Close to the Water’s Edge Essay

Close to the Water’s Edge is a short story written by the Irish writer Claire Keegan. The main character in the story is a boy who just turned 19. He is a student at the Harvard University or as he call it himself Cambridge, which is the town where Harvard University is situated. Through out the story he is staying at his mother’s penthouse apartment near the ocean. His birthday party is marked by a dinner at the fancy restaurant Leonardo’s. But the atmosphere at the dinner is cold and cynical. The conversations between the main character, his mother and his millionaire stepfather is not comfortable and cheerfully but more snide and spiteful. The millionaire stepfather is trying several times to discuss about homosexual men as a part of the military with the main character, but every time his mother tries to change the subject to something else like: how he is the top of his class at Harvard or how good the olives tastes. The grandmother of the main character is the only person who really gets him, and through flashbacks you hear of her life living on a pig farm with a husband that she did not love, and the regrets of her life that she did not leave him and try to make a better life for her self. It is important for a person to take decisions in life, decided and chosen by themselves, decisions that will create and lead on the way to the future and finally to form a unique identity. In life many people have tons of roads to choose between, and it is the way you choose that will defined you as a person. In the choice of the road the person is finally going to choose, many people are trying to influence the chose, but in the end you have to decide for yourself to create your own future and unique identity. This is shown in the short story Close to the Water’s Edge, where the main character is struggling to find his own way in life but his mother is trying to choose for him and plan his future as she wish it to become. The main character is a very sensitive, polite and intelligent young man. But underneath the surface he feels impotencies, he feels void towards his parents who will not accept him for whom he really is, gay and careless of wealth. His mother thinks that wealth means happiness â€Å"You play your cards right and this could all be yours someday. He’s god no kids. You wonder why I married him, but I was thinking of you all along† (p. 3 l. 76-78). But he don’t care about wealth, it seems unimportant to him â€Å"He does not care for these rooms, with the vicious swordfish mounted on the walls and all these mirrors that make it impossible to do the simplest thing without seeing his reflection. † (p. 1 l. 4-7) In the story there are lots of clues that points that he is gay â€Å"He stays out on the beach and though his shades watches the bathers, the procession of young men with washboard bellies walking the beach. (p. 1 l. 8-10) â€Å"He will never marry; he knows that now† (p. 4 l. 165-166) Through the dinner at Leonardo’s his millionaire stepfather tries scornfully to influence subjects that points out his sexuality or just to pan homosexuality â€Å"Did you hear about this guy Clinton? Says if he’s elected president he’s going to let queers into the military† (p. 2 l. 88-89) â€Å"How come you never bring a girl down? † (p. 2 l. 123-124). The mother is a beautiful hot tempered woman, a bit superficial and wears expensive clothes and lots of make-up. She married the millionaire Richard, in hope of giving herself and her son the best chance for success in life, but she forgot to stop and ask her son what it was he wanted of life and in what way he wanted to achieve success in life. Richard, the millionaire stepfather is an unsympathetic and cruel man throughout the entire story; it seems like he doesn’t care for anybody but himself, it is shown in the way that he take no notice of his wife’s wish about not bringing up the fact that her son is gay. And in the way he is taunting the main character by giving him a pink cake as a joke, the stepfather think it is funny because the main character is gay. â€Å"It is a pink cake, the pinkest cake the young man has ever seen, like a cake you’d have at a christening party for twin girls. The millionaire is grinning. † (p. 3, l. 135-137) The Grandmother tells the drearily story about a wasted life. Through flashbacks the story about how her biggest wish was leaving the Tennessean pig farm where she was living with her husband, and run away to go to the Atlantic. One day her husband finally agrees in fulfilling her dream. When they arrive at the Ocean he tell her that she got one hour and if she is not back by then he will leave her. At five minutes past the appointed hour, he slammed the car door and turned the ignition on. But the grandmother jumped into the road and stopped him, and afterwards she climbed into the car. She later told her grandson, the main character, that if she had her life to live again, she would never have climbed back into that car. Her life is the symbol of the wasted life, where other people chose the decisions for her and chose the roads she had to go. The story is told by a limited omniscient 3. person narrator. This effect the story. In a way makes it more serious, because a limited omniscient narrator creates a focus on the deep and almost melodramatic thoughts of life that the main character has. If we had heard the mother’s thoughts instead of his, it would create another story with all new perspectives. But because it is the main characters point of view, it makes it much easier to see the moral of the story. As stated earlier on, the main character is not free. He is not in the process of choosing his own road towards his future and identity, but is being controlled by his mother and the stepfather. His mother is trying to make him choose the lifestyle she has decided is best for him, rich and successful. At one point in the story, there is a clear symbol on how the mother is holding him down and pressing him, it is in the first part of the story, when the boy is out on the balcony and his mother is tiring his tie in a â€Å"unnecessarily tight bow† (p. 3 l. 70). Later on after the dinner at Leonardo’s he is walking down the beach and starts thinking about his grandmother, who lived a life in where she was total controlled by her husband and did not have the freedom to make her own chooses, and how she regret that she did not stood up to her husband. He realizes that just as his grandmother he is not living the life he wants to live. He wants to break free of the life he is living where he is not able to choose for himself, he loosens the knot around his neck as a symbol of how he is breaking the controlling grasp his mother has on him. The main character is now standing in a central point of the story. He is standing close to the water’s edge on the beach. He is going to have to choose either jumping in the water and taking the chance with his life that his grandmother never took, she was afraid of how deep the water was, but she later regret that she did not take the chance, the other opportunity is staying on solid ground well knowing how the rest of his life will turn out, planed by his mother. He takes the risk and jump into the water, not knowing what will happen, but it is a chose of his own. The way of how he is going into the water is a symbol of rebirth. The main character is going through a development deep inside of him, he is breaking up with the controlling of her mother and starts taking his own choices and controlling his own life. In the meanwhile this development of his life is happing another developing is taken place, where he is going from being a boy to being a man.

