Catcher In The Rye Essays (927 words) - Literary Realism

Catcher In The Rye Holden Caulfield's Perception and Gradual Acceptance of the Real World. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden views the world as an evil place where there is no peace. This perception of the world does not change significantly throughout novel. However, as the novel progresses, Holden gradually comes to the realization that he is powerless to change this corruption. During the short span of Holden's life covered in this book, Holden does succeed in making us perceive that the world is crazy. Shortly after Holden leaves Pencey Prep, he checks in to the Edmont Hotel. This is where Holden's turmoil begins. Holden spends the following evening in this hotel, which was full of perverts and morons. There were screwballs all over the place. His situation only deteriorates from this point forward as the more he looks around this world, the more depressing life seems. Around every corner Holden sees evil. He looks out on a world which appears completely immoral and unprincipled. The three days we learn of from the novel place a distressed Holden in the vicinity of Manhattan. The city is decked with decorations and holiday splendor, yet, much to Holden's despair, seldom yields any occasions of peace, charity or even genuine merriment. Holden is surrounded by what he views as drunks, perverts, morons and screwballs. These convictions which Holden holds waver momentarily during only one particular scene in the book. The scene is that with Mr. Antolini. After Mr. Antolini patted Holden on the head while he was sleeping, Holden jumped up and ran out thinking that Mr. Antolini was a pervert as well. This is the only time during the novel when Holden thinks twice about considering someone as a pervert. After reviewing Mr. Antolini, Holden finally concludes that maybe he wasn't making a flitty pass at him. Maybe he just liked patting guys' heads as they sleep. This is really the only time in the novel where Holden actually considers a positive side. This event does not constitute a significant change. As Holden himself says, It's not too bad when the sun's out, but the sun only comes out when it feels like coming out. The sun is a reference to decency through the common association of light and goodness. His perception of the world remains the same. The one conviction that does change during the novel is Holden's belief that he can change the world. On his date with Sally, Holden reveals his feelings. Did you ever get fed up?... I mean did you ever get scared that everything was going to go lousy unless you did something...? Holden goes through several plans. He at one point contemplates heading out west where he will pretend to be a deaf-mute and live a quiet life. At another point, Holden proposes to Sally to escape this world with him. It is finally to his younger sister Phoebe that Holden reveals his ultimate plan. Although Holden describes the situation in a very colorful and symbolic manner, he essentially tells Phoebe that he wants to prevent children from growing up. He blames the world's corruption on adults and believes that when he stops the children from growing up, he will preserve their innocence and save the world. It takes most of the book before Holden begins to realize that he is helpless to stop this corruption. Finally, he realizes that not only is there nothing that he can do, but there is nowhere he can go to hide from it. Holden takes a while to comprehend these concepts. One good example is when Holden is delivering the note to his sister. He encounters a *censored*-you written on the wall. Holden careful rubs this off with his hand so as to protect the innocent children from reading it. Later on, he finds *censored*-you scratched into the surface with a knife. He discovers that he can't efface this one. Even in the timeless peace of the Egyptian tomb room at the museum, there is an un-erasable *censored*-you. This incident is the beginning of Holden's realization that his dreams are unattainable. Ironically enough, it is one of the innocent children whom he is trying to protect who finally helps him come to terms with this realization. It is Phoebe who challenges his plan to escape out west. As he is telling Phoebe that she can not run away, he discovers that he too can not run away. You can't ever find a place that is nice and peaceful because there isn't any. The final

Louis Sullivan essays

Louis Sullivan essays The Autobiography of an Idea was published 1924. Louis Sullivan wrote this autobiography as a way to let you know who he was and what he believed in. He felt that his life was dedicated in forming a new style of architecture that would set the United States apart from the European countries. He wanted to break away from the tradition styles that have been used for the last century and a half. This tribute shows you that architecture was his passion, and he wanted everyone to follow him. Louis Sullivan was born on September 3rd 1856 in Boston, Massachusetts. His father Patrick, and his mother Andrienne, had a rough way of life. They both made their way to America from different regions of Europe. Louis was raised by his parents until he was the age of five. He then was taken to his grandparents in a small town called South Reading. As he grew he found that he enjoyed to art of dancing and began to love natures beauty. Louiss father opened a summer school in Newburyport. Patrick had told Andrienne that her parents were too soft for their son, and they pampered him. His mother arrived to reclaim her son and also to visit with her parents. Soon after, both left for Newburyport by train. He later endured another move, the return to Boston. Here he would join another school that would help him with his creative mind. At the age of 9 Louis was enrolled in The New Rice Grammar School. He later entered the Boston English High School where he dropped out at the age of 16 to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After only one year he dropped out once again to move to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to live with his grandparents. In Philadelphia, while living with his grandparents, he decided he would try to gain employment with Furness and Hewitt. He later had a disagreement with George Hewitt and moved to Chicago, Illinois with his parents. There he gained employment with William Jenney. ...

