Case study Analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis - Case Study Example In order to achieve this, the board members should be freely elected by the shareholders on the basis of their experience and competencies. 2.Tim Harrington’s efforts to manage the board of directors and investors are worthless given that he has no influence over them. In the first place, he does not want any interference from them which puts him in a difficult corner. He may not be able to influence their decisions since there is a division that already exist the two. Tim is hard headed since he thinks that he can make decisions without the input of the members of the board which is quite impossible. The management should have reviewed the business strategy to see if it can turn around the fortunes of the company by venturing into another lucrative form of business. Tim’s view of â€Å"better to ask for forgiveness than beg for permission shows that he has pride. He thinks he is above the situation in all respects in the company. He thinks that he cannot seek for permission from the board to implement certain decisions which is not supposed to be the case. 3. The venture capital decision is favourable to the people who belong to the group since it reflects their interests. Being the major shareholders in the company, selling the company is a viable strategy that can prevent loses in the long run since the financial crisis witnessed is unpredictable. In most cases, the factors obtaining on the ground in the real economic situation are beyond the control of many organizations. When there have been signs of bad things to come, it would be wise to dispose the company while there is still time. This can help to salvage the money invested in the company. ________________________________________________________________ The board of directors in a public company should be composed of independent people who have interests of the company and the other shareholders at heart. People with direct interests in

Foundation by Isaac Asimov Essay Example for Free

Foundation by Isaac Asimov Essay Foundation is the first novel in Isaac Asimovs Foundation Trilogy (later expanded into The Foundation Series). Foundation is a collection of five short stories, which were first published together as a book by Gnome Press in 1951 which, together, form a single plot. Foundation saw multiple publications—it also appeared in 1955 as part of Ace Double D-110 under the title The 1,000-Year Plan. Four of the stories were originally published inAstounding Magazine (with different titles) between 1942 and 1944, and the fifth was added when they first appeared in book form. A further two books of short stories were published shortly after, and decades later, Asimov wrote two further sequel novels and two prequels. Later writers have added authorized tales to the series. The Foundation Series is often regarded as one of Isaac Asimovs best works, along with his Robot series. Plot summary Foundation tells the story of a group of scientists who seek to preserve knowledge as the civilizations around them begin to regress. The Psychohistorians (0 F.E.) (First published as the book edition in 1951) Set in the year 0 F.E., The Psychohistorians opens on Trantor, the capital of the 12,000-year-old Galactic Empire. Though the empire appears stable and powerful, it is slowly decaying in ways that parallel the decline of the Western Roman Empire. Hari Seldon, a mathematician and psychologist, has developed psychohistory, a new field of science and psychology that equates all possibilities in large societies to mathematics, allowing for the prediction of future events. Using psychohistory, Seldon has discovered the declining nature of the Empire, angering the aristocratic members of the Committee of Public Safety, the de facto rulers of the Empire. The Committee considers Seldons views and statements treasonous, and he is arrested along with young mathematician Gaal Dornick, who has arrived on Trantor to meet Seldon. Seldon is tried by the Committee and defends his beliefs, explaining his theories and predictions, including his belief that the Empire will collapse in 500 years and enter a 30,000-year dark age, to the Committees members. He informs the Committee that an alternative to this future is attainable, and explains to them that creating a compendium of all human knowledge, the Encyclopedia Galactica, would not avert the inevitable fall of the Empire but would reduce the dark age to one millennium. The skeptical Committee, not wanting to make Seldon a martyr, offers him exile to a remote world, Terminus, with others who could help him create the Encyclopedia. He accepts their offer, prepares for the departure of the Encyclopedists and receives an imperial decree officially acknowledging his actions. The Encyclopedists (50 F.E.) (published May 1942 as Foundation) Set in 50 F.E., The Encyclopedists begins on Terminus, which has no mineral resources but one region suitable for the development of large city, named Terminus City. The colony of professionals, devoted to the creation of the Encyclopedia, is managed by the Board of Trustees of the Encyclopedia Galactica Foundation, composed solely of scientists. The affairs of Terminus City itself are handled by the citys mayor, Salvor Hardin, who is virtually powerless due to the influence of the Board of Trustees. However, Hardin does not accept the status quo, which he believes puts Terminus in danger of political exploitation by the neighboring prefects of the Empire, which have declared independence and severed contact with Trantor. Hardin, recognizing the imminent downfall of imperial power due to the loss of the Empires outermost region, decides that the only way to ensure Terminuss continued survival is to pit the four neighboring kingdoms against one another. Hardin manages to avoid an attempt by the Kingdom of Anacreon to establish military bases on Terminus and to take advantage of nuclear power, which Terminus retains but which the Four Kingdoms do not. Hardin succeeds in diverting Anacreon from its initial goal and furthers his goal of the establishment of a stable political system on Terminus. Hardins efforts, however, are still resisted by the Board of Trustees and its chairman, Dr. Louis Pirenne. To remove this obstacle, Hardin and his chief advisor, Yohan Lee, plan a coup detat designed to remove the Board of Trustees from its politically powerful position on the same day that, in the citys Time Vault, a holographic recording of Hari Seldon is programmed to play. The recording will contain psychohistoric proof of Hardins success or failure; Hardin realizes that his coup is a great gamble due to the possible case that his beliefs are incompatible with Seldons original goals. The next day in the Time Vault the holographic video of Hari Seldon appears. He is in his wheelchair and his voice is old and soft. He reveals that the Encyclopedia Galactica is a distraction intended to make the colonys creation possible. The true purpose of the Foundation is to form one nucleus of a Second Galactic Empire and shorten the predicted period of chaos to a mere thousand years, rather than thirty thousand years. After the video ends, the Board of Trustees admits they were wrong to Hardin and schedule a meeting to discuss their next action. Hardin smiles, knowing