National Territory of the Philippines Essay

The Constitution of the Philippines ( Filipino: Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas ) is the supreme jurisprudence of the Philippines. The Constitution presently in consequence was enacted in 1987. during the disposal of President Corazon Aquino. and is popularly known as the â€Å"1987 Constitution† . [ 1 ] Philippine constitutional jurisprudence experts recognize three other old fundamental laws as holding efficaciously governed the state — the 1935 Commonwealth Constitution. the 1973 Constitution. and the 1986 Freedom Constitution. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Fundamental laws for the Philippines were besides drafted and adopted during the ephemeral authoritiess of Presidents Emilio Aguinaldo ( 1898 ) and Jose P. Laurel ( 1943 ) . †¢ Background of the 1987 ConstitutionIn 1986. following the People Power Revolution which ousted Ferdinand Marcos as president. and following on her ain startup. Corazon Aquino issued Proclamation No. 3. declaring a national policy to implement the reforms mandated by the people. protecting their basic rights. following a probationary fundamental law. and supplying for an orderly interlingual rendition to a authorities under a new fundamental law. [ 4 ] President Aquino subsequently issued Proclamation No. 9. making a Constitutional Commission ( popularly abbreviated â€Å"Con Com† in the Philippines ) to border a new fundamental law to replace the 1973 Constitution which took consequence during the Marcos soldierly jurisprudence government. Aquino appointed 50 members to the Commission. The members of the Commission were drawn from varied backgrounds. including several former congresswomans. a former Supreme Court Chief Justice ( Roberto Concepcion ) . a Catholic bishop ( Teodoro Bacani ) and movie manager ( Lino Brocka ) . Aquino besides intentionally appointed 5 members. including former Labor Minister Blas Ople. who had been allied with Marcos until the latter’s ejector. After the Commission had convened. it elected as its president Cecilia Munoz-Palma. who had emerged as a prima figure in the anti-Marcos resistance following her retirement as the first female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The Commission finished the bill of exchange charter within four months after it was convened. Several issues were hotly debated during the Sessionss. including on the signifier of authorities to follow. the abolishment of the decease punishment. the continued keeping of the Clark and Subic American military bases. and the integrating of economic policies into the Constitution. Brocka would walk out of the Commission before its completion. and two other delegates would dissent from the concluding bill of exchange. The ConCom completed their undertaking on October 12. 1986 and presented the bill of exchange fundamental law to President Aquino on October 15. 1986. After a period of countrywide information run. a plebiscite for its confirmation was held on February 2. 1987. More than three-fourth of all ballots cast. 76. 37 % ( or 17. 059. 495 electors ) favored confirmation as against 22. 65 % ( or 5. 058. 714 electors ) who voted against confirmation. On February 11. 1987. the new fundamental law was proclaimed sanctioned and took consequence. On that same twenty-four hours. Aquino. the other authorities functionaries. and the Armed Forces of the Philippines pledged commitment to the Constitution. Significant characteristics of the 1987 Fundamental law The Constitution establishes the Philippines as a â€Å"democratic and republican State† . where â€Å"sovereignty resides in the people and all authorities authorization emanates from them† . ( Section 1. Article II ) Consistent with the philosophy of separation of powers. the powers of the national authorities are exercised in chief by three subdivisions — the executive subdivision headed by the President. the legislative subdivision composed of Congress and the judicial subdivision with the Supreme Court busying the highest grade of the bench. The President and the members of Congress are straight elected by the people. while the members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President from a list formed by the Judicial and Bar Council. As with the American system of authorities. it is Congress which enacts the Torahs. topic to the veto power of the President which may however be overturned by a two-thirds ballot of Congress ( Section 27 ( 1 ) . Article VI ) . The President has the constitutional responsibility to guarantee the faithful executing of the Torahs ( Section 17. Article VII ) . while the tribunals are expressly granted the power of judicial reappraisal ( Section 1. Article VIII ) . including the power to invalidate or construe Torahs. The President is besides recognized as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces ( Section 18. Article VII ) . The Constitution besides establishes limited political liberty to the local authorities units that act as the municipal authoritiess for states. metropoliss. municipalities. and barangays. ( Section 1. Article X ) Local authoritiess are by and large considered as falling under the executive subdivision. yet local statute law requires enactment by duly elected local legislative organic structures. The Constitution ( Section 3. Article X ) mandated that the Congress would ordain a Local Government Code. The Congress punctually enacted Republic Act No. 7160. The Local Government Code of 1991. which became effectual on 1 January 1992. [ 5 ] The Supreme Court has noted that the Bill of Rights â€Å"occupies a place of primacy in the cardinal law† . [ 6 ] The Bill of Rights. contained in Article III. enumerates the specific protections against State power. Many of these wa rrants are similar to those provided in the American fundamental law and other democratic fundamental laws. including the due procedure and equal protection clause. the right against indefensible hunts and ictuss. the right to liberate address and the free exercising of faith. the right against self-incrimination. and the right to habeas principal. The range and restrictions to these rights have mostly been determined by Philippine Supreme Court determinations. Outside of the Bill of Rights. the Constitution besides contains several other commissariats reciting assorted province policies including. i. e. . the avowal of labour â€Å"as a primary societal economic force† ( Section 14. Article II ) ; the equal protection of â€Å"the life of the female parent and the life of the unborn from conception† ( Section 12. Article II ) ; the â€Å"Filipino household as the foundation of the nation† ( Article XV. Section 1 ) ; the acknowledgment of Filipino as â€Å"the national linguistic communication of the Philippines† ( Section 6. Article XVI ) . and even a demand that â€Å"all educational establishments shall set about regular athleticss activities throughout the state in cooperation with athletic nines and other sectors. † ( Section 19. 1. Article XIV ) Whether these commissariats may. by themselves. be the beginning of enforceable rights without attach toing statute law has been the topic of considerable argument in the legal domain and within the Supreme Court. The Court. for illustration. has ruled that a proviso necessitating that the State â€Å"guarantee equal entree to chances to public service† could non be enforced without attach toing statute law. and therefore could non exclude the disallowance of alleged â€Å"nuisance candidates† in presidential elections. [ 7 ] But in another instance. the Court held that a proviso necessitating that the State â€Å"protect and progress the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology† did non necessitate implementing statute law to go the beginning of operative rights. [ 8 ] Historical fundamental laws Fundamental law of Biak-na-Bato ( 1897 ) The Katipunan revolution led to the Tejeros Convention where. at San Francisco de Malabon. Cavite. on March 22. 1897. the first presidential and frailty presidential elections in Philippine history were held—although merely the Katipuneros ( members of the Katipunan ) were able to take portion. and non the general public. A ulterior meeting of the radical authorities established at that place. held on November 1. 1897 at Biak-na-Bato in the town of San Miguel de Mayumo in Bulacan. established the Republic of Biak-na-Bato. The democracy had a fundamental law drafted by Isabelo Artacho and Felix Ferrer and based on the first Cuban Constitution. [ 9 ] It is known as the â€Å"Constitucion Provisional de la Republica de Filipinas† . and was originally written in and promulgated in the Spanish and Tagalog linguistic communications. [ 10 ] Malolos Constitution ( 1899 ) The Malolos Constitution was the first republican fundamental law in Asia. [ 11 ] It declared that sovereignty resides entirely in the people. stated basic civil rights. separated the church and province. and called for the creative activity of an Assembly of Representatives to move as the legislative organic structure. It besides called for a Presidential signifier of authorities with the president elected for a term of four old ages by a bulk of the Assembly. [ 12 ] It was titled â€Å"Constitucion politica† . and was written in Spanish following the declaration of independency from Spain. [ 13 ] proclaimed on January 20. 1899. and was enacted and ratified by the Malolos Congress. a Congress held in Malolos. Bulacan. [ 14 ] [ 15 ] Acts of the United States Congress The Philippines was a United States Territory from December 10. 1898 to March 24. 1934. [ 16 ] As such. the Philippines was under the legal power of the federal authorities of the United States during this period. Two Acts of the Apostless of the United States Congress passed during this period can be considered Filipino fundamental laws in that those Acts of the Apostless defined the cardinal political rules. and established the construction. processs. powers and responsibilities. of the Filipino authorities. 1. The Philippine Organic Act of 1902. sometimes known as the â€Å"Philippine Bill of 1902† . was the first organic jurisprudence for the Philippine Islands enacted by the United States Congress. It provided for the creative activity of a popularly elected Philippine Assembly. and specified that legislative power would be vested in a bicameral legislative assembly composed of the Filipino Commission ( upper house ) and the Philippine Assembly ( lower house ) . Its cardi nal commissariats included a measure of rights for the Filipinos and the assignment of two nonvoting Filipino occupant commissioners to stand for the Philippines in the United States Congress. 2. The Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916. sometimes known as â€Å"Jones Law† . modified the construction of the Filipino authorities by taking the Filipino Commission as the legislative upper house. replacing it with a Senate elected by Filipino electors. This act besides explicitly stated that it was and had ever been the intent of the people of the United States to retreat their sovereignty over the Filipino Islands and to acknowledge Filipino independency every bit shortly as a stable authorities can be established in this. Though non a fundamental law itself. the Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934 provided authorization and defined mechanisms for the constitution of a formal fundamental law via a constitutional convention. Commonwealth and Third Republic ( 1935 ) The 1935 Constitution was written in 1934. sanctioned and adopted by the Commonwealth of the Philippines ( 1935-1946 ) and subsequently used by the Third Republic of the Philippines ( 1946-1972 ) . It was written with an oculus to run intoing the blessing of the United States Government every bit good. so as to guarantee that the U. S. would populate up to its promise to allow the Philippines independency and non hold a premiss to keep onto its â€Å"possession† on the evidences that it was excessively politically immature and therefore unready for full. existent independency. The original 1935 Constitution provided for unicameral National Assembly and the President was elected to a six-year term without re-election. It was amended in 1940 to hold a bicameral Congress composed of a Senate and House of Representatives. every bit good the creative activity of an independent electoral committee. The Constitution now granted the President a four-year term with a upper limit of two back-to-back footings in office. A Constitutional Convention was held in 1971 to rewrite the 1935 Constitution. The convention was stained with apparent graft and corruptness. Possibly the most controversial issue was taking the presidential term bound so that Ferdinand E. Marcos could seek election for a 3rd term. which many felt was the true ground for which the convention was called. In any instance. the 1935 Constitution was suspended in 1972 with Marcos’ announcement of soldierly jurisprudence. the rampant corruptness of the constitutional procedure supplying him with one of his major premises for making so. Second Republic ( 1943 ) The 1943 Constitution was drafted by a commission appointed by the Philippine Executive Commission. the organic structure established by the Japanese to administrate the Philippines in stead of the Commonwealth of the Philippines which had established a government-in-exile. In mid-1942 Nipponese Premier Hideki Tojo had promised the Filipinos â€Å"the award of independence† which meant that the committee would be supplanted by a formal democracy. The Preparatory Committee for Philippine Independence tasked with outlining a new fundamental law was composed in big portion. of members of the prewar National Assembly and of persons with experience as delegates to the convention that had drafted the 1935 Constitution. Their bill of exchange for the democracy to be established under the Nipponese Occupation. nevertheless. would be limited in continuance. supply for indirect. alternatively of direct. legislative elections. and an even stronger executive subdivision. Upon blessing of the bill of exchange by the Committee. the new charter was ratified in 1943 by an assembly of appointed. provincial representatives of the Kalibapi. the organisation established by the Japanese to replace all old political parties. Upon confirmation by the Kalibapi assembly. the Second Republic was officially proclaimed ( 1943-1945 ) . Jose P. Laurel was appointed as President by the National Assembly and inaugurated into office in October 1943. Laurel was extremely regarded by the Japanese for holding openly criticised the US for the manner they ran the Philippines. and because he had a grade from Tokyo International University. The 1943 Constitution remained in force in Japanese-controlled countries of the Philippines. but was ne'er recognized as legitimate or binding by the authoritiess of the United States or of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and guerilla organisations loyal to them. In late 1944. President Laurel declared a province of war existed with the United States and the British Empire and proclaimed soldierly jurisprudence. basically governing by edict. His authorities in bend went into expatriate in December. 1944. first to Taiwan and so Japan. After the proclamation of Japan’s resignation. Laurel officially proclaimed the Second Republic as dissolved. Until the sixtiess. the Second Republic. and its officers. were non viewed as legitimate or as holding any standing. with the exclusion of the Supreme Court whose determinations. limited to reappraisals of condemnable and commercial instances as portion of a policy of discretion by Chief Justice Jose Yulo continued to be portion of the functionary records ( this was made easier by the Commonwealth ne'er representing a Supreme Court. and the formal vacancy in the main justness place for the Commonwealth with the executing of Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos by the Japanese ) . It was merely during the Macapagal disposal that a partial. political rehabilitation of the Japanese-era democracy took topographic point. with the acknowledgment of Laurel as a former president and the add-on of his cabinet and other functionaries to the roll of past authorities functionaries. However. the 1943 charter was non taught in schools and the Torahs of the 1943-44 National Assembly ne'er recognized as valid or relevant. The 1943 Constitution provided strong executive powers. The Legislature consisted of a unicameral National Assembly and merely those considered as anti-US could stand for election. although in pattern most legislators were appointed instead than elected. The New Society and the Fourth Republic ( 1973 ) The 1973 Constitution. promulgated after Marcos’ declaration of soldierly jurisprudence. was supposed to present a parliamentary-style authorities. Legislative power was vested in a National Assembly whose members were elected for six-year footings. The President was ideally supposed to be elected as the symbolic and strictly ceremonial caput of province from the Members of the National Assembly for a six-year term and could be re-elected to an limitless figure of footings. Upon election. the President ceased to be a member of the National Assembly. During his term. the President was non allowed to be a member of a political party or keep any other office. Executive power was meant to be exercised by the Prime Minister who was besides elected from the Members of the National Assembly. The Prime Minister was the caput of authorities and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. This fundamental law was later amended four times ( arguably five depending on how one considers Proclamation No. 3 of 1986 ) . On October 16-17 1976. a bulk of barangay electors ( Citizen Assemblies ) approved that soldierly jurisprudence should be continued and ratified the amendments to the Constitution proposed by President Marcos. [ 19 ] The 1976 amendments were: †¢an Interim Batasang Pambansa ( IBP ) replacing for the Interim National Assembly †¢the President would besides go the Prime Minister and he would go on to exert legislative powers until soldierly jurisprudence should hold been lifted. The Sixth Amendment authorized the President to pass: Whenever in the judgement of the President there exists a sedate exigency or a menace or imminency thereof. or whenever the Interim Batasang Pambansa or the regular National Assembly fails or is unable to move adequately on any affair for any ground that in his judgement requires immediate action. he may. in order to run into the exigency. publish the necessary edicts. orders or letters of instructions. which shall organize portion of the jurisprudence of the land. The 1973 Constitution was further amended in 1980 and 1981. In the 1980 amendment. the retirement age of the members of the Judiciary was extended to 70 old ages. In the 1981 amendments. the false parliamentary system was officially modified into a French-style semi-presidential system: †¢executive power was restored to the President ;†¢direct election of the President was restored ;†¢an Executive Committee composed of the Prime Minister and non more than 14 members was created to â€Å"assist the President in the exercising of his powers and maps and in the public presentation of his responsibilities as he may order ; † and the Prime Minister was a mere caput of the Cabinet.†¢Further. the amendments instituted electoral reforms and provided that a natural born citizen of the Philippines who has lost his citizenship may be a transferee of private land for usage by him as his abode. The last amendments in 1984 abolished the Executive Committee and restored the place of Vice-President ( which did non be in the original. unamended 1973 Constitution ) . In existent pattern. while the 1973 Constitution was ideally supposed to put up a true parliamentary system. the late President Marcos had made usage of blind and use in order to maintain executive power for himself. instead than devolving executive powers to the Parliament. as headed by the Prime Minister. The terminal consequence was that the 1973 Constitution – due to all amendments and elusive uses – was simply the abolishment of the Senate and a series of decorative text-changes where the old American-derived nomenclatures such House of Representatives became known as the â€Å"Batasang Pambansa† ( National Assembly ) . Departments became known as â€Å"Ministries† . cabinet secretaries became known as â€Å"cabinet ministers† . and the President’s helper – the Executive Secretary – became known as the â€Å"Prime Minister. † Ultimately. Marcos’ alleged â€Å"Parliamentary System† hence functioned as an authoritarian-run Presidential System due to the series of amendments and other alterations put in topographic point after the 1973 Constitution was ratified. 1986 â€Å"Freedom Constitution† Following the EDSA People Power Revolution that removed President Ferdinand E. Marcos from office. the new President. Corazon C. Aquino issued Proclamation No. 3 as a probationary fundamental law to would fix for the following fundamental law. It adopted certain commissariats from the 1973 fundamental law and granted the President wide powers to reorganize the authorities and take functionaries from office. and mandated that the president would name a committee to outline a new fundamental law. refference/source ; # a B â€Å"The 1987 Fundamental law of the Republic of the Philippines† . 15 October 1986. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. thecorpusjuris. com/laws/constitutions/8-philippineconstitutions/70-1987-constitution. hypertext markup language. Retrieved 2008-04-03. # ^ Isagani Cruz ( 1993 ) . Constitutional Law. Quezon City. Philippines: Cardinal Lawbook Publishing Co. . Inc. . pp. 19. ISBN 971-16-0184-2. # ^ Joaquin Bernas. S. J. ( 1996 ) . The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines: A Commentary. Manila. Philippines: Rex Book Store. pp. xxxiv-xxxix. ISBN 971-23-2013-8. # ^ â€Å"1986 Provisional â€Å"Freedom† Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines† . 25 March 1986. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. thecorpusjuris. com/laws/constitutions/8-philippineconstitutions/69-1986-constitution. hypertext markup language. Retrieved 2008-04-03. # ^ â€Å"Local Government Code of 1991† . 1 January 1992. hypertext transfer pr otocol: //www. chanrobles. com/localgov. htm. Retrieved 2007-06-09. # ^ â€Å"People vs. Tatud ( G. R. No. 144037 ) † . Supreme Court of the Philippines. 26 September 2003. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. supremecourt. gov. ph/jurisprudence/2003/sep2003/144037. htm. Retrieved 2007-06-09. # ^ â€Å"Pamatong vs. Comelec ( G. R. No. 161872 ) † . SupremeCourt of the Philippines. 13 April 2004. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. supremecourt. gov. ph/jurisprudence/2004/apr2004/161872. htm. Retrieved 2007-06-09. # ^ â€Å"Oposa et Al. v. Fulgencio ( G. R. No. 101083 ) † . Supreme Court of the Philippines ( requoted by Lawphil. cyberspace ) . 30 July 1993. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. lawphil. net/judjuris/juri1993/jul1993/gr_101083_1993. hypertext markup language. Retrieved 2007-06-09. # ^ Wikisource-logo. svg 1897 Constitution of Biak-na-Bato ( Philippines ) at Wikisource. # ^ â€Å"1897 Biac-na-Bato Constitution† . Corpus Juris. 1 November 1897. h ypertext transfer protocol: //www. thecorpusjuris. com/laws/constitutions/8-philippineconstitutions/300-1897-biac-na-bato-constitution. hypertext markup language? showall=1. Retrieved 2009-01-25. # ^ Tucker. Spencer C. ( 2009 ) . The encyclopaedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American wars: a political. societal. and military history. ABC-CLIO. p. 364. ISBN 9781851099511. hypertext transfer protocol: //books. Google. com/ ? id=8V3vZxOmHssC # ^ Guevara. Sulpico. erectile dysfunction ( 2005 ) . The Torahs of the first Philippine Republic ( the Torahs of Malolos ) 1898-1899. . Ann Arbor. Michigan: University of Michigan Library ( published 1972 ) . pp. 104–119. hypertext transfer protocol: //quod. lib. umich. edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx? c=philamer ; iel=1 ; view=toc ; idno=aab1246. 0001. 001. Retrieved 2008-03-26. ( English interlingual rendition by Sulpicio Guevara ) # ^ Guevara 2005. p. 88.

