Friday, December 27, 2019

Rabbit, Run - 2162 Words

Rabbit, Run Rabbit, Run was published in 1960 by American author John Updike. He wrote three more Rabbit novels, one at the end of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. He says these novels became â€Å"a running report on the state of my hero and his nation.† He won the Pulitzer Prize for the â€Å"final† two books. series continued after Rabbit’s death in Updike’s 2001 novella, Rabbit Remembered. In 2006, The Rabbit series was voted number four on The New York Times list of â€Å"the best work of American fiction of the past 25 years.† Rabbit, Run was also selected by Time magazine as one of the top 100 books from 1923-2005. And the novel is also listed by the American Library Association as one of the 100 most frequently banned books in the 20th century.†¦show more content†¦Alcohol is mostly presented as a destructive force; whenever the characters get near it, disaster on small or large-scale results. Cigarettes too are presented as mostly destructive, contribu ting subtly and not so subtly to the smokers’ problems. Though at one moment a cigarette is seen as a wafer of repentance. So go steal the keys to the liquor cabinet and – oh, you know Shmoop’s just kidding! Rabbit, Run Theme of Guilt and Blame Rabbit, Run is a guilt and blame-fest. This starts at the beginning of the novel when the main character, Harry Rabbit Angstrom, runs away from his pregnant wife and his son. But when newborn Rebecca June Angstrom drowns in a bathtub, things get messy. Rabbit’s wife Janice admits she drowned the baby while drunk. Yet Rabbit is a prime suspect, especially to himself. He is a suspect precisely because he was not there when the baby died. All of the other characters in the novel are suspects too – everybody simultaneously feels guilty and wants to blame others. Even the novel’s setting, America of 1959, is a suspect. Rabbit, Run Theme of Transience Rabbit, Run’s main character Harry Rabbit Angstrom is in a perpetual state of transience. He’s always on the move, usually on foot, though he’s occasionally found in a motor vehicle. He only stops to sleep and mate, and occasionally, to grab a bite to eat. Why does he run so hard? Because he thinks somethingShow MoreRelated The Game of Life in Rabbit, Run Essay2407 Words   |  10 PagesThe Game of Life in Rabbit, Run      Ã‚  Ã‚   Perhaps all our lives are simply a game, a game to which society sets the rules and to which we adapt.   In John Updikes novel, Rabbit, Run, the protagonist, Harry Rabbit Angstrom lives his life by the rules of the game of basketball.   Rabbit is a man who has, until the beginning of the book, played by societys rules.   But Rabbits ambivalence is different from that of those around him; he has trouble communicating, and as a result he is often misunderstoodRead MoreRabbit, Run by John Updike1347 Words   |  5 PagesRabbit, Run by John Updike is a novel about a young man named Harry â€Å"Rabbit† Angstrom who leaves his pregnant wife and young child and begins a journey to find happiness and freedom. He gets involved with a prostitute and stays with her until his wife has their baby girl. While he is away from his wife he is counseled by Reverend Eccles who tries to help Rabbit’s situation, although it does not do much good. After the new baby is born Rabbit leaves his wife again to go back with Ruth, the womanRead MoreRabbit Run by John Updike Essay1188 Words   |  5 PagesRabbit Run by John Updike The world of John Updikes Rabbit, Run is a collection of polarities that dramatizes the in-betweeness and the constant state of tension that characterizes humanity. A cursory perusal of John Updikes Rabbit, Run reveals a world of hopeless futility in which Harry Angstrom runs in ever-tightening circles. Rabbit is always running, from one woman to another, between Brewer and Mt. Judge, between solitude and society. Rabbit is torn because he has faith in something meaningfulRead More A Feminist Reading of Updikes Rabbit, Run Essay2344 Words   |  10 PagesA Feminist Reading of Rabbit, Run  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   I do not like Harry Rabbit Angstrom. This creation of John Updike, this man who abandons his pregnant wife and young child, and his alliance to the late 1950s feeling of unrest and rebellion makes me angry. Many times throughout this novel my cheeks flushed furiously and I could not contain my exasperated sighs. When I read the last sentences of Rabbit, Run and closed the book, I was disappointed. It was not because Updike fails to make it clearRead More Search for Freedom in John Updikes Of the Farm and Rabbit, Run2514 Words   |  11 PagesFarm and Rabbit, Run John Updike is often celebrated for his novels that depict men struggling against responsibility or enduring personal endeavors. These characters represent a family of weak individuals facing serious emotional turmoil. They are indecisive and self-indulgent, juggling their problems with their personal duties. Two excellent examples are Joey Robinson, a thirty-five-year-old advertising consultant in Of the Farm, and Harry Rabbit Angstrom, a gadget salesman in Rabbit, RunRead MoreLiterary Review of Rabbit Run by John Updike Essays3013 Words   |  13 PagesLiterary Review of Rabbit Run by John Updike John Updikes novel, Rabbit, Run, is about a man named Harry â€Å"Rabbit† Angstrom. Rabbit is a brainless guy whose career as a high school basketball star peaked at age 18. In his wifes view, he was, before their early, hasty marriage, already drifting downhill. We meet him for the first time in this novel, when he is 22, and a salesman in the local department store. Married to the second best sweetheart of his high school years, he is the fatherRead MoreEssay on Updikes Rabbit762 Words   |  4 PagesUpdikes Rabbit As the gap between homo sapiens and their uncivilized ancestors widens, reproduction looses its value as the most important means to continuing the species. For humanity to progress in an increasingly modern and complex world, men must be required to think of themselves in broader terms. Rabbit Angstrom cannot understand that he could find meaning in life if he devalued the importance he places on sex. He is unable to accept the realities of life in twentieth century AmericaRead MorePostmodernism in White Noise by Don Delillo and Rabbit, Run by John Updike2560 Words   |  11 PagesThesis statement: The constant change in the world, as evidenced by consumerism in the books Rabbit, Run by John Updike and White Noise by Don DeLillo, gives a false sense of security to the protagonists of the two books thereby blurring the reality they are in and destroying them in the end. *** Don deLillo’s White Noise: Postmodern elements Most postmodern books have been published after World War II. First published in 1984, White Noise by Don deLillo explores the emergence of technologyRead MoreRabbit and Wolves Lab Essay1053 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Rabbits and wolves† Introduction The computer simulation named â€Å"Rabbits and wolves† is about models and simple systems. In the simulation, there are three main organisms, rabbits, wolves and grass all put together in a forest ecosystem. An ecosystem is a set of organism within a defined area or volume that interact with one another and with their environment (Miller amp; Spoolman). A system is a collection of elements or components that are organized for a common purpose (Rouse, 2005). Read MoreEssay about Hazel: An Unassuming Leader1611 Words   |  7 PagesClaudius from the play Hamlet (Shakespeare). However, this was not the case with Hazel the rabbit. He lived in an environment that probably was intended to be a portrayal of human society. In the novel Watership Down, the peaceful life of a rabbit warren was suddenly disturbed by the horrifying dream that a lowly rabbit Fiver had. Hazel was worried by it and took action by contacting the warren’s chief rabbit, Threarah. He went to the autho rities first to solve the problem. That was not the attitude

Thursday, December 19, 2019

The Invisible, By Arloa Sutter - 979 Words

Arloa Sutter’s book, The Invisible (Sutter, A. (2010). The Invisible. Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House). This book is about how as Christians it is our job to go and help the poor. Sutter tells about her own personal journey of how she go to where she is now. She tells tales of some of the people who have been in the homeless shelter. These stories are touching and at times, really emotional. Sutter calls us to go and help the homeless. She gives us tips on getting closer to God and listening to his voice. She calls us to be more like Jesus, Sutter uses a lot of scripture to back up her points in how we can be like Him. Most of Arloa Sutter’s book, The Invisible, centers on how Christ calls us to help the poor and weary. I agree with her opinions on how we are called to help the poor and weary. However, I do think that this is only some peoples calling. I do think that helping serve the poor and work with the homeless is something that we should do as Christians. However, because she is from Chicago she seems to focus on the fact that most people are black. I think that whites have just as much chance as being homeless as blacks. Just because most people in Chicago who are homeless happen to be black does not mean that is how it is in the rest of the country. In my experience in Grand Rapids there are about the same amount, maybe even more whites than black. One part of the book that I really like is when Sutter is talking about scripture. She

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Study on Steps to Christ free essay sample

