A Game of Thrones Chapter Sixty-five

Arya The scent of hot bread drifting from the shops along the Street of Flour was sweeter than any perfume Arya had ever smelled. She took a deep breath and stepped closer to the pigeon. It was a plump one, speckled brown, busily pecking at a crust that had fallen between two cobblestones, but when Arya's shadow touched it, it took to the air. Her stick sword whistled out and caught it two feet off the ground, and it went down in a flurry of brown feathers. She was on it in the blink of an eye, grabbing a wing as the pigeon flapped and fluttered. It pecked at her hand. She grabbed its neck and twisted until she felt the bone snap. Compared with catching cats, pigeons were easy. A passing septon was looking at her askance. â€Å"Here's the best place to find pigeon,† Arya told him as she brushed herself off and picked up her fallen stick sword. â€Å"They come for the crumbs.† He hurried away. She tied the pigeon to her belt and started down the street. A man was pushing a load of tarts by on a two-wheeled cart; the smells sang of blueberries and lemons and apricots. Her stomach made a hollow rumbly noise. â€Å"Could I have one?† she heard herself say. â€Å"A lemon, or . . . or any kind.† The pushcart man looked her up and down. Plainly he did not like what he saw. â€Å"Three coppers.† Arya tapped her wooden sword against the side of her boot. â€Å"I'll trade you a fat pigeon,† she said. â€Å"The Others take your pigeon,† the pushcart man said. The tarts were still warm from the oven. The smells were making her mouth water, but she did not have three coppers . . . or one. She gave the pushcart man a look, remembering what Syrio had told her about seeing. He was short, with a little round belly, and when he moved he seemed to favor his left leg a little. She was just thinking that if she snatched a tart and ran he would never be able to catch her when he said, â€Å"You be keepin' your filthy hands off. The gold cloaks know how to deal with thieving little gutter rats, that they do.† Arya glanced warily behind her. Two of the City Watch were standing at the mouth of an alley. Their cloaks hung almost to the ground, the heavy wool dyed a rich gold; their mail and boots and gloves were black. One wore a longsword at his hip, the other an iron cudgel. With a last wistful glance at the tarts, Arya edged back from the cart and hurried off. The gold cloaks had not been paying her any special attention, but the sight of them tied her stomach in knots. Arya had been staying as far from the castle as she could get, yet even from a distance she could see the heads rotting atop the high red walls. Flocks of crows squabbled noisily over each head, thick as flies. The talk in Flea Bottom was that the gold cloaks had thrown in with the Lannisters, their commander raised to a lord, with lands on the Trident and a seat on the king's council. She had also heard other things, scary things, things that made no sense to her. Some said her father had murdered King Robert and been slain in turn by Lord Renly. Others insisted that Renly had killed the king in a drunken quarrel between brothers. Why else should he have fled in the night like a common thief? One story said the king had been killed by a boar while hunting, another that he'd died eating a boar, stuffing himself so full that he'd ruptured at the table. No, the king had died at table, others said, but only because Varys the Spider poisoned him. No, it had been the queen who poisoned him. No, he had died of a pox. No, he had choked on a fish bone. One thing all the stories agreed on: King Robert was dead. The bells in the seven towers of the Great Sept of Baelor had tolled for a day and a night, the thunder of their grief rolling across the city in a bronze tide. They only rang the bells like that for the death of a king, a tanner's boy told Arya. All she wanted was to go home, but leaving King's Landing was not so easy as she had hoped. Talk of war was on every lip, and gold cloaks were as thick on the city walls as fleas on . . . well, her, for one. She had been sleeping in Flea Bottom, on rooftops and in stables, wherever she could find a place to lie down, and it hadn't taken her long to learn that the district was well named. Every day since her escape from the Red Keep, Arya had visited each of the seven city gates in turn. The Dragon Gate, the Lion Gate, and the Old Gate were closed and barred. The Mud Gate and the Gate of the Gods were open, but only to those who wanted to enter the city; the guards let no one out. Those who were allowed to leave left by the King's Gate or the Iron Gate, but Lannister men-at-arms in crimson cloaks and lion-crested helms manned the guard posts there. Spying down from the roof of an inn by the King's Gate, Arya saw them searching wagons and carriages, forcing riders to open their saddlebags, and questioning everyone who tried to pass on foot. Sometimes she thought about swimming the river, but the Blackwater Rush was wide and deep, and everyone agreed that its currents were wicked and treacherous. She had no coin to pay a ferryman or take passage on a ship. Her lord father had taught her never to steal, but it was growing harder to remember why. If she did not get out soon, she would have to take her chances with the gold cloaks. She hadn't gone hungry much since she learned to knock down birds with her stick sword, but she feared so much pigeon was making her sick. A couple she'd eaten raw, before she found Flea Bottom. In the Bottom there were pot-shops along the alleys where huge tubs of stew had been simmering for years, and you could trade half your bird for a heel of yesterday's bread and a â€Å"bowl o' brown,† and they'd even stick the other half in the fire and crisp it up for you, so long as you plucked the feathers yourself. Arya would have given anything for a cup of milk and a lemon cake, but the brown wasn't so bad. It usually had barley in it, and chunks of carrot and onion and turnip, and sometimes even apple, with a film of grease swimming on top. Mostly she tried not to think about the meat. Once she had gotten a piece of fish. The only thing was, the pot-shops were never empty, and even as she bolted down her food, Arya could feel them watching. Some of them stared at her boots or her cloak, and she knew what they were thinking. With others, she could almost feel their eyes crawling under her leathers; she didn't know what they were thinking, and that scared her even more. A couple times, she was followed out into the alleys and chased, but so far no one had been able to catch her. The silver bracelet she'd hoped to sell had been stolen her first night out of the castle, along with her bundle of good clothes, snatched while she slept in a burnt-out house off Pig Alley. All they left her was the cloak she had been huddled in, the leathers on her back, her wooden practice sword . . . and Needle. She'd been lying on top of Needle, or else it would have been gone too; it was worth more than all the rest together. Since then Arya had taken to walking around with her cloak draped over her right arm, to conceal the blade at her hip. The wooden sword she carried in her left hand, out where everybody could see it, to scare off robbers, but there were men in the pot-shops who wouldn't have been scared off if she'd had a battle-axe. It was enough to make her lose her taste for pigeon and stale bread. Often as not, she went to bed hungry rather than risk the stares. Once she was outside the city, she would find berries to pick, or orchards she might raid for apples and cherries. Arya remembered seeing some from the kingsroad on the journey south. And she could dig for roots in the forest, even run down some rabbits. In the city, the only things to run down were rats and cats and scrawny dogs. The potshops would give you a fistful of coppers for a litter of pups, she'd heard, but she didn't like to think about that. Down below the Street of Flour was a maze of twisting alleys and cross streets. Arya scrambled through the crowds, trying to put distance between her and the gold cloaks. She had learned to keep to the center of the street. Sometimes she had to dodge wagons and horses, but at least you could see them coming. If you walked near the buildings, people grabbed you. In some alleys you couldn't help but brush against the walls; the buildings leaned in so close they almost met. A whooping gang of small children went running past, chasing a rolling hoop. Arya stared at them with resentment, remembering the times she'd played at hoops with Bran and Jon and their baby brother Rickon. She wondered how big Rickon had grown, and whether Bran was sad. She would have given anything if Jon had been here to call her â€Å"little sister† and muss her hair. Not that it needed mussing. She'd seen her reflection in puddles, and she didn't think hair got any more mussed than hers. She had tried talking to the children she saw in the street, hoping to make a friend who would give her a place to sleep, but she must have talked wrong or something. The little ones only looked at her with quick, wary eyes and ran away if she came too close. Their big brothers and sisters asked questions Arya couldn't answer, called her names, and tried to steal from her. Only yesterday, a scrawny barefoot girl twice her age had knocked her down and tried to pull the boots off her feet, but Arya gave her a crack on her ear with her stick sword that sent her off sobbing and bleeding. A gull wheeled overhead as she made her way down the hill toward Flea Bottom. Arya glanced at it thoughtfully, but it was well beyond the reach of her stick. It made her think of the sea. Maybe that was the way out. Old Nan used to tell stories of boys who stowed away on trading galleys and sailed off into all kinds of adventures. Maybe Arya could do that too. She decided to visit the riverfront. It was on the way to the Mud Gate anyway, and she hadn't checked that one today. The wharfs were oddly quiet when Arya got there. She spied another pair of gold cloaks, walking side by side through the fish market, but they never so much as looked at her. Half the stalls were empty, and it seemed to her that there were fewer ships at dock than she remembered. Out on the Blackwater, three of the king's war galleys moved in formation, gold-painted hulls splitting the water as their oars rose and fell. Arya watched them for a bit, then began to make her way along the river. When she saw the guardsmen on the third pier, in grey woolen cloaks trimmed with white satin, her heart almost stopped in her chest. The sight of Winterfell's colors brought tears to her eyes. Behind them, a sleek three-banked trading galley rocked at her moorings. Arya could not read the name painted on the hull; the words were strange, Myrish, Braavosi, perhaps even High Valyrian. She grabbed a passing longshoreman by the sleeve. â€Å"Please,† she said, â€Å"what ship is this?† â€Å"She's the Wind Witch, out of Myr,† the man said. â€Å"She's still here,† Arya blurted. The longshoreman gave her a queer look, shrugged, and walked away. Arya ran toward the pier. The Wind Witch was the ship Father had hired to take her home . . . still waiting! She'd imagined it had sailed ages ago. Two of the guardsmen were dicing together while the third walked rounds, his hand on the pommel of his sword. Ashamed to let them see her crying like a baby, she stopped to rub at her eyes. Her eyes her eyes her eyes, why did . . . Look with your eyes, she heard Syrio whisper. Arya looked. She knew all of her father's men. The three in the grey cloaks were strangers. â€Å"You,† the one walking rounds called out. â€Å"What do you want here, boy?† The other two looked up from their dice. It was all Arya could do not to bolt and run, but she knew that if she did, they would be after her at once. She made herself walk closer. They were looking for a girl, but he thought she was a boy. She'd be a boy, then. â€Å"Want to buy a pigeon?† She showed him the dead bird. â€Å"Get out of here,† the guardsman said. Arya did as he told her. She did not have to pretend to be frightened. Behind her, the men went back to their dice. She could not have said how she got back to Flea Bottom, but she was breathing hard by the time she reached the narrow crooked unpaved streets between the hills. The Bottom had a stench to it, a stink of pigsties and stables and tanner's sheds, mixed in with the sour smell of winesinks and cheap whorehouses. Arya wound her way through the maze dully. It was not until she caught a whiff of bubbling brown coming through a pot-shop door that she realized her pigeon was gone. It must have slipped from her belt as she ran, or someone had stolen it and she'd never noticed. For a moment she wanted to cry again. She'd have to walk all the way back to the Street of Flour to find another one that plump. Far across the city, bells began to ring. Arya glanced up, listening, wondering what the ringing meant this time. â€Å"What's this now?† a fat man called from the pot-shop. â€Å"The bells again, gods ha'mercy,† wailed an old woman. A red-haired whore in a wisp of painted silk pushed open a second-story window. â€Å"Is it the boy king that's died now?† she shouted down, leaning out over the street. â€Å"Ah, that's a boy for you, they never last long.