The gift of the Magi Essay Example For Students

The gift of the Magi Essay The gift of the Magi Question: How was love between Jim and Della portrayed in the story? Love has always been an eternal topic in the treasure of literature. Each author in each work of art from classic to modernity reflects different aspects of this inspirational theme. In that enormous work, O. Henrys The gift of the Magi though simple yet profound, stands out as a high note in that endless symphony of love. The love between Jim and Della, the main characters of the story, was portrayed in a gentle way but did touch he bottom of every readers heart. We will write a custom essay on The gift of the Magi specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The story was the picture of a poor, isolated young couple but truly loved each other. The love between them was expressed through various details. From the way they called their partner my Jim or my Della, readers could notice an undeniable connection between the two souls in which their possessiveness toward each other was dominant. Another implication of love between Jim and Della was their appreciation to other partner. Remember when Della was in depressed mood because she didnt know how to get a present being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim. Dellas Jim, her Jim was the most precious thing in the world that nothing could even compare to. So great their love was, Jim and Della sacrificed the two proudest possessions in the house: Jims gold watch and Dellas hair. On the day before Christmas, Della sold her hair to buy Jim the golden chain while Jim sold his watch to buy Della a set of comb. Their actions, in he first thought were said to have been silly, however, they originated from the true love that was not only a state of emotion but became the inseparable cohesion of the two souls. They put the other one beyond themselves without any regrets. The gifts in their eyes were not seen as sacrifice but the wisest choice helping them keep up the flame of their love. The gift of the Magi is O. Henry s declaration of love in which love seemed to have no bounds. Richness or poverty, give or take doesnt matter anymore. You love unconditionally and this is it!

A Lesson in Spelling Definite

A Lesson in Spelling Definite A Lesson in Spelling Definite A Lesson in Spelling Definite By Maeve Maddox Next to the possessive adjective its, the word definite is possibly the most misspelled word in English. If I had a nickel for every time Ive circled the misspelling definate in a students paper, Id have enough money to buy a house. Perhaps one way to impress the correct spelling of definite on the mind would be to consider the family of words to which it belongs. finite: having bounds, ends, or limits infinite: having no limit or end infinity: the quality or attribute of being infinite or having no limit define: to settle the limits of And, of course, theres definite: Having fixed or exact limits Look at all the i words in these definitions; Something that is infinite has no limits. Something that is finite has limits. To define is to limit. Something that is definite is limited. There! Go forth and spell definite with two is. For babies and children, whose nutritional needs are extraordinary, the risks are definite and scary. The breast milk of vegetarian and vegan mothers is dramatically lower in a critical brain fat, DHA (www.nytimes.com) one of the more useful words in the English language, but according to research by a linguistics professor, use of the definite article â€Å"the† has declined â€Å"radically† over the last century. (www.theguardian.com) of state for public health, committee chairman Neil Parish wrote: â€Å"We are disappointed with the lack of definite action taken by the FSA [Food Standards Agency] and wider government to date. We trust that the further response (www.theguardian.com) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Does [sic] Mean?How to Play HQ Words: Cheats, Tips and TricksFew vs. Several

The Value of Digital Privacy in an Information Technology Age Research Paper - 3

The Value of Digital Privacy in an Information Technology Age - Research Paper Example It involves hacking individuals’ computers or accounts by sending e-mails to individuals’ accounts. These e-mails often get citizens to provide sensitive information. They are personal, crafty and deceitful messages that easily pass security protections. According to security software maker RSA, about one in every 300 emails in 2011 was a phish. Data cables are also used to access private information. Network cabling companies collect personal and non-personal information. Different cabling companies have different terms of use in regard to privacy. The companies, through their websites, collect information ranging from names, physical address, e-mail address, age, password and other information necessary to conduct business with these companies. This information may then be used to facilitate citizens’ use of web sites, to send information to citizens and to conduct business. Data protection is required to prevent improper collection of personal data and improper usage or disclosure of the same. Private data in the hands of criminals may be detrimental, while the same may be of great benefit in the hands of security agents. Access to private information may lead to crimes such as identity theft, fraud, defamation, slandering and discriminatory practices. Also, gaining access to confidential information increases the risks of such information being disclosed. This causes dissatisfaction and encourages mistrust in individuals. In America, identity theft has become increasingly common and it destroys an individual’s financial reputation. Invasion of personal privacy shows inefficiency on the government’s part and other organizations that keep citizens’ records. Access to private citizen information through computer applications has greatly facilitated investigations into financial crimes, drug crimes and sex crimes (Soghoian, 2011, 18-20). Therefore, law enforcers are able to track crimes across borders. Because

