Racial Disparities in Capital Punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Racial Disparities in Capital Punishment - Essay Example The study also established that the number of blacks on death row was higher compared to white defendants who had committed similar offenses. Scott (2008, pp 2-6), conducted another study on race and capital punishment in Harris County in the state of Texas, which hold the infamous reputation of being the capital of execution in the United States. The study was in agreement with the Philadelphia findings by establishing that the racial orientation of both the victim and defendant played a crucial factor in a meeting of capital punishments. In the study, Scott (2008, p5) found that the likelihood of imposing a death penalty on black defendant was higher than on white defendant. In addition, a death sentence was more likely to be imposed in cases where a white person was the victim than when the victim was black. Another important finding on race and capital punishments showed that District Attorneys were more racially prejudiced than the jury was (Baldus, et al. 1998, pp1680-89). These studies demonstrate that no matter the objection of legal technocrats, racial disparities exist in a determination of capital punishments in the United States. ` These findings bring to attention the ability of a judicial system to rise above the historical racial prejudices that purported superiority of white people over their black counterparts in the United States. In addition, they have also raised the question of whether the life of a certain race is more valuable than of another. Law courts in different states in the country have been consistently denying that the obvious racial disparities are not sufficient to prove racial biases in each particular case (David, & George 2003). This denial is of particular concern given that many states and federal governments in the US have passed legislation of addressing racial discrimination in employment and other areas such as housing.

Map of the occupied Germany Essay Example for Free

Map of the occupied Germany Essay The map presented above has been reproduced from Wikimedia Commons. It shows the four zones which were occupied by Great Britain, France, the United States, and the USSR. It also shows the location of Berlin well inside the Russian zone. The inset shows how the city of Berlin was divided among the four occupiers. Just by looking at the geographical location of Berlin, one could immediately see that the carriers of supplies (like food, medicine, and fuel) which were coming from the western zone and meant for the residents of the western sectors of Berlin had to traverse through a significant portion of the Russian zone before they could reach their destination. The Berlin Blockade, therefore, threatened the very survival of the Berliners who were living in the western sectors. This was realized by Stalin who exploited the situation in order to exert pressure on the western powers into renegotiating the German problem. This was what worried Governor Clay. He was well aware that the 2. 5 million residents of the western sectors could not survive longer than five weeks without new shipments of supplies. The blockade first surprised then confused the officials of the western powers. British foreign minister Bevin declared that despite the blockade, they should go forward with the plan of creating a West German state. Military Governor Clay recommended the use of an armored convoy to transport supplies through the Russian zone. However, his recommendation was turned down for fear that it would provoke a war with the USSR. In the end, the suggestion of Bevin to airlift the supplies was favored (Wilde). The planes carrying the supplies would fly over the Russian zone using the three air corridors which were opened under an agreement with the Russians after the war. These were: the â€Å"Frankfurt/Main-Berlin air corridor, the Hannover/Bueckeburg-Berlin air corridor, and the Hamburg-Berlin air corridor† (Berlin Information Group). On July 2, 1948, British Lt. General Brian K. Robertson conferred with the leaders of the United States and France after which he demanded the lifting of the Berlin Blockade. However, on July 14, the USSR responded by saying that the United States, Great Britain, and France had lost their right to stay in Berlin. The Russian response also justified the blockade by stating that its objective was the protection of the â€Å"economy of the [S]oviet zone. † According to the Russians, the creation of a West German state and the issuance of a new currency violated the agreements of the â€Å"Big Four† with regards the occupation of Germany. Hence, by violating the agreement, Russians claimed that the United States, Great Britain, and France effectively rendered their right to take part in the occupation and administration of Berlin null and void. The Russians also emphasized that since Berlin was located inside the Russian zone, all of Berlin (including the western sectors) belonged to the Russian zone. The western powers reacted to the Russian allegations during a meeting among the delegations of the United States, Great Britain, and France which started on July 15. Their joint response stated that â€Å"Threats, pressure or other actions† could not pressure them into leaving Berlin. On July 17, William J. (Wild Bill) Donovan, a former Major General who was the director of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during the war, declared that â€Å"The place to make a stand against Russia is right here in Berlin. This is not a Cold War. It is Hot as Hell† (The Berlin Airlift Veterans Association).

consumerism :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is enough food for every person on earth to consume 2500 calories a day, not including fruit or roots. It is odd that despite this fact there is still an overwhelming level of poverty in the world. The wealthiest 20% of the world receive most of the food in the world and spend huge amounts of money to purchase all this food. In order for the elite to live at the standard it does, the majority of the world must go without. Millions starve because the elite prefer death of the hungry to their own inconvenience. This situation is not easily remedied. First, people must begin to understand that they must eat only as much food as they need. Many would argue that they never have any leftovers and that all the food in their house gets eaten with little thrown away. This is good in the sense that food itself is not being wasted, but every American doesn’t need to eat as much food as they do. When a high percentage of people in this country are overweight and most people in third world countries are ghastly underweight and undernourished, then it is apparent that the citizens of this country must consume much less food. After understanding the issue at hand, Americans must then stop eating three to four meals a day and stop stuffing themselves at every meal. This would be hard to accomplish because this would mean making a sacrifice, which the rich already have big problems with, but also because the food-producing corporations would do everything in their power to stop this from happening. There is no market for these corporations in small third-world countries where they may have to sell their products at lower prices and no longer make astronomical profits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On an anti-consumerism website, these chilling statistics are given to show that America and the world’s richest are destroying our planet rapidly. â€Å"The United States, which has 6% of the world's population, uses 30% of the world's energy supply. 20% of the worlds population, (in other words its wealthy consumer class), is responsible for over 50% of its 'greenhouse effect' atmospheric pollutants, 90% of its ozone-depleting CFC gases, 96% of its radioactive waste... and so on â€Å"(enviroweb.org). Many may say that the reason for these embarrassing statistics is because the United States is the largest industrialized nation in the world. consumerism :: essays research papers fc   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is enough food for every person on earth to consume 2500 calories a day, not including fruit or roots. It is odd that despite this fact there is still an overwhelming level of poverty in the world. The wealthiest 20% of the world receive most of the food in the world and spend huge amounts of money to purchase all this food. In order for the elite to live at the standard it does, the majority of the world must go without. Millions starve because the elite prefer death of the hungry to their own inconvenience. This situation is not easily remedied. First, people must begin to understand that they must eat only as much food as they need. Many would argue that they never have any leftovers and that all the food in their house gets eaten with little thrown away. This is good in the sense that food itself is not being wasted, but every American doesn’t need to eat as much food as they do. When a high percentage of people in this country are overweight and most people in third world countries are ghastly underweight and undernourished, then it is apparent that the citizens of this country must consume much less food. After understanding the issue at hand, Americans must then stop eating three to four meals a day and stop stuffing themselves at every meal. This would be hard to accomplish because this would mean making a sacrifice, which the rich already have big problems with, but also because the food-producing corporations would do everything in their power to stop this from happening. There is no market for these corporations in small third-world countries where they may have to sell their products at lower prices and no longer make astronomical profits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On an anti-consumerism website, these chilling statistics are given to show that America and the world’s richest are destroying our planet rapidly. â€Å"The United States, which has 6% of the world's population, uses 30% of the world's energy supply. 20% of the worlds population, (in other words its wealthy consumer class), is responsible for over 50% of its 'greenhouse effect' atmospheric pollutants, 90% of its ozone-depleting CFC gases, 96% of its radioactive waste... and so on â€Å"(enviroweb.org). Many may say that the reason for these embarrassing statistics is because the United States is the largest industrialized nation in the world.

Ambition in Life – Essay

I firmly believe that school is much more than what we understand it to be. Education enlightens a person in the same way a lamp brightens a dark room. But in order to ignite the light of education in a person, a teacher plays the role of the lamp carrier. Through my educational life I've considered education as a process to not only gaining knowledge but also a method of igniting our thoughts, and the process of development of a person starts from his early school age. In the developing country like India where half of the population lives below the poverty line, a movement to give the children their right to equal education is required. Having come across students who dropped out of schools because of lack of interest, I feel the urge to be a part of system where a teacher is not only qualified to teach but who can also be a mentor to the students. Teach for India is one such initiative which is working on motto of ending inequity in education and ideas of educating children beyond the conventional methods of our educational system. I realized that by being a Teach for India fellow not only I will be imparting knowledge to the young ones but will also help them in grooming. So it work not only for education sector it also work for community development. I purposely want to join the fellowship as oppose to working in other education-focused organization are as follow:- 1 . Having received the best education myself, I understood the power of knowledge and the impact it can have on the society. By putting me in the class room of young guns of India , Teach for India provide me the chance to advertise new generation not to make the mistakes which they seems to make in absence of proper resources and guidance. 2 . Prior to and during the two-year Fellowship, Teach For India provides Fellows with adequate leadership training to ensure that they are successful leaders in any field once they complete the Fellowship. 3 . Finally and foremost thing it makes me feel me proud to be a good citizen of India who has contributed to some extent to my motherland.

Are Formal and Semi Formal Financial Institution Partnerships a Viable Option for Serving the Underserved in India