† As she laughed, a naked man slid his arms around her from behind, biting her neck and rubbing the heavy white breasts that hung loose beneath her shift. â€Å"Stupid slut,† the fat man shouted up. â€Å"The king's not dead, that's only summoning bells. One tower tolling. When the king dies, they ring every bell in the city.† â€Å"Here, quit your biting, or I'll ring your bells,† the woman in the window said to the man behind her, pushing him off with an elbow. â€Å"So who is it died, if not the king?† â€Å"It's a summoning,† the fat man repeated. Two boys close to Arya's age scampered past, splashing through a puddle. The old woman cursed them, but they kept right on going. Other people were moving too, heading up the hill to see what the noise was about. Arya ran after the slower boy. â€Å"Where you going?† she shouted when she was right behind him. â€Å"What's happening?† He glanced back without slowing. â€Å"The gold cloaks is carryin' him to the sept.† â€Å"Who?† she yelled, running hard. â€Å"The Hand! They'll be taking his head off, Buu says.† A passing wagon had left a deep rut in the street. The boy leapt over, but Arya never saw it. She tripped and fell, face first, scraping her knee open on a stone and smashing her fingers when her hands hit the hard-packed earth. Needle tangled between her legs. She sobbed as she struggled to her knees. The thumb of her left hand was covered with blood. When she sucked on it, she saw that half the thumbnail was gone, ripped off in her fall. Her hands throbbed, and her knee was all bloody too. â€Å"Make way!† someone shouted from the cross street. â€Å"Make way for my lords of Redwyne!† It was all Arya could do to get out of the road before they ran her down, four guardsmen on huge horses, pounding past at a gallop. They wore checked cloaks, blue-and-burgundy. Behind them, two young lordlings rode side by side on a pair of chestnut mares alike as peas in a pod. Arya had seen them in the bailey a hundred times; the Redwyne twins, Ser Horas and Ser Hobber, homely youths with orange hair and square, freckled faces. Sansa and Jeyne Poole used to call them Ser Horror and Ser Slobber, and giggle whenever they caught sight of them. They did not look funny now. Everyone was moving in the same direction, all in a hurry to see what the ringing was all about. The bells seemed louder now, clanging, calling. Arya joined the stream of people. Her thumb hurt so bad where the nail had broken that it was all she could do not to cry. She bit her lip as she limped along, listening to the excited voices around her. â€Å"—the King's Hand, Lord Stark. They're carrying him up to Baelor's Sept.† â€Å"I heard he was dead.† â€Å"Soon enough, soon enough. Here, I got me a silver stag says they lop his head off.† â€Å"Past time, the traitor.† The man spat. Arya struggled to find a voice. â€Å"He never—† she started, but she was only a child and they talked right over her. â€Å"Fool! They ain't neither going to lop him. Since when do they knick traitors on the steps of the Great Sept?† â€Å"Well, they don't mean to anoint him no knight. I heard it was Stark killed old King Robert. Slit his throat in the woods, and when they found him, he stood there cool as you please and said it was some old boar did for His Grace.† â€Å"Ah, that's not true, it was his own brother did him, that Renly, him with his gold antlers.† â€Å"You shut your lying mouth, woman. You don't know what you're saying, his lordship's a fine true man.† By the time they reached the Street of the Sisters, they were packed in shoulder to shoulder. Arya let the human current carry her along, up to the top of Visenya's Hill. The white marble plaza was a solid mass of people, all yammering excitedly at each other and straining to get closer to the Great Sept of Baelor. The bells were very loud here. Arya squirmed through the press, ducking between the legs of horses and clutching tight to her sword stick. From the middle of the crowd, all she could see were arms and legs and stomachs, and the seven slender towers of the sept looming overhead. She spotted a wood wagon and thought to climb up on the back where she might be able to see, but others had the same idea. The teamster cursed at them and drove them off with a crack of his whip. Arya grew frantic. Forcing her way to the front of the crowd, she was shoved up against the stone of a plinth. She looked up at Baelor the Blessed, the septon king. Sliding her stick sword through her belt, Arya began to climb. Her broken thumbnail left smears of blood on the painted marble, but she made it up, and wedged herself in between the king's feet. That was when she saw her father. Lord Eddard stood on the High Septon's pulpit outside the doors of the sept, supported between two of the gold cloaks. He was dressed in a rich grey velvet doublet with a white wolf sewn on the front in beads, and a grey wool cloak trimmed with fur, but he was thinner than Arya had ever seen him, his long face drawn with pain. He was not standing so much as being held up; the cast over his broken leg was grey and rotten. The High Septon himself stood behind him, a squat man, grey with age and ponderously fat, wearing long white robes and an immense crown of spun gold and crystal that wreathed his head with rainbows whenever he moved. Clustered around the doors of the sept, in front of the raised marble pulpit, were a knot of knights and high lords. Joffrey was prominent among them, his raiment all crimson, silk and satin patterned with prancing stags and roaring lions, a gold crown on his head. His queen mother stood beside him in a black mourning gown slashed with crimson, a veil of black diamonds in her hair. Arya recognized the Hound, wearing a snowy white cloak over his dark grey armor, with four of the Kingsguard around him. She saw Varys the eunuch gliding among the lords in soft slippers and a patterned damask robe, and she thought the short man with the silvery cape and pointed beard might be the one who had once fought a duel for Mother. And there in their midst was Sansa, dressed in sky-blue silk, with her long auburn hair washed and curled and silver bracelets on her wrists. Arya scowled, wondering what her sister was doing here, why she looked so happy. A long line of gold-cloaked spearmen held back the crowd, commanded by a stout man in elaborate armor, all black lacquer and gold filigree. His cloak had the metallic shimmer of true cloth-of-gold. When the bell ceased to toll, a quiet slowly settled across the great plaza, and her father lifted his head and began to speak, his voice so thin and weak she could scarcely make him out. People behind her began to shout out, â€Å"What?† and â€Å"Louder!† The man in the black-and-gold armor stepped up behind Father and prodded him sharply. You leave him alone! Arya wanted to shout, but she knew no one would listen. She chewed her lip. Her father raised his voice and began again. â€Å"I am Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Hand of the King,† he said more loudly, his voice carrying across the plaza, â€Å"and I come before you to confess my treason in the sight of gods and men.† â€Å"No,† Arya whimpered. Below her, the crowd began to scream and shout. Taunts and obscenities filled the air. Sansa had hidden her face in her hands. Her father raised his voice still higher, straining to be heard. â€Å"I betrayed the faith of my king and the trust of my friend, Robert,† he shouted. â€Å"I swore to defend and protect his children, yet before his blood was cold, I plotted to depose and murder his son and seize the throne for myself. Let the High Septon and Baelor the Beloved and the Seven bear witness to the truth of what I say: Joffrey Baratheon is the one true heir to the Iron Throne, and by the grace of all the gods, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm.† A stone came sailing out of the crowd. Arya cried out as she saw her father hit. The gold cloaks kept him from falling. Blood ran down his face from a deep gash across his forehead. More stones followed. One struck the guard to Father's left. Another went clanging off the breastplate of the knight in the black-and-gold armor. Two of the Kingsguard stepped in front of Joffrey and the queen, protecting them with their shields. Her hand slid beneath her cloak and found Needle in its sheath. She tightened her fingers around the grip, squeezing as hard as she had ever squeezed anything. Please, gods, keep him safe, she prayed. Don't let them hurt my father. The High Septon knelt before Joffrey and his mother. â€Å"As we sin, so do we suffer,† he intoned, in a deep swelling voice much louder than Father's. â€Å"This man has confessed his crimes in the sight of gods and men, here in this holy place.† Rainbows danced around his head as he lifted his hands in entreaty. â€Å"The gods are just, yet Blessed Baelor taught us that they are also merciful. What shall be done with this traitor, Your Grace?† A thousand voices were screaming, but Arya never heard them. Prince Joffrey . . . no, King Joffrey . . . stepped out from behind the shields of his Kingsguard. â€Å"My mother bids me let Lord Eddard take the black, and Lady Sansa has begged mercy for her father.† He looked straight at Sansa then, and smiled, and for a moment Arya thought that the gods had heard her prayer, until Joffrey turned back to the crowd and said, â€Å"But they have the soft hearts of women. So long as I am your king, treason shall never go unpunished. Ser Ilyn, bring me his head!† The crowd roared, and Arya felt the statue of Baelor rock as they surged against it. The High Septon clutched at the king's cape, and Varys came rushing over waving his arms, and even the queen was saying something to him, but Joffrey shook his head. Lords and knights moved aside as he stepped through, tall and fleshless, a skeleton in iron mail, the King's Justice. Dimly, as if from far off, Arya heard her sister scream. Sansa had fallen to her knees, sobbing hysterically. Ser Ilyn Payne climbed the steps of the pulpit. Arya wriggled between Baelor's feet and threw herself into the crowd, drawing Needle. She landed on a man in a butcher's apron, knocking him to the ground. Immediately someone slammed into her back and she almost went down herself. Bodies closed in around her, stumbling and pushing, trampling on the poor butcher. Arya slashed at them with Needle. High atop the pulpit, Ser Ilyn Payne gestured and the knight in black-and-gold gave a command. The gold cloaks flung Lord Eddard to the marble, with his head and chest out over the edge. â€Å"Here, you!† an angry voice shouted at Arya, but she bowled past, shoving people aside, squirming between them, slamming into anyone in her way. A hand fumbled at her leg and she hacked at it, kicked at shins. A woman stumbled and Arya ran up her back, cutting to both sides, but it was no good, no good, there were too many people, no sooner did she make a hole than it closed again. Someone buffeted her aside. She could still hear Sansa screaming. Ser Ilyn drew a two-handed greatsword from the scabbard on his back. As he lifted the blade above his head, sunlight seemed to ripple and dance down the dark metal, glinting off an edge sharper than any razor. Ice, she thought, he has Ice! Her tears streamed down her face, blinding her. And then a hand shot out of the press and closed round her arm like a wolf trap, so hard that Needle went flying from her hand. Arya was wrenched off her feet. She would have fallen if he hadn't held her up, as easy as if she were a doll. A face pressed close to hers, long black hair and tangled beard and rotten teeth. â€Å"Don't look!† a thick voice snarled at her. â€Å"I . . . I . . . I . . . † Arya sobbed. The old man shook her so hard her teeth rattled. â€Å"Shut your mouth and close your eyes, boy.† Dimly, as if from far away, she heard a . . . a noise . . . a soft sighing sound, as if a million people had let out their breath at once. The old man's fingers dug into her arm, stiff as iron. â€Å"Look at me. Yes, that's the way of it, at me.† Sour wine perfumed his breath. â€Å"Remember, boy?† It was the smell that did it. Arya saw the matted greasy hair, the patched, dusty black cloak that covered his twisted shoulders, the hard black eyes squinting at her. And she remembered the black brother who had come to visit her father. â€Å"Know me now, do you? There's a bright boy.† He spat. â€Å"They're done here. You'll be coming with me, and you'll be keeping your mouth shut.† When she started to reply, he shook her again, even harder. â€Å"Shut, I said.† The plaza was beginning to empty. The press dissolved around them as people drifted back to their lives. But Arya's life was gone. Numb, she trailed along beside . . . Yoren, yes, his name is Yoren. She did not recall him finding Needle, until he handed the sword back to her. â€Å"Hope you can use that, boy.† â€Å"I'm not—† she started. He shoved her into a doorway, thrust dirty fingers through her hair, and gave it a twist, yanking her head back. â€Å"—not a smart boy, that what you mean to say?† He had a knife in his other hand. As the blade flashed toward her face, Arya threw herself backward, kicking wildly, wrenching her head from side to side, but he had her by the hair, so strong, she could feel her scalp tearing, and on her lips the salt taste of tears.