He took man’s nature, that He might reach man’s wants. The poorest and humblest were not afraid to approach Him. Such is the character of Christ as revealed in His life. This is the character of God. It was to redeem us that Jesus lived and suffered and died. He became a Man of Sorrows, that we might be made partakers of everlasting joy. But this great sacrifice was not made in order to create in the Father’s heart a love for man, not make Him willing to save. No, no! God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son. John 3:16. The Father loves us, not because of the great propitiation, but He provided the propitiation because He loves us. None but the Son of God could accomplish our redemption. What a value this places upon man! Through transgression the sons of man become subjects of Satan. We will write a custom essay sample on Study on Steps to Christ or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ the sons of Adam may become the sons of God. The matchless love of God for a world that did not love Him! The thought has a subduing power upon the soul and brings the mind into captivity to the will of God. Man was originally endowed with noble powers and a well-balanced mind. He was perfect in his being, and in harmony with God. His thoughts were pure, his aims holy. But through disobedience, his powers were perverted, and selfishness took the place of love. His nature became so weakened through transgression that it was impossible for him, in his own strength, to resist the power of evil. It is impossible for us, of ourselves, to escape from the pit of sin in which we are sunken. Our hearts are evil, and we cannot change them. There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness. To all, there is but one answer, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Let us avail ourselves of the means provided for us that we may be transformed into His likeness, and be restored to fellowship with the ministering angels, to harmony and communion with the Father and the Son. How shall a man be just with God? How shall the sinner be made righteous? It is only through Christ that we can be brought into harmony with God, with holiness; but how are we to come to Christ? Repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life. But when the heart yields to the influence of the Spirit of God, the conscience will be quickened, and the sinner will discern something of the depth and sacredness of God’s holy law, the foundation of His government in heaven and on earth. Conviction takes hold upon the mind and heart. The prayer of David, after his fall, illustrates the nature of true sorrow for sin. His repentance was sincere and deep. There was no effort to palliate his guilt; no desire to escape the judgment threatened, inspired his prayer. David saw the enormity of his transgression; he saw the defilement of his soul; he loathed his sin. It was not for pardon only that he prayed, but for purity of heart. He longed for the joy of holiness, to be restored to harmony and communion with God. A repentance such as this, is beyond the reach of our own power to accomplish; it is obtained only from Christ. Christ is ready to set us free from sin, but He does not force the will. If we refuse, what more can He do? Study God’s Word prayerfully. As you see the enormity of sin, as you see yourself as you really are, do not give up in despair. It was sinners that Christ came to save. When Satan comes to tell you that you are a great sinner, look to your Redeemer and talk of His merits. Acknowledge your sin, but tell the enemy that Christ came into the world to save sinners and that you may be saved (1 Tim. 1:15). He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Proverbs 28:13. The conditions of obtaining mercy of God are simple and just and reasonable. Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive them, and your faults to one another. Those who have not humbled their souls before God in acknowledging their guilt, have not yet fulfilled the first step of acceptance. We must be willing to humble our hearts and comply with the conditions of the Word of truth. The confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul finds its way to the God of infinite pity. True confession is always of a specific character, and acknowledges particular sins. All confession should be definite and to the point. It is written, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). God’s promise is, Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13. The whole heart must be yielded, or the change can never be wrought in us by which we are to be restored to His likeness. The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought. The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, requires a struggle; but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in holiness. In giving ourselves to God, we must necessarily give up all that would separate us from Him. There are those who profess to serve God, while they rely upon their own efforts to obey His law, to form a right character, and secure salvation. Their hearts are not moved by any deep sense of the love of Christ, but they seek to perform the duties of the Christian life as that which God requires of them in order to gain heaven. Such religion is worthless. When Christ dwells in the heart, the soul will be so filled with His love, with the joy of communion with Him, that it will cleave to Him; and in the contemplation of Him, self will be forgotten. Love to Christ will be the spring of action. Such do not ask for the lowest standard, but aim at perfect conformity to the will of their Redeemer. Do you feel that it is too great a sacrifice to yield all to Christ? Ask yourself the question, What has Christ given for me? The Son of God gave all—life and love and suffering—for our redemption. And can it be that we, the unworthy objects of so great love, will withhold our hearts from Him? What do we give up, when we give all? A sin-polluted heart, for Jesus to purify, to cleanse by His own blood, and to save by His matchless love. And yet men think it hard to give up all! God does not require us to give up anything that it is for our best interest to retain. In all that He does, He has the well-being of His children in view. Many are inquiring, How am I to make the surrender of myself to God? You desire to give yourself to Him, but you are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you; but you need not despair. What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him. Desires for goodness and holiness are right as far as they go; but if you stop here, they will avail nothing. Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians. They do not come to the point of yielding the will to God. They do not now choose to be Christians. Through the right exercise of the will, an entire change may be made in your life. You will have strength from above to hold you steadfast, and thus through constant surrender to God you will be enabled to live the new life, even the life of faith. As your conscience has been quickened by the Holy Spirit, you have seen something of the evil of sin, of its power, its guilt, its woe; and you look upon it with abhorrence. It is peace that you need. You have confessed your sins, and in heart put them away. You have resolved to give yourself to God. Now go to Him, and ask that He will wash away your sins and give you a new heart. Then believe that He does this because He has promised. The gift which God promises us, we must believe we do receive, and it is ours. You are a sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. You confess your sins and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His Word to you. If you believe the promise,—God supplies the fact. Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say, I believe it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God promised. —Summary of all the key points in Steps to Christ, pp. 9-51, in the author’s own words. Part Two – How Can I Remain True to God? Jesus says, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them (Mark 11:24). There is a condition to this promise—that we pray according to the will of God. But it is the will of God to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life. So we may ask for these blessings, and believe that we receive them, and thank God that we have received them. Henceforth you are not your own; you are bought with a price. Through this simple act of believing God, the Holy Spirit has begotten a new life in your heart. You are a child born into the family of God, and He loves you as He loves His Son. Now that you have given yourself to Jesus, do not draw back, do not take yourself away from Him, but day by day say, I am Christ’s; I have given myself to Him; and ask Him to give you His Spirit and keep you by His grace. As it is by giving yourself to God, and believing Him, that you become His child, so you are to live in Him. Here is where thousands fail; they do not believe that Jesus pardons them personally, individually. They do not take God at His Word. It is the privilege of all who comply with the conditions to know for themselves that pardon is freely extended for every sin. Put away the suspicion that God’s promises are not meant for you. They are for every repentant transgressor. Look up, you that are doubting and trembling; for Jesus lives to make intercession for us. Thank God for the gift of His dear Son. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17. A person may not be able to tell the exact time or place, or trace all the chain of circumstances in the process of conversion; but this does not prove him to be unconverted. A change will be seen in the character, the habits, the pursuits. The contrast will be clear and decided between what they have been and what they have become. Who has the heart? With whom are our thoughts? Of whom do we love to converse? Who has our warmest affections and our best energies? If we are Christ’s, our thoughts are with Him. There is no evidence of genuine repentance unless it works reformation. The loveliness of the character of Christ will be seen in His followers. It was His delight to do the will of God. There are two errors against which the children of God especially need to guard: The first is that of looking to their own works, trusting to anything they can do, to bring themselves into harmony with God. All that man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness and sin. It is the grace of Christ alone, through faith, which can make us holy. The opposite and no less dangerous error is that belief in Christ releases men from keeping the law of God; that since by faith alone we become partakers of the grace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our redemption. Obedience is the fruit of faith. Righteousness is defined by the standard of God’s holy law, as expressed in the ten commandments (Exo. 20:3-20). That so-called faith in Christ, which professes to release men from the obligation of obedience to God, is not faith, but presumption. The condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been,—just what it was in paradise before the fall of our first parents,—perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness. If eternal life were granted on any condition short of this, then the happiness of the whole universe would be imperiled. The way would be open for sin, with all its train of woe and misery, to be immortalized. Christ changes the heart. He abides in your heart by faith. You are to maintain this connection with Christ by faith and the continual surrender of your will to Him; and so long as you do this, He will work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes; for your vision will be clearer. This is evidence that Satan’s delusions are losing their power. No deep-seated love for Jesus can dwell in the heart that does not realize its own sinfulness. The soul that is transformed by the grace of Christ will admire His character. A view of our sinfulness drives us to Him who can pardon; and when the soul, realizing its helplessness, reaches out after Christ, He will reveal Himself in power. The more our sense of need drives us to Him and to the Word of God, the more exalted views we shall have of His character, and the more fully we shall reflect His image. The change of heart by which we become children of God is in the Bible spoken of as birth. Again it is compared to the germination of the good seed sown by the husbandman. It is God who brings the bud to bloom and the flower to fruit. It is by His power that the seed develops. As the flower turns to the sun, that the bright beams may aid in perfecting its beauty and symmetry, so should we turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven’s light may shine upon us, that our character may be developed into the likeness of Christ. Do you ask, How am I to abide in Christ? In the same way as you received Him at first. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. Colossians 2:6. By faith you became Christ’s, and by faith you are to grow up in Him—by giving and taking. You are to give all,—your heart, your will, your service,—give yourself to Him to obey all His requirements; and you must take all—Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting helper—to give you power to obey. Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee. This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ. A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. When the mind dwells upon self, it is turned away from Christ, the source of strength and life. Hence, it is Satan’s constant effort to keep the attention diverted from the Saviour and thus prevent the union and communion of the soul with Christ. When Christ took human nature upon Him, He bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself. Satan will constantly present allurements to induce us to break this tie—to choose to separate ourselves from Christ. But let us keep our eyes fixed upon Christ, and He will preserve us. Looking unto Jesus, we are safe. Nothing can pluck us out of His hand. All that Christ was to the disciples, He desires to be to His children today. Jesus prayed for us, and He asked that we might be one with Him, even as He is one with the Father. What a union is this! Thus, loving Him and abiding in Him, we shall grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ (Ephesians 4:15). God is the source of life and light and joy to the universe. Wherever the life of God is in the hearts of men, it will flow out to others in love and blessing. Our Saviour’s joy was in the uplifting and redemption of fallen men. For this He counted not His life dear to Himself, but endured the cross, despising the shame. When the love of Christ is enshrined in the heart, like sweet fragrance it cannot be hidden. Love to Jesus will be manifested in a desire to work as He worked for the blessing and uplifting of humanity. It will lead to love, tenderness, and sympathy toward all the creatures of our heavenly Father’s care. Those who are the partakers of the grace of Christ will be ready to make any sacrifice, that others for whom He died may share the heavenly gift. They will do all they can to make the world better for their stay in it. This spirit is the sure outgrowth of a soul truly converted. No sooner does one come to Christ than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus. If we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, we shall have something to tell. We shall seek to present to others the attractions of Christ and the unseen realities of the world to come. There will be an intensity of desire to follow in the path that Jesus trod. And the effort to bless others will react in blessings upon ourselves. Those who thus become participants in labors of love are brought nearest to their Creator. The spirit of unselfish labor for others gives depth, stability, and Christlike loveliness to the character, and brings peace and happiness to its possessor. Strength comes by exercise. We need not go to heathen lands, or even leave the narrow circle of the home, if it is there that our duty lies, in order to work for Christ. With a loving spirit we may perform life’s humblest duties unto the Lord (Col. 3:23). If the love of God is in the heart, it will be manifested in the life. You are not to wait for great occasions or to expect extraordinary abilities before you go to work for God. The humblest and poorest of the disciples of Jesus can be a blessing to others. Many are the ways in which God is seeking to make Himself known to us and bring us into communion with Him. If we will but listen, Nature speaks to our senses without ceasing. God’s created works will teach us precious lessons of obedience and trust. No tears are shed that God does not notice. There is no smile that He does not mark. If we would but fully believe this, all undue anxieties would be dismissed. Our lives would not be so filled with disappointment as now; for everything, whether great or small, would be left in the hands of God. God speaks to us through His providential works and through the influence of His Spirit upon the heart. God speaks to us in His Word. Here we have in clearer lines the revelation of His character, of His dealings with men, and the great work of redemption. Fill the whole heart with the words of God. They are the living water, quenching your burning thirst. They are the living bread from heaven. The theme of redemption is one that the angels desire to look into; it will be the science and the song of the redeemed throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. Is it not worthy of careful thought and study now? As we meditate upon the Saviour, there will be a hungering and thirsting of soul to become like Him whom we adore. The Bible was written for the common people. The great truths necessary for salvation are made as clear as noonday. There is nothing more calculated to strengthen the intellect than the study of the Scriptures. But there is little benefit derived from a hasty reading of the Bible. One passage studied, until its significance is clear to the mind and its relation to the plan of salvation is evident, is of more value than the perusal of many chapters with no definite purpose in view and no positive instruction gained. Keep your Bible with you. As you have opportunity, read it; fix the texts in your memory. We cannot obtain wisdom without earnest attention and prayerful study. Never should the Bible be studied without prayer. Before opening its pages, we should ask for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, and it will be given. Angels from the world of light will be with those who in humility of heart seek for divine guidance. How must God esteem the human race, since He gave His Son to die for them and appoints His Holy Spirit to be man’s teacher and continual guide! Through nature and revelation, through His providence, and by the influence of His Spirit, God speaks to us. But these are not enough; we need also to pour out our hearts to Him. In order to commune with God, we must have something to say to Him concerning our actual life. Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him. Our heavenly Father waits to bestow upon us the fullness of His blessing. What a wonder it is that we pray so little! God is ready and willing to hear the sincere prayer of the humblest of His children. What can the angels of heaven think of poor helpless human beings, who are subject to temptation, when God’s heart of infinite love yearns toward them, ready to give them more than they can ask or think, and yet they pray so little and have so little faith? The darkness of the evil one encloses those who neglect to pray. The whispered temptations of the enemy entice them to sin; and it is all because they do not make use of prayer. Yet prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence. There are certain conditions upon which we may expect that God will hear and answer our prayers: One is that we feel our need of help from Him. If we regard iniquity in our hearts, if we cling to any known sin, the Lord will not hear us; but the prayer of the penitent, contrite soul is always accepted. When all known wrongs are righted, we may believe that God will answer our petitions. Another element of prevailing prayer is faith. When our prayers seem not to be answered, we are to cling to the promise; for the time of answering will surely come, and we shall receive the blessing we need most. But to claim that prayer will always be answered in the very way and for the particular thing that we desire, is presumption. When we come to God in prayer, we should have a spirit of love and forgiveness in our own hearts. Perseverance in prayer has been made a condition of receiving. We must pray always if we would grow in faith and experience. We should pray in the family circle, and above all we must not neglect secret prayer, for this is the life of the soul. Family or public prayer alone is not sufficient. Secret prayer is to be heard only by the prayer-hearing God. There is no time or place in which it is inappropriate to offer up a petition to God. In the crowds of the street, in the midst of a business engagement, we may send up a petition to God and plead for divine guidance. Let the soul be drawn out and upward, that God may grant us a breath of the heavenly atmosphere. We may keep so near to God that in every unexpected trial our thoughts will turn to Him as naturally as the flower turns to the sun. Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He is not indifferent to the wants of His children. We sustain a loss when we neglect the privilege of associating together to strengthen and encourage one another in the service of God. If Christians would associate together, speaking to each other of the love of God and the precious truths of redemption, their own hearts would be refreshed and they would refresh one another. We must gather about the cross. Christ and Him crucified should be the theme of contemplation, of conversation, and of our most joyful emotion. We should keep in our thoughts every blessing we receive from God, and when we realize His great love we should be willing to trust everything to the hand that was ailed to the cross for us. The soul may ascend nearer heaven on the wings of praise. As we express our gratitude, we are approximating to the worship of the heavenly hosts. Many are at times troubled with the suggestions of skepticism. God never asks us to believe, without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. Disguise it as they may, the re al cause of doubt and skepticism, in most cases, is the love of sin. We must have a sincere desire to know the truth and a willingness of heart to obey it.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Innocence and Experience in The Lamb free essay sample

