Great Gatsbys Report :: essays research papers

CHAPTER 1: Nick Carraway, a young man from Minnesota who recently moved to New York to learn about the bond business, opens his story by describing himself. He is tolerant, slow to judge, and a good listener. As a result, people tend to share their secrets with him, including someone named Gatsby. Gatsby, Nick says, had a beautiful dream, but the people surrounding him ruined that dream. Nick is so disgusted with these people and their New York lifestyle that he has left New York and returned to Minnesota. In the summer of 1922, however, Nick had just arrived in New York and rented a house on a part of Long Island called West Egg. Unlike the conservative, aristocratic East Egg, West Egg is home to the "new rich," those who, having made their fortunes recently, have neither the social connections nor the refinement to move among the East Egg set. West Egg is characterized by lavish displays of wealth and garish poor taste. Nick's West Egg house is next to Gatsby's mansion, a sprawling Gothic monstrosity. Nick is unlike his West Egg neighbors--he graduated from Yale and has social connections on East Egg. One night, he drives out to East Egg to have dinner with his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan, a former member of Nick's social club at Yale. Tom, a powerful figure dressed in riding clothes, meets Nick on the porch. Inside, Daisy lounges on a couch with her friend Jordan Baker, a competitive golfer who yawns as though bored by her surroundings. Tom tries to interest the others in a racist book called The Rise of the Colored Empires, by a man named Goddard. Daisy teases Tom about the book, but is interrupted when Tom leaves the room to take a phone call. Daisy follows him, and Jordan tells Nick that the call is from Tom's lover in New York. After an awkward dinner, the party breaks up; Jordan wants to go to bed because she has a golf tournament the next day. As Nick leaves, Tom and Daisy hint that they would like him to take a romantic interest in Jordan. When Nick arrives home, he sees Gatsby for the first time, standing on the lawn with his arms reaching out toward the dark water. Nick looks out at the water, but all he can see is a distant green light that might mark the end of a dock.

Patriot Essay -- essays research papers

Martin, a veteran of the French and Indian War, thinks of himself as a battle-weary peacenik (his eldest son joins the army against his wishes), but if he believes in liberating the colonies from the tyranny of King George III, he believes even more fervently in smiting the holy bejesus out of the soldiers who have torn his family apart. That these aristocratic oppressors happen to be the same redcoats who are fighting to quash the American Revolution is, shall we say, a matter of the highest moral convenience. Written by Robert Rodat (''Saving Private Ryan'') and directed by the heavy-tromping blockbuster maestro Roland Emmerich (''Independence Day,'' ''Godzilla''), ''The Patriot'' is set in fields, forests, homes, and backwaters, and there's something at once canny and reductive about the way that it personalizes the bloody birth of a nation. The filmmakers know that the last thing contemporary audiences need is another square-shouldered Classics Illustrated lecture that regurgitates the righteous and idealistic mythology of Why We Fought the British. At the same time, I'm not sure that I want my history dragged into the colonial trenches by a filmmaker like Roland Emmerich. ''The Patriot'' has some fierce and exciting moments, and it's held together by Gibson's haggard slow-burn charisma (he talks in his ''low'' voice), but the movie is also demagogic and crude. It's a fife-and-drum ''Gladiator'' without elegance -- the Revolutionary War turned into a big, hammerheaded s...

