Themes in Raymond Carvers Literature Essay -- Papers Carver Short Cut

Themes in Raymond Carver's Literature In Short Cuts, by Raymond Carver, characters experience trials and problems in their lives, whether extreme such as in " A Small, Good Thing" and "Lemonade" or nominal such as in " Vitamins". They all seem to depict these struggles as uphill battles which the characters cannot and mostly do not overcome. The characters throughout Carver's "Short Cuts" struggle through their lives in private desperation, often to ultimately realize that they are bound to the truth of who they really are, which is shown in the story "Neighbors." In "Neighbors", Bill and Arlene Miller are a couple with menial jobs who give credence to the saying "the grass is greener on the other side of the fence". They are dissatisfied with their own lives and look to the lives of their neighbors to find happiness in their own. Once a happy couple, they often feel that "they alone among their circle had been passed by somehow (13)." They did not discuss how they could change their own lives, but merely compared their lives with the Stones. "They talked about it sometimes,...

Hamlet, The Metamorphosis, and Frankenstein Essay

Familial relations are often strained in the world of literature, especially between fathers and sons. However, these strains grow when traditional notions of fatherhood are altered or circumvented; so Hamlet has a difficult time dealing with an uncle-turn-father, and Gregor Samsa’s father is unable to truly be a parent to a gigantic cockroach. Even Victor Frankenstein is unsure how to treat his creation—as a son to care for and provide for, or as an out of control science experiment gone awry. Each of these texts shows traditional notions of father and son relationships breaking under the strain of unconventional fatherhood. Hamlet, perhaps, provides the most telling example of these strains of convention—Hamlet’s primary difficulty is his inability to be a good son to both of his fathers. To be a good son to King Hamlet means avenging his alleged murder by murdering Claudius; to be a good son to Claudius means ignoring the pleadings of his ghostly father. Prince Hamlet sees his role as son to Claudius as essentially void, due to the marriage of Claudius and Gertude being (at best) â€Å"damned incest† and, at worst, a politically-contrived accessory to the murder of the king. This is what fuels Hamlet’s odd confrontation with Gertrude—he sees his plan to murder Claudius as a way of returning the family to the way it was. Of course, Hamlet fails to freshen up what is â€Å"rotten in the state of Denmark†Ã¢â‚¬â€he merely added to the decay via the pile of bodies at the end of the play. Of these three tales, it is a morbid irony that the father/son relationship between a man and a giant cockroach of a son may, in fact, be the most conventional one. This relationship is highlighted by a kind of brutal utility—Gregor is useful to his father for as long as he is able to provide for his father. In this sense, the most profound change in the story in the eyes of the eldest Samsa is not his son into an insect, but his son changing from a provider to one who needs to be provided for. This sparks anger, outrage, and ultimately, abandonment. This brutal utility is highlighted by the end of the story, in which the family hopes to find a young man for Greta, essentially scheming to replace one provider with another. Gregor, in turn, feels his death is the best thing for the family: while dying, â€Å"he remembered his family with deep feelings of love. † Victor Frankenstein’s relationship with his creation is a mockery of traditional father/son relationships, just as Frankenstein’s actions are a mockery of God’s abilities. Victor wants his â€Å"son† to be a walking, talking example of his own genius. However, this focus on his own achievements means that he is unable to provide for his son—as he says, his focus is on â€Å"treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation. † His son, unable to experience the love of a woman or a father, is left to feel like he is â€Å"miserable and the abandoned† and â€Å"an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on. † The phrasing is very apt: the monster feels like he is merely the discarded and abandoned tissue that his â€Å"father† never wished to claim as a son. Three disparate tales—Hamlet, The Metamorphosis, and Frankenstein—prevent father and son relationship that are outside the bounds of normality. In this sense, the tales are normative, as they illustrate what a normal father/son relationship is by clearly exhibiting what one is not. Audiences are left to ponder whether they will treat family members differently when their family changes; whether shifting relationships means they, themselves, must change; and whether children from alternative circumstances are somehow worth any less of a parent’s love.