Are formal and semi formal financial institution partnerships a viable option for serving the underserved in India Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar 10/6/2010 Indu Paramita Mahapatra and Malay Harsh The essay tries to identify the potential problems with financial sector and does a gap analysis that leads to potential opportunities in the sector.It also takes a look at the challenges faced by the different financial institutions, the goals achieved, the targets to be achieved and how the partnership between the different formal and semi formal institutions can create a synergy for serving the underserved of the country. Introduction: The reach and availability of finances determine the growth and development of any enterprise. Then how could the development of a nation be any different from it?It must be duly noted that majority of the country’s populace is out of the purview of the financial services which means more than half of our nation lacks access to savings an d credit facilities among other financial securities and services such as investment options and insurance policies. Where we the urban literati state ourselves to be heavily hassled by the innumerable calls and emails trying to sell us a loan or investment options, these very same options are visibly amiss in the large rural pockets, places where they might be actually be needed.The fact is, there is a gap between the financial services needed and what is available. Problem With financial services in India: Current scenario India’s Economy Growth rate has been around 8. 5% – 9% (last 5 years). Our growth primarily has been in the industry & services sector which has grown by about 16. 8 percent. Even though agriculture is the principal means of livelihood for over 58. 4% of  India's population, the growth in this sector is limited to around 2. 8%.Of the many factors that attribute to poor growth in agriculture, a major reason is lack of access to proper finance. Limited access to savings, loans, remittance ;amp; insurance in rural/ unorganized sector are major constraints to agricultural and SME growth. Financial access enlarges livelihood opportunity ;amp; empowers the poor. And empowerment in turn aids socio-political stability. Financial inclusion provides formal identity, access to payments system ;amp; deposit insurance.Types of Financial Exclusion: (i) exclusion from payment system: not having access to bank accounts (ii) exclusion from formal credit markets leading to approaching informal/ exploitative markets The marginal farmers, the landless labour, the self employed, the unorganized sector, urban slum dwellers, migrants, ethnic minorities, socially excluded groups, senior citizens and women are often not covered under the financial services. The North Eastern Region and the eastern ;amp; central regions are most excluded. Financial Inclusion and RBI’s role:For the past few years one of the important new objectives of the Reserve Bank of  India  has been financial inclusion. Financial inclusion  is the delivery of financial services at affordable costs to vast sections of disadvantaged and low income groups. Unrestrained access to public goods and services is the sine qua non of an open and efficient society. It is argued that as banking services are in the nature of public good, it is essential that availability of banking and payment services to the entire population without discrimination is the prime objective of public policy.The movement towards financial inclusion rose to a crescendo in the current year, partly because of the Platinum Jubilee Celebration of RBI and partly because the demand for financial inclusion has become a national and a governmental imperative. According to Annual Policy Statement of RBI, 2004-05 â€Å"†¦banks should be obliged to provide banking services to all segments of population on equitable basis. † In 2005 RBI advised banks to provide basic bank â€Å"no frills† accounts with low or minimum balance/ charges so as to expand anking outreach to larger sections of society. KYC principles were simplified to open accounts for customers in rural ;amp; urban areas for people intending to open accounts with annual deposits of less than Rs. 50,000. General purpose Credit Card (GCC) facility was available up to Rs. 25000 at rural ;amp; urban branches . Revolving credit was encouraged and withdrawal up to limit sanctioned was based on household cash flows . No security or collateral was needed for the same. Interest rates were deregulated.In January 2006 banks were allowed to use services of NGOs, SHGs, micro finance institutions, civil society organizations as business facilitators/ correspondents (BC) for extending banking services. BCs were allowed to do â€Å"cash in-cash out† transactions at BC locations ;amp; branchless banking. Pilots were set up to provide credit counseling and financial education. In June 2007, R BI launched multilingual website in 13 Indian languages providing information on banking services.For the financial inclusion drive, in identified districts, survey was conducted based on electoral rolls, public distribution system etc to identify households with no bank accounts. Banks were required to open at least one account per house. Mass media was deployed for awareness/ publicity. Bank staff/ NGOs/ volunteers took ration cards/ Electoral ID/ photos for fulfilling KYC norms ;amp; opening accounts. The different financial institutions and their roles:The government institutions fuelling the growth in the financial sector for the purpose of extending the banking services to the underserved in India are Regional Rural Banks, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, LAMPs, Commercial Credit Co-operative Societies, State Cooperative banks and Commercial banks. But then the entire system of lending must be self sustaining. Most of the above agencies are loss making units and need to be supported by the government with seed funds. The wide availability of such units extends the outreach of governments financial benefits to the large rural population.The commercial banks try and keep themselves distant from extending their financial services of credit, savings etc to the villages owing largely to the heavy cost of operation and servicing in the deep pockets and would rather cough up the penalty imposed on them by the Reserve bank of India for not meeting credit targets set for Priority sector lending. The cost of reaching the customer unto itself is too high and added to that is the high cost of transaction and servicing of small ticket loans and to top it all there is a high default rate on such loans issued.On the contrary the Non banking financial service companies operate on a much lean structure. The models on which the financial service extension is operating these days is constantly evolving into more and more innovative structures. Unlike the banks, the M FIs may furnish loans without collaterals or security deposits as they have exercise a social obligation on the loan applicant to repay the loans on time. As the loans are issued only through SHGs or JLGs, the liability of each loan rests entirely on the shoulders of the entire group and not just the individual.Thus the ticket size of the loans increase in size and cost of servicing the loans also gets appropriated. The NBFCs and MFI also sell out their loans to the Commercial banks who finance them thus ensuring that the commercial banks also end up meeting their target of priority sector loans that too at a profitable scale. The role played by the NGOs is also worth mentioning when we talk about the financial services in the rural pockets. There has been a rise in the number of SHGs owing to the capacity building and awareness activities taken up by the NGOs.The SHGs are informal bodies formed by the coming together of a homogenous group of people (preferably women) such groups ac tively promote mandatory savings among their members. From the funds collected loans are issued at nominal rates to its group members while loans can be sought for livelihood purposes largely, loans may also be sought for consumption needs. The SHGs are also trained for developing enterprises and businesses to fuel their growths. The other tangential benefits of women’s SHGs are the increase of social status and say a woman has in the communityPartnership of banks with organisations like â€Å"A Little World† and â€Å"FINO† has been a groundbreaking innovation where the above organisations in partnership with the banks extend no frills bank accounts to the rural areas and their people. The benefit is two pronged. It must be noted that the cost per transaction incurred per transaction on a bank teller amounts to roughly $1. 07 USD, while the cost of transaction per ATM transaction costs the bank around $0. 27 USD. The costs are prohibitively high for a commercia l bank to operate on lower ticket size transactions and hence can’t enter the rural market directly.The partnership models that FINO and ALW have adopted ensure that the underserved get access to the banking services by means of innovative rural ATMs that are all but hand held devices operated by either a village person or their own employee. The costs of such operations are low due to the absence of infrastructure needs. The above organisations take a cut from the account opening fee and a certain fee for operations costs. Goals achieved by the financial drive: No frills accounts: 6 million new â€Å"no frills† accounts were added between March 2006 ;amp; 2007.About 45000 rural ;amp; semi-urban branches of Regional rural banks (RRBs) ;amp; Public Sector Banks (PSBs) showed highest performance after the drive. SHG-Bank linkage: Access to banking system was provided through SHGs (groups pooling savings ;amp; providing loans to members). National Bank for Agricultural an d Rural Development (NABARD) extended support in group formation, linking with banks, and promoting best practices. As a result, the recovery was excellent – 2. 6 million SHGs were linked to banks touching 40 million households. SHGs were given loans by banks against group guarantees (Joint liabilities).With smaller loan sizes and reasonable rates of interest, SHGs were encouraged to take loans for consumption and to set up smaller business initiatives. IT Solutions: IT solutions were essential for doorstep banking. Pilot projects were started by SBI using smart cards for opening a/c with bio-metric identification. The smart cards were linked to mobile/ hand held connectivity devices to ensure transactions were recorded in banks’ books on real time basis. State governments started making pension ;amp; other payments under NREGS through smart cards. Other financial services (low cost remittances, insurance) were also provided through cards.IT solutions enabled large tra nsactions like processing, credit scoring, credit record ;amp; follow up etc. Role of Government: Some state governments played a proactive role by issuing identity cards for a/c opening, through awareness campaigns by district/ block level officials. Financial literacy drives were conducted and India Post was roped in as BCs. FM’s Budget Speech 2007-08 allocated a budget of $125 mn each to 2 funds (i) Financial Inclusion Fund for developmental/promotional work (ii) Financial Inclusion Technology Fund for technology adoption/innovation Challenges FacedWith the rates of interest being high the customer is sometimes still apprehensive in approaching for credit, as the poor do not have collateral to offer and are hence not always eligible to loans from govt. banks. The stronghold of the money lenders too is very strong as the loan servicing time of a money lender is very low and can be furnished at any hour of the day. Imposition of rate restrictions by the government may also r ender MFI businesses inefficient owing to high operations cost and defaults, the govt. Promotes defaulting each time there is a loan waiver issued by it.Such actions promote defaulting nature amongst the farmers. There is a disinterest of the rural population in taking insurance policies as there is no understanding of the same in the large rural pockets. The seasonality of the crops and harvest too impose a challenge to the lending and repayments to the financial institutions. Way forward: There’s a need to link the impact of the financial institution to the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The impact analysis can be done by evaluating how far the financial institutions have been effective in contributing, directly and indirectly, to all the eight MDGs.Microfinance contributes to improving income and reducing hunger (MDG 1), providing children school education and training (MDG 2), and paying for health services (MDG 4 – 6). The main beneficiaries of microfinanc e services are women, so financial institutions contribution to women's empowerment and gender equality (MDG 3) can be studied. As for the environment (MDG 7), financial institutions are increasingly combining environmental programs with their financial services, although the contribution may be indirect.For MDG 8, since Target 12 calls for the development of open, rule-based, non-discriminatory financial systems, the expansion of financial programs themselves is the achievement of MDG 8. Hence the future of financial outreach lies on the synergy of formal and semiformal institutions to bring about a positive change. References: 1. http://timesofindia. indiatimes. com/business/india-business/Highest-industrial-growth-recorded-in-20-yrs-at-168/articleshow/5566436. cms 2. India. gov. in/sectors/agriculture/index. php 3. http://www. tradingeconomics. com/Economics/GDP-Growth. aspx? Symbol=INR 4.Financial Inclusion :Perspective of Reserve Bank of India,MK Samantray, RBI Guwahati 5. http ://banking. senate. gov/97_07hrg/072997/charts/chart01. pdf 6. http://www. nabard. org/ 7. Finance Minister's Budget Speech, http://www. rediff. com/money/2008/feb/29budget38. htm 8. Montgomery, H. 2005. Meeting the Double Bottom Line – The Impact of Khushhali Bank’s 9. Microfinance Program in Pakistan. Tokyo: ADBI. ——————————————– [ 2 ]. http://timesofindia. indiatimes. com/business/india-business/Highest-industrial-growth-recorded-in-20-yrs-at-168/articleshow/5566436. ms [ 3 ]. India. gov. in/sectors/agriculture/index. php [ 4 ]. http://www. tradingeconomics. com/Economics/GDP-Growth. aspx? Symbol=INR [ 5 ]. Financial Inclusion :Perspective of Reserve Bank of India,MK Samantray, RBI Guwahati [ 6 ]. http://banking. senate. gov/97_07hrg/072997/charts/chart01. pdf [ 7 ]. Financial Inclusion :Perspective of Reserve Bank of India,MK Samantray, RBI Guwahati [ 8 ]. http: //www. nabard. org/ [ 9 ]. Finance Minister's Budget Speech, http://www. rediff. com/money/2008/feb/29budget38. htm [ 10 ]. Montgomery, H.

more powerful president or british pm essays

more powerful president or british pm essays The comparison of the US President and the British Prime Minister appears from the onset, to provide some interesting differences since the President holds the position of Head of State as well as Head of Government. The Prime Minister, it would appear, has more influence in domestic, able to dominate his part, legislature and to an extent, executive branch. The US President, on the other hand, appears to have the position of supremacy in domestic politics, known as the chief legislator and dominates his executive, though part control is limited. He does not hold the same position of power in domestic affairs as the Prime Minister, but his position of strength appears to be in the realm of foreign and international matters, in which he faces little challenge from Congress. Much of this prominence is derived from his status as the Nations Leader and the unifying force in a dispersed political system. It would appear that both offices hold different powers, all of which will be taken into account when deciding which is more powerful. The power, which the holder of each office exercises over their respective party in the legislature is of great significance in determining which office, confers the most power. The British Prime Minister, as shown by past examples, usually holds substantial power over the party machine from which their power originates, and position depends on. The absence of a clear separation of powers in the British system gives the British Prime Minister the position of, head of the majority party in parliament. Due to such a strong link between the Prime Minister and his party he can often expect loyalty as a matter of course when forwarding legislation. The President can not though, expect such favorable treatment from his party, as no direct link exists between he and his party colleagues in Congress, a situation created by the separation of powers, a primary intention of the Foundin...

A Cultural Interpretation of Achebes Things Fall Apart essays

A Cultural Interpretation of Achebes 'Things Fall Apart' essays It has been said that our era will see the beginning of a new period in world history, the Age of the Indigenous Peoples, a reassertion of the third worlds identity in reaction to the imperial and colonial expansion which dominated international relations of the past few centuries. With few exceptions, colonialism has wreaked havoc on native peoples, killing or displacing large populations, exploiting resources, demarcating arbitrary national boundaries, and leaving regions economically and politically dependent on former imperial powers. Yet this multicultural contact has also fostered a new global consciousness and facilitated the rise of international institutions that have given political substance to the belief in universal human rights. Already one can see civil wars and popular uprisings throughout the developing world sparked by the unstable mixture of foreign-sponsored despots and democratic or socialist ideas. Meanwhile, historians today are being forced to reexamine funda mental assumptions regarding the European incursion on the rest of the world. To speak of civilizing the primitives or saving the souls of the heathens is not only intellectually naive, such euphemisms are repugnant to the modern sense of morality. Western society faces a critical point in history. Disillusioned with past conquests and faced with unprecedented possibilities for future catastrophe, we must strive for a new understanding of the indigenous cultures so alienated and embittered by our predecessors misconceptions (Achebe vii). Fortunately, real positive change is already in motion. Conscientious individuals are joining together in voicing opposition to state actions, allying themselves with unfamiliar ethnic and religious groups in exotic regions. Out of this cultural ferment, great artists emerge to reveal new truths and new values, and to reaffirm that which is most universal in t...

Mountain Lion Facts (Puma concolor)

Mountain Lion Facts (Puma concolor) The mountain lion (Puma concolor) is the second largest cat in the Americas after the jaguar. While its a big animal, the mountain lion is actually the largest small cat. Its more closely related to the domestic cat than to the lion or tiger. Puma concolor holds the Guinness World Record for the animal with the most common names. It is known as the mountain lion, cougar, puma, catamount, and about 40 other names in English. In keeping with its Linnaean name, scientists call the cat a puma. Fast Facts: Mountain Lion Scientific Name: Puma concolorCommon Names: Mountain lion, puma, cougar, pantherBasic Animal Group: Mammal Size: 4.9-9.0 feetWeight: 121-150 poundsLifespan: 8-10 yearsDiet: CarnivoreHabitat: The AmericasPopulation: 50,000Conservation Status: Least Concern Description The mountain lion is the fourth largest cat in the world after the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The cats coat is tawny on top and lighter on the belly, leading the name mountain lion. Males and females look similar, but males tend to be larger. Males average around 7.9 feet from nose to tail tip, while females average 6.7 feet in length. In general, adults range from 4.9 to 9.0 feet long. Males weigh 117 to 220 pounds (average 150 pounds), while females weigh between 64 and 141 pounds (average 121 pounds). Although mountain lions are large, they are not considered to be big cats because they cannot roar. However, they can produce a distinctive scream known as caterwauling. Habitat and Distribution The mountain lion has the largest range of any terrestrial American animal. It is adapted to diverse habitats from the Yukon in Canada down to the southern Andes in South America. In North America, mountain lions have been extirpated in the eastern half of the continent, with the exception of the Florida panther. Diet and Behavior Like other cats, the mountain lion is an obligate carnivore. While deer are its most important food source, the mountain lion will kill and eat anything it can catch, ranging from insects all they way up in size to moose. The mountain lion is an ambush predator that stalks its prey and pounces. It uses its bite to break its victims neck or else suffocate it. Following a successful hunt, the mountain lion drags its prey to a cache and hides it with brush. It returns to the cache to feed over the course of several days. Like most cats, mountain lions are crepuscular and tend to hunt before dawn and after dusk. Reproduction and Offspring Mountain lions are solitary except during mating and, for females, when caring for cubs. Although females are in estrus for 8 days of a 23-day cycle, they usually have only one litter every two or three years. After mating, the pair separates. Gestation last 91 days. The female seeks a cave or other protected space to give birth and rear her young. She most often gives birth to two cubs, although a litter may range from one to six cubs. The kittens are born blind and have spotted coats. When the cats eyes first open, they are blue. Cubs are weaned around three months of age and remain with their mother at least two years. Juveniles lose their spots around two and a half years of age. On average, one in five kittens survives to adulthood. Females become sexually mature between one and a half to three years of age. Males must establish their own territory before they can mate. In the wild, the average life expectancy of a mountain lion is 8 to 10 years. The cats may live much longer in captivity. Here, the average lifespan is about 20 years, but one cat died just short of its 30th birthday. Mountain lion kittens are spotted and have blue eyes. Jeff Wendorff / Getty Images Hybrids The mountain lion and a leopard can mate to produce a hybrid called a pumapard. Pumapards exhibit dwarfism and grow to about half the size of their parents. The hybrids have bodies of pumas, but with unusually short legs. The coat pattern is more similar to that of the leopard. The base color is tawny or gray with either brown or faded rosettes. Conservation Status The IUCN categorizes the mountain lions conservation status as least concern. The IUCN estimates fewer than 50,000 cats remain in the breeding population and the number continues to decline. Threats Mountain lions face multiple threats to their survival. Human encroachment has led to habitat loss, habitat degradation, and diminished prey availability. Breeding populations are becoming increasingly isolated and at risk of inbreeding depression. While the cat is protected in part of its range, hunting remains common in many countries, including the United States and Canada. Mountain lions are also susceptible to feline immunodeficiency virus, which may be spread by domestic cats. Mountain Lions and Humans Mountain lions rarely attack humans because people are not recognized as prey, but the number of attacks has been increasing. As of 2004, 88 attacks and 20 deaths had been recorded in North America since 1890. Most attacks occur when humans encroach on a cats territory or when the feline is starving. Children are much more likely to be attacked than adults. If threatened by a mountain lion, the best defense is to fight back. Running away, standing still, or playing dead are all ineffective strategies. Mountain lions are occasionally kept as pets, although there are cases of the cats attacking their handlers. A pet puma named Messi has a large following on YouTube. Healthy mountain lions usually do not view people as prey. DOUGBERRY / Getty Images Sources Beier, Paul. Cougar attacks on humans in the United States and Canada. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 19: 403–412, 1991.Nielsen, C.; Thompson, D.; Kelly, M.; Lopez-Gonzalez, C. A. Puma concolor. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2015 (errata version published in 2016): e.T18868A97216466. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T18868A50663436.enSubramanian, Sushma. Should You Run or Freeze When You See a Mountain Lion?. Scientific American, April 14, 2009.Sweanor, Linda L.; Logan, Kenneth A.; Hornocker, Maurice G. Puma responses to close approaches by researchers. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 33 (3): 905–913, 2005. doi:10.2193/0091-7648(2005)33[905:PRTCAB]2.0.CO;2Â  Wozencraft, W.C. Order Carnivora. In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 544–45, 2005. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0.

