Mobile Money Transfer as an alternative product for Vodafone Group Plc

Mobile Money Transfer as an alternative product for Vodafone Group Plc The paper seeks to justify a Mobile Money Transfer (MMT) as an alternative product for Vodafone Group Plc. The company is multinational with headquarters in London. It is a leading telecommunications company based on 2011 annual revenue and subscriptions (439 million).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mobile Money Transfer as an alternative product for Vodafone Group Plc specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Vodafone offers information technology and mobile phone services to its customers in over sixty-five countries. In addition, Vodafone Group has 45 per cent shares in Verizon wireless. Verizon wireless is the leading mobile telecommunications company in the US. Vodafone has been chosen to implement the MMT product because of its wide customer base and its ability to set a side enough resources to implement, test, launch and market the product. Its wider customer base is important because many people across the world wil l be able to enjoy the product and its benefits (Morawczynski, 2008). MMT is an electronic product that helps the consumer to electronically send and receive money on a mobile phone. Consumers will register their simcards with Vodafone using their national IDs or pass ports. After registration, an MMT menu will be up dated on the customer’s phone. Registered customers will be able to send and receive money, pay bills, loans, and utilities and also buy air time. Customers can also access their commercial bank accounts if they register their mobile numbers with their banks. To withdraw money from a mobile account, the customer approaches an agent and initiates the transaction through an agent code. The customer and the agent then receive a message that a specific amount of money has been withdrawn. The agent then gives the customer the specified amount of money and the transaction is completed. To deposit the money in the mobile account, the customer approaches the agent with t he amount of money they want to deposit, the agent deposits the money and both receive a confirmation message (Hughes Lonie, 2007). MMT is a cheap, safe and quick way of sending and receiving money. MMT saves the customer the trouble of having to make long queues in the bank to deposit or withdraw money. Customers are also able to make instant payments for services and goods by using the MMT. The company on the other hand benefits by acquiring and retaining customers, extending the range of its products and improve relationship with consumers.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To successfully launch the product, Vodafone will hire competent IT specialists to update the main server to accommodate MMT. The company will also replace existing simcards with those that have MMT menu. Finally the company will recruit and register agents all over the country. Vodafone shoul d target supermarkets, banks and other places where people mainly handle cash. MMT is a pretty new idea and very little secondary sources of information are available. However, the company will benefit in a big way by visiting the libraries of affiliated companies like Safaricom. Their websites would provide very important information. Other sources of credible information about feasibility of mobile banking include the websites of Equity Bank Limited. The library and archive of Equity bank are also rich with information. Information on MMT can be verified by carrying out a research to reveal its practical features and sustainability. As stated earlier, MMT is a relatively new product in the market and not many people could be able to verify though it is highly implementable. The best way to verify MMT is to begin with a small pilot project carried out within the Vodafone staff. References Hughes, N. Lonie, S. (2007). M-PESA: Mobile Money for the Unbanked: Turning Cellphones into 2 4-Hour Tellers in Kenya. Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization. Cape Town University, 2(2), 63–81. Morawczynski, O. (2008). Surviving in the Dual System: How M-PESA is Fostering Urban-to-Rural Remittances in a Kenyan Slum. HCC8 journal, 12 (3), 1-2.

