Symbols and Symbolism Essay - Use of Symbols in Nathaniel Hawthornes T

Use of Symbols in The Scarlet Letter In World Book Dictionary, a symbol is defined as something that stands for or represents something else, especially an idea, quality, or condition. Symbols can be objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent ideas or concepts. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there are many symbols that are throughout the novel. While symbols can be created, such created symbols are subjective and must be given meaning within their context and because the context is different among individuals and societies and can vary over time. Some symbols that are used in the novel The Scarlet Letter is the scarlet letter, the meteor, Pearl, the rosebush next to the prison door, and the scaffold. The scarlet letter is a symbol that is a symbol of shame, Instead it becomes a power of identity to Hester. As time passes the letter's meaning on Hester's chest shifts also. "..that many people refused to interpret the scarlet "A" by its original signification. They said that it meant "Able"; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength" (145). From the beginnings the scarlet letter intended to mark Hester as an adulterer and eventually it comes to stand for able. It marks her as a person of importance. As Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold with Hester and Pearl in Chapter XII, a red "A" appears in the night sky. "..looking upward to the zenith, beheld there the appearance of an immense letter -the letter "A"-marked out in lines of dull red light" (140). To Dimmesdale, the meteor implies that he should wear the mark of shame just as Hester Prynne. The meteor is interpreted differently from the rest of the community. The c... ... of the meeting house. The minister went up the steps" (132). The scaffold is a place of public confession for Revered Dimmesdale. Whoever mounts the scaffold draws attention of the public. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there were several symbols used in the novel. The scarlet letter was meant to be a symbol of shame but it became a power of identity for Hester. The meteor, for Dimmesdale meant he should be wearing the scarlet letter just like Hester. To the town, the meteor meant "angel" which meant that the Governor entered the gates of heaven. Pearl was a symbol that was a living version of her mother's sin. The rosebush by the prison door represents the ability of nature to endure and outlasts a man's activities. The scaffold is a place of public confession and alludes back to the sin of adultery.

Confusion in Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essays

Confusion in Macbeth      Ã‚  Ã‚   The instances words and actions needing clarification in Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth are numerous. Let us in this essay look at some of the more serious instances lacking clear meaning in the play.    Lily B. Campbell in her volume of criticism, Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes: Slaves of Passion, confesses that critics are at a loss in trying to explain the reference to "Bellona's bridegroom":    Macbeth is, indeed, "Bellona's bridegroom", though critics seem rather at a loss to know just who Bellona's bridegroom may have been. (213)    Blanche Coles states in Shakespeare's Four Giants that there is a common mistake which literary critics of the play make:    Not enough stress has been laid upon Duncan's unaccountably sudden and arbitrary appointment of Malcolm to the royal succession in the very hour of Macbeth's triumph [. . .] . The insult to Macbeth (as it may appear to different minds), cannot be overemphasized. (40)    Coles offers an explanation for this ambiguity in the play:    Perhaps Shakespeare was taking for granted that his audience knew that the historian had said, "Duncan did what in him lay to defraud him [Macbeth] of all manner of titles and claims, which might in time to come pretend to the crown." Malcolm was under age, and this fact made Macbeth first heir to the throne. (40-41)    L.C. Knights in the essay "Macbeth" mentions equivocation, unreality and other possible causes of ambiguity within the play:    The equivocal nature of temptation, the commerce with phantoms consequent upon false choice, the resulting sense of unreality ("nothing is, but what is not"), which has yet such power to "smother" vital function, th... ...e, NH: Richard R. Smith Publisher, Inc., 1957.    Coursen, H. R. Macbeth: a Guide to the Play. Westport, CN: Greenwood Press, 1997.    Fergusson, Francis. "Macbeth as the Imitation of an Action." Shakespeare: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.    Knights, L.C. "Macbeth." Shakespeare: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.    Mack, Maynard. Everybody's Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. http://chemicool.com/Shakespeare/macbeth/full.html, no lin.    Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.

