Analysis of “The Seduction”

The Seduction is a poem written by Eileen McCauley. It is about a young and vulnerable sixteen year old girl whose head is filled with thoughts about love and romance portrayed in teenage magazines. These fake ideals lead her to believe that a boy, whom she meets at a party, truly loves her, when really he is just getting her drunk so her resistance will be lower and she will give in to what he wants from her: sex. Three months later she discovers that she is pregnant, she blames teen magazines for filling her head with false ideal of romance.In the very first verse of the poem, the writer introduces the scene of the poem, â€Å"He led her to the quiet bricks of the Birkenhead docks, far past the silver stream of the traffic throughout the city, far from the blind windows of the tower blocks. † This tells us of how there is nobody around to witness what they do. It becomes clear to the reader at the beginning of the poem that he is trying to get her drunk, as when the poet is describing the moment they met, one of the first things he is doing is buying her drinks. We also see this at a later stage when they are at the docks. He handed her the vodka† – this quote proves that he is making an effort to try and get the girl drunk because the alcohol will affect her decisions and causes her to agree to things she normally wouldn’t. Also In the second verse, the boy mutters â€Å"little slag. †This shows us that the boy thinks very little of the girl and lacks respect for women. We then discover that the girl is under some sort of spell because as he talked about football, â€Å"she had nodded, quite enchanted† this shows us that she is keen to listen to what he has to say. With his eyes as blue as iodine† – the use of the word ‘iodine’ used to describe his eyes suggests that there is something dark about him as iodine is a dark blue/black acid. In the fifth stanza, the boy mentions that he goes down to the river when he should be in school or having dinner with â€Å"a bag of shimmering paint thinner. † This shows us that he doesn’t spend much, if any time in school and that he uses the paint thinner as a drug. If the girl was sober, this would be a clear sign to stay away from him but he has lowered her resistance by getting her drunk.We can tell that the girl is a young teenager who enjoys school and wants to do well as she talks about her education in an enthusiastic way. The beginning of the sixth stanza makes us realise how precocious this girl really is, â€Å"so she followed him there, all high white shoes, all wide blue eyes and bottles of vodka. † This sentence shows us that she is trying to grow up too fast because this is what the magazines made her believe was the right thing to do. The poets then says â€Å"then when he swiftly contrived to kiss her, his kiss was scented by Listerine† this tells us that he was prepared for what he wanted to do.Even though we realise that the girl is very precocious, we discover how immature she actually is as it says â€Å"she stifled a giggle, reminded of numerous stories from teenage magazines† this also tells us that she has read about moments like these but hasn’t experienced them until now. The next stanza begins with â€Å"When she discovers she was three months gone† this shows us that the poet has used euphemism to emphasise the harsh reality of what this girl is going through. And she ripped up all her My Guy and Jackie photo comics† I think she does this because the magazines are what filled her head with false ideals about what romance and love should be like. She is angry that the media lied to her and that’s why she ripped then all up. The next stanza then says â€Å"and on that day, she broke the heels of her high white shoes and flung them at the wall† she does this because they were the shoes she wore on the night of the part y to make her look and feel older.She doesn’t want them anymore as she realises that she doesn’t want to be older because of the massive problem that she is faced with. The eighth stanza is mainly telling us about what the magazines have told this girl about what her life should be like â€Å"full of glitzy fashion features and stories of love and romance, where strangers could lead you to bright new worlds, and how would you know if you never took a chance? † This reflects on the consequences of what she did last night and how the media made her think she should take a chance.The ninth stanza says â€Å"full of fresh fruit diets† this shows us that she won’t be able to try out any of these diets as she is now three months pregnant. â€Å"Now with a softly rounded belly, she was sickened every morning by stupid stupid promises, only tacitly made† This shows us that she is reminded every morning of the huge mistake that she made that night. A lso the word â€Å"stupid† is repeated twice, maybe to emphasise that she regrets her actions a lot.The poet then states in the ten and eleventh stanza the things that the girl would be missing out on. This reminds us that the girl is so young and is faced with problems that she shouldn’t have to face at that age. â€Å"With a glass of lager-shandy, on a carpeted floor† this sentence makes the fantasy of romance seem far better than what is really is. The use of the words â€Å"carpeted floor† makes it seem luxurious and â€Å"lager shandy† makes it seem much more innocent as it is a lighter drink than the vodka she drunk the night of the party.In the last few stanzas, the poet states things that the girl would rather do than become pregnant â€Å"But then again, better to be smoking scented drugs or festering, invisibly unemployed† This shows us that she is almost going into a state of depression. She then describes being ‘stuck in a feminine void’, which basically means accidentally becoming pregnant. In the very last stanza, it becomes clear to us that she is very ashamed of herself because the poet says â€Å"better to turn away, move away, fade away, than to have the neighbours whisper ‘you always looked the type. ’

Public Displays of Affection Essay

Have you ever walked down the hallways of our school and seen so momentous that all public displays of affection should be banned? As a student I walk through these halls every day and the gravest thing I have seen is a kiss that lasted a bit too long. That doesn’t seem enough to grant banning all forms of public displays of affection (PDA). I believe that it should not be banned. Hugging is not just a way to show affection, high school is supposed to get us ready for our life beyond BHHS, and finally PDA keeps people in line, no fights etc., and banning it would lead to student’s unhappiness and therefore our enthusiasm to work would diminish. First, hugging is not just a way to show affection but also a form of greeting. Hugging is a way of greeting much like how the French kiss your cheek when meeting you. In America we often shake hands to greet someone but in France they kiss you on your cheek. This is not a way of showing how you love that person but more like saying hello. Just the other day a friend and I were at the mall and I happened upon an old friend that I hadn’t seen a long time. When we recognized each other we said hello and also gave each other a hug. It was a short hug and just served the purpose of a greeting between to friends. I have no feeling of love toward her so although it was public it was not an affectionate hug. Not all hugs are used to show affection toward a loved one. Second, high school is supposed to get us ready for our life beyond BHHS; in that life I hope to have a girlfriend but how am I supposed learn to keep that girl if I cannot show affection toward her? For starters I would like to learn how to hold a girls hand. By holding her hand I am telling her that I don’t want to be away from her. Unfortunately holding hands is a form of PDA and so I could not do that. Also it is said that a first kiss is very important. By kissing her it shows that I have feeling for her. I do not want to get out of high school and, because I had never done it before, mess up the first kiss with someone I liked and lose her. Learning these things in high school is central to you living a good and happy life outside of BHHS. PDA keeps people in line, no fights etc., and banning it would lead to student’s unhappiness and therefore our enthusiasm  to work would diminish. If you want to kiss your girlfriend during lunch then you must be at lunch. Getting detention would keep you from being there. If PDA was allowed kids would not do anything that might lead to detention. Furthermore, PDA ties almost directly into having a girlfriend. Everyone wants to have the one they like think that they are worthy to go out with, put simply they want to impress them. Getting good grades is a way to impress and show that you are smart. By banning PDA grades would be expected to drop and such things as fights may occur. In conclusion, Hugging is not just a way to show affection, high school is supposed to get us ready for our life beyond BHHS, and finally PDA keeps people in line, no fights etc., and banning it would lead to student’s unhappiness and therefore our enthusiasm to work would diminish. This is why I say that public displays of affection should not be banned. It would do more harm than good and not all of it is even relevant to showing that you love someone.