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 40

Assignment Example The federal investigators said they were going to conduct corruption investigations involving the City Hall officials (Twickel 1). The United States of America legislators introduced a bill to block visas and assets of some Russians until people responsible for the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky were brought to justice. Magnitsky was put under arrest after he accused senior government officials of embezzling government funds. According to the report given, Magnitsky died of health complications in a pretrial detention in Moscow. Human rights activists and Magnitsky colleagues say that he was denied adequate medical treatment during his detention. They also claimed that he was subjected to torturing conditions. The bill was however not welcomed by some Russia government officials. The Foreign Minister warned the US government against passing the bill saying that it will evoke bitter relations with US and undermine cooperation between the two nations (Combined Reports 1). The president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev ordered the Prosecutor General’s Office to conduct investigations into Magnitsky’s deat h. Previous investigations into Magnitsky’s death failed to produce any suspect (The St Petersburg Times

The Holocaust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Holocaust - Essay Example Though anti-Jewish laws have been adopted, Hungarian authorities opposed to the German demands for deporting the Jewish to the death camps. The situation changed in 1944, when the German army occupied Hungary. During the 42 days, starting from the beginning of May, more than 437 thousand of Hungarian Jews have been sent to Oswiecim - Birchenough. While the world community pretended, that nothing was happening, the Germans killed in gas chambers 12 thousand people every day. Only at the beginning of July 1944, the head of the Hungarian government, Miklosh Horti, signed the order to stop the deportation, or to slow it down, and about 200 thousand Jews from Budapest have finally avoided deportation. The neutral diplomats of Sweden, Switzerland and Vatican have given their assistance to the Hungarian Jews. However, already at the end of 1944 about 30 thousand Jews more died during the so called 'death marches' to the Austrian border. (Braham 1981, p24) Italy has also been a German ally; and as well as in Hungary, the anti-Jewish laws have been adopted there. ... ty, and only after the failure of the Mussolini's government in July, 1943, German troops were able to capture eight out of thirty five thousand of local Jews and to deport them to Oswiecim-Birchenough. All this took place with the support of Italian Nazis. (Berenbaum, 1998, p86) After the German occupation in April, 1944, Yugoslavia has been divided into several parts. The total number of Jews living in the country was 80 thousand, out of which about 16 thousand lived in Belgrade. The Germans used thousand of Jews as cheap labor force, having deprived them of their entire inventory beforehand. In August, 1941, the wave of mass arrests seized the country. The bigger portion of Serb Jews has been killed. In spring 1942, in the Semline concentration camp in Belgrade suburbs, people were killed by gas, using the specially equipped truck. Only several hundreds of Serb Jews remained alive by summer 1942. (Braham, 1994, p144) Croatian fascists have also become close allies of Germany. Croatian Jews were obliged to carry the 'David's Star' and their property has been confiscated. The regime was constantly destroying Serbs, Jews and Gypsies all across the country. Only in Yasenovo concentration camp, dozens thousands of Serbs and twenty out of thirty thousand Croatian Jews have been killed. By the end of October, 1941 almost all Jews of Croatia have been destroyed. About seven thousand of those who remained alive were sent to Oswiecim. During the whole period of war, about sixty thousand of Yugoslavian Jews have been killed. (Berenbaum, 1998, p91) Greece has been simultaneously occupied by the two armies - German and Italian. The Jews, who appeared to be in the Italian zone, have not been subjected to repressions until 1944. As for the German zone, the 50-thousand Jewish