American Popular Culture on the Global Community Essay

American popular culture and its effects on the global community is a hiding plain site idea. The United States has grown into an â€Å"I want it now† belief system. The United States has somewhat perfected this idea, from our fast food to our fast everything. But should everyone live in such a luxurious attitude, is the United States popular culture and ideal that the rest of the world should live by? Is this just another phase in our modern society’s history? Lane Crothers’ book Globalization and American Popular Culture shows us the history of America’s rise to popular culture power and how most people are wanting to become Americans without living in the United States. But is this what the world needs or is this just another way for America to control the world and spread our democracy. The intention of Lane Crothers’ Globalization and American Popular Culture is to show the reader the connection of American popular culture and the effect it has on the global community. â€Å"By 1998 trade in movies, music, and television programming had become the leading U.S. export†¦this was true even without factoring in the economic and cultural power of American brands like McDonald’s, Levi’s, and Starbucks, American pop culture is a global phenomenon.† Crothers first compares the two ideas, globalization â€Å"†¦the profound economic, social, political, and cultural changes going on in the modern world†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and popular culture â€Å"†¦the movies, music, and television programs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  how globalization seems â€Å"†¦heavy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and popular culture seems â€Å"†¦light†¦Ã¢â‚¬  then explains how at the end of the Cold War and the advancements of new technologies â€Å"†¦the internet, cellular phones, and small dish satellites television systems have allowed American popular culture access to an ever bigger global market.† Crothers tells the reader â€Å"American popular culture is the latest in a long succession of bidders for global unification†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which makes the reader think this book is a personal depiction of American popular culture and the effect on the world. Crothers also, provides the link of American popular culture and global politics â€Å"†¦first is the Cold War†¦second is the controversial U.S. Global War on Terror†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which makes the reader, depending on their age, if they are American, if they have been affected by any terror attack, have a personal relationship with this issue. First, during the Cold War, â€Å"The Western bloc advocated relative freedom in personal choice, economic trade, and immigration†¦the Eastern bloc practiced in state control, the limitation  of personal freedom, and government ownership of factories and other productive enterprises.† This is a defining moment in the history of the world, because when country wants to promote individualism and create an integrated free market, that idea is going to spread more quickly to the people, rather than being suppressed by the government. On September 11, 2001, the United States was attack and the world sympathize with us. A French newspaper on September 13, 2001 stated, â€Å"Today we are all Americans,† but this would grow into fear and concern in the world because when the rest of the world found out on how we responded to the 9/11 attacks. Crothers tells the reader, â€Å"Time magazine asked 250,000 people across Europe which country posed the greatest threat to world peace: Iraq, North Korea, or the United States†¦8 percent said Iraq and 9 percent said North Korea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But with all of this fear which the United States has placed on the rest of the world, people were still embracing our popular culture, â€Å"†¦people continued to embrace American popular culture†¦iPods and smartphones†¦led to explosive growth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The United States and the popular culture which we have given the world, whether for better or for worst, has brought the global community more informed about global issue. With the advancement of the internet and the high speed that news travels now, would not have ever been accomplish without the United States pressing our culture to everyone. Crothers states that â€Å"culture is not an all-or-nothing concept in which everyone believes the same thing and behaves th e same way.† This is an important statement because, not everyone is going to strive to become Americans; we are unique. Some of your ideals and products are always going to be reacted in different ways depending on the group of people who are receiving it. We just have to believe that most of the culture we are giving the rest of the world is creating a more unified global community. Works Cited Crother, Lane. Globalization and American Popular Culture. Lanham: Rowan and Littlefield, 2013