they would be giving orders no longer. Out there in Terminus City Yohan Lees men were already in control. In two days time Anacreon would be landing in force, but that was fine, in six months they would be giving orders no longer as well. Salvor Hardin had guessed the solution, and as Hari Seldon said, it was obvious. The Mayors (80 F.E.) (published June 1942 as Bridle and Saddle) Set in 80 F.E., three decades after the events of The Encyclopedists, The Mayors is set in a time where the Encyclopedia Foundations scientific understanding has given it significant leverage over the Four Kingdoms, though it is still isolated from the Galactic Empire. Exercising its control over the region through an artificial religion, Scientism, the Foundation shares its technology with the Four Kingdoms while referring to it as religious truth. Maintenance technicians comprise Scientisms priesthood, trained on Terminus. A majority of the priests themselves are unaware of the true importance of their religion, referring to advanced technology as holy food. The religion is not suppressed by the secular elite of the Four Kingdoms, reminscient of Western European rulers of the early medieval period, who use it to consolidate their power over the zealous populaces. Salvor Hardin, as Mayor of Terminus City, is the effective ruler of the Foundation, and has been reelected as mayor cont inuously since his political victory over the Encyclopedia Galactica Board of Trustees. However, his influence is suddenly checked by a new political movement led by city councillor Sef Sermak, which encourages direct action against the Four Kingdoms and a cessation of the scientific proselytizing encouraged by Hardins administration. The movement, whose followers refer to themselves as Actionists, is wildly popular, and Hardin is unable to appease Sermak and the Actionist leadership. The kingdom that is most concerning to the Actionists is that of Anacreon, ruled by Prince Regent Wienis and his nephew, the teenaged King Lepold I. Wienis plans to overthrow the Foundations power by launching a direct military assault against Terminus, making use of an abandoned Imperial space cruiser redesigned by Foundation experts to fit the needs of the elite Anacreonian navy. However, Hardin orders several secret technological devices to be incorporated into the ships design prior to its completion. Wienis plans to launch his offensive on the night of his nephews coronation as king and sole ruler of Anacreon. Hardin attends the coronation ceremony and is arrested, but has arranged with Anacreonian High Priest Poly Verisof, who is aware of the true nature of Scientism, to foster a popular uprising against Wienis. Convincing the Anacreonian populace that an assault against the Foundation and Terminus is blasphemous, Verisof leads an infuriated mob to the royal palace and surrounds it, demanding Hardins release. Meanwhile, the crew of the space cruiser mutinies against its commander, Admiral Prince Lefkin, Wieniss son. Lefkin confronts the mutineers and, captured, is forced to broadcast a message to Anacreon demanding Wieniss arrest and threatening a bombardment of the royal palace if that and other demands are not met. Wienis, maddened by his failure, orders Hardins execution, but his royal guardsmen refuse to obey him. Attempting and failing, due to a protective energy field, to kill Hardin personally, Wienis commits suicide. Hardin is proven correct again upon his return to Terminus City by another Seldon recording, set to play at this date. Though Actionists continue to hold a significant amount of power, an attempt to impeach the mayor fails and his popularity is renewed among the citys residents. It is also confirmed by Hari Seldon that the Foundations immediate neighbors, the Four Kingdoms, will now be virtually powerless and incapable of resisting Scientisms advance. The Traders (About 135 F.E.) (published October 1944 as The Wedge) The events of The Traders are set around 135 F.E., at a time during which the Foundation has expanded greatly and has sent out officially sanctioned Traders to exchange technology with neighboring planets for what amounts to greater political and economic power. Master Trader Eskel Gorov, also an agent of the Foundation government, has traveled to the worlds of Askone, where he hopes to trade nucleics. Gorov, however, is met with resistance by Askones governing Elders due to traditional taboos that effectively ban advanced technology. Gorov is imprisoned and sentenced to death; the Elders refuse Foundation requests for clemency. Trader Linmar Ponyets is ordered by the Foundation to try and negotiate with the Elders, and travels to the central Askonian planet. Ponyets meets with the Elders Grand Master and deduces that, though he is determined to have Gorov executed, he may be willing to exchange the captive for a suitable bribe, which Ponyets realizes would be a sum of gold. Ponyets clumsily fashions a transmuter that will convert iron into gold. The Grand Master informs Ponyets that others who have attempted this have failed and have been punished with execution for both their attempt and for their failure; Ponyets succeeds and convinces the Grand Master that the gold is appropriate for Askonian religious decoration, which pleases the Elders. Councilor Pherl, the Grand Masters protà ©gà ©, appears to be wary of Ponyets. Meeting with the Councilor, Ponyets discovers that Pherl is instead quite willing to work with him, if only due to the chances of eventually attaining the Grand Mastership himself. Pherl, from a different ethnic background than traditional Grand Masters and a young man, believes that a stable supply of gold will be able to dramatically increase his power, and Ponyets provides him with the transmuter. It appears that the friendly Pherl will ascend to the Grand Mastership, while Gorov is released quickly. Ponyets discusses his success with Gorov, who criticizes his techniques due to what he perceives as Ponyetss lack of morality. Ponyets replies by reminding Gorov of an alleged statement made by Salvor Hardin: Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right! The Merchant Princes (About 155 F.E.) (published August 1944 as The Big and the Little) Set around 155 F.E., The Merchant Princes takes places against the backdrop of a powerful Foundation, which has subjugated the neighboring Four Kingdoms and expanded its commercial and technological empire throughout numerous stellar systems. However, it continues to meet resistance, and three Foundation vessels have vanished near the planets of the Republic of Korell, a nation suspected of independent technological development. Master Trader Hober Mallow is assigned to deal with Korell and also to investigate their technological developments and find the missing ships. Those who have assigned this mission to Mallow, Foreign Secretary Publius Manlio and the Mayors secretary, Jorane Sutt, believe that a Seldon Crisis is underway; they fear that domestic tensions caused by the great autonomy given to Traders and shaky foreign relations may give rise to a nuclear conflict involving the Foundation. Sutt and Manlio, believ ing that they can weaken the Traders by staging an embarrassing diplomatic incident, plant an agent aboard Mallows ship. The agent, a respected Trader, invites a Foundation missionary onto