National governments and international institutions in relation to Essay

National governments and international institutions in relation to policy on international trade - Essay Example These relations depend on the country a particular business person is importing from or exporting to (Carbaugh, 2004). Countries such as the United States of America are known to enforce some of these policies on imports and exports. Their primary aim is to favor the business people. The same case applies to the United Kingdom. Their import duty rates are reduced to almost nil courtesy of the implemented government policies (Fujita, 1999). The procedure of importing and exporting of goods was also made less complicated. There is known to be high-level trade between countries. Hence, trading tariffs are significantly reduced. Most global business people and corporations feel highly considered since they can sell internationally without any transaction issues. Several national governments have provided open-border options to ease trade across countries that share borders. This policy involves allowing people from neighboring countries to go across borders without having to produce the usual strictly scrutinized legal papers that allow them into other countries. This case of international business growth can be seen in the East African Community (Grimwade, 2000). This regional community is one that allows a business to take place across borders of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The kind of trade that takes place between these three nations involves the sale or agricultural produce and raw materials. Fresh vegetables and grain are usually sold at standardized prices across these borders, making it one of the most successful interactions in these region in terms of business. Mineral are also traded across these borders. The kind of business that is promoted by this policy is not that of overseas shipping of goods. It is rather a simple way of easing transactions taking place between business people of different countries without many hindrances. The elimination of the borders in terms of

