Thursday, October 31, 2019

Vaccines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Vaccines - Essay Example Vaccines stimulate the immune system of the body and helps it recognize the agent as a pathogen or foreign, hence destroying it (Bona and Bonilla, 1996). Vaccines do not offer complete protection of the body against a certain disease; therefore, it is important to choose the most adequate type of vaccine in order to make it more responsive. To develop an effective immune against a dangerous virus, one must consider important aspects, which include the rate of maintaining high immunizations even when the disease is rare. Other factors to be considered include the impact of the immunization campaign on the epidemiology of the disease in the long term and the continuous surveillance of the disease due to the introduction of the new vaccine. An inactivated whole organism vaccine is produced by the killing or destruction of a disease causing organism by use of radiation, heat or chemicals (Reiss, 2005). It has several advantages since it is very stable and safe, which is an advantage over live vaccines, since the inactivated vaccines are killed and cannot mutate back to form the disease causing agent. They are advantageous since they do not require refrigeration hence their storage and transportation is easy, which makes it accessible for people in developing countries. Inactivated vaccines also have the main disadvantage of triggering a weak immune system response; hence several boosters are needed where as live vaccines stimulate a stronger one. This is a major set back to people in areas that are inaccessible to healthcare due to lack of boosters. Another set back is that the nonantigenic portions of the vaccines microbe may cause an inflammatory response to some people. Attenuated whole organism vaccines are live vaccines that contain the living microbe or the modified live viruses which are only weakened in laboratories in order to prevent diseases (Goldsby et al 2000). Viruses are attenuated by growth of generations in cells where they do not reproduce so well , the unsuitable environment makes them repel the viruses. As they grow they become weak due to the new environment and their natural host. They are the closest thing to natural infections hence they are good to the immune system. They stimulate strong antibody and cellular responses, and give lifelong protection with one or two doses. They are easy to create for given diseases like chickenpox. There are several setbacks to this immune system, for example the attenuated vaccines are live so they may revert and cause disease, and people with weakened immune systems for example HIV-positive people cannot use attenuated vaccines for their own protection. Attenuated vaccines need to be refrigerated therefore it is hard to store and transport them to under developed areas. They are difficult to create for bacteria, since bacteria have so many genes, therefore, it is hard to control them. Recombinant vector vaccines are also known as sub-unit vaccines, and are comprised of antigens which elicit the immune system best combined with the DNA of another (Murphy, Walport and Travers, 2008). They are mainly used for complex infections, are experimental and are similar to DNA vaccines though they use bacteria to bring out DNA to the cells in the body. Vector means the virus or a bacterium that is used as the carrier virus latches on to the cell and injects genetic material into the cell. Scientists take the genomes of harmless viruses and insert the genetic material in portions into the cells. The viruses ferry the microbial DNA to the cells. The recombinant vector vaccines cause a natural infection and, therefore, stimulate the immune system. Attenuated bacteria also play the role of vectors, where the genetic mater

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Venerable Pierre Toussaint Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Venerable Pierre Toussaint - Essay Example Pierre on the other hand, obtained basic education where he was able to read and write. Secondly, he was not expected to work in the fields where there was hard labor, and also he was not subjected to punishments. During his stay on the Haiti, the sound of drums in the field offended him. The thought of the bloodbath that happened in the fields was too harsh for him to comprehend. Pierre relocated to New York with his master. Soon after the death of Jean Berard, Pierre took the initiative to look after his ailing wife, who had just learnt about his husbands demise (Malley 89). Pierres elevation to sainthood came as a result of his charity, which was easily deduced from his act of adopting Euphemia. During his burial, Pierre was eulogized as one who had "remarkable qualities of mind and heart and on his incredible charity". Secondly, he was also branded as "Gods reflection in ebony". He was greatly loved, which is exhibited by the enormous number of people from both races who attended his

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Banking Industry Analysis: Zimbabwe And India

Banking Industry Analysis: Zimbabwe And India Banking industry is the major player in every countrys economy, and it influences the growth and prosperity of a nation. The following environmental analysis seeks to look at the banking Industry in Zimbabwe and India especially with regard to the PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental) factors and how they have a bearing on the industry. It will further look at Porters five forces namely: New entrants, Threat of Substitutes, Power of Suppliers, Power of buyers and Competitive rivalry. In doing so, a brief history is important as it gives a mile view of the origins and development of the industry. . Based on these factors a comparative analysis is done between the two countries 1: Zimbabwe Banking Industry Analysis. Background When Zimbabwe attained its independence in 1980, the majority of banks were foreign owned. It was not until 1981 when the government acquired stakes in two banks namely Nedbank and Bank of Credit and Commerce of 62% and 49% respectively. Apart from stakes in these two individual banks, the government wholly owned and directed the operations of the central bank, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ). The Reserve Bank is the policing authority for the industry formulating policy direction through periodic monetary policy statements. Indigenous ownership and new entrants into the industry was not until mid to late 90s when a number of banks were registered (Makoni, 2010). Until mid to late 90s, Zimbabwe was regarded as a model developing