Relativism versus Objectivism Essay

The moral debate of relativism versus objectivism is one that confronts a moral question that philosophers have been debating for many years. The ultimate question brought about in the debate is whether morality is based solely on individual choice and cultural approval, or are there universally valid moral principles. With this essay I will present the arguments for each view and I will also argue for the position I favor: moral objectivism. Relativism is the view that states that moral principles vary by culture (conventionalism) or by individuals (subjectivism). Conventionalists like Ruth Benedict argue that since different cultures hold different principles, one culture has no basis to judge another culture’s morals. She uses the argument of normality: each culture defines what behavior is normal to fit the behavior of the majority. The majority of that population then defines normality and lives by it, and only a small minority deviates from that normality. According to Benedict morality is just term that we’ve come to use for socially approved habits, and normal is a variant of the concept of good. Subjectivism is the extreme end of relativism. This view holds that morality is determined at the individual level, not a social or universal level. Therefore, the only moral principles that are valid are the ones you believe in, and basically all principles are equally valid. Criticism of these arguments starts with the judgment question: how can a society or individual judge the behavior of another if all socially accepted behaviors or personal moral principles are valid? The answer is that it can’t, but a few examples will show what tolerance can allow. From a historical standpoint slavery was considered normal by those who held slaves. Since slaveholders were the dominant culture in that area, the normal and therefore, the good behavior was to own slaves. According to conventionalism slavery was a morally right act at the time that it was popular, and only when conventions changed did it become wrong. Nazism was morally right, simply because the numerical majority of a population agreed with it. The terrorists of September 11 are definitely aberrant in Western culture, but in their own they are saints in paradise. If conventionalism holds true, then the actions of those men were absolutely correct because their society agreed with them. Louis Pojman goes further to ask, how large  is a population or a society? If he and a friend get together and decide to become criminals, is that a large enough group to count as a society? He accuses conventionalism of sliding toward subjectivism. He also asks if social reformers aren’t aberrant and therefore immoral. Since they swim upstream in their culture, and disagree with the majority, aren’t they committing a wrong act? While these kinds of issues arise at the conventionalist level, they are even more obvious at the subjectivist level. If subjectivism holds true, then any court system or law is useless, since the only standard by which a man can be judged is his own, and whether or not he upheld his own principles. Essentially, all behavior is correct to the subjectivist. Thus, the subjectivist cannot even disapprove of murder or terrorism because these acts are as valid and acceptable as love and altruism, so long as they are a part of the individual’s moral principles. Since all is permissible and every action is as good as another, where is the meaning? By removing value judgments from a person’s behavior he is left with no motive to behave in a moral fashion, because he can craft a moral principle to suit every behavior. Everything he does is as good as anything else, because there is no standard to measure his behavior. In Pojman’s essay, he argues further that subjectivism reduces morality to aesthetic individual tastes: if I like to murder, I will craft my morality to suit my taste for death. According to Pojman, â€Å"a contradiction seems to exist between subjectivism and the very concept of morality†¦Ã¢â‚¬  because morality is the â€Å"proper resolution of interpersonal conflict and the amelioration of the human predicament†. To the subjectivist then, there is no proper, and therefore no need for morality. Objectivism is the view that holds that certain moral principles are valid for all individuals and cultures. There are different levels of objectivism: the fixed view, which says that principles are fixed and do not change; the universal view, which includes the fixed view and adds that principles apply to all people everywhere; and the absolutist view, which includes the universal view and adds that certain principles are non-override able and true for all situations. People who hold this theory answer the question  Ã¢â‚¬Å"where do these principles come from?† in several different ways: from the essence or commonality of human nature, from natural reality (moral realism), from God or the divine, or from the intrinsic good within humans. Pojman bases his view of objectivism on the assumption that â€Å"human nature is relatively similar in essential respects, having a common set of needs and interests.† He then defines moral principles as â€Å"functions of human needs†¦instituted by reason.† Pojman is not an absolutist; he does not necessarily think that principles are non-overrideable. Instead, he argues that certain principles hold true across cultures and relativism comes in at the application stage. These principles, which form his â€Å"core morality,† are general and leave less important or secondary issues up to the individual or to society. He uses abortion as an example: the debate isn’t about the right to kill babies; it is about when life begins. Everyone could agree that killing babies is wrong, but what constitutes a baby and a life? Pojman concludes that the fact of someone disagreeing with a principle does not invalidate the principle; perhaps it is the person who is incorrect. When deciding which side of the argument suited me best, I found it to be a rather easy choice of objectivism. At its roots, relativism seems to be a fair argument for tolerance and for cultures to stay together. However, as I analyzed relativism deeper I decided its tolerance is too loose and leaves too much room for completely reckless and destructive behavior. Instead, objectivism makes more sense to me. I feel that humans across the globe are ingrained with common sets of needs, interests, and desires, and therefore there are principles that are universal and ingrained in human nature. Then those principles are interpreted by a culture and society, which then decides how it implements them into its existence. An objectivist society should still be leaving room in its moral philosophy for tolerance of other cultures and their practices, but not to the degree that conventionalism or subjectivism allows. Principles of morality that effect an entire culture or society should be based on a majority decision, not the beliefs of a few.

Causes and Solutions for Crime Essay

Crime is a serious issue of many countries in the contemporary society; in particular, the crime rate gradually increases annually in some sectors worldwide. There are two main causes and one solution of crime that will be illustrated in this article. The first cause is poverty, which is seemed to be the principal cause of crime. People cannot survive without food; however, In some areas, the poor do not have sufficient money to buy food or other necessities. The only way to maintain their lives is to steal or rob, which leads to crimes. The second reason is the violence from media. There are many films and teleplays including violence, which provides individuals negative influences. Some people want to emulate the hero in films; therefore, they performance as the actors who destroy attributes in films, but these behaviors in reality is illegal. Especially, teenagers are easily to be affected and tend to imitate, so the crime rate of the young has raised annually. The authorities need to adopt necessary measures to resolve this problem. For poverty, it has to narrow the gap between the poor and the rich, that is, the government should tax more from the rich and relieve the poor. For TV violence, television and film rating system need to be strictly implemented. Moreover, parents should supervise their children and restrict the time of watching TV. To conclude, poverty and TV violence are main reasons of crime. The authorities need to have efficient solutions such as tax balance policy and film rating system to decrease the rate of crime and defend their populace. Read more: Crime Rate in India