Aristotle and Virtue Essay Example for Free

Aristotle and Virtue Essay Aristotle believes that we need virtue, both of thought and of character, to achieve that completeness leading to happiness. This is the function: activity in the soul in accord with virtue, where soul is defined as what is in us that carries out our characteristic activity. Aristotle is right in believing we need virtue. The end of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics Book I introduces the idea that since happiness is â€Å"a certain sort of activity of the soul in accord with complete virtue, we must examine virtue,† because doing so will allow us to closer analyze and understand how to study happiness. He goes on to identify two areas: virtues of thought and virtues of character. I believe the philosopher is right when he thinks that a good life requires harnessing both kinds of virtues. Virtues of thought are simpler to identify, as they include excellence in problem solving skills, abstract and rational thought, mathematics and the like. Virtues of character, which are also called ‘moral virtues’, seem to be more complex and are also an integral part of the completeness that Aristotle said was necessary for a good life. Some examples of these virtues are generosity and patience. Virtues of character are definitely good for the possessor as Aristotle states in chapter 6, â€Å"having these feelings at the right times, about the right things, toward the right people, for the right end, and in the right way, is the intermediate and best condition, and this is the proper virtue. † Finding that mean or middle ground, that balance or yin and yang, is essential to establishing a completeness which ultimately lead to happiness. One problem may be actually the path to virtue. The idea of pleasure without pain is not realistic in the mortal world. Everything on this plane is relative. Take, for example, two dogs: Dog A lives on the street and has all of his life. He has to find himself food everyday in alleys and has to deal with the weather. This life is good to him because it is his world and he does not know any better. As far as Dog A is concerned, he is in ‘heaven’. Dog B lives in a mansion with air conditioning and gourmet steaks that are given to him on a regular basis. This is all Dog B knows and he is not aware of anything else out there better than this (even though it surely exists), so this dog is in heaven also. Imagine their own individual and relative differences if they were to switch places. Dog A would go to a mansion atmosphere and the comfort of his life would dramatically improve, while Dog B’s life would be hell all of a sudden. This relation of pleasure to pain and how it is all relative makes one take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Nelson, W. Philosophy 1305 Proteus Classics Readings. Thomson Custom Publishing, Mason. pgs 81-122. Aristotle and Virtue. (2016, Dec 13).

Final assingment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Final assingment - Essay Example i. Disciplinary literacy This subject in the content areas of Math, Science and Social Studies should be a subject area to be taught to students when they are in the middle and secondary school setting and not the level at which they are taught currently. This may be given the approach of making the use of comprehensive strategies and subsequently teaching those strategies to adolescent readers. This aspect has been a challenge since most teachers or tutors have since believed that just the provision of adequate basic skills would suit kids with the adequate knowledge, which will enable them, read and write. This view once seemed feasible because at the time following it would enable schools produce an educated population for the countries needs. This was despite the fact that most of the students did not attain the highest level of education. Identity is an issue when it comes to disciplinary literacy; this is because it has many practical applications in classrooms. This is because it presents a challenge when it comes to a situation when one needs to understand their identity at different levels and how these identities shape what they see, view and understand texts. The identity challenge applies in the area of disciplinary literacy in the most basic sense to be able to deal with a given bunch of texts or academic artifacts; this is because this aspect requires that one is disciplinary literate in the area of study. This means one is proficient with the skills that would enable them pass the next level course by taking the material seriously and making sure that one is abreast with the skills required at every step in the process. Therefore, disciplinary literacy involves hard work with a strong foundation of the skills from the required disciplines which most of the teachers at the foundation level forego posing a challenge to the adolescents in terms of career development. It is considered a challenge in the majority because the few instances when it has been used it has brought in insights to many learners through useful applications hence enabling the setting up of appropriate foundations for students to progress deeper into their chosen disciplines (Brozo). ii. Poverty hence homelessness Poverty is a serious issue most so when it comes to the adolescents, this is even further propagated in situations when the same students both the rich and the poor share the same classroom setting. This is a problem because it would affect the level at which the adolescent poor will be willing to learn as the vice affects their innermost self in terms of how they feel and hence their motivation to learn. It is a worse scenario children being faced by poverty situations like homelessness when they are still in schools, this is despite the fact that the government existence while making expenditures towards unnecessary budgets. In the US, about 13 million children are faced with a homelessness situation due to low income while they can still affor d to stay in the same classrooms with other students (Brozo). Although some children still manage to learn even in the states which they are in most of the adolescent students are poor students due to the lack of early literacy development due to lack of permanent stations. The state is even worsened, as the teachers may not be willing to understand the situation in which the children had

Marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Marketing plan - Essay Example The Insider Fashions has got a good reception to in the market, thanks to its broad range of customers. Its target market has found the place a one stop shop for all the family fashion. This has brought the need for the store to stretch its branches in various parts of the state. Therefore, it is only from a good marketing plan that the operations of this company can be well executed. Mission Statement, Goals and Objectives The mission of The Insider Fashion Store is to ‘’use the displayed opportunity in the current trends in fashion to provide the best outfit solution to all categories of customers, under one roof, through vigorous market research and rapid product design’’. Its vision is to ‘’become a world class store of the best outfits to all consumer categories’’. As a progressive store, The Insider has a goal to cover all the states in the USA by 2014. SWOT Analysis i. Strengths The Insider Fashions Store is a one stop shop for all the family cloths; therefore it attracts a broad range of customers. There is a welcoming mood created by the store’s employees, where customers are ushered in, well attended to and even provided with snacks to keep them shopping even for longer hours. The store stocks a range of products from all over the world, most of which, come from the most reputable brands in the world. It has partnered with children's entertainment companies to provide various entertainment facilities like video games for the children. This makes the parents to prefer the store since they can move in with their children and stay for longer hours without the children complaining Provision of trial rooms where the outfits are tried by customers to confirm the sizes. ii. Weaknesses The store is forced to charge relatively higher prices than its competitors since it deals with exclusive high quality products which come from far and at high prices. There is need to train employees thoroughly befor e they are employed, this makes the store to lose a lot of money in training iii. Opportunities All the store’s branches have been strategically placed at busy malls and near big colleges where there is a thrilling lot of customers There is a need for a one stop shopping store for all the family outfits which the store has exploited. There is still need for such stores in various parts of the state, an opportunity that the store has taken up positively and planning for further expansion. The store specializes in training its employee and is now planning to start up a commercial training college for such services. iv. Threats There is stiff competition that the store receives from several other stores set up in the state. By opening up a commercial training facility, there are high chances that the store will disperse its idea of success which other people will use to start up other stores like The Insider. There is also a threat of the new companies that are entering the mark et with new strategies The store has a threat of losing its international customers in case similar stores are starting up in the customers’ respective countries. Market Segmentation The market will be segmented in the strength of the customers’ demographic characteristics. The stores around colleges will be stocked up with various youth outfits, more than the other outfits of other age categories. The prices at these stores near colleges will also be lowered to consider that the targeted clients at these places are students who have tendencies of spending less money. For example, one

Another Gender Issue that Needs an Immediate Solution. Women groping Essay

Another Gender Issue that Needs an Immediate Solution. Women groping - Essay Example In Sharon Moshavi’s essay titled, â€Å"Groped,† the author recounts her experience when a man who looked decent groped her on the street. Unlike some Japanese women who would stay mum about the issue, Moshavi beat the man as much as she liked. The issue of groping implies gender issues which ultimately challenge authorities to do their share in resolving the problem. Moshavi’s account of the groping experience can be considered an unusual act in Japan. Beating the man who violated her may be heroic to some, and very few women in Japan can do the same thing. Being subject to groping when walking on the streets alone is a gender issue that can be traced in the history and culture of a particular country. Specifically, Moshavi confesses that â€Å"in Japan, I don’t have much opportunity to get angry. People just don’t do it. Yelling and anger are considered immature† (in Rutledge 17). By not expressing anger, women could be misinterpreted by me n. Men do not feel afraid to grope women, thinking that the latter will stay calm about it. On the one hand, the culture of the people can be a significant factor to the problem. Being afraid of the groper is an act that could tolerate the offender because he will not think of the circumstance that would eventually happen. Moreover, as Moshavi mentions, â€Å"I’ve been pawed and pinched from India to Indonesia† (in Rutledge 16) It should be noted that the countries she mentions, including Japan are all located in Asia. This implies a possibility that the incidence of groping could be related to the Asian culture because expressing anger and being furious is not common among Asians, whereas in the US expressing anger is a part of daily life. Addressing the groping problem in Japan, authorities claim that having commuter trains for women is not the solution to the problem. In Paul Jackson’s article which appeared in The Daily Yomiuri Tokyo, an authority claims tha t â€Å"the communication gap between the sexes† (Jackson, â€Å"Women Only: Are train carriages for females an effective solution or effective PR?†) may be part of the frivolous behavior of Japanese men. Japanese men may see their anonymity in commuter trains as an opportunity to get free from the rigid, traditional roles they play in society. Considering this, the problem really points to a cultural issue. Ultimately, the current issue reflects a more serious gender problem for Asian women than for American or other women in the West. Nevertheless, one needs to establish the statistics to prove this point. On the other hand, the problem of groping may not just be a cultural issue. It may imply the current situation of women in media, school, and society in general. Jackson quotes Sanae Tanaka, a lawyer, saying that the increase in the violence against women may be due to the commonality of the issue in social places such as commuter trains. â€Å"It has become far m ore normal to hear people talking about sex and sexual harassment† (Jackson, â€Å"Women Only: Are train carriages for females an effective solution or effective PR?†). People, particularly those in Japan, are getting used to discussing about sex in public places. Likewise, there are men who bring pornographic materials in trains. This observation is not limited to Japan. In fact, many magazines from the West may be considered as pornographic materials easily available worldwide in supermarkets and coffee shops. With this consideration, the problem of groping may be considered a global gender problem. It makes one wonder how come women in magazines are recruited to pose in sexy pictorials if they

Hitler's statements Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hitler's statements - Assignment Example This is actually a distinctive quality of a democracy and a perquisite of liberty. Similar in some respect to the previous statement, this quote speaks of the respect for others freedom of belief as said by Hitler. This brings about a re-assessment of his own stance on personal beliefs and how it relates to other people. I definitely agree because it is almost impossible to impose one’s philosophy on another person who a totally different upbringing on your own. It is very much like convincing an environmentalist to buy a Hummer, somehow it just wouldn’t be conceivable. I do not agree with this statement for logical reasons. National Socialism would mean that the people must be educated about it and that they must accept it. It would be difficult or almost impossible to make people live in a system that they do not understand, much less believe in. it requires a consolidated effort not only from the government but in consonance with the people. This is an argument that Socialism is akin to Atheism. Of course, this is an impossible task as there are many who adhere to their religion very much like second nature. Even if this were true, it is very unlikely to be accomplished though informing and imposing are two very different things. This is another conflicting statement to a certain degree because it suggests that people are allowed freedom to develop their abilities. In a Socialist system, the equality of the people would be determinant of their status in society. On its face, the statement is very much true because only by development does man evolve. This is the most impressionable of all the quotations for me. This reverberates of the need for reality to be revealed even though there are times that it might cause internal conflicts of personal and social belief. This is something I have tremendously learned recently. It presupposes that all of the main points of his

Mulatto Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mulatto - Essay Example Robert, however, insists on being a white man, especially after school has taught him that he is equal to any other white human being. As a mulatto, Robert experiences the strangeness of nothingness, which leads to his anxiety and harbored hate towards whites and blacks alike, and ultimately, to his tragedy, he eventually stops thinking and acting like a rational human being. A person normally has knowledge of his/her own family, but Robert does not get any acknowledgment from his own father that the former is his own son, and so Robert feels like a worthless illegitimate son. At the age of 7 years old, he calls the Colonel papa in front of his fathers white friends. As a result, Colonel thrashed and hurt him badly. Bert was the "favorite" (Hughes, par. 91) before this incident, but he was not the one anymore. It is possible that notwithstanding the darkness of Colonels heart, he loved Bert because he looked more like him and was very smart too. Colonel Norwood has not actively "blacken" his son by removing any idea of whiteness out of the child just as he does not fully break any residual filial bonds by sending his son to school. Despite these childhood memories, Bert thinks that he is a "real white man" because of his birth right (Hughes, par. 94). Lamb talks about paternal rejection and how mulattoes seek to shun the silence on their paternity by dec laring that they are the sons of white men. This assertion emasculates the white fathers, which Bert also does in the play. Later on, after coming back from school, Bert asserts that he is Norwood and half-white by trying to shake hands with his father, a greeting between equal free men. Unfortunately, his father rejects him, but he still does not hurt him enough to break his son and teach him his right place in society. This play shows that even if a mulatto has a white father, the latter can easily not acknowledge him