African country with a small but strong banking industry. Agriculture was the backbone of economic growth with mining, manufacturing and tourism complementing it. The industry therefore benefited from a strong economy until things changed in the late 90s as a result of negative economic and political policies adopted by the government. Political Factors Since independence from Britain in 1980, Zimbabwe has been under the leadership of President Robert Mugabe through his political party ZANU PF. The country was virtually under a one party state system with no credible opposition until 1999 when a new political party entered the political field. The political environment was however stable with the international community having confidence in the way the country was governed. As a result Zimbabwe was experiencing strong economic growth due to the international support and such growth was reflected positively upon the banking sector, as it was working effectively. International lines of credit from international financiers such as the World Bank and IMF were made available benefiting the banking industry immensely. There was however a sudden change of fortune in the industry when Zimbabwe embarked upon a controversial land reform program around year 2000. The process was chaotic and often violent with the international community condem ning it. That resulted in Zimbabwes isolation from the international community. Some countries such as the U.S.A and the E.U introduced sanctions against President Mugabes government as a way of protesting against his policies (U.S Department of Treasury, 2010). Zimbabwes banking industry reeled under sanctions. Some banks especially foreign owned such as Barclays Bank had to downscale their operations as the conditions were no longer conducive to support a complete banking portfolio (The Independent, 2010). The country is still under sanctions, arguably targeted to President Mugabes inner circle members. Because of that, banks do not have access to foreign sources of capital and cannot enter into strategic alliances with most western banks who fear the political situation in Zimbabwe. A new government of national unity was recently formed to dilute President Mugabe era. The change has not had a significant positive impact on the industry as it is still new with vague views about ec onomic development. Moreover the government recently launched a short term recovery program in 2009, in order to stabilize the economy with a focus on multi currency due to the inflated exchange rate of the US dollar against the local currency. That left the industry without a long term view of economic direction (The World Bank, 2010). Economic Factors Zimbabwes economy is characterised by negative economic growth, high unemployment, high interest rates and absence of foreign investment. The economic situation started to deteriorate in the early 90s when Zimbabwe embarked on an Economic Structural Adjustment Program, ESAP supported by IMF and the World Bank. Although the intended benefits were to grow the economy and create jobs, the opposite actually happened (The World Bank, 2010). The economy started to shrink. It was further exacerbated by the sanctions imposed after a chaotic land reform program earlier mentioned together with mismanagement by the government. Banks were not and still do not have access to cheap sources of capital as a result. The population is poor and characterised by high unemployment levels. According to an AFP report (2009), such negative economic factors have been haunting the banking industry particularly in the last 10 years. Poor people are likely not to save, a situation that is negative for the banking industry. On the other hand, the rise in inflation coupled with the devaluation of the Zimbabwe dollar meant banks could not cope with depositors need for daily cash withdrawals. Around 2003 and 2004, some banks collapsed while others were put under curatorship (Africa Monitor: Southern Africa, 2008). Those which survived had to limit their exposure to risks (Marawanyika, 2010). Although the situation has improved as a result of a power sharing government, banks still do not enjoy the benefits of a wide product portfolio as some products are still non-implementable. Good examples are lack of long term mortgages and credit cards. Banks remain uncertain as to the economic future and therefore are concentrating on products which are short term. Another factor which badly affected the banking system was the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe forcing private banks to acquire quantity of its related papers, and also to lend it free the compulsory statutory reserve of 40%, which is considered the highest in the world. Moreover, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe also forced financial institutions to use the excess surplus cash to invest in securities. Such influence significantly affected the performance of the banking sector (Africa Monitor: Southern Africa, 2008) Social Factors Zimbabwe has a population of around 13 million. There has been a steady outflow of people to other countries as a result of economic difficulties. Estimates put the number of Zimbabweans living outside the country to 4.5 million (Sunday Mail, 2010). That is a very significant percentage of the population. The end result is a population that is too small to sustain a vibrant banking industry. People who migrated to other countries are the middle age group, the very core of middle class society. In addition, emigration has starved the industry of essential expertise needed to run the banking industry efficiently as the educated and qualified left for greener pastures. Before the recession, Zimbabwes banking industry was already under stress and some of it is attributed to lack of proper management and lack of innovativeness. To compound the emigration problem, the country has been beset by HIV/AIDS epidemic which seem to affect the productive ages. It is estimated that 14.3 % of the po pulation was infected with the virus as of 2007, (UN report, 2009). Although the problem is not uniquely a banking industry problem, it has affected the way the industry operates by taking away both potential customers and the expertise needed to run the industry. Technological Factors Although Zimbabwe is a third world country, it is generally doing well in terms of technology. The country has seen an early introduction of ATMs in almost all cities and tourist destinations. ATM technology was first adopted around 1990 when two of the industry players Standard Chartered Bank and CABS introduced ATMs. Since then, telephone banking and