The Failure of the Launch in Thiokol and NASA Term Paper

The Failure of the Launch in Thiokol and NASA - Term Paper Example The National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA)’s flight, which was using the Challenger spaceship, under the mission, STS 51-L burst into flames within the first 72 seconds after takeoff, on January 28, 1986 (Kizza 170). The flight was scheduled to occur in July 1985, but it was postponed for three times until the day this flight took off resulting into a fatal accident. This accident destroyed the established reputation of NASA, as well as the prestige attached to the space program. Globally, millions of people were shocked by the event, which unfolded.          According to (Kizza), the loss of the Challenger emerged due to a joint failure at the lower segments, which are located at the solid rocket motor found on the right side of the Challenger (170). This joint failure was attributed to destruction of seals, which are aimed at preventing leakage of hot gases. As such, a combustion leakage of a gas, which is found at the right solid rocket motor adjacent to the joint initiated shortly or at the ignition. This resulted in the initiation of the vehicle structural breakup, as well as the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger in the STS 51-L Mission.          Further investigations indicated that sabotage and pay-load or elements of the STS 51-L Shuttle did not contribute towards the joint failure. Moreover, the design specifications of the Shuttle were not altered. This was a conclusion was arrived at after the establishment of the investigations on non-conformance, quality control, assembly, manufacturing, and materials for the Space Shuttle were conducted. The launch activities of the Space Shuttle, including preparation and assembly were in accordance with procedures, which are established. This indicates that the launch activities were not factors of considerations as the main sources or contributors towards the occurrence of the accident.              In the manufacturing process of a vehicle or any machine, design is a critical step, which engineers focus on in order to ensure that the designed machine, vehicle, or equipment has the ability to attain the desired objectives.

Cultural and Feminist Perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cultural and Feminist Perspectives - Essay Example rmation Age, where the barriers to communication have dissolved in the realm of the internet, the need for a common approach as to what constitutes ethical behavior cannot be disputed. The three most important ideas, which are relevant to any debate on a common ethical framework for humanity, are the failure of faith as a criterion for ethics, the need to avoid the imposition of one particular system as the universal answer, and the absolute necessity for a global definition of ethics, which incorporates various perspectives. When faith, or religion, is adopted as the foundation of ethical belief, it can only lead to dissension. All religious views of values and ideals are obviously based on the divine authority and revelations particular to a certain religion. Any religious justification of ethics can belong only to one particular faith, as each religion has its own unique perspective of the individual and his relationship with the world. It would be difficult to reconcile all religions. For example, the Buddhist view of the personal self as a delusion is completely opposed to the Judeo-Christian emphasis on individualism. Likewise, the Eastern faiths are to a large extent mystical, in contrast to the realism of the Western religions. The holistic, cyclic oriental perspective is again totally different from the dualistic, linear approach of the West. Religions advocate absolute truths. When each faith proposes its own absolute truth, it is obvious that religion cannot be an acceptable basis for ethics. The irreconcilable differences in the world religions make it evident that faith-based ethics can only serve as a personal guide to ideals. They cannot be accepted as a universal framework for humanity. Religious fundamentalism is the most blatant origin of discord and violence today, and warns us that any religious basis of ethics is impossible. Morality, based on religion, can only lead to war. At the same time, faith is obviously one of the most powerful

No Topic Required Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No Topic Required - Assignment Example ly, it shows that Jack Levine may have learnt to make use of several skills such as cubism in accord to both the atmosphere, and the various images that have been noted in his painting. Although, the location of the painting is not very clear, there is a representation of both men and women in the society posing in anticipation of a certain event. One wonders whether the painter may have intended to communicate anything through this painting or was it a way of indicating how art can be useful (Bender 13). What is striking about the painting is how each element that has been noted is so distinct yet it is almost the same colour that was used to make a painting. This is noted from the background, which displays a housing structure, the individuals themselves and their clothing and lastly the dogs. The strokes of the painting display different edges and the colours schemes are distinctly applied to show a clear linkage between the various structures of the body. For example, the arms and the faces of the individual clearly show they are black people. Also notably, the painting shows the mood. The dogs are barking and held by the various individuals. This act of barking in itself portrays agitation, an excitement that is not clear. The faces of the individuals on the painting are also expressionless and looking to the same direction, which probably reaffirms why the dogs could be under some excitement. The surrealism in Birmingham 63 not only does denote how different individuals are at a specific time of the day, but also it brings out some element of surprise all which sums up to our initial thought of the intention of the painter in the first place. Clearly, the painting only shows one side of the coin, which are people going about their daily activities and an events halts them to look in the direction they are currently looking. The kind of dressing by these individuals notes the possibility that they may go about their daily activities (Bender 15). Bender

Voting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Voting - Research Paper Example Currently, voting instruction seems to be developed largely by election. Administrators, sometimes in collaboration with election system vendors, sometimes in collaboration with other interested parties. Rarely, and possibly, never, are proposed voting instruction subjected to any type of experimental or field testing before their implementations†. (Voting Instructions) In Europe and USA side Direct Recording Electronic voting machines are use. The DRE’s processes are not all the same everywhere. Each has its own style, and that style has significances for where instructions are needed or not needed. Sometimes, the instructions are inconsistent, don’t consider voters likely mistakes, don’t cover important situations, use words which voters may not know and put the action before the context. While writing the instruction of voting we should always think about the possible ways in which people will misread the instruction from their other experiences. Consider US, its order to register vote for all states. An applicant must be a U.S. citizen, a legal resident of state, and 18 years old on before Election Day. A person who declared mentally incomplete or a person who is serving time in prison does not allow permission to vote. In developed countries, voting registration is the responsibility of the government; either local or nati onal, some form of compulsory voting is required as a part of each citizen’s civil duty. In other countries, if people are eligible to vote must opt in to be allowed to participate in vote, as a rule by filling out a specific form registering them to vote. (Voter Registration Information) Voting is important because its provide an authoritative way to voice our opinions regarding elected leaders and overall policies, voting helps us to decide our own future by electing a person who might muse our own views. If the right to vote no longer existed, the country would no longer survive as

Exploring Organisations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Exploring Organisations - Research Paper Example Information was gathered on several main areas by searching the given case study, academic libraries, websites and reports. Best Management Practices that include the proper handling, storage and disposal of oil should be adopted instead of dumping the oil into near by river . Purchase recycled products such as oil and grease. By doing so, you help ensure a use for recyclable materials. Wash greasy equipment such as vents and vehicles in designated wash areas with an appropriate oil/water separator before storing outside. Ensure that designated wash areas are properly connected to the sewer system. To solve issues autocratic management and issues in communication between the strategic management and the works manager and works staff caused due to the resignation of works director which in turn led to many disputes: Democratic style: In contrast to the autocratic style, the organization should use democratic decision-taking in many parts of the business. Everyone has the opportunity to contribute ideas to the decision. There are two types of democratic decision-making: To solve disputes arising out of lack of involvement and communication with the work force and issues arising out of scientific management approach which leads to very little communication with work force exists: Open door policy should be adopted in certain areas t... Recommendations To solve pollution issue caused by leakage of oil from servicing vehicles to near by river: Best Management Practices that include the proper handling, storage and disposal of oil should be adopted instead of dumping the oil into near by river . Purchase recycled products such as oil and grease. By doing so, you help ensure a use for recyclable materials. Wash greasy equipment such as vents and vehicles in designated wash areas with an appropriate oil/water separator before storing outside. Ensure that designated wash areas are properly connected to the sewer system. To solve issues autocratic management and issues in communication between the strategic management and the works manager and works staff caused due to the resignation of works director which in turn led to many disputes: Democratic style: In contrast to the autocratic style, the organization should use democratic decision-taking in many parts of the business. Everyone has the opportunity to contribute ideas to the decision. There are two types of democratic decision-making: 1. Persuasive democratic management - here the leader makes the decision first and then persuades employees that he or she has made the right decision 2. Consultative democratic management - this involves the group contributing to the decision making process, with the leader making the final decision. To solve disputes arising out of lack of involvement and communication with the work force and issues arising out of scientific management approach which leads to very little communication with work force exists: Open door policy should be adopted in certain areas to make the work force feel important. Their views and problems should be attended to sincerely and they should be

How to Manage Negotiation - Using Mistakes to Explain Research Paper

How to Manage Negotiation - Using Mistakes to Explain - Research Paper Example The purpose of negotiation is to discover the circumstances, and to obtain a solution that is satisfactory to both group. It’s helpful to have uniformity in the employees where distinct kind of person is able to bring about different returns to the business. But this uniformity frequently leads to change of judgment among two workers or two different departments. Conflicts are a part of working situation and as a manager cannot remove the dispute in total; all they could do is to direct them in a manner that it won't influence the level of productivity. Managing Negotiation: Efficiently managed negotiations will leads to agreements and that increases the worth of the organization. Further, they present extremely better profits per investment. On the other hand, unsuccessfully completed negotiations, eventually result in exhausted capital and improved expenses to the organization, creating both the manager and the organization in a difficult where capital effort makes it harder to create the lost position and attain constructive consequences. The faster they manage them, the more the benefits will be for the business if not the conflicts will provide means to destructive performance and lack of group hard work, and as an it causes low output. Mistakes in Negotiation: Negotiation is a hard skill as it needs momentum, in immediately, in the other person's mind and in one’s own. While the managers have to concentrate on positives, it is uniformly significant not to neglect the negative feature of negotiations. There are a set of mistakes that all of us make and we need to be conscious of to be at our most excellent when negotiating. These mistakes happen all the moment. In a number of situations, they occur by mistake. At other instance, some people create these mistakes on intentionally. They overlook conservative understanding and perceptive recommendation and decide to negotiate in a way that brings no success to the negotiation. There are a number of mistakes that negotiators can create and should evade at all costs in order to be a successful negotiator. The two of them are discussed here. 1. Neglecting the Other Side's Problem: A person alone cannot make negotiation the other party is equally involved in it. Therefore, one must take into consideration the other persons interests or problems. The parties should try to place themselves in the other's place. The parties should not merely suppose that their bad doubts will turn out to be the dealings of the other party. They should not accuse the other for the problem. Each party should try to give suggestions which would be pleasing to the other party. â€Å"The objective of negotiation is to seek a win – win solution and if win and lose solution happens than you are neglecting the other side’s problem† (Lalitbhojwani). Consider the example of a manager firing one of the employees in the organization. The manager argues and fires the staff for a long time for his low performance, without asking the reasons for his poor performance. According to the employee, he/ she will be some personal or official problems which lead the employee to perform poorly. In this situation, the manager needs to listen carefully to the problems of the employees so that the manager can solve the problem very easily. Considering the opinions of outside parties is useful.