Embalming Essay Essays - Undertaking, Death Customs, Embalming

Embalming Essay Essays - Undertaking, Death Customs, Embalming Embalming Essay Embalming Embalming is a mortuary custom, the art of preserving bodies after death, generally by the use of chemical substances. It is believed to have originated among the Egyptians, probably before 4000 BC, and was used by them for more than 30 centuries. Much evidence demonstrates that embalming is religious in origin, conceived as a means of preparing the dead for the life after death. From the Egyptians, the practice of embalming spread to other ancient peoples, including the Assyrians, Jews, Persians, and Scythians. Ancient embalming methods consisted of removal of the brains and viscera, and the filling of bodily cavities with a mixture of balsamic herbs and other substances. The Egyptians immersed the body in carbonate of soda, injected the arteries and veins with balsams, filled the cavities of the torso with bituminous and aromatic substances and salt, and wound cloths saturated with similar materials around the body. The Assyrians used honey in embalming, the Persians used wax, and the Jews used spices and aloes. Alexander the Great was embalmed with honey and wax. The Egyptians were particularly adept at embalming; the soles of the feet of mummies, when unwrapped after as much as 3000 years, are often still soft and elastic. Historians estimate that by AD 700, when the practice had died out among them, the Egyptians had embalmed approximately 730 million bodies. Although many were destroyed or disintegrated in the tropical heat of northern Africa, a large number of mummies were preserved; archaeologists estimate that several million are still preserved in undiscovered tombs and burial places. From the ancient peoples of Africa and Asia, embalming spread to Europe, where, in time, it became a widespread practice. Descriptions of methods used in Europe for almost 1200 years, from about AD 500, have been preserved in the writings of contemporary physicians. Embalming during the Middle Ages included evisceration, immersion of the body in alcohol, insertion of preservative herbs into incisions previously made in the fleshy parts of the body, and wrapping the body in tarred or waxed sheets. The Danish king of England, Canute II, was embalmed by the above, or similar methods, as were the English monarchs William the Conqueror and Edward I. William's body was found well preserved in the French city of Caen in the 16th century; Edward's was also found to be well preserved when it was disinterred in Westminster Abbey in 1700; and Canute's body was still in a state of good preservation when it was discovered in Winchester Cathedral in 1776. The first man to embalm by injecting a prepared preservative chemical solution into the blood vessels is believed to be the Dutch anatomist Fredrik Ruysch, but his technique is unknown. During the 19th century, French and Italian scientists perfected such techniques, thereby enabling them to reach every part of the cadaver. Modern embalming is believed to have begun in the U.S. during the American Civil War. The essential purposes of modern embalming are preservation of the body to permit burial without unseemly haste and prevention of the spread of infection both before and after burial. Cosmetic work is used to restore injured facial features or for aesthetic reasons. Embalming methods now consist essentially of the removal of all blood and gases from the body and the insertion of a disinfecting fluid; the viscera are removed and immersed in an embalming fluid and are then replaced in the body, in which they are surrounded with a preservative powder. Most corpses in the United States and Canada are embalmed, and the practice is widespread in other countries.

Italian Immigration and class politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Italian Immigration and class politics - Essay Example The second period happened in the early 90’s with a composition of mostly refugees from Eastern Europe. The third phase coincided with implementation of immigration policies that sought to integrate immigrants. Prior to 1990 the media portrayed a migrant as black and nomadic. Since 1991 the image is that of a gypsy type people from Eastern Europe. During the three periods the media also showcased migrants in a folkloric image, as being marginalized, and a more recent image as one participating in criminal activities. The stance taken by the media towards immigrants has been inconsistent ranging from arguments that immigration can be beneficial to the Italian economy to fuelling the public’s fear and antipathy towards foreigners. Generally the media ignores the suffering and exploitation of migrants and sometimes blame immigrants for racist acts committed against them. The newspapers that are connected to the political left show more tolerance while those connected to the political right are more anti-foreigner. The media’s portrayal of migrant women changed from domestic helpers in the first period to a more stable family oriented woman with the arrival of Islamic women, to those predominantly black victims of human trafficking in recent years. The Italian Communist party has been constantly changing. The party started in 1921 when it broke away from the socialist party in order to take a path that was more fundamentally communist. In 1944 Palmiro Togliatti outlined a new direction for the party. He preferred the party to operate through a policy of alliances, including recognition of the monarch and the Catholic Church. This new thrust ended in 1947 but in 1956 Togliatti again tried to continue with his pro democratic plan. The years following this thrust found the party in isolation partially due to the development and evolvement of other political and social groups. It wasn’t an attractive option for neither the far right nor the far left. Their

Evaluate the Significance of the Statement Essay

Evaluate the Significance of the Statement - Essay Example The problems related to such cases are analyzed in this paper; reference is made specifically to the transnational divorces in UK and their recognition in the context of British law. Due to the complexity of the relevant processes, two different modes of such divorces have been developed in the British law: the transnational divorces based on proceedings and those that can be developed otherwise than by means of proceedings. The literature published in regard to this subject highlights the following issues: existing British law in regard to transnational divorces is not so clear; there are provisions setting the general terms of the relevant processes but the options available are differentiated, leaving to the court the right to decide on the potential validity of a divorce for the English law and the intervention of the English courts in a dispute related to foreign divorce. This phenomenon is particularly clear in the case law developed in regard to this issue. In any case, transn ational divorces are acceptable in the context of British law, being based mostly on the principle of recognition, but their effects are not standardized, being depended on the conditions of each case, as these conditions reflect the relationship of each of these cases with the English law. The fact that the trends developed in Britain in regard to the acceptance of the transnational divorces as valid are differentiated, do not influence the power of the English courts to decide on the validity of these divorces, no matter if the terms of the foreign law, to which the parties are related, are met. 2. Transnational divorce in UK 2.1 Transnational divorce in UK – characteristics and challenges In order to understand the effects of a transnational divorce in the context of the British law, it would be necessary to refer primarily to the characteristics of the particular type of divorce, as developed not only in UK but also worldwide. A divorce is characterized as transnational w hen the acts involved, meaning the various processes required for the acquisition of the relevant certificate, have taken place in two different countries (O’Brien and Smith 1999, p.487). In accordance with Wray (2011), the transnational divorce is distinguished by the common divorce at the following point: in the transnational divorce part of the processes for the issue of the divorce need to be completed in UK and part of them have to be developed in another country (Wray 2011, p.83). In other words, transnational divorces are necessarily related to the law of different countries. In Britain, the requirements of a transnational divorce are incorporated in three different legislative texts – the Recognition of Divorce and Legal Separations Act 1971, the Domicile and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1973 and the Family Law Act of 1986. It should be noted that the above texts do not refer directly to the case of ‘transnational divorce’ but they list the terms un der which a divorce of such characteristics can be valid in the context of the British law. In practice, the identification of the terms of validity of a transnational divorce is quite difficult. This problem is particularly common in England where a series of problems has appeared in regard to the successful completion of the relevant processes, a fact that reveals the need for the review of the relevant legislation (O’Brien and Smith 1999, p.487). One of the most important problems related to transnational div