A discussion and analysis of William Blakes poem The Lamb. This essay deconstructs the notion of innocence in William Blakes poem The Lamb to demonstrate that in order represent innocence, it must first be corrupted by experience. Songs of Innocence and Experience, which appeared in 1794 as a part of William Blakes Illuminated Series, explores the human progression from innocence to experience. It was Blakes belief that wisdom was found in innocence and that experience was mere disillusionment. Accordingly, much of the poetry and artwork in the Songs depicts the fall of Adam and Eve from innocence to experience. Blake held the belief that innocence was the natural and God-like state of existence whereas experience was a result of sin. The simplicity and joyful nature of the poems in Songs of Innocence demonstrate this belief. The Lamb, for example, which appears in Songs of Innocence, has often been celebrated for its joyful and simple innocence. We will write a custom essay sample on Innocence and Experience in The Lamb or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Character Analysis of All Quiet on the Western f essays

Character Analysis of All Quiet on the Western f essays World War I (1914-1918) was called The Great War because until that time, there had never been a more destructive war on such a global level. Erich Maria Remarques All Quiet on the Western Front, a novel set during this Great War, centers around the changes brought on by war in one young, German soldier. During his time in the war, Paul Baumer, the narrator and protagonist, changes from a rather innocent Romantic to a hardened and fairly caustic veteran soldier. Before the war, Paul and his comrades were fresh from school, full of hopes and dreams for their future. Their teachers and parents told, passionately at times, about the glory and honor of war to persuade them to enlist in the war effort. Baumer states that teachers always carry their feelings ready in their waistcoat pockets, and trot them out by the hour. Parents, too, were not reluctant to use words to shame their sons into enlisting. At that time even ones parents were ready with the word coward. "We're no longer young men. We've lost any desire to conquer the world... we believe in the war". Paul said this about himself and his comrades. This was their mentality after horrifying experiences on the front lines. Seeing the friends he grew up with dying had an initial negative effect, but there was nothing he could do about their deaths. There was no reason dwelling on it, because, After all, war is war. The change in Paul is most evident by his time on leave in his hometown. He figures that speaking to anyone there is impossible. His military experiences and the home front settlers' limited, or nonexistent, understanding of the war do not allow for a discussion. When he arrives home and sees his mother, he realizes that he has nothing to say to her, or his family. "We say very little and I am thankful she asks nothing." The fact that he does not want to speak with his parents shows the ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Child Labor Laws Essay Example

Child Labor Laws Essay Example Child Labor Laws Essay Child Labor Laws Essay there was a tendency to portray the working child on the family farm. These labor issues were r not clearly recognized and since it was done without pay for parents the government saw no reason to step in. They also saw their work as healthy and some form of play in the countryside. â€Å"Moreover, as a further reflection of this view as well as of the political strength of the farming interests, most child labor statutes are less strictly applied in agriculture than in other sectors of the economy. 5† When questioning the U. S. unemployment statistics is nothing new to labor economists. Current definitions for why children would be working include unemployed which are those â€Å"who are actively seeking work or who have been laid off†5. Other ways to look at these issues is though court cases. There was a Plaintiff, Malians who alleged that she was forced to labor on cocoa fields in Cote dIvoire. She was stating that she was treated unfairly and work too much under the international laws of labor. The manufacturers of this case filed a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim. There were not enough facts to prove the case. The court granted the manufacturers motion to dismiss with leave to amend6. In another case the court again went to the issue of parental rights in Prince v. Massachusetts, supra, when a woman took her niece to sell religious literature on the streets of Boston. This case talking about women who had custody of niece but still made the child work at a young age. The woman was convicted for violating a child labor law. â€Å"Prince, 321 U. S. at 160-61. 7† At the end of this Court they concluded that the states interest in prohibiting child labor beat the custodial rights on the women. They did caution that it’s a â€Å"ruling not to extend beyond the facts the case presented. 7. | There was a question presented in a journal article I read. â€Å"Can labor rights advocates use an old law to protect young workers? † The answer was that â€Å"Alien Tort Statute (ATS) was passed by Congress as part of the Judiciary Act of 1789 to ease international trade tensions†8. That article explains who ATS began and explains its viability. Now over 200 years later this statute still address international child labor rights violations. Over the last three decades, human rights advocates have used the ATS as bulls eye to bring att ention to international human rights abuses and find solutions for alien tort victims. â€Å"A number of scholars have written about enforcing internationally-recognized labor rights through the ATS†8. In 2004, the U. S. Supreme Court looked to the ATS for the first time in Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain case. After Sosa case, claims brought to the ATS must implicate the norms that are universally accepted, and must specific, and concrete. The Sosa Courts discussion of how viable â€Å"ATS claims limits the potential claims labor rights advocates may pursue in court. 8† Moreover, the International Labour Organizations (ILO) recently shifted its focus to the cement international agreement on â€Å"core rights and condemnation of the worst forms of child labor in past years. Many bolsters take the claim of universal agreement on the basis labor rights. Scholars debate the effectiveness of narrowing international labor rights to a few core rights,8 but the recent agreements establish sufficient international support of a cause of action under ATS for the worst forms of child labor. 8 Now that there are powerful nation that enforces actions for child labor violations, people must think about what international efforts are effective to support and improve childrens lives. The dynamics of the world’s marketplace and the inherent limitations of a universal rights strategy, human rights advocates should use ATS as one part of the fight to end international child labor abuses. In conclusion, as I read through the articles I found, I realized child labor was a really big issue bad in the earlier centuries. In our new global market child labor issues are not limited to one nation. That is why the International Labour Organization and the Alien Tort Statute were passed and form. We as a global nation need to protect our children. As our economy gets bigger we will find that the aspect of our kids work may happen. There are ways that we American can protect against child labor. Unions groups are increasingly seeing the connections between worker rights and the fight against child labor. When recognizing child labor as a violation of childrens and workers rights, trade unions join together with families and community organizations to fight child labor and them the move children out of work and into school standards. History should us that good unions are important protecting against child labor. Especially when parents are not able to improve living conditions for their children. There are many companies and unions in the U. S. and other countries that are supporting efforts to end child labor by making alliances with unions in other countries. These alliances work to get enforceable global labor standards, such as â€Å"ILO Convention 182, and hold transnational companies accountable for labor practices†4. Some of the thing there countries are doing to stop child labor are, when the 2000 Olympics were held in Sydney, Australia, the â€Å"Australian labor federations created and signed an agreement with the Olympic organizing committee requiring all sponsors and licensees to adhere to minimum labor standards, including international conventions on child labor†4. The pressure from human rights activist, consumers, and international trade unions led the group overseeing the World Cup FIFA- Federation International de Football Association which adopted a Code in 1998 stating it would cease using soccer balls made with child labor4. That year, when reports said that children were still working in the soccer ball industry and that adult workers were not even being paid a living wage4, many activists launched a new publicity and letter-writing campaign, they were mobilizing soccer fans from all over, consumers, and politicians to demand FIFA improve factory monitoring and live up to the promises in its Code4. They activist wanted to see change in the factory or they would continue protesting and they would find some way to help the children in the factories. | End Notes 1. Corlett, Celeste. Impact of the 2000 Child Labor Treaty on United States Child Laborers. 19. 2 (2002): 1-27. 2. Moskowitz, Seymour. SAVE THE CHILDREN: THE LEGAL ABANDONMENT OF AMERICAN YOUTH IN THE WORKPLACE. 43. 107 (2010). Copyright (c) 2010 Akron Law Review. 3. Child Labor in U. S. History The Child Labor Education Project. Division of Continuing Education The University of Iowa. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. continuetolearn. uiowa. edu/laborctr/ch ild_labor/about/us_history. html. 4. Jonassen, Frederick B. A Baby-Step to Global Labor Reform: Corporate Codes of Conduct and the Child. Corporate Codes of Conduct and the Child 2008. Print. 5. Mitchell, Daniel J. B. ,

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Company Analysis of Free Standing Company - National Bank of Egypt Essay