Non-Commissioned Officer the Embodiment of the Corps’ History

Cpl. Stalinsky,Travis Class 318-13 20121202 Squad #1 â€Å"How is the Modern Corps’ Non-commissioned Officer the Embodiment of the Corps’ History and Tradition? † The United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers are the Marines who have proven that they are worthy to handle the responsibility to lead junior Marines. The backbone of the Marine Corps as they have been described as. Their job is not just a few tasks’ it’s a large variety of tasks. It requires them to be professional, have courage, and integrity to set the example for others to follow and look to for guidance; thus emulating the corps history nd traditions.Throughout history the loyalty and commitment previous NCO’s have displayed made it a tradition to teach the new NCO’s picking up rank to carry on the standard, which modern NCO’s can be proud of and carry on with pride. When looking back into Marine Corps history of Medal of Honor recipients, the first on to receive the Medal of Honor was Cpl. John Mackie. He was the very picture of a Marine setting the right example as a non-commissioned. On May 15, 1862 while on board the U. S. S Galena in the Fort Darling attack at Drewry’s Bluff. â€Å"As enemy shellfire raked the deck of his ship, Cpl.Mackie fearlessly maintained his musket fire against the rifle pits along the shore, and when he was ordered to fill vacancies at guns caused by men wounded and killed in action, he manned the weapons with skill and courage†. This standard he set of instant and willing obedience to orders and courage is still what NCO’s to this day uphold. When the word Marine is heard by civilians, the word â€Å"loyal† comes to the top of their head. The modern Marine NCO’s are loyal to everything that is important to them and the Marine Corps. They proudly and loyally serve their country, their Corps, their unit, and themselves.They must show loyalty to their junior Marines. I t’s their job to mke sure their junior Marines have the right tools to be successful, and must always point them in the right for direction; thus gaining the junior Marines trust and respect. The Marine Corps depends on these fundamentals to be able to have efficient units, to have effective leaders to lead Marines into battle, and for Marines to be able to trust one another with each other with their lives. Now we fast forward from Cpl. John Mackie, who was awarded the first Medal of Honor, to a modern day NCO who was also awarded the Medal of Honor.This Marine displayed an abundance of courage, which overshadows all traits; without it we are doomed to fall short in all the other traits. On September 8, 2009 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, Cp. Dakota Meyer maintained security at a patrol rally point while other members of his team moved on foot with two platoons of the afghan National Army and Border Patrol into the village of Ganjgal for a pre-dawn meet with the village eld ers. The patrol ended up being ambushed by more than fifty enemy combatants. Cpl. Meyer heard over the radio that four U. S. team members were cut off on their way back to safety.Cpl. Meyer had a fellow Marine do the driving while he took up the exposed gunner’s position in a gun truck in attempt to disrupt the enemy attack and locate his fellow team members. Cpl. Meyer seizing the courage to make this bold and brave action, while under intense enemy fire, killed a number of enemy fighters, made a couple of trips saving and searching for his comrades. His unbelievable courage allowed him to commit to the dangerous task of helping his fellow Marines. This shows why courage is the most important trait because without it how could you face your fears to make the unpopular decision?How would you have the intestinal fortitude to conduct yourself as a Marine on and off duty always making the right decisions? To stand in front of your peers and subordinates and teach them knowledge? This is why NCO’s can lead is because they have the courage to do what is necessary. Modern Marine NCO’s are the true embodiment of the Corps history and traditions because as leaders they emphasize the professional values of their leadership concepts; such as loyalty to the Corps, loyalty to their nation, loyalty to their units, exhibiting selfless services, and their professional responsibilities as an NCO.The two Marine NCO’s that I have discussed have displayed vital points of the Corps history and traditions. The Corps values, leadership traits, and leadership principles that were demonstrated was courage, loyalty, and setting the example. Their actions have set the standards which modern Marine NCO’s take pride in and continue to uphold the tradition.

Financial crisis Essay

According to this article soros expresses that the current financial crisis is the result of the effect of all the other minor financial crisis’s that the US economy has experienced in the past sixty years, which came as a result of the weakening of the dollar in the financial market over the other strong currencies. It was anticipated to be happening because financial market operated in such a way that investors over borrowed loans from banks to invest in the housing sector hoping that the market would regulate itself according to the forces of demand and supply and be able to get good returns. The economy instead suffered a shortage of cash as a result of the over borrowing and the interventions by the Federal Reserve did not work as had worked well before. The borrowers of the loans are now not able to pay them back the loans leaving the banks strained with the effects of bad loans that the other financial assets are greatly affected. Banks and other financial institutions have closed down their operations and some gone bankrupt as the cost of borrowing becomes unbearable. What matters most as of this moment as suggested by Soros is to be able to deal with the political situation in a way that the economy will not be compromised. There is need to establish policies that will be able to redeem the lenders in the economy from total collapse. The banks should be helped out of the liquidity problems by the government being recommended to use the Swedish model of dealing with a financial crisis. The model recommends that the banks as the basis point of recovering the economy from collapse. In most of his articles and one of his best selling book the â€Å"paradigm for financial markets† soros has criticized the systems of British and US authorities in the bureaucratic procedures that they which take too long to react to situations of urgency like this crisis that results to many effects on the economies. Word count 335 References George soros: worst financial crisis in 60 years marks end of an era. 15th December 2008 1st financial times article.