Shark Finning Should Be Stopped Essay Example for Free

Shark Finning Should Be Stopped Essay Shark Finning Should Be Stopped Nowadays, over 73 million of sharks of various species are being caught and killed worldwide each year due to the increasing demand for shark fin. Shark finning is the behavior where fishermen cut off the shark’s fin and throw the bodied back to the ocean aimed to get the maximum profit. Decades ago, when shark fin became the status symbols, the demand of it is increasing rapidly. Despite the high profit of shark fin trade, however, sharks finning should be stopped aim to meet the requirement for natural resources in next generation. In this essay, I will argue why the shark finning should be stopped. The first reason why shark finning should be stopped is that shark species is one necessary part of ecosystems. Sharks are the top level species of the marine ecological pyramids and related to humanity closely. It means that sharks enjoy the important position of maintaining the marine ecosystems. If there are a huge amount of sharks be killed, it will lead to quite a large number of small and medium-sized fishes loss of natural enemies and growing rapidly, thus seriously destroy the balance of marine ecosystems. For example, the decrease of sharks in Tasmania has led to the significant increase of the octopus, due to the octopuses prey on lobsters, the fisheries in that area has crumbled. Sharks are the dominant part which can remove the diseased animals and maintain the balance of predators and prey in marine ecosystems. Furthermore, marine ecosystems are significant to globe environment, although scientists haven’t find out the fully impacts of shark’s extinction for humanity, there is obviously that the global disaster is coming. Furthermore, shark finning should be stopped not only due to shark finning will harm for shark species but also bad for humanity. Shark fin trade has attractive profit but humanity will pay a lot for shark’s extinction more than the profits they can earn. Besides the effects of shark finning in ecosystems, scientist also mentioned that shark fin contain high levels of mercury which can directly damage the central nervous system. According to Eilperin (2011), While many consumersespecially in Chinaview shark meat and fins as nutritious, sharks are likely to contain high levels of mercury because they are large, slow-growing fish that consume other fish as their prey, which allows mercury to build up in their muscle tissues. (p. 78) It’s obviously that shark fin has symbolized wealth ince hundred years ago; its value is in psychology instead in physics. There is no doubt that shark fin as the luxury food symbol in tradition society, is predicted to place rising pressure on available resources based on the expanding consumer purchasing capability (Clarke et al. , 2007). Due to the fact that shark finning is the behavior not only harm for environment but bad for humanity, it should be stopped and banned immediately. As I mentioned before, after the shark fin be cut off, the body of shark which is basically worthless will be threw back to the ocean. And the shark which has lost their measure of mobility will be taken by other species or bleeds to death (Jennifer, n. d. ). So you may ask why people do not use the entire shark to gain more profit, but the answer, which is no doubt that shark’s fin soup is the best tool of gaining highest profit. Shark’s meat and bone are not be focused by fishermen and business men but shark fin. Since several hundred years age, shark fin soup already became the necessary dish in the big events even though the price of shark fin soup is 100 dollar or more for a bowl. And the demand of shark fin is constant growing although it charges a high price. For instance, the shark fin trade is steady increasing in five percent per year in the late 1990s (with the exception of 1998 when the Asian financial crisis caused depressing sales) and the beginning of twenty-first century (Eilperin, 2010). Though the large amount of shark fin soup, a dish without cooking value and taste, we can know that it is just symbol, no substance. Actually, the pursuit of shark fin is a sightless and erroneous mentality which has lasted a long time especially in China. As the saying goes frugality is a virtue, shark finning as a stunning extravagant behavior should be stopped and banned. With the growing economics technology in China even in the world, people have more qualifications to concerned about their health and environment protection; therefore, people should be more rational to consider the cost of shark finning. As the valued traditional Chinese lifestyle, balance and moderation also can be used to take pride and honor in rebuilding a balance to ecosystem by quitting shark finning (Why shark fin, n. d. ).

