Monday, May 25, 2020

The Necklace Review

Guy de Maupassant  manages to bring a flavor to his stories that are unforgettable. He  writes about ordinary people, but he paints their lives in colors that are rich with  adultery, marriage, prostitution, murder, and war. During his lifetime, he created nearly 300 stories, along with the other 200 newspaper articles, 6 novels, and 3 travel books that he wrote. Whether you love his work, or you hate it, Maupassants work seems to illicit a strong response. Overview The Necklace (or La Parure), one of his most famous works, centers around Mme. Mathilde Loisel — a woman seemingly fated to her status in life. She was one of those pretty and charming girls who are sometimes as if by a mistake of destiny, born in a family of clerks. Instead of accepting her position in life, she feels cheated. She is selfish and self-involved, tortured and angry that she cant purchase the jewels and clothing that she desires. Maupassant writes, She suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries. The tale, in some ways, amounts to a moralistic fable, reminding us to avoid Mme. Loisels fatal mistakes. Even the length of the work reminds us of an Aesop Fable. As in many of these tales, our heroines​​ one really serious character flaw is pride (that all-destroying hubris). She wants to be someone and something that she is not. But for that fatal flaw, the story could have been a Cinderella story, where the poor heroine is in some way discovered, rescued and given her rightful place in society. Instead, Mathilde was prideful. Wishing to appear wealthy to the other women at the ball, she borrowed a diamond necklace from a wealthy friend, Mme. Forestier. She had a wonderful time at the ball: She was prettier than them all, elegant, gracious, smiling, and crazy with joy. Pride cometh before the fall... we quickly see her as she descends into poverty. Then, we see her ten years later: She had become the woman of impoverished households-strong and hard and rough. With frowzy hair, skirts askew, and red hands, she talked loud while washing the floor with great swishes of water. Even after going through so many hardships, in her heroic way, she cant help but imagine the What ifs... What Is the Ending Worth? The ending becomes all the more poignant when we discover that all of the sacrifices were for nothing, as Mme. Forestier takes our heroines hands and says, Oh, my poor Mathilde! Why, my necklace was paste. It was worth at most five hundred francs! In The Craft of Fiction, Percy Lubbock says that the story seems to tell itself. He says that the effect that Maupassant doesnt appear to be there in the story at all. He is behind us, out of sight, out of mind; the story occupies us, the moving scene, and nothing else (113). In The Necklace, we are carried along with the scenes. Its hard to believe we are at the end, when the final line is read and the world of that story comes crashing down around us. Can there be a more tragic way of living, than surviving all those years on a lie?

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Human Trafficking Must Be Defined As The Illegal Movement...