Border Security and Terrorism Essay

The only way that any country can effectively prevent terrorist attacks is by improving the local security on a domestic scale. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, â€Å"the protection of borders and ports of entry are vital to the success of this campaign (Campbell & Flourney 372)†. The issue here, however, is that by imposing stricter immigration laws and beefing up border security, the rich American legacy of legal immigration becomes threatened. As more and more people and politicians alike cite the pressing need to improve border security, that rich legacy comes to mind. According to Dave Camp, former Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Borders and Infrastructure, â€Å"while there is a need to protect the borders and ports of entry, any new policies regarding this matter do not have to intervene with the avowed American history of legal immigration (1)†. What the policies do suggest is that if there are those who violate the immigration and border laws, they will be dealt with strictly (Campbell & Flourney 377). Plans such as a REAL ID act or the removal of certain asylum laws that have loopholes are certainly plans that deserve a serious consideration. The entry of the attackers of 9/11 was greatly facilitated by the lax immigration standards and other legal loopholes. These allowed the terrorists to secure driver’s licenses and other permits that allowed them to move around the country freely and make the preparations that they needed to do (Campbell & Flourney 377). If the border security measures were not as lax those days, it might have even led to the prevention of 9/11. Campbell & Flourney, in their study on measures against terrorism have cited that, â€Å"A large step in curbing the possibility of terrorist attacks lies in improving border security† (372). Many critics have continually cited that the first step in winning the war against terror is by first preventing the happening of any future attacks. As such, airline security in conjunction with border security must be improved. The American-Mexican Border remains to be the largest concern since it remains as the largest security vulnerability of the United States. The porous domestic border could provide much greater problems than that of illegal immigration. It could lead to the entry of terrorist groups into the United States on a massive scale, leading to the proliferation of a large number of terrorists in the United States and possibly the establishment of a network that would make them extremely difficult to apprehend (Campbell & Flourney 372). Current Success of Border Security As earlier mentioned, the role of border security in the fight against terror is crucial. The current government reorganization program that has been proposed places the Department of Homeland Security, the Customs and Border Protection Program and the Immigration-Customs Enforcement agencies under a single operating body (Carafano 1). This move alone signifies that America is serious in curbing these terrorist attacks and that improving border security is a major factor. The next figure shows the attacks that have been prevented. Since the 9/11 attacks, over 19 terrorist attacks have been thwarted. Much of this success has been attributed to the Border Security measures that have been set in place since then. Almost all of these attacks have been intercepted through the careful monitoring of the activities that have occurred at the border. The passage of not only terrorists but also terrorist weapons is a major concern for the Department of Homeland Security and the Customs and Border Protection Program. The porous and vulnerable American-Mexican Border remains the key element in taking the war against terror to the next level. Without the current border security situation at the level that it is in at the present, most of those 19 attempts could not have been prevented (Taylor 3). According to most experts who are studying this matter, â€Å"the key remains to be in keeping the inflow of people and goods into the United States under close scrutiny (Campbell & Flourney 372). † While there has been much success in this, there still remains the question on what further improvements can be made against such a devious and cunning foe. Future of Border Security It has clearly been established at this point that in order to be effective in the war on terror border security needs to be improved. The government must take a firm stand on the policies that will be implemented in the area of border security. While such policies may threaten certain precepts that America is known for such as the legacy of legal immigration, it must be remembered that sacrifices are sometimes necessary to protect the greater interests of the American public (Taylor 12). If it means that legal immigration may be throttled to a certain extent in order to ensure the safety of the American public, it is certain that there are more than a few Americans who would stand by that decision. As it is, more and more funding has gone into the improvement of border security particularly with regard to airline regulations and ports of entry as well as along the American-Mexican border. â€Å"Laws that have funded the increase in the number of fences along the border have been drafted and stricter port of entry rules have been established,† according to studies done on this subject (Taylor 12). The next step lies in ensuring that these measures push through and that they are implemented effectively. It has been said that increasing the security measures that are currently in place will send the wrong message to the terrorists and instead signal to them that they have won and that America has given in (Taylor 12). Ensuring one’s safety, however, should never be considered as a sign of cowardice or defeat. Instead, it should send the message that the United States and its people will not give up and will not give in to the terrorist tactics of these groups. Concrete steps such as improving border security are one of the many ways by which the United States government can show that they are serious and determined to end the war on terror. Conclusion When it comes to the war on terror, every other person seems to be of the opinion that there is one solution that is better than the next one. Everyone seems to think that there is one sure fire way of dealing with the situation. Truth be told, it would be perfect if that were really the case because it would have meant that the war on terror would already be over. The sad reality is that terrorism still continues to be a growing threat against all civilizations in the world today. While theories abound, success stories against the war on terror are far and few. This is not to say that policies to help improve border security are a waste of time but it rather serves to emphasize a very important point. The war on terror cannot be solved by just implementing one policy or one program. The response to problem will never be as quick or as earth shaking as the event that intensified the problem. Efforts to improve border security are just one of the many things that need to be done to combat the terrorists. Be that as it may, it still is one of the more crucial steps to stop terrorism. References: Campbell, Kurt and Flourney, Michelle (2001). To Prevail: An American Strategy for the Campaign Against Terrorism. Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The film The Searchers by John Wayne (1868) and Mary Rowlandson Essay