Planet Cyborg Essay -- Technology Science Medicine

Planet Cyborg Since the beginning of civilization, the concept of a super-human has fascinated our species. Whether imagined as a semi-god, super-hero, or monster, the vision of some superior yet human-like being never seems to die out through time. An equal, if not more of a plausibility than artificial intelligence is the emergence of a sub-species of humans enhanced with artificial or computerized limbs, organs, and capabilities. Fundamentally, however, an increase in cyborg technology will alter our conception of intellgence just as much as the achievement of A.I. The term cyborg originated in 1960 as a combination of â€Å"cybernetic† and â€Å"organism,† coined by NASA scientist Manfred Clynes as he envisioned the modification of humans to be more space-compatible.[1] Since then, the term has been tossed around from the media to science-fiction authors as a general reference toward human-machine integrations. As alien as these concepts still seem, a great deal of cybernetic technology has undergone implementation in today’s society—beginning with the basic bionic building blocks of artificial limbs and organs. The earliest reports of attempts at life-like prosthetics come from 1504, with an account of a clumsy but functional iron hand with flexible joints.[2] Modern bionic limbs are not a far cry from the naturalness of the artificial hand that wowed the audiences of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back over two decades ago. With today’s technology, prosthetics are more than mere stand-ins for limbs and organs, but can, through complex wiring systems, undertake the actual functions of the missing parts by responding to electro-chemical signals sent from the brain. The Dobelle Instit... ...eck Muscle.†Chemistry and Industry (20 May 2002): 7. Gray, Chris Hables. Cyborg Citizen: Politics in the Posthuman Age. New York: Routledge, 2001. â€Å"Historical Highlights in Bionics and Related Medicine.† Science, 295 (8 February 2002): 1003. Towner, Natalie. â€Å"Cyborg.† Computer Weekly (29 August 2002): 31. Expanded Academic ASAP. Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT. Accessed 10 November 2002. Underhill, William. â€Å"Merging Man and Machine.† Newsweek (14 October 2002): 38Z. University of Reading Department of Cybernetics. â€Å"Professor Kevin Warwick.† Available from http://www.cyber.rdg.ac.uk/people/K.Warwick.htm. Accessed 10 November 2002. Vogel, Gretchen. â€Å"Part Man, Part Computer: Researcher Tests the Limits.† Science, 295 (8 February 2002): 1020. Warwick, Kevin. â€Å"Budding Cyborg.† New Scientist, 173 (30 March 2002): 19.

Hunger Games Review

Action packed adventures, intense, love triangles, suspenseful twists of the plot, and witty remarks are all thrown across the pages of a book titled â€Å"The Hunger Games† by Suzanne Collins. The book was looked upon by many teenagers as if it was a sacred treasure meant to be read by a select few. I was driven by both madness and curiosity to uncover how such a book would deserve this much attention. To my surprise, â€Å"The Hunger Games† demonstrated a well thought plot, conflicting love, triangle and intense life or death matters. The story is set in the post, apocalyptic country of Panem, where America once stood. The country is divided into 12 districts and ruled by a dictating government known as the Capitol. The heroine, 16 year old Katniss Everdeen lives in the Seam, located in the poorest region; District 12. At one point, there was a District 13, but it was consequently destroyed for leading a war against the Capitol. The rest of the districts gave up easily and were forced to follow the cynical Capitol, avoiding the same fate as District 13. Accompanied by Katniss is heartthrob Gale Hawthorne; the leading lady’s best friend. Gale and Katniss have been hunting together at the woods near the outlying district. They’re content using the animals they’ve caught for food for their family or for a trade of money. Suddenly, everything for Katniss changes when she is faced with the decision to take the place of her sister at the Annual Hunger Games; a brutal, televised event that pits 24 teenagers from the ages of 12 to 17 to fight until there is one standing. One boy and girl are picked from each district and are orced to participate as tributes. This is the punishment that all districts must go through. It’s the Capitol’s way of reminding the nation once more that they are in charge and can send children off to combat without anyone’s say in it. Katniss’s decision to join the games leaves her accompanied by an old flame, Peeta Melark; the baker’s son. The way Collins devel oped each character thoroughly with distinct differences leads you to ponder which of the two, Peeta or Gale, is right for Katniss. Both Katniss and Peeta took notice of each other from afar and are connected by a single moment. On a rainy day at the Seam, Katniss is faced with little to no money and doesn’t have any food to offer to her family. She sits hunched over outside the bakery until Peeta walks up to her and offers her bread from his bakery. From that moment on, Peeta is nicknamed the boy with the bread. This act of kindness sets him off as frail and kind; unlike Gale, who is seen as tough and aggressive. By increasing her chance of survival, Katniss and Peeta are publicly announced as star crossed lovers and must defend each other in the arena. All the while, it is evident that Gale has feelings for her yet he must watch the girl he loves the most fall into the arms of someone else. Katniss is torn between the boy she left back home to the boy with the bread. Throughout the book, her thoughts and feelings often clash with one another and she has been reluctant to go to both Peeta and Gale. The games are held at a remote arena filled with many surprises. Katniss is doing whatever it takes to survive the unknown. She somewhat acts like a babysitter to Peeta by protecting him from every little thing. What surprised me the most was just how easily she was willing to kill children for the sake of her life. At this point, she has been made a pawn by the Capitol, and the Capitol is winning. She makes friends, and loses friends. The weather is constantly changing and the tributes slowly start to die off. Katniss must also battle with other tributes for the limited amount of food and water supply left. It is very startling to even imagine myself in her position. Everyone there wants to survive yet not everyone is even lucky enough to get through the first day. The seemingly endless battle drove me insane! I can’t imagine how hard it would be to go to sleep with the thought of not making it out alive the next day. The heart breaking thing to do is ally with a complete stranger. Katniss has been faced with many and must make a choice as the number of survivors left start thinning down. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in a thought provoking story line, romance, and life or death situations. This book will keep you up at night even after finishing it. This fast paced story will keep you reading with excitement. Sources http://www.thehungergames.co.uk/

