine. â€Å"I've missed you. Oh God, I've missed you. I've needed you.† He kissed me again, conveying that need as his hands moved over me. My own fingers slid along the smooth perfection of his bare skin, reveling in its feel. There was no gentleness between us tonight, only a feral passion fueled as much by animal instinct as love. He had not, I realized, completely regained his human senses, no matter his shape. When I woke up in the morning, my bed was empty. Across the room, Kiyo pulled on jeans, meeting my eyes as though he had some sixth sense that I was awake. I rolled over on my side, the sheets gliding against my naked skin. Watching him with a lazy, satisfied languor, I admired his body and the sexy features gifted to him by Japanese and Hispanic heritage. His tanned body and black hair stood in stark contrast to the light skin and reddish hair my European ancestors had given me. â€Å"Are you leaving?† I asked. My heart, having leapt at his presence last night, suddenly sank. â€Å"I have to go back,† he said, straightening out a dark green tee shirt. He ran an absentminded hand through his chin-length hair. â€Å"You know I do.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said, my voice sharper than I'd intended. â€Å"Of course you do.† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"Please don't start that,† he said quietly. â€Å"I have to do this.† â€Å"Sorry. Somehow I just can't get all that excited about another woman having your baby.† There it was. The issue that always hung over us. He sat down beside me on the bed, dark eyes serious and level. â€Å"Well, I'm excited. I'd like to think you could support me in that and be happy for me.† Troubled, I looked away. â€Å"I am happy for you. I want you to be happy†¦it's just, you know, it's hard.† â€Å"I know.† He leaned over me, sliding his hand up the back of my neck, twining his fingers in my hair. â€Å"You've spent more time with her in the last week than with me.† â€Å"It's a necessity. It's almost time.† â€Å"I know,† I repeated. I knew my jealousy was unwarranted. Petty, even. I wanted to share his happiness at having a child, but something in me prevented it. â€Å"Eugenie, I love you. It's that simple. That's all there is to it.† â€Å"You love her too.† â€Å"Yes, but not in the way I love you.† He kissed me with a gentleness very different from the roughness of last night. I melted against him. The kiss grew stronger, filling with ardor. With great reluctance, he finally pulled away. I could see the longing in his eyes. He wanted to have sex again. That said something for my charms, I guessed. His responsible inclinations winning out, he straightened and stood up. I stayed where I was. â€Å"Will I see you there?† he asked, voice even and neutral. I sighed. â€Å"Yeah. I'll be there.† He smiled. â€Å"Thank you. That means a lot to me.† I nodded. He went to the door and looked back at me. â€Å"I love you.† The heat in his voice told me he truly meant it. I smiled back. â€Å"I love you too.† He left, and I pulled the sheets more tightly against me and made no motions to get up. I couldn't stay in bed all day, unfortunately. Other things – like my promise to Kiyo – demanded my attention today. There was a trip to the Otherworld ahead of me, one that would take me to a kingdom I'd reluctantly inherited. You see, Maiwenn wasn't the only Otherworldly queen in Kiyo's life. Yet, astonishingly, that wasn't the problem for me today. That was easy compared to what else lay in store for me. I had to go to a gentry baby shower.