Company Analysis of Free Standing Company - National Bank of Egypt - Essay Example This report will analyze National Bank of Egypt as a free standing company and then the characteristics of National Bank of Egypt will be compared with the views of Mira Wilkin with respect to free standing company. Past and Present of the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) and its Acquisitions and Mergers (as a free standing company): National bank of Egypt is the oldest commercial bank of Egypt. It has been operating for the last 114 years. The bank was established in June, 1898, with the investment of one million pounds (National Bank of Egypt a). It is believed that bank of Egypt was formed by partnerships of various important people namely, Sir Ernest Cassel, Isaac Suarez and his siblings Joseph and Felix and various other members. However, since Sir Ernest was keen on not leaving the United Kingdom, therefore, branch office of National bank of Egypt was created in London (National Bank of Egypt UK Branch 2012). Since then National Bank of Egypt has opened various branches around Egyp t and some other countries of the world. It has opened its branch in Khartoum in 1901, and in next year Agriculture Bank of Egypt was set active. Similarly, it has merged with various other banks and also has acquired many banks around the globe to capitalize on different opportunities regardless of the geographic region. National Bank of Egypt has a rich history of these mergers and acquisitions and some of these have been discussed below. Bank of Abyssinia came into being in 1906 and was established by National Bank of Egypt, which in many ways performed its duties for the Ethiopian government. This bank has also issued currency for Ethiopia and was the only issuer of currency for the government. Moreover, Bank of Abyssinia has also provided its services as a fiscal agent for the Ethiopian government. However, these services were later terminated in 1931 as Ethiopian government established Bank of Ethiopia as an alternative. In the year 1951, National bank of Egypt was recognized as the central bank for Egypt, but it was later confirmed in 1957 (by banking acts) and started its operation as a legal central bank of Egypt. Another important development by National Bank of Egypt was that it started operating in Sudan; all assets of the bank which were in the premises of Sudan were intentionally nationalized by the Sudan government in order to come up with the new bank for the country. This was later named as Central Bank of Sudan. Similarly, in a year (1960), Bank of Egypt was also nationalized. The main purpose for this act was to create a separate central banking entity for Egypt (Egypt News 2012). National Bank of Egypt acquired Citibank of Egypt in 1961, as this bank entered the Egyptian market 6 years before its acquisition. However, the prime reason for Citibank to leave the market was because of the nationalization process carried out in the Egypt. Furthermore, one of the important milestones of Bank of Egypt was to establish Commercial International Ban k. With the help and partnership of Chase Manhattan Bank or, in simple words, the merger between National Bank of Egypt and Chase Manhattan Bank has resulted in establishing Commercial international Bank in the year 1975. Likewise in a year (1976), another important merger came into existence, as NBE along with 19 other banks from the US and Arabic countries merged together in order to establish Arab American Bank. National Bank of

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Can the drivers of property investment deliver value in a global Literature review

Can the drivers of property investment deliver value in a global economic downturn - Literature review Example The risk was so big because the collapse of the housing bubble in the USA affected not only the valuations of homes, but also several other agencies, industries, and personnel that included but were not limited to the mortgage markets, real estate, foreign banks, home builders, and home supply retail outlets. The Case-Shiller home price index noted the largest ever drop in the prices of houses by the end of the year 2008. It was because of the anticipated risks imposed by the bursting housing bubble that President George W. Bush announced the housing market’s bailout for those homeowners who could not compensate for their mortgage debts. Economic recession and massive foreclosures of housing caused by the global financial crisis was a potential threat to the investors. When a financial crisis hits a country’s economy, it affects the value of property investment just like it affects all other industries, though there is variation between the value delivered by property i nvestment and other business options in such times. The real estate business has conventionally remained the best investment of all time, including the time of financial crisis. Knowledge of the potential drivers of the business of property investment provides the investors with a way to transform the risks into opportunities. Population Growth during Financial Crisis and Its Impact on Property Investment One of the most fundamental drivers of property prices is population change. People want to dwell in popular areas. Prices of popular areas are higher than the rest because there are more interest parties than the number of dwellings available. Prices of an area go down when the dwellings outnumber the interested parties. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that conducts a census every five years to publish the trends of population growth, trends of population growth do not show abrupt changes. While the indigenous population does not show rapid changes in growth , there are other factors that contribute to the growth of population, the most important among them being the immigration rate of a country. â€Å"Things that do change population growth rapidly - and provide investors with opportunity - are changes in immigration quotas, changes in infrastructure making areas more or less attractive and accessible to live in, and changes to employment such as the booming resources industry† (Moore, 2012). During the financial crisis, there has been a decline in the rate of immigration despite the increased tendency among the governments to increase the immigration rate since every immigrant that is allowed hostage contributes to the growth of the host country’s economy. Although immigration rate is generally perceived to have negative effects on the employability of the indigenous population of a country, yet several studies have found that the long term effects of immigration are opposite of what they are generally perceived to be; immigrants increase the productivity as well as the average income (Peri, 2010b, p. 7). Immigration rate is considerably linked with the employment rate. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show how the rate of immigration is affected by the rate of employment in a country. Fig. 1: Variation in Immigration rate from 1995 to 2010 (Peri, 2010a, p. 3). Fig. 2: Variation in employment rate from 1995 to

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Holborne - Pavane and Galliard Essay Example for Free

Holborne Pavane and Galliard Essay Holborne’s Pavane ‘The image of melancholy’ and Galliard ‘Ecce quam bonum’ (Behold, how good a thing is) are two pieces that belong to the genre of ‘consort music’, a form of domestic music that made its appearance in Elizabethan England. A consort may have derived from the French ‘concert’ which implied an ensemble of instruments or voices that perform. In later years, from about 1575, ‘Broken consorts’ were introduced and these included mixed ensembles. The usual instrumentation for a broken consort was lutes, viols (treble and bass) and flute. Consorts of viols began to appear during the time of Henry VIII with the earliest source of the music being a songbook of Henry VIII, found after his death that included copies of Viol consorts. There are three main types of consorts, one being the Pavane and Galliard, which is a dance form. In many of the pieces, the writing was very similar to that of contemporary writing for voices; therefore it was usually polyphonic in texture. When paired together, the Pavane usually takes the more melancholy character, while the Galliard a more cheerful one which is shown in these two movements by Holborne. Although dance forms were used for both movements, the dense counterpoint provides melodic interest for all five players and also listeners, which suggests the music to be more for listening than dancing. Not much is known about Holborne, but he did publish two collections of music with about 120 works altogether.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Pakistan | A tourism analysis