Chapter 15 The Quidditch Final

â€Å"He sent me this,† Hermione said, holding out the letter. Harry took it. The parchment was damp, and enormous teardrops had smudged the ink so badly in places that it was very difficult to read. Dear Hermione, We lost. I'm allowed to bring him back to Hogwarts. Execution date to be fixed. Beaky has enjoyed London. I won't forget all the help you gave us. Hagrid â€Å"They can't do this,† said Harry. â€Å"They can't. Buckbeak isn't dangerous.† â€Å"Malfoy's dad's frightened the Committee into it,† said Hermione, wiping her eyes. â€Å"You know what he's like. They're a bunch of doddery old fools, and they were scared. There'll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can't see any hope†¦Nothing will have changed.† â€Å"Yeah, it will,† said Ron fiercely. â€Å"You won't have to do all the work alone this time, Hermione. I'll help.† â€Å"Oh, Ron!† Hermione flung her arms around Ron's neck and broke down completely. Ron, looking quite terrified, patted her very awkwardly on the top of the head. Finally, Hermione drew away. â€Å"Ron, I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she sobbed. â€Å"Oh — well — he was old,† said Ron, looking thoroughly relieved that she had let go of him. â€Å"And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mum and Dad might get me an owl now.† The safety measures imposed on the students since Black's second break-in made it impossible for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to go and visit Hagrid in the evenings. Their only chance of talking to him was during Care of Magical Creatures lessons. He seemed numb with shock at the verdict. â€Å"S'all my fault. Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up fer me, Hermione. An' then Lucius Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"There's still the appeal!† said Ron fiercely. â€Å"Don't give up yet, we're working on it!† They were walking back up to the castle with the rest of the class. Ahead they could see Malfoy, who was walking with Crabbe and Goyle, and kept looking back, laughing derisively. â€Å"S'no good, Ron,† said Hagrid sadly as they reached the castle steps. â€Å"That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that†¦.† Hagrid turned around and hurried back toward his cabin, his face buried in his handkerchief. â€Å"Look at him blubber!† Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had been standing just inside the castle doors, listening. â€Å"Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?† said Malfoy. â€Å"And he's supposed to be our teacher!† Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first — SMACK! She had slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength she could muster. Malfoy staggered. Harry, Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again. â€Å"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul — you evil –â€Å" â€Å"Hermione!† said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back. â€Å"Get off, Ron!† Hermione pulled out her wand. Malfoy stepped backward. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered. â€Å"C'mon.† Malfoy muttered, and in a moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons. â€Å"Hermione!† Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed. â€Å"Harry, you'd better beat him in the Quidditch final!† Hermione said shrilly. â€Å"You just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!† â€Å"We're due in Charms,† said Ron, still goggling at Hermione. â€Å"We'd better go.† They hurried up the marble staircase toward Professor Flitwick's classroom. â€Å"You're late, boys!† said Professor Flitwick reprovingly as Harry opened the classroom door. â€Å"Come along, quickly, wands out, we're experimenting with Cheering Charms today, we've already divided into pairs –â€Å" Harry and Ron hurried to a desk at the back and opened their bags. Ron looked behind him. â€Å"Where's Hermione gone?† Harry looked around too. Hermione hadn't entered the classroom, yet Harry knew she had been right next to him when he had opened the door. â€Å"That's weird,† said Harry, staring at Ron. â€Å"Maybe — maybe she went to the bathroom or something?† But Hermione didn't turn up all lesson. â€Å"She could've done with a Cheering Charm on her too,† said Ron as the class left for lunch, all grinning broadly — the Cheering Charms had left them with a feeling of great contentment. Hermione wasn't at lunch either. By the time they had finished their apple pie, the after-effects of the Cheering Charms were wearing off, and Harry and Ron had started to get slightly worried. â€Å"You don't think Malfoy did something to her?† Ron said anxiously as they hurried upstairs toward Gryffindor Tower. They passed the security trolls, gave the Fat Lady the password (â€Å"Flibbertigibbet†), and scrambled through the portrait hole into the common room. Hermione was sitting at a table, fast asleep, her head resting on an open Arithmancy book. They went to sit down on either side of her. Harry prodded her awake. â€Å"Wh — what?† said Hermione, waking with a start and staring wildly around. â€Å"Is it time to go? W — which lesson have we got now?† â€Å"Divination, but it's not for another twenty minutes,† said Harry. â€Å"Hermione, why didn't you come to Charms?† â€Å"What? Oh no!† Hermione squeaked. â€Å"I forgot to go to Charms!† â€Å"But how could you forget?† said Harry. â€Å"You were with us till we were right outside the classroom!† â€Å"I don't believe it!† Hermione wailed. â€Å"Was Professor Flitwick angry? Oh, it was Malfoy, I was thinking about him and I lost track of things!† â€Å"You know what, Hermione?† said Ron, looking down at the enormous Arithmancy book Hermione had been using as a pillow. â€Å"I reckon you're cracking up. You're trying to do too much.† â€Å"No, I'm not!† said Hermione, brushing her hair out of her eyes and staring hopelessly around for her bag. â€Å"I just made a mistake, that's all! I'd better go and see Professor Flitwick and say sorry †¦ I'll see you in Divination!† Hermione joined them at the foot of the ladder to Professor Trelawney's classroom twenty minutes later, looking extremely harassed. â€Å"I can't believe I missed Cheering Charms! And I bet they come up in our exams; Professor Flitwick hinted they might!† Together they climbed the ladder into the dim, stifling tower room. Glowing on every little table was a crystal ball full of pearly white mist. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down together at the same rickety table. â€Å"I thought we weren't starting crystal balls until next term,† Ron muttered, casting a wary eye around for Professor Trelawney, in case she was lurking nearby. â€Å"Don't complain, this means we've finished palmistry,† Harry muttered back. â€Å"I was getting sick of her flinching every time she looked at my hands.† â€Å"Good day to you!† said the familiar, misty voice, and Professor Trelawney made her usual dramatic entrance out of the shadows. Parvati and Lavender quivered with excitement, their faces lit by the milky glow of their crystal ball. â€Å"I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned,† said Professor Trelawney, sitting with her back to the fire and gazing around. â€Å"The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice.† Hermione snorted. â€Å"Well, honestly†¦'the fates have informed her'. Who sets the exam? She does! What an amazing prediction!† she said, not troubling to keep her voice low. Harry and Ron choked back laughs. It was hard to tell whether Professor Trelawney had heard them as her face was hidden in shadow. She continued, however, as though she had not. â€Å"Crystal gazing is a particularly refined art,† she said dreamily. â€Å"I do not expect any of you to See when first you peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start by practicing relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes –† Ron began to snigger uncontrollably and had to stuff his fist in his mouth to stifle the noise — â€Å"so as to clear the Inner Eye and the superconscious. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will see before the end of the class.† And so they began. Harry, at least, felt extremely foolish, staring blankly at the crystal ball, trying to keep his mind empty when thoughts such as â€Å"this is stupid† kept drifting across it. It didn't help that Ron kept breaking into silent giggles and Hermione kept tutting. â€Å"Seen anything yet?† Harry asked them after a quarter of an hour's quiet crystal gazing. â€Å"Yeah, there's a burn on this table,† said Ron, pointing. â€Å"Someone's spilled their candle.† â€Å"This is such a waste of time,† Hermione hissed. â€Å"I could be practicing something useful. I could be catching up on Cheering Charms –â€Å" Professor Trelawney rustled past. â€Å"Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?† she murmured over the clinking of her bangles. â€Å"I don't need help,† Ron whispered. â€Å"It's obvious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight.† Both Harry and Hermione burst out laughing. â€Å"Now, really!† said Professor Trelawney as everyone's heads turned in their direction. Parvati and Lavender were looking scandalized. â€Å"You are disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations!† She approached their table and peered into their crystal ball. Harry felt his heart sinking. He was sure he knew what was coming — â€Å"There is something here!† Professor Trelawney whispered, lowering her face to the ball, so that it was reflected twice in her huge glasses. â€Å"Something moving†¦ but what is it?† Harry was prepared to bet everything he owned, Including his Firebolt, that it wasn't good news, whatever it was. And sure enough — â€Å"My dear,† Professor Trelawney breathed, gazing up at Harry. â€Å"It is here, plainer than ever before†¦ my dear, stalking toward you, growing ever closer†¦ the Gr –â€Å" â€Å"Oh, for goodness' sake!† said Hermione loudly. â€Å"Not that ridiculous Grim again!† Professor Trelawney raised her enormous eyes to Hermione's face. Parvati whispered something to Lavender, and they both glared at Hermione too. Professor Trelawney stood up, surveying Hermione with unmistakable anger. â€Å"I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class my dear, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly mundane.† There was a moment's silence. Then — â€Å"Fine!† said Hermione suddenly, getting up and cramming Unfogging the Future back into her bag. â€Å"Fine!† she repeated, swinging the bag over her shoulder and almost knocking Ron off his chair. â€Å"I give up! I'm leaving!† And to the whole class's amazement, Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight. It took a few minutes for the class to settle down again. Professor Trelawney seemed to have forgotten all about the Grim. She turned abruptly from Harry and Ron's table, breathing rather heavily as she tugged her gauzy shawl more closely to her. â€Å"Ooooo!† said Lavender suddenly, making everyone start. â€Å"Ooooo, Professor Trelawney, I've just remembered! You saw her leaving, didn't you? Didn't you, Professor? ‘Around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever!' You said it ages ago, Professor!† Professor Trelawney gave her a dewy smile. â€Å"Yes, my dear, I did indeed know that Miss Granger would be leaving us. One hopes, however, that one might have mistaken the Signs†¦The Inner Eye can be a burden, you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lavender and Parvati looked deeply impressed, and moved over so that Professor Trelawney could join their table instead. â€Å"Some day Hermione's having, eh?† Ron muttered to Harry, looking awed. â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry glanced into the crystal ball but saw nothing but swirling white mist. Had Professor Trelawney really seen the Grim again? Would he? The last thing he needed was another near-fatal accident, with the Quidditch final drawing ever nearer. The Easter holidays were not exactly relaxing. The third years had never had so much homework. Neville Longbottom seemed close to a nervous collapse, and he wasn't the only one. â€Å"Call this a holiday!† Seamus Finnigan roared at the common room one afternoon. â€Å"The exams are ages away, what're they playing at?† But nobody had as much to do as Hermione. Even without Divination, she was taking more subjects than anybody else. She was usually last to leave the common room at night, first to arrive at the library the next morning; she had shadows like Lupin's under her eyes, and seemed constantly close to tears. Ron had taken over responsibility for Buckbeak's appeal. When he wasn't doing his own work, he was poring over enormously thick volumes with names like The Handbook of Hippogriff Psychology and Fowl or Foul? A Study of Hippogriff Brutality. He was so absorbed, he even forgot to be horrible to Crookshanks. Harry, meanwhile, had to fit in his homework around Quidditch practice every day, not to mention endless discussions of tactics with Wood. The Gryffindor-Slytherin match would take place on the first Saturday after the Easter holidays. Slytherin was leading the tournament by exactly two hundred points. This meant (as Wood constantly reminded his team) that they needed to win the match by more than that amount to win the Cup. It also meant that the burden of winning fell largely on Harry, because capturing the Snitch was worth one hundred and fifty points. â€Å"So you must catch it only if we're more than fifty points up,† Wood told Harry constantly. â€Å"Only if we're more than fifty points up, Harry, or we win the match but lose the Cup. You've got that, Haven't you? You must catch the Snitch only if we're –â€Å" â€Å"I KNOW, OLIVER!† Harry yelled. The whole of Gryffindor House was obsessed with the coming match. Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup since the legendary Charlie Weasley (Ron's second oldest brother) had been Seeker. But Harry doubted whether any of them, even Wood, wanted to win as much as he did. The enmity between Harry and Malfoy was at its highest point ever. Malfoy was still smarting about the mud-throwing incident in Hogsmeade and was even more furious that Harry had somehow wormed his way out of punishment. Harry hadn't forgotten Malfoy's attempt to sabotage him in the match against Ravenclaw, but it was the matter of Buckbeak that made him most determined to beat Malfoy in front of the entire school. Never, in anyone's memory, had a match approached in such a highly charged atmosphere. By the time the holidays were over, tension between the two teams and their Houses was at the breaking point. A number of small scuffles broke out in the corridors, culminating in a nasty incident in which a Gryffindor fourth year and a Slytherin sixth year ended up in the hospital wing with leeks sprouting out of their ears. Harry was having a particularly bad time of it. He couldn't walk to class without Slytherins sticking out their legs and trying to trip him up; Crabbe and Goyle kept popping up wherever he went, and slouching away looking disappointed when they saw him surrounded by people. Wood had given instructions that Harry should be accompanied everywhere he went, in case the Slytherins tried to put him out of action. The whole of Gryffindor House took up the challenge enthusiastically, so that it was impossible for Harry to get to classes on time because he was surrounded by a vast, chattering crowd. Harry was more concerned for his Firebolt's safety than his own. When he wasn't flying it, he locked it securely in his trunk and frequently dashed back up to Gryffindor Tower at break times to check that it was still there. All usual pursuits were abandoned in the Gryffindor common room the night before the match. Even Hermione had put down her books. â€Å"I can't work, I can't concentrate,† she said nervously. There was a great deal of noise. Fred and George Weasley were dealing with the pressure by being louder and more exuberant than ever. Oliver Wood was crouched over a model of a Quidditch field in the corner, prodding little figures across it with his wand and muttering to himself Angelina, Alicia, and Katie were laughing at Fred's and George's jokes. Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione, removed from the center of things, trying not to think about the next day, because every time he did, he had the horrible sensation that something very large was fighting to get out of his stomach. â€Å"You're going to be fine,† Hermione told him, though she looked positively terrified. â€Å"You've got a Firebolt!