Supercontinent

This paper will probe the theory that the continents of the Earth were originally a single supercontinent. It will describe the reasoning behind the theory, review the evidence that supposedly supports it, and present the reasoning for its rejection. It will also present an alternative view. It will explain the use of fossil records to link pieces of history, and why they may be one of the more significant methods used. The paper proposes that the theory of the supercontinent and the study of fossil records lack a confident conclusion to the geological history of the Earth and its present state, meriting the consideration of an alternative view. In 1912, a German meteorologist submitted the idea of the continental drift. His name was Alfred Wegener, and although he was not the first to explore this theory, his pursuit of the idea held more determination than any other did. 1 Wegener believed that the continents originally were attached in a single supercontinent he called Pangaea (â€Å"all land† or â€Å"all earth†). He also believed that the continent, surrounded by one global ocean, then broke apart and drifted to separate places on Earth. He reasoned that the process repeated itself over a period of time. A complete cycle from beginning to end could take approximately 300-600 million years. To support his theory, Wegener provided evidence, such as how the shapes of the continents appear to fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. He is also noted how mountain ranges continued between continents, and appear to link them together. Wegener also submitted evidence that fossils and rock matter found on different continents were very similar to each other. Most interestingly, were the instances in which plant and animal fossils were found on the coastlines of South America and Africa (If looking at a world map, it can be said that Africa‘s west coast and South America‘s east coast seem to fit together). To Wegner, this was the most compelling evidence that the two continents once were one. 2 Although all of Wegner’s evidence seemed to coincide, his theory lacked a crucial point: a valid explanation of what pushed the continents apart. Wegener reasoned that the continents plowed through the ocean floor. His peers immediately rejected this idea. Studies conducted years later aided in the development of the concept of plate tectonics, as well as the subsequent confirmation of continental-drift theory. As previously mentioned, fossil records were among the evidence used to support the continental-drift theory. They provide some evidence of when and how life began, what types of organisms existed and how long they lived. Fossils also tell what the climate was and how it changed, as well as provide clues to the Earth’s tectonic evolvement. With the study of fossil records, it is conceivable that when the continents separated and rejoined, that animals once known to one specific region, now traveled in and about the other continents. 3 The shifting of the continents caused climatic changes that influenced this migration; however, climatic change was not the sole reason. Animal migration is indicative of the fact that animals were adapting to their surroundings (the availability of food, water, etc. in a specific area). Fossils have had great historical influence. Much of what we know about history has come from the study of fossils. The idea of plate tectonics was significantly aided by the notion that fossils now found widely spaced across the globe had to exist on the same original landmass that subsequently split apart. The African fossil record is arguably the most significant source of evolutionary history. Its fragmented components may be scattered throughout the continent, but considerably an integral part of piecing together history. Even with its supporting evidence, there are notable flaws in the idea of the continental drift. The theory states that all continents were once part of a single supercontinent, but does not explain how the supercontinent itself formed. The Creationist view offers an answer. By account of the Bible, the creation of the supercontinent and the subsequent shifting of the continents are explained in Genesis: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth†¦God said, â€Å"Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. Thus, God made the firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven†¦Then God said, â€Å"Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear†; and it was so†¦. This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created†¦4 Genesis also tells us that God caused it to rain on the earth for forty days and nights. This event is recorded as the Great Flood. Arguably, the division of the firmament, in addition to the effects of the flood, caused the shifting of the continents. The Bible also states that during the flood God destroyed both man and cattle from the earth. Those on the ark were the only survivors. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that those human and animal remains would later be discovered fossilized deep within the earth. The continental-drift theory reasons that all continents formed from a single supercontinent. The use of fossil records has been used to support this theory. Initially rejected, other studies reportedly confirm the theory. However, upon closer inspection the theory raises more questions than answers. One is the question of the supercontinent itself. The theory tells us that subcontinents formed by the breaking apart of one supercontinent, but does not elaborate on how the supercontinent formed. Creationist suggests a different view. The idea of biblical creation tells us that God created the earth and then caused it to break and shift apart. Endnotes 1. John Reader, Africa: A biography of the Continent (New York: Vintage Books, 1999), 21. 2. NASA. â€Å"Evidence supporting Continental Drift†, 2003. http://kids. earth. nasa. gov/archive/pangaea/evidence. html. 3. Reader, 39. 4. The Holy Bible: New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc. , 1984), Genesis 1:1, 6-9, 2:4. Bibliography Answers. com. â€Å"Plate tectonics: definition and much more from answers. comâ€Å", 2008. ttp://answers. com/topic/plate-tectonic (accessed 8/4/2008). John Reader, Africa: A biography of the Continent (New York: Vintage Books, 1999). NASA. â€Å"Evidence supporting Continental Drift† Sharron Sample, 2003. http://kids. earth. nasa. gov/archive/pangaea/evidence. html. The Holy Bible: New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc. , 1984). Wikipedia. â€Å"Superc ontinent cycle† 2008. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/supercontinent_cycle Wisegeek. â€Å"What is the supercontinent cycle? † http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-the-supercontinent-cycle. htm (accessed 8/4/2008)