I picked this topic because human trafficking goes unnoticed and is a topic that gets over looked. As we know in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation abolishing slavery, yet more than one million people are enslaved in the U.S. today. Human trafficking involves different ages, gender, ethnic backgrounds, and they are being trafficked throughout the world. At the end I hope to inform my peers about the reality and danger of human trafficking, as well share the solutions that we can do to help or avoid such a dangerous situation. Nature of the Problem According to the Oxford Dictionary human trafficking can be defined as the illegal movement of people, typically for the purposes of forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked in countries around the world, including the United States. It is estimated that human trafficking generates 32 billion of dollars of profit per year (Homeland Security, n.d. para. 2). The largest groups of at-risk children are runaway, thrown away, or homeless American children who use survival sex to acquire food, shelter, clothing, and other things needed to survive on America s streets. According to the National Runaway Switchboard 1.3 million runaway and homeless youth live on America s streets every day, which 5,000 die each year (Child Trafficking Statistics, n.d. para. 8). Many youth, especially the children in human trafficking run away fromShow MoreRelatedThe Problem Of Human Trafficking1498 Words   |  6 Pag es Typically, when people think about global issues, some of the first things to come to mind are immigration, poverty, and hunger. However, there are much larger issues that can lead to these kinds of circumstances, or even be seen as a function of these problems. Taking a closer look at an ongoing issue highly prevalent in our world today, it is easy to see that other issues feed off it, and can contribute to the issue at hand. The issue I want to focus on is human trafficking. This type of criminalizationRead MoreEssay on Human Trafficking vs. Prostitution: Is There a Difference?1627 Words   |  7 PagesIn today’s modern society, prostitution is defined as the act or practice of engaging in promiscuous sexual relations, especially for money. Trafficking can be defined in terms of dealing or trading in something illegal (Merriam-Webster). In many cultures, prostitution is indeed illegal. So, is there a difference? Are there variances that set prostitution and human tr afficking apart, or are they just different forms of the same industry? In order to answer this question, it is important to firstRead MoreIs Prostitution A Crime?968 Words   |  4 PagesWhat Is Prostitution? Prostitution is where people engage in a sexual activity with someone else for money. The whole subject of prostitution is full of ambiguities and hypocrisies; we generally think of the transfer of money as the element that makes prostitution a crime although money plays a subtle part in all sorts of sexual relationships. We define prostitution as systematic sexual violence and oppression against women and girls. The definition of prostitution includes not only the exchangeRead MoreHuman Trafficking Is Considered Modern Day Slavery1217 Words   |  5 PagesHuman trafficking is defined as any type of work which people are forced to do against their will under the threat of some form of punishment and it is an affront to the most basic of human freedoms. In the Trafficking protocol (†¦.) human trafficking is defined as â€Å" the recruitmen t, transport, transfer, harboring or receipt of a person by such means as threats or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud or deception for the purpose of exploitation†. Almost all slavery practicesRead MoreThe scene of organized crime has long since changed after the reign of Italian and Sicilian mafia,1600 Words   |  7 Pagesformalized structure and whose primary objective is to obtain money through through illegal activities.. The motive is almost always to gain money, as stated in the definition given by the FBI, or significant power over a region. For such a large feat of gaining significant power or essentially stealing large sums of money, the groups of organized crime get their job done rather swiftly. A group that is defined as partaking in organized crime typically specializes in a range of crimes by whichRead MoreEssay about Human Trafficking in Houston1174 Words   |  5 PagesHuman trafficking is a significant, but hard to spot problem in Houston – and across Texas. Houston is known as a hub for human trafficking, which involves young women brought here for prostitution because of our proximity to the Mexican border. One fourth of all trafficking victims rescued in the United States are found in Texas, mostly in Houston (McCall). In the year 2011 alone, there have been a number of arrests for Human Trafficking made in the Houston area as well as several brothels haveRead MoreHuman Trafficking And Smuggling Of Migrants Essay2452 Words   |  10 PagesIs there distinction between human trafficking and smuggling of migrants? The confusion around human trafficking and the smuggling of immigrants’ leads to production of incorrect interpretation of the two cases within the professional circles (Batsyukova 2012: 39). Recently, the smuggling of migrants across international borders has hurriedly developed from a small scale cross border activity affecting many countries into a global multi-million dollar enterprise (Forced Migration Review- Bhaba Read MoreHuman Trafficking And Trafficking Victims Protection Act Essay2057 Words   |  9 PagesHuman Trafficking Trafficking Victims Protection Act Here in Michigan, Michigan state police and Michigan state attorney general say some of their cases of human trafficking happen on Mackinac Island. Human trafficking--mainly labor trafficking--has occurred in this area right here in our own homeland; human trafficking can happen anywhere and affects those that are most vulnerable. Although human trafficking is a complex social problem that preys on society s most poor and vulnerable, the TraffickingRead MoreThe Impacts of Globalization on Developing Countries Essays1365 Words   |  6 Pagesto demand in cheaper goods in developed countries, labour costs must be kept to minimal, which in turn has arisen many issues including violation of human rights. Human rights violations have risen since globalization has made advancement in technology, and one of the main reasons human rights have statistically risen is because of human trafficking. Human trafficking is defined by oxford dictionaries as â€Å"the illegal movement of people, typ ically for the purposes of forced labour or commercial sexualRead MoreAmericas Policy Priority Issue1729 Words   |  7 Pagesin some form of modern slavery (Grace et al., 2014). Of those victims trapped, only 25%-50% of human trafficking victims encountered health care professionals while in captivity, and were not identified and recognized (Grace et al., 2014). As health care professionals, it is important to be equipped with basic knowledge that allows one to recognize victims and properly manage cases of human trafficking. Thus, a policy has been created for policymakers to adopt that effectively educates the health