† said Ron. â€Å"Yeah †¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Harry, his stomach writhing. It came as a relief when Wood suddenly stood up and yelled, â€Å"Team! Bed!† Harry slept badly. First he dreamed that he had overslept, and that Wood was yelling, â€Å"Where were you? We had to use Neville instead!† Then he dreamed that Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherin team arrived for the match riding dragons. He was flying at breakneck speed, trying to avoid a spurt of flames from Malfoy's steed's mouth, when he realized he had forgotten his Firebolt. He fell through the air and woke with a start. It was a few seconds before Harry remembered that the match hadn't taken place yet, that he was safe in bed, and that the Slytherin team definitely wouldn't be allowed to play on dragons. He was feeling very thirsty. Quietly as he could, he got out of his four-poster and went to pour himself some water from the silver jug beneath the window. The grounds were still and quiet. No breath of wind disturbed the treetops in the Forbidden Forest; the Whomping Willow was motionless and innocent-looking. It looked as though the conditions for the match would be perfect. Harry set down his goblet and was about to turn back to his bed when something caught his eye. An animal of some kind was prowling across the silvery lawn. Harry dashed to his bedside table, snatched up his glasses, and put them on, then hurried back to the window. It couldn't be the Grim — not now — not right before the match — He peered out at the grounds again and, after a minute's frantic searching, spotted it. It was skirting the edge of the forest now†¦It wasn't the Grim at all †¦ it was a cat †¦ Harry clutched the window ledge in relief as he recognized the bottlebrush tail. It was only Crookshanks†¦ Or was it only Crookshanks? Harry squinted, pressing his nose flat against the glass. Crookshanks seemed to have come to a halt. Harry was sure he could see something else moving in the shadow of the trees too. And just then, it emerged — a gigantic, shaggy black dog, moving stealthily across the lawn, Crookshanks trotting at its side. Harry stared. What did this mean? If Crookshanks could see the dog as well, how could it be an omen of Harry's death? â€Å"Ron!† Harry hissed. â€Å"Ron! Wake up!† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"I need you to tell me if you can see something!† â€Å"S'all dark, Harry,† Ron muttered thickly. â€Å"What're you on about?† â€Å"Down here –â€Å" Harry looked quickly back out of the window. Crookshanks and the dog had vanished. Harry climbed onto the windowsill to look right down into the shadows of the castle, but they weren't there. Where had they gone? A loud snore told him Ron had fallen asleep again. Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor team entered the Great Hall the next day to enormous applause. Harry couldn't help grinning broadly as he saw that both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were applauding them too. The Slytherin table hissed loudly as they passed. Harry noticed that Malfoy looked even paler than usual. Wood spent the whole of breakfast urging his team to eat, while touching nothing himself. Then he hurried them off to the field before anyone else had finished, so they could get an idea of the conditions. As they left the Great Hall, everyone applauded again. â€Å"Good luck, Harry!† called Cho. Harry felt himself blushing. â€Å"Okay — no wind to speak of — sun's a bit bright, that could impair your vision, watch out for it — ground's fairly hard, good, that'll give us a fast kickoff –â€Å" Wood paced the field, staring around with the team behind him. Finally, they saw the front doors of the castle open in the distance and the rest of the school spilling onto the lawn. â€Å"Locker rooms,† said Wood tersely. None of them spoke as they changed into their scarlet robes. Harry wondered if they were feeling like he was: as though he'd eaten something extremely wriggly for breakfast. In what seemed like no time at all, Wood was saying, â€Å"Okay, it's time, let's go –â€Å" They walked out onto the field to a tidal wave of noise. Three quarters of the crowd was wearing scarlet rosettes, waving scarlet flags with the Gryffindor lion upon them, or brandishing banners with slogans like â€Å"GO GRYFFINDOR!† and â€Å"LIONS FOR THE CUP† Behind the Slytherin goal posts, however, two hundred people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin glittered on their flags, and Professor Snape sat in the very front row, wearing green like everyone else, and a very grim smile. â€Å"And here are the Gryffindors!† yelled Lee Jordan, who was acting as commentator as usual. â€Å"Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley, and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in a good few years –â€Å" Lee's comments were drowned by a tide of ‘boos' from the Slytherin end. â€Å"And here come the Slytherin team, led by Captain Flint. He's made some changes in the lineup and seems to be going for size rather than skill –â€Å" More boos from the Slytherin crowd. Harry, however, thought Lee had a point. Malfoy was easily the smallest person On the Slytherin team; the rest of them were enormous. â€Å"Captains, shake hands!† said Madam Hooch. Flint and Wood approached each other and grasped each other's hand very tightly; it looked as though each was trying to break the other's fingers. â€Å"Mount your brooms!† said Madam Hooch. â€Å"Three†¦two†¦one†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar from the crowd as fourteen brooms rose into the air. Harry felt his hair fly back off his forehead; his nerves left him in the thrill of the flight; he glanced around, saw Malfoy on his tail, and sped off in search of the Snitch. â€Å"And it's Gryffindor in possession, Alicia Spinner of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goal posts, looking good, Alicia! Argh, no — Quaffle intercepted by Warrington, Warrington of Slytherin tearing UP the field — WHAM! — nice Bludger work there by George Weasley, Warrington drops the Quaffle, it's caught by — Johnson, Gryffindor back in possession, come on, Angelina — nice swerve around Montague — duck, Angelina, that's a Bludger!?C SHE SCORES! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!† Angelina punched the air as she soared around the end of the field; the sea of scarlet below was screaming its delight â€Å"OUCH!† Angelina was nearly thrown from her broom as Marcus Flint went smashing into her. â€Å"Sorry!† said Flint as the crowd below booed. â€Å"Sorry, didn't see her!† A moment later, Fred Weasley chucked his Beater's club at the back of Flint's head. Flint's nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to bleed. â€Å"That will do!† shrieked Madam Hooch, zooming between then. â€Å"Penalty shot to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty shot to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!† â€Å"Come off it, Miss!† howled Fred, but Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Alicia flew forward to take the penalty. â€Å"Come on, Alicia!† yelled Lee into the silence that had descended on the crowd. â€Å"YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!† Harry turned the Firebolt sharply to watch Flint, still bleeding freely, fly forward to take the Slytherin penalty. Wood was hovering in front of the Gryffindor goal posts, his jaw clenched. â€Å"‘Course, Wood's a superb Keeper!† Lee Jordan told the crowd as Flint waited for Madam Hooch's whistle. â€Å"Superb! Very difficult to pass — very difficult indeed — YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!† Relieved, Harry zoomed away, gazing around for the Snitch, but still making sure he caught every word of Lee's commentary. It was essential that he hold Malfoy off the Snitch until Gryffindor was more than fifty points up — â€Å"Gryffindor in possession, no, Slytherin in possession — no! Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell, Katie Bell for Gryffindor with the Quaffle, she's streaking up the field — THAT WAS DELIBERATE!† Montague, a Slytherin Chaser, had swerved in front of Katie, and instead of seizing the Quaffle had grabbed her head. Katie cart-wheeled in the air, managed to stay on her broom, but dropped the Quaffle. Madam Hooch's whistle rang out again as she soared over to Montague and began shouting at him. A minute later, Katie had put another penalty past the Slytherin Seeker. â€Å"THIRTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING –â€Å" â€Å"Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way –â€Å" â€Å"I'm telling it like it is, Professor!† Harry felt a huge jolt of excitement. He had seen the Snitch — it was shimmering at the foot of one of the Gryffindor goal posts — but he mustn't catch it yet — and if Malfoy saw it — Faking a look of sudden concentration, Harry pulled his Firebolt around and sped off toward the Slytherin end — it worked. Malfoy went haring after him, clearly thinking Harry had seen the Snitch there†¦ WHOOSH. One of the Bludgers came streaking past Harry's right ear, hit by the gigantic Slytherin Beater, Derrick. Then again†¦ WHOOSH. The second Bludger grazed Harry's elbow. The other Beater, Bole, was closing in. Harry had a fleeting glimpse of Bole and Derrick zooming toward him, clubs raised — He turned the Firebolt upward at the last second, and Bole and Derrick collided with a sickening crunch. â€Å"Ha haaa!† yelled Lee Jordan as the Slytherin Beaters lurched away from each other, clutching their heads. â€Å"Too bad, boys! You'll need to get up earlier than that to beat a Firebolt! And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle — Flint alongside her — poke him in the eye, Angelina! — it was a joke, Professor, it was a joke — oh no — Flint in possession, Flint flying toward the Gryffindor goal posts, come on now, Wood, save –!† But Flint had scored; there was an eruption of cheers from the Slytherin end, and Lee swore so badly that Professor McGonagall tried to tug the magical megaphone away from him. â€Å"Sorry, Professor, sorry! Won't happen again! So, Gryffindor in the lead, thirty points to ten, and Gryffindor in possession –â€Å" It was turning into the dirtiest game Harry had ever played in. Enraged that Gryffindor had taken such an early lead, the Slytherins were rapidly resorting to any means to take the Quaffle. Bole hit Alicia with his club and tried to say he'd thought she was a Bludger. George Weasley elbowed Bole in the face in retaliation. Madam Hooch awarded both teams penalties, and Wood pulled off another spectacular save, making the score forty-ten to Gryffindor. The Snitch had disappeared again. Malfoy was still keeping close to Harry as he soared over the match, looking around for it once Gryffindor was fifty points ahead — Katie scored. Fifty-ten. Fred and George Weasley were swooping around her, clubs raised, in case any of the Slytherins were thinking of revenge. Bole and Derrick took advantage of Fred's and George's absence to aim both Bludgers at Wood; they caught him in the stomach, one after the other, and he rolled over in the air, clutching his broom, completely winded. Madam Hooch was beside herself — â€Å"YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA!† she shrieked at Bole and Derrick. â€Å"Gryffindor penalty!† And Angelina scored. Sixty-ten. Moments later, Fred Weasley pelted a Bludger at Warrington, knocking the Quaffle out of his hands; Alicia seized it and put it through the Slytherin goal — seventy-ten. The Gryffindor crowd below was screaming itself hoarse — Gryffindor was sixty points in the lead, and if Harry caught the Snitch now, the Cup was theirs. Harry could almost feel hundreds of eyes following him as he soared around the field, high above the rest of the game, with Malfoy speeding along behind him. And then he saw it. The Snitch was sparkling twenty feet above him. Harry put on a huge burst of speed; the wind was roaring in his ears; he stretched out his hand, but suddenly, the Firebolt was slowing down — Horrified, he looked around. Malfoy had thrown himself forward, grabbed hold of the Firebolt's tail, and was pulling it back. â€Å"You –â€Å" Harry was angry enough to hit Malfoy, but couldn't reach — Malfoy was panting with the effort of holding onto the Firebolt, but his eyes were sparkling maliciously. He had achieved what he'd wanted to do — the Snitch had disappeared again. â€Å"Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I've never seen such tactics.† Madam Hooch screeched, shooting up to where Malfoy was sliding back onto his Nimbus Two Thousand and One. â€Å"YOU CHEATING SCUM!† Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall's reach. â€Å"YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B –â€Å" Professor McGonagall didn't even bother to tell him off She was actually shaking her finger in Malfoy's direction, her hat had fallen off, and she too was shouting furiously. Alicia took Gryffindor's penalty, but she was so angry she missed by several feet. The Gryffindor team was losing concentration and the Slytherins, delighted by Malfoy's foul on Harry, were being spurred on to greater heights. â€Å"Slytherin in possession, Slytherin heading for goal — Montague scores –† Lee groaned. â€Å"Seventy-twenty to Gryffindor†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry was now marking Malfoy so closely their knees kept hitting each other. Harry wasn't going to let Malfoy anywhere near the Snitch†¦. â€Å"Get out of it, Potter!† Malfoy yelled in frustration as he tried to turn and found Harry blocking him. â€Å"Angelina Johnson gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on, Angelina, COME ON!† Harry looked around. Every single Slytherin player apart from Malfoy was streaking up the pitch toward Angelina, including the Slytherin Keeper — they were all going to block her — Harry wheeled the Firebolt around, bent so low he was lying flat along the handle, and kicked it forward. Like a bullet, he shot toward the Slytherins. â€Å"AAAAAAARRRGH!† They scattered as the Firebolt zoomed toward them; Angelina's way was clear. â€Å"SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES! Gryffindor leads by eighty Points to twenty!† Harry, who had almost pelted headlong into the stands, skidded to a halt in midair, reversed, and zoomed back into the middle of the field. And then he saw something to make his heart stand still. Malfoy was diving, a look of triumph on his face — there, a few feet above the grass below, was a tiny, golden glimmer — Harry urged the Firebolt downward, but Malfoy was miles ahead — â€Å"Go! Go! Go!† Harry urged his broom. He was gaining on Malfoy — Harry flattened himself to the broom handle as Bole sent a Bludger at him — he was at Malfoy's ankles — he was level — Harry threw himself forward, took both hands off his broom. He knocked Malfoy's arm out of the way and — â€Å"YES!† He pulled out of his dive, his hand in the air, and the stadium exploded. Harry soared above the crowd, an odd ringing in his ears. The tiny golden ball was held tight in his fist, beating its wings hopelessly against his fingers. Then Wood was speeding toward him, half-blinded by tears; he seized Harry around the neck and sobbed unrestrainedly into his shoulder. Harry felt two large thumps as Fred and George hit them; then Angelina's, Alicia's, and Katie's voices, â€Å"We've won the Cup! We've won the Cup!† Tangled together in a many-armed hug, the Gryffindor team sank, yelling hoarsely, back to earth. Wave upon wave of crimson supporters was pouring over the barriers onto the field. Hands were raining down on their backs. Harry had a confused impression of noise and bodies pressing in on him. Then he, and the rest of the team, were hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd. Thrust into the light, he saw Hagrid, Plastered with crimson rosettes — â€Å"Yeh beat 'em, Harry, yeh beat 'em! Wait till I tell Buckbeak!† There was Percy, jumping up and down like a maniac, all dignity forgotten. Professor McGonagall was sobbing harder even than Wood, wiping her eyes with an enormous Gryffindor flag; and there, fighting their way toward Harry, were Ron and Hermione. Words failed them. They simply beamed as Harry was borne toward the stands, where Dumbledore stood waiting with the enormous Quidditch Cup. If only there had been a Dementor around†¦As a sobbing Wood passed Harry the Cup, as he lifted it into the air, Harry felt he could have produced the world's best Patronus.

