Literary Techniques in “The Things They Carried” Essay

A literary technique is a device employed in literature to add depth to a writer’s work. These techniques can be obvious, such as the technique of rhyme in a poem, or subtle, such as juxtaposition, which can go unnoticed by the reader. In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien uses many such techniques to provide more depth to his book. Four literary techniques used by Tim O’Brien are symbolism, pathetic fallacy, irony, and juxtaposition. One literary technique prominent in The Things They Carried, particularly in the story by the same name, is symbolism. Throughout this story, O’Brien mentions all the things that the soldiers carry with them, both physical and emotional. However, the physical items that the men carried is more than just equipment- they are symbols that represent various facets of each soldier’s personality. For example, â€Å"Rat Kiley carried†¦ morphine and plasma and malaria tablets and surgical tape†¦ and all the things a medic must carry, including M&M’s for especially bad wounds† (O’Brien 5). The fact that Kiley carried medical necessities shows that he is a good paramedic devoted to doing his job well, but the M&M’s represent something different- Kiley’s optimistic and kind outlook on the war and life in general. Conversely, the tranquilizers carried by Ted Lavender represent his terror of the fighting in the war and his inability to face reality, rather choosing to escape from it by taking drugs. This is an effective technique because, by using these symbols, O’Brien can let the reader figure out for him/herself deeper aspects of certain characters’ personalities without actually stating them outright. Another literary device Tim O’Brien employs is pathetic fallacy, or nature mirroring humans’ emotions. In the story Speaking of Courage, Norman Bowker attempts to save Kiowa’s life but fails. He becomes depressed and remorseful about what he should have been able to accomplish. For a long time afterward, Bowker struggles with the fact that he was â€Å"braver than he ever thought possible, but†¦ not so brave as he wanted to be† (153); he is overcome with sadness and guilt. This is reflected in the weather at the time of Kiowa’s death. The soldiers were camping out in a field along the Song Tra Bong, and â€Å"the rain kept getting worse. And by midnight the field turned into soup† (145). The rain emulates the emotions of the weary and despondent soldiers. Pathetic fallacy is a very useful technique because it helps to provide the tone for the story. If the story was a sad one but the weather was bright and sunny, the tone of the story would be wrong, and vice versa. In Speaking of Courage, the fact that it was raining during the main event of the story helps the reader gain and understanding of just how bleak and dismal the events that occurred were. Irony, or a discrepancy between expectation and reality, is another literary technique used by Tim O’Brien in The Things They Carried. Many of the titles of the stories contain irony themselves. For example, Speaking of Courage is more centred on the themes of failure and the inability to be courageous than it is about courage. The story Love is not, as it would seem, about mutual love, but rather unrequited love. Field Trip, an expression with a usually very positive connotation, is a story about a visit to a battleground where many lives had been lost. The Story How to Tell a True War Story also contains much irony within it. The main point of this story is that a true war story cannot be told because the simple act of telling it makes it untrue. The title of this story is ironic- O’Brien makes the reader think that he wants to instruct them how to tell a true war story, but the reader soon finds out O’Brien’s real intention- that telling a true war story is impossible. Another ironic idea within this story is the idea that war can be beautiful. â€Å"You hate it, yes, but your eyes do not. Like a forest fire, like cancer under a microscope, any battle†¦ has†¦ a powerful, implacable beauty† (81). This catches the reader off-guard because of how greatly it contrasts with the view of war we have been previously given. He continues to say that, â€Å"a true war story will tell the truth about this, though the truth is ugly† (81). This is very ironic because although the actual event may be beautiful, if a true story is told about it, the story is ugly. This adds to O’Brien’s point that telling a story, even a true one, can only take away from the truth of the event. Using irony, O’Brien can present his message in a creative an interesting way, and this helps the readers understand his point better. Another technique used by Tim O’Brien is juxtaposition. The story The Lives of the Dead seems to be a bit of a non-sequitur to the rest of the book, however, O’Brien has put it where it is for a reason. The point of The Things They Carried is not simply to tell stories about the Vietnam War- the lesson goes deeper than that. It comes to teach that war is about more than just fighting- it is about the connection between life and death. It is about learning to detach oneself from death. It is about the sacredness and fragility of life. It is about so many things that many people never have to experience. But the Vietnam War is not O’Brien’s first time coming into contact with these kinds of issues. As a child, he had a beloved friend named Linda who died of cancer. Linda’s death was a major part of his growing up process. As a child, he already had to learn to distance himself from her death, saying, â€Å"It didn’t seem real†¦ the girl lying in the white casket wasn’t Linda† (241). And although he did not realize it at the time, her death helped him to deal with all the deaths he encountered in the war. For example, when Curt Lemon dies, O’Brien refuses to see his body as a friend who died. Instead he says, â€Å"his body was not really a body, but rather one small bit of waste in the midst of a much wider wastage† (238). The lessons that O’Brien learned as a child are very relevant and linked to his experiences in the Vietnam War, which is why he chooses to include The Lives of the Dead. But this is not the only message that O’Brien wants us to take out of the inclusion The Lives of the Dead in The Things They Carried- he wants to convey that even though something that happens in one’s life may seem horrible and meaningless, it may become of use to him or her later in life, and it may help him or her to get through an otherwise unmanageable time. O’Brien wants his reader to know that everything in life comes for a purpose. Throughout The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien makes use of many different literary techniques. In the story The Things They Carried, O’Brien uses symbolism. In Speaking of Courage, the literary technique is pathetic fallacy. Irony is used in How to Tell a True War Story, among others, and juxtaposition is used in the story The Lives of the Dead. It can be seen that literary techniques have a simple but powerful effect in The Things They Carried.

