Compare role science & technology play in Lunar Men & Heart of Essay

Compare role science & technology play in Lunar Men & Heart of Darkness. How have attitudes & uses of them changed - Essay Example le genius and ability to make new things, gain a deep understanding of the world both philosophically and physically—their inventions too are used to allow other people to more profoundly understand the physical world. In Heart of Darkness, it is the West’s ability to harness technology that makes the minerals and rubber of the Congo valuable and that makes it important to extract such products. But the novel also shows the limits to human’s knowledge—even using technology and science humans cannot know everything. When they think the do, trouble occurs. These aspects of the roles of science and technology will be looked at in this essay. One of the main points of the book Lunar Men is the sheer joy of the intellectual curiosity Uglow’s heroes possess and show. They want to find out about the world, they want to learn new things. It is this sense of adventure and exploration that drives them, even though they don’t really leave their hometown—they just meet in person. The adventure is what they learn about the world through their scientific experiments and from sharing information and curiosity with one another. It isn’t a physical journey across the world. Indeed, they don’t need to take such a journey because they can bring the world to themselves through their experiments and discoveries. Boulton, for example, when he is starting out feels an air of energy surrounding him and feels the time is ripe for â€Å"adventure,† but he doesn’t get on a merchant ship. Instead: â€Å"Armed with the security of Anne’s money and his own inheritance from his father, Boulton made plans. The workshop and warehouse on Snow Hill were too small and he dreamed of a site big enough to have stores of raw materials, drawing and design rooms, workshops for all stages and products, and a warehouse for finished goods. He also wanted a mill to drive machines . . .† (65) The latest technologies let him stay at home. For other men, like Robinson, for example, worldly