Comparative Leadership Approches Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comparative Leadership Approches - Essay Example A number of contemporary leaders manifest distinct approaches by exhibiting traits, knowledge, skills, and abilities that set them apart from the rest. Among the two organizational leaders that have been deemed to contribute to the extraordinary development and professional growth of their respective organizations are John Frances Welch Jr., known as Jack Welch to many, the former CEO of General Electric; and Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, Inc. In this regard, the current research aims to compare and contrast the approaches of these two leaders: Welch and Jobs, by using relevant leadership theories. Initially, a brief background on the definition of leadership would be provided; as well as pertinent contemporary leadership theories that are applied by both leaders identified would be presented. Further, the lessons that leaders in organizations could learn from these leaders would be proffered. Leadership Concepts The study conducted by Stone and Patterson (2005) perused the history of leadership theories and the origin was traced in the beginning of civilization. As averred, â€Å"Egyptian rulers, Greek heroes, and biblical patriarchs all have one thing in common–leadership†. According to Martires and Fule, leadership is the process of influencing people so that they will seek defined objectives enthusiastically. It is concerned with eliciting behavioral responses that are more than routine. More clearly, Tannenbaum and Massarik describe the relationship between leadership and influence by saying that leadership is â€Å"interpersonal influence, exercised in situations and directed, through the communication process, toward the attainment of specified goal or goals. Leadership always involves attempts on the part of a leader (influencer) to affect (influence) the behavior of a follower (influence) or followers in a situation† ((1957, p. 3). The definitions would reveal t he important elements particularly emerging in a leadership situation: the goals that are aimed to be achieved, the process of influencing, and the transformation from where the organization was to where to plans to be. Contemporary leadership theories have emphasized the concepts of transformational leadership on the organization (Stone and Patterson, 2005, pp. 6 - 11). As cited by Stone and Patterson, â€Å"with transformational leadership, the leader's focus is directed toward the organization, but leader behavior builds follower commitment toward the organizational objectives through empowering followers to accomplish those objectives (Yukl, 2002, cited in Stone and Patterson, 2005, p. 8). Jack Welch’s Leadership Approach In a comprehensive discourse written by Byrne (1998), Welch was identified to exude the following leadership roles: as teacher, mentor, coach, â€Å"the management theorist, strategic thinker, business teacher, and corporate icon† (par. 9). Due t o the remarkable growth of GE under Welch’s helm, Byrne (1998) emphasized the transformation of the organization to attest on Welch’s exemplary ability as a leader: the growth in market value of GE â€Å"from just $12 billion in 1981 to about $280 billion today. No one, not Microsoft's (MSFT) William H. Gates III or Intel's (INTC) Andrew S. Grove, not Walt Disney's (DIS) Michael D. Eisner or Berkshire Hathaway's (BKR.A) Warren E. Buffett, not even the late Coca-Cola (KO) chieftain Roberto C. Goizueta or the late Wal-Mart (WMT) founder Sam Walton has created more shareholder value than Jack Welch† (Byrne, 1998, par. 12). The analysis of Welch leadership approach and style revealed that an interplay of traits and application of leadership theori

Teen Pregnancy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teen Pregnancy - Research Paper Example The United States has the highest number of teen pregnancy in the world with recent statistics revealing that nearly 46% of teenagers in the ages of 15-19 have indulged in sex (Teen pregnancy statistics). In order to reduce this growing rate of teenage pregnancy, abstinence from sex is widely recommended for teenagers by many conservative politicians and health personal by educating teenagers about the effects of pre-marital sexual practices. However, many pediatricians and health counselors have expressed that mere teaching of sexual abstinence would not be sufficient and have recommended that teenagers should have access to birth control and emergency contraceptive options which would be helpful, especially in cases where the teenager was forced in to sex. (Teen pregnancy statistics). Hence, despite the various views expressed teenage pregnancy can be effectively controlled and managed through adequate knowledge about sexual practices and access to birth control measures in additio n to sexual abstinence. At a younger age the sexual intercourse is mostly non-voluntary or unwanted (Teen pregnancy statistics; Facts on American; Tanne, 2005). And such unprotected, unwanted sex increases the risk of pregnancy or being affected with sexually transmitted diseases (Facts on American). Teen pregnancy not only affects the physical and mental strength of the teenagers, the children born to such teenagers also suffer from problems such as low-birth weight and tend to perform less well in school compared to children born to adult mothers (Teen pregnancy statistics). People, who believe that sexual abstinence is the only best way to reduce the occurrence of teenage pregnancy, stress that it is better not to teach teenagers more than what is required about sex as it would only result in an increased involvement towards sexual practices. Rearing a teenager with the right family values will definitely help to alleviate unnecessary thoughts about sex and sexual activities at a

Stereotypes and Prejudices Essay Example for Free

Stereotypes and Prejudices Essay Everyone uses stereotypes in one way or another. (CX) People tend to judge from their first impressions, but prejudices do not get very dangerous until they lead to stereotyping and discrimination. The victims of prejudices and stereotypes may lose their own individual personalities, and they retreat into their own groups. Both Chopin, in â€Å"Desiree’s Baby,† and Piercy, who writes â€Å"Barbie Doll,† bring up this problem in their writings. Chopin and Piercy write about stereotypes and prejudices because they want people to think about the devastating effects of stereotypes and prejudices. To develop their theme, they write about the victims of prejudice, how they are treated differently, and how they end up in life. (S) Appearances influence many people. One day, when Desiree stands â€Å"against the stone pillar,† Armand â€Å"ride[s] by and see[s] her there,† and he soon falls in love with her (Chopin 346). (CC) Not knowing much about her characteristics, Armand falls in love with Desiree, and he marries her not long after that, which can be seen by the fast transition in Chopin’s story. Similarly, the â€Å"girl child† in â€Å"Barbie Doll† is described by her classmate as having â€Å"a great big nose and fat legs† (Piercy 352). Piercy writes that although she â€Å"[is] healthy and tests intelligent,† she keeps â€Å"[going] to and fro apologizing† for her body (352). People care about how she looks more than what she has in her heart. Being victims of prejudices, the characters in Chopin’s and Piercy’s works are treated differently. The way that Desiree, her baby, and the girl child have to face prejudice is not identical. While talking to her daughter, Madame Valmonde does not stop looking at the child; in addition, she â€Å"[lifts] it and [walks] with it over the window that [is] lightest,† and she â€Å"[replaces] it beside its mother† (Chopin 346). No one uses â€Å"it† to call a baby, and Desiree’s son is regarded as an animal because he is not white. From being the â€Å"proudest father in the parish†, Armand turns cruel as he discovers that his child â€Å"is not white; it means that [his wife is] not white† (Chopin 347). (CC) Chopin brings readers back to the age of slavery, which is a shame in humans’ history; the slaves cannot live as humans because they are distinct from the majority of the Whites. (S) Obviously, being different is the end of their life. (CX) On the other hand, the girl child in â€Å"Barbie Doll† has a chance to live if she gives up her personality. The author writes that she â€Å"[is] advised to play coy, exhorted to come on hearty, exercise, diet, smile and wheedle† (Piercy 352). She is given a chance to live the life of a machine, not a human, which is programmed according to the social standards. â€Å"Her good nature [wears] out like a fan. So she [cuts] off her nose and her legs, and [offers] them up,† writes Piercy (352). The fact that she has a choice is ironic. Chopin and Piercy also come to the same ending for their characters. Desiree and the girl child finish their lives in the same way. Desiree does not take the â€Å"broad beaten road which [leads] to the far-off plantation of Valmonde,† but she walks â€Å"across a deserted field† (Chopin 348). Readers may ask themselves whether Desiree does not take or is not allowed to take the broad road. She disappears among the â€Å"reeds and willows†, and she never comes back (Chopin 348). Likewise, the girl child ends up her life â€Å"in the casket displayed on the satin she [lies] with the undertaker’s cosmetics painted on, a turned-up putty nose† (Piercy 352). â€Å"Is everyone satisfied? † asks Piercy. (CP) The victims of prejudice are not happy, so they choose the death to cease their misery. It is the time that people have to be aware of stereotypes and prejudices. Both Chopin and Piercy signify that stereotypes and prejudices are destructive. â€Å"Consummation at last† is a sarcastic way of Piercy to tell the truth (352). It is the consummation of people who judge others through appearances. (CP) Prejudice is no longer accepted in modern societies; however, it still exists in the nature of humans. Stereotyping prevents people from learning the real facts about themselves, and it allows them to discriminate and commit various crimes against all kinds of people. In pursuit of a better society, everyone should patiently fight against the unfairness of stereotypes and prejudices.

Deception Point by Dan Brown Essay Example for Free

Deception Point by Dan Brown Essay A techno-thriller Deception Point is a typical Dan Brown novel decent far-fetched plot Dan Brown, once again does a delightful job. Rachael Sexton, estranged of her father, a charismatic leading Presidential nominee Senator Sedgewick Sexton, and herself a highly competent â€Å"resource† working for the little known but highly efficient intelligence agency NRO (National Reconnaissance Oficce), one day gets an unexpected audience with the President himself. On his request, she soon finds herself in the icy depth of the Arctic sent to verify a astonishing discovery by NASA. At that time, when NASA’s existence is threatened by Sedwick’s rhetoric condemning its very expensive failure, Rachael finds the discovery too coincidental. But outside experts like Michel Tolland, a world-famous oceanographer, convince Rachel of its authenticity. Just hours before the President announces this information, Rachel and Michel discover a deadly deception. The 557 pages of this novel is not only thrilling, intense and enthralling but also thought-provoking. Brown’s painstaking research is evident in the authentic facts mentioned in the plot. Flawless creation of characters, the visual descriptions and a mild romance amidst the intense plot- it all adds up to a perfectly paced, gripping story. With its slightly stilted style and incredible turn of events, Deception Point falls short of the standard created by The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. None the less, the 5$ paperback edition of the book has wooed readers all over the globe and has remained another best seller. Dan Brown is a master story teller and this novel is a good example of his ability to craft ingenious plots that grips readers with intrigue and awe.