Chemunity.Com Case Study Analysis

Take Home Exam Questions Question 1 When ChemUnity. com began, Herman Rijks was a 37 year old, Masters of Science graduate from the Technological University of Delft, Netherlands. He was born in South Yemen and grew up in Africa. Rijks had experience in green-field chemical distribution start-ups, and general management experience in various chemical companies. He worked for HCI, a chemical company for three years, and prior to ChemUnity. com, he was part of the HCI corporate e-commerce task force. Mark-Jan Terwindt was a 34 year old graduate from Nijenrode Business School in Netherlands.He worked for eight years in the chemical distributions in countries such as: Ecuador, El Salvador, and Venezuela. Later, he went to the Czech Republic to manage HCI Operations, and before ChemUnity, he was in South Africa managing the integration of an acquired company. Both the founders spoke Dutch, English, Spanish, and a working knowledge of German, and additionally, Herman spoke French. Also, th e founders shared similar interests, like sports and traveling (flying), and both have wives and children. The founders have a good amount of experience in business, e-commerce and the general industry to succeed.They both have several years tenure in companies related to the industry. Also, they are highly educated in areas that are important to the company (for example, Business and Science). The linguistic abilities of the founders allow them to understand and communicate with partners and customers in Western Europe, improving communication channels and service quality. The shared interests they have could mean that they understand each other more, have a good friendship, and allow them to work together on the company more frequently than just regular founders.Alternatively, this could mean that they will reinforce each other’s ideas without truly considering all the factors involved. Question 2 The product that ChemUnity provides fits extremely well with an online exchan ge because it’s a commodity. Meaning that all variables (grade, concentration & packaging) can be standardized and price is the determinate factor. The system used protects the buyers and sellers, and creates a serious and profitable environment for all, and makes buying and selling easy.A buyer’s order has a preferred and highest acceptable price, and only the preferred price is transferred to the suppliers. Potential suppliers within the right geographical region are forwarded the message via email and SMS. The supplier has 25 hours to respond with a bid, and this only happens once to avoid price erosion of auction-like bids. ChemUnity compares the bid, informs the buyer and supplier who got the deal, and they take care of the transaction. Additionally, no parties can withdraw from the deal, and inquiries are very serious.The simplicity in the variables makes commodities easy to trade in an online exchange and the business model developed by ChemUnity creates a profi table, safe, and easy buying & selling environment. The characteristics of the products fit, and can be successfully sold online in an online exchange. Question 3 Steps (1) through (5) explain the trading process at ChemUnity and are listed below. (1) An inquiry is posted from a buyer on the ChemUnity website that includes the name, grade, concentration, and packing of the commodity based on a predetermined list, delivery date, geographical region of the buyer, and a price indication. price indication includes preferred and highest acceptable price, and the preferred is given transferred to suppliers) (2) Potential suppliers, determined by information given by companies, are forwarded the inquiry. (Both supplier and buyer can exclude parties or regions outside of their scope to trade. ) (3) Once an email or SMS message is received by the supplier they have 25 hours to respond with its bid. (Which only can be made once to prevent price erosion) (4) ChemUnity compares the bids, inform s the supplier who got the deal, and connects the buyer and seller where the transaction is managed between the two parties. transaction is binding and because of credit insurance, supplier payment is certain) (5) The supplier ships the product and the buyer receives it. The trading process is streamlined and simplified in a concise number of steps. This seems like a very efficient process that does not even revision and it serves its purpose. Question 4 Value Proposition for Both Buyers and Sellers * Time efficiency in buying & selling products. * Access to good buyer & seller track records. * Emotion free deals with no room for confusion. * Multiple ways to access: internet or WAP phone capability. Clear legal framework adds simplicity. * No time zones. * Future linkage to your order entry. * Credit insurance. * More efficient supply chain. * Optional usage and ability to react whenever needed. * Higher margins as non-value added middlemen are eliminated. Value Proposition for Buy ers * No need to contact multiple sellers with each purchase of products. * Quick responses to requests. * Proactive & filtered information with no overload or irrelevant postings. * Post your preferred price. * Able to source from new companies more efficiently and at lower prices. Value Proposition for Sellers Receive only interesting requests from buyers that are profitable through filtering of information based on seller’s profile. * Possibility of serving smaller customers and reaching customers in new geographical markets. * Freedom in making bids. * Set your own prices. * Payment coverage and easy credit checks. * Ability to exclude regions or parties in a buyers list. * Ability to do normal business and travel as bids only needed to be checked once a day. * Eliminate regional boundaries and ability to reach the whole market. * Other sellers in market will not dump products. No Price erosion from auction like bids. There are several advantages for both parties at what would seem like little to no cost to either party. ChemUnity assists these companies in making transactions while they focus on their respective specializations. This allows for much more buying and selling efficiency. The value proposition is extremely strong. The value proposition seems great on paper, but in fact could be improved greatly. As the alternative ChemUnity. com Case (2002) suggests the chemicals market is large one and has a long inefficient supply chain.A consortium might not wipe out all the companies, and classifications and regulations in Europe is still far from consistent across all countries. A very large part of customers do not use a Complete Tender Management system, they use catalogues. A large addition to the value added for a supplier and buyer would be to have one of these systems implemented. Sourcing/access to the information will give value added and not just a yellow pages approach to the system. Question 5 There are several major threats to the Chem Unity Business model and four of them are summarized below.Potential price collusion between suppliers One threat to ChemUnity business model is the collusion of prices between suppliers. If they decided to set all the prices high it could affect the ability for the company to create value for the buyer. Also, even if these prices weren’t high, it would affect the ability for ChemUnity to negotiate prices. This threat is strong because it would eliminate the value added, but is very unlikely to happen as the suppliers want to compete naturally in sales and would require some type of elaborate conspiracy. Supplier and buyer post purchase relationshipAnother threat to the ChemUnity business model is if the buyers and sellers decide to keep makings transactions after the first sale without ChemUnity in the picture. This would probably increase seller margins and make products cheaper for the buyers. ChemUnity would not have control over the situation as much, due to the fact the y bring the buyer and seller together and let them take care of the transaction. Competing websites (Catalogue, Aggregator and Auction) Catalogue, aggregator, and auction site business models are in direct competition with the ChemUnity business model.They can take away market share because we all compete for the same customers. If users have no problem searching through the catalogues and finding the deal they want, there is no value added for the searching and time costs that ChemUnity offers. Aggregator business models can add huge amounts of leverage to the buyer as they are all working together to get the best prices. They go to the supplier, speak for the buyers and get the best deal. Auction sites can but a lot of pressure on suppliers and can support dumping practices and price erosion. It is very attractive to a buyer when he can get much lower prices as a result of these effects.Traditional Distributers These traditional distributers could be considered indirect competitor s as they do not compete online, but have a presence in the industry. They could have strong relationships with buyers especially in their local geographical areas. They could compete on convenience and logistics with the buyers, especially if it was a convenient automatic replenishment system, where the traditional distributers handled everything. This is based off of the idea that managing something might have more costs than it’s worth, especially if it’s in small quantities or cost values.Consortiums According to the alternate ChemUnity. com case study (2002), ChemUnity could encounter problems if a company’s grouped together to start their own market place. This is known as a consortium, and ChemUnity could â€Å"find it [hard] to get suppliers and buyers to go on-line, and this is a drawback compared with a consortium. † It further explains that if key suppliers were to launch a consortium it would crush the market place credibility of ChemUnity. Ov erall Threat Analysis There are several threats that the ChemUnity business model faces in this environment.Potential price collusion between suppliers eliminates the value added by the company and supplier & buyer post purchase relationship prevents revenue from repeat purchases. Catalogue, Aggregator, and Auction sites – the direct competition for the company, threaten the business model as they compete for the same customers. Traditional distributers – our indirect competitors, still have a presence in the industry through customer relationships, convenience, and time saved. Consortiums are future competitors; they can crush the credibility of the company if created.ChemUnity can meet its threats as it a differentiated service than can add a lot of value, but if it cannot meet its threats it will have huge problems with market penetration. Question 6 Below you will find a Porter’s Five Forces analysis used to find the attractiveness of the industry. Bargainin g Power of Buyers (-) Bargaining power of buyers is very high, because buyers are not dependant on this way of purchasing a product. They can use multiple other channels to purchase it. There is a high availability of substitute services, so buyers have a lot of power in terms of options.Buyer switching costs are nothing compared to firm switching costs, buyers can choose to go anywhere and this service has a small amount of buyers (because of the large size of orders). In addition, there is high buyer price sensitivity and buyer information is extremely high. They can search a lot of places to find information on prices. Lastly, the products do not have uniqueness, they are simplistic in the amount of variables and standardized. Overall, bargaining power of buyers is high and I rated this as negative for the attractiveness of the industry.Bargaining Power of Suppliers (+) In general, there are there are several suppliers who offer similar products so there are a lot of alternatives for the firm to work with other suppliers who want the demand. There is also a high presence of substitute inputs for these chemicals as other manufactures can create identical chemical products. There is also a very weak distribution channel so the suppliers may rely some of the companies’ services. Overall, the bargaining power of suppliers is low and I rated this as positive for the attractiveness of the industry. Threat of New Entrants (-)A website with a similar business model could easily be implemented at a very low cost. Similar software that the company uses could easily be imitated because of the very simplified variables in commodity products and intuitive idea. Websites can be up in a matter of weeks or days, and overall it is very easy for new entrants to start a company. Alternatively, the exit barriers are very low as well, as a website can be shut down at any moment and the company holds no inventory or major facilities. Overall, the threat of new entrants is high and I rated this as negative for the attractiveness of the industry.Threat of Substitute Products or Services (-) The threat of substitute services is very high. Any company could come up with a similar idea and there are several substitute business models that threaten the market share. Catalogue, Aggregator, and Auction sites can easily be substitutes for the service. Traditional distributers can also easily service anyone in this market. In addition, key suppliers could create a consortium and take over instantly while killing the market credibility of this service. Overall, the threat of substitute services is high and I rated this as negative for the attractiveness of the industry.Intensity of Competitive Rivalry (-) Intensity of Competitive Rivalry is high in the industry, as the case noted – there were a lot of players in the market place that established operations and gathered customer base. These companies, along with us compete for the same customers. There a re several firms in the industry competing (high firm concentration ratio). Strong competition between online and offline service offerings mixed with difficulty in maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage leads to a high intensity of competitive rivalry.Overall, the intensity of competitive rivalry is high and I rated this as negative for the attractiveness of the industry. Overall the attractiveness of the industry as seen in the above Porters Five Forces analysis is one out of five which leads me to believe the industry isn’t very attractive. The bargaining power of buyers, threat of new entrants, threat of substitute products or services, and intensity of competitive rivalry were all negative in terms of attractiveness in our analysis. The buyers have power, entrants can easily get in, there are many substitutes, and it is very competitive.The only attractive part is that supplier power is not that high, even though they are still very important to the firm. Questi on 7(a) As indicated in the case, the major categories of ChemUnity’s costs were related to marketing, people, and IT. Also, in the beginning marketing was the biggest cost at 60%, leaving 30% to people, and 10% to IT. Later, the people costs were assumed to rise and the marketing costs were assumed to go down. I estimate this would leave us at 50% marketing, 40% people and 10% IT. It was noted in the case that there were two venture capital companies providing early financing in the amount of â‚ ¬1. million (27. 5% of the company). Using this number, marketing would cost â‚ ¬750,000, people would cost â‚ ¬600,000, and IT would cost â‚ ¬150,000. Question 7(b) As noted in the case, the average size of a deal was estimated to be â‚ ¬5,000 to â‚ ¬10,000. Using the 2% transaction fee, and the most conservative deal estimate, you get â‚ ¬100 per transaction (â‚ ¬5000 ? 2%). This would mean that you would require 1,500,000 transactions to break even with the early financing that was made. This could be attainable over time but is not likely to happen quickly, especially with the low amount of buyers the business serves.Question 7(c) Using the 3000 daily customers to the website from the case, the 1995 click through rate of 2. 1% , and a estimate of â‚ ¬0. 19 per click ( high pay-per click estimate is due to the fact that these customers are very focused), the website could generate â‚ ¬11. 9 daily (3000 ? 2. 1% ? â‚ ¬0. 19), and â‚ ¬359. 10 monthly. This is not a very significant amount of money. The pros of this kind of income is that it is basically free, as long as you have a website and takes not much management of the ads to generate the revenue.The cons are that there is a very small amount of money per click, and with only 3000 customers daily you are very limited to how much you can make. If you had for example a hundred thousand or so a day, this would be much better. Question 8 Short-Term Challenges The main short -term challenge was to test the concept with a couple of products to see if the company is on the right track. Successful implementation starts from marketing and the company needs to make sure suppliers are aware of the exchange and get product leaders. The belief at the time was that the buyers would come as soon as the sellers were onboard.Once buyers and sellers are established, the company needs to activate them to get the market liquidity up. Once the company is known for these products, they have succeeded in the first challenge. The second short-term challenge was a human resources issue; they needed people a chemical history background. These people would communicate with suppliers and buyers and should bring enthusiasm and belief in the business idea. The third short-term challenge was an IT issue – the technology needed to work flawlessly in its execution.The service is not perfect at the moment the company is working towards improving it. Long-Term Challenges The major long-term challenge was expansion of operations. By targeting a couple of strategic suppliers and many fragmented buyers in each product, they believed they could have a total of 200-500 suppliers, and up to 10,000 buyers. They believe they need to proceed with one product at a time, giving them the ability to test the concept and concentrate efforts on a focused segment. The real challenge was to pick the right products.They could also expand their service portfolio, by providing more financial services to gain revenue. They could also get involved with transportation, but would be a difficult avenue as they need to choose the right services, good partners and the proper expansion location. Cash flow has been an issue so the company needs to raise more financing. A second round of financing was timed for a couple months after launching the service. The company wants to raise another â‚ ¬5 – 10 million from banks, venture capital, and market players. Meeting Short-Te rm ChallengesThe company needs to begin testing the concept as soon as possible. Successful implementation begins with marketing efforts – the company needs to raise supplier awareness of the exchange and get product leaders onboard. The next issue is raising market liquidity, and it can be done by activating the sellers and buyers by contacting them. Once the company raises awareness about its products, they have succeeded in the first short-term challenge. The second short-term challenge can be solved by using a headhunter to find the best people the company can find.This would require some funding but will easily be worth the cost. These people would need to be educated on the concepts of the company and know how to communicate well with suppliers and buyers about the service, and have enthusiasm and a strong belief in the business. The final short-term challenge can be solved by rigorously testing and improving the technology to work flawlessly. Meeting Long-Term Challeng es The expansion of operations should be done by targeting more suppliers and buyers for more potential revenue.I believe these need to be higher than the estimates given in the case– 200 suppliers and maybe 5000 buyers is not adequate enough. It is possible they can try targeting an additional geographical location, perhaps in South/Central America or Africa where the founders worked. Either way, with the market they have now, they need to test a concept and concentrate efforts on a focused segment and pick the right products. One option for expansion was to provide financial services, or get involved with the transportation of the product.Personally, I am not a fan of this idea because they are losing focus on what they specialize in. But if they were to do these options, they would need to hire consultants and rework the business model entirely. Also, with transportation they need to choose the right type of services, good partners, and a good expansion location. Finally f or their cash flow problems, they will need to ensure they get that financing by fully disclosing information, addressing the problems they have, and working with venture capitalists to perhaps negotiate the share of the company for a given amount of funding.Question 9 As the alternate ChemUnity Case Study (2002) suggests, it’s easy to multiply figures and play around revenues and market volume on paper, but it does not address the habits of a given industry. Experience has shown that many internet service providers have failed due to the fact that many of them were not focused enough, spent too much money before making any, and didn’t bring enough value to its users. The main challenge lies in the art of change management.ChemUnity has this challenge for both buyers and seller, but it remains that these groups would benefit from a multitude of significant strategic advantages (if it had the ability to support change management processes) Also the case suggests that fo r the company to potentially succeed, the platform they develop must be flexible and characterized by short development cycles that will match the needs of the market and increase the functionality for its end users. They also need the right mix of employees with experience in the field and who are used to driving change along with a highly skilled sales team.If they had an online complete tender management system, they could save time and money and access more efficient markets. This is a great opportunity for the company to drive change in the company – along with a complete business process reengineering of their buying and selling process. If the company followed these steps, they would have potential success in the market. I personally don’t think they can be successful unless they do these things, and it seems like a big changes are needed. Question 10 (a) The three options for business model changes are below:Status Quo This option would be to remain the same bu t focused on its specialization. Transportation Addition to Business Model This option would be to introduce transportation into the model to create more value for customers. Financial Services Addition to Business Model This option would be to introduce financial services into the model to create more value for customers. The criteria we used to assess which business model to use includes the following: Cost, Value Added, Revenue, Expenses, Ease of Change, and Adaptability.I decided to use a decision matrix and estimate the values from 1-10 using subjective data from the case and intuition. The best alternative according to the criteria is Added Financial Service to the business model. It would not cost a very high amount to implement, would add a decent amount of value and revenue to the business. The expenses are fairly high, seeing as you need more cash on hand and you need to develop this business model, and be able to setup a good financial plan for customers.The ease of chang e is pretty fair, is pretty easy to adapt into it, and has a moderate amount of risk involved. Finally, the market share is would increase a lot compared to status quo. The next close business model would have been transportation, it’s just a more risky and more rewarding model because it requires large capital investments, but hard to adapt and change into. References Petri Lehtivaara (2002) ChemUnity. com Case Study. Retrieved From http://www. supplychain-forum. com/documents/articles/ACF41. df Nielsen Norman Group (2000) Methodology Weaknesses in Poynter Eyetrack Study. Retrieved from http://www. nngroup. com/articles/methodology-weaknesses-poynter/ Wikipedia (2012) Pay Per Click. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Pay_per_click ——————————————– [ 2 ]. Nielsen Norman Group reports a 2. 1% click through rate in 1995. [ 3 ]. Wikipedia reports that in 1997 the pa y-per-click was from $. 005 to $. 25 (â‚ ¬0. 003 to â‚ ¬0. 19 using March 26,2013 exchange rates)