Corporate governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Corporate governance - Essay Example In corporate governance, the company’s management takes a trustee’s role for other parties that have interests in the company. Corporate governance is majorly based on principles like conducting business with fairness and integrity, transparency in handling transactions, complying with laws governing operation of companies, making sound decisions and necessary disclosures, ethical issues in conducting business and responsibility and accountability towards stakeholders. There is also need to clearly distinguish between corporate funds and personal funds when managing a company. Enron Corporation was a company dealing in services, commodities and energy based in Houston, Texas state in America. It had approximately 20,000 staff members and was among the world’s major natural gas, electricity, pulp and paper and communications companies before its bankruptcy in December 2001. After 2001, it was found that the company’s financial condition was majorly sustained by a systematic, institutionalized and planned accounting fraud that was termed as Enron scandal (Sterling, 2002). The Enron Scandal that was discovered in 2001 led to bankruptcy of Enron Corporation and dissolution of Arthur Andersen, an entity that was among the five largest accountancy and audit partnerships worldwide by then. Enron is rated the biggest failure in audit apart from leading as the largest bankrupt company in the history of America by then. The case analyzes the cause of this failure in details. Lack of truthfulness. According to the report given by Kirk Hanson, the executive director of Markkula, a center for Applied Ethics, the Enron management did not give true information concerning the company’s health (Canadian Center of Science & Education, 2010). The senior executives developed a belief that Enron had to take the first position in relation to other companies and also they had to maintain their reputations as well performing executives in the United

Douglas Coupland, Generation X Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Douglas Coupland, Generation X - Essay Example It means that the American society is open for changes and innovations, unlike the Canadian society, which rejected the book at first. Generation X is positioned by Coupland as a distracted youth, free of moral stereotypes and prejudices. Moreover, Coupland claims that the Canadian dimension of literature does not present a blur of regional and national identity. This claim of the author plays an important role in the modern globalized, internationally blurred context. Moreover, it is argued that Generation X is a future prospect of the future social development of the contemporaries in technologically savvy world, freed from social bounds. Xers and their essence A tendency of escape from the strict bonds of the society is one of the most crucial issues of the novel. In other words, Coupland appeals for freedom and independence of the contemporaries. There is nothing, but individuals, who are technologically savvy and rigorous. A contemporary society is a society of consumers and cur rent communication implies nothing more than commentaries to the actions of other individuals. There is no need for the main characters of the novel to live in compliance with worn-out moral norms and ways of behavior. The contemporaries are ready to call for their earlier lives. There is a massive appeal of the author for the modern society to discard stereotypical behaviors and escape from monotonous lives. On the other hand, there is no evident possibility to escape from a socially stable reality: â€Å"...the realization that the smiles that they wear in their daily lives are the same as the smiles worn by people who have been good-naturedly fleeced, but fleeced nonetheless and who are unable because of social convention to show their anger† (Coupland 1991, p. 7).   It is essential and interesting to notice, that such kind of unusual arguments and a new air for the development of the Canadian minds was not readily accepted by the latter. The author appeals for the remov al of consumerist stereotypes or any other standardized types of behavior. It is not appropriate and even ill-mannered for the contemporaries to think and to act in accordance with irrelevant stereotypes. Coupland underlines a widening gap of generations’ split and there is a need to bridge the gap. The only way to do it is to become â€Å"naked† individuals with clear minds and create the modern reality, which is between reality and cyber space. Unlike earlier years, modern social templates of behavior are not linear. It is evident, that the modern society is being developed in different directions, blurring the borders and static limits of diversified development. Therefore, one of the greatest dilemmas, parent-children relationships is described by Coupland in an unusual manner. Modern youth is confident and they do not want their parents to be confident instead of them. Parental â€Å"crowbars† cannot be applied to reshape the lives of their children, as it used to be many centuries ago. Divided sections of text underlines dualistic development of the modern life: the modernity is being developed in accordance with the laws of computer technologies: a bipolar system of the modern society development reiterates binary system of computer technologies. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to have emotional features of human beings and the main characters Andy, Dag, and Claire have remained sensual humane characters and not computerized machines. There is enough courage among these characters and they are able to abandon a well-structured world, designed by the worn-out social system for them for life, which has no structure, templates and purpose. The modern culture is being develope