Jack Kerouac and the Beat Generation

Jack Kerouac and the Beat Generation Introduction Jack Kerouac was responsible for spawning the literary movement that became known as the Beat Generation, a movement not only significant to literature, but one which incorporated music and visual art to chart a personal progression. Kerouac â€Å"was the leader of a literary movement and a way of life he thought was a passing fad.† The basic characteristics of â€Å"Beat† are defined in Kerouacs 1957 novel On the Road, a text which was to become a virtual gospel for the Beat Generation. As the author of this commandment, Kerouac became known as the â€Å"King of the Beats.† His reaction to this title is documented in an article printed in Playboy, â€Å"The Origins of the Beat Generation† (â€Å"Journal of Beat Poet Holmes recalls friendship, death of Jack Kerouac†). The term â€Å"beat† has a range of meanings, affording critics of â€Å"Beat† writing a rich array of ambiguities for their textual analyses. As an adjective, it was most famously defined by Allen Ginsberg, a member of Kerouacs close knit group, as â€Å"exhausted, at the bottom of the world, looking up or out, sleepless, wide-eyed, perceptive, rejected by society, on your own, streetwise,† while the word beat was originally used as a musical term by post-World War II musicians in reference to an individual or tune that was exhausted or downbeat. At the time, America herself was â€Å"beat†- the country had emerged from the 1930s disaster of economic depression only to find itself entangled in World War II, and having to deal with threats from the â€Å"reds† and the ominous propositions of McCarthyism. In one striking blow to Kerouac and other Bohemians, a definite link between smoking and lung cancer was confirmed in 1953. Kerouacs audience was a disenchanted, self righteous population, an unguided generation with no clear direction or idea of what they wanted form life and too powerless and world-weary to go out in search of the meaning of their existence. Such readers found refreshment and salvation in Kerouacs self-declared confusion, embodied most apparently in his definitive novel- On the Road. Kerouacs style, like all of the Beat writers, is defined simply and very easy to recognize. The Beat Generation â€Å"saw themselves on a quest for beauty and truth, allying themselves with mysticism. The works themselves were to be streams of consciousness written down spontaneously and not to be altered or edited† Kerouac himself simply stated, â€Å"if you change it†¦ the gig is shot.† Poets and novelists of the Beat Generation labelled Kerouac the embodiment of Beat and hailed him as leader of the movement, the â€Å"King† term is perhaps more carefully chosen than it appears, patriarchally loaded as it is. Other well-known authors of the Beat Generation include Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, William S. Burroughs, and Ken Kesey. 1. Kerouacs â€Å"Spontaneity† and the Beats. While the title implies supreme spontaneity, Kerouac was never quite as deliberately spontaneous as his legend has insisted. His plan was to create a â€Å"giant epic in the tradition of Balzac and Proust†, but he never managed to determine a literary technique capable of welding the separate books of his Duluoz chronology into a coherent whole, â€Å"even if he tried†. Ann Charters is the voice behind much of the critical discussion of Kerouacs overwhelming legend-making aspiration, â€Å"He couldnt come up with any literary technique to help him fit all the volumes of the Duluoz Legend into one continuous tale. All he could think of was to change the names in the various books back to their original forms, hoping that this single stroke would give sufficient unity to the disparate books, magically making them fit more smoothly into their larger context as the Duluoz (Kerouac the Louse) Legend†¦[H]e wanted the books reissued in a uniform edition to make the larger design unmistakeable.† To claim that each individual novel is insufficient without integration into the larger context of the legend assumes a very conventional definition of legend. Not only is it linear and coherently chronological, it is also bound by the rules of time that govern reality. Of course there is no real reason why this should be so. Kerouacs â€Å"beats† create permanent and timeless impressions, and unending rhythms like Nature herself- the beat will go on if it is not bound by temporality or rationality, but, like a true legend, circulates and permeates the universal consciousness all the time, for all time. A legend can, after all, be many things: an unauthenticated story from ancient times; an allegorical tale of obvious exaggeration or fallacy; simple fame; an explanation accompanying an image or map- and, in music, a composition capable of relating a story- even without words. Charters criticisms fall away rapidly. Kerouacs work easily adheres to each of these versions of the term â€Å"legend†, as if he is unconsciously sensitive to the subtle multiplicity of the word, and feels obliged to fulfil the words promise. His work is carefully designed, indeed, he was preoccupied by the notion of design- the pre-styling of the free-styling- and perhaps not, then, the carefree and careless King of Beats. The assumption of wild abandon seems to arise from misunderstandings of the term â€Å"free prose.† The â€Å"free† to which Kerouac refers does not, in any way, signify a relinquishing of control. It is, however, rather like Wordsworths â€Å"spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling,† which creates an impression of experimentation but really represents a highly contrived artifice to contain the exuberance of â€Å"natural† speech. Associating Kerouacs particular diction with what he has called, â€Å"the unfulfilled linguistic intentions of the British Lake poets,† Tytell asserts that Kerouac sought a diction compatible with the natural and irrepressible flow of any â€Å"uncontrollable involuntary thoughts† that he had to release. While Kerouac clearly hoped that his â€Å"Spontaneous bop prosody† would â€Å"revolutionize American literature†, just as Joyce had revolutionized English prose, â€Å"spontaneous bop† has musical implications far more than literary ones. Kerouac and the other Beat writers listened to music as they worked, and â€Å"bop† surely applies to the jazz which accompanied their writing, more than anything; the music of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonius Monk. In many ways Kerouacs literary technique is structured on a model of Jazz riffs- the impulse for both being to perfect a deliberate style that does not look deliberate, something which systematically generates an impression of spontaneity. Albert Murray has defined a jazz riff as, â€Å"a brief musical phrase that is repeated, sometimes with very subtle variations, over the length of a stanza as a chordal pattern follows its normal progression†¦Riffs always seem spontaneous as if they were improvised in the heat of the performance. So much so that riffing is sometimes seen as synonymous with improvisation†¦not only are riffs as much a part of the same arrangements and orchestrations as the lead melody, but many consist of nothing more than stock phrases, quotations from the same familiar melody, or even clichà ©s that just happen to be popular at the moment.† Such is the technical â€Å"improvisation† of Kerouacs prose. Despite his declared disinterest in music, Kerouacs writing evidences a profound identification of the creation of music with that of literary works. As he states in his Paris Review interview: â€Å"As for my regular English verse, I knocked it off fast†¦ just as a musician has to get out, a jazz musician, his statement within a certain number of bars,† and later likens the writers craft to that of the hornplayer, â€Å"I formulated the theory of breath as measure, in prose and in verse, never mind what Olson, Charles Olson says, I formulated that theory in 1953 at the request of Burroughs and Ginsberg. Then theres the raciness and freedom and humour of jazz.† In Kerouacs own terms, then, the beat follows the phrasing of the jazz model. In his theory of â€Å"breath as measure† he reveals his acute attention to the sentence- elsewhere denounced- and even acknowledges the control of cadence. His contemporary critics occasionally saw musical rhythm in Kerouac: Tallman found a version of sentimental thirties music in â€Å"The Town and the City†, where melody rather than a storyline, controls the work. â€Å"On the Road,† however, demonstrates a departure into bebop, â€Å"Where the sounds become BIFF, BOFF, BLIP, BLEEP, BOP, BEEP, CLINCK, ZOWIE! Sounds break up. And are replaced by other sounds. The journey is NOW. The narrative is a humpty dumpty heap. Such is the condition of NOW.† Its impossible to avoid the philosophical and religious implications of this kind of anti-chronology. Just as music appears endless, repeatable, circular and circuitous, such is the freedom of writing unshackled to narrative. In Kerouacs novel, Big Sur, the message appears to be that since Nature is a part of the self, and to fear it is to fear oneself. The two meanings of Nature become one: â€Å"human nature† is animalistic, and this novel is cautionary to the extent that it shows the dangers of failing to acknowledge this. Kerouacs nature/Nature synthesis represents the essence of his Buddhist sympathies, and this in turn relates to the literary theme of tracing a path. It is hard not to read this author without conflating the mystical with post-modern work on impasses, such as Derridas aporia, and the sense that however far we go we can never escape our selves. It recalls the Buddhist expression, â€Å"Wherever you go, there you are.† â€Å"I am beginning to see a vast Divine Comedy of my own based on Buddha-on a dream I had that people are racing up and the Buddha mountain, is all, and inside the Cave of Reality.† The immediacy of his writing adds to the sense of guru-like mysticism in Kerouacs work: his work spills out like revelations, if not beats, we certainly get the sensation that he is â€Å"King† of something. The work responds to deconstructive literary theory because of its very currency- it has almost completely evaded the conventional segregation and hierarchy of speech and writing. â€Å"My work comprises one vast book like Prousts except that my remembrances are written on the run instead of afterwards in a sick bed.† â€Å"Criticism is forced to be perpetually lagging behind the designs and dictates of the author, whilst the works language is seen as a simple means towards a referential end. Language is thereby devalued to the status of an instrument.† Barthess statement, â€Å"it is only through the function of the author as the possessor of meaning that textual reality is made obeisant to extra textual reality† is almost the antithesis of Kerouac. Kerouacs restoration program also depends on the authors willingness to disappear slightly and conduct meaning, but uniquely, Kerouac demands that the hierarchy of the â€Å"textual and extra-textual† be flattened. Not only this, but that the direction of realist discourse be inverted. As Barthes describes it, â€Å"the author is always supposed to go from signified to signifier, from passion to expression†¦the critic goes in the other direction†¦the master of meaning†¦is a divine attribute†¦from the signified towards the signifier.† Clearly Kerouac does not begin with the apparent and source its cause. He is the archetypal author, travelling from a source within himself a â€Å"passion†- towards a grand confection of layered expressive analogies. This critic is not working as an unseen evangelist of truth-in-nature, but uses nature as a space to unveil meaning, that is, to work from the â€Å"signifier† of the word, to the â€Å"signified† of the writing, like a painter signing his own name on the canvas. In fact, Kerouac is suspended between the conditions of observer and recorder. The recorders self is neither ejected nor declared in his writings, but rather encrypted- both in and as the writing. This partly explains the fascination that encrypted and marginalized author figures hold for Kerouac. His own experience of suspension and estrangement from easy linguistic categorisation, and from the body of conventional society, is unconsciously articulated in all Kerouacs writings. The very potent agency of unconscious in itself is of course another â€Å"natural† tie, binding this writer to the natural world. When, in Big Sur, he talks of the meandering river/path leading into/out of the picture, he is describing the same path into and out of meaning which he himself treads. As a fugitive of consciousness, he travels from work to signifier -in the sense of both meaning, and of the artist, the maker of meaning, and his conclusions merge meaning and its maker into a single signifier. As an author, Kerouac functions as a human conduit to bring external reality to â€Å"textual reality†- and is guided in this venture by the original source, the world outside. All this is reinforced, and microcosmically present, in Kerouacs easy fluctuation into and out of the page, int o and out of the rythm- all of which implies a certain arbitrariness of the page. This is not carelessness, but merely the flip-side of significance. It simply doesnt matter to Kerouac whether a symbol works in one direction or another, the importance is the motion- the action- itself. This is particularly evident in the repeated jazz references in â€Å"On the Road†. The musical analogy for temporal progression is made explicit as Kerouacs fundamental modus operandi. When he describes his unique philosophy of composition, â€Å"blow as deep as you want to blow,† it seems he imagines the writer as a kind of horn-player. He attaches his methodology to a rationale for his bizarre habits of punctuation, â€Å" Method. No periods separating sentence-structures already arbitrarily riddled with false colons and timid usually needless commas- but the vigorous space dash separating rhetorical breathing (as jazz musicians drawing breath between outblown phrases)† The words occurring between dashes resemble linguistic entities unaligned with the conventional subject-verb arrangement of English sentences. These linguistic configurations appear to obey a different notion of time to the â€Å"real† world, with its â€Å"real† language. Traditionally, a sentence fixes time by acting as a frame for the past-present-future sequence. The conventional sentence does not allow the motion, flash, and fluctuation of Kerouacs writing ambition. In this way, the musical analogy enables Kerouac to construct a notion of time outside of the temporal constriction of conventional literature. His work is less poetic, non-linear, and dislocated. A phrase need not refer to the outside world, for it can now begin and end with reference only to its own rhythm- a truly poetic quality, â€Å" measured pauses which are the essentials of our speech-divisions of the sounds we hear-time and how to note it down (William Carlos Williams).† So Kerouacs prose is measured with breath, and timing holds the key to its rendition. As he describes the process, â€Å"Time being of the essence in the purity of speech, sketching language is undisturbed flow from the mind of personal secret idea-wrds, blowing (as per jazz musician) on subject of image† On the Road is an attempt to solve the time/space problems Kerouac is troubled by, but his success is always qualified by what we might term psychoanalytic obstacles. However much he attempts to overrule the order of cause and effect, past and present, this author must remain subject to the government of his own past. His repeated attempts to perfect the form contradict the effort itself, of course- and this is Kerouacs paradox. The more he writes, the more he develops, and the more evident the writers evolution, the more it relates to a chronological dynamic. In the same way that labouring spontaneity foregrounds the labour, and consequently the authors hand, aspiring to defeat timeliness through constructing a series of books over years only betrays his inescapable mortality, tying him inextricably to the outside world in spite of himself. The writing brings to mind the words of art critic, Michael Fried, whose anxiety around the visually present world is everywhere present in his work, â€Å"†¦a means of evoking an experience of journeying corporeally through space as opposed to merely viewing a world present to eyesight but fundamentally out of reach.