Exploring Organisations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Exploring Organisations - Research Paper Example Information was gathered on several main areas by searching the given case study, academic libraries, websites and reports. Best Management Practices that include the proper handling, storage and disposal of oil should be adopted instead of dumping the oil into near by river . Purchase recycled products such as oil and grease. By doing so, you help ensure a use for recyclable materials. Wash greasy equipment such as vents and vehicles in designated wash areas with an appropriate oil/water separator before storing outside. Ensure that designated wash areas are properly connected to the sewer system. To solve issues autocratic management and issues in communication between the strategic management and the works manager and works staff caused due to the resignation of works director which in turn led to many disputes: Democratic style: In contrast to the autocratic style, the organization should use democratic decision-taking in many parts of the business. Everyone has the opportunity to contribute ideas to the decision. There are two types of democratic decision-making: To solve disputes arising out of lack of involvement and communication with the work force and issues arising out of scientific management approach which leads to very little communication with work force exists: Open door policy should be adopted in certain areas t... Recommendations To solve pollution issue caused by leakage of oil from servicing vehicles to near by river: Best Management Practices that include the proper handling, storage and disposal of oil should be adopted instead of dumping the oil into near by river . Purchase recycled products such as oil and grease. By doing so, you help ensure a use for recyclable materials. Wash greasy equipment such as vents and vehicles in designated wash areas with an appropriate oil/water separator before storing outside. Ensure that designated wash areas are properly connected to the sewer system. To solve issues autocratic management and issues in communication between the strategic management and the works manager and works staff caused due to the resignation of works director which in turn led to many disputes: Democratic style: In contrast to the autocratic style, the organization should use democratic decision-taking in many parts of the business. Everyone has the opportunity to contribute ideas to the decision. There are two types of democratic decision-making: 1. Persuasive democratic management - here the leader makes the decision first and then persuades employees that he or she has made the right decision 2. Consultative democratic management - this involves the group contributing to the decision making process, with the leader making the final decision. To solve disputes arising out of lack of involvement and communication with the work force and issues arising out of scientific management approach which leads to very little communication with work force exists: Open door policy should be adopted in certain areas to make the work force feel important. Their views and problems should be attended to sincerely and they should be

Defining the Nature of Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Defining the Nature of Happiness - Essay Example The happier you are, the better your life is going for you. Yet the nature of happiness remains controversial. Some claim that happiness is fundamentally a matter of sensory pleasure and pain - if you are experiencing a favorable balance of pleasurable sensations over painful ones, you are happy. Others say that to be happy is to be getting your desires satisfied, whatever these desires may be. Still others say that to be happy is to be satisfied with your life as a whole."1 There are many ways which a person can do to himself to feel happy. Everybody is in the pursuit of happiness and in my view there is no way that person feel ultimate happiness. Some aspect of art and some of science are necessary for sense happiness for short time period. Nothing is forever neither happiness; it doesn't mean that the person feel guilty or sad because of that thing which made him happy. Everybody after sometime will have new aim to fulfill which they think will make them happy. Satisfaction leads to happiness, so in whatever condition we are we should do ignore our bigger aims and concentrate on little things which will make us happy on daily basis. We should count all our blessings and write it in a journal which will give you satisfaction. You should practice some acts of kindness like give charity or help someone genuinely. Relish joys of life, remember all the good moments of your life which will make you smile in less happy moments. If there is a mentor who has helped you in any way which had made things better in your life, thank him. Forgive a person who has hurt you by writing an email or giving him a phone call and it will help you a lot to move on. Personal relationship should be developed like visit family or spend time with friends; you will not feel lonely and sad. There is nobody who hasn't seen hardships of life, so religion will be your savior and believe in 'this shall too pass'. You have to take a lot of care of your body because healthy life is necessary to be happy, irregular timings of sleeps and meals will lead to sickness and you will be worried. Take plenty of sleep, practice smiling and exercise to feel better3. One of the greatest delusions related to happiness is that one need money to be happy. But if you study people around then you will feel there is not much truth in it, as rich people do not automatically become happy if they get money and poor people do not automatically unhappy if they don't get money4. Another big misconception about happiness is that one needs someone else to be happy. Happiness comes from within oneself and a person can himself control their happiness. The third big misconception about being happy is that one needs to be lucky to be happy. Happiness doesn't depend on luck. Happiness is to open oneself to happiness and to look for places where one can find happiness. So one should have a positive approach towards life; one should not wait for happiness to come to them but you have to open your life to be happy. There are many realistic benefits which can cultivate higher levels of personal importance, satisfaction and happiness, besides just "feeling

Immanuel Kant Essay Example for Free

Immanuel Kant Essay A. Kant’s ethical theory Standard rationality is the major foundation of Kant’s ethical theory. Moral requirements are also associated with the standard rationality but this standard could be based on instrumental principles of rationality or based on the sui generis rational instinct. A conventional conformity could be achieved through the analysis of rationality with instrumental principles. Kant argued that conforming to instrumental and non-instrumental principles (â€Å"Categorical Imperative†) will both be justified to rationality (Kant’s Moral Philosophy 2004). Kant supported his arguments that being rational reflect free will, law of autonomous will. Each of us is accepted based on our self-governing reasons and gain equal respect from other people. According to him, the standard of rationality is the key foundation of moral requirements. Violation of such rule is thereby irrational. Kant believed that a â€Å"good will† is the highest notion of being such ‘good person’, or ‘a person of good will’ (Kant’s Moral Philosophy 2004). There are no other qualifications of being ‘good’ other than ‘good will’. Basically, the notion of ‘good will’ is the possession of a will that is consistent and on the basis with the notion of the moral law. A person of good will is the one who make decisions, do good things in such a way that he/she told to be morally and taking moral considerations According to Kant, the outcome for search for the inherent and fundamental ‘good’ was not inherently good. Happiness and pleasure could be the result from most evil acts. In fact, he use the term good to describe the ‘good will’ – the resolution in accordance with duty. He believed that reason would give individuals to work out what one’s duty was. Kant also criticized the notion that we are free. According to him, we can’t be described as free if our actions are just circling around a defined boundary. He also stressed that following the belief that god and life is existing, morality would make no sense. The principle that one should act in accordance with such truths was criticized by Kant for this principle says that we would perform these actions of which it is true that they are right and ought to be performed. Wolff’s principle tells that actions must be performed if it falls under the concept ‘to be done’. Autonomy and Heteronomy In philosophical perspective, autonomy refers when a person/individual acts by himself/herself based from his/her internal drives, needs and ideals while heteronomy is defined when an individual acts based upon outside forces and responsibilities. According to Kant, â€Å"Autonomous agents† acts to what their instinct tell them (Kant’s Moral Philosophy 2004). In addition, they act in accordance with the categorical imperative of willing what is univerzable to be known and consistent with moral law. â€Å"Heteronomous agents† think first to the possible consequences of their actions as affected by their environment (Kant’s Moral Philosophy 2004). They derive principles of actions from outside by putting into consideration the consequences of their action or the perception of others towards one thing or object. In a narrow perspective (person), autonomy reflects to selecting right decisions for one-self. In broader sense (political perspective), autonomy reflects the right of self-determination (Kant’s Moral Philosophy 2004). A heteronomous will lies its rules of actions that have been legislated externally to it while autonomous will is completely self-legislating. Kant’s Categorical Imperative Kant is known form his theory called the ‘categorical imperative’ rooted from the idea of duty. According to him, categorical imperative is a principle that is essentially and fundamentally legitimate; universally good to him and to others; it requires to comply with when the situation is associated with the moral law.   Ã‚  Ã‚   His theory is the fundamental foundation at the basis of all our moral values and duties. If we observe, it coined the word â€Å"imperative.† His theory is an imperative for it is a command. It informs and commands us to exercise our wills in a particular way, and not performing the opposite of the theory. Kant distinguished another form of ‘oughts’ other than our moral duties. This principle is so called â€Å"hypothetical imperative† (Kant’s Moral Philosophy 2004) which is being based on a quite different kind of principle. Like categorical imperative, hypothetical imperative is also a command that also applies to us in virtue of having a good will. However, it is not simply a virtue for we have need of to exercising our wills. Hence, this theory is a command in a conditional form. Kant listed three formulation of the categorical imperative which he believed to be   almost equivalent Formula of Universal Law (First Formulation), Formula of the End in Itself Second Formulation), and Formula of Autonomy (Third Formulation). The Formula of Universal Law simply states that the maxim should be selected. A supreme law guides this formulation – to do deeds in harmony with that maxim. The first formulation is interpreted as â€Å"universality test† having five steps: (1) finding the agent’s maxim; (2) putting oneself in a parallel circumstance on the real world agent followed that maxim; (3) decide on contradictions; (4) if there’s contradiction, acting on that maxim is not permissible in the real world, and (5) if there’s no contradiction, acting on that maxim is allowed. The second formulation simply says to respect for humanity. Don’t put an end to a certain situation by doing bad deeds just to serve as a getaway. According to him, we must all act accordingly to every rational being and to place restrictions on the acts we adopt on the search of our ends, do not accept it. Kant enumerated two kinds of imperative – hypothetical and categorical. Hypothetical imperative requires an immediate action because it is a necessity and a requirement. In example, if I am hungry, then I must eat something. Categorical imperative refers to an unmodified, categorical prerequisite that is both a requirement and justified. In Kant’s hypothetical imperative, he believed that it would not be accepted. Hypothetical moral systems cannot be as bases for moral judgments since imperatives are subjective. What is morally accepted in an individual may not be absolutely true for others. Consequently, the categorical imperative was presented as an option to the inconsistency of hypothetical imperative (Kant’s Moral Philosophy 2004). Categorical Imperative: Autonomous Ethical Choice The foundation of Kant’s theory states that human wills are self-directed. He believed that we could understand and justify moral requirements if we could be self-governing. Freedom is not merely consisting of any law that everyone is liberated to perform a certain actions. However, freedom is consisting of a law in such a way that this law, in some sense, would allow individuals for one’s own making. The idea of freedom as autonomy is where a person has laid down laws where he has also the decisive authority. Kant explains that free will is naturally inexplicable. A rational person would base his/her decisions on reasons and justifications of his/her act. Categorical Imperative is met when a person justified his/her acts. Thus, reflecting to autonomous ethical choice of a person. With our free will and/or autonomous ethical choices, we act on it objectively. B. Kant’s Ethical Theory: An Analysis For me, I support Kant’s theory on ethical decision-making. Kant pointed-out, we cannot exceed to the limitations of our thinking. Based from our line of reasoning, we justified things objectively. We make decisions based on our understanding. I think these statements are true and absolute. Kant’s argued that categorical imperative must reflect on our free will. He argued that instrumental and non-instrumental principles are necessary to meet the categorical imperatives. General facts may or may not be true for a person who do not understand its concepts or understand it on the other perspective. Good will responds to the universal moral law and we follow these laws according to our autonomous acts. We accept humanity, rational agency as represented by our understanding.

Drive a Car, Not a Cell Phone Essay -- Driving Mobile Phone Use

â€Å"When a driver ‘talks and drives’ they are not only putting themselves at risk, they are also putting everyone around them in a dangerous situation† (ComparisonMarket.com). A study conducted last year by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, had cameras placed inside one hundred cars and trucks to track drivers' activities before a dangerous event occurred. Research shows users of cell phones while driving caused far more crashes and near misses than non-users. These statistics do not change even if the hand held device becomes hands free by means of a blue tooth or speaker phone. Hands-free cell phones may allow the driver to keep both hands on the wheel however, devices such as headsets or voice activated dialing led to longer dialing times causing the same level of driver distraction. Even though a study released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety claims bans on handheld cell phones in many states seem to have had no impact on accident ra tes, drivers still should not use a hand held phone while driving in the car because car accidents associated with hand held phone use account for nearly three hundred deaths per year showing cell phone users are four times as likely to get into an automobile accident serious enough to cause injury. University of Utah psychologists have published a study which highlights drivers talking on handheld or hands-free cellular phones as being impaired on the same level as drunken drivers. In this study each of the tests subjects drove in a driving simulator four times; once each while completely undistracted, using a handheld device, using a hands-free device, and intoxicated with vodka and orange juice up to the legal limit of .08. The simulation had the participants following a ... ...icleid=43812. Jaffe, Eric. "Driving While Texting: As Bad as Drunk Driving, Says Study." The Infrastucturist. The Infrastructurist, 05 Oct 2010. Web. 22 Nov 2010. http://www.infrastructurist.com/2010/10/05/driving-while-texting-as-bad-as-drunk-driving-says-study/ Langer, Gary. "Hands Off! Public Backs Ban on Hand-Held Cell Phones in Cars." abcnews. ABCNEWS Internet Ventures, 22 May 2010. Web. 20 Nov 2010. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/dailynews/poll_cellphone010522.html LeBeau, Phil. "Want to Stop Texting and Driving? Why Not Jam Cell Phones?" cnbc. CNBC, Inc, 30 Sep 2009. Web. 22 Nov 2010. http://www.cnbc.com/id/33090526/Want_to_Stop_Texting_and_Driving_Why_Not_Jam_Cell_Phones. Sedgwick, David. "Study Shows Banning Cell Phones In Cars Doesn't Work." AOL Autos. AOL Inc, 29 Jan 2010. Web. 20 Nov 2010. http://autos.aol.com/article/cell-phone-ban-study/.

Hazards from the Universe :: Ecology Ecological Papers

Hazards from the Universe There are several perilous conditions that exist in our vast universe that could directly impact life as we know it on Earth. These hazards include meteors, asteroids, emission of charged solar particles, supernovas, and problems caused by man. Although the odds of these dangers directly harming Earth’s population are extremely low, if not impossible altogether, something about pending apocalypse seems to excite the human mind. The possibility of a meteorite or asteroid of significant size colliding into Earth poses as a legitimate threat to our planet. Most meteorites are miniscule and cause little harm. In fact, as many as four billion meteorites enter Earth’s atmosphere every day. However, only the larger meteors reach the earth because smaller ones burn up in the atmosphere. A large meteor impact, while rare, should still cause some concern. Barringer Crater in Arizona was formed from an iron meteor approximately 30-50 meters in diameter. Other such large meteors ar e often held accountable for the seemingly sudden extinction of dinosaurs. Based upon scientific calculations, three craters of at least 10 km are expected to form on the earth every million years. While these larger meteors are rare, any oncoming asteroid could be pushed off course by the use of rockets or explosives (Bray, 1999). Meteorites are dangerous, but the asteroids which they come from are even worse. Most asteroids are found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. However, the scientists at the Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research Project recently detected an asteroid 2km wide which was originally predicted to collide with the Earth on February 1, 2019, with possible catastrophic implications. Fortunately, it is believed that this particular asteroid threat will disappear. Still, the public is aware of how threatening an asteroid could be. Hollywood has added to the apocalyptic hysteria surrounding asteroids by releasing movies like Armageddon and Deep Impact. While there is no reason to panic right now, asteroids should be feared because an impact would cause extreme and possibly fatal destruction. Violent eruptions of gas on the Sun’s surface called solar flares can send solar charged particles towards Earth and appear to be possible threats to the safety of mankind. These expulsions of charged particles come from the sun flares’ relationship with sun spots. Sun spots are cooler and darker regions of the Sun where the solar magnetic field extends off of the Sun’s surface. When the charged particles ejected from the sun reach Earth and enter its upper atmosphere, they react with present atoms and can cause major disturbances to satellites and terrestrial communications systems such as T.