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Statement Example The subjects of Economics and programming classes of C language and Matlab were also part of my undergraduate course of Electrical Engineering. I have the honor of having worked as â€Å"treasury† for my school organization. In addition to that, I frequently open stock market and buy stocks. I also have a lot of knowledge about various engineering, applied mathematics, finance, and economics tools that are frequently employed in problem solving techniques used in strategic planning, risk management, and investment. I would like to mention that I chose to study Electrical Engineering at the undergraduate level so that I would be able to serve in the firm that my father owns. My father wants me to take charge of the work once I am done with my studies. In order to run the business in the competitive market scenario, it is imperative that I equip myself with good skills on the financial side of the business as well. Having realized the importance of Financial Engineering in the c ontemporary world, I started reading books on the very subject. As I learnt more, my interest in Financial Engineering studies grew further. My father wants me to take complete hold of his business because he wants to see me leading his firm in the right direction in his life.

Cover and Thank You letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cover and Thank You letter - Essay Example In this case, I am able to think out through problems clearly and in a systematic manner while maintaining flexibility in challenging situations which will enable me bring energy and commitment to excellence that is indispensable to succeed in Marathon Oil Corporation’s innovative environment. Despite my lack of hands-on experience in a work environment, I have developed technical skills and the ability to present details to a large environment required in the business environment. In order to attain the objective of working in a challenging and interesting environment, I am requesting for consideration in the aforementioned position in your company. I became interested in an intern’s position at Marathon Oil after researching different companies that could offer me a challenge. As a leader in the industry, there is no any other place that can help me meet my objectives other than your company. I know this position will enable me identify my strengths and address any weaknesses in order to equip me with expertise for the job market. Thank you for the opportunity to interview with you on Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at your company headquarters. The position of intern in your information technology department is an outstanding opportunity I feel exceptionally qualified. I am beholden by the information and time you shared with me during the interview. Indeed, the time spent with you makes me yearn for this position more than when I was applying for the position. As we discussed, my financial and information technology background will give me a foothold to meet my objectives and those of the company while working with my workmates. Not only am I able to discuss the requirements in your workplace, but I also do understand the expectations of this position in the competitive global business

Pharmacy school personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pharmacy school - Personal Statement Example Not only that, I suffered from ill health upon my return for quite a while. Both these factors took their toll on my studies; I did not do as well in my classes as I would have otherwise done. However, throughout all this, I held on to my interest in pharmacy; I got a part-time job as a pharmacy assistant in my neighborhood pharmacy. This enabled me to interact with pharmacists who taught me a lot by relating their experiences to me, thus causing me to learn a lot about not just the field of pharmacy, but also how to go about studying in pharmacy classes. Moreover, they helped me develop the work ethic necessary for success in pharmacy. Their mentoring did not end there; they took me to pharmacy association meetings where I was introduced to other pharmacists by them, which helped me in not only building my interpersonal and communicational skills but also in enlarging my network. My zeal for pharmacy is something that I value both personally and professionally, and I want to pursue and get ahead in this field, therefore, I would be grateful if I am given the opportunity of attending (enter the course here) at your institute. It would be remiss not to add that my love for this field would enable me to serve the community as well, which I would do with the work ethic and professionalism that I have learned through my experiences, both at home with my grandmother, and at work in my neighborhood

The Growing Role Of Technology In Modern Age Essay - 1

The Growing Role Of Technology In Modern Age - Essay Example Ray Kurzweil addresses how nano-engineered fuel cells can be a step in the right direction as far as the future realms are concerned. He asserts that this is the next chapter of engineering since there is immense safety present as far as transmission and transfer of nano-engineered fuel cells are linked plus there are apparently no hurdles or disruptions that can be come across in the future. He has touched base with poverty in Asia and has quoted different facts and figures from the World Bank which substantiates his point. He is of the view that the potential to overcome disease and poverty is there as far as the world bodies are concerned. The will and determination must be enacted by the people who shall actually bring the very change in motion, and that too for the betterment of all and sundry. Since Ray has been a student of technology and its changing trends for a long amount of time, he suggests that technology in his view seems to develop in an exponential manner and thus raises estimated which are based around the years 2010, 2011 and 2012. He goes back in the past and tells the audience about the Genome Project that took place in the year 1990 which turned out to be a failure. Also, he talked about how serious diseases like HIV and SARS were overcome easily within a span of one month when these started to spread in different parts of the world. This was done through evidence provided by different logarithmic graphs so that data trends can be easily explained to everyone. Going one step further, he shows how cell phones, the telephone, and other relevant tools and devices took years to catch up with the people. This was made apparent through research done on his part. However, he suggested that these trends have become quicker to adopt as far as the modern day generations are concerned.

Bullying in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bullying in America - Essay Example Generally, bullying is carried out by males which accounts for 80%. Although, there are not many studies about bullying in workplaces, their occurrence is apparent and the effects are damaging as well. Because of its prevalence, the government had discourage bullying in any form however there are no laws to deal against people who cause psychological and emotional violence in workplaces and in schools. Bullying should be stopped because it has many psychological, emotional, and social consequences on the person being bullied. Body Bullying occurs as a result of attitude and behavior problems. The personalities of people who bully have innate domineering and aggressive behavior which is believed to be connected with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). People afflicted with this disorder demonstrate impulsive behavior. They announce answers to the teacher’s question before it is completed, may interrupt, intrude and have difficulty in waiting for their turn. Others wh o carry out bullying do it with the belief of having fun without giving propensity of the consequences it may bring to the victim. This is because students who bully lack the foresight of their own actions and empathy to the feelings of their victims. Bullies are more concern of satisfying their needs of attention even to the extent of displaying an immature behavior. The occurrence of bullying activities among students could be inside the school premise or outside the school campus. Some forms of bullying are done inside the school bus or on the way home. This could be done during class hours inside the classroom or it could be carried out in the hallway. An example of bullying includes unnecessary touching of body parts followed with teasing and laughing. Another example is knocking another student down on the floor. Non physical contact involves staring, eye rolling, spreading malicious rumors, whispering to someone while in front of the person, and many other forms. Bullying res ults in psychological damages in several ways. It teaches the person being bullied to think that he/she is undesirable. The person’s self concept is negatively affected in which he/she will come to believe that she is less than desirable and incapable of doing things. The victim inculcates in his mind that his environment is dangerous but is powerless to defend himself. As a result, bullying tends to be repeated many times in which the person further learns helplessness giving more authoritative disposition of those who bully. This would be the beginning of losing interest in school. In cases where the student continues to attend school, his grades are likely to be affected since he may have poor concentration. His mind might be on plotting how to outsmart his bully classmates or how to get rid of them totally. Another effect of damaged self esteem to the bullied victim includes hopelessness and depression. The victim may have a hard time adjusting during difficult circumstan ces. This might explain an unanticipated finding that bullying is linked to suicidal thoughts of victims. This was revealed in the study of Hinduja (2010) where he found out that adolescents with traditional bullying