the ship once it reaches Korell. Such missionaries are forbidden to enter Korell, and an angry mob immediately surrounds the ship, demanding the missionary. This rapid response in a remote location arouses Mallows suspicions, and Mallow gives the missionary to the mob, despite the frantic intervention of the agent. Later, Mallow meets with Korells authoritarian ruler, Commdor Asper Argo, who appears friendly and welcomes Foundation technological gifts. Argo refuses to allow Scientism on Korell, and Mallow agrees not to encourage missionary work in the Republic. Mallow is invited to tour a steel foundry belonging to Korells government, where he notes guards carrying atomic handguns. He is surprised to discover that these weapons bear the markings of the Galactic Empire, which the Foundation assumes has fallen by this time. Mallows discoveries lead him to believe that the Empire may be attempting to expand into the Periphery again, and has been providing weapons to client states such as Korell. Leaving the Republic and his ship, he journeys alone to the planet Siwenna, which he believes may be the capital of an Imperial province. He finds Siwenna a desolate and sad place, and meets the impoverished patrician Onum Barr in the latters isolated mansion, which is slowly crumbling. Barr, a former provincial senator and a leading citizen, had served in the Imperial government on Siwenna during a fairly stable time several decades earlier, before a series of corrupt and ambitious viceroys who each harbored dreams of becoming Emperor. After the previous viceroy rebelled against the Emperor, Barr participated in a revolution that overthrew the viceroy. However, the Imperial fleet also sent to remove the viceroy wanted to conquer a rebellious province even if it was no longer in rebellion, and began a massacre that claimed the lives of all but one of Barrs children. Mallow is tried for murder upon his return to Terminus, due to turning over the Foundation missionary to the mob. However, he is able to convince the court that the missionary was in fact a Korellian secret policeman who played a part in the conspiracy against the Traders manufactured by Sutt and Manlio. Acquitted, Mallow is received with delight by the population of Terminus, which will almost undoubtedly select him as Mayor in the elections scheduled to take place in the following year. To prepare for the election, Mallow engineers the arrest of Sutt and Manlio, and eventually takes office. However, he is soon faced with tensions between the Foundation and Korell, which declares war on the Foundation, using its powerful Imperial flotilla to attack Foundation ships. Instead of counterattacking, Mallow takes no action, waiting until the lack of Foundation goods forces Korell to surrender.

Young Goodman Brown Symbolism Essay

Young Goodman Brown Symbolism Essay Young Goodman Brown is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Written in 1835, the story deals with a late night meeting between a man and the Devil. On the surface this is all the story is, but if one looks closer one would find the story to be littered with symbolic images. Goodman Browns marriage to his wife, the aptly named Faith. At the beginning of the story, Goodman Brown, and Faith have only been married for three months. This symbolizes Goodman Brown as one who lacks a deep attachment to faith. This is further evidenced by his willingness to stray from his wife to embark on his evening journey. Although Goodman Brown knows that what lies ahead of him on his journey into the woods, is not good, he sees this momentary dabbling in the dark side as a one time affair. Hawthorne cements this in paragraph seven where Goodman Browns says to himself à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦after this one night, Ill cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven. (page 385) Another symbol is the setting of the story. The woods. In the story the woods is a dark foreboding place with Goodman Brown walking down a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees in the forest. (page 386) The bleak setting conveys the dark situation Goodman Brown is about to find himself in. Despite the obvious evil present in the woods, Goodman Brown presses on further into the darkness with Satan as his guide. This symbolizes mans inability to break the devils hold upon him, once he has allowed his sins to drag him to a certain point. A contrast to the dark, gloomy setting is the character Faith, Goodman Browns wife. Faith is one of the three principals that gives Goodman Brown the impression that he has an ideal life, in this case the good wife. But to Goodman Brown, Faith is much more than this. Faith as her name implies is seen by Goodman Brown to be a physical manifestation of his faith with Brown referring to her as My love and my Faith. (page 385) Faith also comes with a symbol of her own, in this case a pink ribbon. Throughout the story, Hawthorne makes numerous references to this, including referring to her as Faith with the pink ribbons (page 385) in the third paragraph. Faiths pink ribbon is the focus of a crucial, dramatic scene towards the end of the story. At this part of the story, Satan has broken Goodman Brown, and in the midst of everything Goodman Brown has come to know has turned out to be a fallacy. Despite this Goodman Brown makes one final attempt to hold onto his Faith, but in the midst of the chaos, a pink ribbon falls from the sky on catches on a tree branch. This symbolizes the end of the fight for Goodman Brown, now a broken, faithless man Goodman Brown cries out There is no good on earth, and sin is but a name. Come, devil, for thee is this world given. (page 389) Faith in general plays a prominent role in the story, particularly false faith. Before his meeting with Satan, Goodman Brown believes himself to be of good faith because those around him are of good faith. However once it is revealed that those around him are more akin to a satanic cult, than a holy congregation, Goodman Brown begins to lose himself only hanging on with the belief that his beloved wife is strong of faith. This turns out to be false as well, and with the revelation that the one seen by Goodman Brown to be faith personified, is full of sin, Goodman Brown is finally broken and surrenders himself to Satan. One of the biggest, if not the biggest symbol in the story, is that of Satan himself. Throughout the ages, Satan has been a cultural symbol of ultimate evil, and Young Goodman Brown continues that tradition. In the story Satan represents a number of things, of them being the evil that lies within us all. When first meeting up with Goodman Brown in the woods, Satan is described as resembling an older Goodman Brown , with Hawthorne describing him as being apparently in the same rank of life as Goodman Brown, and bearing a considerable resemblance to him, though more in expression than features. Still they might have been taken for father and son. (page 386) In his human form, Satan carries with him, a walking stick in the shape of a serpent. Since the story of Adam and Eve, the serpent has been used as a symbolic representation of Satan. Satan is often seen as a master manipulator, and one who can easily shatter ones view of the world around them. This is evident in paragraph eighteen, when Goodman Brown has discovered