Eurofood Case Analysis

EuroFood Case Analysis: History: EuroFood was created by French restaurateur, Mr Vigneau which specializes in the importing and distributing of food products from Europe to Hong Kong. EuroFood has faced a problem with inventory costs. The Olivier Company decided to buy EuroFood on the condition that inventory levels has to be reduced from its current level of 11 million Hong Kong Dollars to at least 4 million Hong Kong Dollars (assumption). In order to achieve the inventory reduction a plan of action has to proposed which details the solution to the current high levels of inventory. All the products brought to Hong Kong are shipped either by plane or through cargo boats (channels of distribution). The exclusively perishable products shipped through airplanes have no inventory records to be kept. The only inventory of Euro Foods is the products shipped via boats. The products shipped through boats are divided mainly into two types: 1. Complete Container: Contains products shipped from the same supplier. Complete container takes about 20 days to ship from Europe to Hong Kong and costs 0. Hong Kong Dollars per kilogram 2. Consolidated container: Contains products shipped from a group of suppliers using the same container as a rented facility. This shipping takes about 30 days to reach the customer and costs about 3 Hong Kong Dollars per kilogram. Main Problem: * The current level of inventory of Euro Foods is worth $11 million. This is too much compared to the Olivier Company which has the same volume of business as Euro Foods with a corresponding inventory level o f only $4 million. The order quantity is high due to wrong forecasting which leads to high inventory costs * Some products have higher inventory costs than its annual sales( Eg: The product Carton Peach has an inventory cost of $437,113 and an annual sale of $ 253,248 which led to profits of only $68,377) * Due to higher inventory levels of the products the annual profit from the respective products are significantly lower compared to products which has lower inventory level. There are too many product categories (around 200 different products) which has higher inventory levels and lower annual sales(Eg: The product Crozes Hermitage 1984 has $158 annual sales but the inventory level is $2045 and total profit is only $47) Solutions: * Cut down the products which has low profit and low annual sales but high inventory costs(Eg:Crozes Hermitage 1984 * Concentrate on top sale products like for example UHT Whipping cream 1 Liter, Portion Butter Unsalted etc. hose annual sales are high com pared to inventory costs * Make the forecasting of all products more accurate by using better forecasting techniques which can reduce the inventory level and ordering quantity more accurate * Top sale products like Whipping cream and Butter has to ordered more frequently based on the accurate forecast (using combined container) rather than storing it because these products can go bad easily. Combine the products from the same supplier to reduce the ordering quantity(Eg: Products from Supplier â€Å"Besnier† can be combined into the same container) * Negotiate with current suppliers to reduce the ordering cost * Seek third party distributors to get a lower shipping cost if negotiation with current suppliers does not work out. Assumption: * The holding costs and inventory costs affect the profit of the products * Time Frame in which the inventory reduction has to be achieved is irrelevant(Assumption)