A Policy Analysis of the Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2005

This paper looks at the Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2005, also known as the Medicare D Drug plan.The paper will look at its’ historical underpinnings, an overview into how the policy started, view into the policy itself, as well as an analysis of it—whether the policy is really giving benefits to its intended beneficiaries. This paper however, contends that the Medicare D drug plan is not sufficiently meeting the needs of those who are its beneficiaries. Before the arguments as to whether the policy is effective or not however, it may well be first necessary to look at and understand the policy.The Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Plan and Choice Plan, otherwise known as Medicare D Drug plan was aimed to supplement or enhance the original Medicare program. The Medicare D drug plan was passed into what is known as the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act or MMA legislation. It was enacted by the Bush administration in 20 03. Benefits from the program started only recently, in January 2006. (â€Å"Medicare Part D†, 2006)Medicare D drug benefit plan is a voluntary outpatient prescription drug benefit for people under the Medicare program—beneficiaries include the elderly (over 65 years of age) and diseased beneficiaries (end stage renal disease patients, for example) (â€Å"Medicare (United States)†, 2006).Simply stated, the Medicare D Drug plan is a type of insurance to seniors and other disabled citizens who may not be able to anticipate or pay for the high cost of medicine. The Medicare program works with many private insurance and other companies to bring these seniors a variety of plans. (Lieberman, 2006)The original Medicare program previously had two parts: part A and part B. Part A of the program covers hospital care for inpatients, skilled nursing services, health care for patients at home, as well as other health services. Part B, on the other hand covers a wide range of frequently used health services, examples of which are doctor visits and diagnostic testing. (â€Å"Medicare Savings Program†, 2005)Because of former problems with the previous Medicare program such that it was ineffective as cited, â€Å"when President Bush came into office, Medicare was outdated and not meeting the needs of American seniors.†Hence, legislation was passed into Congress and the President signed into law what was to modernize the Medicare program—this was by providing preventive care, offering of more choices to seniors and most of all giving seniors’ better access to prescription drugs that they need, the Medicare D Drug plan.(â€Å"Strengthening Medicare: A Framework to Modernize and Improve Medicare†, 2005)Furthermore, with the revolutionizing of the Medicare D drug plan, President Bush has concentrated on preventative health care—it was believed that if diseases were caught early, these diseases would be easier to cure. In addition to that objective, a need existed to revolutionize the original Medicare program and this was due to â€Å"gaps† in the original Medicare plan coverage (â€Å"Choosing a Medigap Policy to Supplement the Original Medicare Plan â€Å", 2006).Changes in the original Medicare policy involved a means testing. This means that a higher income (and this includes Social Security benefits) would consequently mean a higher pay for Medicare beneficiaries. To illustrate the point: Medicare beneficiaries would see their premiums increase dramatically before they die, i.e. they retire at an age of 65, live until 95, but have an inflation of 3%; without working out the numbers this already clearly shows that beneficiaries aren’t getting benefits.The next generation of Medicare beneficiaries is said to have to pay the full price of their Medicare benefit from the beginning of their retirement, despite of paying Medicare taxes their entire life. Hence, the 2003 legislation was enacted—to eliminate the effect of inflation on income. (â€Å"Medicare (United States)†, 2006)