Analytical Comparison and Contrast Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analytical Comparison and Contrast - Coursework Example Here, the artworks, ‘The Blue Boy’, an oil painting by Thomas Gainsborough, and ‘Pinkie’, a portrait by Thomas Lawrence, are made use to compare, under the subject: Two artists’ conceptions of a single theme. Thesis statement: Analysis of similarities and differences between two Artworks to attain an inference on the same by considering the artists, the viewers, and related facts in history or society (special references to the artworks: ‘The Blue Boy’ (portrait), by Thomas Gainsborough, and ‘Pinkie’ (portrait), by Thomas Lawrence). Analysis The analysis of the artworks ‘The Blue Boy’( See appendix -1) by Thomas Gainsborough, and ‘Pinkie’( See appendix -2) , by Thomas Lawrence is based on the following factors like the artists, assessment as a viewer, and other related facts in history or society, and strictly based on similarities and differences. I. Artists A. Similarities One can easily identify a number of similarities between Thomas Gainsborough and Thomas Lawrence. The following are some important similarities. First of all, the first names of the artists (Thomas Gainsborough and Thomas Lawrence) are similar. Besides, both the artists made use of the same medium to express their creativity (say, oil and canvas). Both the artists were British citizens, who primarily focused in portrait painting. Within their lifetime, they were considered as noteworthy portrait painters in Europe. As pointed out, they made use of oil and canvas as their medium, which was most suitable for portrait painting. Both the artists transformed their personal interest (say, drawing/painting) into their career as painters. B. Differences There exist a number of differences between Thomas Gainsborough and Thomas Lawrence. The following are some important differences. Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury. On the other side, Thomas Lawrence was born in Bristol. Thomas Gainsborough’s father wa s a weaver by profession, but Thomas Lawrence’s father was an inn keeper. Before becoming a landscape painter, Thomas Gainsborough was a landscape painter. James Ernest Thorpe states that â€Å"The Blue Boy was often thought of as Gainsborough’s greatest painting† (435). Later, he turned to portrait painting. But Thomas Lawrence was genuinely interested in portrait painting. Thomas Gainsborough completed the painting ‘The Blue Boy’ in the year 1770, but the portrait ‘Pinkie’ by Thomas Lawrence was completed in the year 1794. Thomas Gainsborough married Margarett Burr and had children. On the other side, Thomas Lawrence was forced to be a lifelong bachelor. Besides, he was forced to lead an unhappy personal life. Thomas Gainsborough’s portrait painting helped him to keep himself away from economic problems. On the other side, Thomas Lawrence was forced to face economic problems in his life. II. Assessment as a viewer A. Similariti es When one tries to assess the artworks ‘The Blue Boy’ and ‘Pinkie’, one can easily identify a number of similarities. Some of the most important similarities are pointed out below. First of all, both the works are portraits of youngsters booming with energy. The medium made use by the painters is similar, i.e. oil and canvas. Both the paintings are presently owned by The Huntington (museum/ art gallery) in California. Both the paintings are from England and are considered as best examples for portrait painting in Europe. Besides, both the artworks are considered as showpieces at The Huntington. As these portraits are exhibited in the same gallery, most of the viewers consider that these works are completed by the same painter. The position of the youngsters (models) in the portraits is helpful for the viewers to have clearer look on their faces. Both the works give

We live in a patriarchal society discuss how gender links to Essay

We live in a patriarchal society discuss how gender links to inequality in society using examples from the past and present and in England and Arab spring - Essay Example Not only have there been both overt and covert means to ensure that the status quo is maintained, but even in the modern era, it has become common for openly discriminatory actions against women to be promoted at almost every level of society. The world today has seen numerous changes and women have come to experience opportunities that were not open to them for many centuries. It is therefore important that a comprehensive discussion of how gender links to inequality in society be conducted. In Elizabethan England, it was a common belief among individuals in society that women were inferior in all aspects to men. This belief ensured that women were put in a subordinate status where they did not have the same opportunities as those that were given to men (Ellis, 1839). Even Queen Elizabeth I herself seemed to promote this bias and she did this through accepting that she was indeed as physically weak as any woman, but despite this, she was also a woman who had the heart and stomach of a king. It seems that she compared herself thus because she wanted to attribute some of the male features that were believed to be superior to herself. Moreover, even the most prominent writers of the time such as Shakespeare and John Knox, the protestant leader, all believed that women were inferior. The latter especially promoted this belief by stating that women were created in perfection in order to serve and obey man, a statement that shows the predominance of patriarchy in society (Fle tcher, 1994). This attitude towards women continued to be propagated in later centuries and some of its aspects have remained prevalent to this day. The patriarchal nature of English society has led to a situation where women have continued to be discriminated against despite the development of ideals such as gender equality. The sometimes-unconscious discrimination against women in society has led to the continuation of

Strengths and Weaknesses of Human Rights Idea Coursework

Strengths and Weaknesses of Human Rights Idea - Coursework Example With reference to the notion of human rights, it has been derived that all over the world, human rights have been promoted and protected for the entire human civilization for its fundamental freedom, political, economic and cultural issue. Human rights are equal and non-discriminatory for every human being in a society.With these considerations, the primary objective of this study is to find out the strengths and weaknesses of human rights ideas. Apart from this, the other objective is to analyze the prevailing purview of human rights including a critical argument between theoretical perspectives and democratic practice along with replicating an evaluation of the human rights ideas with case examples which either substantiates or challenges the laid down perspective.The history of human rights changed along with the modern era. The idea of human rights had been designed by human beings. The humans also govern it which is enforceable by the law. According to the law, every human being is equal and independent. Besides, no one has the right to harm/ kill anyone. Moreover, everybody has a chance of doing anything as a profession which is applicable under the law. However, it has been observed that over the years even after equalizing everything a number of grave problems remain unchanged.According to Charles R. Beitz, the idea of human rights function has been large and wide. In order to describe this, it has various positive and negative aspects. Human rights can enable to define emanating problems from a moral standpoint. According to his proposition, human right is the independent moral entity which is the key scope of human being. It has been identified that after the establishment of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), human rights are maintained systematically by the entire world. Subsequently, plenty of countries’ government has started promoting human rights domestically and internationally.

To Build a Fire Essay Example for Free

To Build a Fire Essay Part 2 After you have read the original version of To Build a Fire, answer the following questions: 1.What is the setting of the story? It was on the Yukon Territory on a very cold day. 2.What is the central conflict of the story? What is the source of the struggle? The real conflict is Tom versus Hypothermia, but does to the lack of experience he has trouble. 3.What happens to Tom Vincent at the end of the story? What does he learn? He learns pride is really a man’s worst enemy, and he dies. Part 3 After reading the last three paragraphs of the second version of the story, answer the following questions: 1.What happens to the central character at the end of the second version? He builds a fire and limps off to safety. 2.Which one of these endings do you think more clearly meets the conventions of naturalism? Be sure to consider the concept of determinism as you list your reasons. I think that the version where he dies does, simply because it is survival of the fittest, and if he were to win that would be showing the wrong idea, prideful people get cut down, they do not succeed you must be humble to prosper. Part 4Â  For homework, write an essay addressing the Focus Question: How does To Build a Fire illustrate the elements of naturalistic literature? As you write, consider the story as a whole, the conventions of naturalism, and the philosophies that influenced Jack London. As I see it this novel is a piece of naturalistic literature because it shows man’s pride, his struggle to prove it and how he plans to survive. It breaks humanity down to a basic level, male dominance and basic survival instinct. Nothing is more natural than a man and his dog in the wilderness fighting to live. The outcome is also naturalistic because it shows how man’s pride can get him cut down; in his case he lost his life, that’s why I think this book shows naturalism.