Criminal Courts And Prisons Criminology Essay

Criminal Courts And Prisons Criminology Essay Prisons institutions are essential in society due to the fundamental use of detaining and punishing criminals as well as to rehabilitate them in order to avoid re-offending. Prisons are guided by government officials. During the 1990s, private prisons were introduced in the UK. The main reason for the introduction of private prisons was to reduce overcrowding as well as costs, and to a certain extent improve prison standards. (Harding, 2001). The idea of involving private agencies in prison facilities has been expanded and recognised by the new labour, conservative and the new coalition government. In the 1990s, regardless of the labour government being strongly against the idea of prison privatisation, they were challenged by an increased prison population which led them to allow private sectors to bid for running new prisons; and also present prisons were not to be occupied by public sectors. As a result, major parties reached an agreement in support of private prisons. However, th ere have been constant critiques from academics and the several sections of the media (Teague, 2010). Prison privatisation is interestingly an old concept. This can be seen as during the 1800s; several prison institutions in the US were contracted to private companies who contracted inmates to business as labourers. This idea was shortened due to corruption and the violent opposition by several businesses who claim that there was an unfair competition due to unpaid workers. Nonetheless, modern prisons now work on a totally different framework to earlier prisons; with even promising features. The introduction of private prisons in modern society has perceived new changes in prisons structure. Prisons are now not only driven by the goal of serving punishment and rehabilitate offenders, but also to gain financial wealth from detaining criminals. The intentions of private prisons were merely to correct present faults from private sector prisons, such as overcrowding; in the process of this, private prisons have suffered heavy criticism. The cost of crime is on the increase due to increased crime rates. In early nineties, it was estimated to cost almost seven billion dollars each year in construction cost as well as the upkeep of inmate population. The price of employing prison guards, administrators, teachers and every prison services within its facility is not included in this cost. Allowing private companies to take over the running of these institutions mean that the associated costs may not be generated from tax payers money, which would mean that governments can make better use of the money to address other public areas needing attention. Private prisons come with several benefits that aim to reduce cost as well as other beneficial factors. Cost saving is one of the main benefits associated with prison privatisation. The increased rate of crime accounts for the cost which is used towards prisons. Crime is widely seen a social problem and due to this, investments of up to nine figure sums each year is spent on the development of prisons; in order to manage the increasing rate of prisoners. Furthermore, prisons also incur more cost for aspects like the recruitment of guards and administrators, as well as other necessary expenses such as healthcare, food, clothes and education. The majority of private prison supporters argue that the government spends far more money on public prisons than private prisons, and both sectors equally provide and maintain the essential quality service needed. The main reasons that these supporters gave in regards to the increased cost of public prisons are due to factors such as red tape and the several laws which increases the cost of public prison management. These factors have been eliminated in private sector prisons which has significantly reduced costs. Furthermore, with private sectors managing prisons, some of the costs that are associated with running prisons may be used for other government projects. This will enable better use of government fund to other possible serious areas that may need addressing in terms of development. The issue of competition privatization will ensure an increase of productivity and also reduced waste of resources. Research show that the boarding cost in private sector prisons is half the cost of public prisons (Young, 2003). Several other studies show that private sector prisons save over 20% in construction cost as well as up to 15% in management costs (Sloane, 1996). Although critics strongly argue that cost reductions in private agencies, may however worsen prison conditions (Smith, 2003). Private companies are also perceived to be more flexible and innovative than public sector prisons. In the early 1990s, ministers argue that private sector prisons had proposed new ideas in the running of prisons. It was proposed that private sectors have the imagination to run prisons and look at things from a different point of view as well as to consider new management techniques and create new measures. This view was recognised in the 1998 inspection of Buckley hall with the chief inspector crediting the prisons improvement to the flexibility in which contractors could present innovative ideas that are free from bureaucratic restrictions, and if possible could be removed in other institutions. Supporters argue that contracting cold be a reason for staff innovation and transformation in the longstanding obstruction. The economic theory states that there will be a reduction in the running of prisons if there is more availability in renting and selling of prison cells, the challenges in terms of the funding and efficient allocation of prison spaces. This plan aims to give back to society as it serves to preserve justice. The economic theory states that the difficulty of financial assistance towards the control of prison services will reduce if there is more availability in selling and renting prison cells, the challenges in terms of the funding and efficient allocation of prison space. Private prisons adapted this concept by trying to exploit opportunities through the use of prison run factories. The idea of this is to allow prisoners to earn whilst giving back to society via labour. More than half of the money generated through this method is used to cater for prison cells and support victims. This process not only generates money but enabled prisoners to acquire skills which they can use in the integration process back in society. They can use these skills to acquire them a living rather than to follow the path of crime and be recognised by society as ex-offenders, which could narrowly lead them back into this system (Young, 2003). Although the public prison tries to carry out this task, it is not as effective as private prisons. It is essential to note that the privatization process may lead to new approaches to criminal control and punishment other than using prisons to deny criminals of their freedom. For instance, new approaches can involve the detaining of criminals through the use of modern technology on the individuals body such as electronic monitor. However, this approach may cause concern due to the safety of individuals in society. This would raise questions on whether the given technique is effective enough in ensuring crime reduction as well as the punishment of offenders (Smith, 2003). In sum, prison privatisation has a lot of benefits due to internal factors such as cost effectiveness. The proposer of this system may use the benefits of private prisons to ensure that most prisons are privatised in order to improve prisons and ensure that justice is served in any given country. The idea of private prisons is certainly a plausible one, as it carries several advantages that benefit both the country as a whole as well as these institutions; although, in order to fully understand all its positive benefits, more studies need to be conducted in this area. This idea has the possibility of being successful if given attention. This