Frederick Douglas Ethos Pathos Logos

Ethan Holmes Professor Hohmann ENG 101 9/25/11 Frederick Douglass is trying to persuade his audience by using number of charismatic traits, such as ethos, pathos, and logos. Douglass starts out his essay by expressing what the Fourth of July is to slaves in comparison to the rest of America: â€Å"What have I , or those I represent, to do with your national independence†(Douglass 480)? Douglass has credibility because he was a slave(486).He states: â€Å"Fellow-citizens, above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday, are, to-day, rendered more intolerable by the jubilee shouts that reach them†(480). If Douglass was never a slave, the quote wouldn't had been as powerful in its deliverance. Douglass uses pathos to describe an emotional event that anyone can relate to; since everyone agrees that children are so innocent. Suddenly you hear a quick snap†¦ your ears are saluted with a scream, that see ms to have torn its way to the centre of your soul†(486). Douglass is a very good writer and speaker, he does argumentative description very well. The thought of someone cruel enough to whip the flesh off of a woman's back while she's caring her baby, is chilling. Douglass uses a lot of descriptive writing mixed with pathos throughout his essay, and its astonishing how effective it is.The argument itself, or logos, is slavery. Douglass illustrates his argument throughout the essay. For instance, â€Å"There is not a man beneath the canopy of heaven that does not know that slavery is wrong for him†(482). Again, at the end of his essay: â€Å"There are forces in operation which must inevitably work the downfall of slavery†(487). Frederick Douglass was a master of persuasion, with ethos, pathos, and logos, in his arsenal of charisma.

A Rose for Emily-William Faulkner

Nor can she be a wife and mother like others. Her father's overprotection is obviously the root of all her monstrosities. (IOW) Born In a noble family, she lives In the lap of luxury, but the material life does not compensate for her sufferings. In fact, she Is Like â€Å"fish In bowl, bird In cage† as her fathers thinks, â€Å"none of the young men were quite good enough for Poor her, a beautiful young aristocrat with a miserable life Obviously, she deserves to live a better life and should have done whatever she desires: friendship, love and a happy Emily like others' as those are basic rights of a human being.In contrast, she imprisons herself in her own house while living in loneliness and boredom. (owe) Moreover, she is not free to live her own life because of her father's overprotection. As a pretty well-off girl, she is the target of lots of men. That means she has many opportunities to choose her â€Å"right† man. Unfortunately, her father is obviously a huge o bstacle for her to live on her own. We readers can figure out what she has to suffer spiritually during her childhood beside a dictatorial father whose overprotection Is so relent that her life Is considered stolen.Her portray Is painted as a slender figure In white in the background. In fact, she is just a shadow beside her father. (owe) Her Tanners overprotection Is ten root AT all near monstrosities. Her extreme dependence on him results in monstrous deeds in her life. A new page of her life is opened when Homer Barron, a Yankee and daily laborer, appears. His appearance changes her life, but the fate doesn't smile to her. Her forgetting â€Å"noblesse oblige† in order to live with him finally receives his betrayal. The hatred and desperation in her cake her commit a dreadful crime: murder.What surprises and terrifies us most is that she continues to live with his corpse in the bridal room for many years without being detected. (owe) To sum up, William Faulkner is really a talented artist who paints the image of a miserable woman who suffers too much. She should be happy with her own decisions, but her father's overprotection deprives her of happiness to be a wife and mother. Moreover, she is unprepared to adapt herself to a new situation. Her life is a real hell with losses and lack of love. A Rose for Emily-William Faulkner Nor can she be a wife and mother like others. Her father's overprotection is obviously the root of all her monstrosities. (IOW) Born In a noble family, she lives In the lap of luxury, but the material life does not compensate for her sufferings. In fact, she Is Like â€Å"fish In bowl, bird In cage† as her fathers thinks, â€Å"none of the young men were quite good enough for Poor her, a beautiful young aristocrat with a miserable life Obviously, she deserves to live a better life and should have done whatever she desires: friendship, love and a happy Emily like others' as those are basic rights of a human being.In contrast, she imprisons herself in her own house while living in loneliness and boredom. (owe) Moreover, she is not free to live her own life because of her father's overprotection. As a pretty well-off girl, she is the target of lots of men. That means she has many opportunities to choose her â€Å"right† man. Unfortunately, her father is obviously a huge o bstacle for her to live on her own. We readers can figure out what she has to suffer spiritually during her childhood beside a dictatorial father whose overprotection Is so relent that her life Is considered stolen.Her portray Is painted as a slender figure In white in the background. In fact, she is just a shadow beside her father. (owe) Her Tanners overprotection Is ten root AT all near monstrosities. Her extreme dependence on him results in monstrous deeds in her life. A new page of her life is opened when Homer Barron, a Yankee and daily laborer, appears. His appearance changes her life, but the fate doesn't smile to her. Her forgetting â€Å"noblesse oblige† in order to live with him finally receives his betrayal. The hatred and desperation in her cake her commit a dreadful crime: murder.What surprises and terrifies us most is that she continues to live with his corpse in the bridal room for many years without being detected. (owe) To sum up, William Faulkner is really a talented artist who paints the image of a miserable woman who suffers too much. She should be happy with her own decisions, but her father's overprotection deprives her of happiness to be a wife and mother. Moreover, she is unprepared to adapt herself to a new situation. Her life is a real hell with losses and lack of love.

David Copperfield (Sparknotes)