online banking have been introduced as well. The industry is also linked to international big brands such as Visa and Mastercard. Travellers to Zimbabwe will have access to their cash on all ATMs so long they have Visa cards (Barclays Bank Zimbabwe, 2010). ATMs have greatly enhanced the capacity of the industry to reach a wider population and cover geographic areas which would have been costly Although most banks have adopted internet banking, the usage numbers are still very low (Thulani et al. 2009) Legal Factors Although the Zimbabwean government had little interference in the banking industry prior to 2003, the situation has since changed significantly. Government enacted various legislations meant to police the operations of the industry. This was necessitated by the collapse of some banks resulting in loss of depositors funds. As a way of protecting the public from such incidences, the government raised the minimum capital requirements needed to open and operate banks, both commercial and discount houses. The minimum is currently set at $12.5 million. This new capital requirement has not been easy due to the industrys inability to access cheap sources of capital. Further affecting the industrys ability to raise more capital and funds is the new government legislation requiring all companies to have a minimum local majority shareholding of 51%. Foreign investors with an interest in the industry can only take up the remaining 49%. (Zimbabwe Mail, 2010) This has not gone down well with foreign investors who feel the legislation strips them of their ability to manage and have an influence on their investments. As a way of trying to fight the AIDS epidemic, the government introduced a levy on banking profits towards an AIDS fund administered by the National Social Security Authority, NSSA. The rate is 3% across all income levels with banks however levied at a much higher rate of 5 % compared to other industries and individuals. This has the effect of reducing the amount available to shareholders. Environmental Factors. Zimbabwe does not have legislation compelling companies and businesses to direct their resources towards the environment and corporate social responsibility activities outside of the Aids levy earlier mentioned. It is truly lagging behind in this area. The banking industry, like any other industry has instead concentrated on its own survival with little regard to environmental issues. Industry Analysis by Porters forces. Porter explains and argues that there are five forces which determine the industrys profitability and attractiveness. These are threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers and the degree of rivalry between existing competitors. Some of the forces mentioned above have limited applicability to banking because of the nature of the industry. An example is the substitute factor. The banking industry in general has limited room for substitutes. Looking at the banking history in Zimbabwe, there was a time soon after independence when suppliers had the power in the market because competition was very low. There were few players in the industry and customers were even lucky to be accepted to open a bank account. As the government liberalised the industry, more indigenous players came in making competition very stiff. Currently, there is little differentiation which banks can apply to have an urge over others. Rivalry is very high and the areas of differentiation come from good customer service and degree of risk expected. The collapse of some banks around 2003 and 2004 has left the market and customers jittery about which banks to be entrusted with their deposits. Banks with adequate capital such as Standard Bank and Barclays Bank have a competitive advantage over others due to their history of stability. They can use their foreign component of their shareholding structure to mobilise resources. 2.0 India Banking Industry Analysis 2.1 Introduction: The Banking Sector in India is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF). The banking sector comprises of Nationalised, Private and Public Sector, Cooperative and Foreign banks. A brief history tells us that the nationalisation of 14 largest commercial banks in 1969, and further nationalisation of 6 major private banks in 1980 has completely reformed the banking sector in India (Das and Ghosh, 2006). According to 2010 survey more than 80% of banks in India are nationalised, 15% are private and cooperative sector banks and the remaining 5% are foreign banks, serving a population of more than 1.1 billion. Political factors: The ruling government and the Ministry of Finance play a decisive role in contributing to the rules and regulations of the industry. A huge turning point came in 1991, when the Finance minister Dr. Manmohan Singh under the Narsimha Committee opened the doors for the Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in the country thus boosting the economy and uplifting the banking industry (Das and Ghosh, 2006). This served as a platform for the future decision making of the rules and regulations and law enforcement for RBI and other financial regulatory bodies. The relaxation of some regulations allowed the major foreign banking corporations to enter the developing Indian economy through mergers or independent setup. Economic factors Nationalisation of the banking sector helped farmers and small industries in India to directly access credit facilities, efficient short and long term loan sanctions and has helped reduce the unemployment rate and further increase the profitability of the money lenders. Interest rates for certain loans are lower than the market rates. For example food and agriculture related business and services. This has led to many nationalised banks giving more importance to social priorities than profit maximisation. Reduction in Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) and Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) has helped the banking sector to increase efficiency. Liberalisation has encouraged competition in the interest rate and services provided by many banks and financial regulatory bodies (J. Sengupta; C. Neogi) Social factors In spite of the recent downturn in the global economy India was able to attain a growth rate of 8.8 % in the first quarter 2010 (RBI Bulletin, 2010). That means the industry and the agriculture sectors that form the majority of the working population are supplying huge amount of their disposable incomes to banking and investment corporations to further increase their profits. This change is much obvious in the Cooperative banks and domestic banks regulated by RBI where