The History Of Parenting Programmes Children And Young People Essay

The History Of Parenting Programmes Children And Young People Essay Education is a giant step forward to achieving sustainability. Education for sustainable development encompasses the three areas: the environment, society and the economy (Pace, 2010). ESD is meant to inculcate ideals and values about key sustainable issues such as poverty reduction, environment protection, human rights, democracy, and so on. The basic concept of ESD entails helping people to develop the right attitude and knowledge to facilitate decision-making and create a better future for themselves and others (UNESCO, 2011). In this regard, Parenting Programmes might help to orient both parents and children towards this new mind set. Contrary to popular belief, education begins at home. This is why parents should be the primary targets. Parsons (1959), states that the family is bounded by two irreducible functions which are the primary socialization of children and stabilization of adult personalities (Haralambos and Holborn, 2007). The quality of education a child receives will therefore be a determining factor to the type of adult he will develop into (Morawska et al, 2011). Dealing with a child is no easy task. However, very often parents tend to forget that the parent-child relationship is a two-way street. As a matter of fact, many parents lack the proper coping and communication skills to deal with conflict situations. There are several organizations, also known as Parenting Programmes, to assist parents to cope with emotional, behavioural and social problems in their children (Morawska et al, 2011). Research has indicated that children are very likely to face impaired educational development, adult mental health problems and even entry to crime, due to long-term consequences of these problems (Lindsay et al, 2008). Evidence indicates that Parenting Programmes have indeed contributed towards helping adults to better integrate their roles as parents. Some examples of these parenting programmes are the Incredible Years, Triple P and Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities among others. The Parenting Early Intervention Pathfinder (PEIP) has shown great interest in the matter and funded 150 local authorities in England to deliver Parenting Programmes (Lindsay et al, 2008). The Incredible Years Programme in the USA dealt mostly with parents with children having conduct problems. The Triple P in Australia was based on a five-level intervention basis and was more beneficial for parents having mental health problems and relationship problems, therefore with children at risk. Home interventions were frequently required. Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities was mainly designed for minority ethnic groups. Consequently, evidence indicated an increase in the level of activity, decrease in negative discipline and enhanced communication between parents and children (Lindsay et al, 2008). Education for Sustainable Development aims at creating better citizens of tomorrow. Parents, therefore, as primary agents of socialization should be able to grasp the concept of ESD, so that they can in turn pass it on to their children. However, this would be more effective if children were taught to adopt sustainable lifestyle since birth itself. Problem Statement Parenting programmes, termed as Ecoles des Parents in Mauritius, is a rather new concept. However, there are many existing policies and laws put into place by the Government to provide security and welfare for the children, and also Ministries such as The Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare and The Ministry of Education and Human Resources. There are many alarming issues that led to considering the need for such a programme. Firstly, the family, as an institution, doesnt stand as firmly as it did before, and with the increase in divorce rates, children often find themselves being brought up in broken homes. Moreover, degradation of family values has accentuated, and that adults are lesser involved in family activities but instead focus more on themselves. Juvenile Delinquency is yet another serious problem which is on the rise. This ranges from thefts, physical violence, and drug addiction to even rape. It is very common in households today, to see both parents working, sometimes even doing extra hours hence leaving a minimum amount of time to carry out family activities or simply have a conversation with the kids. Youngsters are nowadays lost in a virtual world, where social networks are the only means to communicate with what they call friends. Eventually, social life suffers and teenagers become virtual beings where face-to-face interactions are becoming more and more scarce. It is very important for parents to foster good relationships with their children. But parents cannot hope to do this when the child has already reached 16. This process starts right when the child is born. With so many problems on the rise, namely anti-social behaviour, juvenile delinquency, crime rate, teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, we cant help but wonder: Have parents somehow failed to fulfill their roles? A pilot project was set up at La Valette, Bambous, which is actually a reconstituted village. Parents who attended the program were from poor regions of the island. The project Ecole des Parents was launched in October 2010 under the supervision of the Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family (Anon, 2010), and is focused towards helping parents to develop the necessary coping and communication skills to deal with their children and also to encourage group discussion between parents. Since the program has been introduced only recently, it is very difficult to get proper feedback about its effectiveness. Aims and Objectives Aims The aim of this study is to assess how the programme Ecole des Parents enhances the lifestyle of its participants and promotes sustainable development within the locality through education. Objectives The objectives of the study are listed below: To produce a comprehensive literature Review To assess how government promotes sustainable development through education To determine the need for parenting programmes To assess how Ecole des Parents has changed the lives of the participants To evaluate how Ecole des Parents eventually benefits the community To recommend measures which could improved the sustainability of the programme Research questions: What are the measures taken by the government to inculcate a sustainable lifestyle? Are parents failing to fulfil their roles? How far has the programme influenced family lives? What are the impacts of such programmes in the area where it has been implemented? What are the limitations of the programme and how we can tackle them? Flow of dissertation: Chapter 2: Literature Review In chapter 2, we will firstly be reviewing sociological perspectives on parenting support and education; we will then move on to an overview about existing parenting programmes and its effectiveness. We will then look at sustainable development and the importance given to education in achieving sustainability. Finally we will look at the Mauritian context, how and why Ecole des Parents was introduced. Chapter 3: Methodology In this chapter, we will identify what method can be best used to conduct our study, what are the variables which need to be taken into account while designing our questionnaire. We will elaborate about our sampling method and how data will be collected. Chapter 4: Results Discussion This chapter will include the analysis of our findings and a comprehensive discussion about the results obtained. Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations Finally, we will conclude by summarising our findings and provide recommendations on how the programme can be improved. 2.0 Literature Review Sociological perspectives In order to explain the parent-child relationship, various theories have been used. Research has been conducted by dominant perspectives like social learning theory, attachment theory and parenting styles to understand parenting and the parent-child relationship (OConnor and Scott, 2007). The social learning theory is one of the most important models of the relationship between parents and children. Many theorists have used the social learning model in the way social conditions of parents may lead to poor child rearing. Robert Wahler (1965) conducted a programme which took into consideration the specific needs of lone mothers; he concluded that these mothers were more unpleasant with their children when others rejected them. A childs experience shapes his behaviour directly or indirectly. If the child is getting reward for his action, such as parental attention, he is most likely to repeat the behaviour while if the child is being punished, he is less likely to do the behaviour again. Attachment theorists have established parenting relationships according to ethology, cognitive psychology and control systems. John Bowlby was interested on detecting the nature, impact and function of the childs affiliation to his parent. This theory also focuses on important issues such as how far the relationship protects the child against harm and provides an emotional security. Baumrind studied four typologies linked with the outcome of children: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive and neglectful. Authoritative parents have children who were more decent and clever; those parents who were authoritarian, permissive and disengaged had lower results while authoritarian parents had the worst outcomes of the four child rearing types. As such, having an insight of what have been said by sociologists and psychologists about the influence of parental support on the education of their children will enable us to analyse how parenting programmes really enhance relationship between parents and children; family life; education success or failure and also their influence on society. In the next part we will be discussing about parenting programmes and its various aspects. Parenting Programmes Parenting is not a new concept, as many might believe. Society has had concerns about family life and childrens upbringing for very long. Unfortunately the realities of life at home, between parents and children, are not quite how we expect them to be. Parenting is undeniably an asset to shaping tomorrows adults, and through school the child is expected to grasp the concept of parenting and thus become model parents of the next generation (Jenkinson, 1995). The idea of School Parenting or Parenting Programs as it is known worldwide, might be the answer to the chaotic situation between parents and children. We should firstly circle the facts that led to considering the need for such a program. The generation gap has been increasing due to several factors over the years. To start with, the family, as an institution, doesnt stand as firmly as it did before. With the increase in divorce rates, children often find themselves being brought up in broken homes (Smith, 1970 1990). Moreover, U.S. Census data, shows that degradation of family values have accentuated since 1960, and that adults are lesser involved in family activities but instead focus more on themselves, leaving children to fend for themselves (Popenoe, 1993). Another serious issue to be considered is that of Juvenile Delinquency. Due to weak social relations, youngsters nowadays are more vulnerable to temptation. Statistical analysis reveals that the rate of crime among youngsters has increased ranging from theft, drug addiction to physical violence. However, sociologists believe that, these form part of the process of growing up and that such behaviours fade when adulthood is reached, for most. More importantly, it should be noted that, children who have received appropriate parental guidance, are less prone to engaging in such damaging activities (World Youth Report, 2003). With the advent of industrialization, both mothers and fathers have rushed to the big cities for jobs, supposedly for the betterment of the family and to secure the childrens future. Consequently, squeezing in between jobs and spending quality time with the kids have become a major challenge (Moen, 1989). The number of internet users, as at December 2011, was estimated to be 2, 267, 233, 742 (Internet World Stats, 2011). The internet, however, not only brought about positive changes to our lives, but also threats to our well-being. One such target nowadays is teenagers, who seem to associate more importance to virtual life than real life itself. Social networking sites are a means for youngsters to re-invent themselves by broadening their contacts. On the hand, research indicated narcissistic tendencies, health problems such as anxiety and depression, and alienation from social life through overuse of social networks. Parents are therefore advised to engage in as much social activities as possible with their children. They need to encourage dialogue and also monitor the teenagers ventures on social networking sites, so as not to create virtual teenagers (Rosen, 2011). A Childs socialization is crucial to determining what kind of individual he/she will eventually develop into. The socialization process is a means for the child to internalize appropriate norms, values and behaviours inculcated by the agents of socialization, namely the parents (Haralambos and Holborn, 2007). Therefore, parents as key agents should be given some kind of training so as to better understand what is really in the childs interest. After all, the relationship goes both ways, where mutual understanding is the core to establishing fruitful interactions for both parties. Types of parenting programmes Parenting Programs are one such incentive, where the central aim is to help parents gain insight to potential behavioural and emotional difficulties that children encounter (Morawska, et al, 2010). The Triple P-Positive Parenting Program is one such program, which starts with providing relevant information about parenting to parents, who are willing to cooperate. The Triple P-Positive Program operates on a five level basis, and comprises of parents of new born babies to 16 year old teens. Level 1 consists of helping parents to detect minor behavioural problems, and is directed towards promoting the childs development. Level 2 is mostly for parents with specific concerns about their child and they usually seek advice on how to tackle the problem. Level 3, is no different from level 2, but simply incorporates practice and self-evaluation sessions to deal with the problem in a more effective way. Level 4, however, gather parents whose children have more severe behaviour issues and may require health professionals. And finally level 5 includes home visits and intensive family interventions which are specific depending on the situation, for e.g. conflict between parents themselves, involving cases of depression (Sanders, et al, 2003). The Triple P-Positive Program also demands that parents abide by a set of principles. To start with, children need to feel safe and free to explore, experiment and play. Under no circumstance should parents hamper the healthy, natural development of a child. As primary agents of socialization, parents should educate their children and also be open for questions and dialogue. Discipline is important and punishment should have a limit. Parents should establish rules but should also consider childrens opinion. Parents should allow children the freedom to choose their own path to fulfil their dreams, rather than imposing their desires and expectations. Finally parents should respect themselves, and foster good communication with one another, so as to create a stable and healthy home (Sanders, et al, 2003). Other types of Parenting Programs include the Incredible Years and the Strengthening families strengthening communities Programs. The Incredible Years Program comprises of parents with children from 0 to 8 years. Like the Triple P program, Incredible Years help parents to gain better understanding of childrens behavioural problems. However, this program tackles the situation by encouraging parents to foster good relationships with one another, and by dealing with their own issues (Geoff Lindsay et al, 2011). The Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities (SFSC), most particularly deals with small ethnic groups, but still the primary concern being helping parents develop effective coping skills. However, the program also covers the cultural and spiritual aspects of society, for example engaging in community activities, following traditions, etc (Geoff Lindsay et al, 2011). Parenting Programs are alternatives geared towards helping parents develop effective coping and communication skills. Parents are also more aware of childrens side of the story, and thus can look for collective solutions to misunderstandings through dialogue. These may seem to be quite simple, but the truth is many adults do not know their roles as parents, and how to tackle conflicts. This is where Parenting Programs come into the picture. Thus, having proved the importance of such programmes to family, children and society, we will now look at the role the state plays in promoting parenting programs. The role of the state One of the main aims of the government is undoubtedly the safety of the citizens. The state should cater for the physical safety of children and social crime prevention, i.e. ways to promote adequate child rearing and decrease the risk delinquency in children. It may be considered right to link it to aspects of communitarians as a reinforced community and family relations help to form a safety network that a society deprived of its ties cannot offer. Safety of the citizens is probably the governments most important responsibility; however an economically stable and balanced community is also of high importance. Here providing education and welfare benefits, easing work and acting to support the family unit as an economic system are involved. Leaving the protective measures behind, other impacts on our expectations of the role of government should be taken into consideration. One of the most important is the Christohumanistic tradition that has guided the state and welfare organizations since years. Societies depend on shared values. Shared values are passed on through children. Values wont be passed on from one generation to the next unless they are reinforced by the parent child relationship. So parenting is a public as well as intensely private act. Hence societys interest is in the parent-child relationship. Families are crucial to the survival and development of shared values. (Straw, 2000) The governments contribution to supporting a rights perspective is obvious in its introduction of the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law. There has been an effort to attain sexual parity at work furthermore there has been the promotion of a childs perspective by setting up the Children and Young Peoples Unit and effort to improve children participation in the service development. Societal trends have shifted the state beyond preserving physical and financial safety to human centred, charitable caring and most importantly an increasingly modified and rights orientated relationship with families. Nowadays both parents and government are facing problems of having to regulate morality while having to abide an era of democratized relationships. Review of parenting programmes According to a study, by Roger Grimshaw and Christine McGuire (1998), group-based parenting programmes had a low public profile. Many parents found it interesting however they found it difficult to attend. Some thought that attending such a programme would mean being a bad parent. Those who were willing participate wished to go on a programme before their child turned 3 years old (Grimshaw and McGuire, 1998). Around half of the parents who attended rated the advice helpful while the rest found it less interesting and an eighth found that it was not a good thing. Those parents who attended the parenting schooling were quite happy with it. Concerning the style of the programme, parents found it important that the leader should be a parent. Instead of being told about what to do, they wanted to have options from which they could choose. Both parents and organizations thought that programmes should lead to: benefits arising from group support, for instance a supportive network of friends; a better relationship with the children; greater information on issues such as child health and development; and emotional benefits. The managers who set up the programmes and the coordinator had some common aims. However, managers were more prone to distinguish strategic objectives for the courses, for instance community development. Coordinators were more likely to get involved in the aims that had impacts on individual participants, like a rise in confidence. Children who were interviewed had lucid perception of the responsibilities that parents had in protecting, guiding and instilling discipline in them. Effectiveness of parenting programmes Parent education helps to improve caring and positive child rearing which is crucial in creating a good atmosphere for children. The risk of child abuse is more when parents do not possess the necessary abilities, back up and knowledge of child development. School parenting helps to increase the knowledge of parents on the development of children, to guide them in developing parenting abilities and make them familiar with the difficulties involved with child rearing. Parenting programmes takes place at different levels. For instance, community awareness strategies operate at the primary level; group training sessions and one-on-one programmes such as the triple P-Positive Parenting Programme operate at the secondary or tertiary level. However, all parenting programmes serve to increase parental knowledge and decrease stress. Parental schooling helps to reach these results by training parents behavioural management skills, ways to solve problems, and personal adaptation abilities. Parenting programmes are important aspects of dealing with families which are at risk. Recent audits evaluated that progress has been made in areas like preventing child maltreatment. Factors limiting the effectiveness of parent education There are various factors that can limit the effectiveness of parenting programmes. Parenting beliefs often unconscious are difficult to change; parents may make us of same ways of parenting even if they have come across new skills. Furthermore, courses which are not intensive do not have the desired impact on both children and parents. Parents who have psychological problems or a drug or alcohol addiction may have difficulties to grasp new skills and build better relationships; the parents own development needs may be an obstacle in being able to participate fully in the programme (Holzer et al., 2006). Cultural values, negative experiences with social service providers, language barriers, time commitment, scheduling issues, travel, and general lack of interest may reduce participation in parent education programs. Parental depression, drug or alcohol addiction, low level of education, domestic violence, marital conflict, remarriage, harsh punishment on children may decrease the effectiveness of parenting programmes. Moreover, parents with low education and low income are less likely to believe that the can control their childrens development. Also, parents that are hassled about their environment, for example violent neighbours may be less prone to gain from parent schooling (Solutions for America, n.d.). Limitations of parenting programmes Although parenting programmes have proved to be an effective measure to help adults become better parents and ensure a better inclusion of children in society, they have several limitations. One of the major disadvantages of parenting programmes is that it is discriminating in nature, for instance for a programme which is aiming at ensuring the welfare of the family, the children and society in general; research have shown that while delivering the course to families in risky groups the programmes are excluding families from other background who are facing difficult issues with their children (Lindsay et al., 2011). The second drawback, concerns ethnicity, some researches conducted in the United Kingdom have shown that attendance to parenting programmes vary greatly depending on the ethnicity of the parents (Patel et al., 2011). For example, the study conducted by Patel et al (2002) showed that out of eighty participants, 37.5% were white British, 18.8% were Pakistani, Asian and black British accounted each for 10% and other minority groups accounted for less than 10% each. Thirdly, the high level of drop out from the programmes is another limitation. According to Lindsay et al. (2011), there are 17%-19% of participants who quit the programme due to socioeconomic issue or other problems. Therefore, the programmes need to take into account motivational factors which will stimulate candidate to pursue the course till the end. Parenting programmes and sustainable development All parenting programs do one thing in common, that is, improving the lifestyle of its citizens by providing the right skills to the people in order to shapes the future of the youths and improves their quality of life. From this perspective, we can clearly see that the aim of parenting programmes is closely linked to the four pillars of sustainable development. For instance, by providing parents the required tools to become better guides for their children and improving their relationship, such programs are ensuring that the latter will become good citizens for the welfare of society. Secondly, parenting programmes enables the moulding of future wealth producers by ensuring that future generations have the required environment to grow up as respectable and responsible adults. Thirdly, through such programmes both children and parents learn to respect people different from them that is, from other culture, religion and so on; they also learn to be respectful towards their environment and manage resources accordingly for a better lifestyle. Sustainable development Sustainable development is a concept which has become popular during the 1970s and has been defined in various ways but the most recognised definition is from the Brundtland Report, (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987) stating Sustainable Development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.. This definition highlights that when setting up new policies, governments need to take into account features such as, resources available, respect them and work towards protecting them so as to ensure that future generations could also benefit from them. The terms sustainability and sustainable development is sometimes used interchangeably and although they seem vague in nature, they in fact consist of three main components, namely economic prosperity, social justice and environmental protection (GoodPlanet.info, 2008). The economics aspect involves the creation of employment, increasing production, income and wealth for everyone; and using new technologies to attain these objectives. The social component means that everyone should have access to justice, healthcare, participation in social activities, education and so on. Finally, the environmental component comprises good resource management and conservation (The Encyclopedia of Earth, 2011). Since the year 2000s, culture has been added as a fourth pillar to sustainability. With globalisation, the world has become a global village, as such for development to occur; governments need to take into consideration cultural diversity. In addition, cultural sustainability also implies the protection of cultural values, arts and heritage (Nurse, 2006). Below is a picture illustrating the four pillars of sustainable development and what are their aims (Just Focus, 2009). Source: Just Focus, 2010, available at http://www.justfocus.org.nz/tag/education-and-training/ The concern about sustainable development started in 1962 with the publication of the book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson which provided an insight of the relationships between the environment, the economy and the social well-being of people (International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2002). However, sustainable development is said to have started with the declaration of human right in 1948 as it promoted universal rights for freedom of speech, belief and movement (Pesqueux, 2009). In addition, it is only in the 1970s that the concept gain popularity, with the focus being mainly on the environmental component due to the increase awareness about the depletion of our resources due to the growth of human population. This lead the creation of several movements such as Green Peace or Chipko movement in India; it lead to the organisation of several major conferences such as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, also known as the E arth Summit or the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002 (Sustainable Development in Government, 2011). Several agreements were reached during the Earth Summit, under the Agenda 21, pertaining to programmes leading to sustainable development in the twenty-first century (One World, 2012). Since then, awareness about our resources has been on the rise resulting in the emergence of new managerial concepts and responsible business practices, for example Corporate Social Responsibility which was adopted by business after the Enron case but also with changes in legislation. Furthermore, in line with the Rio summit, the Millennium Summit in 2000 lead leaders around the world to adopt the United Nations Millennium Declaration which consist of eight diverse goals, including eradication of poverty; universal primary education; combat HIV/AIDS among others, to be achieved by 2015 (The Encyclopedia of Earth, 2011). Therefore, it can be seen that sustainability can achieved through better health, alleviation of poverty or access to education; this leads us to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development which was proclaimed in 2002 as a programme which promote education as an indispensable element for achieving sustainable development (DESD, 2002). Education for sustainable development As said above, the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, 2005-2014 was launched in 2002 by the United Nations. It is a programme which is under the supervision of the UNESCO and whose target is to provide quality education for all, inculcate values, beliefs and behaviour for a better and sustainable future (DESD, n.d). However, the concept of using education to achieve sustainability was introduced much before, for instance as Pace (2010) mentioned, during the Tbilisi Conference in 1977, environmental education was proposed as a framework for sustainability. Both frameworks are quite similar except that the environmental education was more focus on the preservation of our resources whereas the DESD is a global approach aiming at achieving various issues such as alleviating poverty or disaster risk reduction (UNESCO, n.d.). At the Rio