Summary — Preface In the preface written to accompany the first single-volume publication ofDavid Copperfield, Dickens tells us that the completion of the novel is, for him, both a regret and a pleasure. He rejoices in the completion of the novel because the novel was a long time in coming, and he is satisfied that it is finished after two years of hard work. He mourns its completion, however, because it marks the end of his association with a cast of characters to whom he has become intensely attached. Dickens remarks that David Copperfield is his favorite of all his novels and that, of all the characters he has invented over the years, David Copperfield is dearest to him. Summary- I am born An older David Copperfield narrates the story of his life. He begins by saying that only the writing that follows can tell who the hero of his story is. He tells of his simple birth, which occurred at the stroke of midnight on a Friday night. An old woman in the neighborhood has told him that the time of his birth indicates he will be unlucky and will be able to see ghosts and spirits. David’s father is already dead when David is born. David’s aunt, Miss Betsey Trotwood, appears on the day of David’s birth and speaks with David’s mother, Clara. Miss Betsey informs Clara that she intends to take custody of the girl Clara is about to bear. Miss Betsey wishes to raise the girl so that men never take advantage of her the way Miss Betsey has been taken advantage of in her own life. When David is born and Mr. Chillip, the doctor, informs Miss Betsey that Clara has had a boy, Miss Betsey storms out of the house and never returns. Summary — Chapter II. I Observe. David’s earliest memories are of his mother’s hair and his nurse, Clara Peggotty, who has very dark eyes. He remembers the kitchen and the backyard, with the roosters that frightened him and the churchyard behind the house, where his father is buried. Both David and his mother submit themselves to Peggotty’s kind direction. In particular, David recalls one occasion when he sits up late reading a book about crocodiles to Peggotty while waiting for his mother to return home from an evening out. David’s beautiful mother returns with Mr. Murdstone, a large man with black whiskers and a deep voice. David and Peggotty both dislike Mr. Murdstone, and Peggotty warns David’s mother not to marry someone her dead husband would not have liked. Mr. Murdstone returns later and takes David on a short trip to meet two business acquaintances, one of whom is named Mr. Quinion. Mr. Murdstone and Mr. Quinion joke about David’s dislike of Mr. Murdstone and Mr. Murdstone’s intention to marry David’s mother. When they get home, Peggotty proposes that she and David go to visit her brother and his family in Yarmouth. Summary — Chapter III. I have a Change Peggotty takes David to Yarmouth, where her family lives in a boat they have converted into a home. Peggotty’s brother, Mr. Daniel Peggotty, adopted his nephew, Ham, and his niece, Little Em’ly, who are not siblings, when their fathers drowned. Mrs. Gummidge, the widowed wife of Mr. Peggotty’s brother, lives with them too. Mr. Peggotty and Ham fish during the day, while David and Little Em’ly roam the beaches, collect shells, and fall in love. In retrospect, David muses that he has at times wished that the sea had closed over Little Em’ly then so that she would not have suffered all that she has suffered since. When David returns home, he observes that he has hardly thought of his mother or his home since he left. When he arrives, Peggotty tells him that his mother married Mr. Murdstone while they were away. David is reunited with his mother. Mr. Murdstone orders David’s mother to control herself in her behavior toward her son. David sees Mr. Murdstone again, for the first time as his mother’s husband. David thinks that Mr. Murdsone, with his great black beard, looks like an enormous and threatening dog. Analysis — Preface–Chapter III Dickens uses foreshadowing and cultivates an atmosphere of mystery in order to make his story dramatic and capture our interest from the start. The surreal circumstances under which David is born, including the appearance of Miss Betsey, mark the first example of mystery in the novel. Although Miss Betsey is absent for much of the story, she returns when David is in his hour of most dire need. The darkness and abruptness established around Miss Betsey in the opening chapter characterize her throughout the novel. Likewise, David’s comment that Little Em’ly might have been better off in the long run if the sea had swallowed her up as a child foreshadows painful events that come later. By alluding to these future difficult circumstances early in the novel, Dickens keeps us wondering what will happen to the various characters as the novel unfolds. Throughout David Copperfield, Dickens uses such foreshadowing not only to create suspense about future events but also to establish an ominous tone. Dickens portrays David as a gentle, naive child in order to limit the novel’s perspective and set up the dramatic irony of many of the story’s episodes. We see many signs of David’s youth: his memory of Mr. Murdstone as doglike, his failure to understand that Mr. Quinion and Mr. Murdstone make jokes at his own expense, his memory of his mother’s hair and form, and so on. We also see David’s innocence in his narrative voice, which focuses on other characters’ best aspects and never hints at infidelity or betrayal. Additionally, as a child, David often fears and dreads aspects of characters that an adult would not. We might expect the adult David to rewrite the story using his adult perspective to make sense of the things that baffled him as a child. But David does not recast his childhood through an adult perspective. As a result, we see the characters and the story as the young David did at the time. David’s naive voice preserves an element of surprise in the novel, as David repeatedly fails to notice parts of the story that, if shown, would reveal upcoming events. By matching his characters’ physical traits to their emotional traits, Dickens helps us categorize the many people we meet in the novel. Mr. Murdstone, for example, sports a large black beard and evil-looking face that make him appear like a beast—and indeed, he turns out to be a less than savory character. In this way, David Copperfield is generally straightforward in its depiction of good and evil characters. In most cases, characters are more or less what they appear, which makes it easy for us to remember both their outward appearances and internal traits. Also, because Dickens tends to associate good with light and beauty and evil with dark and ugliness, the images in the novel come into sharp contrast. Thus, when David’s mother and Mr. Murdstone are together, the image is as physically and aesthetically repugnant as it is morally unappealing. Though there are exceptions to this general rule, the alliance of good with beauty and evil with ugliness persists fairly regularly throughout David Copperfield. Chapters IV–VI Summary — Chapter IV. I fall into Disgrace Having returned home, David finds his house much changed. The change upsets him so much that he cries himself to sleep in his new room. His mother comes up to comfort him, but Mr. Murdstone finds them there and reprimands David’s mother for not being firm with her son. Mr. Murdstone dismisses David’s mother into another part of the house and warns David that he will receive a beating if he disobeys or upsets his mother again. That night, dinner is silent and formal, and David finds it very different from the old dinners he used to enjoy by the fire with Peggotty and his mother. After dinner, Miss Jane Murdstone, Mr. Murdstone’s cruel sister, arrives to stay. She is dark and masculine, with eyebrows that nearly meet over the bridge of her nose. David observes that she is a metallic lady, with metal boxes and a metal purse. Miss Murdstone takes over the household organization, and when David’s mother protests that she can run her own house, Mr. Murdstone threatens her into submission. Whenever David’s mother voices her concern or anger about anything done in the house or to David, Mr. and Miss Murdstone tell her that her â€Å"firmness† is failing. They often refer to David’s mother, who is much younger than they, as a naive, inexperienced, and artless girl who needs their training. David’s mother accepts the Murdstones’ molding of her, apparently because she is afraid of them. David’s mother continues to conduct his lessons. However, because Mr. and Miss Murdstone snipe at David continuously throughout his recitations, his memory fails him during every lesson. His only comfort is his father’s small collection of adventure books, which David reads over and over in order to bring some friends and pleasure into his life. After one particularly poor lesson, Mr. Murdstone beats David savagely, and David, in self-defense, bites Mr. Murdstone’s hand. As punishment, David is locked in his room alone for five days. At the end of the five days, Peggotty comes to his door and whispers through the keyhole that he is to be sent away. Summary — Chapter V. I am sent away from Home David rides away with a carrier, Mr. Barkis, who travels between towns carrying people and packages in his cart. As David leaves, Peggotty bursts out of the bushes and gives him a little money, a note from his mother, and several cakes. David is nearly hysterical at being sent away. He shares the cakes with Mr. Barkis, who, on finding out that Peggotty baked them, asks David to tell her that â€Å"Barkis is willin’. † At the inn where David switches to the London coach, dinner is waiting for him under the name â€Å"Murdstone. † The waiter tricks David into giving him all his dinner and some of his money as a tip. Because it is a large dinner, David gains a reputation at the inn for having eaten a tremendous amount. The coachman and the other passengers tease David so badly that he does not eat even when they stop later to do so. As a result, David arrives in London very hungry. In London, David waits for several hours until Mr. Mell, who says he is one of the masters at Salem House, arrives to pick him up. On the way to the school, they stop at a charity home and visit an old woman who calls Mr. Mell â€Å"my Charley† and cooks David breakfast. They proceed to the school, where all the boys are on holiday. David is forced to wear a sign that identifies him as one who bites—his punishment for having bitten Mr. Murdstone. Summary — Chapter VI. I enlarge my Circle of Acquaintance Mr. Creakle, the headmaster, returns to the school and summons David. The bald, reddish Mr. Creakle, who never raises his voice above a whisper, warns David that he will beat him for any misbehavior. David is terrified of Mr. Creakle. The headmaster’s wife and daughter, however, are quiet and thin women, and David supposes that they sympathize with the boys Mr. Creakle terrorizes. Tommy Traddles, the first boy to return from holiday, befriends David, which helps David befriend the other boys as they return. James Steerforth, the most respected of the schoolboys because of his wealth, intelligence, and good looks, takes David’s money on the pretense of holding it for him. Steerforth convinces David to spend the money on a tremendous banquet, which he splits evenly among the boys in the dorm that night. David considers Steerforth to be his protector and friend but not his equal. David is submissive to Steerforth and refers to him as â€Å"sir. † Analysis — Chapters IV—VI Although some of Dickens’s characters manage to improve their social class, social hierarchies are extremely powerful in David Copperfield. For example, even though Peggotty loves David and his mother more than anyone else loves them, both mother and son always treat Peggotty as a servant. On the other and, David reveres James Steerforth, a scoundrel, largely because he is wealthy and powerful. Tommy Traddles, who is kind and gentle to David and shows him much more loyalty than Steerforth, never even comes close to attaining Steerforth’s exalted status. The other boys also naturally obey Steerforth, apparently not because he deserves their respect but because none of them can match the confidence and arrogance that stem from his class status. This social structure that the young students establish continues throughout the novel, as characters judge each other on their class status rather than their merits. Dickens depicts English social hierarchies as inevitable but acknowledges that they are not ideal. David respects the strict class system, as do most of the secondary characters. David sincerely wishes to seem genteel, enjoys commanding servants about, and draws judgments entirely on the basis of class. Nevertheless, Dickens also shows how the power relations of the class system can be inverted—most notably in the case of the servant at the inn who tricks David into giving up his meal. Likewise, Steerforth is rich yet cruel while Mr. Peggotty is poor yet good-hearted. These two characters demonstrate that Dickens does not believe that class always corresponds to moral status. On the whole, although Dickens recognizes imperfections in the English class system, he does not actively challenge it in his writing. Although Clara’s failure to protect David is disturbing, the difficult situation of her marriage provokes our sympathy and understanding. Clara does allow her husband and his sister to inflict cruelty on David, which we may find reprehensible. But at the same time, as Mr. Murdstone breaks Clara’s spirit more and more, and Miss Murdstone convinces her that she is a worthless girl in desperate need of reform, we cannot help but pity Clara. David, for his part, never condemns his mother—in fact, he displays unwavering faith in her. Ultimately, as Clara transforms from beautiful and carefree before her remarriage to beaten-down and frightened afterward, her inexperience and good intentions become clear, and she emerges as a sympathetic character. The books to which David retreats when his life at his house becomes unbearable bring an element of fantasy to Dickens’s novel and fuel David’s sense of romantic idealism. Though David Copperfield as a novel offers a realistic depiction of the harsh aspects of daily existence for women, children, and the underprivileged, David himself often romanticizes his world. He frequently gets wrapped up in a sense of adventure and high emotion. His description of events that happen to him reveals that he sees his love affairs as tempestuous and his escapades as wild and adventurous. David’s vivid imagination is both an asset and a handicap, for it simultaneously sustains him through hard times and subjects him to the treachery of those who would take advantage of a boy’s trusting nature. Chapters VII–X Summary — Chapter VII. My â€Å"first half† at Salem House School begins, and Mr. Creakle warns the boys that he will punish them severely if they fail in their lessons. He beats David with a cane on the first day. David notices that Traddles gets beaten more than the other boys because he is fat. To cheer himself up, Traddles lays his head on his desk and draws little skeletons on his slate. Steerforth and David become close when Steerforth, who suffers from insomnia, persuades David to stay up with him at night and tell him the stories David remembers from his father’s books. One day when Mr. Creakle is ill, Steerforth and Mr. Mell get into a fight, and Steerforth reveals that David has told him about visiting an old woman with Mr. Mell at the charity house. Steerforth figures out that the old woman is Mr. Mell’s mother. When Mr. Creakle comes to see what the commotion is, Steerforth tells him about Mr. Mell’s poverty. Mr. Creakle commends Steerforth and fires Mr. Mell, who, as he leaves, shows particular favor to David. Another day, Ham and Mr. Peggotty come to visit David at school. They meet Steerforth and are amused by him. Summary — Chapter VIII. My Holidays. Especially one happy Afternoon. On the day that David arrives home for the holidays, Mr. and Miss Murdstone are away. David, his mother, and Peggotty have supper and pass an evening the way they used to do before his mother remarried. David’s mother has a new child, and David loves the child dearly. The three laugh about Mr. Barkis’s proposal to Peggotty, and Peggotty vows never to leave David’s mother. Peggotty and David’s mother quarrel briefly over David’s mother’s marriage to Mr. Murdstone. David’s mother argues that Mr. Murdstone is just trying to improve her character. She feels that she should be grateful to him. David observes that Peggotty only provokes his mother so that she might feel better by providing these justifications. The next morning, David apologizes to Mr. Murdstone for biting his hand. Later, he picks up the baby. Miss Murdstone flies into a rage, telling David never to touch the child again. To David’s surprise, his mother sides with Miss Murdstone. David’s mother observes that her two children have the same eyes. Miss Murdstone shrieks that such a comparison between the wretched David and her knightly brother’s child is utterly foolish. Mr. Murdstone forces David to remain in the company of the adults, even though they never speak to him. Mr. Murdstone says that David’s habit of reading in his room is evidence of his sullenness. When David’s holiday is over, Mr. Barkis picks him up. As they drive away, David turns around and sees his mother standing in the road and holding up her child to him. Summary — Chapter IX. I have a memorable Birthday In the middle of the next term, David’s mother dies. The school sends David home, and Mr. Omer, a funeral director and general services provider, picks him up at the coach. Mr. Omer takes David to his shop, where he meets Mr. Omer’s daughter, Minnie, and her sweetheart, Mr. Joram. Mr. Joram builds David’s mother’s coffin behind the shop, and David sits through the day listening to the sounds of the hammer. Mr. Omer tells David that David’s little brother died a few days after his mother. The Omer family is quite jovial, but David sits in the shop with his head down. When David arrives home, Peggotty greets him and comforts him. Miss Murdstone only asks him if he has remembered his clothes. In retrospect, David admits that he cannot recall the order of all the events around this time, but he describes going to his mother’s funeral with the few people who attend. Afterward, Peggotty comes to him and tells him about his mother’s last moments. She says that his mother died with her head on Peggotty’s arm. Summary — Chapter X. I become Neglected, and am provided for Mr. and Miss Murdstone take no interest in David after his mother’s death. They make it clear that they want him around as little as possible. Miss Murdstone fires Peggotty, who goes home to her family. Peggotty proposes to take David with her for a visit. On the ride there, Mr. Barkis flirts with Peggotty, who asks David what he would think if she married Mr. Barkis after all. David says he thinks it is a wonderful idea. At Mr. Peggotty’s house, David finds Little Em’ly older and more beautiful than before, though she has become a bit spoiled and coy. Mr. Peggotty and Ham praise Steerforth, whom they have met at Salem House. Mr. Barkis and Peggotty get married in a private ceremony at a church one afternoon while Little Em’ly and David are out riding around. When David returns home, Mr. and Miss Murdstone completely ignore him. David falls into a state of neglect until Mr. Quinion, Mr. Murdstone’s business partner, appears. When Mr. Quinion arrives, the Murdstones arrange for David to go to London to work in the wine-bottling industry. Analysis — Chapters VII–X Mothers and mother figures in David Copperfield represent a safe harbor from the cruelty of the world. They fill this role not only for children but for adults as well. David’s mother offers him emotional support and occasional reprieve from the Murdstones’ cruelty. Peggotty takes on the role of mother figure to both David and David’s mother, as she cares for both of them when they need her help. Many of Dickens’s novels feature orphans who, lacking this important refuge from a cruel world, come across