Terrorism And The Middle East And Muslims - 1412 Words

Terrorism has been around since the early to late 11th century and it is directly related to the Middle East and Muslims. The Hashshashin (roughly translated as the â€Å"Assassins†) arose as an offspring of the Isma ili sect of Shia Muslims. It was led by man named Hassan-i Sabbah and it opposed the Fatimid rule. The Hashshashin group then seized Alamut and other strongholds across Persia. At the time, Hashshashin forces were too small to go to war conventionally, so they assassinated city governors and military commanders in order to create alliances with powerful militaristic neighbors. For instance, they murdered Janah al-Dawla, ruler of Homs, to please Ridwan of Aleppo, and then assassinated Mawdud and Seljuk emir of Mosul, as a favor to†¦show more content†¦Al-Qaeda in Yemen which is now called al-Qaeda (one is lower case â€Å"a† the other is capital â€Å"A†) in the Arabian Peninsula after merging with an al-Qaeda cell in Saudi Arabia and is curr ently already considered the most dangerous terrorist organization globally. The last several attempts to attack the U.S. were conducted by its members and by people who were inspired by its leaders. It is not well known that the U.S. has waged a decade long drone war in Yemen. Most automatically think of Afghanistan or Iraq when it comes to terrorism and Al-Qaeda. But why Yemen and how did it grow so fast? To answer that question we need to dig a little deeper and go back to pre- 9/11. After the 1998 African Embassy bombings in Kenya, a request was sent out all over the world by the U.S government, but particularly to Yemen that if Osama bin Laden showed up, they would like the Yemeni government s full cooperation in arresting him and turning him over to U.S. The Yemenis made it very clear that if Osama bin Laden showed up they would turn him in as they wanted nothing to do with him. Sadly though the U.S pretty much stopped pursuing this as the higher

Hamlet William Shakespeare s Hamlet - 1259 Words

Omar Sancho Professor Christopher Cook English 201-0810 Hamlet Paper 23 May 2016 Hamlet Character Analysis â€Å"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.†(Act 2, Scene 2, 239-251) Hamlet by William Shakespeare is one of the most famous plays written that conveys a multitude theme. But most predominant is the presence of Hamlet s obsession with philosophy of life, throughout the play Hamlet philosophy reviles his point of view love, loyalty, the importance of family and friends and last the pain that comes with losing a loved one. That said his action throughout the play reflects his philosophical virtues which helped with the understanding of the character. Firstly, being the brilliant writer that William Shakespeare is, he created the Hamlet play with many characters that have their own manifestation that has their own agenda. The main character Hamlet, for instance, is a extraordinary character who exerts philosophical rhapsody; As he says â€Å"Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor customary suits of solemn bla ck, Nor windy suspiration forced breath,No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected ‘haviour of the visage, Together with all forms, modes, shapes of grief, that can denote me truly: . . . For they are actions that a man might play: . . . But the trapping and the suits of woe.†(Act 1, Scene 2, 77-89) That said throughout the play Hamlet will face difficult moments where even he himself can has a tough time understanding hisShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet - Hamlet1160 Words   |  5 PagesPart 1: Hamlet Word Count: 1000 In what ways does Shakespeare s Hamlet explore the human mind? The play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare, is seen to be an exploration of the human mind and shows the consequences our actions have when they are acted in pure impulse and emotion instead of being thought about. The character Hamlet makes majority of his decision in the heat of the moment, but had trouble deciding which action to take after intense consideration. The actions that Hamlet doesRead MoreHamlet By William Shakespeare s Hamlet1936 Words   |  8 PagesWilliam Shakespeare s, Hamlet, written in the seventeenth century and first performed in 1602, is still a complex and intriguing play that encompasses many Jungian archetypes in relation to the setting and characters. This play was approximately four centuries old before Shakespeare reworked it for the stage. Hamlet is based on events involving the death of the King of Denmark according to the Norse legends. This paper deals with a small portion of the entirety of the events in Hamlet. ScholarsRead MoreWilliam Shakesp eare s Hamlet - Hamlet And The Ghost Essay1550 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough written over 400 hundred years ago, Hamlet remains a puzzling and complex play, partially due to the ambiguous Queen Gertrude. The Queen is a puzzling character as her motives are unclear and readers question her intentions throughout the play. Townsend and Pace in The Many Faces Of Gertrude: Opening And Closing Possibilities In Classroom Talk view her â€Å"as a simple-minded, shallow woman...who has no self beyond a sexual one† while Harmonie Loberg in Queen Gertrude: Monarch, Mother, MurdererRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet Essay902 Words   |  4 PagesTo be, or not to be; that s the question† (Act III, Scene 1, P.1127) is of the most widely circulated lines. As we all know, it is also the most important part of the drama, â€Å"Hamlet†, which is one of the most famous tragedy in the literature written by William Shakespeare between from 1599 to1602. The drama was written at the age of Renaissance that reflects the reality of the British society in sixteenth century to early seventeenth century. During that period, Britain was in the era of reverseRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 1265 Words   |  6 PagesWe have all been guilty at some point in our lives of trying to act like a conflict we ve had has not existed or been a problem at all. In William Shakespeare s Hamlet we are bombarded with characters that are avoiding conflict by acting like they don t exist. Although majority of my classmates felt Hamlet was a play about revenge, I believe Shakespeare is addressing the issue of chaos and how it cannot be rectified by conjuring up a false reality; it only pushes the conflict into further disarrayRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 1130 Words   |  5 PagesHoratio and Hamlet that demonstrate how he changes from the beginning to the end of the play. In the epic tragedy Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Prince Hamlet is trapped in a world of evil that is not his fault. Hamlet’s demeanor and attitude fluctuate over the course of the play. While Hamlet means well and is portrayed to be very sensitive and moral, at times he can appear to be overruled by the madness and darkness from the tragedy of his father s murder. His dealings with his dad s ghostlyRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 1116 Words   |  5 PagesTeresa Fang Professor Moore Humanities 310 28 October 2015 To Seek Revenge or to Wait? Hamlet is a very enigmatic fellow. In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the theme of revenge is presented as a controversial one. Before the play was set, Prince Hamlet’s uncle and new stepfather, King Claudius, had taken part in the assassination of his brother, old King Hamlet. Old King Hamlet died without a chance to receive forgiveness for his sins. As a result, his spirit is condemned to walk the earthRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 1077 Words   |  5 Pagessuch as William Shakespeare have 4dictated their works in a way that allows for them to integrate common occurrences of new psychological findings into a text, giving them an opportunity to sculpt characters that differentiate themselves from one another. Psychoanalytical Criticism is the application of psychological studies incorporated into the findings of contemporary literature, principles founded by Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan are most commonly referred to in these texts. Hamlet is an identityRe ad MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 2273 Words   |  10 Pages William Shakespeare was an English playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world s pre-eminent dramatist. Shakespeare is perhaps most famous for his tragedies. Most of his tragedies were written in a seven-year period between 1601 and 1608. One of these tragedies is his famous play Hamlet. The age of Shakespeare was a great time in English history. The reign of Queen Elizabeth saw England emerge as the leading naval and commercial power of theRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 1163 Words   |  5 Pages William Shakespeare was a great author, who was able to break the cast of a one-dimensional character. In his play, Hamlet, which was set in the middle ages of Denmark, he was able to represent all of the protagonist’s, Hamlet, human intricacies, creating a round character. Hamlet’s character is fascinating, due to him being complicated. He hims elf insists that he has many cognitive and logical characteristics in Act I, Scene II. We are shown this when he tells the Queen, â€Å"Seems, madam? Nay