Hobsons Choice by Harold Brighouse :: Hobsons Choice Harold Brighouse Essays

Hobson's Choice by Harold Brighouse Maggie can be described as a woman of many qualities; there are many aspects of the play that can verify this statement. The scene starts with Maggie saying "Dinner at half past one girls, we’ll give him half an hour" This looks as if Hobson has gone to the pub but Maggie has told him that lunch is at one but he says its not. So Maggie says it’s at half one. From the words "We'll give him half an hour" it seems as if this argument is a regular occurrence. Maggie is a very dominant character and because of this, she makes a great saleswoman. "This is a shop you know. We're not here to let people go out without buying." In this scene, we also meet the other main character of the book, Hobson. He is an old man, who likes to show that he has money, by the clothes and the jewellery that he wears. Towards the end of this scene, we meet Willie Mossop. He plays an important part of this play. When we first meet him, he is a shy fellow. "I'm not much good at owt but leather." As the play progress, Maggie marries Will and they start up a business together. By the end of the play, Willie is a completely different person, he is no longer shy, but he is a very confident character who is not afraid to speak his mind. Thanks to Maggie Willie had changed in character. Maggie first becomes aware of Willies talent, when a customer, Mrs Hepworth, visits the shop and demands to see Willie. We find out here how little faith people have for Willie, as when Mrs Hepworth wants to see the maker of her shoes, Hobson tries to apologise as he thinks that Willie has done something wrong. "I assure you it shall not occur again, Mrs Hepworth." By the time Mrs Hepworth has left the shop, she has complemented Willie, insulted Hobson and Maggie has made up her mind that Willie is the man for her. A short while after, Hobson decided to go to the Moonrakers. While he had gone, Maggie took the opportunity to tell Willie her proposal and so she yet again calls him up to the shop. He is still shy and so he doesn't want to come right up. Maggie tries to builds Will's confidence, by telling him how clever he is and how he could do much better. "You're a natural born genius at making boots." This makes Willie feel a little bit better around Maggie as he now knows that she has confidence in him.

Directional Imbalances in Supply Chain

Imbalance is a concept that suggests a lack of stability, and in relation to supply chain it is one type of instability that if occurs would have substantial costs on organizations. It is a mismatch that happens along the same corridor causing large numbers of empty containers to be shipped back to the source. That means â€Å"large surplus of containers at one side and a deficit of containers on another. †1 Studies show that â€Å"the situation is the worst in the corridor between Asia and USA, there is almost three times more maritime freight going from Asia to USA that the other way around. 1 This phenomenon has several outcomes, from forgone revenue to the change of prices to the competition between modes of transport. On the other hand there are several factors that affect it. Seasonal variations for instance, that comes about due to the lack of demand for certain seasonal goods. Let’s take oil transport as an example; the oil tankers are specifically made for the transport of oil. These containers cannot be refilled with any other type of good. The shipping industry regarding containerized goods has to deal with several types of cargo which makes it easier to deal with imbalances by creating solutions and routes to outcome this imbalance. It is a different thing with oil shipping as it is imported from oil rich countries to industrial countries who consume oil. That means that the oil containers goes one way full and comes back empty. Shipment companies have to cope with these imbalances by looking at the situation as a whole. The solution comes from the fact that they deal with several ports and more than one industry of goods. Adjusting prices is one strategy, making exports from a surplus port less costly than imports to the same port and vice versa. Another is creating collapsible shipping container. This ingenious idea developed by a Dutch shipping container manufacturer, Cargoshell. It is an â€Å"energy-saving solution to empty shipping container. † 2 Its benefits outgrow the financial aspect as â€Å"CO2 emission is reduced drastically as each is made of a composite material that weighs 25% less than standard shipping containers. 2 In the late 1960’s, shipping giant Sealand responded with the introduction of a round the world liner service which was not very successful. The collapsible containers, although as they may seem to solve a lot of this problem, has not yet been introduced commercially and they render some issues with transport and handling aspects. This means that it is inevitable to have some ships leave ports empty and it is just the concern of reducing that number as much as possible that matters.