is to ensure that social interests come before the need to maximize profits by the companies that have been given the contract to set up private prisons. It is important to realise that each benefits of private prisons has an equal amount of disapproval and this is the same case as public institutions. This is due to the debates surrounding any issue concerning the welfare of individuals in society. A sensitive issue like this one, will attract some challengers (Young, 2003) On the other hand, there have been several disadvantages and criticisms of privately run prisons. There have been a number of factors and researches to back these claims. This section of this essay will point out and address these issues, using a range of studies as well as discussions that have been conducted in order to allow the reader to understand this area well. Critics claim that profit is one of the main motives behind private sector prisons; therefore this factor contributes to conflict of interest. The idea of prisons is not only to punish and isolate offenders from society, but also to rehabilitate them in order to highly reduce the chances of re-offending. Though it is a good factor that private prisons are cost saving, this would consequently mean that private prisons are not as efficient as public prisons. This is due to gaining profits through prison management, which would mean that essential factors such as prison rehabilitation programmes and medical care are reduce d at the cost of prisoners welfare. As a result of this, it is a possibility that prisoners may experience poor living conditions, as well as the lack of effective rehabilitation programs. Furthermore, a report carried out the National Audit Office (2003) voiced concerns on several areas on services provided by private prisons. Factors such as inexperienced staffs and high staff turnovers were pointed on. Poor payment and poor working conditions are some reasons of high turnovers (Sloane, 1996). Also arguments on this topic pointed out that public prison were far safer than private prisons due to environment. This is based on the fact that prison workers in the private sectors had less experience than those in the public sector. This report further goes on to argue that the terms and conditions of the contract which private prisons were run had not been appropriately developed, which raised concerns about the commercial confidentiality that surround the terms which private prisons were under. Another aspect that is of interest to critics is the issue of bad scoring. Reports have revealed private prisons received bad scores in regards to management and security. This is due to failures in the numbers of deliberate criminal activities in this institution, assault and drug containment. Austin (2010) conducted a survey to investigate the welfare of prisoners in several private sector prisons. His findings revealed the intensity in which prisoners and staffs within this system had to cope with. A major discovery that was made within this process showed that there was an increase in the amount of assault cases within these facilities, than in public prisons. Findings show that the number of cases of assault on prisoners by staff had increased to 49%; whilst assaults by prisoners had increased to over 60%. This is almost doubled the figures in public sector prisons. This factor provides evidence to suggest that privately run prisons are less efficient in regards to performance ( Smith, 2003). The issue of low-balling is an aspect that has received some criticism. This is a tactic that is used on the government by contractors. The idea of this method is by under bidding fellow participants with the goal of winning and once they are announced winners, they then increase the figure. Worst of all, the competitors stands a chance of bankruptcy which leaves the government in a non-correctional position. If this method is introduced in this essential system that ensures that justice is served, then the country will see the provision of poor resources and facilities as well as technical hitches; therefore, this will make the whole purpose of this system loose its motives (Logan, 1990) The system has several benefits as well as disadvantages that may obstruct the process of privatizing prisons in any country. Some of the arguments by researchers may not be strong enough due to lack of evidence. On the other hands, some arguments against the idea of private prisons need to be taken into account due to sake of the welfare of individuals, which should be a major factor of any government (Sloane, 1996). Ethics and principles is a key aspect of societal needs in any given institution and it has been proven that there are certain aspects of private prisons that weaken this value. This is an issue that thoroughly needs to be reflected on. It is also important to question whether the issue of morality should be left in the hands of individuals whose ultimate goals are to search for financial gains and to make maximum profits. To a certain extent, this gives the idea that our society is no longer driven by morals, but greedy individuals who use any given opportunity to make money (Alter, 2010). While taking into consideration all the factors mentioned in this essay, the best technique of any given prison organisation appears to be private institutions. The reason for this is due to the number of benefits such as financial benefits, security aspects, prisoner well-being, and accountabilities which makes it a preferred choice. However, the issue of morality seemed to be totally ignored in this case. Should we, the peers of society shift the responsibility for the ultimate sanction by which we measure normative behaviour, to those whose soul motive is profit? Michael Foucault argued that prison institutions are a model, the point of origin, for the entire model of social control that characterised society through its improvement in morals. Has our society become one of opportunist motivated by greed? Foucault then went on to further state that punishment was paid out in days, months and years and draws up a quantitative equivalence between offence and duration. By pressuring i nmates to work, is the system not making the offender pay back more than what is original crime entailed. Would it be right to presume that private prison approach is a symptom or a reaction by private capitalism to the prospects created by societys temper tantrum approach to the problem of criminality in the context of free market supremacy? In the calculation of what is or should be the best system to guard and control social corruption, not only should we calculate the cost, but also the effect it will take on our morals. Prison privatisation is concept that sparks a lot of interest; prison privatisation holds many positive features that deserve further research. The concept of prison privatisation will certainly flourish- however, much care is required in regulation to assure that society interest is at the fore front and not the cooperation interest, and not developed by hucksters with the soul intention of turning a quick buck causing the sacrifice of quality. It is important to remember that for each positive point, there will be an equal rebuttal to counter it benefits, similar to public prison. There is no thinkable problem with private prisons that is not matched by an identical or closely related problem within government based institutions. It is primarily because they are prisons, not because they are contractual, that private operations face challenges of authority, legitimacy, procedural justice, accountability, liability and so on. A possible thought would be the combination of both syste ms, creating a union with safe-guards, quick response times, and technological changes, safety catering, educating and training inmates, while addressing the issue of morality within the criminal justice system. As to their advantages and disadvantages as standalone units both organisations have good and bad points; both suffer equal criticism and similar failings.