Virtue and Courage Free Essays

What is the first thing that pops up in your mind when you hear this word? Is it a person jumping down a building, someone confronting his enemies, voicing out his opinions or nothing at all? For me, I think of a noble action when I hear this word. Courage was originally a Latin word, â€Å"coraticum†. The root â€Å"cor† means heart and it was added to the suffix, â€Å"age† to fit the English language. We will write a custom essay sample on Virtue and Courage or any similar topic only for you Order Now Literally, courage means â€Å"an action that comes from the heart†.Courage can be split into two, physical courage and moral courage. â€Å"Physical courage† is courage in the face of physical pain, hardship, or threat of death while â€Å"moral courage† is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame or discouragement. The main interpretation of the usage of this word is â€Å"to describe people who have a quality of mind that allows them to face danger without fear†. For many people, risking or sacrificing one’s life for others is the highest example of courage.However, many of us experience courage in everyday life without even realising it. Certain devoted actions made by ordinary people in ordinary situations can be courageous. Courage can be living with a handicapped person, moving on with life after the death of a loved one, or even working hard to pay your monthly bills. In Ancient times, courage was considered to be one of the four essential virtues in life: wisdom, courage, temperance and justice.Courage is one of the most important qualities in a man because without it, he will not be able to show his other virtues. You cannot buy courage or get it from someone else. You can only be inspired by the examples of other people. All in all, courage is not just a gained state of mind as a result of meritorious education, it is a calling of a soul. An integral part of a man’s personality. So whether it is dying for another person or fighting for something good, we should all practise it. How to cite Virtue and Courage, Papers