The Shunammite by Ines Arredondo

The Shunammite by Ines Arredondo Introduction The title â€Å"The Shunammite† preempts the details of this particular short story because it is derived from the Bible in the book of 1 Kings 1:1-4. Here, King David had grown old and his years on earth had been long. He was constantly sick and always cold. His servants, therefore, decided to look for a young virgin who would lie beside King David in the hope of fulfilling and inducing some of the old King’s deepest desires.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Shunammite by Ines Arredondo specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More After looking throughout Israel, Abishag; a Shunammite woman was found, and she was brought to the king to comfort him. From the beginning of the short story, Licha embodies purity and innocence when she comes to attend to her Uncle. However, she soon gets entangled in an abusive marriage to meet her family obligations. It is through characterization that one gets to unde rstand the predicaments of the protagonist Licha who must struggle with her wishes and family duty. Character in the Shunammite Through characterization, readers can empathize with Licha. One can feel what she is feeling and hence feel the sense of reality projected in the narrative. One way in which characterization can be depicted is through the kind of dialogues that Licha has with the other people in the story. One realizes that she has the noblest intentions and often wants to look out for the interests of others before herself. On the other hand, as one continues, one sees the helplessness she is. For example, when her uncle talks to her about Polish jewelry, Licha realizes that this is a vital family treasure that must be relished. Her uncle quickly insists that she should have the jewelry and immediately turns his head away from her (Arredondo, 4). This kind of bullying continues in the rest of the story even when Licha is told to get married to her uncle. One, therefore, se es the kind of victimization that plays out in the story’s setting. Nonetheless, the protagonist is not just a two-dimensional character; she has her motivations and ideas. One cannot help but see her as a victim because she was unable to speak against the unfairness imposed upon her by her family members. The author often talks about Licha’s inner thoughts. For example at the beginning of the story, the protagonist says that â€Å"I was certain I had the power to domesticate passion, to purify everything in the burning air that surrounded me without consuming me† (Arredondo, 4).Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These inner reflections continue throughout the story, and they often bring out Licha’s motivations. For example, when Licha is required to get married to her uncle, she obliges because she was concerned about his well being. Late r on, when he miraculously recovers, she continues to live with him because of her strong sense of loyalty. The author has put the protagonist in a difficult situation and how she handled this situation is what endears her to readers. Licha often struggles to place her experiences in context and sometimes she was not able to do that successfully. The author successfully illustrates what it means to be defenseless as a Mexican woman through her protagonist. The author wanted people to understand the plight of women in her setting. She wanted individuals to know that they were more than mere objects of male desires. Licha has dreams and ambitions; she is not a second class human being as most individuals had assumed in her culture. Perhaps another critical role that Licha’s character plays in the book is to illustrate how women in this society were slammed to a life of servitude. Licha was bound to her uncle’s bedside after his recovery even though she had initially been married to him so that she could inherit his possession. She is one who submits under the domination of a male figure. She is powerless even when the person exploiting her is physically weak. Licha is submerged in her circumstances and cannot do anything about it. Another interesting character in the book is Licha’s uncle; Apoloni. He first comes off as a caring relative who wants to impart knowledge to his niece. In fact, at the beginning of the story, one would be forgiven to assume that the narrative would be about death and how Uncle Apoloni dealt with it. He starts by talking about the past, some of the accomplishments made by the family, the year of hunger, the year of the yellow corn and many of his other memories during the past (Arredondo, 4). His arthritis has shriveled him up because he was now at a point where he was ‘floating on his bed.’ However, we soon realize that Apoloni is not a harmless old man. As his niece attends to him, he starts getting overwhelmed by incestuous thoughts. He longs for the purity and innocence that Licha so quickly puts across. He harbors these thoughts even though it would result in an abusive relationship and would put an end to Licha’s hopes and wishes. As the story progresses and Apoloni recovers, he changes from being a vulnerable and weak individual to a predator and selfish being. The purity that attracted him to his niece in the first place would be destroyed if she started something with him.