Candide

While reading Voltaire’s Candide, I sensed a touch of detachment on the part of the narrator regarding the violence occurring in the book. He began the story by short, hardly imaginative descriptions of the characters, ending the 1st chapter with an account of the brief lover’s tryst between Candide and Miss Cunegonde which was perturbed by the latter’s father having a fit and without seeming ado, deals Candide with some â€Å"kicks on the breech†, and driving him out the door.This then makes Cunegonde faint but when the girl wakes up, she is met with a boxing of her ears by her mother. The recounting was fast-paced so much so that by the end of the chapter, I felt as though the master of the castle had shut the door to my face also: after such fleeting events—fleeting descriptions, fleeting meetings, fleeting allusions to the depth of the characters’ relationships with each other (or rather, shallowness thereof)—the author ends withou t so much as a description of how the people felt.We are not given an insight as to how Candide felt about being abruptly separated from his beloved, or how all their love came to be in the first place, although regarding the former, Candide is shown to not have fought for his love nor his home and went about all wretched, for god knows how long, before he naively gets recruited into ranks of the enemy.He then proceeds with another curt account of Candide’s subsequent inclusion into the Bulgarian army, and how, merely because he chose to take a leisurely walk that soldiers (or â€Å"heroes†) were apparently supposed, he was made to run the gauntlet after choosing that over being shot in the head. The atrocity of the actions are rendered impotent to the reader because Voltaire treated them with such a detached air of someone who is merely observing events.Then again a normal observer would not be as indifferent as he was. To an extent, his description of the events beca me a cruel comedy: the naivete and foolishness of the â€Å"young metaphysician†, a phrase so obviously paradoxical; and, the apparent lack of political and moral judgment on the part of the Bulgarians prior to killing someone who merely took a walk when he was not supposed to, or in other words, the lack of hesitation to commit unjust execution, which might as well be murder.This attitude towards the characters—like that of a cruel god who plays with his own creations/followers like a mean child—continues throughout the first 15 chapters my most favorite being the part where the cowardly Candide makes his way around heaps of dead or dying people, and sees the victims of war: Voltaire gives me the impression that he has a fascination for the morbid, the gruesome, and the morally offensive.No, I do not share this â€Å"fascination†, I just meant to say that it was in this Chapter that Voltaire appeared less indifferent. He gives little value to the emotion s and thoughts of his characters, but he has an eye for detail of the surroundings. Personally I find the narration quite humorous, the characters are rendered absurd, the punishments for their absurdity severe and exaggerated. As I said earlier, it is a cruel comedy, full of wit and an undercurrent of intellectual criticism perhaps of the society in which Candide dwelt.However, I also find it morally offensive, as if it were real life and not just a satirical account of a foolish boy, the characters, what with the atrocities, cruelties and hardships they were put through, were treated in an inhumane manner by the narrator: there is a lack of compassion on his part, a quality which I think necessary in this story. Or at least to prove that the narrator has a piece of humanity in him.The lackluster account of the events; the focus on the gruesome and the morbid— all of these leave an air of innate cruelty, of cynicism, of paganism or atheism, of blasphemy, and deep hatred of t he lives the characters had. I am given the impression that the author wishes to enlighten us on the perspective of men who care less for others and more for themselves—indifferent of other’s suffering, or if they harbor any feeling, it is that of sheer cruel amusement.

Essay on Mouse and American Red Fox

Essay on Mouse and American Red Fox Essay on Mouse and American Red Fox Gluten for Punishment Once there was an American Red Fox, who pride himself on being a survivalist. Wondering the Great American Plains. A chubby mammal, whose stomach sank to the ground as he strolled along collecting rodents such as mice, rats, and birds, bringing them to a small den he had dug into the ground on the vast prairie,. Here Fox would consume his prey, and then lay around as if he was a sloth, glad he was increasing the size of his already immense pallet. Fox was unique to all other foxes because he had seemingly no sense of satiability when he ate. Fox was most certainly considered to be gluten. One day, the fox went on the prowl to locate the days prey. He prowled long and hard, through the intense heat of the day until dusk, however, with no avail to his workings. Fox was not used to going even a few hours without some sort of food, and he was losing his patience. After a few more hours of aggravating searching fox came to the realization that he might have to go the rest of the day with out eating, which was not all that long at all considering it would be a mere few hours before the sun would rise again and he could begin hunting again. Therefore, he started back to his den. On the long trip back, even over the loud sound of his growling stomach he heard a small movement in the grass. Fox’s ears flew back as he dropped his heading peering low under the brush in search of the sound making culprit. Once he spotted the source of the movement he lunged as fast as his fat body was capable of doing and caught a wee little mouse by the very end of his tail, almost severing it on impact of his obese paw. As he began to pull the mouse towards him he heard multiple frantic squeaks coming from what was supposed to be a simple meal, and peered down at it, and said to the mouse â€Å"quiet down little snack†! The mouse replied in a rather high pitched voice â€Å"please Mr. fox, I have a family and besides Mr. Fox, I am no large amount of meal†. The wolf j ust replied â€Å"silence mouse, you will do for now as I am starving here†! The mouse proceeded to beg stating over and over again, â€Å"Mr. Fox, you are the plumpest of all foxes in the land, and I see that you are greedy with your food†! The fox simply kept himself focused on keeping himself convinced he needed more food. The mouse then calmed himself and said, in a depressive voice,

Management Information Systems - E-Learning essays

Management Information Systems - E-Learning essays The e-Learning revolution has, over the years, taken hold of many a company by storm. Each company designing a platform (with the help of influential and expensive consultants), that not only incorporates the learning and development arena, compliance but also the human resource function, making it almost seamless in its approach to deliver, track and monitor training and development within the organisation. This report looks at Ernst s organisation, requires skilled people who understand e-Learning models and specialist products. When all options are weighed up, all real solutions indicate that success in the e-Learning Arena is about much more than putting content on-line. Just over three years ago, no one had really heard of e-Learning. Today, e-Learning is the major topic of discussion amongst all the key corporate institutions. These successful establishments, along with smaller, up and coming companies, are now leveraging e-Learning to solve a lot of their business problems Corporate e-Learning, whilst currently a relatively small part of the overall training and development marketplace, was in the early stages of development in 2000 and is now growing very rapidly. In a recent study of large corporations (Learning Decisions, Masie Center, 2000), 66% of respondents reported that they were either using or planning to use a learning portal in the very near future. The on-line training market is forecast to double in size each year, for the next 3 years, reaching an approximate sum of 7.2 billion by 2003 (International Data Corporation...

Discussing Hobbies Lesson Plan

Discussing Hobbies Lesson Plan This lesson focuses on one of the most common topics of discussion in class: Hobbies. Unfortunately, the topic of hobbies is often introduced without a lot of follow-up beyond a superficial discussion. This is most likely due to the fact that students lack the vocabulary needed to discuss hobbies in any meaningful detail. Use this lesson to first teach students the names of various hobbies, and then to delve more deeply into the individual hobbies. Use the linked resources in class by printing out the referenced pages by clicking on the printer icon in the upper right-hand corner of each page. They key to a successful discussion of hobbies is to make sure that students are allowed to explore the various steps involved in participating in a hobby. One of the best ways to do this is to develop a group project focusing on teaching other students about a new hobby. To do this well, students will need to learn new vocabulary, choose a new hobby - perhaps by exploring a hobby quiz online - break up the hobby into various phrases or tasks, and provide instructions for a slideshow that will be presented as a group to the class. Aim: Encourage deeper discussions of the specifics of a wide range of hobbies Activity: Hobby vocabulary expansion, review of imperative forms, written instructions, development of a slide show Level: Intermediate to advanced level classes Outline Choose one of your favorite hobbies and provide the instructions on how to participate in a specific phase of the hobby. Make sure to not mention the name of the hobby as students should guess which hobby you are describing.On the whiteboard, write down categories of hobbies. Solicit as many names of specific activities/hobbies that belong to each category.In order to help students learn specific names of hobbies, use this hobby vocabulary resource to help students expand their list of hobbies.Ask students to choose one new hobby from the list. Its a good idea to use an online quiz to help students choose a hobby they will find interesting, as well as learn related vocabulary that they will find useful in the future. Search on the phrase choosing a hobby quiz and youll find a wide variety of quizzes.Once students have selected a hobby, encourage them to visit a site dedicated to the hobby they have chosen. About.com has a wide selection of excellent hobby guides.Ask students to colle ct the following information for they hobby the have chosen:Skills RequiredEquipment RequiredEstimated Cost Review the imperative form as used for giving instructions. Provide an example of your own such as playing volleyball, writing a poem, building a model, etc. Its best to choose one phase of the hobby, rather than trying to provide instructions to the hobby in general (people write entire books on that!). Make sure to use the imperative form in your description.Ask students to describe the various phases in their chosen hobby. For example for building a model:Choosing a Model To BuildSetting up Your WorkspaceGluing Pieces TogetherPainting Your ModelTools to UseEach student of each group then provides steps to achieving the specific task/phase using the imperative form.Once each phase description has been described, ask students to find photos/pictures using a Creative Commons resources such as Flikr, Free Clip Art site, etc.Create a PowerPoint or other slideshow with just one slide for each phrase/task of the hobby.Have students present their chosen hobby to the rest of the class usin g the slideshow theyve created with each student using the instructions theyve developed for their respective slides.

Internetworking Technology Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internetworking Technology Paper - Essay Example In order to connect the workstations of these employees, switches are terminated on each department. However, there is a possibility that more than one switch is required to cover up all the nodes. As mentioned earlier, star topology is implemented for centralized administration and configuration of the network, the diagram demonstrates Microsoft Active directory that connected with a domain controller. Active directory is an advanced directory service that is a built in feature for Windows server that is utilized for access management for network resources. Moreover, it is a domain based network similar to the Domain Naming System (DNS) (Active directory.2011). Protocols that are used include LDAP and Kerberos for security purposes. The selection of switches is essential, and compatible routers must be considered, as cisco supports active directory in its IOS router (Active directory.2011). Each switch supports gigabit full duplex Ethernet capability that will operate on a CAT 5 100 0 base-t cables. The company does not want interruption in the local area network and it must be available for all times. For this reason, all the switches are powered by PoE (Power over Ethernet) that is a distributed power mechanism on a CAT 5 Ethernet cable (Poe.2011). Likewise, PoE enables a secondary channel for power distribution and continues to provide power to networked devices even if the primary power link goes down. As shown in the Fig 1.1, the blue link shows PoE connectivity between networked devices for ensuring network continuity. Moreover, there are two routers aggregating data channels and configured to backup each other. In case of a primary router failure due to malfunctioning hardware or configuration, secondary router will make itself available up to the task. Furthermore, to ensure redundancy in software infrastructure, primary and secondary domain controllers are installed for load balancing and backup procedures. In addition, for security purposes, Virtual L AN can be configured for distributing data channels associated with highly sensitive data. For addressing security, Fig 1.1, demonstrates a firewall that is installed after the router and in between the Internet to ensure the filtration of inbound and outbound network. References Active directory.(2011). Computer Desktop Encyclopedia, , 1. Poe.(2011). Computer