deposits, repayment of loans, sanction of new loans improved significantly, enhancing industry profitability. Since 1991, due to the outburst of multiple opportunities in national and international industrial and service sectors, the urban and the semi-urban cities have witnessed an increase in educated, high earning individuals who are well associated with their income and investments. Since 2001 the changes in banking norms, stable and long term understanding between the commercial and cooperative banks have helped t he banking sector achieve 51% of compounded annual rate based on growth, asset quality and profitability (McKinsey and Company, 2010). Technological factors Technology is always seen as a building block for any industry or economy. With the arrival of the foreign banks and financial corporations, the public, private and cooperative sectors have witnessed a revolutionary support and competition in its technology. As a result of this many banks such as Housing and Finance Corporation (HDFC), ICICI, State Bank of India, Central bank, Union Bank, JK bank, and all major cooperative banks have revolutionized their various banking products and services. Services like internet and telephone banking, online investment and loan proposals, personalized and premium banking services are available 24 hours a day. Large numbers of ATM outlets have all helped increase the profitability and efficiency of their service providers. As a result the year 2001-02 saw 20.83% private sector banks achieving efficiency of more than 100%, and year 2003-04 saw 26.92% private sector banks having productivity of more than 100% (Bodla and Verma Bajaj, 2010). The growth in industrial and outsourcing sectors have boosted foreign exchanges and remittances. This has produced a fluent and rich source of income for the banking industry. Legal factors Banking Regulations Act in 1949 and the Reserve Bank of India Act in 1934 are the major regulations in Indian banking industry. All Indian banks trade and work in accordance to the guidelines of RBI. Due to liberalisation and influence of World Trade Organisation, Indian banking industry adapted to the global banking standards. Indian banks and finance corporations follow the regulations of the Basel Committee, International Monitory Fund (IMF) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). (2008) 2.7 Environmental factors The finance and banking sector is one of the most advanced and rapidly growing sectors in Indian economy. The concentration in banking industry is due to certain core principles, standardization, regulating and supervising of the sector. This has created a frantic race to stay at the top. To overcome their competitors almost all banks and finance corporations have adopted social responsibility measures or environmental concerns (Zuberbà ¼hler, 2000). Banks like SBI, HDFC, ICICI etc have undertaken various public and corporate issues seriously and have allocated a sizeable amount of their income on public and environment issues. Recently, the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs in India have set out core elements of CSR for companies and corporations to address. The president speaking at India Corporate Week has urged finance and industrial corporations to assist the government in various programmes designed for rural economic development (SRI, 2010). Analysis by Porters Five Forces 2.8 Bargaining power of buyers: Bargaining power of buyers is high in Indian banking system because of many reasons. There are lots of alternatives for each customer. Due to the technological advances, buyers know about the market status and position of each bank. Switching cost to shift the bank is very low, so the customer changes the bank frequently. Almost all banks give the same service and products, so they cannot charge for extra service and differentiation. Banks try to be customer friendly to attract as many clients as possible. 2.9 Bargaining power of suppliers: Bargaining power of suppliers is less in India due to the strict rules and regulation of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Interest rate and degree of differentiation are determined by the RBI, so supplier power is very low. But at the time of tight liquidity the negotiation capacity of suppliers increase. 2.10 New entrants: New entrants with added services and benefits always pose a threat to the well established older and somewhat government owned banks. In India since majority of the banks are nationalized or state owned as seen above, a new foreign bank, always has to come up with some better ideas to attract a specific group of population which is ready to deviate or change its banking environment. In addition, few of them have tried to blend with the Indian market either by partnering or merging with some Indian nationalized banks, or by exchanging services like use of ATM networks. As a result, foreign and new private banks have realised growth rates of up to 50% while the public sector banks have grown at steady 15% (India Banking, 2010). After the post liberalisation period the banking sector has increased average deposit efficiency especially for State Bank of India and Associates. As for nationalised banks its almost stable and for foreign banks it has declined sharply. The reason for the fall in the foreign banks is due to their attention to cater to only some of the multinational corporations which lured them for starting their services in India (Services Research, 2009). 2.11 Threat of substitutes: Substitutes do not pose a greater threat to the banks. However the fact that they still have influence in some of the major rural areas in the form of non-governmental and unregulated co-operative societies always leaves banks watching their backs. (Das and Ghosh, 2006). 2.12 Competitive rivalry: The concentration of nationalised banks and their efforts to be the policy maker have given rise to three major concerns: Competition, Systemic Stability and difficulty in regulating them (Zuberbà ¼hler, 2000). It is believed that competition always fuels growth. The commitment shown by banks in terms of employee training programs and technological upgrades have resulted in improved skills and services (Arora and Khanna, 2009). For effective regulation many banks have applied customer centric approach rather than profit oriented approach. This has significantly improved the internal service quality of the banking sector. 