Michael Porters Theory Of National Competitive Advantage Economics Essay

Michael Porters Theory Of National Competitive Advantage Economics Essay Porters Diamond suggests that the national home base of a firm plays an important role in shaping the extent a nation can create new advanced factors such as skilled labour, advanced technology and knowledge base, government support, and culture. Government and chance are two elements are not included in the four basic ones that form the diamond but integral nonetheless as either-or can influence the entire diamond. It is with these six forces and their interactions were studied for 100 industry case studies (Porter, 1990 26-27). The importance of this model is integral on these elements support or hinder these firms from developing advantages in the global arena, specifically from a firm-based perspective. Factor conditions pertain to the situation in a nation regarding various production factors, both man-made and inherited. These national factors directly affect the industries that subsequently develop. Demand conditions reflect the state of home market demand for products produced within the country, encompassing customer needs/wants, their scope and growth rate, and the mechanisms that transmit domestic preferences to foreign markets. Relating and supporting industries are key in determining a firms success, as the existence or non-existence of internationally competitive inputs reinforce and firms ability to innovate and remain competitive in the global arena. Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry pertain to the conditions in a country that influence a firms establishment, its organization and managemen t, as well as the characteristics of domestic competitors. Porter argues that domestic rivalry and subsequent quest for competitive advantage help provide the elements for repeating those same results in the global marketplace. In applying a real-world example, Porters Diamond will be used to offer explanation as to why the internet market is dominated by firms from the United States of America. Factor Conditions: An industry requires an appropriate supply of factors in its home base if it is to be successful. In the United States there are many specialized factors which apply to the internet industry in addition to generalized advantages that span across domestic industries. A high national income in unison with a large population meant expensive computer hardware and monthly internet fees could be obtained by millions and millions of U.S citizens. It is not selective factor disadvantages, but rather an abundant supply of capital, entrepreneurial orientation, and world-class educational infrastructure (computer technology included) that explain the industries dominance. Demand Conditions: The internet has been rapidly adopted by consumers and businesses alike. The United States has a high penetration of internet access. Virtually every major firm has a website. High disposable income means American consumers can afford to purchase a variety of goods online. This climate has created a rich environment for online only firms to develop and prosper within the U.S. Notable examples include worldwide heavyweight Google, Amazon.com, Ebay, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, and Netflix. Related + supporting industries: The United States benefits from local suppliers eager to help prosper by helping industries production, marketing, and distribution needs. Notable is Silicon Valley for its incredibly dense population of high-technology firms; creating an ideal climate with input suppliers closely and the human capital necessary. A culture that fosters entrepreneurship means many individuals are not afraid to risk capital in creating a new venture Firm Strategy, Structure, and rivalry: Following the tech-bubble of the new millennium, which saw the NASDAQ ** technology firms never truly recovered from their reputation as an industry that is volatile, ultra-competative, and ever changing. Many firms have sprung up with impressive growth only to crash-and-burn. This competitive environment however is key to understanding the nature of the industry. Obtaining and sustaining a competitive advantage can be enormously profitable for firms, but by being forced to closely monitor costs, raise productivity, boost product quality, and develop innovative products U.S based internet firms have been able to transfer these advantages only at a costs much lower. Having already obtained the advantage in their home market, they can enter the international marketplace with additional leverage in areas such as Research and Development, quality control, human capital, and overall management. In order to truly understand Porters Diamond theory, the International aspect is integral in forming the platform for which this trade takes place. In The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Porters fundamental objective from the start was to uncover why some social groups, economic institutions and nations advance and prosper (Porter, 1990, p. xi). In todays business environment with Globalization playing and ever more important role, Porter suggests that the competitive advantage of a nations industries is determined by the configuration of the four aforementioned elements forming the Diamond: factor conditions; related and supporting industries; and firm strategy, structure, and rivalry. Foreign subsidiaries with strong internal capabilities and the ability to capitalize on host country opportunities may take strategic initiatives that areas important to a firm or industry as home country determinants(Morrison and Crookell. 1991). Although the domestic environment in which firms compete shapes their ability to compete in international markets, there is likely other circumstances beyond facing vigorous competition domestically in terms of continuously striving to improve their products that influence and offer insight into Firm based National Advantage. National policy and economics considerably influence firms ultimate ability to compete in the global marketplace; while Porter notes national policies may also affect firms international strategies and opportunities in more subtle ways, merely portraying various cultural influences, the geography, religion, climate, and political factors that greatly influence firm-based national advantage by acknowledging they affect each element of the Diamond is not adequate. Porters insisted that a firms ability to compete depends largely upon the strength of the diamond within its home national and the assertion that national economic performance depends on this. Both of these can be critiqued for relevance at a time when the world economy has become increasingly globally oriented, and the multinational corporation increasingly important. ***Dunning (1993, pp. 9-10) points out that in the 1990s an increasing proportion of the assets of firms in a particular country are either acquired from or are located in, another country. Despite this, many firms have a large proportion of their operations away from their home base and it is debatable to suggest that their competitive position rests uniquely upon the strength of diamonds in their home base. It is important not to confuse this with their initial move abroad which it may have initially been the catalyst. In questioning the Clarity of Porters Diamond, Daly (1993) for instance claimed to have significant reason to reject Porters claim that exchange rates and wages are not integral to determining competitiveness. He was able to demostrate that export growth and export shares are impacted by variations in exchange rate as well as labour costs. Despite this, Porters definition of competitiveness is more focused on national productivity compared to export shares. In asserting that competitiveness cannot be meaningfully defined in terms of low labour costs and favourable exchange rates (CAN, p. 7). claim Porters case studies lack a homogenous analytical tool to determine the importance and precise impact of each determinant on the industries competitive position (Rugman, A. M., Verbeke, A. 1993). They that it is extremely difficult to operationalize Porters diamond when putting theory into practice such as what a consultant or strategic planner would attempt I would argue that Michael Porters Theory of National Competitive Advantage is in fact important and a useful tool in understanding the factors affecting firm-based trade-theory, while still offering some analysis as to how country-based specifics influence firms actions and products and ultimately national advantage. As per Porter the determinants of national advantage reinforce each other and proliferate over time in fostering competitive advantage in an industry, thus nations achieve success in international competition where they possess advantages (Porter, 1990). Porter portrays that domestic rivalry as the major spur to innovation and hence success in international competition. It is clear no theory can single-handedly all trade flows in international trade but Porters Diamond is more relevant in understanding intra-industry trade of differentiated goods. This pertains in particular to competitive and dynamic industries where each element in Porters Diamond would be very releva nt in influencing product change while other country-based specifics play a minimal role. Rugman, A. M., Verbeke, A. (1993). How to Operationalize Porters Diamond of International Competitiveness. International Executive, 35(4), 283-299. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Dunning. John H. (October 1990) Dunning on Porter. paper to the Annual Meeting of the Academy of International Business, Toronto. Morrison, Alan and Crookell, Harold (1991) Free Trade: The Impact on Canadian Subsidiary Strategy. in Earl H. Fry and Lee H. Radebaugh (eds.). Investment in the North American Free Trade Area: Opportunities and Challenges, Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University.