Pakistan | A tourism analysis Pakistan is a good place for tourism as it has the most appealing and breathtaking views of mountains, plateaus and deserts. It has the high potential to attract a large number of foreign tourists, along with that, Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) had set up 27 motels and 3 restaurants for the convienience of these foreign tourists, PTDC need to intensify their marketing ability in order to attract tourists from countries like, China, Middle East Korea, Japan, and many other countries. Moreover Pakistan government need to take certain actions, in order to promote and acknowledge Tourism in Pakistan, as doing so will not only benefit us financially but will also bring unity, compatibility and harmony among nations. Moreover government also need to encourage private sector to develop tourism-friendly environment which will result in financial stability. Source: PTDC page on mountaineering, http://www.tourism.gov.pk/mountain.html Research methodology: Most of the data obtained for this research will come secondary sources including book, internet, magazine etc but to increase the accuracy of information I will conduct primary research to validate my results from secondary data . Primary research for this assignment was conducted through a telephonic interview with people who are influence by the tourists. I have taken a sample size of 30 people who belong to different places but have one thing in common and that is they have interest in tourism in Pakistan. The sample selected [people who are either potential customer for tourism in Pakistan ir those who belong to promote tourism in Pakistan together with those who earn their living by providing service to foreign tourist. Following are the few questions which I have ask to these people in order to gather the data for my research. How are conditions in Pakistan for foreign tourists Do Pakistan has got enough place for foreign tourist to visit. How is security situation across the country What place would you suggest to foreign tourist to visit Do government of Pakistan taking enough steps to promote tourism Do people of Pakistan welcome tourist in their country In response to first question 70% of people interviewed responded that conditions in Pakistan are good enough to tourist. The condition include security situation but also include infrastructure road network and other conditions while the raining 30% were quall divide for example 15% said conational Pakistan are not favourable for foreign tourist while remaining 15% said they were not really sure. Out of the total sample I have selected 90% people do believe that Pakistan has enough place for many tourist to see and therefore had the other issue such security etc resolve Pakistan has much to offer foreign tourist while 10% people were not sure if Pakistan had enough place to offer to foreign tourist. In response to question of security conditions most people who were outside the Pakistan believe that Pakistan is not very secure country for foreign tourist and that accounted for the 80% of them while remaining 20% whom majority were Pakistanis in United Kingdom believe that Pakistan is though affected by terrorism and other issue but still security conditions in the country are satisfactory enough for the foreign tourist. While remaining people who were inside the country and when whether foreign tourist should Pakistan without risking their security have replied positively. When I ask on few places that people know should be interesting for tourist many people replied by pointing out historical place such Taxila, Mohn Jo daro to sea beeches of Karachi and beautiful natural place in Gilgit-Bilistan. But sadly people who were outside the Pakistan were not really sure the famous places to visit in Pakistan. In response to the question of whether government of Pakistan is promoting tourism in Pakistan whether its domestic tourism or foreign. Almost 70% of people said that government of Pakistan should do more and is not doing enough to promote positive image of the country. While remaining 30% were not sure about the government action to promote tourism. When I ask the question whether Pakistani people welcome tourist almost 90% agree that Pakistani people do welcome tourist either they are coming from other part of the country or from the other of the world. Tourism in Pakistan Due to its diverse culture, people and landscape, Tourism is growing industry in Pakistan, even after considered as one of the most dangerous country in the world, According to British Magazine The Economist. In Pakistan there are number of varieties of attraction that ranges from the ruins of ancient civilization such as Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa and Taxila, to the Himalayan hill-stations that attract those interested in field and winter sports. Moreover, Pakistan has several mountain peaks of height over 8,000 metres (26,250 ft), that attract adventurers and mountaineers from around the world, especially to K2. Many domestic and International tourists visit these areas most often in the month starting from April to September. Tourism has become the source of income for local people. In 2009, Pakistan was ranked 113 out of 130 countries to visit, According to the World Economic Forums Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR). Although due to Political instability, suicide attacks, religious conflict, kidnapping of foreigner and uncertainty in the country had badly affected the Tourism throughout the country, especially NWFP, which is currently renamed as Pakhtoonkhwa. Source: Eco tourism: For decades, Ecotourism has become the significant part of the tourism business in Pakistan, as it has offered much tremendous experience along with the stunning mountains of NWFP, attracting number of tourists all over the world for hiking, skating, forest camping, climbing, and exploring the regions natural parks and forests. Pakistan ecotourism destination is unforgettable for those who have ever visited it. http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/pk Especially, Swat, Huns, Aruba, Abbott bad, Murfree, Narran and Kahn have yet been known as the ideal tourists spot for both summer and winter season. The snow-peaked mountains, the natural parks and the wildlife in the forests offered a thrilling experience especially for the one who is in search of adventure. The natural beauty of this mountainous scenery has attracted number of tourists generating vital jobs for local people in the hospitality-related businesses. Moreover the Swat valley alone known as the Switzerland of the East has become the centre for 800 hotels. Over 40,000 local people Pakistan employed directly in hospitality. http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/pk Impact of war on tourism in Pakistan: Over the past decade, and especially since 2007, the rapid spread of terrorism have not only created uncertainty in the country but also crushed the major sector of economy that causes unemployment, Suicide bombing has become common in everywhere likewise, in shops, markets, public places, business centres and institutes. War and conflict is not limited to a particular city. Its effect is everywhere, anybody can be victim of it. Due to fight between military and religious forces, the NWFP- which is considered 70% of the countrys tourists site, and where millions of people involved in the tourism industry are badly beaten. Continuous war and terror has weaken both the economy and defence of the area. http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/tellis_pakistan_final.pdf Due to worst security situation and many of the popular location are converted into war zones, hardly few travellers now visit Pakistan. Although after 9/11 attack in USA, there was a slow decline of tourists in Pakistan but the recent military operations and suicide attacks have been the last nail in the smashing of tourism industry. Since the initiation of the major religious and military offensive, the earning that comes from tourism has been declining dramatically. From Rs 16 billion in 2007, revenues halved in 2008, with a further major fall in 2009. The industry is now facing a $50 million annual loss as a result of the military operations. The hospitality business had experienced a major fall of 40% in room occupancy countrywide. Moreover in NWFP, the insurgency has caused the shutdown of tourist industry. From the last three years the hotels have been closed while the industry has lost of Rs 600 billion. Moreover the transport industry is also going through tough times. Due to huge job losses in tourism and other related industry, majority of the people have migrated to other cities in the search of employment. Moreover the revenue that was generated from tourism has been declined by 11.8% in 2008, while 12% in 2009. The average family involved in tourism business used to earn around 40,000 per mouth and soon after war their earning has dropped to 5000/ month. With more than 25,000 people killed and more than a million displaced in the past year, planned hotel projects have been put on hold. The number of mountain climbers and foreign trekkers has reached zero. Barbarism and bloodshed now run rampant in places which once offered peace and tranquillity. No-one would dream of visiting these places for pleasure now. http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/tellis_pakistan_final.pdf Moreover adding to the crises faced by these shattered tourism industry, the federal budget has also been cut by 36 percent for 2010-2011 comparatively with the previous year. The only project this year will be to reconstruction and renovation of existing buildings. There isnt any scheme introduced in order to help overcome terrorism. With the Pakistani political leadership appears to unaware of the real potential of industry, that show little or no prospect in the coming years of tourism attaining momentum that it lost. With the whole industry standing on the boundary of collapse the future looks blank for Pakistan most spectacularly beautiful locations. http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/tellis_pakistan_final.pdf Pakistan strategy to control extremism: In the eighth year of the global war on terror, the international community has realized that it is a war of ideas that cannot be won through force. Eventually Pakistan sees that countries today have adopted unique approaches towards deradicalization according to the requirements of their cultural, political situation, and social specification. The aim of these practicing deradicalization programmes in Middle East and South East Asia, at a collective level, is to change the worldview of the affected persons. Private sectors or at some places government and private sectors together adopted the approach of rehabilitation and re-education of the detainees. The reason behind the failing of war on terror on both sides of Pak-Afghan border has also some structural causes such as refusal of Taliban from Afghan government, public perception of Pakistans policies as a key US ally, use of force as a priority option, continued US drone attacks, denial of any relief and transitional justice to the victims of military operation, issue of Afghan refugees, and lack of trust between US, Pakistan and Afghanistan. There is a strong tie between lack of human security and terrorism. Rise in extremism can lead to human insecurity and vice versa. Since independence, government of particular south Asian states have not been providing their people with minimum security. Governments and ruling classes, instead of focusing on dealing with the issues of human survival and development, embarked upon perpetuating their poPakistanr and influence. Subsequently, no South Asian country has been able to free itself from discriminatory and exploitative policies, which led to increased insecurity and to the rising number of communal and terrorist outfits. Even after the problem these outfits have made, no serious action has been taken by the government or civil society in order to diminish rise in extremist trend at the initial stage. All of the regional states are facing the menace of extremism and terrorism in one or other form. http://www.rferl.org/content/Analyst_Defeating_Extremism_In_Pakistan_Requires_Regional_Strategy/1368724.html Currently south Asian region are facing serious security threat which is due to increment of terrorism and extremism. There are various factors that have led towards this situation. The politics of violence and extremism in South Asia is mainly the result of faulty national policies and interference of external powers. The regions vast potential is hostage to unresolved inter-state and intra-state conflicts. In most of the states, the governments (either democratic or military) have failed in providing good governance and solving social problems such as unemployment, social injustice, and poverty. The political culture in these states was unable to meet the imperatives of globalization. In addition, instead of promoting unity and integration (both at national and regional levels) it led to ethnic solidarities and identification with religion and culture. Source : http://www.cssforum.com.pk/general/news-articles/articles/26177-causes-extremism-south-asia-pakistan.html How tourism situation could improve in Pakistan The tourism sector is being overlooked by the successive governments and quite tiny amount is allocated in Public Sector Development Programme that hardly caters for it demands. At global level, Pakistan is wrongly projected in the media and tourists are advised not to visit this south Asian country, which offer four-season tourism opportunities. Security is just not only the issue that has haunt the terrorism but there are also some other factors involved which add to woes of this multibillion dollar trade the world over. These factors involve like, Moreover, Lack of infrastructure, facilities to the tourists, transport, discouraging response from officials circles etc are also some of the areas that are need to be improved.