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Shunammite by Ines Arredondo specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One can also see that this individual did not care for his niece because if he did, then he would not have made those demands. One can also see that this uncle started the abusive relationship because he knew that he could get away with it. Other family members, including his wife, were too loyal to their family ever to oppose his a ctions. His wife cared too much about family honor and public perceptions of the family. This was why she became an accomplice to his unforgivable behavior. Uncle Apoloni is, therefore, a manipulative and dominating character that puts his needs first even if it involves destroying the needs of another person. The author does not paint a picture of an innately evil character in Apoloni. He is multifaceted and has strong points as well. Readers can identify with some of his struggles such as arthritis and the impending death. One can also see that it is these insecurities about his own meaningless life that cause him to act out. He was missing something and hoped to find it in the fresh beauty of his niece. The character of this antagonist also reflects another critical component of the story. He is engaged in an endless search for the supreme which is epitomized in the purity of Licha. His niece was a virgin and therefore represented an entire state to him. The problem was that this search was relentless because uniting with such a pure being would result in her corruption rather than his purification. This illustrates the extent to which this individual was mistaken. The author, therefore, succeeds in characterization because she has not portrayed a stereotype of a typical dying man. She complicates Apoloni’s character by showing how he fell victim to his lustful thoughts. Aunt Ponchita; Apoloni’s wife was also another surprising individual. At the beginning of the story, she seems to like this caring character. Licha has very fond memories of her as she goes to see her ailing uncle. However, when Ponchita learns about her husband’s wish to marry his niece, she does not react to it or oppose it in any way. She hides this fact because of her need to maintain a certain family image. Aunt Ponchita is, therefore, a representation of betrayal on the part of women. She should have been there for her niece but instead chose to help out her manip ulative and predatory husband. One can, therefore, see that she lacks the compassion characteristic of most aunts. Additionally, even a sense of dignity does not cause this woman to act morally. She is concerned about her sense of well being and self-preservation. She is not strong enough to speak out against this grave misdeed, and she watches as her niece’s life gets destroyed.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Perhaps another critical role that her aunt plays in the story is to demonstrate the degree of subservience that women in that Latin America society were expected to possess. They were not bold enough to confront elements of their culture that oppressed them. In this regard, Aunt Ponchita is a stereotypical image of a Latin American woman at that time. In essence, the author of this short story does an excellent job of giving depth to her characters (Giona and Kennedy, 12). They are fully developed because they have histories. They reflect upon or talk about their childhood memories, their ambitions and the like. A lot of the story is rooted in providing backgrounds for the characters so that their actions can be interpreted thoroughly. Also, because of the dynamic changes that take place in the middle of the narrative, characters soon become dynamic as well. For example, Uncle Apoloni first appears to be weak and helpless. However, as the story progresses, he changes and becomes th is lustful individual who then defies expectation by causing his niece to lie with him. That dynamism of the character adds a lot of flavor to the story and leads to much progress in the narrative. Additionally, realistic characters often help in making this story such a good piece of literature. It is possible to relate with all the individuals in the story because struggles, challenges, and ambitions are common to all human beings which are depicted throughout the story. Licha is not a cardboard character; her subservience is a testimony to her weakness while her sweet and caring nature is her main strength. This intermingling of character traits creates superior individuals who make the story worthwhile. It can also be said that this story is more focused on character than plot. In other words, it is the characters that lead to developments in the story over and above the plot within the story. It is admirable the ease with which these characters have been developed even though i t is a short story. Since there is little room to give too much history about them, the author needed to be very careful about the information she picked out or chose to convey in the story (Stauffer, 35). For example, when she tells us about the fond memories that Licha had about the place where her uncle was located, one can relate that to the immense sense of loss that Licha felt when she was told that her uncle was ailing. Furthermore, one can also understand why she chose to submit to her uncle’s incestuous wishes later on in the story. It is also interesting that the author does not fall into the trap of creating flat characters whose primary function is to offer information about the protagonist or other main characters. The beauty of this literary piece is that the main character is the narrator of the story. One, therefore, relates experiences in the novel to her point of view. This is why it is easy to understand why she chooses to make the decisions that she does i n the story. Conclusion Characterization in this short story reflects the realism of this piece. Each has his or her flaws thus depicting a rational image of the people in the story. Some of the developments in the tale are particularly disturbing, and it is through characterization that members of the audience can feel as though those developments are happening to them. Readers are also able to relate to these characters because of the inner dialogue that the protagonist keeps having and the external conversations that she has with other people she interacts. In the end, the story has become compelling and quite impressive. References Arredondo, Ines. Underground river and other stories: the Shunammite. NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1996 Stauffer, Marilyn. Outline on literary elements. The University of South Florida. 5 August 2007. Web. Gioia, Dana Kennedy, J. Literature An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing Eleventh Edition. NY: Longman, 2006