as especially pitiful characters. In David’s case, Peggotty (and later, Miss Betsey) save him from this fate. But until these mother figures are able to help him, he suffers a great deal in losing his natural mother and living with the disadvantages that motherlessness creates. Although the large cast of secondary characters in David Copperfield may seem overwhelming, these characters serve two important narrative functions: they mark the different phases of the novel and give editorial commentary about the actions of the main characters. Throughout the novel, secondary characters voice general opinions about the events involving the main characters. Because Dickens goes into such great detail in describing the lives of the main characters, the thoughts and actions of the secondary characters provide welcome breaks from the novel’s main plots. The secondary characters also alert us to transitions between the novel’s different sections, for they often appear at critical moments when the emotional intensity of the main plot is at its height. Mr. Omer, for example, appears in order to inform David of his mother and sister’s death. Moreover, the Omers’ happy family life serves as a contrast to David’s sorrow at his mother’s death. In this way, secondary characters not only comment on the novel’s main characters but also provide transitions between the novel’s different phases. In his vanity, egotism, and pride, James Steerforth acts as a foil for David’s naive innocence and wide-eyed trustfulness. David worships Steerforth, but this adoration is undeserved. We see that Steerforth’s support of David originates not from kindness but rather from a desire to increase his own importance and control over the other boys. Steerforth’s willingness to manipulate David both contrasts with and highlights David’s willingness to trust Steerforth. The only clue we have that David might suspect that Steerforth is not what he seems is David’s occasional remark that Steerforth did not bother to save him from Mr. Creakle’s punishments. It is clear to us, however, that Steerforth is bigoted and self-centered, especially in his interactions with Mr. Mell. This disparity between David’s perception of his world and our perception of it provides dramatic irony that persists throughout much of the novel. Chapters XI–XIV Summary — Chapter XI. I begin Life on my own Account, and don’t like it I wonder what they thought of me! (See Important Quotations Explained) David’s companions at Mr. Murdstone’s business dismay David. They are coarse, uneducated boys whose fathers work in blue-collar professions. David meets Mr. Micawber, a poor but genteel man who speaks in tremendous phrases and makes a great show of nobility despite his shabby appearance. Through an agreement with Mr. Murdstone, David goes to live with Mr. Micawber, his wife, and four children. The Micawbers befriend David and openly tell him of their financial troubles, each time becoming overwhelmingly upset and then recovering fully over good food and wine. David gets very little pay at his factory job and lives primarily on bread. In retrospect, David wonders what the waiters and shopkeepers must have thought of him, so independent at so young an age. At the factory, David is known as â€Å"the little gent† and gets along fine because he never complains. Eventually, Mr. Micawber’s debts overwhelm him. He is thrown into debtors’ prison, where he becomes a political figure among the inmates, lobbying to eliminate that establishment. Summary — Chapter XII. Liking Life on my own Account no better, I form a great Resolution. Mr. Micawber is released from jail and his debts are resolved. The family decides to move to look for work. David decides he will not stay in London without the Micawbers and resolves to run away to his aunt Betsey. He borrows some money from Peggotty and hires a young man to help him move his box to the coach station. Along the way, the young man steals David’s money and possessions. Summary — Chapter XIII. The Sequel of my Resolution David sells some of the clothes he is wearing in order to buy food. The shopkeepers who buy the clothes take advantage of him, and travelers abuse him on the road. David arrives at the home of his aunt, Miss Betsey Trotwood, who initially tries to send him away. When he tells her that he is her nephew, she consults with Mr. Dick, the man who lives upstairs in her home. Mr. Dick suggests that before she do anything, she give David a bath. Miss Betsey repeatedly compares David to the sister he never had and concludes that his sister would not have done the stupid things David has done. Miss Betsey is a tough, sharp woman obsessed with keeping donkeys off the grass in front of her house. She bathes and feeds David and speaks to Mr. Dick at length about David’s mother, whom she pitied very much. David is nervous about whether his aunt will keep him or will send him away. Summary — Chapter XIV. My Aunt makes up her Mind about me The next morning, Miss Betsey reveals to David that she has written Mr. Murdstone to tell him where David is. She has invited Mr. Murdstone there to discuss David’s fate. Miss Betsey sends David up to check on Mr. Dick’s progress on his Memorial, an autobiography he is trying to write. But Mr. Dick continually starts his project over from scratch because, each time, he begins to muse in the text about King Charles I, whose demons he believes possess him. Mr. Dick has an enormous kite that he promises to fly with David someday. David returns to Miss Betsey and tells her that Mr. Dick sends his compliments to her. Miss Betsey reveals that she took in Mr. Dick when his brother tried to have him placed in an asylum. Mr. and Miss Murdstone arrive on donkeys, and Miss Betsey rushes out to chase the donkeys off her lawn. The Murdstones are rude to David during their visit, and Miss Betsey scolds them and forces them to leave. Mr. Murdstone warns her that if David does not come with him immediately, he will never be able to come back again. Miss Betsey asks David what he wants to do, and he says he wants to stay with her. It is resolved that he will do so, and Miss Betsey renames him Trotwood Copperfield. Analysis — Chapters XI–XIV Dickens uses the Micawbers, who turn up periodically throughout the novel, to comment on the debtors’ prisons common in England in the 1800 s. Debtors were placed in these prisons until they were able to resolve their financial difficulties, which often took years. In the meantime, families were torn apart and suffered hardships as the imprisoned heads of households were unable to earn money to support them. Dickens himself, as a member of a family with enormous financial problems, suffered as a direct result of debtors’ prisons during his youth. Much like Mr. Micawber, Dickens’s father, for all his financial woes, could not control his spending when it came to dining and drinking. The passages involving Mr. and Mrs. Micawber are based in large part on Dickens’s own experience, as are the descriptions of David’s job at the wine-bottling factory. David’s sympathetic portrayal of Mr. Micawber suggests Dickens’s concern for the underclass and his frustration at the harsh conditions of the debtors’ prisons. The episodic, plot-heavy nature of David Copperfield stems from the fact that it was originally published as a serial, in pieces over time. Dickens inserted several mini-climaxes and resolutions and deliberately built suspense toward the end of each section in order to compel his readers to buy and read the next installment. The unnatural segmentation of David’s life into separate parts and the heavy-handed foreshadowing add to the novel’s suspense. For example, Dickens’s description of David’s life with his mother and Mr. Murdstone constitutes one self-contained section, which comprised the entire first part of the novel as it was published in serial form. The change of scene that opens the second section mirrors an internal change in David as he grows older. Because David Copperfield was written as a serial novel, it focuses in large part on plot and rarely stops to describe characters or settings in detail. The characters develop chiefly through their actions, and it is only over time that we get to know them—Dickens never includes any kind of thorough character analysis or description when he introduces a character. The novel’s serial nature also partly explains why the characters’ physical attributes match their internal characteristics. This correlation made character identification easier for readers who may have waited weeks since reading the previous installment of the novel. Ultimately, although many critics claim that Dickens’s characters are too simple and flat, this simplicity is largely the practical result of Dickens’s desire to gain new readers and keep current readers interested. When David arrives at Miss Betsey’s, the tone of the novel changes to reflect David’s increased tolerance for the harshness of his world. We see that David’s voice has lost some of its naivete and that he seems more prepared to deal with tragedy than in previous chapters. Miss Betsey plays a significant part in bringing about this change in the novel’s tone, for she both provides David with physical comfort and is herself a quirky, humorous character, which contrasts the tragic drama of the first chapters. The fact that Miss Betsey turns out not to be the imposing character that she seems to be in the opening scenes of the novel brings some relief to the dark tone of the first part of the story. Miss Betsey’s obsession with keeping donkeys off her lawn, for example, is an amusing touch that lightens the mood of the novel. Her concern about her lawn is inconsequential relative to David’s troubles, yet she takes it as seriously as David takes his struggle to survive. Miss Betsey also introduces Mr. Dick, whose optimistic, simple faith in David and Miss Betsey contrasts with the Murdstones’ dark pessimism. Unlike most of the other men in David Copperfield to this point, Mr. Dick is kind, gentle, and generous toward David—a far cry from the unforgiving Mr. Murdstone and the brutal Mr. Creakle. As we see, then, not only Miss Betsey but also the characters related to her momentarily change the tone of the novel from tragedy to comedy. Chapters XV–XVIII Summary — Chapter XV. I make another Beginning Miss Betsey proposes that David, whom she has nicknamed â€Å"Trot,† be sent to school at Canterbury. They go to Canterbury and visit Mr. Wickfield, a lawyer and a friend of Miss Betsey’s. At Mr. Wickfield’s, they meet Uriah Heep, an unattractive young redhead dressed entirely in black and skeleton-like in appearance. Uriah takes them to Mr. Wickfield, who recommends a school for David but warns that the dorms are full and that David will have to stay elsewhere. The adults agree that David can go to the school and stay with Mr. Wickfield until they find a more suitable arrangement. David meets Agnes, Mr. Wickfield’s lovely and charming daughter, who dotes on her father and is his one joy since his wife died. The three dine and have tea together. David rises in the middle of the night and encounters Uriah Heep, whose sliminess so strikes David that he feels the need to rub off Uriah’s touch after shaking his hand. Summary — Chapter XVI. I am a New Boy in more senses than one At school the next day, David meets the headmaster, Doctor Strong, and his young wife, Annie. Mr. Wickfield and Doctor Strong discuss arrangements Mr. Wickfield is trying to make for Annie’s cousin, Jack Maldon. Mr. Wickfield wants to know whether there is any particular reason that Doctor Strong wants Jack Maldon’s new job to be one that sends him out of the country. Doctor Strong assures him there is not. David is behind in his studies but quickly catches up. He makes friends with the boys at the school. At home, David speaks with Agnes, whom he finds more and more charming in her devotion to her father. One evening, at dinner, Jack Maldon interrupts the family to say that he hopes he can go abroad as soon as possible. Mr. Wickfield treats him politely but distantly and assures him that there will be no delay in getting him sent abroad. After dinner, Mr. Wickfield drinks heavily, and Agnes and David chat with him and play dominos. Mr. Wickfield offers to let David stay permanently at the house, and David gladly accepts. On his way to bed, David runs into Uriah Heep. Uriah asks him whether he is impressed with Agnes. David notes that whenever he says something that pleases Uriah, Uriah writhes like a snake. David quickly rises to the top of his class and settles in happily. One evening, he, Mr. Wickfield, and Agnes visit Doctor Strong’s home for a farewell party for Jack Maldon. Annie’s mother is there, and she encourages Doctor Strong to continue to bestow favors on her family members, who are poor and lower-class. Doctor Strong acquiesces to all her demands. When Jack Maldon leaves to depart for India, Annie becomes very emotional. As the coach pulls away, David sees one of her ribbons in Jack Maldon’s hand. Summary — Chapter XVII. Somebody turns up Peggotty writes to David and tells him that the furniture at his old house has been sold, the Murdstones have moved, and the house is for sale. David tells Miss Betsey of all the news in Peggotty’s letters when she visits him at school, as she does frequently. Mr. Dick visits even more frequently and becomes a favorite of Doctor Strong and the other school boys. Mr. Dick tells David that Miss Betsey recently had a strange nighttime encounter with a man who frightened her so badly that she fainted. Neither Mr. Dick nor David understands the encounter. Mr. Dick reports that the man appeared again the previous night, and that Miss Betsey gave him money. David goes to tea at Uriah Heep’s house, where Uriah and his mother intimidate David into telling them secrets about Agnes, especially about her father’s health and financial situation. David is very uncomfortable with the Heeps and feels that they are manipulating him. Uriah and his mother both frequently repeat that they are so humble as to be grateful for any attention from David. In the middle of tea, Mr. Micawber walks by the door. On seeing David, he enters. The two of them leave together and visit Mrs. Micawber, who is very glad to see David. The Micawbers are in terrible financial straits again, but they are quite merry over dinner nonetheless. Summary — Chapter XVIII. A Retrospect In retrospect, the adult David recounts several years in Doctor Strong’s school and his two love interests during his time there—a young girl named Miss Shepherd and an older woman named Miss Larkins. David also recalls a fistfight he had with a young arrogant butcher. Eventually, to his surprise, David rose to be the top boy at the school. When he was seventeen, he graduated. Analysis — Chapters XV–XVIII The retrospective Chapter XVIII marks the end of David’s boyhood and his entrance into the world as a man. Throughout his childhood, David’s character traits remain fairly constant. Although his life changes radically and frequently, often in cruel ways, David remains for the most part the naive, hopeful boy he is in the first chapters of the novel, when his mother is alive. As David later observes when speaking of Uriah Heep, a miserable childhood can easily turn a boy into a monster. David’s resilience, in contrast, is striking. Nonetheless, for all his pride in his growth, David remains gullible. This innocence lends a freshness to the narrative’s perspective—a freshness that has prompted many critics to label David Copperfield the finest portrayal of childhood ever written. As David grows older, he does remain somewhat simple-hearted and maintains a startling faith in humanity, but his narrative perspective does mature alongside him. David gradually leaves his childhood romanticism behind and looks at the world in more realistic terms, and the novel’s narrative tone reflects this change. Mr. Dick, who is both a man and a boy, contrasts with the other adult male characters in the novel, who tend to be harsh and gruff. In a story focused on the process of maturation, Mr. Dick is a model of a mature adult who is not jaded by the cruelties of the world. Like Miss Mowcher, who appears later in the novel, Mr. Dick might be described as a young mind in an adult body. Like a boy, he is unable to control his impulses or order his thoughts. Furthermore, as an innocent character, Mr. Dick demonstrates the power of love over cruelty within the moral framework of the novel. Mr. Dick’s love for David and Miss Betsey gives his character moral credibility throughout the novel. In the closing chapters of David Copperfield, Mr. Dick becomes heroic in his own right, demonstrating the supremacy of simplicity and gentleness over cunning and violence. In this way, he shows that craftiness does not signify maturity or adulthood—an important lesson for David as he becomes a man. At one point or another, each of the admirable adult characters in the story becomes slightly crazy, allowing Dickens to explore the relationship between intelligence and insanity. Miss Betsey’s obsession with donkeys makes her eccentric to the point of madness. Most of the characters consider Doctor Strong’s faith in Annie to be lunatic. Later, Mr. Peggotty’s faith in Little Em’ly leads some to consider him a raving madman travelling the countryside in search of his niece. Although the outside world would dismiss many of Dickens’s characters as insane, within David Copperfield, characters who are crazy are often of high moral quality. This contrast emphasizes Dickens’s rejection of the logic of the external world, which he sees as flawed. In the same way that Dickens rejects class as a marker of a good heart, he likewise rejects sanity as a marker of maturity. Instead, he focuses on the purity of his characters’ intentions and their willingness to follow their convictions. Chapters XIX–XXII Summary — Chapter XIX. I look about me, and make a Discovery David sets off on a monthlong journey to Yarmouth, to the home of Peggotty and her family, to decide what profession to pursue. He takes his leave of Agnes and Mr. Wickfield, and Doctor Strong throws a going-away party in David’s honor. At the party, Annie’s mother reveals that Jack Maldon has sent Doctor Strong a letter in which he claims that he is ill and likely to return soon on sick leave. But Annie has received another letter from Jack Maldon indicating that he wants to return because he misses her. The next morning, David leaves on the London coach and tries to appear as manly as possible. Nonetheless, the coachman asks him to resign his seat of honor to an older man. David spends the evening at an inn, where the waiter pokes fun at his youthfulness and the chambermaid gives him a pitiful room. David attends a play, returns to the inn, and discovers Steerforth in a sitting room. Steerforth is now attending Oxford but is bored by his studies and is on his way home to see his mother. David and Steerforth are happily reunited, and the inn staff immediately treat David with respect. Summary — Chapter XX. Steerforth’s Home. Steerforth persuades David to stay a few days with him at his mother’s house before going to Yarmouth. Steerforth nicknames David â€Å"Daisy,† and the two of them spend the day sightseeing before going to Steerforth’s home. There, David meets Mrs. Steerforth, Steerforth’s widowed mother, and Rosa Dartle, Steerforth’s orphaned distant cousin whom Mrs. Steerforth took in when Miss Dartle’s mother died. Mrs. Steerforth is an imposing, older, more feminine version of Steerforth, and she dotes on her son ceaselessly. Miss Dartle has a scar above her lip from a time when Steerforth, as a child, threw a hammer at her in anger. Miss Dartle views Steerforth’s and David’s words and actions with sarcasm, but both young men are drawn to her. Summary — Chapter XXI. Little Em’ly. If anyone had told me, then, that all this was a brilliant game, played for the excitement of the moment . . . in the thoughtless love of superiority . . . I wonder in what manner of receiving it my indignation would have found a vent! (See Important Quotations Explained) At Steerforth’s, David meets Littimer, Steerforth’s servant, who