Do you agree? Essay

Both tasks the two men set out to achieve are things never done before and include overcoming the power of nature. Victor, challenges death, trying to create a new being, and Walton tries to challenge the elements to reach to pole. Victor finds first, that doing this can only bring destruction, ‘the ever varied powers of nature’, a warning that it is too powerful to challenge. This warning, he then passes onto Walton who realises the peril he faces, and abandons his exploration. The â€Å"Ancient Mariner† was a poem written around this time by Coleridge. Coleridge was a Romantic, as was Shelley’s husband, and poems like this one were popular as this portrayed the types of things people were thinking about around that time. Mary Shelley may have been influenced by this poem about the theme of challenging nature as the poem also talks of this. It also included a ‘frightful fiend’ similar to the Frankenstein’s creature. Nature is also linked into another theme of loneliness both of the monster and Victor. The creature tries to tell Victor how he has been rejected and is totally alone saying things such as ‘I see bliss from which I alone am irrevocably excluded’ and ‘alone miserably’. The creature’s isolation could be found as a reason for his crimes as he never had anyone who he could interact with so he has never learnt how to do it, the creature’s isolation therefore leads to destruction. Every time the creature tries to make friends he is pushed further and further into isolation until he is in the most isolated place on earth, the North Pole. Using the vast open snowy mountains as the creature inhabits allows the feeling of only him being there and no one else being anywhere near as the monster describes to his creator that, ‘dreary glaciers are my refuge’. Arguably, Mary Shelley might have been inspired, as she wrote ‘Frankenstein’, while staying in Italy in a remote place in the mountains. Shelley also shows the isolation that Victor forced onto himself, rejecting company. This means there is no one there to make him do the right thing so he continues to make horrific mistakes. The monster and Victor are isolated together at the end and only have each other. When Victor dies, his creation kills himself as the last person who could accept him and give him reason for his existence has died, and he no longer wishes to be lonely. The reason for this loneliness is simply because of the way that he looks, that people are ‘prejudiced against’ him and only ‘behold a detestable monster’. Mary Shelley uses this to make the audience feel sorry for him and to show the reader that he has emotions just like a human. Much of this book criticises man for judging on appearance and shows that appearance and reality can be very different. The creature is ugly and deformed making him seem frightening to people where as all that he really wants is a friend and someone to love him like he describes to the blind man he has ‘no relation or friend upon earth’. On the complete opposite to this Victor Frankenstein is seen as a rational scientist but turns out to be an irrational obsessive. Mary Shelley is trying to get the point across that things are not always as they seem. Another important theme is that of the horror of child birth. In chapter five when Frankenstein gives birth to the creature, he immediately rejects it and is in a sense rejecting his â€Å"baby†. The monster in a sense has lost his â€Å"mother† at child birth and so is lonely. This was a very personal subject that Shelley decided to include within the book as she must have felt similar feeling to the creature after losing her own mother at child birth. She is showing through the creature how lonely it feels not to be loved by a creator or mother. Through the chapters when the monster is recounting his story to his creator he is trying to get Victor to take his responsibilities of creator and love his creation calling Victor his ‘natural lord and king’ The monster also shows the similarities between Victor and God being the creators and himself and Adam the first creations trying to explain this to Frankenstein saying to him, ‘I ought to be thy Adam’ At this point Victor believes in the total opposite, and wants nothing to do with his creation that he now regrets, trying to rid the monster telling him ‘there can be no community between you and me’ ‘we are enemies’ it is only later on when he starts to listen and feel for his creation that he ‘felt what the duties of a creator towards his creature were’ and that he ‘ought to render him’. I think that to many people Frankenstein is one of the most well known horror stories including all of the ingredie nts to frighten the audience. To me, I believe that Frankenstein is much less a horror story as it is a novel that questions our society and the people living in it. The old man tells the monster ‘the hearts of men, when unprejudiced by any obvious self-interest, are full of brotherly love and charity’. Throughout this book this quote is proved untrue. That people are always kind and giving when it does not interfere with their own interests, is shown as wrong. This book criticizes society and man, how prejudiced we are and the greed for fame. Although this book was written nearly 200 years ago the same messages still apply to today’s modern society. By Amy Smith MiDr Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Hinduism and Christianity Essay