East of Eden by John Steinbeck Essay

Published in 1952, East of Eden is a novel written by John Steinbeck, a Nobel winner). It tells the story of the intertwined lives of two families- the Trasks and the Hamiltons amidst a backdrop of California’s Salinas Valley (Steinbeck, 2003). The novel follows the stories of these two American families from the Civil War to World War I (2003). It is said that the novel, which was published ten years before Steinbeck received a Novel, drew inspiration from the Bible and was dedicated to Steinbeck’s sons- Thom and John IV (Pearson, 1995). The title itself was culled from a Biblical verse, depicting Cain as he set out in the land of Nod, east of Eden (Genesis 4: 16 New International Version). Told in third-person point of view by a narrator who sometimes offers annotations, swings among characters’ vantage points and even suspends the story with snippets of human history, East of Eden tackles the universal theme of good vs. evil, the fall of Adam and Eve and the bitter enmity of Abel and Cain. Dramatizing the societal sins of Salinas Valley and the individual members of the Trask and Hamilton clans, the novel aims to resolve the dilemma on how evil may be overcome by choice. Spanning the period between the American Civil War and the end of the First World War, it dovetails the lives of two brothers- the gentle Adam and the rough Charles. Adam marries the scheming Cathy who deceives him and ran off with Charles on the night of their wedding (Steinbeck, 2003). After giving birth to twin boys, Aron and Cal, Cathy leaves her children to Adam and returns to a life of debauchery. The rivalry between the siblings reignites as they vie for their father’s attention and approval (2003). The story is beautiful and revolting as it unravels the universal problem man has to face: choose to be good or remain on the dark side. The tone is somber, philosophical and perhaps even propitious. Showing how illustrious as a writer should be, Steinbeck is able to create characters with various tempers, contrasting them realistically as possible, polar opposites as one may say. There is Adam, who may very well be the archetype of good intentions and Cathy, the scheming prostitute whom Adam fell in love with. It is also Adam who has been deceived the most, reminiscent of the betrayal of the serpent in the biblical Eden. The novel is peppered with shades of Cain and Abel. In the same vein, the agony of parental rejection, an issue touched with the story of the biblical brothers, is again explored in the novel, like the acceptance of Adam’s puppy gift and the rejection of Charles’ knife gift, reminiscent of Abel’s accepted gift and the rejection of Cain. Cyrus Trask favored Adam over Charles, for no distinct reason. Later on, Adam repeats the cycle with his own sons, favoring Aron over Cal. Throughout the novel, the tension is palpable, giving the reader the proper stimulus to continue reading. It also helps that the setting, Salinas Valley is actually a real place, giving a pragmatic voice to the novel. The words used by Steinbeck are easy to read and understand , and is not loaded with so many symbols that would make the reader spend 98% figuring out what the symbols stood for rather than letting the words flow and grasping its essence. There are no flowery words, either. This is a good sign on the part of Steinbeck, allowing the readers to comprehend the gist without resulting in a head ache. The flow of the story is also commendable, especially as it expands from 1860 to 1918. The incorporation of â€Å"timshel† is also appropriate, fortifying the theme of good winning over evil, of human making the power to decide. East of Eden is grounded in pragmatism and the handling of good and evil may be simple but it speaks one universal truth: that there is good and there is evil and that human beings are flawed, perhaps influenced by their genes or shaped by circumstances, but they have the choice whether to follow that footstep and repeat the mistake or make their own paths and break the cycle. References Pearson, P. (1995). East of Eden. Retrieved February 17, 2009, from National Steinbeck Center Website: http://www. steinbeck. org .html Steinbeck, J. (2003). East of Eden. New York: Penguin Books.

The Tenth Amendment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Tenth Amendment - Research Paper Example Without the Tenth Amendment, the Federal Government can actually dictate all the states’ behavior and laws, and the Founding Fathers did not want a remote, strange power to rule them over from afar. As much as possible, they wanted to retain their local laws; the ones that they made specifically for themselves. However, after several years and loopholes, the idea of preserving the local laws against the powers of the federal government has changed. Many people want to secede the Tenth Amendment because the Federal Government is still on everyone’s lives even if the Tenth Amendment is still on effect. History of the Tenth Amendment To better understand the modern-day issue of the Tenth Amendment, one should look back at its roots and check out the reasons why it has been added in the Bill of Rights. One should remember that there was no United States before, only states (colonies) that were under the British Empire, and they rebelled together. These thirteen colonies gai ned their independence from the British Empire on July 2, 1776. Now as soon as they declared independence, these thirteen colonies immediately became sovereign states. ... It was Richard Henry Lee of Virginia who proposed to Congress on June 6, 1776 that â€Å"That a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the respective Colonies for their consideration and approbation.† During the summer of 1777, the Congress studied the plan and the bill was ratified and formally adopted by Congress on November 1977. This was now known as the Articles of Confederation. With this article, each state had to choose whether or not it wants to be a part of the new Union or not. On March 1, 1781, Maryland was the last state to join the Union and has ratified the article. Thus, on that date, the thirteen states became one nation. The major reason why the people took so long to decide whether or not they want to become part of the Union was their fear of losing their local rights to a new government, which is now â€Å"national†. One must understand that they were just freed from an imperialist government, and they were tentative about forming a ne w one, for the fear making another tyrannical government that they will help create. Thus, they made an effort to control the powers of their new government. The Founding Fathers included this statement in the Articles of Confederation as the Article II: â€Å"Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.† With this article, the Founding Fathers made it clear that they only wanted the Central Government to have limited power. However, this new form of government was so weak that it can’t even collect taxes that it eventually dissolved. In lieu of that, they made the Constitution of the United States. Like the Articles, the Constitution

The Crime of Rape in the UK Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

The Crime of Rape in the UK - Case Study Example It becomes difficult for victims to see the justice of the system that attempts to establish that in fact a crime has been committed, which causes the victim and not the perpetrator to become the focus of the prosecutorial process of the justice system. The goal of this paper is to examine the laws and legal processes of the crime of rape as those laws and processes currently exist in the UK. The essay opens with an introduction reiterating the thesis as it appears above. The research will serve to inform readers of this paper as to the perspectives of victims, law enforcement officials who investigate and apprehend the perpetrator. The study will examine the perspective of the prosecution and the defence, who must act in accordance with the rule of law and the rules of evidence as pertains to this very serious crime. Finally, this essay attempts to present the perspective of the perpetrator, whose very life, should he be falsely accused and found guilty of this crime, is subject to severe and harsh legal and social penalties. A goal of the essay will be to address questions that arise in the minds of people who, though unfamiliar with the rules of law or evidence, are concerned with the legal and social implications of the process of pursuing justice in rape cases. Questions such as why it is important to be certain that a perpetrator has not been falsely accused will be addressed from the perspectives of the public, and then those people who have been involved in rape crimes and prosecution. The question of why the victim’s own life and background must come under intense examination – if it must – will be answered to the extent of the available information and the direction of the results of the research involved here. The methodology employed in writing this essay will be a desk study of existing studies and information from published sources.  Ã‚  

Assignment on Anthropology Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Anthropology - Assignment Example When doing a research, these differences in culture can enable an anthropologist to determine the origin of certain beliefs, customs and values associated with some communities. In a daily life scenario, tourists travel from different parts in the world to experience different types of cultures different from theirs (Gezon, 2011). 3. What is emic Emic has been defined as the understanding of a certain culture from within that particular culture. In anthropological research, a researcher may decide to stay with the people he wants to know about to deeply understand culture from their perspective. In the daily occurrences anthropologists go to the extent of learning people’s language in order to learn more about their culture. For example, anthropologists interested in the Zulu culture may travel to South Africa and spend several months with the Zulu people. During this time, he can learn the Zulu language which enables him to learn their culture more from within. 4. Enculturati on Enculturation is defined as learning the basics of an established culture in order to establish what is acceptable and what is wrong in reference to that particular culture. This learning can be through gestures, words, speech and action. Enculturation is important in anthropological research as it enables anthropologists to be sensitive to people’s cultures when carrying out a research. Knowing what is required of them buy a particular community during research work prevents conflicts.Enculturalization is applicable in our day to life interactions. We meet people from different cultures when in line of duty. It makes us hold cultures that are not ours in high regard and not to demean other cultures (Brokerman, 2011). 5. Qualitative and quantitative research Qualitative research has been defined as the aspect of information gathering or data through behavior observations, emotional displays and non verbal communications. These are things that cannot be quantified or number ed. Contrarily, quantitative research involves investigations through systematic scientific research of quantities that can be measured. It comes up with scientific verifiable theories. In application to research, what a researcher investigates determines the method he adopts. He uses qualitative in immeasurable activities and quantitative method in investing things that can be quantified. For example in daily occurances, people might display varying levels of emotions when their culture is demeaned. Qualitative research may be used to establish their emotional reactions. On the other hand quantitative method may be used to establish the remnants of an almost extinct culture, for example the hunting and gathering San group of Southern Africa. Part B 1. Describe the importance of sustainability in today’s global economy Sustainability may be defined from different perspectives depending on the subject that is being talked about. The general definition may be the continuity of a behavior which is defined indefinitely.However; economic sustainability may be defined as supporting indefininitely economic production. This means that sustainability is long term (Parasecoli, 2008). 2. How has the concept of sustainability influenced the triple bottom line of fish farming Sustainability is not only important in today’s global economy but also essential for a number of reasons. Sustainability has led to noble innovation that has led to