Building survey report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Building survey report - Essay Example This building survey and report has been prepared on behalf of the IKON Gallery paying every attention to the requirements and includes terms of engagement. It is a general report that has been done covering the external conditions of the IKON Gallery. The objective of this report is to provide a general survey of the condition of the IKON Gallery specifically on its exterior components and this will enable the client to make preparations on how they will maintain these exterior components in future. During the preparation of this report, there was no removal of structures so that there could be a detailed examination of the structure, there were no specialists that were employed but necessary recommendations were provided, and all the services that will be offered by the gallery were examined to satisfaction. Survey was based on what could be observed from ground level, ladders and from roofs where accessible. This restricted the survey to external features of the IKON Gallery. Located in the heart of Birmingham’s Brindley site development, Ikon Gallery is currently an internationally celebrated modern art venue offering a full range of services and facilities to both the nearby community and broader world. The building was constructed in 1877, and its designers were Martin and Chamberlain, who were Birmingham’s premier Victorian architects. The building was previously a school then converted into the new home for the IKON Gallery, which was put as an essential part of the Brindley Place Master plan, and was later opened to be used by the public in 1998. Through this building report, the client will be able to know the recommendations that have been made concerning the external conditions of the IKON Gallery and the cost of the repairs that will have to be expected to be used. The client will be aware of the financial condition that they will need to maintain the building. The survey

Anthropology - Youth Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Anthropology - Youth Culture - Essay Example triarchy, marriage, educational systems and the like.†1 Because each individual is born as a subject of a particular form of ideology, believing he is acting on his own freely formed or freely recognized ideas, he inadvertently reinforces the practices and rituals of the ISAs.2 This circle of activity is called â€Å"interpellation† and demonstrates how â€Å"ideology is not a static set of ideas imposed upon the subordinate by the dominant classes, but rather a dynamic process constantly reproduced and reconstituted in practice.†3 However, in order to work, interpellation requires the individual to respond to the hail of a particular ideology, thereby becoming its subject and participating in its practices. Bad subjects of the realm who do not recognize, accept or maintain the dominant discourse are subjected to societal ridicule, obsequy or ostracism. When enough individuals are subjected to this type of ridicule, obsequy or ostracism, they begin to group togeth er, forming a subculture with a common voice of some sort. For one adolescent subculture, that voice emerged in the 1990s as a band called Green Day. To understand how Green Day helps to define an entire subculture, it is first necessary to understand what the subculture might be reacting against. From this point, an examination into where the band is different from and similar to other musical genres coupled with an analysis of the band’s message eventually reveals the types of individuals who feel connected through this music. Subcultures are groups that operate in some form of opposition to the greater culture. Louis Althusser suggested all aspects of society, regardless of class or political affiliation influence the various ideologies of a given time. In 1969, he wrote: â€Å"rather than a strict relationship between ideology and the economic base of society, where one class imposes its values on another, ideology is a dynamic set of practices in which all groups and classes participate.†4

The Similarities and Differences Between Three Middle East Countries Research Paper

The Similarities and Differences Between Three Middle East Countries - Research Paper Example Despite this widespread theme, there are some differences in the way how some Arab and/or North African countries are run. This paper will compare the similarities and differences between three Middle East countries: Syria, Israel, and Libya. One of the similarities between Syria, Israel, and Libya is that there is constant fighting at the moment, albeit for very different reasons. The civil war in Syria has continued on for over a year now, with almost 20,000 thought to have been killed by the government supported by Bashar al-Assad. Likewise, Israel had constantly been involved in the conflict with the Palestinians ever since Israel became a country in 1948. Many hundreds of people are killed each year due to battle, and there are occasional flare-ups that result in military activity in order to defend Israel’s sovereignty. Finally, Libya also experienced some violence, with up to 10,000 people killed during an eight-month civil war. Violence is commonplace among all these t hree countries because of the internal conflict that remains. Other countries within the area also experience the same level of violence on a regular basis, so it can be concluded that Syria, Israel, and Libya are just representative of the greater region as a whole. Despite Syria, Israel, and Libya all succumbing to violence and/or civil war, there are some key differences between the three countries. The most obvious one has to do with religion; Israel is predominantly Jewish, but Syria and Libya are Muslim. Besides this, Israel has also largely been unaffected by the events of the Arab Spring. The violence that occurs on a daily basis in Israel comes from longstanding rifts with the Palestinians rather than an uprising of sorts. There is really very little chance of Israel going the same way as either Syria or Libya because it is a sound democracy. The difference between Libya and Syria is that one country still has an ongoing civil war (Syria) while the other one (Libya) is now in the process of changing to a democracy. Also, the western response to each country’s strife has been remarkably different. While NATO support was forthcoming for Libya, the same cannot be said about Syria, whose leader remains defiant despite the introduction of sanctions against his country. Syria, Israel, and Libya all have their differences yet they are defined by certain characteristics. The Arab Spring is a reoccurring theme among these nations, except Israel, has proven to be largely immune from it. The differences between the three countries are confined to religion and the current state of violence within each country. 2. Explain 4 things that the United States, England, and some other European countries have in common. The United States, England, and Ireland all have factors that set them apart from the rest of the world. These factors can be broken down into three categories: political, economic, and military. The most obvious similarity between the United States , England, and France is that they all rely on a democratic system of government. Citizens have the power to elect officials to the highest office and then remove them if they so choose. Additionally, each of these three countries’ justice systems revolves around a common law system. A common law legal system places more power in the hands of judges through the courts rather than judges making decisions solely based on any codes or statutes.

Smoking labelling Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Smoking labelling - Research Proposal Example The most affected are young children and expected mothers. Therefore, there have been attempts to segregate smokers from the rest of the population. However, the law is rarely implemented. This is because the politicians are not willing to lose their popularity. This is aggravating an already worse condition. Many of the smokers in the country have stated that they are more aware of the consequences of their behavior than before (Fischhoff, Brewer, Downs, & United States, 2011). Have the graphic images have not dampened their desire to smoke. Many state that whenever they come across the graphic warnings, they become more aware that smoking is hazardous to their health. Nevertheless, the addition empowers these cautions and the desire to quit the vice. Labeling of cigarette packages with warnings has a major impact on deterring new smokers from starting this behavior. Many of the young people feel that the graphic images make them to think of the repercussions of starting this behavior. However, those who were already affected by addition find it very hard to stop it (La, 2013). Therefore, the number of people who are joining the list of smokers has reduced in Saudi Arabia. However, the number of those who are quitting is very minimal. This is an indication that the warnings are more effective in deterring non-smokers not to engage in smoking behavior rather than encouraging the smokers to quit this vice. Therefore, the government should implement other more effective measures such as imposing stricter law on public smoking and stiff penalties to those who violates these rules. Cigarette packages warning labels acts as an effective tool for educating both the smokers and non-smokers on the health risks that are likely to face after using tobacco. This has increased the level of awareness among non-smokers and children. In addition, parents now have information on the repercussions

Comparison of Two Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Comparison of Two Organisation - Essay Example The best fit organisational structure depends on many factors such as organisational goals, industry structure, and number of employees, employee maturity, type of product and service, customer expectations, geographical scope and so on. However, in order to understand the organisational structures and designs of Biogenta plc and Outback Inc., two generic forms of organisational structures and designs would be sufficient. There are mechanistic and organic organisational structures. Biogenta represents the latter whereas Outback is just the right example of the former (Cameron and Quinn, 2011, pp. 52-53). Mechanistic organisations have a rigid and tightly controlled structure. Mechanistic structures are characterised with a high degree of specialisation, inflexible departmentalisation, and narrow span of control, a significantly high degree of formalisation, centralisation and strong and unchallengeable chain of command. Mechanistic organisations such as Outback Inc. tend to rely on p rudent rules and regulations to control the behaviour of all the members (Cameron and Quinn, 2011, pp. 52-53). As mentioned earlier that mechanistic structures are not â€Å"appalling† or â€Å"unfit† within themselves. In fact, organisations which are operating within stable, calculated and predictable environment should go for mechanistic organisational structures since it helps them to maximise their control. Many governmental organisations and large corporations, especially until a few decades back, show characteristics of mechanistic structures. When the political, social, legal, environmental, economic, cultural and technological forces along with the industry’s competitive... This essay stresses that Outback Inc should move towards a more organic organisational structure by decentralising, widening the span of control, cutting down the hierarchical levels, reducing the impact of departments, creating more and more cross functional and hierarchical teams and decreasing formalisation. †¢ Outback should also create mechanisms to gradually and steadily change its organisational culture from a power culture to a more democratic and constructive culture where employees feel more empowered to share their ideas and thoughts. Outback could learn from the experience and strategies of Biogenta in terms of creating cross departmental and cross hierarchical teams since the same would bring employees together and foster communication. All work and no play have been making the employees of Outback dull and lethargic. The company should create mechanisms to produce adventure for its employees as well as it does for its customers. This report makes a conclusion that Biogenta knows how to use the variables and dynamics of organisational behaviour in its own favour and maximise the productivity of the organisation. On the other hand, Outback has been very slow in responding to the signals and alarms and time has come that it should initiate some major changes. Following are a few recommendations in this regard. The paper provides some recommendations based on the analysis and discussion.