Support for Gypsies and Travellers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Support for Gypsies and Travellers - Essay Example According to Gypsies and Travellers (2006) unauthorized sites could be classified into two categories. One such type is the unauthorized encampments wherein the gypsies or travelers are parked illegally on land not belonging to them. The other type is called unauthorized developments which are described as sites where they own the land but without the required planning permission (Fraser 2007). Other groups, who are financially capable opt to move into permanent housing but are still socially branded as gypsies (Keltcher 2004). There are no official figures regarding the total number of British gypsies and travelers. However, in Keltcher (2004) estimates the size of these groups put together living in caravans to be between 90,000 to 12,000 excluding the 200,000 residing in settled houses. The July 2004 statistics (in Keltcher 2004) reported that a total of 847 caravans of which 562 were in authorized sites, 76 on authorized private sites and 209 on unauthorized encampments. Thomas ( 2006) cited that the poor accommodation and the shortage of sites to stay is one of the biggest problems faced by the travelers. This is the continuous sickness that the government spends time to search for remedy. There were no polices against the gypsies in terms of their economic engagements during the 19th century. (Acton 1997) However in the 20th century, because of the economic changes, their trades became obsolete and they were forced to move out of their encampment sites. Acton (1997) explained that poorer gypsies resort to caravan while the wealthier ones began to buy land. However this was cut off by the 1960 Caravan Sites (Control of Development) Act (O'nions 1995). Such events led to the formation of the Gypsy Council on December 1966 (Thomas 2006). They demanded camping sites to open in every country, equal rights to education and equal standing through respect between themselves and the already settled neighbors (O'nion 1995). The government then enacted the Caravan Sites Act in 1968 (Acton 1997). Section 6 of this Act gave the Local Government a mandatory duty to provide "adequate accommodations for the gypsies living or staying in their area" (O'nion 1995). In return of such mo ve, the Local Government can apply to the Secretary of State to become a "designated area" (Thomas 2006) Section 10 also gave designated Authorities additional powers to remove Gypsies from unauthorized land within their governed areas (O'nion 1995). These powers were greatly resented because they were granted even before all the Gypsies in an area had a place to stay (Acton 1997). The glorious solution lasted for a short time. In 1977, Sir John Cripps reviewed the implementation and reported that this Act was not properly implemented. Many of the gypsies still had no legal right of abode and societal pressures are still evident. Sir Cripps recommended that the central Government must provide funding. (Regional Spatial Strategy Draft 2000) This was also not the remedy because many Local Authorities still fail to comply with their statutory duty (O'nions 1995). The Councils ignored the new planning circular that called them to assist Travellers to identify land they could buy themsel ves and be developed as sites. This resorted to the shortage of sites thus forcing the gypsies to live on unauthorized encampments (Thomas 2006). The gypsies or travelers moved to unauthorized

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Assignment Example 36). This also implies that with such kind of scrutiny, they can look at people from a larger picture and can develop deeper insights about their motivations and perceptions more easily. This is one of the most complex personalities, and the individuals show great range of abilities. They can easily feel about others and are, therefore, empathetic and can easily compromise not just for their close friends but also the humanity (Berens, p. 46). This is why they find a niche in the human service industries, helping others to get over their sufferings both physical and psychological. With relative ease, the INFJs take responsibilities and can be entrusted leadership and management positions. The results are, therefore, accurate as they present a personality that is driven by value and not by mere sensing. This kind of value is developed with feeling and intuition and confirmed by judging. Although they are introverts and relatively less outgoing, these people easily adapt to situations owing to their dependence on feelings and judgment which allows them to learn about others even before their presence is noted. However, it is worth noting that their reserved nature is revealed by their reluctant to share their feelings and internal conflicts with people whereas they are the confidants of the same

Marketing - fainal essay- Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing - fainal - - Essay Example The competition in the retail industry is tough. Especially in the grocery sector where Tesco is competing because margins continue to shrink with more and more players entering the industry that intensified the already competitive environment. In order to survive and thrive, retailers have to add value to their customers otherwise perish in the competition. To add value, discounting for product does is not that potent work anymore. This marketing implement has its limits also because if frequently used, retailers will enter in a destructive cycle of cutting each other’s throat with the diminishing margins wrought by excessive discounting. In addition, excessive discounting might negatively affect the image of the retailer as â€Å"cheap† and thus, undermining its position to sell at a premium. In the case of Tesco, they employed several unique approaches in adding value to their customers. First is differentiation, or creating new selling proposition that would be differentiate the retailer from its competitors and be successful in the market. Second is the strengthening of the infrastructure of its customer service delivery to enable the retailer to better satisfy its customer as a value adding proposition. With differentiation, Tesco concentrated on the â€Å"white space market† when it entered the United States retailing industry. Many experts predicted that Tesco cannot replicate its success in the US retail market because the industry is already saturated. But instead of competing head on with the established retailers such as Walmart, Tesco differentiated itself by offering the added values of good food, good value, convenience and environmental sensitivity to the American consumer (Lowe and Wright, 2010). Also, Tesco invested in intangible value adding facilities that would enable it to better serve its customers with enhanced customer service as a value proposition. It invested heavily

Small business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Small business - Essay Example Besides, the youth, the business also targets those who are health conscious by using only fresh foods in making their meals. Over the years the world over has had to deal with many health issues as a result of the diets majority of people choose. The fast foods that the bulwark of the UK population consumes have become their health detriment. Diseases like cancer, hypertension and diabetes have merged with weighty issues like obesity and cardiac arrests among others to terrorise people all over the world, including the UK. There is a call for people to turn to organic products and eat healthier foods to avoid these health risks (Organic food directory, 2008). The Northern Nosh had this in mind and that is the reason behind the healthy food production bit in the mission statement. Majority of the food vendors in the festivals do not consider the health of their clientele and as such sell fast foods but as a business we intend to incorporate this in our products and services. Northern Nosh is determined to do this by acquiring only fresh food from the Northern parts of UK and other fresh food suppliers. Con sidering that there is a lot of pressure for people to eat more fresh foods and organic ones for that matter instead of the genetically modified foods, Northern Nosh potentially enhances the aspect of healthy living. This healthy food aspect is also indirectly reduces the number of competitors for the Northern Nosh business as majority of the food vendors sell the fast foods which are not so healthy. We are of the view that the young people will be attracted to the fresh and healthier meals once they know it is organic and without so many rivals the Northern Nosh is likely to succeed. Apart from the healthy foods being sold, the business also plans to sell its products at reasonable enough prices for their clients to afford. With the surge of campaigns for organic foods against the genetically modified ones, the business looks forward to making profits.