Improving democratic boundaries through the internet Essay

Introduction The internet has changed the way many things are done. The traditional methods have been scrapped and newer more efficient and effective means are constantly being offered through and on the internet. The unique ability of the internet to render geographical boundaries obsolete allows anyone to access an almost infinite pool of information and to also share that information without regulation or control (Kalir 2002). The speed with which this information and exchange of ideas is facilitated by the internet makes it a potent medium for democratic plans. Given these benefits and advances that the internet has offered, it comes as no surprise then that the internet has also allowed democratic boundaries to improve by allowing for better communication and exchange of ideas. This discourse on the effect of the internet on improving the democratic boundaries will therefore attempt to show that the ability of the internet to bypass traditional boundaries and barriers to a free exchange of ideas and information has improved democratic boundaries despite the attempts of government to restrain or control this medium. Bypassing Traditional Boundaries As mentioned previously, the internet allows any person to access information from any place and also access any information available online. The ability of this medium to encourage the free exchange of ideas between people of any race or culture makes it easier to cross and overcome whatever boundaries may have been set in place traditionally (Lessig 2000). â€Å"Digital Democracy† which is the â€Å"use of digital communication technologies to enhance the democratic process by, among other things, making the process more accessible, increasing and enhancing citizen participation in public policy decision making, and increasing government transparency and accountability† plays a vital role in bypassing these traditional boundaries and improving the existing democratic boundaries by inviting democratic participation (Lim 2006). One of the reasons why the internet has been so successful at bypassing and improving these barriers is because of the fact that through the internet, â€Å"convergence† is achieved at a relatively low cost (Mitchell 2002). This means that people from all walks of life are not necessarily constrained by finances and such as to hamper or inhibit them from participating in the democratic process or in digital democracy. This in effects allows for a more mixed lot of participants and allows for a richer exchange of ideas and a greater participation from a wider demographic base (Lim 2006). Put simply, the relatively low cost of access to the internet at the present allows for more people to participate and also increases the amount of information available that is vital to the success of â€Å"digital democracy:† The greater scope for freedom, autonomy, creativity, and collaboration that the internet provides makes it a successful tool in bypassing the traditional boundaries and constraints that have prevented people in participating in the democratic process and thus by providing for such the existing democratic barriers are improved. Free Exchange of Ideas and Information Governments realized that as the internet was maturing there would be a need to control and regulate access to the internet as well as to control the content of the information on the internet (Simon 2001). Most of the regulations however have proven to be ineffective as more and more people were able to find means to bypass them (see bypassing traditional boundaries) and thus led to the formation of â€Å"social movements† on the internet which is a key to the improvement of democratic boundaries (Lim 2006). Social movements are broad social alliances of people who are connected through a shared interest in blocking or promoting social change (Trippi 2004). On the internet, with the amount of information available and the number of people participating, it is but a natural result that people who share similar beliefs form their own â€Å"societies† or those who do not have any firm beliefs are able to find something which they do subscribe to. According to Lim, â€Å"The ability of the internet to provide many people access to forums for deliberation on a range of public issues and the involvement of decision-makers in online forums assure participants that their voices will be heard. Their efforts contribute to building a new public sphere where rationality rules, citizen voices are heard, and public officials heed the demos. (Lim 2006)† By allowing more people to participate and exchange ideas freely, support for proper movements to improve the democratic situation of any state, can quickly be generated thus ensuring the success of the democratic process. Yet as pointed out by one writer, the limitations of such actions are still determined by the effective sphere of influence and control of the government over the geographical and political terrain (Barlow 2001). Improving Democratic Boundaries As shown by the arguments above, the internet indeed improves democratic boundaries and presents the opportunity to eventually create a world democracy. The boundaries that have traditionally existed to bar or hinder any interaction between peoples has been bypassed by the internet and thus allowing more people to interact with each other and to mobilize despite the geographical distances of each other. The convergence that this allows makes the generation of any support necessary to improve the democratic process easier and also allows for access to a larger support base. Another factor which has led to the success of the internet in improving democratic boundaries is the fact that it allows for faster and more exchange of information. This then allows more people to interact with each other and also form â€Å"social movements†. These social movements allow people to voice out their ideas collectively and thus improving the chances that their rights are not suppressed and that their voices are heard. The future of democracy on the internet is bright indeed. With the number of people and countries that have access to internet increasing, it is guaranteed that the democratic process will survive despite attempts of certain governments (China) at regulating this medium (Longworth 2001). Still, time and again, it has been shown that whatever controls and regulations governments attempt to set in place have always been bypassed thus ensuring that the future for democracy lies in the internet, in cyberspace. References: Barlow, J. (1996). A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace. Retrieved November 2, 2006, from http://www. eff. org/~barlow/Declaration-Final. html. Davis, S. , Elin, B. and Reeher, G. (2002). Click on Democracy: The Internet’s Power to Change Political Apathy into Civic Action. Boulder CO: Westview Press. Kalir, E. and Maxwell, E. (2002). Rethinking Boundaries in Cyberspace. The Aspen Institute: Communications and Society Program. Lessig, L. (2000). â€Å"Innovation, Regulation, and the Internet. † American Prospect 11, no. 10. Retrieved November 2, 2006, from http://www. prospect. org/print/V11/10/lessig-l. html Lim, M. and Kann, M. (2006). Democratic Deliberation and Mobilization on the Internet. Annenberg Center for Communication University of Southern California. Longworth, R. (2001). â€Å"Government Without Democracy. † American Prospect 12, no. 12. Retrieved November 1, 2006, from http://www. prospect. org/print/V12/12/longworth-r. html. Mitchell, W. (1995). City of Bits: Place, Space, and the Infobahn. Retrieved November 2, 2006, from http://cyber. law. harvard. edu/people/reagle/inet-quotations-19990709. html. Simon, L. (2001). Democracy and the Internet: Allies or Adversaries? Woodrow Wilson Center Press. Trippi, J. (2004). The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything. Regan Books. â€Å"Political Influentials Online in the 2004 Presidential Campaign. † (February 5, 2004). Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet, Graduate School of Political Management, George Washington University.