Smoking labelling Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Smoking labelling - Research Proposal Example The most affected are young children and expected mothers. Therefore, there have been attempts to segregate smokers from the rest of the population. However, the law is rarely implemented. This is because the politicians are not willing to lose their popularity. This is aggravating an already worse condition. Many of the smokers in the country have stated that they are more aware of the consequences of their behavior than before (Fischhoff, Brewer, Downs, & United States, 2011). Have the graphic images have not dampened their desire to smoke. Many state that whenever they come across the graphic warnings, they become more aware that smoking is hazardous to their health. Nevertheless, the addition empowers these cautions and the desire to quit the vice. Labeling of cigarette packages with warnings has a major impact on deterring new smokers from starting this behavior. Many of the young people feel that the graphic images make them to think of the repercussions of starting this behavior. However, those who were already affected by addition find it very hard to stop it (La, 2013). Therefore, the number of people who are joining the list of smokers has reduced in Saudi Arabia. However, the number of those who are quitting is very minimal. This is an indication that the warnings are more effective in deterring non-smokers not to engage in smoking behavior rather than encouraging the smokers to quit this vice. Therefore, the government should implement other more effective measures such as imposing stricter law on public smoking and stiff penalties to those who violates these rules. Cigarette packages warning labels acts as an effective tool for educating both the smokers and non-smokers on the health risks that are likely to face after using tobacco. This has increased the level of awareness among non-smokers and children. In addition, parents now have information on the repercussions

Violence in Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Violence in Schools - Essay Example Whether public or private, unfortunately, the rate of violence is schools is escalating. "School violence exists along a lengthy continuum, at one end marked by minor incidents involving everyday fighting, name-calling, bullying, and minor property destruction and at the other end marked by extortion, rape, homicide, and mass murder." (Gerler and Gerler, 2004, pg. xxxii) To asses the current problem of violence in schools it is necessary to know how big the problem is. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation the statistics for violence in schools and colleges reveals that "Of the 17,065,074 incidents reported through the NIBRS by law enforcement from 2000 to 2004, 558,219 (3.3 percent) occurred at schools." (Noonan and Vavra, 2007) The most offenders belonged to the 13 to 15 age group and the next highest number of offenders was in the 16 to 18 age group. "By looking at only those offenders for whom the age was known, offenders 18 years of age or younger were 4.5 times more likely to be involved in crime at schools than older offenders." (Noonan and Vavra, 2007) Looking at offenders according to gender it was presented that males were more likely to be offenders than females at a 3.3 ratio. In categorizing according to by race, "white offenders accounted for 71.1 percent (280,178); black offenders, 27.4 percent (107,878); and all other race s combined, less than 2 percent (6,117)." (Noonan and Vavra, 2007) Another factor important in understanding the reason why these crimes exist is to examine 'victim-to-offender relationship'. "By far, the relationship type most often reported for crime in schools was Acquaintance, with 107,533 instances occurring during the 5-year study period." (Noonan and Vavra, 2007) All of these statistics combined give us perspective into the current problem of why school violence takes place. It helps us target middle school and high school going children as the group of people who need most attention in battling this type of violence. It also reveals pertinent facts related to gender, race and relationship issues when violence is inflicted. Recently, the issue of violence in school has been getting a lot of attention from the media. The first big incident related to school violence committed by the generation Y's is Columbine where two students went around on a shooting rampage killing about 13 students and a teacher. The incident kindled a huge debate over the use of guns in America and became the inspiration for director Michael Moore documentary Bowling for Columbine. According to psychologist Arnold Lazarus violence occurs due to several reasons once of which is behavior. This aspect of his theory discusses the fact that certain kinds of behavior receive attention. "Extraordinary misbehavior, for example, often elicits significant attention from peers, from teachers and school administrators, and -in especially noteworthy cases- from the media." (Gerler and Gerler, 2004)On the other side of the coin, accomplishments in academia are sometimes not given as much importance. In other words, although school accomplishmen ts get attention they are