the true identity of his companion and is attempting to break away from him on the grounds that his family has never been he kind to fall in with the devil. To this Satan replies I helped your grandfather, the constable when he lashed the Quaker woman so smartly through the streets of Salem. (page 386) He also goes on to say It was I who brought your father a pitch-pine knot, to set fire to an Indian village, in King Phillips war. (page 387) This symbolizes a number of things at once. In the context of the story, it further symbolizes that the world Goodman Brown ahs found himself in, is much different from the world he perceived himself as living in. In Goodman Browns eyes, his father and Grandfather were shining examples of good Christian men. However Satan shatters this allusion and reveals that not only are Goodman Browns ancestors guilty of sin, but that they committed their sins in collaboration with the devil. This can also be applied to a broader sense of realization that evil does exist in the world, and that something or someone we perceive as good, may in fact be in league with the darkest of evil. An interesting point in the story occurs in the ninth paragraph, when Goodman Brown, now deep in the darkest reaches of the forest states There may be a devilish Indian behind every three, what if the devil himself should be at my very elbow! (page 386) This symbolizes the devils ability to enter a persons life and remain a part of it completely undetected until it is too late. The story of Young Goodman Brown, is one that works on two very different levels. On its surface, the story appears as nothing ,more than the tale of a man who experiences a quite literally hellish event. Upon further analysis however, the story is a much deeper allegoric tale of the importance of faith, and how easily a person can be made or broken by it.

Critical Analysis of an Incident Essay -- Nursing Reflective Practice

Introduction The intention of this written essay is to demonstrate an understanding of my views on the art and science of reflection and the issues surrounding reflective practice. It is based on a significant incident from my own area of clinical practice as a state registered paramedic within the U.K. There is a discussion appraising the concept of reflection both generally, and in my particular area of practice. This is followed by an analysis of the incident using The What ? Model of Structured reflection suggested by Driscoll (2000). A rationale is given for the selection of this particular incident and also for the selection of the chosen model as a framework. It will show how the model has been used to reflect on the incident, what has been learnt, and the outcome on both current and future practice. Reflection is an active process of witnessing one’s own experience so that we can take a closer look at it. It has its foundations in the discipline of experiential learning. Dewey (1939 cited in Rolfe, Freshwater, & Jasper 2001) claimed that we learn by doing, and realising what came of what we did. â€Å"Reflective practice is something more than thoughtful practice. It is that form of practice which seeks to problematise many situations of professional performance so that they can become potential learning situations and so the practitioners can continue to learn, grow and develop in and through their practice† Jarvis P. (1992) pp174 -181. Johns, C (2000a) pg 34, describes reflection as a window through which the practitioner can view and focus self within the context of his own lived experience in ways that enable him to confront, understand and work towards resol... ...pman, C.M. (1988) Professional and Ethical Issues in Nursing: The Code of Professional Conduct: Chichester; J. Willey & Sons Ltd. Jarvis, P. (1992) Reflective practice and nursing, in Nurse Education Today, Vol 12, No.3 pp 174 - 181 Johns, C (2000a) Becoming a Reflective Practitioner; Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd. Chapter 3 pg 34 Johns, C. (2000b) Becoming a Reflective Practitioner: Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd. Chapter 3 pg 36 Procter, B. (1986) Supervision: a co-operative exercise in accountability: Routledge U.K. pg 23 Rolf, G., Freshwater, D. and Jasper M. (2001) Critical reflection for nursing and the helping professions: a users guide. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Roth, P.A. (1989) What is reflective practice? (Internet) Available from http://www/lovehealth.org/tools/reflection2.htm (accessed on 21 December 2006)

Conflict with Authority in A Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay -- Midsumme

Conflict with Authority in A Midsummer Night’s Dream Throughout A Midsummer Night’s Dream the theme of conflict with authority is apparent and is the cause of the problems that befall the characters. It also is used to set the mood of the play. The passage below spoken by Theseus in the opening of the play clearly states this theme. Be advised fair maid. To you your father should be as god- One that composed your beauties, yea, and one To whom you are but as a form in wax By him imprinted, and within his power To leave the figure or disfigure it - A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1.1.46-51) The first example of conflict with authority in the play is the premiere example and sets up the conflict for the rest of the play. This example that occurs during the play is in the opening scene of act 1. Here we see Theseus warning Hermia not to disobey her father and advising her that Egeus created her and can "discreate" her if he chooses. Hermia is reminded that Athenian law provides that a father shall have total control of his daughter’s life until the daughter is married. Even though Hermia does not want to marry Demetrius, the law says she has no choice and must conform to her father’s wishes. If Egeus’s authority hadn’t been the supreme authority, than Hermia and Lysander wouldn’t have had to flee Athens for their love. The other major example of conflict with authority is also partly responsible for the friction that occurs in the play. This example occurs in the fairy world between Oberon and Titania. Oberon, as king of the fairies, is the supreme authority in the fairy world. Therefore, by disobeying him, Titania is defying her supreme authority. Her disobedience causes the conflict in nature that is apparen... ... on the mood. Through Theseus’s speech to Hermia, Shakespeare introduces and establishes a central theme that is readily apparent throughout A Midsummer Night’s Dream and he also uses this theme to establish the central mood of the play. Theseus reveals the central theme of the play in the opening act, particularly in the lines being examined, and we see this theme throughout A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It occurs in three different situations and is carried on throughout the rest of the play. Shakespeare also uses this theme to create the mood of the play. In this way the passage spoken by Theseus becomes a pivotal point of the play. It serves as the introduction of the central theme of the play and also as the main device Shakespeare used to set of the mood. Shakespeare uses this passage as a starting point for the direction that the rest of the play will take.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Is Gawain and Epitome?