Managing Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing Operations - Essay Example Vertical integration will ensure that the company owns upstream buyers as well as downstream suppliers. This kind of strategy, unlike the horizontal integration, is characteristic of one firm engaging in diverse production processes that include manufacturing, transportation, marketing of its products and the end process of retailing. Vertical integration will also enable the new company expand vertically through processes of acquisition (Holloway, 2002). Such processes of acquisition will enable the company to expand. Expansion in business is desired because it consolidates the supplies needed by the company in the production of the needed products and their subsequent marketing and sale. This results to a more diverse and efficient business entity that incurs lower costs of production and surge in profits. Related to this is lateral expansion, which means growth of the business through acquisition and purchase of similar firms in anticipation of attaining economies of scale. Throug h these kinds of expansion strategies, there are increases in scales and market shares. However, internal/external losses and gains are characteristic of vertical integration. They differ depending on the technological state of the manufacturing sector/industry that produces power hand equipment/tools (saws, sanders, and electric drills). They correspond to the stages that characterize the industry’s life cycle. The company is therefore set to gain in terms of lower costs in transaction, the synchronization of demand and supply along the supply chain’s products. The supply chain is also set to gain from higher levels of investment and lower uncertainty. Another gain that the proposed business is set to achieve is the ability to capture and monopolize the market by selling high quality products that are capable of propelling the company’s fortunes in profits and market share. Vertical integration would also translate to strategic independence of the company in ca ses where vital inputs are scarce or their prices are highly volatile (Bovel, 2003). Vertical integration also attracts some losses to the company. These losses touch on high coordination costs, high organizational and monetary costs brought about by changing to other buyers/suppliers. There is also less motivation for quality performance at the beginning of the business because sales are guaranteed and substandard quality may be included into other types of inputs at subsequent stages of manufacturing. Five major performance metrics ought to be adopted by the proposed supply chain business. These metrics ought to be measured regularly, for instance, after a period of one month or so, for each specific product of the business. One of the performance metrics that should be used to measure performance of the supply chain is the Fill Rate, which is the order percentage, delivered on schedule/time. This means the products are delivered to the customers on time as requested. Another perf ormance metric that should be incorporated by the supply chain is the Response delay, which is the difference between the negotiated day and the requested day of delivery expressed in normal working days. Measuring frequencies of different delay values can enable estimations of the statistical order distributions with a specific delay value. In this instance, managers ought to be interested in the probability of surpassing a given value. Stock is the next

Differences between Private and Public Sexuality Research Paper

Differences between Private and Public Sexuality - Research Paper Example Sexuality incorporates ones human body, thoughts, and soul. This paper respects sex wholesome and does not focus on the physical methods of sex intercourse but aims to discover the issue of sexuality in the angle of its public and private aspects. To observe the issue, it is important to provide a clear definition of the sexuality, as it can be often confused. It is much wider than body and physical interaction; yet they are strongly involved. It covers the points of gender identification and gender role – to which sex a person refers him- or herself and a way he or she is expected to act according to it. Sexual orientation is, of course, important part of sexuality. Sexuality also concerns body image; it can drastically change peoples lives and determine their self-esteem and pleasure gained from life. Sexuality covers aspects of sexual experiences, fantasies, ideas etc. It defies the way our surrounding – friends, family, religion, society shape our sexual perceptions and convictions. Sexuality immerses through all areas of our lives; it is seen through the movements, mimics, conversations etc. It is connected with the way people feel love, compassion, intimacy, even sorrow ("Sexuality Resource Center for Pare nts"). Sex itself has undergone many changes; it is no longer a sin – neither it is a duty (Offit). A repetitive point in sociologies, particularly in gender and sex studies, is whether sexuality is a public or private issue. Public angle of sexuality and its implications could be observed from different social, economic, legitimate, cultural and political viewpoints. There are many angles that set restrictions and laws that define the ways of acceptable behaviors. These views usually vary from one country and culture to another. Sexuality was always ambiguous: there were private sex in the bedrooms in the boundaries of marriage and the same time there were prostitutions and

How have cultures from the ‘west’ been represented in the ‘east’ Essay Example for Free

How have cultures from the ‘west’ been represented in the ‘east’ Essay Fundamentally the term culture means to cultivate but on other hand this word also contains some other meanings and definitions as well. Number of writers and author worked and surveyed on the actual definition of culture and in year 1952 Alfred Kroeber and Clyde has presented approximately 164 defamations of this word â€Å"culture†. If we focus these definitions and research work by our well-known authors then we can came to know the fact that culture is simply the critical review of concepts and definitions that people have. Along with this the fact has also been revealed that culture can be presented and illustrated with three different approaches like the taste in fine arts and humanities is one of the significant ways of defining one’s culture or perspective. Similarly values, goals and attitudes are also used in illustrating the cultural values. (Bryan 1963) Beside above mentioned points the human knowledge , belief and the attitudes are also used in promoting culture as these things has the power and capacity to define the thoughts and ideas of people. Later after finding numerous definition of culture in twentieth century this word emerges out with new concepts as the focus point of anthropology, which means that culture is a word that is actually composed of all the actions and thoughts that is performed by human anywhere in the world and all these behaviors does not have any sort of relation with the genetics. In West, this word has its own meaning as they have their own approaches and thoughts regarding this term, as according to them culture basically defines two things that include the human experience, imaginations and incidents which occurs with them and later they present those things according to their art and used their power of creativity as well. (Alan Bryan 1963) Similarly they illustrated the meaning of culture by presenting the idea that in this entire world there are number of people who have their own way and manners of living and with their own ideas, experience and conditions they define their own meaning of culture as the way of defining culture varies from place to place and from people to people as well. But later after the World War 2 numerous authors reformed the definition of culture and the style they had presented it was also changed and among those authors albeit played a significnat role as in this era his work and ideas are still followed and apprectiated. Besides these above mentioned definition when we go though numerous research paper and studies of different authors from all over the world we came to know the fact that number of artist were born in west side and presented beautiful and unique work that portrayed their thoughts regarding culture and numerous other things. Among these beautiful and talented artist Hansen is a significant name. This man was born in year 1960 in West area where the natural beauty, purity and environment was so attractive that form the early stage this boy started visioning, drawing and portraying his cultural beauty in a marvelous manner. Hansen completed his educational career and returned to homeland in 1990, but during his early days of schooling this young boy started painting in year 1969, after that he went abroad to study mechanical design as well. Later he came back to America and served this country as a technical drawing specialist. Ms Georgian was the lady who impressed Hansen and he want himself to work and serve the idea of culture through his talent and skills of painting and drawing. He has developed his own unique sense of styling which reflects his philosophical mind as well. As time passes this young boy’s skills in promoting culture were notified by numerous people and his professional career started in which he designed numerous spectacular designs in the boating industry. The concept of portraying culture in such manner was so much appreciated by people that the technique of introducing abstract and cubist was later adopted by the artist of East as well. Beside Hansen’s work numerous other artist work and thought are adopted by the people of East. Christians also played a vital role in promoting cultural values and portraying them in such a manner that it was appreciated by the entire world. And among there marvelous work the oldest and the most symbolic thing is the cross sign which is known as the sign of Christian’s faith. The idea of presenting cross sign has played a significant role in numerous other cultures as well. People from different region especially from east side have adopted it as well and defines their own meaning of this symbol. If we go through to the detail and deep knowledge of this cross then we came to know numerous facts regarding it as it was revealed that through ages and centuries people are using and following this cross sign to protect themselves from illness, to have good fortune, and to show their respect to their religion and numerous other things as well. After the great success of promoting culture is such manner numerous other artists has developed countless version of its, which include X-Shaped St. Andrews cross and the T-shaped teau-cross as well. Beside this, the people of Greek have used this symbol in order to represent the four cardinal directions as well or we can say that they tried to represent the four basic elements which include earth, wind, water and fire. Other than this, the people of India have used this symbol as well in order to show the four main directions of heavens. Similarly, the people of Africa has designed cross roads and there concept of it is that these crossroads are places where the world of living and dead meet. In addition with this, numerous Eastern artists used this shaped to promote their cultural jewelry as well. Along with above mentioned things, Eastern people have also discovered new and interesting things in Japan by following the writings of Shakespeare as they had focused the plays of him and started studying the canonical values of his theater and implement the thoughts and ideas in order to promote the cultural things. Similarly, the people of Japan also have a great history in promoting cultural things through different and unique ideas such as the monster is one of the significant thing that Japanese promotes in their culture which was actually the creation of human imagination which resemble numerous things at different points like people, other animals or well –known objects as well. (Kuncaraningrat 1985) The artist of West promote their cultural values and things by numerous ways and among them music is the major source. With the help of unique and different musical instruments they define their thoughts and ideas regarding their culture. All sort of music either rock, pop or slow all were used to promote culture. In addition with these the artist of West also launched numerous sort of games that have music like Krongcong is one of the famous and well-known musical game that was designed in a manner that the music lovers start playing them and the main focus of promoting culture with the help of music will also go on with such innovative discoveries. Similarly along with music, dance is another thing that is used in order to promote culture of West, as it is the best approach of reflecting and showing the diversification of different ethical groups that compose the entire West portion of the world. This technique of promoting culture was adopted by the artist of East as well, as this gave great opportunity to show the traditional and cultural values of one’s states. The people of West also use the source of drama and theaters in order to promote their cultural values, and this technique really works as people form all over the world came to watch such sort of drama that promotes culture and things regarding traditional values. Along with this the people of East represent the culture of West in their region by using the traditional arts things which includes paintings, sculpture and numerous sort of architecture as well. Not only this they also used literature and poetry in order to present the idea and thoughts regarding the culture and traditional values of West. For people who loved food the Eastern group facilitate them by provding and presenting the Western dishes, along with this the more powerful and source that the Eastern people used in order to represent the culture of West in the media, as there is a great number of cinemas within East and these cinemas has played a significant role in spreading every bite of cultural things and cover all the traditional values of the entire West. In previous days, this source did not work as much but at the beginning of year 1980 this platform reaches the peak and concurred the highest level as well. Beside this cinema’s role numerous Eastern artists have played a significant role in order to promote and represent the culture and traditions of West within their country and this medium of representing the culture is very much appreciated by all as in this every age group can find its own interesting things to go for. Other than this, radio network which was formed in year 1945 also played a significant role, especially after 2006 numerous radio channels are launched using Digital Audio Broadcasting and Hybrid system that are also facilitating in promoting the cultural values all over the East. But all these above mentioned approaches had a positive result till political issues do not arise. In early days if we go through the detail representation techniques of promoting and showing culture of West in East we came to know that its result is very much effective as long as it was concerned as the homogenous population things towards mass production. This multiculturalism has worked for a long time in order to show the Western European society. The people of French also liked and welcomed this sort of representation and wrote numerous theories on it and named such things as a class struggle which highlighted the real charm, beauty as well as the weakness, along with this such representation also include ethics, religion and race issues but this thought of promoting culture is no more seen due to numerous political issues. Adams 2006) As now people have the idea that political, cultural, social and economical dialogue projects are addressed but should not be exclusively shown in Muslim countries, beside this according to the political rules the training programs, information of technologies and other things should not be shown and promoted on other side rather than West as this cause great trouble to the citizens of the west. Beside this the global conflict is also one of the major reason of promoting culture and traditional things in such a way, as the people of other country did not have the actual idea or right to promote each other cultural values as by this they often show our cultural things in a wrong manner and this cause big issues. According to a survey and research numerous authors wrote things about politicians idea that they have an idea that assimilation model can’t work longer because he people who are from different state are not like us and they have different skin color, they have other religion whose rules are not applicable on us, as we are not of same group, culture, and we does not have same social and traditional values. Similarly the political rules that are governing West also have the idea that we people are from different type of population and thats why we cant work on same issue with hand in hand as these people are living in a territory which has no political representation and they wants to copy our theories and approaches by promoting our cultural and traditional values. (Adams 2006) In a nut shell, we can conclude our paper that the idea of presenting and promoting culture and traditional values of each other provide us great benefit as by this we can come to know the real concepts and ideas of each other, and this thing also facilitate us in getting new approaches as well but this concept that arises in this era that by doing so we people can face numerous difficulties and political issues is not good for both the citizens of West as well as East so we should cover up such issues and focus on the growth and development of cultural as well as other things which is a great need for all of us.