Solar Power Essay -- Alternative Energy Clean Photovoltaic Cells Panel

Solar Power: An Alternative Energy Source Since first discovered in the 1860s, the concept of storing energy from the sun to use as a source of power has been studied and pursued by many programs. Either using solar collectors or photovoltaic cells, the methods of using solar power are becoming more efficient and cost-effective. Solar technology is currently being used by homes and businesses, but is still too expensive and risky for many residents. Researchers are still making advances to solar technology for it to be a feasible energy source in the future. Solar energy was first started in the 1860s when Auguste Mouchout and William Adams found a way for storing solar radiation into tanks of water. Since then, there have been improvements to the processing of solar energy, which has been split into two categories: agricultural based and electricity based. The agricultural method, otherwise known as thermal solar energy, uses the sunlight to heat liquid and power steam engines. Solar collectors can be used on houses or business buildings to store the energy. Different types of solar collectors are flat-plate collectors, evacuated tube collectors and integral collector storage systems (US Department of Energy, 2007, para. 2). The electrochemical process is more complicated and requires photovoltaic (PV) cells to capture the solar energy and convert it into electricity. PV cells have many uses, including powering batteries or mechanical devices by absorbing the photons and creating a voltage. (Simon, 2007, p. 88) Silicon in the PV conductors absorbs photons, but sometimes impurities are added to create a charge. Phosphorous is added to create negatively charged silicon and boron is added to create positively charged silicon in... ...om the Sun. Retrieved July 31, 2007 from http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/solar.htm National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2007). Solar Research. Retrieved July 28, 2007 from http://www.nrel.gov/solar/ Nersesian, Roy L. (2007). Energy for the 21st Century. New York: M.E. Sharp. Simon, Christopher A. (2007). Alternative Energy. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. United Nations Development Programme. (2002). Energy for Sustainable Development. New York: UNDP. U.S. Department of Energy. (2007). Solar Energy Technologies Program. Retrieved July 28, 2007 from http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/ Van Wyk, Anita. (2005). Solar Energy Advantages Disadvantages. Retrieved August 1, 2007 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Solar-Energy-Advantages-Disadvantages&id=50178 Wikipedia. (2007). Solar Power. Retrieved July 31, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power Solar Power Essay -- Alternative Energy Clean Photovoltaic Cells Panel Solar Power: An Alternative Energy Source Since first discovered in the 1860s, the concept of storing energy from the sun to use as a source of power has been studied and pursued by many programs. Either using solar collectors or photovoltaic cells, the methods of using solar power are becoming more efficient and cost-effective. Solar technology is currently being used by homes and businesses, but is still too expensive and risky for many residents. Researchers are still making advances to solar technology for it to be a feasible energy source in the future. Solar energy was first started in the 1860s when Auguste Mouchout and William Adams found a way for storing solar radiation into tanks of water. Since then, there have been improvements to the processing of solar energy, which has been split into two categories: agricultural based and electricity based. The agricultural method, otherwise known as thermal solar energy, uses the sunlight to heat liquid and power steam engines. Solar collectors can be used on houses or business buildings to store the energy. Different types of solar collectors are flat-plate collectors, evacuated tube collectors and integral collector storage systems (US Department of Energy, 2007, para. 2). The electrochemical process is more complicated and requires photovoltaic (PV) cells to capture the solar energy and convert it into electricity. PV cells have many uses, including powering batteries or mechanical devices by absorbing the photons and creating a voltage. (Simon, 2007, p. 88) Silicon in the PV conductors absorbs photons, but sometimes impurities are added to create a charge. Phosphorous is added to create negatively charged silicon and boron is added to create positively charged silicon in... ...om the Sun. Retrieved July 31, 2007 from http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/solar.htm National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2007). Solar Research. Retrieved July 28, 2007 from http://www.nrel.gov/solar/ Nersesian, Roy L. (2007). Energy for the 21st Century. New York: M.E. Sharp. Simon, Christopher A. (2007). Alternative Energy. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. United Nations Development Programme. (2002). Energy for Sustainable Development. New York: UNDP. U.S. Department of Energy. (2007). Solar Energy Technologies Program. Retrieved July 28, 2007 from http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/ Van Wyk, Anita. (2005). Solar Energy Advantages Disadvantages. Retrieved August 1, 2007 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Solar-Energy-Advantages-Disadvantages&id=50178 Wikipedia. (2007). Solar Power. Retrieved July 31, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power