Free Essays on An Overview Of Newdow V. U.S. Congress

, Newdow's position was that it is unconstitutional for a state employee to lead students in an exercise, which is fundamentally religious in nature because that represents the state endorsing some particular view. The fact that his daughter was not required to participate in this exercise was not sufficient to make it constitutional - the mere fact that she was a recipient of the message that certain religious beliefs are endorsed by the government was sufficient to entail harm. The school district sought to have the case dismissed. The United States Congress and the President of the United States joined in this motion, which was approved by a District Court judge. Newdow appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. C... Free Essays on An Overview Of Newdow V. U.S. Congress Free Essays on An Overview Of Newdow V. U.S. Congress An Overview of Newdow V. U.S. Congress By: Florie Mendiola Background Information: Michael Newdow, an atheist, has a daughter who attends public ele-mentary school in the Elk Grove Unified School District in California. Each day, following state law, the teachers lead students in a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. The specific law states that public schools begin each school day with "appropriate patriotic exercises" and that the Pledge would be sufficient to comply. The specific school policy states that "Each elementary school class [shall] recite the pledge of allegiance to the flag once each day." At no point was any student, including Newdow's daughter, forced to recite the Pledge. That has already been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (although it should be noted that Barnette was decided in 1943 and the words "under God" were not added until 1954). Instead, Newdow argued that his daughter suffered harm because she would: watch and listen as her state-employed teacher in her state-run school leads her classmates in a ritual proclaiming that there is a God, and that our's [sic] is 'one nation under God.' In other words, Newdow's position was that it is unconstitutional for a state employee to lead students in an exercise, which is fundamentally religious in nature because that represents the state endorsing some particular view. The fact that his daughter was not required to participate in this exercise was not sufficient to make it constitutional - the mere fact that she was a recipient of the message that certain religious beliefs are endorsed by the government was sufficient to entail harm. The school district sought to have the case dismissed. The United States Congress and the President of the United States joined in this motion, which was approved by a District Court judge. Newdow appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. C...

The Strengths and Weaknesses of Britain's 'Traditional Constitution' Essay

The Strengths and Weaknesses of Britain's 'Traditional Constitution' - Essay Example Any state whether large or small should have important and elemental values which enable efficient and effective governance. It is these rules that show a picture of the country’s values and nature. They bring out the character of the state as dictated by the understanding of the citizens of the laws based on whether they are laws or a formulation of how things should be done. As much as the state may formulate these laws independently and uniquely, some common characteristics can be identified in many states’ laws or in the general administration. For many nations and states, there are laws and rules that govern the conduct of people or provide guidance on the way of life. In Britain though, this is not the case. Unlike most states in the world, the country lacks the formal and legal documents that bring forth the procedures or arrangements by which the country is to be governed. It lacks the set of main values, norms and upholding by which the state is to be administe red. Types of constitutions A constitution is a set of rules that govern the administration in a state and the government on the mode of administration1.There are various methods that are used to classify types of constitutions. A constitution can be codified or not codified, federal or unitary and flexible or rigid. A codified constitution is usually based in one document and is more likely to be inflexible while a federal constitution divides power into two parts of the government2. Written and unwritten The words written and unwritten refer to the way in which the constitution is formulated and the main distinction is brought out by whether the constitution is brought out in a single or a set of documents or whether it is just an assembly of various sources. A written constitution is usually presented in a document or a series of documents and this is common in almost all the countries. An unwritten constitution is one that is not expressed in a document or even a set of document s. Britain is an example of country that lacks a written constitution though some of its parts may be in written form. Any written document provides a clear guideline and is more authentic thus is seen more legally and can be easily endorsed than the unwritten one3. Rigid and flexible A constitution contains the basic principles that govern the mode of administration of any state. Basically making these rules is based on the aspect of continuity and thus lack of alteration. In the event of alterations, there are specific channels that are followed. The ease with which a constitution can be altered to suit the changing times reflects its flexibility. If therefore a constitution follows a long channel and is basically subject to a process which is restrictive before the laws can be changed, it is referred to be rigid. In the case of Britain that lacks a written constitution; the case of rigidity is actually questionable and may be less. If a bill formulated and passed in the parliamen t receives the royal pass on, it becomes effective since there is no higher restrictive force or body to create difficulties4. Therefore, the laws are subject to changes since there is no procedure earlier formulated and put down to change particular laws. The flexibility of the constitution in unmentionable and the laws are made by the parliament with no higher body to make them. The parliament tends to receive less restriction and the constitution also contains the non- legal part which is

MGMT402 U4 DB Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MGMT402 U4 DB - Assignment Example However, this will be varying based on the nature of offense and when it is done. For a first offender, there will be a monetary fine of $250-$2,000 per each illegal immigrant employed. For a second offense, the fine increased to between $2,000 and $5,000 per. However, stiffer penalties might be imposed on the third and subsequent offenders who might be eventually sentenced to up to six moths in jail. I support this penalty because it is justified (Massey, 2007). In this regard, it is my considered opinion that Patricia should be keen to ensure that she does not face the same penalty. In her restaurant, she should ensure that she is privy with her workers’ immigration status to ascertain if there are illegal or legitimate. Only legitimate ones should be hired in her restaurant. As an employer, she should make efforts to know if her employees are legally permitted to work in the country. This can be done by checking their social security numbers. Otherwise, she would have to face the wrath of this