Current Nutritional and Nutraceutical Approches for the Treatment of Essay

Current Nutritional and Nutraceutical Approches for the Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome - Essay Example Various diets and nutraceutical supplements which inhibit or significantly arrest the various symptoms will be discussed in this thesis. Metabolic syndrome, clinically termed as â€Å"Syndrome X,† is in fact a constellation of symptoms leading to hypertension, obesity, and lipid abnormalities. The main factor underlying all these symptoms are traced to a resistance to insulin on the one hand and excessive release of insulin on the other. Syndrome X has a history which is of recent origin. The obesity dimension to the syndrome was added on subsequently in order to reveal the interconnectedness of the symptoms. The main causative factors leading to Syndrome X relate to poor dietary habits and lifestyle related factors. These include diets with high fat content, abnormally rich consumption of refined sugar, sedentary lifestyles with low or no physical exercise and a genetic make up that makes an individual susceptible to Syndrome X. The incidence of Syndrome X in the Western world has assumed alarming proportions. For instance, in USA, data from the National Health Nutritional Survey for the years 1988 to 1994 re ports that nearly 50 million Americans exhibited symptoms of Syndrome X (1). In the year 2006 Syndrome X figures may be well past 75 million. Such a wide prevalence automatically qualifies this syndrome as a topic of research. The emphasis of the research is to develop several approaches towards treating Syndrome X. In fact Syndrome X has been defined with limited symptoms in its theoretical construct however its physical manifestations are far and wide. Though, invariably, it is associated as a major cause of cardiovascular disease, it is also acknowledged that the syndrome may be a big contributory factor and accessory in morbidity and mortality in other conditions like non-alcoholic fatty-liver, female reproductive disorders, polycystic ovary

Michigan's Responce to the PBB Crisis in the 1970s Essay

Michigan's Responce to the PBB Crisis in the 1970s - Essay Example The Michigan Chemical Corporation in St. Louis, Michigan was the main producer of the FireMaster brand of these PBB flame retardants. The brand FireMaster BP-6 was made out of a mixture of various PBB congeners with 2,2’,4,4’,5,5’-hexabromobiphenyl and 2,2’3,4,4’,5,5’-heptabromobiphenyl as major components based on mass2. Other components of FireMaster products include bromochlorobiphenyls and polybrominated naphthalenes3. These components combined created the unfortunate animal and human health consequences seen in the Michigan chemical disaster. The FireMaster BP-6, in 1973, was accidentally added to livestock feed which was then distributed to various farms in Michigan4. Shortly thereafter, various livestock started dying. About 1.5 million chickens, 30,000 cattle, 5900 pigs, and about 1400 sheep died immediately after being contaminated and their carcasses were managed in landfills in different parts of the state5. About a year would pass before the animals would be culled6. This incident was caused by poor labeling procedures of the company with thousands of pounds of FireMaster being mistakenly labeled as magnesium oxide and delivered to companies manufacturing animal feed. After contamination, most of the animals exhibited mild symptoms like disorientation; others however became very much sick, manifesting internal bleeding and skin lesions. Others died immediately after contamination7. ... hey did not know the actual cause of these deaths and most of them did not perceive that the tainted meat from these livestock would imply a major health threat9. As a result, meat from some of the sick animals was added into the animal feed. This caused further contamination of other animals. Meat from the healthy cows was also sold in the markets for human consumption10. Moreover, chickens which were fed the contaminated feeds lay eggs which were also tainted with PBBs. All in all, thousands of people in Michigan were actually ingesting PBB-contaminated foods and did not even know about it11. Symptoms of PBB poisoning among humans is often based on the amount or level of contamination; mostly it includes stomach problems, abnormal bleeding, loss of balance, skin lesions, and a decreased resistance to diseases12. Many farmers and their families developed health issues attributed to PBB contamination and in general, the long-term impact of PBB among Michigan residents is still persis tent because of the long-term impact of the PBBs13. In fact, it would take more years to pass before the full impact of the contamination would ever be known. The disaster also gained much attention for their continued impact on livestock, with nearly all of the large dairy farms in Michigan reporting cattle and other animal deaths14. Many of their cows also started aborting and most of them soon started to look sick, with their coats becoming mangy and hooves overgrowing. Consultants from the Michigan Department of Agriculture launched their investigation of these incidents; however, they too could not establish the cause of these incidents15. Eventually however, investigators uncovered that chemical workers at the Michigan Chemical Corporation mistakenly mixed chemical polybrominated

English assigment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English assigment - Assignment Example Throughout the essay, Fish (2004) makes use of various logical appeals (Logos). After introducing the audience to the bill under debate, he highlights its positive aspects, the points he agrees with. After this, he makes his position clear by enumerating and discussing the points of disagreement one by one and some very strong logical appeals have been made while doing so. Fish (2004) states logical arguments against the implementations of the bill one by one. First he highlights the dual meaning of ‘seeking the truth’, followed by the notion that seeking the truth is not even remotely related to modeling students into members of a pluralistic society or any other society for that matter. Fish (2004) further points out, that although intellectual diversity may help in pursuit of truth, it is not an end in itself and should not be considered as a goal. Drawing on ethical appeal (ethos), towards the middle of the article, Fish states: ‘Teaching†¦yes, it is my job†¦but it is definitely not my job to produce citizens for a pluralistic society or for any other’. This statement brings the audiences’ attention to the ethical duties of a teacher clearly drawing a line between political and academic duties of an academia; which is ethically appealing. Fish (2004) also points out a discrepancy among the words and actions taken by Horowitz. The article concludes with two examples of instances where the actions taken by Horowitz clearly oppose his words. Though the essay is mostly logical; however, in addition to logical appeals and a few ethical appeals; it also has emotional appeal. The very title of the article makes use of metaphoric language, intended to appeal to emotions. Usage of pathos is also apparent in the paragraph where the author is comparing the left and right end of the political spectrum in a satirical manner using pejorative language: ‘the right wins hands down†¦our colleges and universities are hotbeds

Static Equilibrium Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Static Equilibrium - Lab Report Example From Newtons 1st law, an object is in equilibrium when it moves at constant velocity (Mathew, 2010, pp5). Static equilibrium is thus a system at rest is said to be in static equilibrium. The summation of equilibrium forces in each direction adds to zero. Also, the total net summation of torque is equates to zero. (Mathew, 2004, p.3).Ã" Fx=0, Ã" Fy=0, Ã" Fz=0, Ã" Ã"Ž=0,Fx becomes the force that occur in the X direction and Fy are the forces that occur in the Y component direction (Mathew,2010.pp.7). Fz is the force acting towards the Z direction. Force in an action as either a push or a pull that acts on an object. It has units given Newton. (N). Torque can be defined as the product as force and distance (r) about a point that causes the object to rotate. This is formal equation for torque is Ã"Ž=FrsinÏ ´ (Mathew, 2014, pp.4).F is the force in Newtons (N), r is the distance from the reference at which that the force acts at from the force vector at an angle from the distance. T orque= (Force) (Momentum arm), by convention a torque creating a clockwise rotation becomes negative torque, and a torque causing a counterclockwise rotation gives positive torque In this experiment, the force acting on a ring on a force table will be broken into constituents. The force, both magnitude and direction it will necessary to balance the ring. Equipment’s such as Force Table, Set of Hanging, Masses set of weights, three mass hangers, Ruler, Torque Balance Stand, string, two balances (Eisenberg, 2009 p.56) The mass for the 50gram disk was calculated. Also, mass of one of the hangers was measure. The mass of the disk was increased to the mass of the hanger, and its sum tabulated. This process was done again for second 50 gram disk and mass hanger. The sum was taken as M2 the components of for both X and Y of the force vectors given that m1 positioned at an angle of 40 degrees, and m2 is at 120 degree. In order to obtain the magnitude direction, a third force is necessary to balance

Assignment 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Assignment 8 - Essay Example supervised in terms quality assurance and maintenance of functions as well as improving the competencies of the persons being supervised no matter how proficient they may be. Additionally, supervision brings together the efforts of the person supervising and whoever is being supervised in order to obtain the set objectives of the supervision as they can share ideas on how best to improve on the goals of their task at hand. The monitoring and supervision of the efforts to improve the atmosphere in which we learn in therefore help us to understand on what areas that we should improve on in order to instill effective supervision practices in our daily lives. This brings us to the question of what is expected of us in conducting effective supervision in the running of our affairs (Bachkirova, Jackson and Clutterbuck, 2011).   In order to be an effective supervisor, the person tasked with supervising must master his role and adopt a front-line mode of carrying out the task handed out to one. This shows that effective supervision begins with the supervisor who must be aware that effective supervision involves proper and regular planning as well as a review of the progress of the supervision. The supervisor must know whoever is being supervised and motivate them in order to have the best outcomes at the end of the supervision which can best be known by being aware of what drives the supervisees in the tasks allocated. As a strategy, the supervisor will be required to properly educate and train the supervisees through clear definition of the expectations, the missions and the vision of the tasks and the goals of the definition. The supervisor must also build a teamwork mentality in the supervision environment in that every person must be involved in the general supervision work for maximum benefits that will be enjoyed over a longer period of time. The teamwork also helps in the building of excellent relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee which helps both