3.0 Comparison and conclusion: Banking industry in India is more diverse as it includes many nationalised public sector banks, foreign banks, private sector banks, co-operative banks and many approved small and medium money lending institutions well serving a population of 1.1 billion. In Zimbabwe the banking industry comprises of government banks, private banks and a few foreign banks serving a comparatively small population of 13 million. The banking industry market is therefore huge in India when considering the population and all related demographics. Considering the fact that agriculture is the backbone in both countries, most of the government policies and initiatives are in favour of agriculture and its related sectors. A best example is Indian governments approval of $12.5 billion Farmers debt relief fund in 2008, which allows banks and other approved money lending institutions to waive a farmers loan after signing an agreement of debt relief. (banknetindia. nd). Indian government is politically more stable than the Zimbabwean government. This has created certainty in the Indian industry compared to its Zimbabwean counterpart. In India all the financial regulatory bodies have formed a supportive environment for the banking and economic industry, and have setup stringent rules and regulations in accordance with the international banking guidelines. Foreign exchange and remittance is an important factor which acts as a bridge between a countrys banking sector and its ability to attract investments from other countries, which provides rich nourishment for the banks. Foreign remittances from industrial activities are practically not present in Zimbabwe whereas in India outsourcing and flourishing economy is maintaining a steady supply of foreign exchange. Though banks in Zimbabwe are earning huge individual foreign remittances from the migrant population, the entire banking sector cannot completely sustain itself on that. Global economic instability and recent financial downturns were more felt in Zimbabwe, as compared to India which is relatively more insulated to the effects. Since 2007 Zimbabwe was facing huge hyper-inflationary problems until recently when the country achieved some measure of stability through dollarization of its economy. The inflation at some point reached monstrous levels affecting the Zimbabwean dollar exchange rate and banks found it extremely difficult to maintain a supply of the dollar. That led to government introducing foreign multi-currency since 2009, especially the US dollar, (Hanke, 2010). Inflation in India has been steady compared to its growth rate and is handled carefully by the Reserve Bank and the finance ministry. This has helped maintain currency supply and is conducive for the banking environment. Technology is one of the major drivers for banking industry not just in India and Zimbabwe but across globe. Technology has helped many foreign banks gain an advantage over government banks in India and also in Zimbabwe. Some of the banking areas revolutionised by technology are ATMs, online banking, phone banking, customer service, foreign exchange etc. Indian banks are highly competitive and have strengthened themselves due to information and technology. They are providing many services and provide value addition which has enabled them to successfully compete with many global, well established and technically sound banking corporations. Zimbabwean banks are comparatively at a preliminary stage and are incorporating value addition and services at a slower rate. Unemployment is a negative driver for banking environment in Zimbabwe. Population migration and AIDS are further deal breakers. Corruption in the government and finance sector is further affecting the banking industry in both countries. Social responsibility is not well adopted in Zimbabwean, whereas almost all major nationalised, private and foreign banks are making huge efforts to be socially responsible in India.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Claudius as Evil in Hamlet by William Shakespeare Essay -- William Sha

Claudius as Evil in Hamlet by William Shakespeare The abstract concept of evil has vastly transformed throughout human history, ranging for the supernatural and mystical to the very humans amongst whom we live. In modern times, evil has become an entirely ambiguous term. Who is evil? What is evil? Men like Adolph Hitler and Saddam Hussein have been garnered with the term ‘evil’ for their atrocities against fellow humans. Now it seems evil has a solely human significance; when a person violates the individual rights of others on a massive scale, he/she is evil. In Shakespeare’s time – the Elizabethan era – evil had a similar, but somewhat altered connotation in the human mind. Evil was an entity that violated the English Christian monarchial tradition. Therefore, a man such as Claudius, from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, a cold-blooded murderer and a ruthless manipulator, who uses â€Å"rank† deeds to usurp the thrown is in direct violation with the Elizabethan societal norms, and hence h e is an evil character.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Elizabethan era, the royal crown was viewed as divinely touched and hence any action against the crown was an action against God. Claudius dismisses God’s right to control the crown by committing a â€Å"murder most foul† (I.v.27), yet he concedes that â€Å"there’s such divinity doth hedge a king† (IV.v.121). Claudius admits that God influences the monarchy and yet he chooses to violate the divine monarchial progression. Hamlet recognizes Claudius’ evil nature beyond simply the murder of his father; Hamlet sees that Claudius is corrupting all of Denmark. Claudius’ reign is compared to â€Å"an unweeded garden/That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature/Possess it merely† (I.ii.135-7), his influence causing the destruction of a previously beautiful environment. Claudius’ infectious evil must be eliminated, and Hamlet feels he is the only man who can do anything; he pulls out all the stops and i n the end accomplishes his goal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  King Hamlet’s â€Å"foul and most unnatural murder† (I.v.25) tops Claudius’ list of egregious sins, but most of his offenses are psychological rather than physical. Using his mastery of manipulation, Claudius, the â€Å"incestuous† and â€Å"adulterate beast† managed to win â€Å"to his shameful lust the will† of the virtuous queen, Gertrude (I.v.42-6). Gertrude could not be persuaded to switch husbands without a little verbal tricker... ...er it be through direct divine action or controlled action of another; hence, Hamlet crusades against Claudius and eventually triumphs. A trail of bodies lines Hamlet’s path towards vengeance, but Claudius is revealed, the â€Å"yet unknowing world† is told:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How these things came about†¦   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Of carnal, bloody and unnatural acts;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And, in this upshot, purposes mistook   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fall’n on th’ inventors’ heads.