Economic Growth And Development Of Nigeria Economics Essay

Economic Growth And Development Of Nigeria Economics Essay Agriculture is an important sector in the developing world. It contributes to economic growth and development as well as a major employer to majority of the people of Sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria, especially those in the rural areas. This study investigated the role of agriculture to Nigerias economic growth and development. Secondary data were used for the analyses and were obtained from various publications of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Variables used for the estimations included overall gross domestic product (GDP) of Nigeria, agricultural GDP, government spending on agriculture, credit to agriculture and the population engaged in agriculture. The data cover the period between 1981 and 2010. Growth and Cobb-Douglas production models were estimated. The results showed that overall GDP, agricultural GDP, and government spending to the agricultural sector of Nigeria generally assumed upward trends during the period. Credit t o agriculture and government spending to the agricultural sector were the factors found to significantly influence the contribution of agriculture to national economic growth and development. It is concluded that agriculture continues to play important role in the economic growth and development of Nigeria. It is recommended that policies should be formulated to encourage the flow of more credit to the agricultural sector of Nigeria. Besides, it is important that the government of Nigeria to increase its spending on the agricultural sector since this positively and significantly influence the contribution of agriculture to national economic growth and development. 1.1 Background to the Study Nigeria is one of the largest countries in Africa, with an estimated population of about 158 million (World Bank, 2010). The country has highly diversified agro-ecological conditions, which makes it possible for the production of variety of agricultural products. Furthermore, agriculture constitutes one of the most significant sectors of the economy (Manyong, et. al., 2005). Agriculture in Nigeria employs about 70% of the working population and contributes with about 60% to the national income (Oluwasanmi, 1966). Its contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) accounted for about 40% in 2010 (CBN, 2011). During the early days of independence, Nigeria was and still is relatively self-sufficient in food production, and foreign exchange earnings from agricultural exports have been used over the years to support in financing imports needed for economic growth and development (Anderson, 1970). The role of Agricultural production in Nigeria is not only to provide the food needed to feed the rapidly growing Nigerian population, but also to provide the money and materials needed for industrialization and for bringing the country into the industrial and technical age (Oyenuga, 1967). In order to carry out this role, the agricultural system needs to be reorganized and new techniques of production have to be introduced, such as the use of more efficient implements, improved seed varieties and fertilizers. To do this, the country not only needs to co-ordinate its agricultural research projects and provides capital but also to make available trained field staff who can ensure the acceptance of these innovations by peasant farmers (Oluwasanmi, 1966). This is because majority of the peasant farmers live in rural areas where there is a high level of illiteracy and they hardly accept change. Despite the fact that Nigeria is buoyantly endowed with agricultural and other natural resources, the agricultural sector is still growing at a very slow rate. It is only a little over half of the countrys agricultural land is under cultivation (Manyong et al, 2005). Increased use of mechanization will help, but this is not going to be easy given that about 63% of the farms in Eastern Nigeria and 45% of them in Western Nigeria are less than an acre in size and many of them are much smaller (Oyenuga, 1967). The agricultural sector remained weak during the oil boom decade of the 1970s, and this accounted largely for the declining share of its contributions to economic growth and development of the country. The trend of the share of agriculture in national GDP reflects a substantial variation and long-term decline from about 60% in the early 1960s through to about 49% in the 1970s and only about 22% in the 1980s. It is believed that unstable and often-poor economic policies (of pricing, trade and exchange rate), the relative abundance of the sector and the negative impact of oil boom were all important factors responsible for the decline in agricultural sectors contributions to national economic growth and development. Since the oil boom of the 1970s, there has been a severe increase in the incidence and drama of poverty in the country as a result of the unstable performance of the agricultural sector, which employs majority of the poor. As a result of the dwindling performance of agriculture in the country, government have over many years formulated and implemented various policies and projects aimed at putting back the agricultural sector to its vital place in the economy. But with evidence from empirical literatures, no significant success has been achieved due to several problems confronting the performance of the sector (Yusuf, 2005). However, the contribution of agriculture in both gross domestic product (GDP) and non-oil GDP increased in the 1981-2000 periods. The share of total bank credit going into the agricultural sector increased rapidly between the 1981-1985 and 1991-1995 periods and then declined in the 1996-2000 periods. The share of the federal Governments capital expenditure going to the agricultural sector declined immensely over the periods. The share of total employment by the agricultural sector also declined. Generally, there was unstable growth performance of the agricultural sector between the periods 1981 to 2000, with some evidence of inconsistencies of trends, probably due to uncertainties in policies and policy implementation. Some of the problems leading to poor performance of the agricultural sector in the country include technical issues, resource constraints as well as socio-economic problems and organisational constrains. It has been observed that in past policies of the pre-structural adjustment period, sector-specific agricultural policies were made to improve agricultural marketing, to cut down production cost, and to enhance product prices as incentives for increased agricultural production. Important policy instruments are for agricultural commodity marketing and pricing, input supply and distribution, input price, Subsidy, land resource use, agricultural research, agricultural extension and technology transfer, agricultural mechanisation, agricultural cooperatives, agricultural water resource and irrigation development. Macro policies, institutional policies and legal frameworks complemented sector-specific policies. The structural adjustment period was enhanced more by structural adjustment pol icies. Problems to agricultural policy strength include policy instability, policy inconsistencies, weak policy formulation, poor policy implementation, and harsh institutional framework for policy coordination (Idachaba, 2005). With reference from the dual economy model, early writers predicted economic development as a growth process that needs the re-allocation of factors of production from a weak, low-productivity agricultural sector to a modern and commercialized industrial sector with higher productivity and more returns (Lewis, 1954). As a primary sector, agriculture was seen to contribute significantly to economic growth and development by providing labor and food to the industrialization process. However, this idea was taken away by the era of the Green Revolution in Asia during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The possibility of restructuring traditional agriculture into a modern sector shows agricultures capability as a growth sector and its effective role in emphasizing broader d evelopment (Adelman, 2001). Although the advantage of connectivity between agriculture and non-agriculture in achieving the growth and development process had long been recognized (Hirschman, 1958, Johnston Mellor, 1961), post-Green Revolution economists stressed the role of agriculture in rural growth and development (Haggblade, Hammer, Hazell, 1991; Haggblade, Hazell, Brown, 1989; Hazell Haggblade, 1991; Hazell Roell, 1983). The vital advantage of agricultural growth on rural development was found to be effective in countries (e.g. Nigeria and other developing countries) where small farms dominated agriculture (Rosegrant Hazell, 2000). Therefore, given massive rural poverty and small-scale farming in Africa, the conventional wisdom of agriculture emphasizes a strong role for agriculture in African growth and development. With reference to the conventional wisdom of agriculture, it is important that policy objectives to promote the role of agriculture in economic growth and development in Nigeria should be realistic and capable of transforming a backward agriculture, and at the same time would also encourage industrial growth and development. The experience of other developing countries has shown that policies that promote industrial development at the expense of agriculture have resulted in food shortages and economic stagnation. Given Nigerias present stage of development, a large-scale industrialization scheme that will tend to shut out 70% of the population who are engaged in rural pursuits is not the best for the long-term interests of the country (Adeyokunnu, 1971). This is contrary to the idea behind early development strategies advocated by Rosenstein Rodan, Nurkse, and Hirshman among others, who emphasized industrial development as the main source of economic growth and development and were biased against the agricultural sector (Schiff and Valdes, 1998). This work is principally concerned with showing empirically the role of agriculture to economic and development of Nigeria. It draws on the long standing empirical studies on the role of agricultural sector to economic growth and development across the world. Widespread rural poverty in Africa and the success of Asias Green Revolution suggests that agriculture is a key sector for African development. Since almost all rural households depend directly or indirectly on agriculture, and given the sectors large contribution to the overall economy, it might seem obvious that agriculture should be a key sector in economic growth and development. Most African countries have failed to meet the requirements for a successful agricultural revolution, and productivity in African agriculture lags far behind the rest of the world. This has recently led to renewed debate within the international development community concerning the role of agriculture in African economic growth and development. This study will therefore contribute to the debate. 1.2 The Problem Statement Decline on the role of the agricultural sector in terms of its contribution to Nigerias economic growth and development in the last three decades made the government to establish different agricultural schemes and programmes to enhance agricultural productivity in the country, which includes River Basin Development Authorities, National Accelerated Food Production Project, Agricultural Development Project, Operation Feed the Nation, Green Revolution, National Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure, Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund, National Special Programme for Food Security, Root and Tuber Expansion Project as well as National Fadama I and II programmes. This shows that aagriculture has been an important sector in the Nigerian economy for many years, and is still a major sector even with the oil boom. Basically it generates employment opportunities for the growing population, reduces poverty and contributes to the growth and development of the economy. Economic history provides sufficient evidence that agricultural revolution is important and a pre-condition for economic growth and development, especially in developing countries like Nigeria (Woolf and Jones, 1969; Oluwasanmi, 1966; Eicher and Witt, 1964). The basis of the problem in the Nigerian economy is as a result of poor concentration of the agricultural sector by the Government towards focusing more on a mono-cultural economy based on oil. Agriculture was the mainstay of the Nigerian economy before the discovery, exploration and exportation of oil and over dependence on its revenue for economic expenditure. Agricultural export was contributing to GDP with about 72% between 1955 and 1969 before it fell down to 35% because of the oil crises of early 1970s (CBN, 2002). Nigeria used to be one of the world leading countries in the exportation and production of some major agricultural products between 1940 and 1950. There is evidence from statistics which shows that the export of agricultural products in Nigeria accounted for over 75% of total exports in 1960 (Ekpo and Egwaikhide, 1994). This has changed in recent times as economic growth and development of Nigeria in recent times solely depend on the earning from oil exports that account for over 95%, but contribute with less than 25% in the real gross domestic product (RDGP). This over dependence on oil has affected the countries market forces as well as its economic growt h and development (Okoh, 2004). Because crude oil is an exhaustible asset, it is not advisable for Nigeria to depend on it for sustainable economic growth and development. Therefore, the need to push into competitive market in advanced countries with our agricultural commodities has to be considered, in order to achieve a prosperous economic growth and development in Nigeria (Thirlwall, 1999). Considering the large size of the Nigerian agricultural sector and its important role in the economy, positive reform and adjustment policies are needed in order to improve the overall performance of the countrys economic growth and development (Kwanashie et al., 1998). Besides the oil sector, agricultural sector contributes significantly to the Nigerian economic growth and development because of its rich resource base. Nonetheless, these endowments have to be used wisely so as to diversify the economy and reduce over dependence on the oil sector and on importation. As a result of unstable oil price and continues increase in the price of import goods, the Nigerian economy is not consistent. All these issues have negative effects on the countrys balance of payment, employment and other sectors productivity as well as the purchasing power of the people (Bukar, et al., 1997). At present, impact of the Nigerian agricultural sector to economic growth and development of the country is not as it was in the past periods (NPC, 2000). Nigerian agriculture is still traditional as it was in the pre-independence period (Adewumi and Omotesho, 2002). Even with the existence of the two major rivers in the country (river Niger and river Benue) the agricultural sector is still predominantly rain fed (NPC, 2004). Productivity in the Agricultural sector has declined seriously over the years and this has led to high incidence of poverty levels (Jeter, 2004). Results from the World bank data indicate that over 70% of Nigerians are living below the poverty line (less than $1 per day), showing that there has been an astronomical growth in the level of poverty in the country most of which is associated to poor agriculture since from independence up till today (Chigbu, 2005). Those engaged in farming are mostly rural people, cultivating small area of land using traditional tool s and getting low productivity (NPC, 2004). The problem therefore is that there is limited understanding of the role of agriculture in economic growth and development of Nigeria in recent times. This study seeks to address this gap by empirically examining the role of agriculture to economic growth and development of Nigeria. 