Hinduism and Christianity are two of the largest religions in the world today with nearly half of the world’s population claiming one of the two as their own. Without a doubt, both religions have been extremely influential in the world. In the minds of most, this is about as far as the similarities between Hinduism and Christianity go; however, the fact is that the two religions actually have much more in common than is often perceived at passing glance. There are commonalities strung all throughout the two religions, from parallel texts of scripture to eerily similar view’s concerning the nature of the divine. In this paper, I will thoroughly explore many these little known similarities. In an effort to do so as objectively as possible, I will use authoritative scriptures from the two religions themselves to state my case and provide evidence for it. First off, there are similarities in the ideas on cosmology, or how the cosmos came to be, in Hinduism and Christianity. In Christianity, God is seen as the creator of all things, in whom all things draw their very existence. This is evidenced in scriptures such as â€Å"in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth† (Genesis 1:1) and â€Å"in him we live and move and have our being† (Acts 17:28). For Hindus, Brahman is viewed in quite a similar manner. The Katha Upanishad tells us that â€Å"the whole universe came forth from Brahman and moves in Brahman†¦ in Brahman it lives and has its being. † Obvious similarities can be seen between the two religions view of creation from these passages (BibleGateway, Krishnananda, & Wolfe). Hinduism and Christianity also agree on the natural state of man, in that both believe that man is deluded, and can only be enlightened to the real truth by God incarnate. The bible says, speaking of man, that â€Å"they are blind guides, and if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit† (Matthew 15:14). Jesus Christ is the solution for this problem though, as he says, in John 8:12, â€Å"I am the light of the world: he who follows me will not walk in darkness but have the light of life. † The Hindu scriptures paint a similar picture as the Mundaka Upanishad says that men are â€Å"living in the abyss of ignorance, yet wise in their own conceit, the deluded go round and round, like the blind led by the blind. † Like Christ, the leading Hindu incarnation of God, Krishna, declares â€Å"I destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the shining light of wisdom† (Bhagavad Gita). The scenarios presented between man and incarnate God in the two religions bear a striking resemblance (BibleGateway, Krishnananda, Purohit, & Wolfe). The religions also seem to agree on the reason for the presence of sin and evil in the world. The Christian bible tells us, in the seventh chapter of the book of Mark, that evil comes â€Å"from within, out of the hearts of men†¦ all evil things come from within, and defile the man,† and that man is â€Å"lured and enticed by his own desire; then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin,† in James 1:14-15. The Bhagavad Gita offers a similar explanation when it asks, â€Å"What is it that compels a man to commit sin, even involuntarily, as if driven by force? † and replies to the question â€Å"it is (human) desire†¦ all consuming and most evil; know this to be the enemy here on earth. † It is evident from these passages that both religions find man and his desires to be the cause of evil and sin in the world (BibleGateway, Purohit, Rood, & Wolfe). Another similarity between the two religions can be seen in the idea of God dwelling within man. This idea is evident in Christianity through scriptures such as Luke 17:20-21, which states that â€Å"the Kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Lo, here it is! † or â€Å"There! † for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. † Also, God says, â€Å"I will put my Spirit in you,† (Ezekiel 36:27) and â€Å"I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts,† (Hebrews 8:10) speaking of his people. For Christians, this indwelling of God in man is a symbol of salvation. In Hinduism, Atman (God within) is â€Å"the spirit dwelling within man† according to Swami Krishnananda, a highly respected Hindu philosopher nd monk. The Svetasvatara Upanishad says of Brahman, â€Å"thou, lord of all, in the hearts of thy creatures thou hidest thyself,† showing with clarity that Hindus believe God indwells people. Furthermore, the realization of this fact is linked with salvation in this religion as well. The key difference here is that for Hindus, God dwells in every man, while for Christians, God only dwells inside of those who belong to him (BibleGateway, Krishnananda, Pratte, & Wolfe). One particularly interesting similarity between the two religions is the fact that in both, God cannot be seen by all as he has concealed himself from many. Moses writes that â€Å"Jehovah our God hides himself; but reveals himself to us and to our children,† (Deuteronomy 29:29) and Isaiah speaks of a â€Å"veil that is spread over all nations† (Isaiah 25:7). Clearly the God of Christianity hides himself from certain people. The Bhagavad Gita declares that â€Å"wisdom is veiled by ignorance, thereby creatures are deluded,† and the Isa Upanishad states that â€Å"the door of truth is covered by a golden disc,† and asks for Brahman to â€Å"remove it so that I may behold (truth). † Also, both religions compare the truth of God to hidden treasure, alluding to the fact that it is concealed from humanity. Further contributing to the uncanny similarity of the two religions’ positions on the matter, both also seem to claim that this truth about God can only be revealed to man by God himself, and man cannot discover God apart from this divine self-revealing (BibleGateway, Krishnananda, Purohit, Wolfe). Another similarity between Hinduism and Christianity is the idea that the material things of this world are not to be focused on because they will not last. Instead, the emphasis is placed on the eternal in both cases. In Christianity, 2 Corinthians 