Internal marketing Essay Example for Free

Internal marketing Essay Internal marketing is of much importance to an organization. For any organization to thrive, it must focus on the efficiency of the marketing plan. The internal marketing plan within a firm fosters the company’s employees and all its staff members to being customers of the products that they produce. When employees of an organization purchase the products that they produce, they attract external markets since the public out there will realize how important the products are to them, as much as to the employees. Members of staff are seen as both suppliers of the goods and also the customers of the products. This plan helps in strengthening the firm to employee relationship. When the firm management relates well with the employees, they are in a way motivated hence quality services will in turn be provided to the customers. Customers will be retained within the organization, thus enabling the company achieve a competitive advantage. It will be in a position to increase its sales according to the rampant growing demand. Also, the company will increase the process of profit making. In essence, efficiency in internal marketing allows for efficient external marketing efforts (Kotler Armstrong, 2009). A good internal marketing plan usually has distinctive features. For instance, it should create a culture that enables it to outstand over the vast competitive markets. It is achievable when workers are encouraged to be creative and innovative, responsible and accountable. Employees should be given a chance to exploit their abilities and also to act in capacity as accountable leaders. The plan should also articulate equity, fairness, recognition and motivation of outstanding performers. Employees should not be treated according to their rank position, race or gender. This has been a major setback to development hence it should be avoided by all means. It should also accommodate room for furthering the employees’ skills and knowledge. By fairness, an organization and its staff at large are encouraged to practice and embrace it. For example when someone close dies, support should be provided to his family. The organization can effectively deal with this issue through setting aside emergency funds (Ahmed Rafiq, 2002). Coca cola as a company has embraced the use of internal marketing plan within its organization, and this has seen it stand still and strong despite the competition offered by Pepsi company which is as well a manufacturer of soft drinks. The company has been strategically managed and thus its products have been wide spread, not only in the United States but also to the rest of the world. It has adopted the use of the 7ps of marketing. The 7ps involves Product, Place, Price and Promotion, Physical Environment, People, Process. Product shows what the company produces and supplies to its vast markets. Examples of such products are sprite, coke and fanta, which mainly dominate the company’s markets. Place indicates the actual placement of the manufacturing firm. Currently, manufacture of coca cola products have been spread all over the world. Price is the most important aspect of marketing. The company is supposed to regulate the prices through the advice of senior sales representatives. It is the marked price that determines the number of customers an organization will have. Customers should be made aware of the recommended retail prices of the beverages produced. This is usually done so as to discourage the intermediaries from exploiting the customers. When goods are overpriced, the organizations competitors might take advantage of this to take away the customers. Coca Cola Company has taken an initiative of inscribing the products recommended prices in the bottle tops, thus preventing occurrence of inconveniences. In marketing, promotion enables the people to know the kind of products the company produces and also gives them a reason why they should purchase them. Promotion activities are crucial because it is the determining factor whether the business will stand or fall. Physical environment also plays an important role in marketing. The surrounding and the way people domiciling around where a company intends to establish its market agrees to allow the sales agent carry out its activities determines the business marketing future. People may be very hostile; hence the business may fail to establish its markets. The processes actually portray the channels a product passes through before being delivered to the end consumer. This may again involve how the consumer will handle the product. The employees of this company are given responsibility to manage brands through efficient marketing and also given priority to lay down achievable business strategies (Drake, Gulman Roberts, 2005). Managing directors of the company are spread all over the world and the company entrusts them to establish reliable distribution channels, the targeted consumers and the marketing tools that boosts the firms’ sales. To ensure that it earns huge profits, the company has increased its sales employees and surely this act has enabled it to be at the top rank in the annual ranking of the best brands in the world. Such sales agents of the company do put into consideration a good customer relationship. They have a sense of efficiency in responding to customers needs thus majority of the consumers are retained. To obtain its employees, the coca cola company carries out recruitments. For one to qualify as an employee, he/she must pass the exams administered to them by the company’s directors. Also, they are taken through series of interviews and questionnaires, and their competences checked against the requirements of the company. While interviewing, the managers poses questions related to risk management, time management, how to attend to problems and also issues that focuses on leadership skills. After the employees are hired by the company, they are fed with adequate information about the company. This includes how it carries out its day to day activities, its mission and vision. In addition, the organizations goals and objectives are clearly stated to them. This allows the firm management to work together as one with its employees with target of realizing the successful outcome of the company’s operations. Employees work output is usually measured in this company on yearly basis. They are rated according to how they have embraced the technology, how they have fostered a sense of leadership and also by how far they established a solid relationship with the consumers. In addition, their innovativeness is recognized and this is checked through analyzing how successful they have been in bringing the outsiders into the company. Their results in terms of making the company realize goals are normally detailed, and the outstanding performers motivated. This motivation can either take form of increasing their monthly pay, promoting them to higher ranks or even recognizing them by word of mouth. Employees who are deemed as less productive are taken through a probation training. After probation, they are again sent back to the field, and if by this time the company does not see any impact in their productivity, they are left with no option other than dismissing them (Palmer, et al. , 2006). Internal marketing has been of great benefits to the coca cola company. Despite encouraging its workers perform better, it has also allowed them to acquire knowledge on being responsible and accountable. The internal marketing has also enhanced better understanding of the organization in line with the business carried out. Employees have been motivated to offer goods of quality to their customers through appreciation of their outstanding performance. This plan has again increased the consumer retention capacity and also personal developments to its employees. Non marketers within the organization has also benefited since they have learned how to carry out their duties in manner-like marketing. To sum up, the internal marketing plan has linked the coca cola business culture, vision, mission and its stipulated strategies with the employees’ social needs (Varey, 2002). Behind every successful organization, their must be a chain of problems encountered by it. Depending on how the firm embraces and handles their problems, their success is determined. Not all the employees accept change. Some becomes rigid when it comes to embracing the changes in technology. Some employees have deemed the use of computerized systems as a way of narrowing employment opportunities. Such employees can be termed as being illiterate from the fact that computers helps much in keeping efficient and effective inventory of the company’s undertakings. The company has also been faced problems based on incompetence of managers, much emphasis being in the use of interpersonal, conceptual and technical skills. The rampant spread of social evils such as corruption all over the world has seen the company employ incompetent personnel who lack skills in management. To add, the employed persons within the organization have been portrayed as not only having a poor understanding of the concepts of internal marketing but also as ignoring the orders from the senior staff (Kurtz, 2008). This has been a major problem towards successful establishment of internal marketing plan. Conflicts among the employees and also within different departments have also been a problem. People usually fight over the promotion position have made the work of implementing an internal structure difficult. To the side of the organization, some subordinates ignore the employees and does not put into consideration their welfare. Because of this, employees have reacted to fight for their rights and thus this has been a hindering factor. The spirit of synergy has also been greatly compromised since some top members of the organization over protect important information against its workers. Since there is no trust, the organization is as well less likely to embrace the concept of internal marketing. To summarize, the organizations’ structure is in most instances rigid. It does not give room for frequent reviewing and thus this has affected the internal concept of marketing. As from the benefits discussed earlier on, it is unavoidably necessary to have an internal marketing plan. This is not only for the success of the business in its environs but also all over the world. Some of the tools that should be put into consideration in successfully implementing a good internal marketing plan involve encouraging employees to have frequent contacts with the human resource managers. The contact can be enhanced through use of e-mails, faxes, telephone services, newsletters and more reliably through physical contacts. This will encourage them to air their views about the welfare of the organization. Also, they will have a chance to openly air their grievances, more especially on the way they are handled as the company’s employees. This allows fast reaction and implementation of their needs in a proper channel. More field work should be encouraged between the employees and their manager. This will allow them to share views freely with their manager and also gain experience. Since managers are normally viewed as people with experience, fieldworks will allow the employees too mingle with their managers and in the process taking note of work should be carried out (Dunmore,2002). Meetings of all the members of staff should be scheduled within reasonable time duration, for instance a fortnight or a month. This enables the organization as a whole to see how far they have gone in accomplishing its goals and objectives. It also allows them, together with its employees to check on the possible areas that they might have gone wrong in its day to day operations. From here, possible solutions are discussed and carefully thought out strategies of implementation laid out. Changes in career paths are also deemed as a tool of successfully implementing the internal marketing. The employees get to rate themselves on how good they are in sales department. They can check their performance in conjunction with the efforts they put while at work. If they find that marketing is a little pit strenuous, they can pave way for other junior employees and opt for other jobs. Changes in positions should be provided for to those employees initially put on probation. This allows them to be motivated to take up new roles within the organization. In addition, this decreases instances of boredom since the employees are subject to transfers to various departments and place of work. This act boosts the employees’ morale because they will be in a position to see as being attached to the company than before (Beamish Ashford, 2007). Internal marketing workshops and also leadership concept seminars should be embraced by the organization. The firm should encourage its employees to attend such seminars as it enables them gain skills that prepares them for future managerial positions. Such seminars also encourage mutual relationship within the organization. Positioning of the employees should be in conformance with the required qualifications. Social evils such as corruption should be avoided within the organization as this may impact negatively to the company. Such people hired through crooked ways are the ones to collapse the same company since they have gotten used to their bad habits.