Writing In A State Of Siege English Literature Essay

Writing In A State Of Siege English Literature Essay The ten years between 1948 and 1958 recorded the bustle and disturbance of social life and exhibited the necessity and possibility of a united fight against racial discrimination. The wide spread resentment at the pass-laws, liquor raids and inadequate amenities in 1950 resulted in the suppression of Communism Act. The word communist it self meant unlawful. In 1952, eight thousand people were imprisoned for opposing the apartheid regulations. Chief Albert Luthuli, the President General of the African National Congress was banned for his commitment to a democratic and inter-racial future in South Africa. Things were in oblivion and in 1958, as the whites did not require any permits, the Fugards were advised to go to Sophiatown, a freehold township, a place which combined magic and smut, respectability and crime, black and white and the most lively and crowded of all the African townships, where the blacks and the whites could move freely, with certain social constraints. As Jurger Schadeberg observes, There was poverty in Sophiatown. There were areas that were somewhat slummy. There were gangs. There were crime and there were cutthroats, but it was a real suburb. It had all the facilities a normal suburb has. Whereas when people moved to Orlando or Meadowlands, or whatever, there was nothing there. Sophiatown was romanticized afterwards. Sophiatown was a symbol because it was a place where people were not mixed than in other places. And people owned their own property. (Schadeberg, 2002: 111-112) Sophiatown was predominantly black and also predominantly poor. The greater part of Sophiatown was a sickening slum. As Don Mattera observes the little Chicago of Johannesburg was essentially known for its cosmopolitan flavor and every conceivable space was occupied by a living thing man or animal. (Mattera 1987:49). Derek Cohen also observes, The small corner of the world, the all but forgotten township of the 1950s, Sophiatown, teems with the variety and vivacity of the world itself. Deep in the bowels of this house of hunger, where men and women tread a diurnal mill of deprivation and indignity, lie, as Fugard reminds us, humanity and strength3.(1984:273-284)) The township also had a surprisingly stunning intellectual atmosphere as the black journalists were trying to express their feelings. Jim Baileys Drum magazine covered the township life. Drum ran articles almost every month, reporting on crime figures, the circumstances forcing ordinary citizens into a life of crime, and the shebeen culture, which fed these offences. Benjamin Pogrund, a liberal friend of the Fugards advised Fugard that he would find the right atmosphere in Sophiatown for his play. The only job Fugard could find was that of a clerk in a Native Commissioners Court where offenders of the pass-laws were tried. The cruel conditions gave birth to his pessimism and his earlier incomplete novel (Tsotsi) found its voice in the two plays of his apprenticeship years, No-Good Friday and Nongogo which represented the travails of the black township. Though they were his early plays and though they lacked the dramatic charm and vision of his later plays, they indicate the struggling mind of Fugard to represent his stance as a dramatist. If No Good Friday projects the impact of bad economic conditions on the individuals who aspire for better social conditions and education, Nongogo reflects the aspirations of the people who dream for better living and individual dignity. These two early plays belong to the formative stage of Fugards maturity as a dramatist. No-Good Friday and Nongogo both represent the apartheid trauma of the South African Society. An exploration (Gray,1981:56-63) into the manuscripts of the first novel of Fugard, (which he threw into the Fiji lagoon) Tsotsi, which was published in 1980, reveals Fugards anxiety during his apprenticeship years to present the problems within the existing conditions. Fugards early plays, No-Good Friday and Nongogo also share some of the aspects of Tsotsi as they were set against the same milieu. Stephen Gray5(1981:56) feels that the characters of Tsotsi appeared in the subsequent plays of Fugard like The Blood Knot, Hello and Goodbye, People Are Living There, Boesman and Lena and in many of his plays written during the 1970s. Fugard presents the burning zeal of an incipient black revolutionary against the exploitation faced by the blacks in No-Good Friday (1958). This play works at two levels at the surface level, it appears to be a mere representation of the conditions of the blacks; but at deeper levels, it records the helplessness of the blacks in the face of exploitation by their own fellow men during the conditions of the apartheid. Fugard presents the oppressive politics working on the life of the township in various forms. Crime by African against African was an everyday reality in Sophiatown. For example an article in the November 1951 issue of Drum, The Birth of a Tsotsi, describes the classic circumstances under which a young boy takes the wrong turning: With grinding poverty and the sea of squalor that surrounds the Gold City, it is not difficult to understand the rest. There is a struggle for existence, and the individual intends to survive. Fugard records this struggle in a naturalistic manner in his early plays like No-Good Friday and Nongogo. Willie Seopela, the independent and stubborn protagonist is an aspiring youngman and he stays with Rebecca, his lady love. Willie, an intellectual in the making, with hopes for a brighter and better living, is a student pursuing his undergraduate studies through correspondence. He represents the image of the desperately stubborn black young men of South Africa. Despite hard circumstances, Willie is optimistic and highly independent. He is liked by Father Higgins, the white humanist who visits the black ghettos to offer solace. Father Higgins introduces Tobias, an innocent villager, who comes to Sophiatown for a better living, to Willie and asks him to fix him somewhere, as he is badly in need of money for his living. Willie, aware of the catastrophic situation that awaits black people in the township, asks Tobias not to entertain big dreams. He does not make any promise to Tobias. The residents of the black township are frequently nagged by Shark, a black gangster who appears every Friday, the day of their weekly payment. The innocent residents ought to offer a share from their pay packets either to Shark or similar other gangsters in trains and on roads. They cannot even make a complaint against them to the police, for, they do not have the pass-books to stay in that town. In a way, they buy their protection from Shark, their fellow black South African. Even the independent Willie makes a passive living allowing the share for Shark from his Fridays pay-packet. Tobias, unaware of these facts innocently argues about the share and gets killed in the hands of Shark. It is only after the death of Tobias, Willie realises the gravity of the situation, the result of their passive attitude and decides to oppose Shark in spite of the murderous consequences. In the process, he sacrifices his love for Rebecca. The play ends with Willie getting prepared for the challenge. The play projects a story of loss of relationships, loss of values and loss of security or protection in the white repressive world. Willie, the protagonist condemns the situation in Johannesburg and very often he appears to be the mouth-piece of Fugard. We are frequently reminded of the life-situation described in Peter Abrahams Mine Boy ,Alan Patons Cry, the Beloved Country and Alex La Gumas A Walk in the Night and And a Threefold Cord. Life is not easy there and it has become unbearable, as observed by Father Higgins, a character in No Good Friday. The grim situation of an unprotected life is summed up by Guy very well. Speaking about Shark, he says: Dont you understand? Hes got shares in the police station. . . . . . You can forget about the police. They protect a fellow like Shark. You see they are only interested in our passes. But a Kaffir laying a charge against a criminal-that would be a joke. We are all criminals. Look, Father, do not be hard on us. You know what I have just said better than any other white8. (1977: 146) As in The Blood Knot and other plays here too Fugard arranges his scenes and the protagonist to present the conditions which reflect their predicament. Asked by Guy to explain their sad life, Willie says that the music of their life is a song of melancholy, loneliness and despair (1977:125) and this is reflected in every scene, every chapter and every dialogue. The play portrays the hard realities of the life in Sophiatown, especially on Friday, which is a fertile acre for troubles (1977:126). Father Higgins, though aware of the all pervading nature of sorrow, expresses his helplessness when Willie asks him if he wants to plant a daffodil in his yard. As Don Mattera describes: The ghetto-like township was unpredictable and dangerous. There were times of searching for a loved one in some alley; finding him or her wounded in a hospital or jail, or dead in a morgue. Or checking for husband or father, a brother or a son who had never returned home from work. Or waiting for a mother, an aunt or sister who did not get off the bus or tram where you usually waited for them. Then the anguish and anxiety that would follow reports of a woman raped, beaten and robbed by the jobless and wont work brigades of tsotsis who owned the days and ruled the nights.'(1987:50) No-Good Friday portrays all these problems in Sophiatown, absence of care by the government, unemployment, frustration, poverty, insecurity, gangsterism, evils of pass-laws, broken bonds of love and the cheapness'() of life seen through the lives of various characters. Despite the hard work, they can hardly reach homes safely with their Friday pay-packets. Reflecting the problems of township life, the play is presented in the back yard of Willie and it indicates their poverty amidst iron shacks. The play has black as well as white characters, like Father Higgins, who resembles Rev. Trevor Huddleston, who made a crusade against the stringent laws of the apartheid in the townships. It also records the migration of the innocent youth to the townships to find employment. The play records the raging gangsterism, a social evil, an oppression by the notoriously stronger ones, which has no opposition. It also shows how the underprivileged ones are victimised. The race-laws worsen the condit ions of living and the Group Areas Act had restricted the blacks in the name of the pass-books. The pass laws had been a permanent threat to the African people. As observed by Edward Roux: The pass laws held the people in conditions of abject poverty and subjection à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ were the cause of sharp racial friction between the peoples of South Africa upheld the cheap labour system which resulted in malnutrition, starvation and disease and filled gaols with innocent people, thus creating wide-spread crime19.(1964:320). Fugard also projects the hidden social angle the White police mans hidden understanding with the black gangsters like Shark. Speaking about the crime of Sophiatown Bloke Modisane writes, I learned there in Sophiatoown,that one looked at the killing and never at the faces of the killers; one also knew that the law is white and justice casual, that it could not protect us against the knives of Sophiatown, so we tolerated the murders whilst the law encouraged them with its indifference.( 1986:63) The residents of Sophiatown cannot approach the police, who are obviously on the side of law. The blacks continue their survival in hellish conditions. These and similar conditions are portrayed in a more powerful manner in Sizwe Bansi is Dead. If Tsotsi traces both gangsterism and the realisation on the part of the protagonist in a single individual, No-Good Friday projects the evils of gangsterism through Shark and the realisation appears in the protagonist, Willie. Having understood the significance of life and the way it is being shattered in Sophiatown, Willie mourns over the misery of their lives and the impossibility of living. He realizes that life is not a fairy tale with a happy ending. The absurdity of living forces him not only to be away from Rebecca but from his own life itself. To make his life more purposeful and less mundane, he wants to oppose Shark by informing the police. His dreams of living happily ever after get shattered and he says: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.I gave up dreaming. Tobias reminded me of too much, Guy. He was going to make some money and live happily ever after. Thecosy little dreamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ like this, Willie and Rebecca lived happily ever after! Thats how the fairy stories end and its stupid because, out there is life and it is not ending happily14. (1977:155) He feels that life is vain and useless without a protest against the problem. He blames the individuals within his society including himself for allowing such problems. Willies opposition to Shark and the words of the cunning politician Watson project Fugards anger against such conditions. When life becomes dreadful and unprotected, it becomes meaningless. The death of Willie is not the end of the sequence, but it makes a bold beginning of opposition against gangsterism. It is also the frustration and struggle for a better life. The action of the play takes place between two Fridays and the play carries various emotions like humour, satire, shame, anger, frustration and tragedy, the representative feelings of an impoverished, fragmented and violent society20. (Sheila Fugard: 1993:408).Watson, the politician stands as a satirical portrait of the townships black politicians, who demand a sacrifice from the innocent blacks, for their own betterment. The ironical dedication of the song of Guy, Friday Night Blues itself speaks about the theme of the play. Shark, the gangster with a significant name swallows people like Tobias and ironically praises those who pay him regularly. The play brings out the fact that the people of the township should not have cosy dreams about comfortable living. Going against the tradition of depicting the gangsters from the romantic viewpoint, as was done by other writers of his time, Fugard presents Shark, the gangster, as a cruel reality. As observed by Don Mattera, No story about gangsterism or violence in the townships of Johannesburg can be complete without that of Kort Boy- real name George Mbalweni the five-foot-nothing knifeman from Benoni, a former mining town on the East Rand near Johannesburgà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Kort Boy was a legend in his day much hated , much loved it all depended on which end of knife you were at.