Being Too Skinny †A Personal Essay

Being Too Skinny – A Personal Essay Free Online Research Papers To have healthy body, fair skin, sharp features and cuteness- key elements towards which boys used to open their responses for girls, when I was in 9th grade in late 80s. â€Å"Dating† wasn’t openly allowed and common at that time in Indian culture but the idea was there of liking some one and sneaking around secretly. None of the above elements were in my account though- combination of very thin body, average look, and wheatish skin- that was ME. I had few ideas to create new skin and little bit beautiful face with make up but I was totally empty when had to deal with my skinniness eighty pound, butt less, skinny and full of visible bones containing body. Many times my closest friend Neel had expressed her feeling saying â€Å"Dolly, You got to put some extra kgs fat on your bones or else you will have to dig out for stick figure husband†, which insisted me to realize the reality of being extremely skinny. I used to be nervous sometime thinking about my tiny body but being very studios and sincere student- studies, future goals had caught me tightly enough so my thiness didn’t bother me much at that time though all of my girl friends had boyfriends secretly which made me feel bit uns uccessful for not catching any boy’s eye on me. Some three years ran over and final year of school came up. l. One day when I reached at school Neel-my best friend jumped towards me with mixed feeling of anger, surprising and happiness â€Å"Dolly, what have I heard about you I didn’t expect this from you, I ‘m your closest friend and you even didn’t care to tell me about all these, I’m so mad at you†. I some how felt scared as I had little idea about what might be in her mind but I ask her with act of knowing nothing about the situation â€Å" Neel, What happened, what have you heard about me?, just calm down and let’s talk†- Then I settled down the issue with her anyways. The secret was hidden in my chest successfully since last two years disclosed suddenly that day in school some other scattered comments spilled on me that day â€Å"Dolly, What is going on? Is it really true? â€Å", â€Å"Dolly, wow you have made a history†. Yes, world came to know the biggest secret o f my life that I had an affair with most eligible, desirable and hot favorite boy in our batch- Annie, who is currently known as my dear husband. Many students including me had one question – Why he chose me? , the skinniest girl in the school though he was able to get any damn beautiful girl around him? My fatless body became a topic and always teased , whenever family and friends got an opportunity. My dearest uncle- Jaimy said to me once â€Å"It seemed that hollow matchstick was flying in the air, when you were dancing†. We all were attending my cousin’s pre- wedding dance party and uncle Jaimy made a big confusion – Was his comment on my dancing skills or my skinny body? People are so crucial some time that they make comment which doesn’t have straight meaning. I spent enough time in my life to scrutinize people’s attitude towards me of being so bony when I was in India during my 20’s. I was landed recently from India, totally unaware of body structures of white and black people It was first day at work in USA at near by convenient store, surrounded by black people’s residents. My vision was so surprised by seeing each customer coming and leaving that store, every one was so called â€Å"healthy†-guys were showing off puffed muscles by tattooing them and each female looked like a factory of lump sum fat. I wondered â€Å"what must be the difference between my size and their, I was wearing one size so I guess they must be belong to 16-18 or 20? ,do they need to customize the size? as I had never seen such kind of giant clothes in my home country. That day went by and I got chance to develop some happiness of being skinny. My skinny body was worth of many great comments that day like â€Å" Hey pretty girl, you are so lucky to have this kind of body , you don’t have to check calories count