John Miltons Paradise Lost Essay -- John Milton Paradise Lost Essays

John Milton's Paradise Lost John Milton’s Paradise Lost is filled with fantastical tales from the depths of Hell, extravagant descriptions of the fallen angels, and a curious recitation of the council of demons in their new palace. How did Milton dream up such vivid depictions of such horrible demons as the ones we see in Book I? Most of his fallen angels originate in the form of Pagan gods condemned by the Bible, with actual historical backgrounds which Milton cites in his lengthy descriptions. Firstly, a few words about Satan would seem prudent, as he is the first of the fallen angels, the leader in the revolt, and the first to venture to earth to corrupt mankind. He is Milton’s main character, and the only one to extend outside of strict biblical interpretations of his character. He appears first in the Bible (if you discount the snake in the Garden of Eden) in the Book of Job, in which he convinces God to test Job by taking away all his worldly possessions and bringing harm to himself and his family. He is addressed with the angels and named as Satan, so his status as an angel who helps bring pain and suffering is no stretch from the ‘biblical truth’. Old Testament Books such as Isaiah and Ezekiel refer to what appears to be Satan, but are in the midst of passages that reflect upon wicked, fallen kings. In Isaiah 14:12 it is written, â€Å"how you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!† Most speculation is that this directly refers to Satan, although in no other passage is he referred to as Lucifer. The passage is actually concerning a Babylonian king, as is Ezekiel 28:14-15, which laments (for the King of Tyre), â€Å"you were the anointed cherub†¦ till iniquity was found in you.† These passages are about wick... ...of the Memphian Kings (Egyptian Pharoah’s at the great city of Memphis) who built the Great Pyramids, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but whose city Memphis sustained much damage throughout the years (the city decayed and the capital eventually moved to Thebes). These are the players of Milton’s epic of light and darkness, good and evil, Heave, Hell, and everything in between. Expounding upon popular beliefs of Satan and his rogue angels and borrowing Pagan gods from old Palestine and Jordan enable the creation of almost Protagonist demons. Though it’s easy to relate to Satan as a rebellious child dealing with punishment, the poem preaches that you strictly obey God. God is omnipotent, omniscient (he even sees Satan’s approach from the depths of Hell), he has conquered countless false and pagan gods, his word is not to be questioned as Adam and Eve did.