` Until and unless take this (tourism) industry on priority basis, Pakistan are not going to see it flourishing. Pakistan also needs to put in maximum resource in our tourism sector. Pakistan has very diverse and rich culture to offer tourist together with lots of opportunity for adventure tourism as the four provinces and three territories of Pakistan are very diverse and so different that it doesnt look like to foreign tourist that they are in same country with different culture, attractions and different seasons. Pakistan should improve the image of country by first of improving security situation in order to convince foreign tourist that they are safe in the country because in the past the incident like kidnapping of American journalist and attack on srilankan team together with bomb blast in big cities of the country lead to a feeling among the west that Pakistan is not a safe country which is main cause of declining tourism in the country especially tourist from western countries are reluctant to visit Pakistan because of the fear that country is not safe enough. Together with these measure Pakistan need to improve its image by promoting itself on various platforms around the world and together promoting hospitality industry through giving them incentives, Pakistan can catch significant number of tourist looking for adventurism or natural beauty visit Pakistan and contribute significant revenue for the government of the country while providing employment to big number of its population. Security situation for tourist in Pakistan: Pakistan have got a number of places where tourist can visit and these places are safe and secure especially the southern part of Pakistan is very much safe together with northern areas like gilgit and biltistan which are very beautiful and well received by tourist that even though when war on terror going on bu the tourism in northern areas is increasing and every more and more foreign tourist are visiting these areas. The mountain there are very clean and beautiful which catch the attention tourist and that s the prime reason why many people who visited Pakistan will be able to tell you that how beautiful the place which is though not very promote but well received by people around the world. Source: http://www.eturbonews.com/15162/diversity-adventure-story-and-false-media-news-pakistan Every year thousands fo people from the countries such India and china are coming to see the Pakistan and they came here andseee the country hwile goi ng back they told their families and friends about the country which is not told on media.every Pakistan receive a grea t number of adventure tourist who came here because they believe that Pakistan is safe when they return with positive experience they act as advertisement for the country. Source: http://www.eturbonews.com/15162/diversity-adventure-story-and-false-media-news-pakistan The people of Pakistan are welcoming and they give respect to visitors and greet them, show them local custome anad tribal way of doing things which tourist find attractive and interesting. For the adventure tourist especially Pakistan is very good place, as in Pakistan there are huge mountains like the eastern Himalaya and other, these mountain have a height of over 8000 metres and are longest chain of mountain where people can do tracking, exploration, or anything in this beautiful area. Source: http://www.eturbonews.com/15162/diversity-adventure-story-and-false-media-news-pakistan Pakistan is unique ! Situated in the heart of the South Asian sub-continent, it is a country with its own history and cultural heritage, fascinating in its own right. Pakistan was the site for one of the worlds earliest human settlements, the great prehistoric Indus Valley Civilization, the crucible of ancient empires, religions and cultures. The land of Pakistan ranges from lofty mountains in the north, the Karakoram and the Himalayas, through dissected plateaus to the rich alluvial plains of the Punjab. Then follows desolate barrenness of Baluchistan and the hot, dry deserts of Sind blending into miles and miles of golden beaches of Makran coast. Come and Explore the Treasures of Pakistan with us. A visitor to Pakistan is more than a tourist to us he is an honoured guest. Competitive advantage of Pakistan over other countries: In order to compete in this environment every country in the competition to catch tourist have to offer competitive advantage which is the things that country can do best. The possession of competitive advantage is in itself is not enough but countries like industries to communicate it to potential tourist in rest of the world. The basis of competitive is always lie in the resources of the country with prime important is the way that country use these resource in order to get competitive advantage and also with the fact that the resource which formed the basis of competitive advantage are of sufficient quantity and quality. The three major resources for country are financial resource, physical and human resource . While these resource of financial human and other physical are in economics refer as land, labour and capital with the basic skills entrepreneurship. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/pakistan/images/badshahi-mosque-pakistan$24057-10 Its a open secret that northern areas of the country are very rich for attracting the potential tourist where the natural beautify of landscape with their traditional cultural heritage have made a heaven for eco tourist especially. But sadly those northern areas of the country are not very well developed and considered by government and therefore are not very well protected and their natural beauty with their unique cultural heritage couldnt effectively conserved by government of Pakistan till today. Though when considering adventure tourism we think about Nepal and other countries located in the region but Pakistan has enough to offer in adventure tourism such as five out of fourteen mountain peaks of K2 are situated in the Pakistan where there height reach to as much high as 8000 meter and together with this some of the largest glaciers are situated within the territory of gilgit-bilistan as these are largest glaciers outside the polar region. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilgit-Baltistan Mohenjo-Daro was a city located in the south of Modern Pakistan in the Sind Province, on the right bank of the Indus River. It was built between four and five thousand years ago, and lasted until 3,700 BP. It was part of the Harrapan Civilization, and the city had at least 35,000 residents. Mohenjo-Daro means mound of the dead. The city was approximately one square mile in size. In 1922-1927 large scale excavations at Mohenjo-daro Pakistanre carried out by R. D. Banarjee and continued by M. S. Vats and K. N. Dikshit under the direction of Sir John Marshall. E. J. H. MacKay carried out further excavations from 1927 to1931. Sir Mortimer Wheeler made small excavations in1950. http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/pk In Balochistan there are many caves for cavers and tourists to visit especially the Juniper Shaft Cave, the Murghagull Gharra cave, Mughall saa cave, and Pakistans naturally decorated cave, the Mango her Cave. Pakistan is a member country of the Union International de Spà ©là ©ologie (UIS). The northern parts of Pakistan are home to several historical fortresses, toPakistanrs and other architecture including the Huns and Chitral valleys, the latter being home to the Kalash, a small pre-Islamic Animist community.[Punjab is also the site of Alexanders battle on the Jhelum River. The historic city of Lahore is considered Pakistans cultural centre and has many examples of Mughal architecture such as the Badshahi Masjid, Shalimar Gardens, Tomb of Jahangir and the Lahore Fort. The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) also helps promote tourism in the country. HoPakistanver, tourism is still limited because of the lack of proper infrastructure and the worsening security situation in the country. The recent militancy in Pakistans scenic sites, including Swat in Khyber Parkton Kawa province, have dealt a massive blow to the tourism industry. Many of the troubles in these tourist destinations are also blamed on the frail travel network, tourism regulatory framework, an d low prioritization of the tourism industry by the government, low effectiveness of marketing and a constricted tourism perception. After these areas Pakistanre being cleared off the militant groups in late 2009, the government, with financial support from the USAID, started a campaign to reintroduce tourism in Swat valley. Pakistan receives 500,000 tourists annually, with almost half of them heading to northern Pakistan http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/pk Strategies to improve tourism in Pakistan: 1. Safety 2. Emergency evacuations 3. Easy bookings of hotels and resorts, train and air services, cabs etc. Tourism is, in the current period, one of the areas that can provide regional and country, a profitable and economic development. Natural and anthropogenic potential which Romania has is necessary to be properly exploited, providing promotion and development of investment programs, able to attract a large number of tourists. The project is presenting a series of specific mountain tourism development through investment programs focused on strategic quality tourism services and protect the natural environment. Airports are the gateway to the country. Facilities and handling provided at the International airports from a lasting impression on the foreign tourist. Our airports suffer from a number of drawbacks despite the vast improvements undertaken in recent years. Sufficient attention has not been paid to the periodic training and education of personnel involved in handling immigration, security and health checks. Personnel at the airports would be encouraged to learn at least one foreign language. Suitable financial incentive will be provided for this purpose. Facilitation counters located in the immigration area will be manned by the personal of PTDC. Accredited representatives of recognized travel agencies would be given identity cards valid up to airline and immigration counters. Baggage handling and clearance system should be improved. The tour operators will arrange insurance cover for the tourist groups handled by them. The existing requirement of police registration and restriction of movement of foreigners would be removed except where specifically required under security considerations. Most tourists visiting Pakistan require visas, which are issued by Pakistani Embassies or High Commissions in other countries. While implementation is satisfactory, visas are an irritant to tourism and add to the cost of a holiday. Visas for nationals from some neighbouring states include considerable restrictions, which puts significant limitations on the development of regional tourism. However, as a part of its policy to facilitate tourism, the government has recently eased restrictions on visas. Source : http://www.tourism.gov.pk/travel_guide.html The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation maintains 21 Tourist Information Centres at various sites across the country; in addition, there are information offices Operated by provincial tourism authorities. However, the standard of service offered invariable and a rationalization of all centres is required, with staff training in foreign languages and customer relations. High-tech Tourist Information Centres of the kind available at Karachi International Airport, with e-mail, fax, and website facilities need to be established at the other major airports and city centres. A website of 1500 pages showing Pakistanis scenic tourist sites and cultural heritage has recently been launched which will greatly enhance awareness both nationally and internationally. Source : http://www.tourism.gov.pk/travel_guide.html There are approximately 41 tour operators in Pakistan that provide destination Management services for domestic and foreign tourists. As their services are critical to the development of international tourism, they need to be treated as a primary sub-sector and supported accordingly. Several areas of regulation impact negatively on tourism, such as the forbidden Photography of bridges and airports, and restricted zones where trekkers require special permission to enter. These restricted areas could be limited and perhaps renamed permit zones. Tribal leaders may be involved in the development of tourism activities in their areas. Although Pakistan possesses world-class tourist attractions, the international tourist Potential of areas such as the Swat Valley has been considerably reduced because of the lack of planning regulations, over-development and environmental degradation. Due to lack of co-ordination between the tourism industry and authorities in charge of natural, historical or religious sites, the tourism potential of such sites is not fully realized. Source : http://www.tourism.gov.pk/travel_guide.html Conclusion: Its the only industry, which needed more and more exploration (Zamar Sheikh) Pakistan is a major tourist attraction because it is blessed with natural beauty and Historical places that can yield huge foreign exchange if properly and methodically Exploited. Tourism could become foreign exchange earning industry for the country. Though Pakistan, has lately taken initiative but still there is dire need of tireless efforts to exploit this sector and to add more dimensions to attract the tourists. No proper attention was paid to harness the God gifted opportunity to earn more and More foreign tourists and foreign exchange which would open up new vistas of Employment in the tourism sector. Moreover the tourists may find and explore the market of their interest in Pakistan. Involvement of private sector was important to give boost to tourism. Private sector Should be given not only tax exemption but they also should be provided with vast Opportunities to invest and they must be facilitated also in terms of money; a network of five stars hotels and motels should be constructed at all tourists spots and tourist Operators may be provided necessary facilities, which on the one hand helped reduce unemployment while on the other harness foreign exchange. Private sector should take initiative to develop and exploit all tourist attraction and Historical location in the province, which unfortunately, has suffered due to negative Concept about its law and order. Good hotel industry acceptable to the international standards would give boost to the Tourist industry, which has suffered because of a number of reasons and one of them, was lack of proper accommodation for local as well as foreign tourists. At present there are about 4000 to 4500 rooms available in five star hotels throughout Pakistan, which were insufficient to the demand. There are problems n Pakistan which prevent this country from attracting its due share of international tourist and therefore to attract the tourist and to boost economy the government of Pakistan have to take serious measure to prevent threat of security to tourist together Pakistan need to promote itself as tourist destination at international forums but these both measure are equally important . The most important aspect security concern of tourist and therefore without taking proper measures to avoid security threat of security. the government of Pakistan should be conscious and careful when people visit this country and must show them how humble and welcoming they are and how interested people in Pakistan are to greet the foreign tourist as well as local tourist alike. Pakistan has truly potential for being a hot tourist spot in region especially for adventure tourism and eco tourism its potential is not unseen but need of the hour is promote itself and to reduce the concerns tourists. Postmodern Literature | The Harry Potter Series Postmodern Literature | The Harry Potter Series The Study of Postmodern literature has always been very interesting because of its contemporary relevance to us. Literature of postmodernism emphasizes the subjectivity of a work of art than the objectivity of it. It also attempts to deconstruct the so called modern and it promotes obscurantism. This new form of literature describes the antithetical to the conventional systems of so called morality. Literature of postmodernism rejects the modernist system of beliefs such as historical, rational and scientific notion in favor of ironic, self-conscious and experimental work of art. We do find the postmodern writers do not present the ideal world instead they project the real world and the problems in different ways. Hence this paper presentation focuses on the Harry Potter series written by J K Rowling with a special reference to the post modernist features in them. J K Rowling gives prominence to techniques such as magical realism, archetypal characters and metafiction. This paper wou ld venture into exploration of the glossy cover of popular fiction attributed to the Harry Potter series so as to understand and analyze the aspects of postmodern literature in it. J K Rowlings Harry Potter Series J K Rowling is a British writer born in the year 1965. She currently resides in Scotland with her husband and three children. She became most popular for the Harry Potter Series. After writing for more than five years, she got her place in the literary world. In the words of J K Rowling, I am an extraordinarily lucky person, doing what I love best in the world. Im sure that I will always be a writer. It was wonderful enough just to be published. The greatest reward is the enthusiasm of the readers. Harry potter series has drawn the attention of audiences of all ages around the world. She bagged the Hugo Award, the Whitbread Award for Best Childrens Book, the Bram Stocker Award as well as many other honours. She has been also names as the most influential woman in Britain by leading magazine editors. In the recent times, she extends to the works of charity such as one parent families, comic