on back of every food wrapper† , â€Å" hey be autiful, can we switch our bodies as I ‘m carrying huge one and have been dreaming about skinny one like yours? God, I was so happy that night which made me to ask that secretive question to my husband Annie- Why he chose me? , He laughed at me, hugged me real tight and said â€Å" Dolly, I love you so much all it matters so go to sleep and I will reveal that secret some other time†. That was the day when I felt happiness of being slim because I was liked and loved the way I was, none compromised made. But some how I middle of that night I felt â€Å" there would me nice If I can put up little more weight and make myself more beautiful though I don’t want to be a giant or huge one.† I had new goal of my life -to make more fat tissues for myself. I started eating cheese and butter with each bite of my day, gained few pounds on my bones which helped me to feel beautiful without any make up but specially India people around me never stopped bothering me about my skinniness .I was introduced to one of our community member through my friend Sheetal recently â€Å" Hey , this is Dolly-one of my good friend, I was talking about†. That lady carrying 150 pound on her bones looked at me and said â€Å"Hey Dolly, you are lot skinnier than Sheetal desctibed you earlier, do me a favor –can you take few pounds from me?† I was shocked after getting this kind of comment at first introduction. I was confused about her concern, was she complaining about her being so fat or about me being so flat by idea of giving up some pounds to me. I was little bit angry as she pointed out my characteristic at first sight. Anyways I smiled at her and replied humorously that â€Å"I do get that offer many times†. I could take pr ide of being the way I was when I was surrounded by American people but it sucked when I had to face my own community. Many years went by I had always got comments, complements, humors and advices. I was passing through my mid thirties. One incident made me to think about my lanky characteristic. I was in my English class; teacher had asked us to write an essay on â€Å"impact of any personal characteristic on our life†. I decided â€Å"my thinness† without any further thinking. When we classmates and teacher discussed our thoughts and topic of the essay teacher made a comment about my topic â€Å"You are so lucky to be like this thin as you will get reward in your 40s†. It wasn’t a huge complement but yes, I never thought what it would be in my 40s before. She certainly opened new thoughts for me of being skinny. Well, because of essay I had to dig out my past experience and outcomes of being svelte. The same night I was discussing about my English class assignment with my husband and he laughed at me and said â€Å" you have been always so concern about your body, now l eave it alone and enjoy your life† I picked up his mood and asked him to go out for dinner as it was our 9th wedding anniversary. â€Å"Hey honey, today is the day you can tell me your little secret, it’s a perfect time, please tell me what made you to marry me?† we both were enjoying our romantic dinner at my favorite restaurant ‘P.F. Changs’, I hold his hand and gave him soft look . He replied â€Å" Dolly, you have always thought that your bones don’t have enough fat but when we were in school many boys were mad for you as you were most sophisticated, reliable, loyal and sincere girl but no one ever dare to come to you because of your straightforwardness. One more thing Dolly, if you remember I was also a thin boy so I always dreamed about thin girl like you. Finally I decided to take that risk and asked for your companionship for life time†. I cried and thank god of â€Å"being thin†. Research Papers on Being Too Skinny - A Personal EssayStandardized TestingPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Spring and AutumnHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayHip-Hop is ArtEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThe Hockey GameThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsMind Travel