Human rights and indian armed forces in low intensity

Human rights and indian armed forces in low intensity CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION â€Å"A bullet fired by the security forces becomes a massacre by the security forces every act of a terrorist or insurgent is attributed as a colossal failure of security† The quote above describes the situation under which thousands of armed forces personnel, deployed to fight the anti national and anti social elements in low intensity conflict operations in the North Eastern region for over five decades and for two decades in Jammu Kashmir. One of the greatest threats to the future of Indian democracy is terrorism which has almost become a way of life in the North Eastern states. Pakistan has been waging a proxy war in Jammu Kashmir since 1989. She has been infiltrating armed militants and promoting insurgency on a very large scale. Failure of the civil administration to control the situation has led to the deployment of the armed forces in low intensity conflict operations. Though, the security forces have been able to bring the situation under control, at the same time has also brought up the issues of violation of human rights from time to time. The situation at present is that, while there is an increasing and widespread demand for human rights observance of by the security forces operating in low intensity conflict operations environment under Armed Forces Special Powers Act, gross violations of the same by the insurgent, militant and separatist organisations continue unabated. In the recent past the demand for repealing of The Armed Forces Special Powers Act has considerably increased. This act is blamed to be a draconian law which violates the basic rights of human beings guaranteed to them by the various provisions of the constitution and international laws and conventions. Armed Forces Special Powers Act was enacted by the Parliament for the first time in 1958, to deal with certain serious threats to the integrity of the nation from some separatist organisations in some of the North Eastern states.  Ã‚   Under similar conditions this act was promulgated in Punjab in 1980s and in the state of Jammu Kashmir in 1990. Some people and organisations believe that Armed Forces Special Powers Act is the single most factor for the human rights violations.   Certain international organisations have also voiced their opinion in favour of the repeal of this act.   However, it needs an in depth study to ascertain whether Armed Forces Special Powers Act is only causing human rights violations and its repeal will help in reducing the same. METHODOLOGY Statement of the Problem Armed Forces Special Powers Act is perceived to be one of the major reasons for human rights violations in low intensity conflict environment. Repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act will help in reduction of human rights violations in these areas. Justification for the Study Internal security environment has been deteriorated in various parts of the country since long due to ongoing low intensity conflict operations in their various forms.   Insurgency, militancy and terrorism are the result of some of the peculiar socio political situations, some of which are also engineered and abetted by our adversaries.   These problems have led to increased involvement of the armed forces to assist the civil administration in maintaining the law and order situation in various parts of the country.   Emergence of media especially electronic media and some human rights organisations have resulted into increased awareness of the human rights in the societies. Human rights reports from time to time have indicated that a number of human rights abuses have taken place despite extensive constitutional and statutory safeguards. Violation of human rights by security forces has also been reported by many organisations. Since a very large number of armed forces are deployed in low intensity conflict operations in various parts of the country, the study of the subject is of great relevance. In such a scenario, it is imperative that all members of the armed forces be aware of the various aspects of human rights so that they are respected at all times and also to avoid allegations of violation of human rights while operating in low intensity conflict operations. Scope The scope of this paper is to study the concept and provision of human rights in International Declarations and Indian Constitution, legal aspects of employment of armed forces in low intensity conflict operations, Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Armed Forces Special Powers Act and human rights violations, recommendations on repeal/review of Armed Forces Special Powers Act and recommended measures to prevent human rights violations in low intensity conflict operations environment. Methods of Data Collection The library of the Defence Services Staff College, precies and handouts issued by the Defence Services Staff College, interaction with some prominent personalities, conduct of opinion poll at Defence Services Staff College and articles from the Internet has been the source of information and data used in this paper.  Ã‚   A bibliography of sources has been appended at the end of the dissertation as Appendix A. Preview It is proposed to study the subject by analysing and evaluating the following aspects:- Origin and concept of human rights. Universal Declaration on Human Rights and provision of human rights in Indian Constitution. Legal aspects of low intensity conflict operations and Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Armed Forces Special Powers Act and human rights violations. Recommendations on repealing of Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Remedial measures to prevent human rights violations. Conclusion. CHAPTER II ORIGIN AND CONCEPT OF HUMAN RIGHTS References of the concept of basic human rights can be found in recorded history and ancient scriptures. In India the concept of human rights can be traced down to the Vedic times. There are many references in Vedas which throw light on the existence of human rights . The Rig Veda refers to three civil rights, the liberty of body (Tana), dwelling house (Skridhi) and life (Jibhasi). The importance of the freedom of the individual in a state and rules of war, one form of human rights has been described in Mahabharata. Artha Shastra elaborates on civil and legal rights first formulated by Manu which also include economic rights. In India, the modern version of human rights jurisprudence has taken birth at the time of British rule. The origin of this ideal lies in the struggle for freedom against the British rulers. Modern historians credit the origin of the concept to Magna Carta 1521 AD. On close examination it would be seen that Magna Carta was a petition urging the King to concede certain rights to particular section of the people. Its contents had neither the universality nor   direct relevance to common mans basic freedom. The term â€Å"Human Rights† was introduced in the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776. The French Resolution in 1789 ushered in the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen.   Much later in 1929, the Institute of International Law, New York, USA, prepared a Declaration of Human Rights and Duties.   In 1945, the Inter American Conference passed a resolution seeking the establishment of an international forum for the furtherance of human rights of mankind. The World War II drew the required attention towards human rights.   The atrocities committed on ethnic grounds by the Axis Powers shocked the conscience of the international community.   The United Nations finally proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Modern human rights can be categorised into three generations of rights. The first generation rights are concerned with the civil and political rights of the individual or the liberty oriented rights. The second-generation rights are those which are security oriented and provide social, economic and cultural securities. Third generation of human rights include the environmental and developmental rights. They are relatively of recent origin. They have evolved in response to various new concerns over which international consensus has emerged in recent years. The concept of human rights is based on equal and inalienable rights of all human beings freedom, justice and peace in the world.   These are sometimes also called fundamental or basic rights.   These are often set out in the constitution of the nation.   All member countries of the United Nations have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The concept of human rights would include the following:- Equality and justice for all, elimination of various distinctions between one human being and another anywhere and on any ground whatsoever. No one to be held without any charge or trial. Right to be produced before a magistrate with 24 hours of arrest. Rights to fair and prompt trial. Freedom from torture or ill treatment by any agency Protection from sexual violations. Rights to life and to be treated humanely, no killings, particularly of innocent person and not even inhuman behaviour. Freedom from arbitrary and unlawful coercion. Rights against any or all other excesses. CHAPTER III UNIVERSAL   DECLARATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND PROVISION OF   HUMAN RIGHTS IN INDIAN CONSTITUTION The United States defined human rights in a policy document in 1978, which says, â€Å"Freedom from arbitrary arrest and imprisonment, torture, unfair trial, cruel and unusual punishment and invasion of privacy, rights to food, shelter, health care, education, freedom of thought, speech, assembly, religion, press, movement and participation in Government†. The United Nations Organisation in keeping with its charter to promote respect for fundamental freedom and human rights for all without any distinction, came out with an International Bill of Human Rights consisting of the following:- Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966. The International Covenant of Economic Social and Cultural Rights, 1966. The Optional Protocol (1966) providing for the right of the individual to petition international agencies. The principle on which the above are based are:- All human beings, without distinction have been brought within the scope of human rights instruments. Equality of application without distinction of race, sex, language or religion. Emphasis on international cooperation for implementation. Provision of Human Rights in Indian Constitution. India is a signatory to the various conventions proclaimed by the United Nations Organisation. The Constitution of India guarantees to every citizen the basic human rights and fundamental freedom and gives due prominence in the form of fundamental rights enumerated in part III of the constitution   and are also embodied as Directive Principles of State Policy   .   The important aspects are:- Right to equality. )Right to freedom. Right against exploitation. )Right to freedom of religion. Cultural and educational rights. Right to constitutional remedies. CHAPTER IV LEGAL ASPECTS OF LOW INTENSITY CONFLICT OPERATIONS AND   ARMED FORCES SPECIAL POWERS ACT General.   The armed forces have been engaged in counter insurgency operations especially in North Eastern states of India since 1958 and in Jammu Kashmir since early nineties.   It is the constitutional responsibility of the army to ensure the integrity of the country both from external aggression as well as internal disturbances when the internal situation becomes serious and gets beyond the capabilities of the civil administration. Legal Provisions. Several legal provisions exist to provide legal powers and protection to the armed forces to execute internal security duties and aid to civil authorities[x]. These provisions are enumerated below:- Armed Forces (Special Powers) Ordinance, 1947. Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958. Provisions of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973, (Section 45) Constitution of India, Article 246 vis a vis the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967. Indian Arms Act 1959. Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Nagaland Security Regulation, 1962. Armed Forces Special Powers Act Background. To meet the situation arising in certain parts of India on account of the partition of the country in 1947, the Government of India issued four ordinances viz., Bengal Disturbed Areas (Special Powers of Armed Forces) Ordinance, 1947 (Act 11 of 1947), Assam Disturbed Areas (Special Powers of Armed Forces) Ordinance, 1947 (Act 14 of 1947), East Punjab and Delhi Disturbed Areas (Special Powers of Armed Forces) Ordinance, 1947 (Act 17 of 1947) and United Provinces Disturbed Areas (Special Powers of Armed Forces) Ordinance, 1947 (Act 22 of 1947). These ordinances were replaced by the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1948 being Act 3 of 1948. It was repealed by Act 36 of 1957.    The present act was enacted by the Parliament in 1958 and it was known initially as Armed Forces (Assam and Manipur) Special Powers Act, 1958. The act was preceded by an ordinance called Armed Forces (Assam and Manipur) Special Powers Ordinance, 1958 promulgated by the President of India on 22 May 1958. The act applied to the entire state of Assam and the union territory of Manipur. After the new states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland came into being, the act was appropriately adapted to apply to these states in 1972. As originally enacted, the power to declare an area to be a disturbed area was conferred only upon the state governments. By Act 7 of 1972, however, such a power was conferred concurrently upon the Central Government. This act was enacted in the state of Punjab in 1980s and in Jammu Kashmir in 1990.    The Preamble to the act, as amended, reads as Act to enable special powers to be conferred upon members of the armed forces in disturbed areas in the states of xxxxx (as applicable)†. The Act and its Provisions.  Ã‚   The provisions of the act are similar to those of the first passed in 1958.   The basic features of the act are as follows:- Section 1. This section states the name of the act and the areas to which it extends. Section 2. This section sets out the definition of the act. Sub section (a).   