4:18 instructs us â€Å"not to look to things that are seen but to things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. † Likewise, the Hindu Katha Upanishad tells us that â€Å"the wise, knowing the self as eternal, seek not the things that pass away. † In each instance there is a devaluing of the temporal things of this world, and an emphasizing of spiritual well being, which will be of long-lasting importance (BibleGateway, Krishnananda & Wolfe). Moreover, God is compared to both lightning and light in each religion. The bible tells us that â€Å"as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of man be in his day,† (Luke 17:24) and claims that â€Å"God is light and in him is no darkness at all† (1 John 1:5). In like fashion, the Chandogya Upanishad describes Brahman as â€Å"he who dwells in the sky and makes lightning his home,† and says that â€Å"the world of Brahman is light itself. These comparisons to lightning and light signify the power, goodness, and truth of the God of both Christianity and Hinduism (BibleGateway, Krishnananda & Wolfe). The two religions also contain stories of individuals within their scriptures which are largely parallel. For instance, the Katha Upanishad contains the story of Nachiketa, a tale which includes many similarities to the story of Christ. Like Christ, Nachiketa possesses the knowledge of truth of scriptures. Also like Christ, his father has given him over to die. The son accepts his fate and declares that â€Å"like corn, a man ripens and falls to the ground; like corn, he springs up again in his season. Accepting his own impending death, Jesus Christ makes the eerily similar statement that â€Å"unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies it bares much fruit† (John 12:24). The similarities do not stop here either. Upon his death, Nachiketa spends three days in the house of the King of Death, and subsequently is granted a wish for the secret of immortality. In much the same way, Christ spends three days in a tomb after his death, afte r which he is resurrected to immortality. Furthermore, while in the house of the King of Death, Nachiketa is tempted by the King of Death to wish for power or riches, but he resists and gains the secret to immortality. This scenario parallels Jesus Christ’s encounter with Satan while in the desert. He also is tempted by the â€Å"king of death† to ask for power or riches, but like Nachiketa, he resists each temptation. The congruence in the stories of Nachiketa and Christ is overwhelmingly apparent (Bible Gateway, Krishnananda & Wolfe). Another intriguing parallel between the two religions is found in their moral teachings. The Ten Commandments are the basic moral teachings of Christianity, and they are paralleled by the moral teachings of the first two â€Å"limbs† of yoga, yama and niyama, of which there are ten of course. However, the truly intriguing resemblance lies not in this fact, but rather in the fact that each set of moral guidelines is applied in practically the same way. In both Christianity and Hinduism, these teachings are expanded to include not only the realm of actions, but also of thoughts. For instance, the first yama, â€Å"non-violence†, means not simply refraining from acts of violence, but also not harboring internal thoughts of anger. Jesus Christ, speaking of the analogous commandment in Christianity, says â€Å"you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘you shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment;† but I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says ‘you fool! ’ shall be liable to the hell of fire† (Matthew 5:21-22). The fact that these two religions’ systems of morality are both expounded to include thoughts and motives is really quite remarkable (BibleGateway & Wolfe). Another source of correspondence between these two religions is found in the vast parallels between the lives, teachings, and purposes of Jesus Christ and Lord Krishna. First, both of these figures are the source of all being and order in their respective religions. Christian scriptures tell us that Christ was â€Å"in the beginning with God† and that â€Å"all things were made through him† (John 1:1-3), and Paul asserts that â€Å"in (Christ) all things hold together† (Colossians 1:17). Additionally, in Ephesians 1:10, God reveals his plan to â€Å"unite all things in (Christ), things in heaven and things on earth. In much the same way, Krishna is described in the Bhagavad Gita as the â€Å"source of all beings, Lord of all creatures, God of gods, Lord of the world. † Also, Krishna claims that â€Å"all this (universe) is strung on my like jewels on a string,† and that â€Å"the whole world of moving and unmoving things, united in my body. † Consequently, each individual is set up as a foundational cornerstone in their religion. Take away Krishna and you really have no Hinduism; take away Christ and you have no Christianity (BibleGateway, Purohit, & Wolfe). Subsequently, both Christ and Krishna are the vessels through which the people are freed from their sins. Even prior to Christ’s birth, an angel of the lord came to Joseph in a dream and said â€Å"you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins† (Matthew 1:21). In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says â€Å"he who knows me†¦ is undeluded and is freed from all sins. Furthermore, despite their immense contributions to mankind, these men were largely unrecognized by world around them. The bible states that Christ â€Å"came into the world but the world knew him not† (John 1:10), and Krishna states in the Bhagavad Gita that â€Å"this world is deluded and does not recognize me. † In both the case of Christ and Krishna, God became a mere man and lived among the people, yet the world around them did not even realize it (BibleGateway, Purohit & Wolfe). Ironically, although the two religions’ views on the divine may seem to be polar opposites, upon further inspection there is much more commonality between the two than most people realize. For starters, both religions’ ideas of the divine include a holy Trinity. In Christianity, this Trinity is manifested in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Although God is said to have these three different manifestations, he is still considered to be one, individual god. This is evidenced in the scripture, â€Å"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord† (Deuteronomy 6:4). Hinduism contains a divine Trinity that bares striking resemblance to the Christian Trinity. Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer, are the three personalities of the Hindu Trinity. As found in the Christian Trinity, the Bhagavad Gita tells us â€Å"these three form one lord, or god, who is known by three different names according to his three functions† (BibleGateway, Pratte, Purohit, & Roychoudhury). Also, the characteristics attributed to the divinities in each religion are similar. The God of Christianity is said to be omnipotent, or all-powerful. Mark 10:27 tells us that â€Å"all things are possible with God. † Similarly, Brahman is â€Å"endowed with infinite power† according to the Bhagavad Gita; therefore, both God’s are omnipotent. The Christian God is also described as omniscient, or all-knowing. Psalm 147:5 tells us that â€Å"his understanding has no limit,† and he is described as â€Å"perfect in knowledge† (Job 37:16). Likewise, the Rig Veda tells us that Brahman is â€Å"vast in mind,† and has â€Å"eyes on all sides;† therefore, both God’s are omniscient. Another attribute of the God in Christianity is his omnipresence, or ability to be all places at a single time. In Psalm 139:7, David asks â€Å"Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? † David then goes on to speak of how wherever he goes, God is there also. We are also told that â€Å"the eyes of the Lord are in every place† (Proverbs 15:3). Brahman, also, is said to â€Å"pervade the universe;† therefore, both God’s are omnipresent as well. Furthermore, the Christian God is immutable as Numbers 23:19 tell us that â€Å"God is not a man†¦ that he should change his mind,† and in Malachi 3:6 God declares â€Å"I the Lord do not change. † Brahman is also immutable according to Bhagavad Gita scripture which describes him as â€Å"the unchanging reality;† therefore immutability is another trait both God’s possess. Clearly, the two divinities have much in common with one another (BibleGateway, Brullote, Griffith, Purohit, & Rood). There are also several distinct ways in which the God’s of Hinduism and Christianity are viewed in the same way. In Isaiah 45:18, God says â€Å"I am the Lord, and there is none else,† and in the Svetasvatara Upanishad, we are correspondingly told that â€Å"(Brahman) is one without a second. † In Revelation 1:8, God declares â€Å"I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come. The Svetasvatara Upanishad tells us that â€Å"at the periods of creation and dissolution of the universe, (Brahman) alone exists. † Further, Christ himself, while being tempted by Satan, says â€Å"for it is written: worship the Lord your God and serve him only. † In the same way, the Chandogya Upanishad states â€Å"let a man, freed from the taint of passion, worship Brahman alone. † These are a few of the many areas of congru ence found in the way the Hindu God and Christian God are seen and treated by their followers (BibleGateway, Krishnananda & Wolfe). In conclusion, although Hinduism and Christianity developed in entirely different ways, in completely different locations, and around vastly different cultures and people groups, the two religions are filled with a series of wonderfully intricate and complex parallels. These interreligious parallels cover a wide variety of subjects ranging from the perception of morality to the concept of the divine. While Hinduism and Christianity are, without a doubt, two distinctly different religions, the multiple similarities found between them prove that they are not quite as diametrically opposed to one another as many would suspect. Bibliography http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/ http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/upanishad.html http://www.gospelway.com/religiousgroups/hinduism.php http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/hindu.html

Effects of Growing Up in a Dysfunctional Family Essay

When some people look back on their childhood they see happy times full of family memories, traditions, love, and encouragement. When I look back on my childhood I remember drug abuse, visiting my step father in jail, going without utilities, and playing the role of a mother at the age of eight. I knew I was different from other children. I knew that my parents depended on me to play the role of an adult. They depended on me to get up every morning and get my brother and sister on the school bus. I knew they depended on me to go straight home from school every day so I could babysit. I would wake my mom up for work so she could work two jobs to support us and then I would cook dinner. Homework, friends, and things I wanted came last and I knew I didn’t have a choice. Indeed, my family was, and is, dysfunctional. What is dysfunction? Dictionary. com defines dysfunctional as any malfunctioning part or element. Dysfunction contains many aspects of unhealthy relating. Unhealthy relating can include such things as manipulation, using guilt or anger as motivation and at its most severe, abuse, including verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. Dysfunction