Scientific perspectives on positivism and hermeneutics

Scientific perspectives on positivism and hermeneutics The purpose of this chapter is to describe the method that how the work will be carried out and what approach we have chosen. The aim of this research design is to answer the main questions. We would also present the overview of the choice of methods used for data collection, analysis and the results of the data. Research perspective There are two main scientific perspectives, positivism and hermeneutics. (Ann Lind, 2005), since we want to create comprehension knowledge, a hermeneutic perspective is best for our research. The aim of the hermeneutic analysis is trying to make sense of the whole, and the relationship between people, the organization, and information technology (Michael D. Myers, 1997). Hermeneutics has been defined as the theory of the operation of understanding in relation to the interpretation of text (David L. Rennie, 2006). The text could be any sacred and legal document. Hermeneutics dealt with two aspects of interpretation which will be encountered again: first, the problems of analyzing texts in a way that looked beyond the surface features (e.g. of a parable), and second, the problems of verifying the analysis so produced (Wallace, Ross, Davie, 2003). We can say that the hermeneutics deals with the interpretation of any aspect of the technology. Hermeneutics opens the path of protecting the social sciences from the violation of the methodology of the natural sciences, but the main concerns are always the similar as those acknowledged previously: i.e. to what degree are readings to be ordered and to what level are they objectively accurate or subjectively factual to the reader? (Wallace, Ross, Davie, 2003) The hermeneutics deals with the difficulties of the text interpretation, analysis of the text and the verification of that analysis. The qualitative study produces some kind of text from the interviews or observation, the produced text needs to be interpretive because Texts are not just more or less meaningful, they are also more or less useful. (Wallace, Ross, Davie, 2003). It will show the objectivity of the text, we think that the hermeneutic approach with qualitative research is better approach to choose. The qualitative research gives chance to the interviewee or respondents to answer in their own opinion and not forcing them to select or answer from preset answers Every research design has some positive aspects in it beside with some negative sides. It is not possible to say that any research design a perfect design. There are mainly two research designs which are the source of the todays research, one is qualitative research and other is quantitative research. Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior.(Wikipedia, 2010) and The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to phenomena.(Wikipedia, 2010) The qualitative research contains the study that consists of: to find the answers of questions by predefined set of measures produces answer that might not be resolute in advance and gathering of the proofs. The Qualitative research shares the characteristics which are described and it helps to recognize any given research problem or subject. Qualitative research is especially efficient in obtaining culturally specific information about the values, opinions, behaviors, and social contexts of particular populations. The qualitative research provides textual metaphors of, how the researcher experience a given research problem. There are three qualitative research methods which are: participant observation, in-depth interviews, and focus groups. The participant observation depends on the observation of the participant to be observed, in-depth interviews depend on the collection of data from the individual personally, and focus groups depend on collection of data from the group of partic ulars. (Mack, Namey, 2005) The quantitative approach, on the other hand, has more benefit of generating data that is open to the statistical analysis, and something that is predominantly imperative in a safety context. The quantitative research approach is most of the time is in simpler form, the representation of the data in quantitative structure (e.g. graphs or charts) then the disordered layout of the text in qualitative data. (Wallace, Ross, Davie, 2003) In this research we have use qualitative research methods with hermeneutic approach, our research design will show how this work will be applied, and why we have chosen the approach that we are going to work with. The research design will be helpful to answer the research question, we will use the procedure of the observations and the interviews in this regard. We will try to explore that what are the requirements of a user (visually impaired people) and how the ticketing machine could be provided by the interface that could be usable for the user. This approach will be relying on the conclusion and results that we gather from the interviews and the observation. We will try to broaden our perspective at the start of the work, because it could be very helpful at the point, when we will be collecting data. We will analyze that how a ticket machine system interfaces have an effect on a user who is in need of it. Comparison of quantitative and qualitative research approaches Quantitative Qualitative General framework Seek to confirm hypotheses about phenomena Instruments use more rigid style of eliciting and categorizing responses to questions Use highly structured methods such as questionnaires, surveys, and structured observation Seek to explore phenomena Instruments use more flexible, iterative style of eliciting and categorizing responses to questions Use semi-structured methods such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, and participant observation Analytical objectives To quantify variation To predict causal relationships To describe characteristics of a population To describe variation To describe and explain relationships To describe individual experiences To describe group norms Question format Closed-ended Open-ended Data format Numerical (obtained by assigning numerical values to responses) Textual (obtained from audiotapes, videotapes, and field notes) Flexibility in study design Study design is stable from beginning to end Participant responses do not influence or determine how and which questions researchers ask next Study design is subject to statistical assumptions and conditions Some aspects of the study are flexible (for example, the addition, exclusion, or wording of particular interview questions) Participant responses affect how and which questions researchers ask next Study design is iterative, that is, data collection and research questions are adjusted according to what is learned Research strategy We need to look at the existing method and practices, perhaps to develop and improve them. Once a particular project is underway, we may need to collect information to monitor the program and review its effectiveness. Is it meeting its target? Is it satisfying its customers? (Paul Nichols, 2006). The research strategy we will follow during the research is consisting of the collection of the information through the interviews and the observations then we will review the effectiveness of the data and try to answer the questions that Nichols asked. There are two types of research strategy approaches. Exploratory research Descriptive research Exploratory research An explorative study is conducted when the researcher would like to follow a new interest or when the subject area in itself is relatively new and unexplored. The aim for such a study may be to create a better understanding, to test the feasibility of further research or to develop a method for further research.(Ann Lind, 2005) Explorative studies are most important when moving into new territories where they almost always can create new knowledge of the research area. (Babbie, 1995) Descriptive Research Descriptive research is also called Statistical Research. The main goal of this type of research is to describe the data and characteristics about what is being studied. The idea behind this type of research is to study frequencies, averages, and other statistical calculations. Although this research is highly accurate, it does not gather the causes behind a situation. (Anto, 2007) We have chosen the exploratory approach as our research strategy, because we want to follow a new knowledge. This area has been unexplored and is a new one, this area need to be of better understanding for the further exploration in the area. The interviews and the observations are also fits well with exploratory approach, because they will create better understanding of the problem and towards the solution of the problem. By the application of the exploratory method, will help us to get better understanding and make the interface of the ticket machine system better and usable. By descriptive, we will be able to easily get our principles from theories now days for a design principle of a ticket machine system and the features of visually impaired people. Once the phase of interviews and the observations will be finished, we will try to build a prototype that will help to book tickets for the visually impaired people for the experimental purpose. Our effort would be to get a better understanding of how users perceive the interface of the ticket machine system and how we can make more improvement in the interface to be useable for the visually impaired people. To come up with better design of the machine to investigate further on to make it more reliable for users. If we noticed and observed that today the system called as self-service systems, always need to be improved and need some kind of updating and upgrading in it to make the performances better, improved and more users friendly. The role of theoretical study The role of the theoretical study is to explore the literature related to the material which is relevant about the research topic. According to Oates (2006, page 72) the aim is to gather and present evidence to support your claim that you have created some new knowledge. The theoretical study is used to identify the theorys key points and suggest theories that they might explain the data that, the researcher has collected from the field of study. The theoretical study provides the base for any kind of research. The theoretical study is based on the literature resources like books, journals articles, conference papers and catalogues. In theoretical part we will make a base for the empirical survey, which will later on be implemented. We have inquired the different ways for the conducting of interviews. We have to keep in mind that what is considerable to think about and what we should do to attain, validity and consistency when we carry out the theoretical study. We have read various theories about the usability, ticket machine system, human-computer interaction, and user interface and design principles. The role of Empirical study According to Oates, (2006, page 2-3) the research within information system has a long tradition of carrying out field research (often called empirical research) in order to find out what happen, when information system are requested, developed and used by the people. The empirical researchs outcome can be utilized as the verification to sustain the valuable development and usage of any information system. When the product is actually implemented in the real world the empirical study can be helpful to find out what happen actually, and if we want to develop the system in a desire efficient way, there should be evidence of empirical study to support the research, the theoretical study will also be enhanced with the help of empirical study. (Oates, 2006) Our intention is to acquire an enhanced understanding of how the user recognize interface in the ticket machine system and what measurements we can take to make the interface of a ticket machine system better for the handicapped (visually impaired). This can be done with the help of the empirical study because the role of the empirical study is to verify the results of the theoretical study. Data collection procedures For the solution of the problem of design issues of the ticketing machine system for the visual impaired people, we will use the interviews and the observations. During the interviews, we will ask the questions from different visually impaired people about their thinking of such kind of system. The interviews from the normal human beings, who travel regularly, will help us to sort out the availabilities and problems of the current ticketing machine, and to get the idea how they think about the current system to improve to make usable for the visually impaired people. During the observations, we will analyze and argue the different responses given by the interviewer and will try to reach some results. Theoretical study Our theoretical groundwork is based on articles, books and literature review as well as material which is relevant to our study in our problem area. The literature review is done by searching for these keywords, usability, interface, human computer interface, information service and user interfaces etc. Theoretical sources The theoretical source is a tool of qualitative research, for the theoretical source of the empirical studies, we have selected to go through the comprehensive study of literature that is related to our research, which is compose of the journals, books and articles in the research area. We will make analysis of the problem by making predictions, understanding and explaining the matter. Our theoretical groundwork is comprised of articles, books, internet and literature review as well as material that is relevant to our study in our problem area. The literature review is done by searching for these keywords: usability, interface, human computer interface, information service, user interfaces etc. For these keywords we will definitely consider that the authors are more trustworthy than others. In our theoretical study, this thing will be posed with the web sites, books, articles and journals because this will provide quality in our data. Empiric Survey The empirical study is related to balance with what the theory says, here the theory is initial point and the preparation of questions related to interviews is based on it. The empirical study will have observations and interviews will be conducted at different places. We will also try to collect the data by the interviews from the blind or visually impaired people would be the source of direct quotations from them and also yields their pervious experiences, pervious knowledge, feelings and opinion about the ticketing machine or booking system (Michael Quinn). The observation will provide the handicap peoples behaviour, activities actions and their interpersonal interaction with other assistive technologies they have used. The analysis of data from written documents consists of the analysis of articles, journals and books related to the blind people or people with visual impairment and booking systems. Empirical sources The empirical source will be composed of a number of interviews and observations, which will be conducted randomly from normal user on the spot after or before buying ticket form ticket reservation machine, and from the blind or visually impaired people, from Eye center Boras. According to Briony J Oates (2006, page-202, 203), to observe mean to watch and to pay attention to. Observing is something most of us do a lot most of the time: seeing, hearing, noting, analyzing, formal theories, making inferences, imposing meaning. He further says that, for data generation methods the researchers use observations to find out what people actually do, rather than what they say they do when questioned. Most of the time the observation contains looking and watching, but it can involve the senses other than sight: hearing, smelling, touching and tasting. Briony J Oates presents many different kind of observations that could be for the observations, out of which we will use three kind of observations that includes, short duration observation, record keeping by using simple notes and may be camera as well(if required) and third one is that no feedback is given to the observed people. The people observed would be only the people with the visually impairment disabilities. (Oates, 2006) Highly systematic observations of pre-defined types of events Observations of anything and everything Narrow concentration on particular type of event Broad focus Observation takes no part in the proceedings Observer participates fully in the proceedings Facts of Observations taking place is known to all Fact of observation taking place is known to none except the researcher No explanation, or false explanation, given for presence of observer-researcher Full explanation given for the presence of the observer-researcher Short duration-could be as little as 5 minutes Long duration-possibly years Record-Keeping uses only note taking Record-keeping uses technology (e. g audio tape, camera, stop watch, two way mirror, computer program) No feedback given afterwards to the observed Full feedback given afterwards to the observed FIGURE 2.1: Different Kind of Observation (Briony j Oates, 2006) We will try to observe and describe the interaction between the handicap people and the ticketing machine or the booking system, and the data and the information which obtained by the means of observations and experiences. We start with a theory as starting point then we will formulate interviews which will base on that theory. Interviews are defined as a particular type of conversation between people. Usually one person has the purpose of undertaking the interview: they want to gain information from the other(s) ( Briony j Oates, 2006). The purpose of interviews would be to produce useful information for the research. In interviews we will try to do the things that Oates suggested (page-187) like gain detailed information, explore emotions, experiences or feeling that cannot easily be observed and investigate sensitive issues or privileged information, that respondent might not willing to write about on paper for a researcher that they have not met. We will use unstructured interviews; we will start by introducing topic to the interviewee and allow them to develop their own ideas about the topic let the interviewees to speak their mind. The criteria for the selection of the sources of the interviewer or the person to be observed will be the amount and type of the information required for the empirical study. For example if we want the user requirement we will interview from the users (visually impaired people) and if we need to know that how the ticket machine works normally or for the normal people we will interview general public for that. For the study of a group of individuals, (visually impaired people) we will be visiting various people with visual impairment disabilities at the handicaps care center in Boras for interviews and observations. The selection criteria for the interview and the observation will depend on the information and data required for the empirical study i.e. the user (visually impaired people) and the regular traveler. Most part of our observation will be undergo when we will be conducting interviews, because the visually impairment people might not be able to give us a long time for observation. There are very less chances that we found these people personally interacting with ticketing machine as we can find normal people interacting. Data analysis procedures At this stage of inspection, we will analyze the data we received from our observations and interviews, and then revise them and compare them between real findings and experience. The evaluation method means to produce a high-quality with the help of evaluation, so we can authenticate all the gathered data in order to get new information. It should be done sooner than we begin with our conclusions. Interviews will be arranged for the users, who are using the ticket machine systems in association with the observations and unexpectedly different question would be asked from them. We can give the idea of the problem in the users mind. In this way we will easily reach to our goal of what we need and what are problems in the interface, which might create more problems for the user (visually impaired). Then make a comparison of interviews with various users viewpoints, what hurdles they could face during interaction with such interface. At the end we will review of all data that we have collected through the interviews and compare them with our theory. Strategies for validating findings According to Collin Robson (2004) evaluation refer to as assessing the value (or worth or merit) of something. The something focused on here is some kind of innovation, or intervention, project, or service. It involves people in one or more ways, perhaps as the provider of the service, or in setting up and running the intervention, almost inevitably as participants in the innovation or project and as client of the service (Collin Robson, 2004). The evaluation method is used to produce a good grade of the research, which should be of great importance that we evaluated for the quality of the research, So we will able to validate all the material that we collected. There are many methods for the qualitative research as: (Kaplan, Maxwell, 2005) -Validity -data quality -feedback We will also use these evaluation methods in our research, according to Bonnie Kaplan and Joseph A. Maxwell (page-14) validity in qualitative research addresses the necessarily subjective nature of data collection and analysis. Because the researcher is the instrument for collection and analyzing data, the study is subjective in the sense of being different for different researchers. Different researchers may approach the same research question by collecting different data or by interpreting the same data different ways. We will compare the results of interviews and observations taken from different people. (Kaplan, Maxwell, 2005) Data quality will reveals us that the data we collected is in detailed and varied enough that it will provide a comprehensive and showing a complete picture of, what is going on and what processes are involved. Data quality will help us to deeply see the whole process and developing some results. This is the single most important way of ruling out the possibility of misinterpreting the meaning of what participants say and do, or what the researcher have observed (Kaplan, Maxwell, 2005). The feedback will imply the gathering the response about the conclusions from participants. We will try to check that our interpretation makes sense to the visually impaired people; this thing will help us in collecting additional important data if required. We want to keep the structure of the research flexible and feasible, which would provide easiness and comfort to the reader. We will have empirical aid because of interviews and observations that we would conduct from handicap people and the machine ticket purchasers. The aim is to create consistency in the research so that it becomes easy to see that how the different parts to the research fit together. On the basis of these two different observations and interview types, we will try to join the results from both scenarios and evaluate the results and try to provide a clear picture of the problem area, that we are studying, from which the future readers can identify and relate their study. Result presentation method After analyzing all the observations, interviews and the literature, the research results of our thesis would be presented in the form of mainly prototype to certain extent, along with the small amount of data, model and diagrams as well. We will illustrate our results in form of prototype for the use of handicaps with visually impaired people.