† It is clear that Kerouacs work is a melancholic writing of history i the most literal sense: his books create chimeras of invisible historical figures, and in so doing evoke their absence- an absence which inevitably feeds his unfalsifiable claims, and, unfortunately for Kerouac, the claims of unfalsifiability made against him. 2. The Beat and the Origin The life of every Beat Writer is characterized by a prolonged psychic crisis that is finally resolved by means of a sudden vision or insight James T. Jones, in his book Jack Kerouacs Dulouz Legend: The Mythic Form of an Autobiographical Fiction, argues forcefully for an Oedipal analysis of Kerouacs work. Grouping the Kerouac texts in the Freudian context, particularly the Oedipus myth, Jones reflects on ways in which Kerouacs depiction of family relationships and by extension, relationships in his personal life and as fictionalized in his prose may be explained through Freud. His look extends to the enduring relationship between Kerouac and his mother, the residual rivalry with his father, sibling rivalry with his older deceased brother Gerard, and eventually a succession of male colleagues. Big Surs alcohol-induced nervous breakdown is perceived as being induced by or symptomatic of his catastrophic attachment to his mother and obsession with the psychic tensions induced by the Oedipal family struggle. As Jones writes, Jack Dulouz , suffering from the effects of chronic alcoholism and sensing an impending nervous breakdown, seeks refuge at the oceanside cabinunfortunately, like the grove of the Eumenides in Oedipus at Colonus, it is full of reminders of both the cause of his misery and the fate that awaits him, The oedipal signifier works in two directions, then, standing outside of time. The â€Å"Origin† supplied by the grove recalls the past and anticipates the future. A visit to the canyon in which the breakdown took place, its rumbling surf and endless brook which babbles with vital noise, and the yawning canyon recall Kerouacs hometown of Lowell. We are reminded of the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, and the bridge across the Merrimack River there. Since Kerouac was introduced to it by his brother Gerard, the site, with its awesome mystical potency, is described with passion. The sounds seem to express, yet barely contain, the power of the place: as the river water cascades over the long weir, traffic roars in the background. All this combined with the anthropomorphically cragged vista of the grotto itself creates a sense of almost unbearably powerful otherness, an origin in nature now frighteningly alien to the human soul. Kerouacs realism in Big Sur may be summarised as the doomed ambition to structure impossible desire. The labour of the carefully constructed â€Å"Beat† pattern is present in the background, as a sort of displaced metaphor for the mental and physical effort of writing. Thus Kerouacs â€Å"Beat† takes the anti-mimetic definition of realism one step further- since writing does not have to relate to what it depicts, it will resist immediacy, but relate in specific and indirect ways to the authors private life. In many ways, Kerouacs enterprise resembles that of a visual artist at least as much as an aural or literary construction. Courbets paintings, for example, operate in a very similar way to Kerouacs works. They share this meta-symbolism, with particular interest in representing origins as water, or indeed as female genitalia- and also aspire to an impossible merging with lost roots. In Courbets art the impossible merger is one of body and work; for Kerouac it is the a rtifice of language and the unruly inevitability of the natural- taking him as close as anything ever can to his father. An erotics of the word and image is then inevitable, and Kerouac finds one fully-formulated and ready to use, in Freudian psychoanalysis. While studies on Courbet resituate sexual difference within the (male) painter-beholder, rather than between him and his representations, Jack Kerouac does something subtly different. Through its emphasis on the writing/experiencing incommensurability, Kerouac resituates sexual difference within the (male) writer/reader rather than between the artist and their work. The authorial voice is only ostensibly the source of psychoanalytic narrative- in fact the same narrative can be sourced through theoretical channels (backwards â€Å"into the page†) to the writer, and, if we believe him, to the reader too. â€Å" It grew exceedingly hot and strange†¦We were going though swamps and alongside the road at ragged intervals strange Mexicans in tattered rags walked along with machetes hanging from their rope belts, and some of them cut at the bushes. They all stopped to watch us without expression. Through the tangled bush we occasionally saw thatched huts with African-like bamboo walls, just stick huts. Strange young girls, dark as the moon, stared from mysterious verdant doorways,† Psychoanalysis corroborates Kerouacs general preoccupation with the fantasy of origination, in the case of Big Sur, the origination as personified in the figure of the father. In this imagery from On the Road, the dark girls are linked to the moon, loaded words like â€Å"thatch† and â€Å"bush† are always used alongside â€Å"machetes† and eery expressionlessness. Reading Kerouac like a goya painting or a poem, we can easily recognise the guilty violence involved. Kerouacs unedited unconsciousness reveals his sense of alienation, as the girls who are so strange are like the moon- nature is female- irresistible, unfathomable, untouchable. The horizontal â€Å"thatch† or â€Å"low bush† of the women is disrupted by the weapons and interference of the vertical agent of the male machetes. The interference in the body of water is the same- or at least, linguistically symmetrical- to the interference on reality that the act of writing always engenders. I f female bodies and contrived spontaneity are references to the origin and the unconscious ambition to merge with the origin; then any discreet writing surface is fetishised as an oedipal object of impossible desire, always disrupted, interfered with and disfigured by the very desire that defines it. Kerouacs Freudian desire to merge with the source must disturb the way he perceives himself. In fact, it illustrates and literally reflects the way in which we, as readers, percieve ourselves in so far as we are reflections of our origins- how it is only through disturbance that we can become aware of the source. If any reflection were perfect, with no material interference, we would have no way of knowing that it was a reflection. Kerouacs tireless autobiography project is not only a non-narcissistic event, but an entirely natural one. In Hegels Aesthetics such self-portraiture is established as a primal impulse of self-identification. According to Hegel, for man to become self-conscious he must first â€Å"represent himself to himself†, and second, â€Å"man brings himself before himself by practical activity†¦this aim he achieves by altering external things whereon he impresses the seal of his inner being and in which he now finds again his own characteristics. Man does this†¦to strip the external world of its inflexible foreignness and to enjoy the shape of things only an external realization of himself.† Hegel goes on to describe a childs impulse to throw stones into a river: there is no reflection involved, none of the self-annihilating narcissism of â€Å"passive desiring seeing†, but a declared primacy of action over seeing. Kerouac is invoked by Hegels wording, â€Å"the continuity between ordinary action and the action of producing works of art is already implied by the image of the drawing of circles in the surface of the water.† These circles are inscriptions of objects on flat planes that require a certain maturity of consciousness to interpret as the effects of a (manual) cause. Here, Kerouacs dormant reference to, and defence of, his own ideal situation as a realist author is very evident. In a later paragraph from Fried the message that the self is best quietly discovered through displaced descriptive action is completely inescapable, â€Å" the effacement of the very conditions of resemblance (the breaking of the mirror-surface of the river) also means that the boys relation to the spreading circles in the water might be described in Flaubertian language as present everywhere but visible nowhere.† A sentiment repeated in Kerouacs poetry, which â€Å"breaks† the reflective power of water by introducing the contrasting element of heat and dryness, â€Å"Describe fires in riverbottom sand, and the cooking; the cooking of hot dogs spitted in whittled sticks over flames of woodfire with grease dropping in smoke to brown and blacken the salty hotdogs, and the wine, and the work on the railroad.† The desire to identify with the origin, whether through disturbing the water, impersonating the father, or labouring to represent oneself to oneself, may always end in action, but it is only ever the action of wrenching open the facture of desire. The impulse to create will always be driven by a lack, and Kerouac is most conventionally â€Å"Realist† when he recognises this. Kerouac, after all, is aiming to reorganise an imbalance of power, and to characterise a sense of the monadic â€Å"other†. Philosophically, Kerouacs work is incredibly resistant to the Other, to the point that he scarcely needs the anterior of an audience. In spite of his evident veneration of the â€Å"Natural†, the world beyond that of writing/reading is so unbearable that Fried has trouble imagining it, levelling the differences between interiors and exteriors and converting all mimetic imagery into narratives of action or narratives of material: surfaces to be read. To the extent that it is a self-sufficient sign-system (and I am arguing it is far more than this) Kerouacs work evacuates the reader and effectively â€Å"reads itself†. It fits Derridas conception of autobiography, â€Å"My written communication must†¦remain legible despite the absolute disappearance of every determined addressee†¦for it to function as writing†¦to be legible. It must be repeatable, iterable, in the absolute absence of the addressee† Again, this supported by the assertions of one anonymous online Kerouac archivist, â€Å"Almost everything he wrote was autobiographical. Like Thomas Wolfe, he saw writing as identical with introspection. The word fiction does not really describe his work. It was more like self-directed psychoanalysis, except that his outlook was more religous and tragic than psychological. His books are crowded with his friends, lightly disguised behind new names. Allen Ginsberg, for instance, appears variously as Carlo Marx, Adam Moorad, Irwin Garden, Leon Levinsky and Alvah Goldbrook. Late in his life, Kerouac even considered publishing a unified edition of all his works, with all the characters representing himself appearing under a single name, Jack Duluoz (French for Jack the Louse).† This homogenising impulse, the need to resist difference and integrate everything, drives the rhetorical case which Kerouac makes in an attempt to show that outdoor scenes are actually the same as indoor ones. It is affected spontaneity of language which Fried cites as the connection between the inner and the outer. Indoor and outdoor scenes are treated as having the same character and affect, to the extent that they have a rhythm and no inherent narrative. Kerouacs holistic ambition repeats itself on every level- here the very scene of representation is moulded by the realist theory. The internal and external scenes, like the internal and external levels of a psyche, become one, as they are united in common, necessary pain, of the disfiguring theoretical intervention. Applying psychoanalysis to Kerouac, this does look like an attempt at integrating the repressed inner and outer of the psyche, where the first might be characterised as darkness, depth, recession, primordial instinct, and the past, and the second as light, shallowness, presence, and surface agency. Farewell Sur- Didja ever tell him about water meeting water-? O go back to otter- Term-Term-Klerm Kerm-Kurn-Cow-Kow- Cash-Cach-Cluck- Clock-Gomeat sea need be deep I see you Enoch soon anarf in Old Britanny Say yes. Say yes to the sea. Say yes to chaos. Say yes to eternity. Say yes and let it all go. Go, go to the sea. To the waiting open arms of the sea. You and me you and me the sea. Yes. Let us be. There is light.† Reflections are also the assertion of the horizontal. In spite of the violence metaphorically wrought, and acknowledged by his writing, Kerouacs work is concerned with empowering the natural within the man. The vigorous negation of comfortable feminine origination in his poetry refuses to allow the implied horizontality of the original sheet of paper to be wholly superseded, and in effect suppressed, by the verticality of the outside world. Psychoanalysis works through poetry subliminally, appealing to the subconscious by encoding itself in visual puns like reflections. 3. Missed Beats – Misunderstandings and misnomers It has been claimed that, for at least one definition of the word, Kerouac was not a â€Å"Beat† at all. Mayer writes, â€Å"A â€Å"keen observer rather than a confident insider,† Kerouac never really was a member of the Beats though he was among them from the beginning and as a chronicler cast their emergence into prose. When Daniel Belgrad remarks that Kerouac â€Å"would attend parties only to sit silently in a corner, listening intently to the multiple conversations and noting them down in his memory,† he is in line with a comment by Ginsberg, â€Å"I guess [Kerouac] felt more like a private solitary Melvillean minnesinger or something.† â€Å"Subterranean Kerouac†, a biography by Ellis Amburn, develops the oedipal theme in his work, referring notably to his â€Å"dream-fear of homosexuality.† Claiming that Kerouac became a â€Å"homophobic homoerotic† by the early nineteen forties, Amburn insists that in the fifties, while an increasing misogyny came to pervade writings like Some of the Dharma, â€Å"his homophobia was increasing in direct proportion to his homoerotic activity. , † a development which might have been facilitated at least partially by Kerouacs worsening dependency on alcohol. Kerouac is known as the king or the speaker of the beat generation and his writings are probably the most widely read works for anyone studding the beat culture, but there is real evidence that he resisted the title of â€Å"King†, particularly the patriarchal overtones. Even in 1952, John Clellon Holmess book â€Å"Go† presents Kerouac as Gene Pasternak, railing against â€Å"all that free-love stuff, that liberal bohemianism, between friends.† Kerouacs 1958 novel â€Å"The Subterraneans† features a narrator whose sexual hang-ups are barely known to him. Ben Giamo has termed the narrators stance in the novel as â€Å"a curious form of approach/avoidance.† The authors avatar in â€Å"The Subterraneans†, is French Canadian. His name is â€Å"Leo Percepied† and it has been appropriated for psychoanalysis. Kurt Mayer claims that as his first name is that of Kerouacs father, and his last, literally translates asâ€Å"pierced foot,† the characters name is an obvious Oedipal reference. The characters destiny echoes Jacks, as he abandons pretentions to being middle class, and ultimately returns to his mothers house. Jack, of course, always returned to â€Å"Memà ©re†- Gabrielle Kerouac, what Mayer refers to as the â€Å"only consistent relati