is something that is passed down from generation to generation until it is implemented into the family. From family to family there are different levels of dysfunction which span from mild dysfunction, to moderate dysfunction, and even severe dysfunction. A child growing up in a mildly dysfunctional environment tends to have an easier time fitting into society and functioning normally in life and their life may not be effected at all. One example of a mild dysfunction is a parent treating a child like an adult or making the child take care of the adult either emotionally or physically. The adult treats the child as if they were an equal rather than a child. This results in the child having difficulties later in life in relationships getting their own needs met. This comes from having to give up a lot of these needs as a child to take care of the parent. An example of moderate dysfunction in a family is having a parent who is an alcoholic or drug addict. Because the child sees this on a regular basis, these behaviors are deemed to be â€Å"normal† or â€Å"accepted† behavior. The parents’ drug and alcohol abuse increases the risk of a child abusing drugs or alcohol causing a strain in the child’s relationships later in life. Parents who use drugs tend to become emotionally absent and may, under the influence, scare the child, and may consistently disappoint the child. Severe dysfunction is the highest level of dysfunction. This occurs when a parent physically or sexually abuses the child on a regular basis, which severely damages the child on many levels. Children who grow up in these environments tend to need a lot of help and lengthy treatment to heal. Some children are not able to heal at all and without help, the patterns of abuse are likely to be passed down to the next generation. Along with different levels of dysfunction there are specific roles each person in the family plays. There is the dependent, the enabler, the hero, the scapegoat, the lost child, and the mascot. The only exception is the only child. An only child tends to take on multiple roles, at the same time or alternating between roles. Because of this, the only child tends to have a great deal of confusion and overwhelming pain. The dependent is the spouse that causes the family problems. The dependent, also known as the problem spouse, has a serious problem and it impacts every other member of the family and is taken care of by every member of the family. The enabler is the spouse that allows the dependent to continue his or her actions so that the dependent does not have to face consequences of his or her own actions. The enabler feels angry and resentful about having to pick up the slack of the dependent; they feel powerless to do anything to stop it. The enabler feels that they should act this way because without them holding everything together the family will fall apart. Since the family’s survival is dependent on the enabler, they may pay the cost of stress-related illnesses, never having his or her own needs met, and be a sufferer for the cause of the family. Ironically, because the enabler permits the dependent’s behavior, they are also preventing the corrective experience that crisis brings, which may be the only thing that stops the dependents downward spiral. The hero is usually the oldest child. They are also named as â€Å"the good child† or â€Å"the caretaker†. The hero takes on the role of a parent and feels responsible for the emotional health of the family. The hero is characteristically an over-achiever and over-responsible. The family looks at the hero’s as a source of humility and honor, and it makes the family feel as if they are doing well. The hero may do well in school and be good at sports and obtain good employment while inside the hero suffers from feelings of insufficiency, failure, or guiltiness. These feelings derive from thoughts that no matter how well the hero does, it will not heal the wounds of their family. The hero’s obsessive drive to accomplish something may lead to stress-related illness as well as compulsive over working. Since the hero tries so hard to do well, he or she often obtains a great deal of positive attention. However, inwardly, the hero feels empty and unable to express their true feelings. The second born usually plays the role of the scapegoat and is also known as â€Å"the problem child†. The scapegoat is characteristically the trouble maker and is blamed for the majority of the family’s problems. He or she acts out in anger or defiance because of the built up feelings they harvest inside because all the families attention goes toward the dependent or the hero and they are being ignored. The scapegoat often gets labeled as the family’s problem because of their experimentation with alcohol, drugs, promiscuous sexuality, involvement in adolescent gangs, or criminal activity. It is often the difficulty of the scapegoat that leads the family into treatment or counseling. Along with drug or alcohol abuse, the scapegoat’s acting out may bring with it early pregnancy when they are not prepared, or incarceration. The irresponsible attitude and hostility tends to lead them to acts of violence against themselves or others. This defiance affects their opportunity to obtain adequate income leading them into outright criminality to earn a living. The scapegoat has lost touch with their morality, casting them in the role of a rebel. The characteristically shy, lonely, isolated child is dubbed as the lost child. The lost child feels like an outsider and feels like their parents and siblings ignore them. The lost child removes themselves from the chaos of their family, often engaging in their own fantasy world. The lost child has trouble identifying themselves