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (V.ii.359-64)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Claudius’ true nature is exposed; his treachery and heresy is fully recounted, and presumably he is sentenced to eternal damnation for his moral infractions. God’s will prevails in a fundamentally Christian tale of murder in the name of self-interest and revenge in the name of justice and morality. Works Cited: Joseph, Bertram. â€Å"The Theme.† Conscience and the King. London: Chatto & Windus, Ltd., 1953. 130-51. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Cyrus Hoy. New York: W. W. Norton, 1992. Spencer, Theodore. â€Å"Hamlet and the Nature of Reality.† Journal of English Literary History (December, 1938): 253-77.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Specific User System Requirements

Specific RequirementsThis section provides comprehensive details on all requirements. It should include all of the details which the designer will need to create the design. The details that is shown below should be defined as individual specific requirements such as User Requirements and System Requirements. It also contains all of the software requirements to a level of detail sufficient to enable designer to design a system to satisfy those requirements and testers to test that the system satisfies those requirements.User RequirementsThe user must enter the correct username and password otherwise they cannot access through the system. The system should reports invalid log in errors. The system shall provide a facility in changing user accounts: Username and Password allowing the users to modify their accounts. The system should report any violation. The system should automatically generate bills and receipt, and other functional reports. The system can also void purchase order and should include search facility on different products information. The system should keep records on every actions that has been made.System Requirements1. Log in and log out a. Users must be able to log in and log out b. The users must enter correct user accounts to access the system c. The users can change their accounts 2. Viewing the system main menu a. The system should have a clear and user friendly interface. 3. Rendering order transaction a. The system should provide bills and receipt 4. Viewing / Retrieving / Modifying records a. The user must be able to create and update records 5. Viewing and evaluation of records

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Journals for as I Lay Dying Essay

Most authors give small details throughout the novel of where and when a story takes place, and the reader must piece the bits together. As I lay dying is no exception and like any other book gives many examples of setting. First off you can tell that the story takes place many years ago through simple statements given throughout the novel. For example, when it says that all of the women inside of the house had to use fans to cool themselves it suggests that air conditioning was not around yet, therefore it was an earlier time. (Page 81) Also throughout the entire beginning of the novel Cash’s only tools for building Addie’s coffin are a saw and hammer, there is no mention of any newer power tools. Then when Anse is talking to some of the other men about transporting Addie’s coffin a character mentions that the bridge was built back when his first child was born in 1988. (83) Also on page 83 when the flooding of said bridge is noted someone comments on how they h ad to float their horses across the water to get to Anse’s house. This shows that the novel took place many years ago in the late 1800’s when people relied on horses to get around. Also whenever anyone mentions transportation they talk about their wagons aka: They travel in wagons because cars do not exist yet. The final piece of evidence which shows the story took place some time back is when Cash is finally finishing Addie’s coffin at night in the pouring rain and he has to use a lantern to see in the dark. (Page 57) It shows that this novel took place before flashlights were around because Cash had to give up his raincoat to keep the lantern dry and lit whereas if this had taken place at a more current time he would have used a flashlight and kept himself dry. The time frame which this story takes place stays consist but the place changes as the novel progresses. In the beginning we learn that the Bundruns house sits alone right in front of a road (page 35) Then later when doctor Peabody comes to visit we learn that they live atop a mountain (page 41) Another thing noted is that the Bundruns own a good amount of property for their limited funds and th ey own their own barn house as well. (Page 38). Later the story takes place on the road as the Bundruns make their way towards Jefferson. One of the many examples of this is on page 156 when Anse mentions the slippery dirt road and the difficulties it might pose for the remainder of their travel. Journal 2 and 3: mother is a fish tools=cash Addie=coffin Anse unable to smooth blankets page 51 jewl’s mother is a horse and is what was 95 The fish plays a symbolic role in helping Vardaman understand death. â€Å"It was not her because it was laying right yonder in the dirt. And now it’s all chopped up. I chopped it up. It’s laying in the kitchen in the bleeding pan, waiting to be cooked and ate. Then it wasn’t and she was, and now it is and she wasn’t† (66-67). This was Vardaman’s childlike explanation for his mother’s death. This quote conveys how the fish was a fish lying in the dirt, now it is no longer a fish because it no longer has a body. Similarly when Addie is laid to rest in her coffin her body will be no more. By his mother dying if â€Å"Cash nails the box up†, his mother will no longer be his mother (66).Addie â€Å"was† a fish rather than â€Å"is† a fish. The fish symbolizes Addie’s death to Vardaman in a sense that physical being conveys existence. Throughout the beginning sections of the novel, Cash has always been described as sawing or hammering. The tools eventually start to represent Cash himself. In fact before anyone even see’s Cash the sawing and the hammering of his tools are heard first. Cash is very stable and persistent just like his tools. While Cash was constructing the coffin with his tools even when it began to rain, Cash continued to work. â€Å"Cash works on†¦dynamic immobility above his tireless elbow†¦It begins to rain†¦in an instant Cash is wet to the skin. Yet the motion of the saw has not faltered, as though it and the arm functioned in tranquil conviction that the rain was an illusion of the mind† (77). By having the saw not falter, Cash’s steady, stable character is portrayed He is the level headed and most sane of all of the Bundruns. The tools themselves represented Cash’s true identity. If the tools were lost or not beside him he felt lost. When he’s not safely with his tools he loses his sanity. New teeth symbolize Anse’s selfishness. Even while everyone is gathered around his wife’s death bed, he can only think about getting ahold of new teeth.