relief and Lumos. She is considered one of the best accomplished story tellers, who have the real sense of teenage psyche in her works. It is widely accepted that J K Rowling being a contemporary novelists in the post colonial era has contributed more to the literary arena. She is unique in her writing style with regard to the following aspects such as crafting her own characters, creatures, spells using Latin words and employing present-day events. J K Rowling speaks that, in some ways, she just writes what she sees in her mind. I have a very visual imagination. I see a situation and then I try to describe it as vividly as I can. And I do love writing dialog. Dialog comes to me as though Im just overhearing a conversation. It is widely accepted that J K Rowling being a contemporary novelists in the post colonial era has contributed more to the literary arena. Postmodern aspects in Harry Potter series: Harry Potter series is considered to be one of the most read and enjoyed work in the contemporary world. We do come across some of the prominent post modernistic aspects in them to a great extend. They are such as magical realism, metafiction, archetypal characterizes and so on. Magical Realism Magic becomes art when it has nothing to hide. Ben Okri Magical realism is primarily a literary style or genre of fiction, in which magical elements are into a realistic atmosphere in order to access a deeper understanding of reality. A good number of magical elements are present in the series such as magical creatures at Hogwarts. J K Rowling used these creatures from the folklore, Greek mythology and other works of the past. We do encounter many ordinary animals with magical qualities. For example Owls deliver mails in the story. The other prominent magical factors employed in the series are as follows: magi-zoology, Hogwarts School, the rules and regulations of the ministry of magic and so on. The author purposely deploys these magical aspects to craft a realistic environment and it helps us to comprehend the story well. We find the unification of the muggle and magical worlds, namely the real and the magical worlds. Metafiction: Metafiction attempts to make the readers belief the artificiality of the work of art and it also generally ignores the obligation for willful suspension of disbelief. J K Rowling makes us belief the magical world to a great extent by incorporating the essence of magical realism. She supersedes the traditional notions of storytelling by including fantastical and supernatural elements in the novel adding to the excitement and thrill of the readers and audience. In other words the technique of fabulation is presented in the series with an effect of reality where one feels part of this make believe world and finds oneself involved to a great extent. Fantasy: Harry Potter series proves to be possessing elements of fantasy in them significantly. The super natural creatures such as dragons, elves, vampires, werewolves, dragons and talking animals are present in the novels. Most of the characters do perform magic and the protagonist Harry Potter and his friends own innate strong magical powers. We do have an extraordinary and powerful villain in the form of Lord Voldemort, who is exposed completely at the end of the story. There is also a great battle as in an epic, which shows the hero Harry Potter is nearly at the end of his life, yet he becomes victorious. The weapons Harry Potter uses such as Eragon, wand, sword are unique and powerful compared to what others have. The whole series mostly happen in the fictional place of Hogwarts School makes the series to be more fascinating to the readers. Finally the language used is very much fabricated one and it makes the readers to transform themselves in the magical world. Hence the Harry Potter series do possess the elements of a fantasy novel. Archetypal Elements: The archetypal elements are very much prevalent in the story. In other words, one come across recurring themes, symbolic situations, rituals, moral characters, colours, and images in the series. The protagonist, Harry Potter becomes the questing hero and he does encounter a number of challenges throughout the story. He becomes the totem for integrity, suffering, hard work, virtue and patience to the other characters in the novel as well as the readers. Harry Potters magical world posses other archetypal figures namely Hermoine and Ron who become Harrys partners, Troll and Filch turn out to be threshold guardians. The mythical trails and quests begin with the aim to conquer the villain Voldemort taking Harry and his friends through many difficult and challenging situations. All these events prove to consisting archetypal elements in them. Conclusion Harry Potter series becomes a part of the postmodern literature based on the themes and techniques discussed earlier. This series has got the ability to appeal to readers of all nationalities and ages. The story comprises of dynamic and complex elements of boarding school stories, fairy tales, detective novels, adventure stories, fantasy novels and quest tales. The movie adaptation of her work cannot be discounted for its literary value while providing one with entertainment. Throughout the series, readers constantly encounter different themes such as death, heroic quest, prejudice, oppression, normality, survival, self discovery, love, power, abuse of power and free decision making. Besides, J K Rowling engages the interest of the younger generation along with that of the adults with her imaginative and creative richness. Wildlife Crime Prevention Strategies: Badger Culling Wildlife Crime Prevention Strategies: Badger Culling According to Sykes Matza (1957) techniques of neutralisation can be understood as a set or classification by which criminals seek to justify and rationalise their criminal behaviour. The techniques the theory of neutralisation is built on four main observation points, the individuals express guilt over their illegal deviant behaviour, the individuals frequently respect and admire honest, law-abiding individuals, a line is drawn between those whom they can victimise and those they cannot, the individuals are not immune to the demands of conformity. The author will analyse these four points in more detail later in the essay in relation to the research article. A long-standing rural idea is that the countryside is a crime-free place to live, however, crime is by no means non-existent in rural areas. Yarwood (2001) argues that the geography of crime is Firmly entrenched in the urban environment and, by contrast, crime in the countryside has largely been ignored (Yarwood, 2001) Rural areas are sometimes described as being close knit. This term refers to the idea that people in rural areas have high levels of social intimacy with social connections being more immediate, more intense which is often based on similarities within the community (Weisheit et al 1996). This supports the criminologists theory of neutralization which outlines that one of the four observation points was that individuals frequently respect and admire honest, law abiding individuals. So therefore, wildlife crime between the rural communities is accepted within the closeness of the rural community setting. Rural culture is seen as being traditional, slow to change, relatively intolerant of diversity and unaccepting of outsiders (Wiesheit et al, 1996). Wildlife crime encompasses a range of offences including trading in endangered species, poaching, and acts of animal cruelty such as badger baiting, and cock and dog fighting (Countryside agency, 2004a). However, statistics on the levels of these offences are not officially collated. It has been noted that such crimes are hard to quantify not least because accurate figures do not exist on domestic and wildlife populations and that in many instances, the crime has no human witnesses or victims (Anderson 1997) One of the problems facing wildlife criminology is the lack of criminal laws with which to frame research activity (Bierne, 1999). The frequent absence of a clear framework through which to pursue research is connected with a much broader definition of crimes against nature. The RSPB reports that bird crime has been on a downward trend over recent years (RSPB, 2002). Nevertheless, the organisation believes that this may have been the result of the foot and mouth crisis restricting access to large parts of the countryside. The issue of wildlife crime in the countryside has received considerable attention in recent years. Fox hunting is an apposite example of how crime is a cultural construct. Whereas foxes have been legally hunted for centuries, it seems inevitable that the activity of fox hunting has become a criminal offence. The controversy surrounding the act of fox hunting led the government to pass the HUNTING ACT 2004 in November 2004 (Hunting Act, 2004) this act made fox hunting illegal with dogs in England and Wales in 2005. In America, the activity of fox hunting is referred to as fox chasing. Fox chasing can indeed go on for years and the population of the foxes are maintained (Smart, 2004). The absence of a clear definition of wildlife crime has not stopped the causes or motivations of wildlife crime. (Macdonald, 1961) states that animal cruelty in childhood leads to anti-social behaviour and aggression in later life, and labels this as the violence graduation hypothesis. Control theories have been hugely influential in the sociology of deviance, and linked with explanations of wildlife crime. Control theory suggests that criminal activity occurs when the controls or rules that ensure conformity are somehow lessened. The rural community as stated earlier can be a close knit community. Hirschi (1969) suggests that conformity arises from four types of social controls that create a social bond, attachment- strong social attachments encourage conformity, and thus, the rural community may conform towards wildlife crime due to social bonds. Opportunity- the more one perceives legitimate opportunity, the greater the advantages of conformity. Involvement and belief that in the rural community, strong beliefs in conventional morality and respect for their authority figures. Within the rural community different generations will respect their elders and peer groups and conform to their ideas and beliefs with reference to wild life crime. Badger culling has featured as part of government attempts to eradicate the disease Bovine Tuberculosis (b TB) in cattle. This disease is spread between cattle but can be transmitted by badgers to cattle. (Grant, 2009). Bovine Tuberculosis was found in badgers after a dead badger was identified having the disease. Farmers attempted to cull the badgers, leading to various protests from wildlife campaign groups. In 1973 The Badgers Act prohibited the killing, injuring or taking of badgers, except by authorised personal. It is not an offence for an authorised person to kill a badger if a court is convinced his action was necessary for the purpose of preventing serious damage to land, crops, poultry or any other form of property or for the purpose of preventing the spread of any disease. (The Badgers Act, 1973) Wildlife criminologists focus on the theory on Sykes Matza (1957) techniques of neutralisation; this theory can be used in the sociology of deviance to account for a wide range of deviant behaviour (Cohen 2002). Neutralisation techniques can be understood as a set or classification of discourses by which criminals seek to justify and rationalise their criminal behaviour. Sykes and Matza (1957) wanted to build upon (Sutherlands, 1939) theory differential association which states that an individual learns criminal behaviour through techniques of committing crimes and motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes. These techniques reduce the social controls over the delinquent, neutralisation is defined as a technique, which allows the person to rationalize or justify a criminal act. There are five techniques of neutralisation. Firstly, denial of the victim refers to the belief that whoever is harmed by an action deserved its consequences. Secondly, in denial of responsibility, of fenders argue that their actions were caused by forces beyond their control. Thirdly, denial of injury suggests that no-one suffered as a result of the crime. Fourthly, in appealing to higher loyalties, offenders cite that importance of maintain loyality to small groups rather than society. Fifthly, condemnation of the condemners refers to statements that suggest disapprovers are hypocrites who have caused more harm (Sykes Matza, 1957) Coleman (1994) adds another concept of techniques of neutralisation and states that denial of necessity for the law, everyones doing it, and claims of entitlement. There have been several attempts to apply these concepts to explain wildlife crime. Forsyth Evens (1998) have analysed the neutralisation techniques used by individuals involved in organised dog fighting. Eliason Dodder (1999) have shown how deer poachers deploy the claim to entitlement. They also use the concept that they have a right to the defence of necessity to justify their criminal activity, due to believing the concept that what is on their land is the poachers property. Sykes Matza (1957) further develop their views on delinquency as a result of a deviant sub-culture, which exposes the individual to crime and in turn teaches deviant behaviour or sub terranean values, which cause them to deviate from the norms of society. This is captured in the concepts of drift (Matza, 1964) Drift is explained as a gradual process, which results in moulding the individuals behaviour. Once the crime is committed the delinquent feels guilt and must balance their behaviour by returning to act in a law-abiding manner. Drift can be described as soft determinism, which views criminality as partly chosen and partly determined. The will to commit a crime occurs when one of these conditions is present, preparation and desperation. These allow the individual to form the decision to commit a crime. Preparation occurs when a criminal act is repeated once the person realizes that the criminal act can be achieved and is feasible. Desperation activities the will to initially commit a crime because of an extraordinary occasion, which is the feeling of lacking control over ones surroundings (Matza, 1964). In conclusion, this research article analysis of farmers reasons for illegally culling of badgers in England and Wales. Utilising the concept on Sykes Matzas neutralisation theory, the article highlights the activity in which badger culling occurs and how the rural community rationalise their deviant behaviour. The farmers attitudes and neutralisations might be perceived as a means they can view themselves as faultless victims and suggest that badger culling is a justified reaction to the current issue of preventing the spread of disease. The government on the 11th December 2012 announced it will delay a planned cull of badgers in England and Wales until next summer. Environment secretary Owen Paterson stated that it was crucial to get it right and it is too late in the year. Under the current Government plan, several thousands of badgers could be shot, in an attempt to decrease the levels of the disease Bovine Tuberculosis. Many Anti-Cull campaigners have welcomed this latest news on the activity of legal badger culling. How Effective is Notting Hill as an Urban Fairy Tale? How Effective is Notting Hill as an Urban Fairy Tale? Urban fairy tales is a supernaturalism mirror which reflects aspects of our inner world. For those who infiltrate themselves in what the fairy tale should combine, it becomes natural depression and quite pool which at first seems to reflect only on our own mental representation. Fairy tales consciously fabricate their settings and social environment, allow happenstance and magic to determine events and structure their narratives in such a way that the protagonist of the story undergoes a series of mental measurements before achieving his or her goal. In romantic comedies, the real focus is