the armed forces were defined as Military forces and air forces operating as land forces, and includes any other armed forces of the union so operating.   Sub section (b).   It defines a disturbed area as â€Å"An area which is for the time being declared by notification under section 3 to be a disturbed area†. Sub section (c). It states that all other words and expressions used but not defined in the act will have the meanings assigned to them in the Army Act of 1950 or Air Force Act 1950. Section 3. It grants the power to declare an area disturbed to the Central Government and the governors of the state.  Ã‚   Governor of that state or the administrator of that union territory or the Central Government, as the case may be, may, by notification in the official gazette, declare the whole or such part of such state or union territory to be a disturbed area. Section 4.   It enumerates the special powers of the armed forces, which are deployed in a state or a part of the state to act in aid of civil power. The section reads that any commissioned officer, warrant officer, non-commissioned officer or any other person of equivalent rank in the armed forces may, in a disturbed area, Sub section (a). If he is of opinion that it is necessary so to do for the maintenance of public order, after giving such due warning as he may consider necessary fire upon or otherwise use force, even to the causing of death, against any person who is acting in contravention of any law or order for the time being in force in the disturbed area prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons or the carrying of weapons or of things capable of being used as weapons or of firearms, ammunition or explosive substances. Sub section (b). If he is of opinion that it is necessary so to do, destroy any arms dump, prepared or fortified position or shelter from which armed attacks are made or are likely to be made or are attempted to be made, or any structure used as training camp for armed volunteers or utilised as a hideout by armed gangs or absconders wanted for any offence. Sub section (c). Arrest, without warrant, any person who has committed a cognizable offence or against whom a reasonable suspicion exists that he has committed or is about to commit a cognizable offence and may use such force as may be necessary to effect the arrest. Sub section (d). Enter and search without warrant any premises to make any such arrest as aforesaid or to recover any person believed to be wrongfully restrained or confined or any property reasonably suspected to be stolen property or any arms, ammunition or explosive substances believed to be unlawfully kept in such premises, and may for that purpose use such force as may be necessary.    Section 5.  Ã‚   This section states that that any person arrested and taken into custody under this act shall be handed over to the officer-in-charge of the nearest police station with least possible delay, together with a report of the circumstances occasioning the arrest. Section 6.   This section confers a protection upon the persons acting under the act. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding can be instituted against such person in respect of anything done or purported to be done in exercise of the powers conferred by this act, except with the previous sanction of the Central Government. g.Section 7.Repeal and saving. 7.Dos and Donts for Armed Forces Special Power Act.  Ã‚   Army Headquarters has issued certain Dos and Donts to be followed by the members of the armed forces while operating under Armed Forces Special Powers Act. As per direction of the Supreme Court,   the forces operating under this act shall observe and abide by the following directives in the course of operations under the act:- Dos 8.Actions before Operations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Act only in areas declared â€Å"Disturbed area† under section 3 of the act.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Power to open to fire using force or arrest is to be exercised under this act only by an officer /junior commissioned officer/ and non commissioned officer Before lunching any raid/search, definite information about the activist to be obtained from the local civil authorities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As far as possible co-opt representative of local civil administration during the raid. 9.Actions during Operations.   Ã‚  Ã‚   In case of necessity of opening fire and using any force against the suspect or any person acting in contravention to law and order, ascertain first that it is essential for maintenance of public order. Open fire only after due warning.   Ã‚   Arrest only those who have committed cognisable offence or who are about to commit cognisable offence or against whom a reasonable ground exists to prove that they have committed or are about to commit cognisable offence. Ensure that troops under command do not harass innocent people, destroy property of the public or unnecessarily enter into the house/dwelling of people not connected with any unlawful activities. Ensure that women are not searched/arrested without the presence of female police.   Women should be search by female police only. 10.Actions after Operations. After arrest prepare a list of the persons so arrested. Handover the arrested persons to the nearest police station with least possible delay. While handing over to the police a report should accompany with detailed circumstances occasioning the arrest. Every delay in handing over the suspects to the police must be justified and should be reasonable depending upon the place, time of arrest and the terrain in which such person has been arrested. Least possible delay may be 2-3 hours extendable to 24 hours or so depending upon a particular case. After raid/search operations make out a list of all arms, ammunition or other incriminating material/ documents taken into possession. All such arms, ammunition, store etc should be handed over to the police station along with the seizure memorandum. Obtain receipt of persons and arms/ ammunition, stores etc so handed over to the police. Make record of the area where operation is launched, having the date, time and the persons participating in such raids. Make a record of the commander and other officer/ junior commissioned officer/ and non commissioned officer forming part of such force. Ensure medical relief to any person injured during the encounter. If any person dies in the encounter his dead body be handed over immediately to the police along with the details leading to such death. 11.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dealing with Civil Court.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Direction of the high court/Supreme Court to be promptly attended to.   Ã‚   Whenever summoned by the court, decorum of the court must be maintained and proper respect paid. Answer questions of the court politely and with dignity. Maintain detailed record of the entire operation correctly and explicitly. Donts Do not keep a person under custody for any period longer than the bare necessity for handing over to the nearest police station. Do not use any force after having arrested a person except when he is trying to escape.    Do not use third degree method to extract information or to extract confession or other involvement in unlawful activities. After arrest of a person by the member of the armed forces, the member of the armed forces shall not interrogate him. Do not release the person directly after apprehending on your own. If any person is to be released, he must be released through civil authorities.    Do not tamper with official records. The armed forces shall not take back a person after he is handed over to the civil police. CHAPTER V ARMED FORCES SPECIAL POWERS ACT AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION Gen Many human rights organisations including United Nations Human Rights Organisation are demanding repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act very strongly. They allege this act to be draconian and responsible for major portion of the human rights violations. As per these organisations unprecedented powers have been given to the armed forces under this act, which contravene many of the constitutional provisions and international law standards. They blame that the act is illegal in many respects. Argument Against   Legality of Armed Forces Special Powers Act Various human rights organisations have pointed out many shortcomings of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and blame it to be illegal. Some of the important aspects are enumerated in succeeding paragraphs. Indian Laws. Several cases challenging the constitutionality of Armed Forces Special Powers Act are pending before the Supreme Court. The following provisions of the Indian laws are alleged to be contravened by this act:- Violation of Right to Life.    Article 21 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to life to all citizens of the country. This right is violated by section 4 of this act. Violation of Right of Equality.Article 14 of the Indian Constitution guarantees equality before law. People residing in disturbed areas are denied this right due to provision of section 6 of the act which prevents citizen from filing a suit against the member of armed forces without the sanction of the Central Government. Violation of Protection Against Arrest and Detention. Under section 22 of the Constitution, any person arrested should be informed of the causes for the arrest and also he/she should be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours of arrest. This act violates both these provisions as the armed forces detain people for days and months at times. Preventive Detention Law. If the detention of arrested persons beyond 24 hours is defended on grounds of Preventive Detention Law, it still violates the provision of the law. As per provision of this law any person arrested without a warrant cannot be held for more than three months. Any detention longer than three months has to be reviewed by an advisory board. No such provision has been incorporated in Armed Forces Special Powers Act. The Indian Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The Criminal Procedure Code describes the procedures that the police is to follow for arrests, searches and seizures. Armed forces are not trained on these procedures and hence do not follow them. Criminal Procedure Code also advocates use of minimum force to disperse any assembly. No such provisions exist in Armed Forces Special Powers Act. An executive magistrate or a police officer not below the rank of a sub inspector is is authorised to disperse any unlawful assembly. In Armed Forces Special Powers Act every member of the armed forces less a sepoy has been authorised to do the same job. Criminal Procedure Code does not state use of force to disperse an assembly to the extent of causing death unless they are accused of an offence punishable by death. The same provision does not apply to Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Lack of Remedy to the Victim. Section 6 of Armed Forces Special Powers Act violates the provision of section 32(1) of the constitution that state the right to move to the Supreme Court in case any violation of his basic rights guaranteed by the constitution. State of Emergency. Armed Forces Special Powers Act grants the state of emergency powers to the armed forces without declaring a state of emergency as prescribed in the constitution. International Laws. Human rights organisations like United Nations Human Rights Commission claim that Armed Forces Special Powers Act violates the various provisions of United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights and many other International Laws. They include violation of the rights of free and equal dignity, non discrimination, life, security, no torture, equality before law, no arbitrary arrests etc. Some of the important aspects of International Laws are given in the succeeding paragraphs:- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). As per provisions of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights some of the rights of the citizens e.g. right to life, prohibition of torture etc remain non derogable   even in case of emergencies. Armed Forces Special Powers Act violates both derogable and non derogable rights. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also guarantees that any person who is arrested has the right to know the reason for his arrest. This provision is also violated by the Armed Forces Special Powers Act as no armed forces authorities are obliged to inform the person the reasons for his/her arrest. International Customary Law. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act violates the United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforcing Officials in terms of use of force including use of fire arms in addition to the various other provisions which are repetitive of similar provisions in other international laws. Legal Analysis of Armed Forces Special Power Act   In depth analysis of Armed Forces Special Powers Act brings out that the arguments of various human rights organisations on the act being illegal are biased and are misinterpreted. Analysis of the act brings out the following facts:-   Legality of the Act.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Armed Forces Special Powers Act was enacted by the Parliament in 1958 as per the procedures and powers invested on it by the Indian Constitution. Hence this act is absolutely legal. The legality of this act has also been upheld by the Supreme Court in its verdict in the case of Naga Peoples Movement of Human Rights versus Union of India, challenging the legality of the act on 27 November 1997. Misunderstanding of Armed Forces Special Powers Act. A large portion of population does not have a clear understanding of the act. All actions of human rights violation including those by police organisations, assam rifles and other paramilitary forces are also thought to have occurred due to this act. Interpretation of Special Power.The term â€Å"Special Power† in the name of this act is often misunderstood and misinterpreted. There is no special power vested to the armed forces through this act. All provisions of section 4 of this act are vested to the police authorities even in peace time. Police can also arrest a person without a warrant when the person is accused of committing a cognisable offence. History has numerous accounts of k