† God’s will be done,† he says, â€Å"Now I can get them teeth† (52). Anse displays selfishness by his bluntness. He simply states what’s done is done and then focuses on himself. He is constantly putting the needs, and desires of his children aside and focusing on his own wants. Even Dewy Dells abortion is second to him. Anse’s only life goal/motive throughout the novel is to get a pair of new teeth, even his goal to bury his own wife where he promised comes in s econd to getting his new teeth. He only wishes to bury Addie in Jefferson out of his own selfish reasons. The teeth represent his selfishness because at any time when everyone else is worried about Addie, he is not; he is off thinking about new teeth. He does not even come across remotely upset at losing his wife instead he fantasizes about teeth. Jewel’s relationship with his horse represents his relationship with his mother. Darl makes fun of Jewel and says his mother is a horse, suggesting that what Jewel feels for the horse is what he feels for his mother.(page 51) Jewel does act violently toward his horse, but it should be noted that Jewl’s character is one of violence. Jewel was born as the result of violence because of what Addie wanted from preacher Whitfield. Jewel’s monologues show the violent images in his mind. He has a stronger personality than any of the other Bundruns and people seem to fear him. He even expresses his love for Addie through Violence when He stands on high hill and throws rocks at people down below. It is also important to remember that it is Jewel who violently and single-handedly saves Addie from the river and the fire.(page 203) These acts show his love for his mother. Even though at times it is hard to believe he ever had love for his mother, like when he refuses to say goodbye to her when he knows it is the last time her will ever see her. He simply can’t express his emotions except in symbols of violence, and the intense loving; violent relationship with the horse is what provides insight into his character. Therefore his horse symbolizes the love he has for his mother and suggests the violent circumstances of his birth. Addie’s coffin comes to represent the family’s dysfunction. Cash is obsessed with getting the measurements right, yet the coffin remains unbalanced. Likewise all of the Bundruns themselves are unbalanced. Addie wants a coffin sturdy enough to insure her body gets to Jefferson, the city she has demanded she be buried in. Addie’s demand is selfish and she does not care for how much trouble it will cause her family. Cash breaks his leg when he goes after the coffin in the river and suffers untold pain. The youngest child Vardaman drills holes into the coffin accidentally drilling two holes into his mother’s face because he thinks she can’t breathe. (page 71) After eight days, the odor emanating from the coffin is putrid. It is almost as if the coffin is a jinx.(page 239) The coffin begins to symbolize the family’s dysfunction because all of the unlucky and tragic things that occur to the Bundruns surround the coffin. Burying the coffin symbolizes the return to normalcy. Although the Bundruns version normalcy is sending Darl off to a mental institution and finding a new Mrs. Bundren. One important and symbolic event is when Addie was nearing her death and Anse is unable to smooth the blankets over her on page 51. This shows just how much their marriage had collapsed and how little they cared for each other. Anse has no true love for his wife in his heart, therefore caring acts such as smoothing her blankets while she is on her deathbed do not come naturally to him. Addie has no love for Anse either and she only glares at Anse as he attempts to smooth her blankets. She does not want his touch or him in the room even. Also in this scene when Addie finally passes Dewey Dell reacts emotionally and throws herself on her mother and Vardiman and Cash both react with some sadness as well. While Anse’s thoughts still seem to be stuck on teeth, he does not even comment further on his wife’s death he only tells Dewey Dell to go along and make supper and goes to once again awkwardly cover Addie with a blanket and try to smooth it. Journal 4: figurative language William Faulkner has a different writing style than most other authors, even his use of figurative language is one of his own. Something that stands out about his use of figurative language is that nine times out of ten he uses it to describe nature. For example, Faulkner uses a simile to show that an entire day has passed in only 1  ½ pages. He uses the position of the sun to show that it is already evening. â€Å"The sun, an hour above the horizon, is poised like a bloody egg upon a crest of thunderheads.† (page 39) Another thing one might notice about Faulkner’s technique is that he tends to compare people, objects, or characteristics with animals. One example of this is when Faulkner compares Anse to a rooster. â€Å"His hair was pushed back and matted up on his head like a dipped rooster†. (pg. 43) This was when Addie was very near to death and many neighbors were visiting her on her deathbed. Anse is outside on the porch standing alone, and zoned out in his own world. Faulkner uses this simile to show just how much Addie’s sickness/almost death has affected Anse. The reader gets the image of just how much stress Anse has been put under. (Although his anxiousness probably has a little more to do with getting new teeth than Addie) Another simile in As I Lay Dying is when the women’s chatting coming from inside the house is compared to the buzzing of bees. â€Å"The women’s talking was buzzing like bees in a bucket from inside the house.