Free Essays on Livvie

â€Å"Livvie†, A Celebration of life Eudora Welty’s â€Å"Livvie†, is a great story on how life should be celebrated. The story is about a young woman , who marries and old man, that in a since imprisons her. The young girl gets a second chance at life when a younger man (someone her own age) enters her life and the older man is about to die. The theme Welty is trying to get across is live life to the fullest. Welty shows the theme through the character, setting, and symbols. Characters played a big role in the story. First, Solomon who is the husband of young woman. His name kind of explains what type of man he is going to be in the story. Solomon was the king of Israel and in the story Welty provides information that Solomon is playing a king type role. Welty says Solomon had a bed â€Å"like a throne† (511). â€Å"Solomon had never let Livvie go any farther than the chicken house and the well. (515). Welty shows the control Solomon has over Livvie (the young girl). Another sign of control that Welty shows in the story is, â€Å"Solomon would not have let Livvie look at them, just as he would not let her look at a field hand or a field hand look at her† (512 about cosmetics, Livvie gets so excited about the color of the lipstick. It must remind her of something in life. Cash’s youth attracts Livvie. The setting also plays a signi... Free Essays on Livvie Free Essays on Livvie â€Å"Livvie†, A Celebration of life Eudora Welty’s â€Å"Livvie†, is a great story on how life should be celebrated. The story is about a young woman , who marries and old man, that in a since imprisons her. The young girl gets a second chance at life when a younger man (someone her own age) enters her life and the older man is about to die. The theme Welty is trying to get across is live life to the fullest. Welty shows the theme through the character, setting, and symbols. Characters played a big role in the story. First, Solomon who is the husband of young woman. His name kind of explains what type of man he is going to be in the story. Solomon was the king of Israel and in the story Welty provides information that Solomon is playing a king type role. Welty says Solomon had a bed â€Å"like a throne† (511). â€Å"Solomon had never let Livvie go any farther than the chicken house and the well. (515). Welty shows the control Solomon has over Livvie (the young girl). Another sign of control that Welty shows in the story is, â€Å"Solomon would not have let Livvie look at them, just as he would not let her look at a field hand or a field hand look at her† (512 about cosmetics, Livvie gets so excited about the color of the lipstick. It must remind her of something in life. Cash’s youth attracts Livvie. The setting also plays a signi...