Quit Watching Me! :: essays research papers

“Quit Watching Me!';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Attempts to monitor employees have always existed in one form or another, from mechanical keystroke counters in the early part of the century, to the latest innovations in electronic monitoring. As technology advances, so do the monitoring possibilities in the workplace. As result of the endless possibilities in surveillance, anxiety in employee’s increase, which in most cases leads to illnesses. Studies have shown that individuals who are constantly being monitored at work suffer from inevitable effects, the majority being illnesses such as physical, emotional, and mental disorders. Employers feel they have the right to monitor their employees, however when extensive monitoring effects a employees health, then the employers has gone to far. Advance technology has lead to monitoring devices such as via computers, video surveillance, and active badges in the last decade, but as the intensity of the surveillance increases so do the negative effects on the empl oyees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There has been a huge increase to pass legislation’s that will regulate the employer in monitoring his employees’ by via computer. Monitoring an employee by via computer is one of the latest innovations in electronic monitoring, which is done by purchasing and installing software in the companies computer system. Once the software is installed, it will be able to do a variety of types of electronic monitoring from keystroke counting and accuracy, time how long it takes to make a transaction, and how long the computer has been on idle. This type of electronic monitoring that involves advanced technology and “the constant monitoring to measure employees’ performance creates an enormous amount of pressure and stress…the stress that is created by monitoring has caused serious physical effects'; (Ternipsede 447) on employees in the work place. Many employees have been effected from such setting in the workplace, but they are unaware of the effects since they take many years to develop fully. Another type of electronic monitoring that can damage an employee’s health is video surveillance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Video surveillance has existed in the work place since the invention of the television. Video surveillance cameras come in all shapes and sizes, from the obvious ones to some that are small as a dime. Many employers purchase such devices to capture employees and customers who commit theft and fraud, or any other illegal activity. The increase of technology in electronic monitoring is now able to transfer images from a camera to a computer where the employer is able to zoom in and make a positive identity of the employee or customer who is committing an illegal act.

The Meaning of Success Essay -- Expository Essays

The Meaning of Success Success has to do with having the freedom to make choices and being the person we want to be. Even though each of us determine what success is, we can follow some factors for having a successful life. The first factor is hard work and discipline. Achieving what can be termed as a major triumph such as success in our work or personal victory after a long, hard slog can bring a wonderful sense of happiness when we get to the peak. This climb to success can be difficult in terms of maintaining the discipline needed to achieve the ultimate task and is more suited to those brave souls who are prepared to live on the edge and do anything it takes to achieve their goals. Probably the biggest key to success is dogged determination. Every successful person has failed, most h... The Meaning of Success Essay -- Expository Essays The Meaning of Success Success has to do with having the freedom to make choices and being the person we want to be. Even though each of us determine what success is, we can follow some factors for having a successful life. The first factor is hard work and discipline. Achieving what can be termed as a major triumph such as success in our work or personal victory after a long, hard slog can bring a wonderful sense of happiness when we get to the peak. This climb to success can be difficult in terms of maintaining the discipline needed to achieve the ultimate task and is more suited to those brave souls who are prepared to live on the edge and do anything it takes to achieve their goals. Probably the biggest key to success is dogged determination. Every successful person has failed, most h...

The Loss of the Unicorns Horn in The Glass Menagerie :: Tennessee Williams

Topic: Discuss the significance of the breaking of the unicorn's horn. Why does Laura give Jim the broken unicorn as a souvenir? "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams is a play which is believed to be part of his real life. As the image of Williams's sister Rose, who is interested in glass animals, Laura also has a glass collection. In the play, the glass menagerie itself is pregnant with significance and symbolism. The breaking of the glass unicorn's horn, Laura's favorite one, symbolizes the shattering of her illusions in life. Laura's personality is characterized by her own collection of glass animals, especially the unicorn. Glass animals are fragile and beautiful and so is she: innocent and vulnerable. Laura is remote from real life, she finds it hard to cope with the world outside the Wingfields? tiny apartment. She is confined in the fantasy world of her glass ornaments: she spends time playing with them and taking care of them. In fact, it is the glass menagerie which she ?takes more interest in than anything else?, and Laura?s favorite one ? the unicorn, is the best reflection of her. The unicorn is different from other ones because it has a horn, it is beautiful and precious in its own unique way. Laura is also pretty ?in a very different way... And all the nicer because of the difference?. This suggests that Laura has unearthly beauty which is hidden by her limp and shyness. However, as Jim points out, unicorns are ?extinct in the modern world? and, therefore, ?must feel sort of lonesome? just a s Laura?s inferiority complex have kept her away from human contacts. Then a big change has happened to Laura and it can be seen through her reaction upon the loss of the unicorn?s horn. When Jim dances with Laura, he hits on the table, dropping the unicorn to the floor and its horn breaks off. Contrary to what might be expected, Laura does not yell or cry out ?as if wounded? like she did when Tom unintentionally broke her glass animal before. She calmly picks it up and reassures Jim that it is alright and ?maybe it?s a blessing in disguise?. She even makes a joke upon the hornless unicorn, ?I?ll just imagine he had an operation. The horn was removed to make him feel less?freakish!?. Now the unicorn is just as normal as the other horses, which symbolizes that Laura becomes more realistic as she begins to accept the truth and learns to face the world.