1.3 The Research Questions The questions that this study sought to answer are: What are the trends and growth of agricultural gross domestic product (AGDP) relative to the overall gross domestic product (GDP) of Nigeria? What have been the commitments of successive governments in Nigeria to the agricultural sector in terms of public spending in the sector? What have been the contributions of agriculture to the economic growth and development of Nigeria over the past three decades? 1.4 The Research Objectives The main objective of this study is to examine the role of agriculture to economic growth and development of Nigeria. Specifically, the study seeks to: Describe the trends and growth of agricultural gross domestic product (AGDP) in relation to overall GDP of Nigeria. Examine the trends and growth of spending of successive Nigerian governments on the agricultural sector. Estimate the contributions of agriculture to economic growth and development of Nigeria over the past three decades. 1.5 Justification of the Study Policy makers can make use of the outcome of this study in multi-dimensional form. This can be done in terms of interwoven nature of rural employment with agriculture, food security and agricultural productivity. This is because the findings will provide the basis that economic growth and development in Nigeria should be led by agriculture and that the success of plans and policies implemented in the other sectors are depended on agricultural developments for their successful implementation. The outcome of the study will also help policy makers to critically examine the various key possibilities of promoting economic growth and development in Nigeria with regards to the role of agriculture in economic growth and development. Some of these which are of relevant to policy may include issues of: How different alternative economic growth and development states can be achieved using agricultural sectors contribution with the view to decide which one is the best. How societal welfare can be improved from a lower stage to a better stage using agricultural sectors contribution to the economy. How to identify all areas in which the agricultural sector fails and to consider corrective measures. How to evaluate different policy options that have been used to improve agricultural sector as well as determine their implications and consequences on the economic growth and development of Nigeria. How to provide a framework in which different agricultural growth policies can be compared using value judgement and common sense. How to make a critique of different postulates about how agricultural development policies can be improved so that it can provide a menu for better policy measures. 1.6 Scope and Organisation of the Study The scope of this study is to look at the role of agriculture to economic growth and development of Nigeria spanning the last three decades (i.e. 30 years). The study is organised into five main chapters. Chapter one is the introduction which consists of the background to the study, the problem statement, the research questions, the research objectives, the justification of the research and the scope and organisation of the study. Chapter two is the literature review which consists of literature on Agricultural Production in Africa and Nigeria, Agricultural Production and Economic Growth and Development, Commitments of governments to Nigerian agriculture, Agriculture as a Source of Employment for Poverty Reduction, Finally, summary of the literature review and conclusions. Chapter three is the methodology employed in order to achieve the research objectives which consists of profile of Nigeria, the theoretical and model specifications, data types and sources of data. Chapter four is presentation of the results and discussions. Chapter five is the summary of the findings, conclusion and recommendations. After this are the references and appendix. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction This chapter presents an overview of the relevant empirical literature in the subject matter. The chapter is divided into five main subsections. The first subsection is presentation of Agricultural Production in Africa and Nigeria. The second subsection is presentation of Agricultural Production and Economic Growth and Development. Commitments of governments to Nigerian agriculture are presented in the third subsection. The fourth subsection brings to light literature on Agriculture as a Source of Employment for Poverty Reduction. Finally, summary of the literature review and conclusions drawn are presented in subsection five. 2.2 Agricultural Production in Africa and Nigeria There is a growing argument over whether agriculture is still playing important role in economic growth and development in sub-Saharan Africa. Agricultures theorists explain that, in most of the African countries, only the agricultural sector has sufficient scale and growth-linkages to significantly influence aggregate growth and development. Achieving such growth and development will have to do with a large sector like agriculture, which accounts for one-third of gross domestic product (GDP) for the subcontinent as a whole, and an even larger share for two-thirds of African countries. Economists also explain that agricultures poor performance leads to inadequate investment and policies that are historically biased against the agricultural sector (Fan, Zhang, Rao, 2004; Schiff Valdez, 1992; Timmer, 2005). They show the large benefits from investing in rural infrastructure and agricultural technology, and the growth and development potential from catching up to the productivity leve ls of other developing countries. During the period from 1990 to 2004, African industry, including mining and mineral-based manufacturing, grew at 1.9% per year compared to 2.5% for agriculture (World Bank, 2006). This is an indication of the importance of agriculture to economic growth and development across Africa. By contrast, there are others who doubt whether or not agriculture can successfully generate sufficient growth and development in Africa today. This doubt shows the poor performance of agriculture, weak institutions for rural growth and development, and worsening agro-ecological conditions in most of the African countries (Collier, 2002; Ellis, 2005; Maxwell Slater, 2003). The large size of the agricultural sector may be the reason for Africas failure to grow and develop, especially since past experience forecasts a significant decline in the importance of agriculture over time in successfully developing countries (Collier, 2002). For those who argue that agriculture should not be put at the center of African growth and development, although the sectors sufficient growth and development linkages proved very strong during Asias Green Revolution, it may not be so much in Africa because of a more integrated global environment (Hart, 1998). Border prices determine food prices more than domestic supply when imports can enter freely, which reduces the need to invest in domestic agriculture to maintain urban food prices and real wages and hence industrial competitiveness. Under these conditions, it is difficult for agriculture to play important role of economy-wide growth and development as well as facilitating the economic transformation shown by theory or witnessed in the past successes of other developing countries. Agricultures skeptics therefore tend to be more concerned of African industry, emphasizing that mining and manufacturing may bring viable alternative sources of growth and development. Despite contrasting opinions on the relative importance of agriculture in generating overall growth and development, there should presumably be less contention surrounding the role of agriculture in poverty reduction, which is one of the key issues for achieving economic growth and development. This is especially so given the importance of agricultural incomes for Africas poorest populations. However, even among agricultures advocates, there are conflicting views over what should be the focus of an agricultural growth and development strategy for low-income Africa (Dorward, et al., 2004). Some suggest that the best opportunities for African farmers lie in high-value commodities and, given poor domestic demand in Africa, that production should focus on export markets. Small-scale farms are seen as irrelevant due to international competition and the growing difficulties of supply-chains for both domestic and foreign markets (Reardon, Timmer, Barrett, Berdegue`, 2003). It is argued tha t rural dwellers should plan on diversifying incomes away from agriculture (Ashley Maxwell, 2001) and focus on going to urban areas (Ellis Harris, 2004). On the other hand, others argue that rural income diversification has been a reality in Africa for many years (Barrett Reardon, 2000; Reardon et al., 2003) and has yet to achieve significant income growth. Furthermore, income diversification is not a significant positive phenomenon, especially if diversification is due to stagnant agricultural growth and development (Haggblade, Hazell, Reardon, 2002) or if migration is as a result of growth in low-productivity urban activities (Lipton, 2004). The biggest market benefits for majority of African farmers comes from domestic and regional markets for staples/food crops (Diao Hazell, 2004; Rosegrant, Paisner, Meijer, Witcover, 2001). 2.3 Agricultural Production and Economic Growth and Development Provision of sufficient food for the growing population puts agriculture at the center of current growth and development issue in developing countries. This is because the level of population growth in most developing countries is far more than the level of agricultural production and growth. Malthusian theory of population growth is becoming true in these countries; hence, the need to grow and develop agriculture to meet the food requirement of the people is very important. Looking at the Malthusian theory, if food supply fail to meet demand then food prices will rise. This will also have effect on workers wages and subsequently affect industrial profits, investment and overall economic growth and development in the society (Uniamikogbo, 2007). On the supply of raw materials to the industrial sector, agriculture have been seen as the major requirement for industrial growth and development because of the sectors role in providing the necessary raw materials for industries (Child, 2008; Uniamikogbo, 2007 and Abayomi, 2006). As a result of this, the need for increasing agricultural productivity has to be considered. There is the need therefore to put more emphasis on increasing domestic output rather than focusing more on the expansion of export to finance growing food export. This means that, agriculture is the most influential sector in developing countries. It should then make a significant contribution to the overall investment requirements needed by the industrial sector such as lowering the amount of raw materials supplied from abroad by increasing the output produced locally. Agriculture has been the main stay of the Nigerian economy providing employment and source of livelihood for the teeming population. It contributes with over half of the GDP of the Nigerian economy during much of post-independence in the country. Nonetheless, the role it plays in the economic growth and development of the country has gone down over the years due to the overwhelming and dominant role of the crude oil sector in the economy, on which the country extensively depends. With the high food demand in Nigeria, the country has to make use of its abundant natural resources and to take advantage of its current democracy to increase the volume of crop production towards satisfying the food and nutritional requirement of the rapidly growing population and to ensure food security in the country (Enoma, 2010) . Therefore, agriculture can be characterized as the source of national wealth and economic growth and development in Nigeria. Agricultural Development economists have researched significantly on how agriculture can best contribute to overall economic growth and development. Looking at Lewis theory of development, Todaro and Smith (2003) indicated that the underdeveloped economy consists of two sectors, which are the ancient and traditional agricultural sector characterized by zero marginal labor productivity and the modern industrial sector. In his historical approach to the process of economic growth and development, Rostow (1960) distinguishes five stages of economic growth and development, which are: Traditional society; Pre-conditions for takeoff; Take-off; Drive to maturity; and Age of high mass-consumption. According to Rostow, the take-off stage is the most important figure in the life of a society when growth becomes its normal condition. The significance and importance of the traditional society make a decisive breakthrough and a multiple interest gets built into the society structure with agricult ure playing significant role at this stage. From this theory, it is evident that agriculture plays a significant role in the first three stages of economic growth and development (Traditional society, pre-conditions for takeoff and takeoff stages). The agricultural sector greatly influences industrial and economic backbone from which a countrys economic growth and development can take off. Therefore, beyond reasonable doubt, agricultural activities are usually concentrated and more practiced in the less-developed countries where there is an urgent need for rural transformation, redistribution, poverty alleviation and socio-economic growth and development (Stewart, 2000). Indeed, agriculture has a significant role in an economy, without it a country will surely depend on importation from other countries to feed its population. The essential contribution of agriculture to economic growth and development has been an on-going subject of debate among development economist, several theorist argue that growth of the whole economy relies on the development of agricultural sector (Schuttz, 1964, Gollin, Parente and Rogerson 2002). The growth and development of the agricultural sector could result to national output increase through its effect on rural incomes and provision of resources for transformation into an industrialized economy (Eicher and Staatz, 1984; Dowrick and Gemmmell, 1991; Datt and Ravallion, 1998; Thirtle, Lin and Piesse 2003). Johnston and Mellor (1961) reported that agriculture improves and contributes to overall economic growth and development through various inter-sectoral linkages. Which include, provision of surplus labor to the industri al sector; supply of food for domestic consumption; creation of market for industrial output; provision of domestic savings and industrial investment and generation of foreign exchange from agriculture export earnings to finance import of intermediate and capital goods respectively. However, In addition to the above-mentioned direct market-based linkages, Timmer (1995) found out that agriculture indirectly contributes to economic growth and development through its caloric nutrient intake provision to the poor, food availability; stable food prices and poverty reduction. Going by all the debated arguments, it is clear that agricultural growth and development has played a historically important role in the process of economic growth and development. However, acts from developed countries as well as developing countries indicate that agricultural sector has been the engine that contributes to the overall growth and development of a countrys economy. Agriculture therefore plays an important role in achieving economic growth and development. 2.4 Commitments of Governments to the Agricultural Se