The Relationship Between Personal Values and Success Essay -- Ethics

Personal values and ethics govern personal success and have an impact on career success. Everyone has their own set of values and ethics that have been taught throughout life. Personal values and ethics are learned behaviors, hence, some are easy to understand and apply, some can be acquired, and each compliments the other. Values and ethics can carry consequences. Therefore, if one applies the practices, they can succeed. If one ignores or violates the practices, one will find themselves in the position of self loathing, stress, or in a bad situation. These values and ethics carry over into our professional lives as we go into our careers. Value is a term that expresses the concept of worth in general, according to Wordiq (2010) and it is thought to be connected to reasons for certain practices, policies or actions. According to (Lopper, 2008) value is, a principle, or quality intrinsically valuable or desirable. (Lopper, 2007) explained the following: Values are personal; a set of values is what's important to that individual. Values are so important that a person just doesn't feel right when what they are doing is in conflict with a value. Values conflicts can generate high levels of personal stress. There is no right or wrong set of personal values, though there are cultural norms embracing certain values as correct. Your personal code of values are what's important to you; not something you want or would like to have, but something you literally need in your life to be true to yourself. A value is a principle or quality intrinsically valuable or desirable to you. Values are personal. They are your convictions, your beliefs, and your ethics rolled into one. According to (Yourdictionary, 2010) ethics is: 1. the study of... ...he death of Edsel, his oldest son Henry Ford II became the president of the company. It took Ford II and the team of executives he had gathered two years to turn the company around. Ford II, being concerned about his position within the company began pitting the executives against each other, no doubt a learned behavior from his grandfather. His behaviors, professional values and ethics hindered the company from becoming the number one car company, again. Because of his own desire for job security, he would manipulate a way to rid the company of strong leaders in an attempt to retain his position at the expense of the company. Finally, there are many barriers to being successful and many degrees of success. Positive values and sound ethics build trust and exemplify competence of character. If you character is strong, the possibilities for success are endless.

Quasars and Active Galaxies Essay -- Essays Papers

Quasars and Active Galaxies The astronomical world is full of phenomena beyond the average person’s imagination. The technical tools and analytical methods astronomers use are very complex. The enormous numbers and distances are mind boggling. Theories behind astronomical phenomena are based on yet another theory. In order to understand the concept of quasars and active galaxies, one must first have a feel for the astronomical numbers involved. Secondly, a basic knowledge of the tools of the trade, and finally, a working knowledge of astronomical jargon. Once there is a working knowledge of the aforementioned factors, then there is the chance that one could be able to assimilate the complex theoretical properties that are used to discuss quasars and active galaxies. In order to understand the large numbers used to express the vast distances discussed in astronomy, one needs to relate these numbers to everyday life. During everyday conversation, people may say things like â€Å"the national debt is trillions of dollars,† â€Å"the lottery is up to 31 million dollars,† or â€Å"John Doe is a billionaire.† An astronomer might say that â€Å"one astronomical unit equals 93,000,000 miles or that a light-year is 5,870,000,000,000,000 miles.† The human comprehension level of all of these terms is probably nowhere near the actual truth behind how large these numbers really are. To obtain a feel for these gigantic distances used by astronomers, Astronomy Magazine writer, John P. Wiley says it may be helpful to keep in mind that it takes thirty-one years to count to one billion at the rate of one number per second. He also puts a voyage to a galaxy that is a billion light-years away into perspective by calculating how long it would take to get there in a vessel speeding along at 18,000 miles an hour. The trip would take 37 trillion years. When discussing galaxies and quasars, billions are the smallest numbers used (56,57). The theory of how quasars are created is based on the idea that the universe is expanding. Among astronomers, the popular consensus is that the Earth is in an expanding universe in which the laws of physics will hold true beyond this planet as well. G. Mark Voit, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute, believes that the beginning of the universe was a time when many galaxies would be visible to the naked eye b... ... telescopes like Hubble, and the Very Long Baseline Interferometry Space Observatory (VSOP), have also proven useful analytical tools for astronomers. Black holes and quasars are interdependent theories. The explanation of black holes leads to an explanation for quasars. These phenomena lead astronomers to believe that there may be places in the universe where the laws of physics may break down, opening doors to new theories for future astronomers (Hawkings). Works Cited Bartusiak, Marcia. â€Å"Outsmarting the Early Universe.† Astronomy 26.10 (1998): 55-59. Chaisson, Eric., and Steve McMillan. Astronomy Today. 3rd ed. Toronto: Prentice-Hall, 1999. Disney, Michael. â€Å"A New Look at Quasars.† Scientific American 278.6 (1998): 52-57. Hawking, Stephen. â€Å"Universe.† PBS Home Video. BBC-TV, 1997. Olsen, Steve. â€Å"Black Hole Hunters.† Astronomy 27.5 (1999): 48-55. Peterson, Ivars. â€Å"The Birth of Twin Quasars.† Science News 137.4 (1990): 60. Voit, G. Mark. â€Å"The Rise and Fall of Quasars: Dormant Monsters May Lie Sleeping in Nearby Galaxies.† Sky & Telescope 97.5 (1999): 40-46. Wiley, John P. Jr. â€Å"A Googolplex of Galaxies.† Astronomy 27.5 (1999): 56-57.