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Empire Notes - 3827 Words

Empire Niall Ferguson Introduction * To the British, as to people in the rest of the world, imperialisms golden age is now considered a stain on human history, an era of slavery and racism and the plunder of native lands and peoples. The notion that imperialism is inherently evil, and that no empire can be a good empire, is an axiom in todays geopolitics. * Examines the British Empire from an economic perspective, controversially concluding that the British Empire was, on balance, a good thing * Globalisation is the biggest thing that Ferguson thanks the British for * English language and ties to London made it possible * The Leftist opponents of globalisation naturally regard it as no more than the latest†¦show more content†¦* However, this was not all done ‘in a fit of absence of mind’ since from the reign of Elizabeth I onwards, there had been a sustained campaign to take over the Empires of others * ‘They had robbed the Spaniards, copied the Dutch, beaten the French and pl undered the Indians. Now they ruled supreme’ – Notion of imitation, founded on the premise of copying others White Plague * Commerce and conquest by themselves would not have been enough to achieve an Empire no matter what the financial strength or naval power of the British – there had to be colonization * Ferguson is disinclined to believe in the authorised American view of 1776 as a struggle for liberty against an evil empire. * The imperialists were already experimenting with schemes for devolution, and politicians at Westminster imagined that American colonies might settle down into membership of a prototype Commonwealth, with the monarch as a unifying figurehead. * The battles across the Atlantic merely extended a conflict at home between Whigs and Tories. This, Ferguson argues, really was the second British - or perhaps the first American - Civil War. * Some myths about the American War of Independence are shattered * Ferguson argues that the ‘revolution’, contrary to the conventional revisionist modern American narrative of ‘freedom’ andShow MoreRela tedA Brief Note On The Mongolian Empire And The Golden Horde870 Words   |  4 PagesFiona Panther Ms. Hetler World Studies Block 8 30 September 2014 Mongols Essay The Mongolian empire thrived and conquered throughout the 12th and 13th centuries in Asia and are the largest empire in the history of the world (Document A and Backround Essay). By modern standards they are viewed as brutal barbarians, but in reality they were a thriving civilization that accomplished great feats even though they had to be barbaric when it came to war. They created new innovations within AsianRead MoreEmpire Notes3812 Words   |  16 PagesEmpire Niall Ferguson Introduction * To the British, as to people in the rest of the world, imperialisms golden age is now considered a stain on human history, an era of slavery and racism and the plunder of native lands and peoples. The notion that imperialism is inherently evil, and that no empire can be a good empire, is an axiom in todays geopolitics. * Examines the British Empire from an economic perspective, controversially concluding that the British Empire was, on balance, a goodRead MoreNotes On THe Roman Republic: City-State to World Empire956 Words   |  4 PagesHistorians divide Roman history into 2 broad periods: the Republic began in 509 B.C., w/ the overthrow of the Etruscan monarchy; the Empire began in 27 B.C., when Octavian (Augustus) became the 1st Roman emperor, ending 500 years of republican self-government. The Republic initiated the trend toward political legal universalism, which reached fruition in the 2nd period, the Empire. EVOLUTION OF THE ROMAN CONSTITUTION: * The Romans, like the Greeks, came to view law as an expression of the public willRead MoreThe American Of New Canada853 Words   |  4 Pages Welcome good friend to the brand new state of New Canada! What once was a corrupt country north of the center of the world (U.S.) is now the 55th state to the American Empire. The year is 2050, and almost five years since the ending of the Third World War. Five years post war and civilization is still in a state of recovery, which is why we bring Americans a piece of the past and a bit of familiarity with the grand opening of New Canada’s capitol building. We do this to honor the fallen and helpRead MoreAmerican Imperialism797 Words   |  4 Pagesfollowing: Identify the countries or areas where the United States engaged in countries or areas where the United States engaged in imperialistic actions during the period from about 1870 to 1914. Discuss why each area was important to American empire building—political, economic, and social. Explain America’s expansionist ideals. What were some factors that justified American imperialist actions? Identify the current political status of these places in relation to the United States. Age ofRead MoreThe City Of Babylon : An Overview1112 Words   |  5 Pagesthrive; especially, through the revenues brought by lands, houses, and slaves. These transactions where dealt through contracts called promissory notes: a signed document containing a written promise to pay a stated sum to a specified person or the bearer at a specified date or on demand (Sasson 1476). Every economic situation could be handled with a promissory note. Thus, contracts following the same formal scheme where created for every situation. Silver, along with other precious metals, was used asRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Shooting An Elephant1165 Words   |  5 Pagesgiven into the life of an oppressor in the British Empire. Orwell, having undergone a significant personal experience, illustrates his experience of imperialism and the resounding effects is has on the ethical conduct and ideals of man, not only of the oppressed but also in regards of the oppressor. Orwell’s ‘Shooting an Ele phant’ attempts to convey the sacrifice of one’s morality in service of imperialism. Through the spread of the British Empire and the colonialization of the Burmese people, weRead MoreKenya s Independence From The British Empire895 Words   |  4 PagesThe Pipeline In the years leading up to Kenya’s independence from the British Empire, a violent uprising later known as Mau Mau plagued the colony. From1952 to 1960, African forest fighters waged a war against the British who had little experience fighting against guerilla warfare. In an effort to bring the crime wave, as the British called it, to an end, colonial officials housed those who they believed to be working for or in collaboration with the Mau Mau fighters in detention camps. The KikuyuRead MoreAnalytical Summary Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell Essay1064 Words   |  5 Pagesdeclares that imperialism is evil. This is because during the many years of service, he has witnessed the inhumane treatment of prisoners and numerous other dirty works done by the British Empire. However Like every other Englishmen in the East, there is nothing he can do since he is stuck in the middle between the empire he hates and the natives who hate him. One day, an incident shakes up his monotonous life. Orwell receives a desperate call from a Burmese sub-inspector at the other end of the townRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Orwell Shooting An Elephant 1189 Words   |  5 Pagesgeographical location in the world. 1. Evidence of the existence of empires dates back to the dawn of written history in Egypt and in Mesopotamia, where local leaders extended their realms by conquering other states and holding them, when possible, in a state of subjection and semi subjection. Imperialism was reborn in the west with the emergence of modern nation-state and the age of exploration and discovery. It is to this type of empire building that the term imperialism is quite often restricted. To