Marketing and the Health Care System Research Paper

Marketing and the Health Care System - Research Paper Example The utilization of the healthcare services of Maryland General Hospital could be assessed by the healthcare service provider in order to analyze the current situation of usage of healthcare services. A proper analysis of the field reports is helpful in designing the ways in which the decision of the healthcare recipients could be influenced. Research Objectives The scope of this research includes a study of Maryland General Hospital. The research objectives for this study are to examine the direct impact of marketing for Maryland General Hospital, to determine a strategy to find the utilization of products and services of the hospital, and to design a marketing strategy for Maryland General Hospital. Research Methodology The impact of direct marketing of Maryland General Hospital and strategies to determine the current utilization of healthcare services of the community that it caters have been determined with the help of the secondary method of research. The data collected for the s tudy are secondary. The data have been obtained from secondary sources such as the electronic websites of the health care provider, journals, etc. The data obtained from the official website of Maryland General Hospital are reliable. The healthcare service activities have been studied from these secondary data sources. The information has been analyzed to design a marketing strategy for Maryland General Hospital and also to determine ways by which the decision of the healthcare recipients could be influenced for wider spread of the healthcare services. Analysis and Findings Maryland General Hospital is located in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The hospital serves majorly Afro-American citizens and lies in a medically underserved area of Baltimore. The hospital has been awarded a score of 38.6 for the medically underserved area, and any score below 62 requires medical services to a higher extent. This has raised the scope of direct marketing for the hospital which im pact has been analyzed below. The hospital has engaged its consultants and internal committees for conducting surveys and direct marketing of its healthcare products and services. As a result, Maryland General Hospital has been able to understand the needs of the community through direct interaction with the members. The health care needs of individuals and their families could be identified and the cost of the healthcare services could be customized in order to serve the medically undeserved area of Baltimore. The direct marketing of healthcare services provides a clear picture of the demographics, income level and the barriers to access healthcare by communities (Maryland General Hospital, 2009). It has been found that about 16.2% of the population in the city of Baltimore are below the federal poverty line and cannot afford the primary healthcare service due to transportation barriers and financial constraints. The direct marketing of the healthcare services of Maryland General H ospital helps the organization to outreach to the people who need basic healthcare services. The strategies that could be adopted by Maryland General Hospital for assessing the utilization of the products and services of the organization are through the conduct of a survey using paper questionnaires and survey questionnaires through the Internet. The hospital could also conduct meetings with the religious leaders and school

Car Buying Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Car Buying Assignment - Research Paper Example Present Value Annuity of 5% for 10 years =12.578(use a financial table for PVA, Tapiero, 2010) = ($180 12.578 (PVA 5%, 10 years) = $2,264.04 SOLUTION 4 Amount saved=$ 3,800 Time =5 years Rate=7% Present value annuity of 7% for 5 years=2.624(use a financial table for PVA, Tapiero, 2010) = ($3800 x 2.624(PVA 7%, 5yrs) =$9,971.2 SOLUTION 5 Cash cost=$60 Credit cost = ($60+ ($34for 24) =$876-$695= $181 Home Buying Assignment Grading Rubric Table Comparing Data for the Two Homes Particulars For each home in terms of: 1942 San Ysidro Drive Beverly hills’, CA 18737 Gledhill Street Northridge, CA Price $1,195,000 $579,000 Age 57 years 59 years No. of bedrooms 3 3 No. of bathrooms 2 2 Square footage 2310 1670 Lot size 0.29 0.21 Price per square foot $517 $347 Comparison of the Particulars of the Two Homes The essence of using the two zip codes is to try and locate the appropriate region for buying a particular home so that it can be convenient in terms of reaching to your work station (Lucier, 2005). This can also determine the accessibility of resources and services conveniently for places such as schools, hospitals, church. Therefore, the two zip codes are logically used so as to enable the person interested in buying a home be able to determine the right location of the home with regards to accessibility of various services. In addition, an individual should also consider the shipping factor especially if most times they will be receiving goods through shipment, then a convenient and a strategic location would be a better choice. Considering the total prices for the two homes it is realized that the Beverley hills home is more expensive as compared to that in Northridge both in California. The above table shows that the home in 1942 San Ysidro Drive Street in Beverly is costs $1,195,000 while that along 18737 Gledhill Street costs $579,000. This also proves that those who stay in this area are financially capable (Lucier, 2005). This information would enable t he home buyer to know how to prepare and plan within the limits of his or her budget. After receiving prior information the buyer will plan and ensure that his objectives are precisely met. An individual can therefore make a good decision by comparing the prices of the two homes and knowing which among the two will be within his financial ability before any transactions are made. The price per square foot for the first home in Beverly is about 517 dollars while that along the Gledhill Street in Northridge is about 347 dollars. This comparison illustrates that land as a property is highly valued in Beverly than in Northridge especially for constructed buildings. In this, the price per square foot shows the value of the house especially by using a square foot that is equated to a given price which helps in determining how much money can be paid, alternatively, if an individual wishes to buy the whole home (Lucier, 2005). T