† (pg. 81) The author is comparing the women’s talking to bee’s to show how much more frantically and quickly they are chatting and gossiping as opposed to the men’s calmer, slower, and more series conversation. Journal 8: In its broadest terms, the structure of As I Lay Dying revolves around the preparations for and the actual journey from the Bundren farm to a town forty miles away in order t o bury Addie Bundren. Also, like most novels during the journey, several conflicts arise and the Bundruns must solve through them. So, in one sense, the novel has a linear structure based upon their traveling 40 miles from their mountain home to Jefferson to fulfill Addie’s dying wish, but the novel is also structured in such a way that the author has virtually removed himself from the story and it is the characters telling the story. There are exactly fifty-nine chapters in the novel and each is narrated by a character Faulkner accomplishes many things through his unique use of structure. For one thing he forces the reader to submerge themselves in the story. Because he has removed himself as a narrator there is no one straight point of view to explain events or ideas and the reader has to compare the different opinions and differing viewpoints from all of the characters and determine for themselves the significance of a particular event. Another thing different about his technique is that it allows us to see the inner thoughts of ALL the characters rather than just one main characters. We see into the mind of each character directly and must analyze what we find there. He does not give any background information on any of his characters; instead the reader must examine characters inner thoughts and on their own determine what type of characters they are. Along with this we are able to see each event from many different perspectives. With multiple narrations the reader can see each event from all of the differing viewpoints and observe how each character saw it and their own opinion on it. Because of this ,we learn more about the character. His unique style lets the reader become a part of the novel by drawing them in more and forcing them to piece together their own idea of what each characters personality is like. Another interesting thing about Faulkner’s style is that he is careful to include outside narrators to remind the reader that the Bundruns are not typical people. For example, all of the other characters find it absurd that Anse is going to drag his wife’s dead body such a long distance and they find it disrespectful to her spirit for him not to bury her as soon and as conveniently as possible. If the story were confined to only the Bundruns points of view, the reader would not realize that this dead body stinks so badly and that the Bundruns are violating basic morals by transporting the body such a long distance. The outside narrators give the novel a sense of the real world. In conclusion the book does have a central problem involving Addie’s request to be buried and her family determination to fulfill it, and then the structure of the novel forces the reader to solve these problems for themselves by analyzing each character. Journal 9 and 10: key passages â€Å"He did not know that he was dead.† (P. 173) After Addie gave birth to Cash, she closed herself off to Anse. To Addie, her husband Anse was dead. This is apparent even in the beginning of the novel because one can sense the barrier between Addie and Anse. Addie has no interest in anything Anse says and does not even wish to see him in her final hours. Anse on the other hand does not even care about his wife’s death because he is preoccupied with getting new teeth. After Addie gave birth to Cash she starts to feel like Anse has taken her identity away from her, and that now she cannot be her own person because she is forced to be part of a family. She resents Anse for this. She also resents the attachment of being part of a family. This is why she feels like her â€Å"aloneness has been violated.† This is also the reason for Addie’s affair with Whitfield – to rebel against her role in the family. It is her own personal revenge against Anse. The product was Jewel. She then begins to share a special connection with Jewl. Darl and Cash belonged to Anse and she never really wanted them. Having them in the first place was really just about her duty as a wife. But Anse isn’t Jewel’s father; therefore, Jewel is Addie’s and only Addie’s. To her, Jewl is living proof that she was able to break out of her position as the wife and act as an independent person. Sometimes I think it aint none of us pure crazy and aint none of us pure sane until the balance of us talks him that-a-way. It’s like it aint so much what a fellow does, but it’s the way the majority of folks is looking at him when he does it. Page 248 This is said from Cash’s point of view, and is his opinion on whether or not Darl is Insane. Cash starts to contemplate what IS sanity exactly? Who is to determine what is and isn’t sane, what if what others might consider insanity is really just Darl’s refusal to conform to the social norms? When you consider all of the misery the Bundruns mission to bury Addie has created from beginning to end you may start to think that maybe Darl is not insane. The entire bunch of the Bundruns were crazy, abnormal and could in someone else’s opinion be considered insane. Jewl is unnecessarily violent, Dewy Dell is a whore, Anse is incredibly selfish, and even little Vardamin is out of sorts. Cash notes that maybe Darl is the only one declared insane because the rest of his family’s opinions outnumber his. This goes all the way back to the very beginning of the family’s dysfunctions starting with when Anse’s marriage with Addie fell apart and then Addie’s health failed. Throughout the entire book the Bundruns seem to have trouble getting along until finally the coffin is buried and they seem to return to their version of normal. Journals 5 and 6 One of the most obvious rhetoric techniques Faulkner uses is his writing style. It is written as a stream of consciousness, and it is so skillfully done that it adds depth to the novel. As I lay dying is told from multiple perspectives, and each chapter is narrated by a different character. Faulkner’s virtuosity is seen by the way he adjusts his style to fit the mind of each individual narrator. The reader is given more detail for each event because they are able to view the event from multiple perspectives. Faulkner has very skillfully imitated the way the human brain processes images and puts them into words. The reader is really placed inside the various characters’ heads. This rhetoric technique lets the reader experience the book as if they are omnisciently viewing the events themselves. Faulkner uses a lot of repetition in As I Lay dying to get certain points across.