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

The BFG free essay sample

I wanted to be short when I was younger. No, seriously. I wanted to be the 4’6†, missing-growth-spurt 7th grader who walked down the middle school halls in her size 3 Converse, maybe wearing jeans from the Macy’s kids section. It had always been a dream of mine, I even asked Santa Claus to stop me from growing one year. Now don’t get me wrong, Younger Me knew being tall was cool. I was the designated projector-starter, ceiling fan initiator, and box-carrier of the classroom. I could always be seen regardless of where I was standing and called on first when my hand was two feet above everybody else’s during science class. I could reach all the way across the table for scissors and could kick that pencil that rolled off your desk even if it was in the next aisle. You could say I was talented. It got even more exciting outside of school: I was the only one that could hit the sign hanging from the mall ceiling and was in charge of buying my friends’ PG-13 movie tickets. We will write a custom essay sample on The BFG or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One time in 7th grade someone asked if I was in high school, could you believe it? But as people’s growth spurts began to wind down, and the annual shopping trips were bringing home fewer and fewer clothes, I was still growing. Eventually high school started and I was 5’10†, while my closest friends were far below me in the 5-foot lands. This is when being tall wasn’t too much fun anymore, and the only thing that grew short was my patience. I was still taping posters without using a chair and grabbing boxes off the top shelf, but now my height was an object of criticism. â€Å"Too tall, get in the back.† â€Å"Heels really aren’t the best choice for you tonight.† â€Å"Tall girls like you should be playing basketball or volleyball, not dancing.† That is when I learned that being tall wasn’t exactly a remarkable aspect of my personality anymore. I slipped into a state of shrinking into myself whenever a projector screen needed to be pulled down or hiding in the back of the group during PE because – even though I was tall – I wasn’t really that good at basketball. I dreaded the regular general admission concert in New York City, as all I could expect was the all-too-familiar shoulder tap. I was intimidatingly lanky, and people strayed from such a drastic height difference, never considering that maybe I wasn’t the standoffish giant they expected me to be. Everything went from â€Å"Perks of Being a Tall Person† to â€Å"Cons of Being Labeled.† I was the tall kid, certainly not the ambitious kid; I was the quiet kid, not ever the witty kid. I was classified and put aside because of something out of my control and left completely up to genetics. But being tall was so much more th an the absence of a step stool. I was that tall girl you knew in high school, the one with the slightly intimidating height you were always hesitant to talk to. Turns out I wasn’t really that intimidating. In reality I would go out after school to babysit little kids. I’d entertain for hours and hours with the soul of a child, and squeeze into pillow forts meant for 3-year-olds. I may have come off passive or even yielding, but I was just using the same patience as when I taught those after-school preschool dance classes. I was probably completely different than the small personality the school had conditioned me to have, but trust me – I had a personality bigger than the BFG’s. While Younger Me slouched in class and wished vainly that reverse-growing was a possibility, I see the truth in what my height really is: a part of my identity.