Discuss in detail Shakespeare’s presentation of women in Much Ado About Nothing

The role of women in the 1600's was to be submissive, passive, to obey men and to be seen rather than heard; as is depicted in the female characters in many of Shakespeare's plays such as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Queen Gertrude in Hamlet. However, the characters in Shakespeare's plays are predominantly male, they include very few female characters and Much Ado About Nothing is no exception. Each of the female characters in this play represents a different role of a 16th century woman. The reason for the relatively small number of female character's in Shakespeare's plays is for both practicality, as all female roles in Shakespeare's plays were performed by men, but can also be seen as a reference to women's relatively insignificant status in society. A woman's virginity and chastity were what her reputation was solely based on. Her status was gained by marriage and women in this time were raised to believe they were inferior to men, this status is reflected in the character of Hero. Shakespeare seems to portray the conventional role of a Shakespearean woman through Hero. Her silent and submissive nature is what shows her weakness to being controlled by other characters. This is predominantly men; however, Beatrice also speaks over Hero, challenging the male chauvinistic stereotype by placing characteristics commonly associated with males, in a female character. This is most noticeable in act 2 scene1, where Leonato, Beatrice, Hero and Antonio are discussing the topic of Hero's future. Shakespeare uses Hero's lack of a response to anything the other character's are saying in deciding her fate to emphasise society's expectancies of Hero, and girls like Hero, in Shakespearean times. Shakespeare uses the character Beatrice to represent a less conventional 16th century woman, independent and outspoken. By contrasting the roles of Beatrice and Hero against each other in this way Shakespeare more effectively presents the differences between these two characters. Shakespeare also mirrors the role of Beatrice in Margaret. Beatrice unlike Hero does not have a prestigious reputation to maintain. Other characters refer to Beatrice, often by name, in comparison to Hero as ‘niece', ‘daughter', and ‘cousin'. The way in which Beatrice talks to the male characters is unusual for her time, she is outspoken and does not hold back on voicing her opinions. In the 16th century women could be punished by law for having such mannerisms as this. Beatrice is particularly bitter towards Benedick, to whom she is rude, ignorant and seems to take great delight in mocking at every available opportunity. In this respect Shakespeare challenges the male chauvinism of the time by matching Beatrice and Benedick, who both, at times, appear both as witty and stubborn as one another, despite Beatrice being a woman and therefore, supposedly (in accordance to society's hierarchy at the time) an inferior match to Benedick. Beatrice's stubborn nature is introduced from the very beginning of the play, in Act 1 Scene 1 where Beatrice makes no attempt to be subtle with her feelings towards Benedick. She promises â€Å"to eat all of his killing† calling him weak and challenging the praise he is receiving from the messenger who is saying â€Å"he hath done good service, lady, in these wars. † It can be interpreted, however, that Beatrice is perhaps trying too hard to convince the other characters of how much she dislikes Benedick, suggesting her stubborn and cruel nature is all just an act, Shakespeare uses Beatrice's intense bitterness towards Benedick to provide the audience with sufficient evidence to suspect that something has happened between these two characters in the past to leave Beatrice with these thoughts. Shakespeare mirrors Beatrice in the character of Margaret. He seems to portray Margaret as a less powerful and dirtier minded Beatrice. She, like Beatrice, is outspoken and often seen as rude. However as Margaret is just a servant, Shakespeare uses this character for the lines that Beatrice could not get away with saying. The audience can more easily accept this rude and often suggestive (particularly when talking to male characters) humour. The suggestive aspect can be seen in act 5 scene 2. In which Margaret flirts with Benedick by saying â€Å"will you write me a sonnet in praise of my beauty? Shakespeare tries to make it known to the audience that Margaret is aware of her lowly status, by writing lines for her that are jokes at her own expense, such as in act 5 scene 2 â€Å"why shall I always keep below the stairs? â€Å", this can be interpreted however, as either Margaret's acceptance of her role, or as a crude joke used to flirt with Benedick. Margaret's comedy contrasts t he intelligent wit Shakespeare writes for Beatrice. The character of Margaret's purpose is to provide a different kind of humour in the play, perhaps as a relief from the witty and sarcastic banter between the other characters. Margaret talks back to Beatrice without any hesitation, as is seen in act 3 scene 4, where she mocks Beatrice in saying â€Å"a maid and stuffed†, this reinforces Margaret's ill mannered nature, being used as a source of entertainment for the audience. This kind of talk would not be acceptable from the other characters, but Shakespeare builds up the character of Margaret to represent a more ill mannered and crude aspect of the play. Shakespeare does this both through Margaret's main purpose – as an accomplice in the shaming of Hero – and the way in which she acts around the other characters, who are predominantly richer and more powerful than her. Margaret's main purpose is to contribute to the shaming of Hero, which causes great controversy and outrage. It's possible that Shakespeare involves Margaret in this event as a way of informing the audience that Margaret is of a far lower status than the other character's and introduces the idea that it is acceptable for her to do many things that for the other characters it is not. The prime example being that even suspicion alone that Hero could be involved in such affairs causes outrage, and yet when it is discovered that it was in fact Margaret, not much more is said about the incident. In Act 2 scene 1 Beatrice compares marriage to a â€Å"scotch jig† giving a very bleak outlook on the subject by saying â€Å"for, hear me, Hero: wooing, wedding, and repenting, is a scotch jig†. By referring to the aftermath of the wedding as ‘†repenting† Beatrice makes her opinions on marriage very clear. The expectancy of women of this time was to get married and have children, and so by portraying such a passionate disdain towards the subject through Beatrice, Shakespeare challenges the stereotypical role of a woman. It is this attitude that likens Beatrice more so than Hero, to a modern day audience, the opinion that women's sole purpose is not to marry and reproduce. Beatrice also makes a joke when Leonato says to her â€Å"well, niece, I hope to see you one day fitted with a husband† by responding with â€Å"Adam's son are my brethren; and, truly, I hold it a sin to match in my kindred† this joke can be taken either at face value, as something Shakespeare has built up to be ‘typical Beatrice', or seen as a way of avoiding what Leonato was really trying to say to her, as a way of covering her real feelings in case there is a lapse in her tough outer exterior. And yet when in Act 3 scene 1 when Hero, Margaret and Ursula try to gull Beatrice she seems, to a certain extent, to believe them. Shakespeare's sudden portrayal of slight naivety in Beatrice can be interpreted as a way of showing the audience Beatrice has a more compassionate side, and that really she wants to believe this is true such as when she says â€Å"and, Benedick, love on; I will requite thee†. Another moment in which Beatrice shows compassion is when Benedick proposes his love to her, and her immediate reaction is to tell him to kill Claudio for what he has done to her cousin, Hero. She uses Benedick's love for her cruelly as a way of forcing him to kill Claudio against his will when she says â€Å"you kill me to deny it. Farewell†. In some respects, the character of Beatrice is there to show an independent and opinionated woman, representative in some aspects as an early feminist and as a way of challenging the conventional role of a Shakespearean woman. However in the final scene even Beatrice the independent, witty and intelligent heroine succumbs to the persuasive ways of men, love and society. The character of Hero can be interpreted in one of two ways. Critics say that Hero is ‘conventional, not at all deep, but ladylike and deserving of sympathy' this could be to uphold the reputation expected of her due to her father and as a result of this, her high social status which can be seen in act 2 scene 1. But Hero can also be interpreted as an intelligent young woman that simply knows the right, and similarly the wrong, times to speak; as can be seen in act 3 scene 4, a scene with only female characters in which Hero speaks of her own free will for herself. In Act 2 scene 1, Leonato makes it clear that it is his decision whom Hero marries; and not Hero's. Yet Hero says nothing throughout. This is what can make the character of Hero so hard to relate to for a modern day audience, as this kind of behaviour is not as common or typical in a modern day girl of Hero's age as it was in Shakespearean times. Although Hero's lines in the play are often merely functional and slightly lacking, it is this; her lack of speech, that most effectively represents her character and role in society. The only time the audience is shown Hero's wittier and more relaxed side is when she is surrounded by only female company. Beatrice in Act 2 scene 1however, does not hold back with her opinions, when Antonio says â€Å"well, niece, I trust you will be ruled by your father† Beatrice speaks for Hero by saying â€Å"yes, faith; it is my cousin's duty to make curtsy and say ‘Father, as it please you'† This can be seen as Beatrice either mocking Hero, or taking pity on her. But at the same time rather aptly sums up Hero's purpose. Hero has functional lines in the play and only really speaks when given permission, such as in act 2 scene 2 when she says â€Å"I will do any modest office, my lord† modest being the crucial word in this line. The first time we hear Hero speak for herself is at the masked ball. However, it can be interpreted that Shakespeare uses this opportunity for Hero to hide behind a mask to grant her the freedom to speak for herself, and in normal circumstances this would not be the case. In act 3 scene 1, we see a very different side to Hero than Shakespeare has previously portrayed. In this scene there are no men and so Hero is free to say as she ‘pleases', this freedom is furthered by Ursula and Margaret, both servants, both females, and both, therefore, below Hero in terms of social status, being the only other characters in the scene. In this scene Hero is given more lines than she has throughout the rest of the entire play. The scene opens with Hero giving Margaret an order â€Å"run thee to the parlor; there shalt thou find my cousin Beatrice†¦ whisper her ear and tell her, I and Ursula walk in the orchard and our whole discourse is all of her† up until this point this kind of assertiveness and power is completely unexpected of Hero to the audience. Hero then goes on to give Ursula clear and precise orders of what she must do â€Å"when Beatrice doth come† however, in act 3 scene 4, where the characters present are again all female, Hero is not as outspoken and forward. However one of the characters present is Beatrice, this suggest that's Beatrice overpowers Hero, and although Hero is technically more powerful and important than Beatrice, as she is Leonato's daughter, her lines are still functional and infrequent such as â€Å"these gloves the count sent me; they are an excellent perfume†. Hero is mirrored – in a similar way to how Beatrice is mirrored in Margaret – in Ursula. Out of Margaret and Ursula, Margaret is – as it is between Beatrice and Hero – the more loud and opinionated one, as opposed to Ursula who is more quiet and reserved, and like Hero is given functional lines â€Å"madam, withdraw: the prince, the count, Signior Benedick, Don John, and all the gallants of the town, are come to fetch you to church†. In act 3 scene 4, Margaret is the dominant speaker, mocking Beatrice and talking back to Hero â€Å"troth, I think your other rabato were better. . Hero's response to this â€Å"no pray thee, good Meg, I'll wear this† is uncharacteristically sure of herself, showing that she didn't really care about Margaret's opinion, and chooses to ignore it. This suggests that Hero is perhaps not a pushover as she is made out to be, but rather knows her place and what is expected of her, and so, when she is around certain com pany (i. e men) she is more reserved, so as not to get herself into trouble, giving reason to suspect Hero is perhaps smarter than a modern day audience would give her credit for. The other character's, in particular Claudio and Leonato's, expectancy of Hero is really emphasised when Margaret and Borachio set her up to be shamed. As even suspicion of Hero doing such causes great controversy and trouble, and is near enough the sole cause of the rest of the problems in the play from then onwards. Whereas, when it is found out that it was in fact Margaret, the act is completely overlooked. This reinforces the importance of social status within the play. Shakespeare both challenges and supports male chauvinism at times by exploring the social boundaries of women. This is done through the characters of Beatrice and Margaret, with their outspoken nature and Beatrice's seemingly unconventional outlook on life, but he does not cross these boundaries. As is seen in Act 4 scene 1 in which Shakespeare reflects and reinforces the separate roles 16th century society has created for males and females when Beatrice proclaims â€Å"O that I were a man! With Beatrice being the main character to challenge the conventional role of a woman, she – of all characters – being the one to say this, shows that there are still restraints put in place by society on things seen as acceptable for women to do. Beatrice repeats this line several times, interrupting Benedick with more of her self pitying rant every time he tries to defend his reasons for objecting to killing Claudio. This can be seen as giving Beatrice, an heir of ‘damsel in distress' a conventional and necessary role in romantic comedy, which contrasts with her character's less conventional role as a woman in the society she is in. Also in this scene, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony, when Claudio says â€Å"you seem to me as Dian on her orb† saying that Hero seems innocent, and pure, but he continues to say â€Å"but you are more intemperate in your blood† saying that he has realised Hero is not as she first appears and sees her more as someone who sleeps around. The audience, of course, knows this is not true. But the use of the dramatic irony here portrays the two sides of a woman, and shows how much Leonato's reputation lies on Hero's actions and status. Hero is a character that at first glance seems insignificant in the sense that she is rarely given opinions or a chance to speak. However the role that she plays is vital to romantic comedy as the young, innocent, female. This necessity of female characters to the plot and genre of the play despite their portrayal as being inferior to men is what is ironic in Much Ado About Nothing.