the power of love. Love is not merely the catalyst for action in a romantic comedy, it is the shaper of the story arc. Although many romantic comedies seem to initially set up their protagonists eventual mate as their antagonist, in most cases love itself is the antagonist. Wrestling with love can force a character to grow or to resist growth, but either way, loves effect on the central character i s what drives the story. Billy Mernit. So how do romantic comedies occupy the interest of an audience? All the romantic comedies I have ever seen somehow tries to clarify their version of the perfect couple, something the audience should strive to be. The writers of these films twig a man and a woman who are seamlessly perfect for each other. The characters have some force separating the two of them, they may be from different backgrounds, live on opposites sides of the world or one of them may even be already in a relationship. But we all know how a romantic comedy ends! The people who should be together end up together and they live happily ever after. No one really watches these movies for the ending as they are so predictable, viewers unquestionably watch these films to see how the relationship blossoms and grows, to feel the warm heart stings pull when the two people finally end up together. The 1990s saw a rise of genres that reached their extremum in contemporary British cinema, of which one is identified as the romantic-comedy. Robert murphy writes his article City life: Urban Fairy-tales in late 90s British Cinema (2009) that released romantic comedies during this existing period, notably those written by Richard Curtis, underpin a fairy tale structure. Although realism has been a predominant theme of British filmmaking Murphys idea of a fairy tale suggests that romantic comedies such as Notting Hill (roger michell,1998) reflect romantic characteristics of everyday life. Murphy assertion that narratives are stylised as a magical quest [1] (Robert Murphy, 2009) for goal orientated ideologist who get through a successful conclusion by stop the villain which, has been part of the Hollywood prescription since the 1920s. This essay will analyse and discuss Notting Hill as an Urban fairy tale regarding Murphys theory of fairy-tale narrative styles and British locations ser ving as an enchanting landscape and urban theme. The emotion in films is a very meaningful and important aspect to the narrative drive, this is perhaps the key factor that is essential to creating a successful film. Without a plausible and workable storyline, a film will almost definitely lose all hope of generating verisimilitude. An aspect which significantly affects how effective the storyline is in creating the verisimilitude critical to a romantic comedy/urban fairy tale is how sound effects and the sound track to the film is used. There is music to help up the tension in action movies and music which allows us to soften our hearts to heart-breaking yet romantic prince and princess things happening to the characters, which allows to open the vision of believability to a whole new level. A Characteristic which effect how successful a film is how well the characters are developed and how well they portray their characters. The producers of Notting Hill chose very appropriate actors that represented the characters at a very authentic standard. The actors were well constructed, very thoughtfully, to come across as prince and princess like characters during the films events. However, the prince and princess like characters I thought were not only equally well-constructed. I found that the villains who didnt necessarily realise that they were being villainous often had the best effect on the viewer and add fairy tale like qualities to the film. I found it more stimulating when there were numerous villains involved because otherwise there is little tautness and conflict during the narrative and this often leads to me switching off to the events on screen. The typical fairy-tale story line is in a linear form which per Murphy began either with a lack which must be remedied (the absence of an heir, a suitable marriage partner, enough food or land or wealth); a curse which has been removed (a spell cast by a which is disrupted and has to be restored (death or misfortune sends a, sometimes reluctant [2](Robert Murphy, 2009). British fairy-tale genres tend to be structured chronologically like the Hollywood storylines, they experiment the romantic lives of multiple middle-class people who elaborate different trends of relationships with love serving as the central postulate. Notting hill fits in a straightforward linear conspiracy that have individual hero and villains. Like William and Anna in Notting Hill, shapes romantic boundaries among opposing social classes within a fantastical situation. Notting Hill is structured in more straight-forward narrative that presents its protagonist William Thacker (Hugh Grant), a middle-class bookstore owner who convergence film star Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) and progressively begin a relationship. Their happy ever after was forced to a halt as both characters having personal obstacles in their lives, Williams obstacles being recently divorced, and Anna facing famous pressures. Their relationship was an escapism from reality. In the end their obstacles is what reunite them together. This is to celebrate the idea of a union between two well-suited equals, even as its narrative simultaneously formulated a series of events and circumstances capable of keeping the couple apart until the very end. The couples first encounter is significant to the urban fairy tale as it takes place in Williams bookstore that features travel books. This is a sense of escapism particularly for Anna from the Hollywood scene, and it is when we first get a sense of their possible happily ever after. We see very early in the film that Julia Roberts character Anna is a prominent example as she portrayed in the opening scene as this goddess princess, through her Hollywood stardom. Roger Michell uses a number of filmic techniques that portrays Anna as a princess, the use of   voice over within the opening scene boosts her as Hollywoods biggest star alongside the non-diegetic sound SHE by Elvis Costello the lyrics especially   represents her natural beauty she may be the face I cant forget the trace of pleasure or regret   may be my treasure or the price I have to payà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ this song is playing whilst we are seeing   montage footage of Anna at Hollywood events, with low key lighting and the use of close ups and extreme close ups make sure the viewers attention is always on her. However, it is those Hollywood scenes that prevent her from her happily ever after ending. Anna primarily looks for an escape from her Hollywood lifestyle through her inter est in everyday Britain Murphy notes Anna is lured from the vacuous superficiality of a Hollywood lifestyle by the promise of life in the city of tranquil parks (all the more tranquil for being open only to the rich), street markets she can peruse with only minimal intrusions into her privacy and friendly people who, even when in   awe of her, act in a natural, unsycophantic way.[3] (Robert Murphy, 2009) Whilst Anna develops her interest in the ordinary lifestyle the travel books shows significance as well as her relationship with an everyday resident. Her relationship with William do battle with social classes, this is recognised in the films tag line can the most famous film star in the world fall for the man in the street. Murphy notes if this cycle of films is remarkable for its evacuation of class conflict and its conservative representation of society, it is less a matter of sympathy switching from the poor and oppressed to the privileged and successful, than of a rappr ochement, a papering over the rifts that had opened up between rich and poor, losers and winners in the 1980s. [4](Robert Murphy, 2009)   Richard Curtis use of linear narrative structure was used frequently in the 1930s in Hollywood romantic-comedies, like it happened one night (Capra, 1934), is vital to reflecting the elegance within contemporary Britain. Americas Universal Pictures distributed Notting Hill, despite its main characters, cast and crew being British, though street states that this represents a traditional strengthening of exclusive notions of Britain. Notting hill works as an urban fairy tale because of the basic narrative structure, most of the success of this film being such a classic rom-com is down to the talents of Richard Curtis, who has a detailed eye for situation comedy. It is a delightful love story that is sometimes foreseeable in the narrative structure however Richard manages to find a persuasive originality. It is the clash of cultures that is wonderfully emphasised during this film such as the scene when William bring Anna to his sisters dinner party. William and his friends might be inte rchangeable with Charles and his friends in terms of character types but they are set lower in the class hierarchy and have none of the glamour and prestige which still attaches to the English aristocracy.[5] (Robert Murphy, 2009) The impression that Anna seems to have on the regular British people be a symbol for cinema in relation to Hollywood. Like how women are represented, male protagonists are what Murphy describes sleeping prices and frogs waiting to be kissed.[6] (Robert Murphy, 2009) They appear attractive and sophisticated, which they are superficially unware of, possess no machismo features of masculinity. Hugh Grant is perhaps the most noticeable star within the romantic-comedy and urban fairy-tale genre not only because he appears in films such as Love Actually, Four Weddings and Bridget Jones but also because of his star status that enhances a prince like status. Grants persona is that of the well up brining Englishman whose off screen behaviour confirms stereotypes ab out upper-class hypocrisy over sexual matters. In this sense, grant is a typecast actor whose characters are frequently the handsome and well educated individual who represents the amiable males in Britain in relation to Murphys idea of a sleeping prince, Notting Hill further discovers Williams personal complications before claiming his reward, Anna specifically admires his unique lifestyle with flatmate Spike (Rhys Ifans), his social life among unproductive friends and most importantly his recovery from his recent divorce and new love determination. Notting Hill signifies many characteristics of the star lifestyle, red carpet events, press, fans stopping for autographs, being followed by lurid journalists, etc. but the star lifestyle is also shown somewhat undesirably, especially when compared to life in Notting Hill. Realism, or verisimilitude, is largely an important part of film, yet it is hard to believe that a film star would fall in love with a regular person and give up her whole lifestyle to live a low quiet lifestyle in Notting Hill. It is an essential part of genre films as it is usually the credibility elements of a film that lay the practicalities of its pleasure which in turn entices audiences to see the film in the first place. In the case of Notting Hill, the demand is in the wanting. Postponement of disbelief allows the viewer to believe that anything is possible and the film star of their imaginings is within their grasp. It is an apparently realistic lifestyle. Celebrities are important to culture as they have a foremost control over the representation of people and their films tend to reflect the foremost ideology of western society. Bad press can be such a disaster for both the actors careers and whatever films they have due for release. But luckily for Grant, the incident with the prostitute didnt affect his career too bad, in fact people laugh at the prostitute reference in Notting Hill. Notting Hill is representative of the genre in terms of narrative contraries attracting, falling in love, dithering apart, living happily ever after, characters near group of friends to pick up when youre feeling down, another love interest to whichever end the relationship for a short amount of time. British romantic comedies have a tendency to to be set in or near London. Music and soundtracks tend to be popular music from popular artists and use instrumental score to create and build the spectators reaction. Cinematography lean towards close up camera angles on the protagonists faces throughout instants of powerful emotion. It also topographies a reasonably accurate symbol of stardom in the narrative and stars actors who have become iconographic in relations of genre. When I started this essay my aim was to identify and analyse in depth how effective Notting Hill is to an urban fairy tale and in doing so I hope to have proven that it is very important for the film director and producers to think of all the characterises that go into making this particular genre. I have discussed that the making of a successful urban fairy tale/ romantic comedy means that the cinematography and the use of camera angles is used to reveal emotion, the narrative and the characters need to be built very carefully, the actors must be talented enough to represent the characters well, the music and any effects used must be applicable to the genre and events within the film and that the cultural dissertations and must also be thoughtfully used. I hope to have been successful whilst completing this essay by discussing the key factors that shows Notting Hill as an urban fairy tale. As Notting hill settles with a happy ending or determinations like a traditional fairy-tale st ory. The linear structure can, in some ways, be foreseeable but the significant aspect of Notting Hill is that it can centre on contemporary issues with Robert Murphy supporting concept of fairy tale Britain increasingly contributing a positive factor. Finally, Notting Hill establishes a spirit of Hollywood within but at the same time it maintains a sense of British independent film making. Bibliography https://film essay sand articles. word press.com/ category / romantic-comedy/ http://www.term paper warehouse.com / essay-on / Romance-Movies/ 121294 https://www.megaessays.com / view paper / 98479.html Murphy, Robert (2009), Citylife: Urban Fairy-tales in Late 90s British Cinema, in Robert Murphy (ed.), The British Cinema Book: Third Edition (London: BFI), pp.350-7 Higson, Andrew (2011), Film England: Culturally English Filmmaking since the 1990s (London and New York: I.B.Tauris), particularly Chapter 3, pp.67-96 Mather, Nigel (2006), Tears of Laughter: Comedy-Drama in 1990s British Cinema (Manchester; New York: Manchester University Press) http://www.talking pix.co.uk / Article Notting Hill Genre. html http://www.teenink . com / opinion / movies _music _tv / article / 171583 / Misleading Movies The Romantic Comedy / http://www. Npr . org / sections / monkey see / 2013 / 03 / 06 / 173424536 / are romantic comedies dead https://en . wikipedia . org / wiki / Notting _Hill _(film) http://www. Imdb . com / title / tt0125439 / [1] Robert Murphy . (2009). city life: urban fairy-tales in late 90s British cinema . In: Robert Murphy THE BRITISH CINEMA BOOK. 3rd ed.london: palgrave macmillan. 358. [2] Robert Murphy . (2009). city life: urban fairy-tales in late 90s British cinema . In: Robert Murphy THE BRITISH CINEMA BOOK. 3rd ed.london: palgrave macmillan. 358 [3] Robert Murphy . (2009). city life: urban fairy-tales in late 90s British cinema . In: Robert Murphy THE BRITISH CINEMA BOOK. 3rd ed.london: palgrave macmillan. 363 [4] Robert Murphy . (2009). city life: urban fairy-tales in late 90s British cinema . In: Robert Murphy THE BRITISH CINEMA BOOK. 3rd ed.london: palgrave macmillan. 364 [5] Robert Murphy . (2009). city life: urban fairy-tales in late 90s British cinema . In: Robert Murphy THE BRITISH CINEMA BOOK. 3rd ed.london: palgrave macmillan. 363 [6] Robert Murphy . (2009). city life: urban fairy-tales in late 90s British cinema . In: Robert Murphy THE BRITISH CINEMA BOOK. 3rd ed.london: palgrave macmillan. 360