Physiological and Psychological Effects of Abortion on Women Essay

Physiological and Psychological Effects of Abortion on Women    1.0 Introduction  Ã‚   There are many arguments surrounding the abortion debate. An issue dealing with abortion that has not been explored very thoroughly is the issue of Post-Abortion-Syndrome. This paper will examine the psychological and physiological effects of abortion, on the women who had them, later in life. This paper dealing with abortion will not explore either side of the abortion debate because to do so would introduce biases. This paper will examine physical complications and problems resulting from abortions. This paper will also examine this mystery of Post Abortion Syndrome and outline the symptoms, causes, criteria and treatments, for the disorder itself. In a recent study in Buffalo more than 400 women were poled two years after they had an abortion, and it was found that only seven out of ten were glad for their decision, 12% were unsure, and 19% regretted it. (Western Report 1998, 29) In the past there has been debate as to the mere existence of Post-Abortion-Stress disorder, this paper will dispel that confusion. 2.0 Review of Literature 2.1 psychological Effects of Abortion It has been discovered that there are many emotional aspects that can effect the psychological well being of women who undergo an abortion. These emotions include guilty feelings, anxiety, depression, loss, anger, and even suicide. Clinical research has found that when women are in trusting, sharing relationships, they report deep seated feelings of exploitation over their abortion experience. (Alliance Action Inc 1993, 1) A woman reports, "I was unprepared for the maze of emotions that hit me after I had the procedure. Instead of feeling relieved, I w... ...t, 12/01/98: 25 7. M.Rue, Vincint. Post Abortion Syndrone; Diagnostic Criteria, 1989 8. Michelle C. "Don't Make My Mistakes". She's a Child, 1996 9. The National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing Impact of Abortion on the Family; IRLF Newsletter, 1993 10. Ranalli, Paul. "Abortion and Breast Cancer:Why dismiss the link?". 11. The Globe and Mail, April 1, 1996    Outline 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Review of Literature 2.1 Psychological Effects of Abortion 2.1.1 Symptoms of Post Abortion Syndrome 2.1.2 Causes of Post Abortion Syndrome 2.1.3 Diagnostic Criteria for Post Abortion Syndrome 2.1.4 Treatments for Post Abortive Stress Disorder 2.2 Physiological Effects of Abortion 2.2.1 Miscarriages 2.2.2 Infertility/Ectopic Pregnancies 2.2.3 Breast Cancer 2.3 Conclusion

Sounding the Oirish: OBrien versus Synge :: Essays Papers

Sounding the Oirish: O'Brien versus Synge "Synge was perhaps the most monstrous phony and buffeon ever to enter our celtic toilet, but he won international fame and money because foreigners extracted strange meanings and nuances from the language he used." Flann O'Brien was a writer obsessed with both nationhood and language, and saw the two as inextricably entwined. Nowhere was this more apparent than in his writings under the pseudonym of Myles na Gopaleen. One particular target of O'Brien's scorn was J. M. Synge's Playboy of the Western World. O'Brien felt that with the success of Synge's play, the stage-Irishman as he appeared in Dion Boucicault's works of the mid-1800s had become the prime symbol of Irishness (although, it may be argued, both Boucicault and Synge are putting forward a subversive version of the stage Irishman who had been a staple part of English drama for centuries). The main thrust of O'Brien's knife is this: "The set-up is this. These people turn angrily on the British and roar: 'How dare you insult us with your stage Irishman, a monkey-faced leering scoundrel in ragged knee-breeches and a tail coat, always drunk and threatening anybody in sight with his shillelagh? We can put together a far better stage Irishma n ourselves, thank you. The Irish Stage Irishman is the best in the world.'" The pig-in-the-kitchen image of Ireland was, as far as O'Brien was concerned, the main effect of the nationalistic firing of half-cocked muskets. Rather than subverting the English stage Irishman, Boucicault, Synge and their ilk merely augmented its dubious itinerary (I never said that the pro-subversion argument was a winning one). The crippling stroke O'Brien applies to Synge deals exclusively with language: "[T]he worst was Synge. Here we had a moneyed dilettante coming straight from Paris to study the peasants of Aran not knowing a syllable of their language, then coming back to pour forth a deluge of homemade jargon all over the Abbey stage ..." From such jargon has emerged such wondrous entertainments as Darby O'Gill and the Little People, The Quiet Man, and even the recent offerings Far and Away and Waking Ned (add to this truncated role of dishonour umpteen others, and don't forget that amadan in Braveheart). Although Synge may have had subversive intentions, the legacy such work has given us is not subversive at all. Instead it bedecks the politics of colonialism with praties, shillelaghs, and a bottle of the aul' poitin.