and discovering who they are. They are often confused about their sexual identity and have weak communication skills and difficulties with intimacy. The only way the lost child knows how to seek attention is by wetting the bed, and getting sick with asthma or allergies. They take care of themselves by easing their pain with overeating, or drowning their problems with alcohol or drug abuse. Low self-esteem usually ends all attempts of achievement. The lost child often has few friends and has trouble finding a marriage partner later in life. Instead, he or she tends to comfort their lack of intimate relationships with pets or other material possessions. The lost child is often stuck in his or her own isolation preventing them from getting professional help. Clowning and hyperactivity are the main characteristics of the mascot who is often the youngest child. The mascot attempts to be the center of attention, or tries to make the family feel better through his or her comical relief. They use their comic efforts as a defense mechanism. Even though the mascot is protected from tribulations of life, they still feel intense anxiety and concern. Because the family tends to try to protect the mascot, he or she is often unprepared and immature when they grow into adulthood. The only way they know how to deal with problems is to change the subject or by fooling around. Since the mascot uses comedy frequently, they are rarely taken seriously and are often a subject or subjected to criticism or rejection. The mascot may develop a learning disability because of struggling with concentration and focusing in school. They tend to be unaware of their feelings because they fear their own emotions. Since the mascot fears their own inner feelings, it prevents them from getting the help they need; often leading to intense depression and even suicide. Growing up in a dysfunctional family changes a child’s outlook on life. It changes the way they grow up, the way they act, and the way they view normal behaviors. Children in a dysfunctional family miss necessary milestones in growing development to prepare them for adulthood. They, in other words, grow up too fast. Children of severely dysfunctional families are often subjected to sexual abuse becoming the substitute spouse for the parent of the opposite sex. Children of dysfunctional families have their boundaries violated by their parents. Children either do not have any freedom or too much freedom. When a child grows up in a physical or sexual abusing family their physical boundaries are desecrated leading them to not being able to set boundaries in adult relationships. When a parent is intoxicated most of the time it creates confusion about which behaviors are appropriate and which are not. Children growing up seeing these kinds of behavior on a daily basis see these behaviors as normal. These children of dysfunctional families grow into teenagers with more emotional problems. Many of them end up using drugs severely or turn to alcohol. Teenagers who were sexually abused, or molested, have a tendency to have many sexual partners because they were forced to have sex as a child, they have a conscience thought that they cannot say no. Many teenagers from a dysfunctional family try to escape the realities and runaway to try to find a better life. They in fact find prostitution, drug use, and some even find death. Females from a dysfunctional family triple the chance of having a baby before the age of twenty. When children from a dysfunctional family grow up they become adults. These adults can lead their lives in one of two directions: either role with the dysfunction and not try to stop it and raising their children the same way, or they can fight it and try to change it to keep it from spreading to the next generation. When someone chooses to not fight it, they inflict the same pain on their children as they had experienced without truly realizing it. Since they saw dysfunction their whole lives they feel like it is normal and there is no problem with it. When someone chooses to overcome it, they inflict a great deal of stress on themselves. Some participate in counseling, or therapy, and some try to fight it on their own. Some people may not be able to completely erase the dysfunction. It may take generation after generation to change. For example, someone from a severely dysfunctional family may try to change the dysfunction in their own family but, in fact, only change to a moderately dysfunctional family. Then someone from a moderately dysfunctional family may only be able to change it to a mild dysfunction in their own family. It takes generations of work to change the ways of the family. There are many ways, many different routes people can take to try to overcome the dysfunction they have dealt with throughout their childhood. Many try counseling or therapy. Some just try to fight their way through it. Either way there are many ways to overcome it and change your life. It takes drive and fight to change patterns of dysfunction but with work and determination it is possible. I grew up in a family of severe dysfunction. I am twenty five years old and have seen more than anyone else I know my age. I played the role of the hero, the lost child, and the replacement spouse. I have dealt with more than I should have at any age. But after all this, I know I can and will do better for my family. In my opinion, anything can be overcome, anything can be changed. There are so many ways for a family to be dysfunctional and so many different roles for a child who deals with that kind of pain. Everything can be overcome and changed for the better. Children from a dysfunctional family do endure a great deal of pain and it changes their lives forever.