The Global Journey In The Sin Dejar Huella Media Essay

The Global Journey In The Sin Dejar Huella Media Essay Sin dejar huella (Without Leaving a Trace, 2000) is a film written and directed by Marà ­a Novaro. It is based on a journey undertaken by two female fugitives Ana and Aurelia travelling along the back roads of Mexico from Ciudad Juà ¡rez to Cancà ºn. Sin dejar huella is similar to Novaros other film productions: it is structured around a physical, objective journey and Novaro makes clear allusions and references to the melodramatic themes of motherhood, female friendship and invisible male figures in contemporary Mexico. Sin dejar huella belongs to the niche genre of the womens road movie and has triggered comparisons with Ridley Scotts tragicomic feminist road movie Thelma and Louise (1991). Cohan and Hark outline the road movie as representing a questà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for a better life, a new social order, or fulfilment.  [1]  However, the journey across Mexico in Novaros feature film transcends the conventional spiritual quest of finding yourself and Bildungsroman as associated with this movie genre. It differentiates itself from the melodramatic undertones of her earlier film productions and the lightheartedness of Scotts 1991 feature specifically through the interplay of amalgamating elements from the cultures of different regions  [2]   the local and global influences and behaviour in Mexico through which Novaro addresses her socio-political concerns of poverty, social neglect, globalisation and the pace of modernity. In this respect, certain parallels can be drawn between Sin dejar huella and Dennis Hoppers Easy Rider (1969) in which, as one critic points out: The search for America undertaken by Captain America and his sidekick Billy is not geographical, it is literally a quest to find out where Americas head is at. The people and places represented in that quest are evocative of different states of consciousness co-existing unpeacefully in this country and all over the world. Each stop on the road is an encounter with a different awareness of what is real and what is of value. Novaro uses the velocity of the high speed chase in the narrative to ignite the film from within, effectively creating a momentum through which she engages the audience and, similar to Hoppers 1969 feature, enters an incisive discourse to find out exactly where Mexicos head is at. This essay is an attempt to investigate Sin dejar huella within the context of the glocal  [3]  ; focusing on the mise en scà ¨ne and the characterisation of the protagonists, I will consider how aspects of the local, regional and global or the micro-meso-macro are pooled together to generate an image of contemporary Mexico. More specifically, I will analyse the changing roles of Ana and Aurelia and the development of camaraderie between the two initially polarised characters as they progress through their journey: I will attempt to draw a correlation between the local and global influences they confront and are forced to adapt to, in particular from their positions as women living on the margins of Mexican society, and how this leads to a level of co-dependency and a drive for the formation of their relationship, representative of a creation of a new identity in Mexico. Firstly, it is significant to consider the influences and reasons for Novaros interplay with the local and global in Sin dejar huella, and how they enable the film to explore aspects of globalisation in Mexico. Mexicos entry into NAFTA  [4]  in 1994 and President Salinas de Gortaris free-market policies led to a fall in national film production and distribution. Subsequently, agreements and alliances were established between Spanish and Mexican production companies in the late 1990s with the aim to fortalecer los lazos de coloboracià ³n  [5]   to locally produce films and television programmes (where it would have been cheaper) and extend their reach beyond the national, and towards regional and global markets. The preconditions of these agreements were to incorporate Mexicans and Spaniards at the level of both cast and crew, generally in proportion to the percentage of funding offered by each country  [6]   essentially an obligatory interplay and exchange between the lo cal and the global. Sin dejar huella was part of this new wave of transnational cinema production: it was co-produced by Mexicos AltaVista Films and Spains Tornasol Films, and Aitana Sà ¡nchez-Gijà ³n a widely recognised Spanish-Italian and Hollywood film actress  [7]   was cast as the female co-protagonist in the film. The representation of distinct upbringings and ways of life in Spain and Mexico are underlined through the mise-en-scà ¨ne, characterisation, and the cooperation between the two protagonists in Sin dejar huella, which relate to the idea that the interplay between the local and the global stems from the preconditioned film production requirements and transnational influences. From the outset of the narrative, the costume and the dià ¡logos humorà ­sticos  [8]  between Ana and Aurelia draw immediate attention to their differing local and global consumer attitudes: Ana wears luxury Western designer accessories, such as high-heeled sandals, a Longines watch and Gucci sunglasses which are emphasised in repeated medium frame talking head shots. Aurelia, conversely, wears cowboy boots relating to the traditional outfit of the Mexican vaquero and has neither heard of these global brands, nor recognises their monetary value: she comically mistakes Gucci for Fuchi and exchanges the Long ines watch for only enough money to buy a telephone call-card. As the narrative progresses, it is significant to note that the women share and barter their clothes and accessories. The economic and information exchange between Spain and Mexico and the establishment of friendly ties between the two countries in the film production, and also represented in the on-screen local-global trade could in fact be a constructive and encouraging image of Mexicos entry into global economic activity. However, although the incorporation of Sà ¡nchez-Gijà ³n was a mere compliance with the conditions of co-producing, and the economic activity in the narrative representative of a progressive image of the Mexico-Spain film alliance, a close cinematographic analysis of the maturity of Ana and Aurelias relationship, and the shifting image of what it means to be a Mexican woman would reveal that the interplay between the local and the global transcends these practical factors. The doll is a widely recognised and iconic symbol of the feminine ideal; it is a beautifully constructed, motionless object that is subject to gaze and adoration. In the opening ten minutes of Sin dejar huella both Ana and Aurelia break away from this anachronistic and illusory symbols of Mexican femininity in the physical destruction of doll figurines: for Ana it is a ceramic figure of dama de Kolpecà ©, una tejedora, figura de Jaina del periodo clasico maya  [9]  she was exporting as a replica Mayan artefact to the Museum of Denver, Colorado; for Aurelia it is the bride figurine from her wedding cake and under which she had stashed cocaine for her narcotraficante boyfriend. Despite the physical exterior of the figurines a bride and a weaver it is the interior of the figurines are the sources of their corruption that have led them to embark on this quest the drugs and the forgery what the women have to resort to/ the realities of life as a woman in Mexico despite the education and (what appears to be) a stable marriage life on the margins is and are the factors that have driven them to embark on this quest to find out that what is actually contained within the dolls (for Ana it is a Mexican peso and in Aurelia ´s case, drugs), Destruction of what the doll represents and evocative of their search to find a new alternative definition of femininity in contemporary Mexico, albeit perhaps a broken and less defined image. This journey away from the expectations of womanhood that they have essentially been forced to conform to by default is exemplified in the road sign No hay retorno since there is effectively no turning back; Ana and Aurelia had to break this image, showing almost a progressive image and a development. Before the women have even met each other in the narrative they are united The physical destruction of the dolls as the towards achieving their liberation is representative of the journey these women will undertake as they continue through the journey across Mexico This dichotomy the two women face between subserving the image and breaking away to achieving exactly what they want, serves as a vehicle towards the formation of their friendship and an establishment of their co-dependency. In every scene in which their friendship is developed the fundamental human needs are brought to the forefront, despite the local-global differences that surround them: When Aurelia witnesses Ana drinking water from a public fountain, Aurelia is shocked and offers to buy her bottled water. It is ironic in their reversal of attitudes and financial situations: Ana is the more globalised traveller, yet is faced with a situation in which she cannot pay for a basic human requirement, Aurelia, a woman who has grown up working in the sweat-shops of Northern Mexico ironically is aware of the problems of drinking tap-water. It is at this moment that a level of dependency arises from Ana onto Aurelia. This dependency that emerges is particularly significant in reference to Aurelia ´s mocking comment in the car Loz ezpaà ±olez hablan azà ­, emphasising the lisp common in Spanish speech, which draws attention to their global differences. This dependency is transformed into a friendship between the two women as witnessed at the Playa Paraà ­so where a sign embedded in the sand which reads Sà ³lo se encuentran amigos aquà ­ is focussed on and the women subsequently bathe in the sea water. Their physical immersion into the water perhaps could be inferred as a religious imagery of soul cleansing or baptism or the two women united by the water, a vital ingredient for life, and an element that is necessary for all regardless of their race or nationality. This visual imagery is significant in Novaro ´s interplay between the local and the global because the sea is the factor that connects the local and the global, national and international altogether not solely in a conceptual manner but also geographically. This concept of the connection between nations through water (*) is represented in the scene that motivates Aurelia to embark on the journey itself in which she watches a man (like Ana and Aurelia) take of his clothes and cross a river to El Paso, Texas. The notion of water as an immersing factor in representing the ability to cross / traverse across onto a new, better world is also what differentiates the women when confronted by borders each women reacts differently as a result of their upbringing and where they essentially originate from. Ana, as a  ´globe-trotter, having lived, worked and loved in many countries confronts borders as a means of surviving financially she trades false Mayan artefacts to the Museum of Denver, America. Aurelia, conversely, views borders as a liberating factor: a chance to improve her lifestyle and provide her children with the opportunity for a better life. The relationships with men are significant factors that differentiate the women Ana ´s characterisation as a femme fatale as emphasised by the mise-en-scene in her dress is chased by a lecherous cop, Mendizabal : he smells her hair and almost fetishises his search for her, and in fact his hunt for her is like him wanting a foreign woman as a trophy to hang up. Ana is somewhat feared by men as a result of her education and her dress. Their relationship with men Ana and Mendizabel goes beyond the femme fatale as her costume would suggest she does not want to use her beauty, charm or sexual allure to ensnare Mendizabel She does however torture her lover denying confirmation of her affection and driving him to the point of obsession and exhaustion so that he is incapable of making rational decisions it ultimately leads to his death he is killed by the wrong person She is in fact feared by Mendizabal Aurelia and BILLY AND JUANITO even her sexual relationship is with a 19year old boy Her relationship with men is reflected on to youth of mexico perhaps a progressive image of Mexico? Education of Juanito Sex scene he goes for her breasts nurturing mother Aurelia is the madre coraje will risk anything for her children using the traditional methods of education, good-schooling ensuring change, Juanito holds strong morals Heralclio Chuc progressive image of Mexico heading towards globalisation and a romanticised image of the past vs. the irony of the indigenous culture still existing within the forces of global.. Margins of society left out and the irony that they have tore-create their roots/ portray themselves as existing in the past attempt to regenerate their history (illegally) In an interview with Fernando Brenner, Novaro stated that: Querà ­a mostrar un Mà ©xico muy contrastante: el sur y el norte. Y dos mujeres muy diferentes. Ademà ¡s una de ellas tenà ­a que tener mà ¡s capacidad para ver a Mà ©xico, precisamente por no ser mexicana. Ése fue mi punto de partida, y una sensacià ³n que tengo no me siento mexicana en la zona Yucatà ¡n, como le pasa a muchos mexicanos, pues estamos en la regià ³n maya. Y sea que esa vivencia, la de ser una extranjera en mi patria, convive con mi encanto por estar en mi paà ­s. Foreign influence in Mexico Road movie genre inexorably transcultural The movement in the movie itself parallels this shifting image of Mexico Last paragraph the image of a changing mexico isnt negative a progressive image of the change and that the foreign influence isnt always going to be negative However, despite the fast-pace change of modernity/ global influence, there is still a level of humanity this doesnt change Ana steals the money but brings it back, mariachi band at the end she remembers Survival basic human needs they converge in this respect because they both rely on each other/ are dependent on each other food, drinking, sleep