The film The Searchers by John Wayne (1868) and Mary Rowlandson narrative - Essay Example The film "The Searchers" by John Wayne (1868) and Mary Rowlandson narrative. Both the narratives, on the civilizational clash between Indians and the settlers, have been criticized as racist and also gender insensitive by forthcoming critics. For example, the narrative of Rowlandson though provide many examples of Indians’ kindness to her, she seems to blindly accept of the Western stereotype of bad Indians and good â€Å"Christians† (Rowlandson, 244). She (Rowlandson) always generalizes by calling Indians â€Å"enemies†, â€Å"barbarous creatures†, â€Å"inhumane creatures† and â€Å"infidels† (Rowlandson, 14, 45, 13). Though, this is the case with Rowlandson’s narrative, she has shown the honesty not to omit any of the several kind acts that Indians, especially Indian women, did to her. But in the film, The Searchers, the hero of the film attributes not even a single good quality to the Indians. And in the first scene itself, the lead character, Ethen is seen behaving in a contempt-filled manner to the half I ndian, Martin, who is the foster son of his brother (The Searchers). Ethen even rudely tells Martin that he looks like a â€Å"half-breed† (The Searchers). Here, it has to be noted that Rowlandson had good reason to hate Indians, but Ethen had none, as far as the viewers know. Even then Ethen is found to be more intolerant towards the Indians than Rowlandson. This contradiction can partially be attributed to Rowlandson being a woman, and Ethen being a man. In all the civilizational clashes in history, men have been the conquerors while women stayed on the margins of such power game. It was never their war. And that is why Ethen is more racist than Rowlandson- because it is Ethen’s (and all the men’s) war actually. There is no where in these two depictions, even a suggestion that Westerners were also imparting similar atrocities upon Indians, which were far more wide spread as compared to the Indian excesses. The puritan attitude of the West of that period, and t he hypocrisy involved with that notion is evident from the fact that Ethen wants to murder his brother’s daughter because she became wife to an Indian, and thus strangely deprived of even the affection of her uncle (The Searchers). But in the Rowlandson narrative, Weetamoo, the wife of Rowlandson’s Indian master, is acknowledged as a powerful and self-asserting woman though Rowlandson never seems to fully realize the rights and powers that Indian women enjoy in their society (Rowlandson, 4). Rowlandson herself has described Weetamoo in the words, â€Å"a severe and proud dame she was, bestowing every day in dressing herself neat as much time as any of the gentry of the land† (37). In her narrative, there are many Indians and Indian women who give her food and shelter (Rowlandson). For example, an Indian gives her a pancake to eat when she was hungry and another Indian woman gives her a a piece of

Financial Ratio Analysis of Mondi PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Financial Ratio Analysis of Mondi PLC - Essay Example More importantly, with the global economy favoring emerging market growth and the European economy arguably poised for recovery, Mondi’s heavier investment in production capacity and forest assets indicates that the company is well-positioned to take early advantage of any market expansion that may take place in the near future. Â  Mondi plc is a premium listed company on the London Stock Exchange, and together with Mondi Limited comprises the Mondi Group which is an international paper and packaging manufacturer. The Group has production facilities located in 28 countries, with key operations in central Europe, Russia, and South Africa, and employing 23,400 people. Mondi’s goal is to become the ‘best-performing paper and packaging group in the world’ (Mondi Annual Report 2012) and approaches this with an integrated strategy that aims at attaining standards of workplace safety, ethical business conduct, social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and economic prudence in the course of pursuing its business practices and decision-making. Â  Mondi plc operates globally but is primarily treated here as a UK listed company, therefore analysis of the economic environment shall be focused on the UK to arrive at a concise finding. Later, the industry prospects of the paper and packaging industry shall be described with an expanded world outlook. Â  Data supporting the economic forecasts for the UK, as contained in the OECD Economic Outlook (OECD, 2012), are attached as Appendix A in this report. The OECD forecast highlighted four principal directions it sees in the UK economy. They are: Â  OECD forecasts for the nominal wage shows the likelihood of an upward trend commencing 2013.