The War of 1812

The War of 1812: It’s Importance to America The War of 1812 is probably our most obscure conflict. Although a great deal has been written about the war, the average American is only vaguely aware of why we fought or who the enemy was. Even those who know something about the contest are likely to remember only a few dramatic moments, such as the writing of â€Å"The Star-Spangled Banner,† the burning of the nation’s capital, or the Battle of New Orleans. Why is this war so obscure? One reason is that no great president is associated with the conflict.Although his enemies called it â€Å"Mr. Madison's War,† James Madison was shy and deferential, hardly measuring up to such war leaders as Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, or Franklin Roosevelt. Moreover, the best American generals in this war – Andrew Jackson, Jacob Brown, and Winfield Scott – were unable to turn the tide because each was confined to a one or two theaters in a war that had seven or eight theaters. No one like George Washington, Ulysses Grant, or Dwight Eisenhower emerged to put his stamp on the war and to carry the nation to victory.Although these things are true though, the War of 1812 is the most important event for America, because it officially broke us as the United States of America apart from Great Britain. Another reason for the obscurity of this war is that its causes are complex and little understood today. Most scholars agree that the war was fought over maritime issues, particularly the Orders in Council, which restricted American trade with the European Continent, and impressment, which was the Royal Navy’s practice of removing seamen from American merchant vessels.In contemporary parlance, the war was fought for â€Å"Free Trade and Sailors' Rights. † These issues seem arcane today. Moreover, the only way that the United States to strike at Great Britain was by attacking Canada, and that made it look like a war of territorial agg ression. Even today Canadians are likely to see the war in this light, and who can blame them? A war fought to secure maritime rights by invading Canada strikes many people as curious. The prosecution of the war was marred by considerable bungling and mismanagement. This was partly due to the nature of the republic. The ation was too young and immature – and its government too feeble and inexperienced – to prosecute a major war efficiently. Politics also played a part. Federalists vigorously opposed the conflict, and so too did some Republicans. Even those who supported the war feuded among themselves and never displayed the sort of patriotic enthusiasm that has been so evident in other American wars. The advocates of war appeared to support the conflict more with their heads than their hearts, and more with their hearts than their purses. As a result, efforts to raise men and money lagged far behind need.Despite the bungling and half-hearted support that characterized this conflict, the War of 1812 was not without its stirring moments and splendid victories. American success at the Thames in the Northwest, the victories at Chippewa and Fort Erie on the Niagara front, the rousing defense of Baltimore in the Chesapeake, and the crushing defeat of the British at New Orleans – all these showed that with proper leadership and training American fighting men could hold their own against the well-drilled and battle-hardened regulars of Great Britain.Similarly, the naval victories on the northern lakes and the high seas and the success of privateers around the globe demonstrated that, given the right odds, the nation’s armed ships matched up well against even the vaunted and seemingly invincible Mistress of the Seas. The war also produced its share of heroes–people whose reputations were enhanced by military or government service. The war helped catapult four men into the presidency – Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, James M onroe, and William Henry Harrison – and three men into the vice-presidency – Daniel D.Tompkins, John C. Calhoun, and Richard M. Johnson. The war also gave a significant boost to the political or military careers of other men. Indeed, for many young men on the make, the war offered an excellent launching pad for a career. In some ways, the War of 1812 looked more to the past than to the future. As America's second and last war against Great Britain, it echoed the ideology and issues of the American Revolution. It was the second and last time that America was the underdog in a war and the second and last time that the nation tried to conquer Canada.It was also the last time that Indians played a major role in determining the future of the continent. In this sense, the War of 1812 was the last of the North American colonial wars. The war was unusual in generating such vehement political opposition and nearly unique in ending in a stalemate on the battlefield. Although mos t Americans pretended they had won the war – even calling it a â€Å"Second War of Independence†Ã¢â‚¬â€œthey could point to few concrete gains – certainly none in the peace treaty – to sustain this claim. It is this lack of success that may best explain why the war is so little remembered.Americans have characteristically judged their wars on the basis of their success. The best-known wars – the Revolution, the Civil War, and World War II – were all clear-cut successes. Although many people remembered the War of 1812 as a success, it was in a very real sense a failure, and perhaps this is why it attracts so little attention today. The obscurity of this war, however, should not blind us to its significance, for it was an important turning point, a great watershed, in the history of the young republic.It concluded almost a quarter of a century of troubled diplomacy and partisan politics and ushered in the Era of Good Feelings. It marked the en d of the Federalist party but the vindication of Federalist policies, many of which were adopted by Republicans during or after the war. The war also broke the power of American Indians and reinforced the powerful undercurrent of Anglophobia that had been spawned by the Revolution a generation before.In addition, it promoted national self-confidence and encouraged the heady expansionism that lay at the heart of American foreign policy for the rest of the century. Finally, the war gave the fledgling republic a host of sayings, symbols, and songs that helped Americans define who they were and where their young republic was headed. Although looking to the past, the war was fraught with consequences for the future, and for this reason it is worth studying today, and that is why it is the most important event for America.