Every group has its idols, those people who serve as the epitome of the group’s values. Cowboys look up to Lane Frost, basketball players look up to Michael Jordan, and Arthurian knights look up to King Arthur. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, one of the greatest Arthurian romances written in England, Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, takes on a challenge to exchange â€Å"one strike for another† with the Green Knight (line 287).Despite all of the bad experiences and temptations he fights along the way, after the battle with the Green Knight, Sir Gawain is definitely still admirable as the epitome of the Arthurian Knight as he wears a green girdle in remembrance of his mistakes(Sir Gawain). Gawain believes in a chivalric code, in which is very admirable. Gawain is a young knight who knows the chivalric code well, and knows that he is supposed to exhibit, as the Duke of Burgundy say’s â€Å"faith, charity, justice, sagacity, prudence, temperance, resolution , truth, liberality, diligence, hope, and valor†(Knight’s code of Chivalry).These can be summed up to the most admirable rules of the chivalric code: honor, loyalty and Christianity. Gawain is admirable for these qualities in which he possesses. He shows loyalty to both his earthly kings and heavenly king. The knights are â€Å"renowned after the name of Christ† and â€Å"their king [is] most high in pride (Sir Gawain, 52). He must honor his uncle, King Arthur, his host, and God, in everything he does. Gawain shows his loyalty towards King Arthur by taking the challenge made by the Green Knight.Gawain tells Author that he will take the battle because, â€Å"[he] [is] the weakest [†¦] and the least loss, if [he] live[s] not† (Sir Gawain, lines 354-55). He is so loyal toward the king that he is willing to sacrifice his own life for his uncle, because his uncle would be a much bigger loss. Gawain honors his uncle by not giving up; this would have disapp ointed his uncle tremendously because as a part of the chivalric code, it is a knight’s duty to be truthful.He shows loyalty to both his uncle and the Green Knight when he honors the Green Knights wish for him to meet him at the â€Å"Green Chapel† on New Year’s morning for â€Å"a nimble knock in return† (Sir Gawain,lines451-453). Gawain’s loyalty to King Arthur also extends to his behavior toward his host. Everyday Gawain is to exchange with the host whatever he received from that day. When Gawain tells the host, â€Å"while I remain in your mansion, your command I will obey,† he shows extreme honor towards the host (Sir Gawain, line 1093).Along with his loyalty to his host and earthly lord, he puts his faith in God as he prays to the Virgin Mary. â€Å"When Gawain sets out on his journey to find the Green Chapel, he finds himself lost, and only after praying to the Virgin Mary does he find his way† (â€Å"Sir Gawain†). By pr aying during hard times such as when he needed lodging, and when â€Å"†¦he doffed his helm, and with honor he thanked Jesus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  for giving him lodging, he shows his honor and faithfulness to God (Sir Gawain, line 773). Every choice Gawain makes exemplifies his effort in staying true to the code of chivalry.Gawain is admirable for never giving up. He succeeds at passing the trials that test his devotion and faith in Christianity. One critic of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight characterizes nature as â€Å"rough and indifferent† and states that, nature invades and disrupts order in the major events of the narrative† (â€Å"Sir Gawain†). This nature includes both the nature such as wildlife and nature such as Mother Nature. Along the way to his appointment with the Green knight, Gawain encountered many harsh occasions where he could have just given up.He faces harsh conditions such as, wars with worms, wolves, wood- trolls, bulls, bears, boars, and o gres (Sir Gawain, lines 720-23). It later goes on to mention that â€Å"death had met often† (Sir Gawain, line 725). Things will get a lot worse before they get better for Gawain, in this situation. Gawain is in a constant battle, but he refuses to give in, knowing that even after all of these cruel catastrophes, he still has to meet with the Green Knight. This is extreme loyalty, for him to keep going without lodging, all by himself, and in the cold weather (Sir Gawain, lines 712-735). Nature! (â€Å"Sir Gawain†).In this case Mother Nature causes the problems that Gawain must face. Even after all of the mishaps invented by nature along the way, Gawain still must take on more mishaps as he is overcome by Bertilak’s wife and her seductiveness. It is only nature for a guy, especially a single guy, to lust for a seductive woman when she is constantly â€Å"tempting him often, so as to allure him to love-making. † (Sir Gawain, lines 1550-51). Each day when th e host’s wife comes in his bed room and kisses him, Gawain remains loyal to the host by giving him the kisses in return for what the host had killed that day (â€Å"Sir Gawain†).By pushing through the nature, bad weather, lonely trip, and temptations of the host’s wife, Gawain is admirable for never giving up as well as remaining loyal to his host. Gawain’s response to all of the mishaps along the way to meet the Green Knight and when he does meet with him is incredibly admirable. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain struggle’s â€Å"to meet the appointment and his adventures along the way demonstrate [his] spirit of chivalry and loyalty. † (â€Å"Sir Gawain†). Consequently, he fails this test of loyalty, honesty, Christianity, and chivalry as a whole, when he takes the girdle and doesn’t give it to the host.He â€Å"values survival over virtue† (â€Å"Sir Gawain†). The knight tells Gawain, â€Å"As a pearl than white pease is prized more highly, / so is Gawain, in good faith, than other gallant knights,/ but in this you lacked, sir, a little, and of loyalty came short†(Sir Gawain lines 2365-67). Gawain has made this long trip to meet the Green Knight, been through many near death experiences, has been kissing his host’s wife, and when he is offered a girdle that will prevent him from being killed, nature kicks in again; this time causing him to fail the test of his loyalty to his host or Green Knight.He takes the girdle like any man would do and does not give it to the host. By doing this he values survival over being an honest and loyal knight. He is also placing his faith in a girdle â€Å"instead of praying to Mary†. (â€Å"Sir Gawain†) As a critic says, â€Å"he employs reason to do something less than courageous—evade death in a dishonest way. † (â€Å"Sir Gawain†) Not only is Gawain failing at being honest, but also at being loyal to both the Green Knight and King Arthur. As a knight, cheating and lying are not acceptable, â€Å"but because [he] loved [his] own life: the less [the Green Knight] blame[d] [him]. (Sir Gawain lines, 2369) As the Green Knight explains to Gawain how everything he had encountered since he had stayed in Bertilak was a test, Gawain adds humility to the chivalric code. He confesses to the knight and returns to him, his wife’s’ girdle. As Kevin Gustavon says, â€Å"Like the Green Knight’s accusation, Gawain’s subsequent confession draws on penitential language way that rede? nes chivalric masculinity, so that it includes imperfection and fear, as well as a sense of humility that arises from recognition of one’s own weakness rather than from mere politeness. (Gustavon, 628) The Knight forgives Gawain by saying, â€Å"Thou hast confessed thee so clean and acknowledged thine errors, / [†¦] and I give thee, sir, the girdle with gold at its hems/â € ¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢twill be a plain reminder of the chance of the Green Chapel between chivalrous knights. †(Sir Gawain, lines 2394-2400) By confessing, Gawain recognized his weakness and tried to make it right; this helps to exemplify Gawain’s honesty, and adds humility to the chivalric code. Gawain says of the girdle, â€Å"but as a token of my trespass I shall turn to it often†¦ruefully recalling the failure and the frailty of the flesh so perverse. (Sir Gawain lines, 2434-2436) Gawain chooses to wear the girdle in remembrance of his sins, making him even more admirable for his simplicity, at no point does he try to deny or overlook his mistake; he is very straightforward once the Green Knight tells him of the tests. Gawain is admirable not only to the reader of this story, but also to his brotherhood and everyone at the round table. (Sir Gawain, lines 2517-2518) The people of the round table can now honor Gawain as a knight who has risen to be just as big of an infl uence as King Arthur.When Gawain returns home to King Arthur, they all decide to wear green girdles like Gawain. Even though Gawain fails, his family, brotherhood, and the ladies of the Round Table still look upon Gawain as the ideal knight. They respect him and honor him, â€Å"and this for love of that knight as a livery [they] wear [a green girdle]:† (Sir Gawain, line 2520). For Gawain to confess and want to wear the girdle for his â€Å"grief and disgrace†, he has made himself an admirable epitome, so that others honor him (â€Å"Sir Gawain†). †¦ Every knight of Brotherhood a baldric should have, / a band of bright green obliquely about him:† (Sir Gawain, lines 2518-2519). After the all of the hardships and meeting with the Green Knight, Sir Gawain is seen as equal to King Arthur by the round table. Gawain is still admirable for: the code he believes in, the code he follows, his ability to never give up on his code, and the way he responds to all of his misfortunes. But, he is admired even more for learning humility.Cowboys continue to look up to Lane Frost even though he might not have always rode 8 seconds, and basketball players look up to Michael Jordan regardless of how many missed shots he had, because each bull ride or basketball game taught them something. Arthurian knights see King Arthur and Sir Gawain as admirable epitomes for the humility that Gawain has learned to carry with him. Works Cited Baswell, Christopher and Schotter, Anne. â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight†. Master of British Literature. Vol. A. Eds. David Damrosch and Kevin J. H. Dettmar.New York: Longman- Pearson, 2008. 144-202. Print. Gustavon, Kevin. â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight†. A companion to medieval English Literature and Culture 1350-1500 . Eds. Peter Brown. (2007): 628. Web. 10 October 2012. < http://www. scribd. com/doc/47311463/29/Sir-Gawain-and-the-Green-Knight> â€Å"Knights code of Chivalry. † middle-age s. n. p. n. d. Web. 9 October 2012. < http://owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/747/08/>. â€Å"Sir Gawain. † Arthurian Adventure. n. p. 2004. Web. 9 October 2012. < http://arthurianadventure. com/sir_gawain. htm>.