frightens David because he is so haughty and respectable. David persuades Steerforth to accompany him to Yarmouth to see Ham and Mr. Peggotty again and to meet Peggotty and Little Em’ly. On his way to Peggotty’s, David stops at Mr. Omer’s shop and sees Mr. Omer and his daughter, who is now married to her sweetheart. Mr. Omer tells David that Little Em’ly now works in his shop. She is a good and diligent worker, but some of the girls in town say she has earned a reputation for putting on airs and wanting to be a lady. David decides not to see Little Em’ly until later, so he continues on to Barkis’s house to find Peggotty. Peggotty does not recognize David at first, but when she does, she sobs over him for a long time. Mr. Barkis, ill but glad to see David, opens his cherished money box and gives Peggotty some money to prepare dinner for David. Steerforth arrives and entertains Peggotty and David. In retrospect, the adult David muses that if anyone had told him that night that Steerforth’s joviality and manners were all part of a game to him, born from his sense of superiority, David would have dismissed such an idea as a lie. When Steerforth and David arrive at Mr. Peggotty’s house, they find everyone, including Mrs. Gummidge, in a state of high excitement because Little Em’ly has just announced that she intends to marry Ham. After they leave, David delights in the good news, but Steerforth becomes momentarily and inexplicably sullen. Summary — Chapter XXII. Some old Scenes, and Some new People While in Yarmouth, David visits his old home and feels both pleasure and sorrow at seeing the old places. When he returns late from one such visit, he finds Steerforth alone and in a bad mood, angry that he has not had a father all these years and that he is unable to guide himself better. Steerforth tells David that he would rather even be the wretched Ham than be himself, richer and wiser. After they leave, Steerforth reveals to David that he has bought a boat to be manned by Mr. Peggotty in his absence, and he has named it â€Å"The Little Em’ly. At the inn, David and Steerforth meet Miss Mowcher, a loud and brash dwarf who cuts Steerforth’s hair as they gossip and talk of Mr. Peggotty, Ham, and Little Em’ly. When David arrives at Peggotty’s, where he is to stay for the night, he discovers Little Em’ly and Ham with Martha, a woman who used to work at Mr. Omer’s with Littl e Em’ly but fell into disgrace and came back to beg help from Little Em’ly. After Martha leaves, Little Em’ly becomes very upset and cries that she is not nearly as good a girl as she ought to be. Analysis — Chapters XIX–XXII The simple life at Yarmouth contrasts starkly with the sophisticated life at Steerforth’s home. At Steerforth’s, characters use their words and actions strategically to produce a desired effect. Littimer, for example, speaks in such a convoluted manner as to be completely opaque, while every one of Mrs. Steerforth’s actions is motivated by her sense of propriety and self-possession. At Yarmouth, on the other hand, characters say exactly what they mean and act out of a desire for harmony with each other. The contrast highlights the class distinction between the two families. The description of the families contributes to Dickens’s overall message that wealth and power do not correlate with good character, and that poverty does not necessarily indicate bad character. At home, Steerforth reveals that, at heart, he is slick, egotistical, and vain, even though David still continues to deny these tendencies in him. Mrs. Steerforth’s constant doting on her son reinforces these tendencies in Steerforth and make his self-centered nature understandable, if not justified. Though David is unaware of Steerforth’s snobbery, Steerforth belittles David from the moment they meet. Steerforth further demeans David by giving him the nickname â€Å"Daisy,† but David still is too caught up in his worship of Steerforth to see anything but his good qualities. Although Steerforth does demonstrate some thoughtfulness at Yarmouth, as when he tells David that he wishes he could be more focused, his self-reflective mood passes as quickly as it appears. David ignores Steerforth’s insults, as well as the fact that Mrs. Steerforth likes David only because he adores her son. Even when Steerforth begins to confide in David about his own insecurities, David views him as a superior being in whom all faults are positive attributes. David’s idolization of Steerforth makes him incapable of seeing the true nature of his false friend, even when Steerforth’s bad side is most exposed. David attains greater consciousness of romantic love as his character develops. At this stage, David’s feelings of love are still impetuous and adolescent. His frivolous infatuations mirror many of the romantic relationships he sees in his life around him, like that between Annie Strong and Jack Maldon. Although David’s experience of love is not yet as deep as it is later in the novel, he is increasingly aware of others’ romantic relationships. He observes the affair between Jack Maldon and Annie Strong, as well as the unfolding of the love affair between Mr. Orem’s daughter and her sweetheart. As David awakens to romantic love, his narrative focuses more and more on the emotional relationships between characters. Chapters XXIII–XXVI Summary — Chapter XXIII. I corroborate Mr. Dick, and choose a Profession David determines not to tell Steerforth about Little Em’ly’s outburst the night before because he loves Little Em’ly and believes that she did not mean to reveal to him so much about herself. David also tells Steerforth, as they are on their way home by coach, about a letter he has received from Miss Betsey suggesting that he become a proctor (a kind of attorney). Steerforth thinks that the profession of proctor would suit David well, and David agrees. When David arrives in London, he meets up with Miss Betsey, who has traveled to London to see him. She is very concerned that Mr. Dick, whom she has left behind at home, will not be able to keep the donkeys off her yard. Miss Betsey and David eventually resolve that David will become a proctor, despite his protestations that it is expensive to do so. On their way to establish David at the Doctors’ Commons (the place where the proctors hold court and offices), a man who looks like a beggar approaches them, and Miss Betsey jumps into a cab with him. When she returns, David notices that she has given the man most of her money. David is very disturbed, but Miss Betsey makes him swear never to mention the event again. They go to the offices of Spenlow and Jorkins, where Mr. Spenlow agrees to engage David as a clerk. Afterward, they find lodgings for David with Mrs. Crupp, an old landlady who promises to take care of David as though he were her own son. Summary — Chapter XXIV. My first Dissipation Although David is thrilled with his new accommodations, he gets lonely at night, and Steerforth is away at Oxford with his friends. David goes to Steerforth’s home and visits Mrs. Steerforth and Miss Dartle, who talk glowingly about Steerforth all day. Finally, Steerforth returns. He and David plan to have a dinner party in David’s rooms with two of Steerforth’s friends. David goes overboard in preparing for the party and then drinks himself into illness. While very drunk, he goes with Steerforth and company to the theater, where he runs into Agnes, who makes him go home. The next day he is hungover and humiliated. Summary — Chapter XXV. Good and bad Angels Agnes sends for David, and he goes to visit her where she is staying in London. She warns him that Steerforth is his â€Å"bad Angel,† that he should avoid Steerforth and be cautious of Steerforth’s influence. David disagrees, but the idea rankles him and disturbs his image of Steerforth. Agnes also delivers the bad news that Uriah Heep has insinuated himself into a partnership with her father, Mr. Wickfield. Both she and David are very distressed over this occurrence. At a dinner party at the home where Agnes is staying, David runs into Tommy Traddles, his friend from Salem House, and Uriah Heep. Uriah attaches himself to David and accompanies him home. In an unpleasant conversation, Uriah reveals to David his intention to marry Agnes. Uriah insists on sleeping the night on the floor in front of David’s fire. David gets no sleep with Uriah’s evil presence in his apartment. Summary — Chapter XXVI. I fall into Captivity Mr. Spenlow, David’s supervisor at the Doctors’ Commons, invites David to his home for the weekend. There, David meets Dora, Mr. Spenlow’s daughter, and falls in love with her. David also runs into Miss Murdstone, whom Mr. Spenlow has retained as a companion for his daughter ever since her mother died. Miss Murdstone pulls David aside and suggests they forget their difficult past relationship with each other. David agrees. One morning, he meets Dora out in the garden, where she is walking with her little dog. They have a conversation that cements David’s romantic obsession with her. When David returns home, Mrs. Crupp immediately suspects that he has fallen in love. She tells him to cheer up and go out and think of other things. Analysis — Chapters XXIII–XXVI Of all the characters in the novel, Agnes and Steerforth have the greatest influence over David, but their influences pull in opposite directions. While Agnes represents David’s â€Å"good Angel,† his conscience and his dependability, Steerforth urges David to take risks, drink too much, and be critical of the people around him. Agnes represents calm, considered reflection. Her energy is always directed, peaceful, and quiet. Steerforth, by contrast, is noisy, brash, and idle. While Agnes stays at home because her father needs her assistance, Steerforth gallivants all over the countryside pleasing himself. Whereas Agnes encourages David to take the correct path for the sake of morality, Steerforth insists on spending money and commanding servants around at his will. In this manner, Agnes and Steerforth pull David in different directions throughout the novel, forcing him to choose between good and bad. David experiences his first moral dilemma when Agnes’s influence comes into direct conflict with Steerforth’s. After seeing David drunk at the theater, Agnes suggests that he should shun Steerforth’s company because it makes him do foolish things. This suggestion throws David into a conundrum about which person he should trust. He is not yet mature enough to reject Steerforth’s seductive charisma in favor of Agnes’s quiet, contemplative love. Although Agnes wins his heart in the end, it takes her a long time, and it is difficult for David to free himself from Steerforth’s hold. Only when David gains control of his own emotions does he fully appreciate Agnes and choose her over Steerforth. As we see, Agnes and Steerforth not only exert opposite effects on David but also require him to assert his identity by choosing between them. Although David has grown since the start of the novel, he continues to be immature, naive, and unable to control his emotions as he takes his first steps into the adult world. David’s tendency to become obsessed with young women, along with his drunkenness at Steerforth’s dinner party, demonstrate that he does not yet have power over his emotional side. Perhaps the most telling mark of David’s fickle nature is his love affair with Dora, which starts the moment he sees her, quickly develops into an obsession, and remains with him, even though he knows that she is too foolish and frivolous ever to make an appropriate wife. The love affair has many moments of tension, for every time David tries to persuade Dora to be reasonable, she accuses him of being cruel or naughty and makes him leave her alone. Despite these barriers and warning signs, David loves Dora desperately. His willingness to throw himself into such an unrealistic love affair reveals that his emotions are still naive. Chapters XXVII–XXX Summary — Chapter XXVII. Tommy Traddles David decides to visit Tommy Traddles, who, he discovers when he arrives, lives in the same building as the Micawbers. Traddles is studying for the bar. His apartment and furniture are extremely shabby, and he is struggling to earn enough money to marry his true love, who has sworn to wait for him to save the money. In the meantime, Traddles has collected two pieces of furniture, a flowerpot, and a small table. Mr. Micawber, meanwhile, is in dire financial trouble again, although he still hopes to find work soon. Mrs. Micawber is pregnant again. Summary — Chapter XXVIII. Mr. Micawber’s Gauntlet â€Å"Ride over all obstacles, and win the race! † (See Important Quotations Explained) Mr. and Mrs. Micawber and Traddles come to dinner at David’s apartment. Mrs. Crupp agrees, after a good deal of argument, to cook dinner for them. The dinner is terribly undercooked, but Mrs. Micawber directs them all in re-cooking the meat. They enjoy themselves as they cook and eat. Steerforth’s servant, Littimer, arrives and asks David whether he has seen Steerforth. David replies that he has not. Littimer will not tell David why he thought Steerforth might be at his house, nor will he tell him where Steerforth has been. However, Littimer insists on serving the remainder of the meal, which makes everyone uncomfortable. After Littimer leaves, the guests continue to have a merry time. They discuss Mr. Micawber’s prospects in the brewing business and conclude that they are very good. As his friends leave, David suggests to Traddles that he neither lend anything to Mr. Micawber nor allow Micawber to use Traddles’s name to take out more credit. Traddles says he has already lent Mr. Micawber his name and adds that Mr. Micawber says that the bill is taken care of. Skeptical, David reflects that he is very glad Mr. Micawber never asked him for any money. Steerforth appears in David’s apartment immediately after the others leave, and David tells him Traddles has just left. Steerforth does not speak highly of Traddles, and David is slightly offended. Steerforth reveals that he has been seafaring at Yarmouth. David tells him that Littimer has just been at the apartment looking for him. Steerforth says that Mr. Barkis is quite ill and delivers a letter from Peggotty to David. Steerforth remarks that it is too bad that Mr. Barkis is dying, but says that above all, a man must â€Å"[r]ide over all obstacles, and win the race! † avid resolves to go visit Peggotty, but Steerforth persuades David to accompany him to his mother’s house before going to Yarmouth. As David undresses, he discovers a letter Mr. Micawber gave him as he left. It says that Mr. Micawber has not taken care of the debt he secured in Traddles’s name. Summary — Chapter XXIX. I visit Steerforth at his Home, again At Steerforth’s home, David spends the day with Miss Dartle and Mrs. Steerforth. Miss Dartle asks David why he has been keeping Steerforth away from his mother. David assures her that he has not been with Steerforth in the past several weeks. Miss Dartle seems very disturbed at this news. At dinner, Miss Dartle says that if Steerforth and his mother were ever to quarrel, their fight would be especially bitter because neither of them would want to give in to the other. However, Mrs. Steerforth assures Miss Dartle that she and her son are too conscious of their duty to each other ever to quarrel. At the end of the day, Steerforth begs David to promise that if anything ever separates them, David will remember him at his best. David promises. As he leaves, he looks in on the sleeping Steerforth. In retrospect, the adult David muses that he wishes he could have kept Steerforth just as he was at that moment, so that none of what was to come ever would have happened. Summary — Chapter XXX. A Loss When David arrives at Yarmouth, he visits Mr. Omer, who tells him that Little Em’ly has not seemed herself recently. Mr. Omer also says that Martha, a friend of Little Em’ly’s, has been missing since David was last in Yarmouth. David goes to Peggotty’s house, where Mr. Peggotty and Little Em’ly are sitting in the kitchen, helping Peggotty. David learns that Mr. Barkis is unconscious and expected to die very soon. Mr. Peggotty says that Mr. Barkis will die with the receding tide. Little Em’ly seems unusually upset and hardly raises her eyes to say hello to David. Mr. Barkis dies as the tide recedes. Analysis — Chapters XXVII–XXX In this section, Dickens builds suspense about Steerforth’s future by conveying secondary characters’ speculations about Steerforth’s mysterious absence and by using David’s narrative voice to imply that their friendship will soon reach a crucial point. The suspense is heightened by the fact that we take note of Steerforth’s conspicuous absence far more than David, who is too busy with his new life in London and his love for Dora to notice that Steerforth has been gone. Littimer’s appearance at the dinner party highlights Steerforth’s absence and raises questions about him. Moreover, Steerforth himself behaves secretively and does not indicate why he is agitated. Finally, the adult David’s reflection on his last moments with Steerforth is particularly effective in creating suspense because the adult David has full knowledge of what has happened between himself and Steerforth but deliberately chooses not to reveal this information to us. The suspenseful mood of these chapters contrasts with the young David’s ignorance of coming events and with his jovial comportment with his friends. Dickens uses sea imagery in connection with Mr. Peggotty to imply that Mr. Peggotty has mystical, unknown powers. In addition to spending much of his time fishing at sea, Mr. Peggotty lives in a boat near the water with Little Em’ly and Ham, two children whose parents lost their lives to the sea. For Mr. Peggotty, the sea both provides sustenance for life and represents a force that can take life away. His correct prediction that Mr. Barkis will die with the outgoing tide suggests that Mr. Peggotty gleans information from the sea that other characters cannot access. In this section of the novel, it seems that the sea allows Mr. Peggotty to understand and deal with death, unlike less mystical characters such as David, who feel confused and upset upon the death of Mr. Barkis. The contrast between Traddles and Steerforth in this section underscores Steerforth’s fickle nature. The two young men are physical and emotional opposites: Traddles is the fat and wimpy boy at school while Steerforth is beautiful and heroic. Yet the true nature of these characters lies beneath the contrasting exteriors. Traddles, despite his shabby appearance, is generous and loyal, both at Salem House and here, when he encounters David in London. In contrast, Steerforth, though handsome, is self-centered and disloyal. Although earlier Steerforth supports Traddles and David equally at Salem House, his derision of Traddles now raises questions about the sincerity of his friendship with David. Dickens draws out the contrast between Traddles and Steerforth in subsequent chapters, always to Traddles’s advantage. By doing so, he forces us to question Steerforth’s character and David’s relationship with him. David’s defense of Traddles in the face of Steerforth’s insults represents a major step in David’s coming of age. David has long seen Steerforth as a hero and has esteemed Steerforth’s every word and action while blinding himself to Steerforth’s faults. Now, however, David’s willingness to defend Traddles against Steerforth indicates that he is beginning to form opinions independently of Steerforth. David has also begun to see the good in the poverty-stricken and somewhat ridiculous Traddles. This new independence of thought and this ability to see beyond class and convention to the real good in people are crucial elements of David’s maturation. Though it eventually takes a traumatic event to make David see the bad in Steerforth, his ability to see the good in Traddles is an important first step. Chapters XXXI–XXXIV Summary — Chapter XXXI. A greater Loss After Mr. Barkis’s death, David stays in Yarmouth to help Peggotty arrange her affairs. He discovers that Mr. Barkis has left Peggotty a sizable inheritance and has also left money for Mr. Peg