(1987:102) Characters in No-Good Friday are many, representing the unlimited problems of his society. Each character stands for a problem. Fugard does not offer any solution but he represents things as they are, for an understanding of what was going on in South Africa. As a symphathising white liberal he expresses his sense of helplessness in the wake of events and the act of writing itself becomes an act of courage and commitment as an individual and as a writer. Despite the removal of the apartheid condition, they enjoy their validity, for, these plays stand as records of the 1950s. Fugard brings out his message best the problem of survival in the wake of hopelessness, dejection and destruction. No Good Friday had its premiers on 30th August 1958 after ten years of the initiation of apartheid in South Africa on the primitive stage of the Bantu Mens Social Centre and Fugard was praised by the African monthly Zonk for giving his unknown actors, a wonderful opportunity to show their talents. Apart from the shows in Bantu Mens Social Centre, the play was also staged amidst church walls in the townships, to black audiences and in the White suburbs. Fugard was refused permission to see even the productions he directed. During the run of No-Good Friday Fugard established friendship with important directors like Barney Simon and Tone Brulin. Not only to the actors, but to the people (both blacks and whites) of Sophiatown, it offered a scope to see themselves and their problems on the stage. Although the play has its own technical faults, as observed by critics -like heavy plotting, unlimited characters etc, the play brings out the shaping mind of Fugard as a dramatist with social concerns. The characters apart from representing the troubled people of South Africa become potential images if Willie, Tobias, Rebecca and Guy stand as the victims, Shark and Watson stand as the wicked political images of the cruel exterior of South Africa. The repeated use of the fairy-tale image with its reference to the impossibility of comfortable life speaks about the predicament of the life of the blacks in South Africa under the pressure of the cruel racist law. Fugard does not present this drama as a mere piece of entertainment. It is a realistic document about the sorrowful living of the black people of Sophiatown who suffer from inter-and intra-racial oppression. Fugard recognises that to be black in South Africa is to be poor, and that black existence is imbued with the struggle to find release from the cycle of poverty and the mean quality of life indigence creates. (Albert Wertheim:) It provokes us to think and Fugard makes his observations and statements come alive through the characters he brings on to the stage. As observed by Sheila Fugard19, the germinative ideas of a nascent playwright got fortified in his later plays like The Blood Knot, Sizwe Bansi Is Dead, The Island, Master Haroldand the boys. Fugard incorporates his intellectual and individual stances of rebellion in Willie the black protagonist. Through him, he voices out his feeling, which necessitate the reason for opposition against the dreadful forces like gangsterism which bear the impact of several cruel racist laws; but according to Nkosi, the play had very little concern with the politics behind the chronic violence and gangsterism in the ghetto. (Vandenbroucke,Russell). Nkosi feels this as a limitation. On the other hand, white writers like Alan Paton and Fugard had observed moderation in depicting their conditions. As analysed by Albert Wertheim it was their moderation that drew world attention to the outrages of apartheid. The final speech of Willie is universal in its appeal, as it explains the reasons for the birth and growth of such evil forces within a society. By making the apartheid tragedy ACT on the stage, Fugard has achieved the theatrical and political meaning of two words acting and imagination. Although Fugard sets many of his plays in South Africa and more specifically in Port Elizabeth, he is not writing specifically South African tragedy, for he uses his South African setting and this presentation of South African life under apartheid rule to define a tragic situation imbued with meaning far beyond the geographical boundaries of South Africa.21 (Albert Wertheim) The play is not restricted to South Africa alone; it appeals to the living conditions of all common people who live in poverty ridden slums and ghettos of all parts of the world. As observed by Albert Wertheim, the play is set against a realistic background-it is a statement against oppression, a feature that is found everywhere in the world. REFERENCES Schadeberg,Jurger(ed).2002. Intervies, Johannesburg 15 March 2002:105-108(Transcript) Mattera,Don.1987.Gone with the twilight: A Story of Sophiatown. London,Zed Books. 3.Derek Cohen, Beneath the Underworld: Athol Fugards Tsotsi, World Literature Written in English, Vol. 23, No.2, (1984) 273-84. 4. Stephen Gray, The Coming into the print of Athol Fugards Tsotsi, Journal of Commonwealth Literature, Vol. XVI, No.1 (1981) pp 56-63. 5. Ibid.P.56 6. Athol Fugard, No-Good Friday, Dimetos and Two Early Plays, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1977. All subsequent references are to this edition. 7. No Good Friday, p 144. 8. ibid, 146. 9. ibid, 152. 10. ibid, 152. 11. ibid, 154. 12. ibid, 155. 13.Modisane,Bloke.1996.Blame Me on History, Goodwood,Western Cape: A.D.Donker 14. ibid, 155. 15. ibid, 160. 16. Albert Wertheim 17. No Good Friday, p 155 18. Mattera,Don.1987:50 19. Edward Roux, Time longer than Rope, 2nd ed. (Madison: University of Winconsin Press, 1964) p. 320; Quoted by Mbulalo Vizikhungo Mzamane, Sharpeville and its Aftermath: The novels of Richard Rive, peter Abrahams, Alex La Guma and Lauretta Ngcobo, Ariel, Vol. 16, No. 2, April 1985, pp. 30-44. 20. Sheila Fugard, The Apprenticeship Years, Twentieth Century Literature, Ed. By Jack Barbera, Vol. 39, No.4, Win 1993, p. 408. 21. Mattera,Don 22. Albert Wertheim 23. Russell, Vandenbroucke, Truths the Hand can Touch, p. 24. Albert Wertheim, ************** b) NONGOGO (1959) Like No-Good Friday, Nongogo also, but in a different way exposes the travails of the black people in Sophiatown. It exposes the anguish of the women who ran shebeens for livelihood and who longed for decency, though impossible. If Willie of No-Good Friday gets ready to face death with existential courage, Queeny of Nongogo laughs in the face of indecency and shame after a stubborn struggle against them. Nongogo, like No Good Friday also deals with the external and internal aspects of the troubled individuals against the backdrop of troubled economic conditions and suppressive rule. The unique quality of Sophiatown was further enhanced by its shebeen culture. Although blacks were not allowed to drink in the 1950s, they were not stopped by the prohibition. The Sophiatown shebeens sold illegal booze, both store-bought European liquor as well as home brewed skokian. But the shebeens were not merely informal drinking clubs. They were homely places where everyone knew each other. As apartheid ceased to exist, intellectuals like Can Themba, Nat Nkasa and others used to spread circles of literature in these shebeens. As Anthony Samson recalls: The shebeens, however, were another story. Here was what Nat Nakasa called that noble institution, those hospitable homes. Here was a place outside of apartheid as the names reflected: Back Othe Moon, Cabin in the Sky, Little Heaven, The Sanctuary, Kind Lady.(Nicol: 1991:97) Modisane recalls how his mother, after the death of his father, was forced to become shebeen queen in order to keep body and soul together. Her customers, he remembers, drank for one reason only to get drunk, as for them, getting drunk was a purposeful destruction of the pain of their lies, a drowsing of themselves in this orgiastic expenditure. They were breaking out, escaping from themselves. (1986:39) The bad economic conditions forced the black women to take up beer-brewing and shebeens to support their families and to send their children to schools. Apart from the naturalistic portrayal, Fugards play focuses light on the hidden ugliness of evil economic backdrop. As observed by Gerald Weales (1978:) both plays deal with the enervating force of the black situation in South Africa, but they do not so directly as an agitprop would. As in the novels of Peter Abrahams we watch shebeens, drunkards, squalor, hunger, and prostitution- as results of oppression. Dennis Walder(1993:414) in The Genesis of the Township plays observes: The Sophiatown plays nevertheless reflected the aspirations, violence, and vitality of urban black people,offering a window into the world of the correspondent student, Shebeen Queen, Tsotsi (gangster) and rural migrant for predominantly white, liberal audiences.They may now also be seen to have helped to legitimate everyday urban black experience the experience of the majority of South Africans as a subject, for blacks as well as whites. Nongogo presents the conflict between hope and despair, the celebration of life in all its beauty and the devalued existence without virtues. As observed by Russell Vandenbroucke Nongogo is a play about the actuality of the past and forlorn hopes for the future (: 22). The conflict is the result of victimisation. The play has two acts-with the first act getting prepared for decency and respectability, the second act plays a dirge upon the death of these two qualities decency and respectability. The play as a whole exposes the guilt-racked victims of South Africa in both physical and psychological terms. Their physical destruction culminates in their psychological crisis, where their souls wail with the anguish for being the victims of the rough exterior of South African society. The play Nongogo exposes two individuals who experience such angst and a sense of guilt. Both of them are spoiled by social conditions of South Africa. Johnny is badly used by the masochistic, sex-starved mine workers and Queeny-is exploited by the carnal appetite of the South African masculinity, during her fight to eke out a living. Both of them dream for betterment -for a life of decency and respectability which remain to be dreams-the dreams of impossibility. Johnny and Queeny both stand as the physical images of destruction of the psychological self. Like La Gumas A Walk in the Night this play projects the brutalisation that has corroded the moral faculties of the poor.(1973:55) As Fugardxx himself observes, man is more concerned about hunger physically and mentally. Johnny and Queeny become the victims of the hunger of loins and of the poor conditions of the neglected lot. There are other characters like Sam, Blakie and Patrick, who make a parasitic living and work against decency; and who are also in a way, the helpless victims of the poor conditions which can not be bettered, and they in turn victimise their fellow beings-Johnny and Queeny and their dreams of better living for their selfish purposes. The process of victimisation here as in No Good Friday, is the result of both the internal and external aspects of South Africa. Queeny, a nongogo a woman for two and six- the proprietress of a shebeen gets enthused by the arrival and speech of an unexpected salesman Johnny at her door-step. His mode of address makes her feel that she should regain her lost sense of decency. His legitimate living makes her think of dispensing with her shebeen and make a cleaner life with a sense of decency and respectability which remain to be dreams- the dreams of impossibility. Her trust in Johnny encourages her to start a legitimate cloth-business. Her idea of legitimacy creates distaste in Sam, her business partner and her earlier pimp and Blackie, her attendant. With the help of Patrick, a way-ward drunkard, Sam and Blackie spoil the mind of Johnny by sowing the seeds of suspicion. Johnny and Queeny come face to face and compelled by Johnny, Queeny unwillingly digs into her past and in this process, hates Johnny for his inability to understand a womans heart. The play ends with Queeny re-opening the shebeen. Fugard has taken care in portraying the character of Queeny. Her desire for better life with a sense of decency and her despair for not finding it form the crux of the plot. If No-Good Friday presents the process of victimization on the physical plane, dealing with the death of Tobias and of Willie, Nongogo deals with the same process, on the mental plane, indicating the death of the self, when there is the sense of guilt and helpless acceptance of the past life of filth. The crisis of Johnny and Queeny, the victims of the South African society gets interiorized in Nongogo. As Robert M. Post observes, in other plays of Fugard too we find these victims(1985:3-16). Morris and Zachariah in The Blood Knot, Frieda and Errol in the Statements; John and Winston, the political brothers in The Island; Gumboot Dhalami in Tsotsi; Sizwe Bansi in Sizwe Bansi Is Dead; Boesman and Lena in Boesman and Lena; Piet in A Lesson from Aloes and the title character of Dimetos-all of them have been victims in various ways. Queenys curiosity in shaping her life as she had wanted gets shattered. She stands helplessly alone before her own life, a testament of time, as a victim of circumstances. Her disappointment as a living being against past, present and future life is made explicit through the use of two images indicating time the singing wall-clock and the wrist watch. Fugard very keenly exhibits the absurdity of human living against the unchanging nature of time in the South African context. Johnny and Queeny remain as the victims of their conscience. The two plays Nongogo and No-Good Friday exhibit the emotional involvement of Athol Fugard in the problems of the township. The pathetic predicament of man and woman in the South African townships comes alive on the stage. Fugard displays no political purpose in his portrayal of the characters in this play. His artistic involvement as a writer and his personal reaction as a liberal individual made him represent them in a realistic manner. As he observes No-Good Friday and Nongogo are inflated verse dramas by a liberally-informed white-but both the plays are in prose. (Quoted by Russell, Vandenbroucke, THCT, p.25) The gold mines stand as a contrasting back drop to represent the cruel exterior of South Africa. As in No-Good Friday, in this play too, we find the process of victimization. Johnny and Queeny stand as the victims of external conditions with a battered conscience and shattered inner self. Johnnys extreme craving for pure life makes him blind to his circumstances. He fails to treat Queeny as a human being like himself with a yearning for perfection and for a life of decency. Queeny dominates the whole scene with her knowledge of life and an awareness of the nature of men. Her shrewd thinking and her mature opinions about womanhood against the backdrop of her unfortunate murky past as a nongogo elevate her. She says: There is now. But there was a time I thought I had all I wanted when I got this. But when I had it that was the end. There has been times I never knew what day it was in hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and I never needed to know. Id wake up and think is it Monday or Tuesday, be Friday? It did not make any difference. Giving it a name did not make it any different from the rest. (p.91) She exhibits a dignity in the climactic scene when she is found re-opening the doors of her shebeen. Her poor conditions had made her a nongogo; her desire for betterment made her think of the life of decency and respectability and the presence of Johnny had made her once again the Queeny of shebeen. Her resurrection as the proprietress of shebeen makes her a tragic figure. She bursts out: What do you think Ive been doing for five years? It had ended Johnny, it was dead and buried when you walked in here. But you wont let it stay that way, will you? Youd be worse than Sam, who just sighs when he passes the grave. Youve dug it up. Youve performed a miracle, Johnny. The miracle of Jesus and Dead body youve brought it back to life. The warmth of your hate, the breath of your disgust had got it living again. Im not too old . . . not too fat . . . even you looked at me like you never looked at another woman. Gods put a lot of streets Ive not walked, lampposts Ive not stood under, faces Ive not smiled at. (p.11