Living in a dynamic earth Essay

Evolving from ape-man society to the advanced civilization nowadays, people start to inhabit in artificial concrete jungle and live far away from the given natural environment. With social progression and economic benefits, peoples’ crave for natural resources keeps escalating from time to time. People have a great tendency to consume resources yet ignore the long-term  behavioral consequences that are destined to cycle back eventually. The significance of sustainability is mostly overlooked. The book ‘Human Science and Human History 101’ considers the planet and human as a whole system and tells the story in an informational scientific way. The book contains four main topics. Firstly introduce the formation history of the Earth and facts about different parts and components of the Earth to provide readers a solid concept and basis of the planet. Afterwards, it gradually explores the fact that human generation development and evolution are greatly determined by the changes on the Earth, for instance, the uncontrollable natural catastrophe-volcano eruption. Hence it evaluates the resulting impacts and relationships between human development and the Earth as a circulating ecosystem. The first chapter starts with the exploration of the history and facts of atmosphere, oceans and rivers. An introduction of the atmosphere composition and certain scenarios of greenhouse effect and ozone depletion spark off the chapter. The sun gives life to the Earth. It provides a primary energy source to the Earth. Solar energy of the sun breeds and sustains the living things. Temperature on the Earth simply controls climates and determines changes on the living environment and consequently triggers alterations in human behaviors, which creates human history through centuries. This chapter specifically links the variation of solar radiation to the changes on surface of the Earth and history of mankind. The aforementioned changes in solar radiation are explained by long-term cycles. (Chapter 1, P.5) With obtaining the trapped gas of carbon dioxide in ice to determine the information about the changes in atmospheric temperature, in which a 100,000 years of slow cooling in glacial pe riods and 20,000 years of rapid warming in interglacial periods can be investigated. Climate changes create different periods and with the start and end of different periods generate distant consequences hence affect and shift living of human. From the long history of 1,5000 years ago, increasing temperature leaded to the melting of water and terminated the last Ice Age. With the end of last Ice Age, three main consequences – topographic effects of deglaciation, peopling effect of the Americas and the possibility of the occurrence of biblical flood in the Black Sea occur. (Chapter 1, P.15) These three effects further mold the  surface of the Earth with the junctions of rivers, separation of the Earth continents and expansion of sea area. Firstly, ‘topographic effects of deglaciation’ discusses the physical evidence of glaciation on land and rapid sea level rise. The melting of ice uncovered the land and exposed much of the topography of North America and northern Europe. Secondly, ‘peopling of the Americas’ confers the idea of very different evolution patterns between South and North Americas using examples of primates, hominins and Homo sapiens. The circumstance was leaded by the isolation of North America by the opening of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. Thirdly, ‘Flooding of the Black Sea’ tells that the Black sea was once isolated, and by connecting the Black Sea with other world’s ocean by melting ice, the busiest waterway in the world that affects people’s transportation routes and preferences is created. Then from the shorter history of past 2000 years, the time is divided into five periods with obvious evidence of the influence of climates to human behavior and history. (Chapter 1, P.17) For example, in the Little Ice Age, a decrease in food production and rise in food prices due to a cold climate spurred the emigration of people and eventually the high food process leaded the French Revolution. It is evident that although it seems irrelevant, when viewing the human history and climates together, we can find huge and direct relationship that can by no means be overlooked. Climate changes human behaviors and builds history. After explaining the linkage between climate and human activities, global warming is discussed as a non-stop phenomenon that keeps influencing us. After showing evidence of global warming, it is, however, stated that the rapid increases of the amount of greenhouse gases is mainly caused by human activity and social progression. For instance, in the 1700s, the industrial revolution started up the human economic production fuelled by coal; after that, the development of car (an industrial production) speeded up the utilization of oil especially in developed countries. Volcanoes, oceans and rivers activities and influences are explored to end the chapter. (Chapter 1, P.25) This chapter provides history of the Earth and human, which explains the rational behind climates and human activities and further notice us the possibility of influences to us in the future. After the comprehensive explanation of the relationship of solar radiation to  the atmospheric elements, formation of the Earth surface and eventually links to human development, chapter two proceeds to description of the solid tectonic parts and its tectonic processes, then explores its influence and relationship to human kind. ‘Tectonics’ is the deformation of the earth’s surface. In the beginning chapter two provides basic information of the structure and composition of the Earth and the principle of ‘Isostasy’. (Chapter 2, P.53) From the center of the Earth, it consisted of a core, a mantle and a crust. With the heat constantly generates from the interior of the Earth, the crust is at the same time in motion. These affects the crust which is the surface of the Earth where human habitat and creates a series of tectonic processes that we human being considered as catastrophes. ‘Isostasy’ is then referred to the concept that all elevat ion son the Earth are determined and controlled by the thickness and density of the underlying crust and known as ‘Equal standing’. Following is the discussion of the Plate tectonics, which foremost explains the heat generates from the Earth by radioactive decay and this source is strong enough to prevent shrinking and to drive tectonic processes. The chapter further remarks on the structures and processes of the movement of rocks using the concepts of continental drift, hot spot, and plates. (Chapter 2, P.61) After all the fundamental information then comes to the influences of tectonic processes include Volcanism, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Living in rifts and Living on small islands. The above five processes are discussed from its formation reasons to its impacts on humans habitat and explains with examples of the according changes in mankind behaviors and history. Firstly, in volcanoes eruption, molten rocks known as ‘magma’ is introduced and categorized into ‘intrusive rock’ and ‘extrusive rocks’. (Chapter 2, P.67) Three historically important eruptions are described. The v iolent explosion of Santorini in 1640 B.C. which has a great possibility of leading to the remarkable replacement of Minoan civilization by the Mycenaeans. The other two are explosion of glowing cloud, one is from the Mount Vesuvius and the other is the Mount Pelee. In the later eruption, a glowing cloud around 500 meters high crashed in St.Pierre which burned and covered the whole town and killed approximately 25,000 people. Secondly, earthquakes occur when faults slip in a sudden. The highest magnitude of earthquake that is ever measured is 9.5 in Chile on 22th of May in 1960. Possible influences of earthquakes are  discussed by examples at Mayan Quirigua, Israeli site of Armagedon and San Francisco. Earthquakes can be as severe as to destruct all of the existing civilization in Maya empire. However, human can also learn from time to time to protect ourselves by obtaining knowledge of building in earthquake-prone areas. (Chapter 2, P.73) Thirdly, tsunami is a gigantic system of waves in ocean basins that is resulted from sudden displacement of ocean surfaces. Mostly, tsunami is a consequence of underwater earthquakes and the examples of Indian Ocean and La Palma are then illustrated. In the significant tsunami of Indian Ocean, more than 200,000 deaths were caused directly and long-term social facilities and industries destructions, for instances, buildings, roads and tourism industry, were created. Fourthly, people living in rifts because those low valleys contain a great amount of resources in terms of water, food and fertile soils for living. Examples of East African rift system and Hawaii are mentioned to further illustrate the abundant resources in rift valleys. (Chapter 2, P.83) Last, the chapter ends with describing people living on thousands of small islands like Hawaii and Midway which are almost isolated from the rest of the world geographically but play significant role of intermediate stops of air route. With the basis of the atmospheric element and tectonic planet surface mentioned in the first two chapters, chapter three continues with the introduction of the origin of human and continents. The controversy of emergence of human kind from creationism or evolution is evaluated and the origin of existing continents is discussed with evidence. Generally, creationism represents the belief that creatures are created by Genesis 1 in the 6-day period when God made the Earth. Creationists think the concept of evolution can be compatible with creations in the biblical stories. Every living thing in the world are made by God separately and every word in the Bible is undoubtedly true. (Chapter 3, P.90) While theory of evolution tells the existing creatures are evolved from ancient living things in the process of natural selection. Evolutionist rejects supreme beings and thinks that living objects in the universe all undergoes physical processes of changing. French anatomist George Cuvier propo sed the idea that the Earth had undergone several times of huge extinction and recreation of new organisms throughout times. If the existing organisms are capable of adapting to their  environment, it survives; if it does not, it simply varies or perishes. With the continuous variation of creatures to adapt to the environment and prevent from dying produces the form of existing creatures nowadays. The controversy of creationism and evolution continued seriously through the 20th century. The trial of John Scopes in Dayton in 1925 is mentioned to show the deep-rooted conflicts. (Chapter 3, P.94) The sequence of events that influenced the Earth is also discussed with the method of ‘law of superposition’ to distinguish the age of substances. Such method can to certain extent prove the history of supercontinents. Continents preserve long history of the Earth and the discussion of continents is separated into two parts of continents formation and history of supercontinents. Two of the supercontinents are Gondwana and Pangea. Finding similar fossil in different countries or areas proved they might once be a whole complete landmass. (Chapter 3, P.111) Concerning Gondwana as an example, similar fossils are found in Australia, India, South Africa and South America. Also, glaciation evidence is found in the above areas to show its unity in the past. Finishing all the discussion of the formation and development of the Earth and human kind, the last chapter reveals the relationship between the Earth resources, human needs, behaviors and the environment influences and sustainability. ‘Sustainability’ means human’s patterns of living and working which are able to continue for the foreseeable future of humankind and, not causing series destruction or damage to any member or component in the ecosystem. (Chapter 4, P.120) This chapter breaks up the energy resources consumption and environmental consequences into five aspects of introduction to energy resources, mineral and rock resources, food resources, fresh water resources and wireless communication and the Internet. In the category of energy resources, information about world energy information is first given. It is shown that energy consumption of United States is increasing from year to year. Also, the United State that possesses 5 percent of worlds population, consumes 25 percent of world energy production. While poor countries only consume low rate of energy. An unbalance energy use is to a large extent shown. (Chapter 4, P.123) Then energy resources formation, production and consumption and history of use of different resources are described regarding fossil fuel, nuclear energy,  renewable resources and rock and mineral resources. To the aspect of food resources, nutritional requirements are discussed with a comparison and contrast of the calories consumption of industrialized countries and poor countries. Origin and characteristics of different sources of food for example Beans, wheat and fruit are mentioned afterwards. (Chapter 4, P.150) Thomas Robert Malthus produced an essay in 1798 introducing the tendency of population increasing exponentially which presented the scenario that world population kept escalating. Yet, while population increases the world is still not capable of feeding everybody although there are plenty of food. Food distribution is not even. This situation supports the doctrine of ‘survival of the fittest’, similar to the idea of natural selection in extinction and evolution. (Chapter 4, P.154) A development of silk road and distant modern communication internet and methods are then mentioned. From the further transportation of horse riding to steam engines, from land transport to ocean transport, there was a great advance in human society connection. Also with the invention and breakthrough of communication gadgets time to time, from electricity generators to telephone and to radio, information can be disseminate much easier. (Chapter 4, P.157) It is, however, worth to meditate that how those technology can be correctly used to benefit human beings. To sum up, by providing scientific information and evidence of the formation and changes of the Earth and human kind, this book tells the story between the Earth and people. While human civilization proceeds and enters the era of rapid economic activities, energy consumption keeps escalating for the productivity and need of human. It is, yet, remarkable that all of the energy sources create certain amount of problems to the Earth and environment. As a closed ecosystem, addressing sustainability is of utmost significant to human beings future life. At the end gives audience the message of its correlationship in order to highlight the importance of obtaining sustainability to human and our habitat, the Earth. Reference list: Rogers, J. W. & Tucker, T. (2008). _Earth Science and Human History 101._United States of America: Greenwood Press.