Burial Practices Of The Ancient Egyptian And Greco

Burial Practices Of The Ancient Egyptian And Greco-Roman Cultures Essay MythologyBurial Practices of the Ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman CulturesAncient Egyptian and Greco-Roman practices of preparing the dead for thenext cradle of humanity are very intriguing. These two cultures differ in amultitude of ways yet similarities can be noted in the domain of funeraryservices. In the realm of Egyptian afterlife, The Book of the Dead canprovide one with vital information concerning ritual entombment practicesand myths of the afterlife. The additional handouts I received fromTimothy Stoker also proved to be useful in trying uncover vital informationregarding the transition into another life. Regarding the burial practicesof Greece and Rome, parts of Homers Odyssey are useful in the analysis ofproper interment methods. One particular method used by the Egyptians was an intricateprocess known as mummification. It was undoubtedly a very involved processspanning seventy days in some cases. First, all the internal organs wereremoved with one exception, the heart. If the body was not already West ofthe Nile it was transported across it, but not before the drying processwas initiated. Natron (a special salt) was extracted from the banks of theNile and was placed under the corpse, on the sides, on top, and bags of thesubstance were placed inside the body cavity to facilitate the process ofdehydration. After thirty-five days the ancient embalmers would anoint thebody with oil and wrap it in fine linen. If the deceased was wealthyenough a priest donning a mask of Anubis would preside over the ceremoniesto ensure proper passage into the next realm. One of the practices overseen by the priest was the placing of aspecial funerary amulet over the heart. This was done in behest to secure asuccessful union with Osiris and their kas. The amulet made sure the heartdid not speak out against the individual at the scale of the goddess ofjustice and divine order, Maat. The priest also made use of a peculiarritual instrument, a sort of chisel, with which he literally opened themouth of the deceased. This was done to ensure that the deceased was ableto speak during their journeys in Duat. Another practice used by the Egyptians to aid the departed soulinvolved mass human sacrifice. Many times if a prominent person passedaway the family and servants would willfully ingest poison to continuetheir servitude in the next world. The family members and religiousfigureheads of the community did just about everything in their power toaid the deceased in the transition to a new life. The community made sure the chamber was furnished with everythingnecessary for the comfort and well-being of the occupants. It wasbelieved that the individual would be able of accessing these items in thenext world. Some of the most important things that the deceased would needto have at his side were certain spells and incantations. A conglomerationof reading material ensured a successful passage; The Pyramid Texts, TheBook of the Dead, and the Coffin Texts all aided the lost soul in theirjourney through Duat into the Fields of the Blessed. Besides all thesespells, charms, and magical tomb texts, the ancient practice of depositingin the tomb small wooden figures of servants was employed. These Ushabistatuettes as they are called, were essentially slaves of the deceased. If the deceased was called to work in the Elysian fields he would call uponone of the statues to take his place and perform the task for him. It wasnot unheard of for an individual to have a figure for every day of the yearto ensure an afterlife devoid of physical exertion. Just about every thingthe embalmers and burial practitioners did during the process was done forparticular reasons. .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92 , .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92 .postImageUrl , .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92 , .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92:hover , .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92:visited , .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92:active { border:0!important; } .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92:active , .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92 .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud6ee10d89ba7312d6faa9fe439694e92:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Harrison Bergeron EssayMany of the funerary practices of the ancient Greco-Romans werealso done with a specific purpose in mind. Unlike the Egyptians theGreco-Roman cultures did not employ elaborate tombs but focused on the useof a simple pit in the ground. Right after death, not too dissimilar fromthe practices of the Egyptians, it was necessary for the persons tocarefully wash and prepare the corpse for his journey. It was vital forall persons to receive a proper burial and if they did not they were dammedto hover in a quasi-world, somewhat of a limbo between life and death. One Greco-Roman myth that illustrates this point is The Odyssey byHomer. There is a part in Book eleven of the work in which Homerspecifically addresses proper burial rites. When Odysseus wishes tocontact Tiresias, he comes across Elpenor, one of his soldiers. Thisparticular man fell (in a haphazard fashion) to his death on the island ofthe Kimmerians, but did not receive a proper burial and was stuck in limbo. Elpenor begged Odysseus and his men to return to the island and care forhis body. Consequently, they did return and Elpenor passed into the nextworld. Most likely he was buried in the same fashion other members of hissociety were; a pyre was probably constructed and the body placed upon it. Also placed on the pyre were items that the deceased held dear in life withthe hope that they would follow him into the next world. In order tosurvive in the afterlife, the deceased is also presented with a small coinwhich came to be known as the ferrying fee for Charon. This can belikened to the Egyptian practice of introducing coinage into the tomb insome cases. Homer also speaks of the psyche, which slips out of man at themoment of death and enters the house of Ais, also known as Aides, Aidoneus,and in Attic as Hades. This idea can be compared to the concept of anindividuals ba in ancient Egypt. When someone died, an eternal part ofthem (their ba) would also slip out and seek out the individuals spiritualtwin (their ka) in order to unite with it and facilitate a successfulpassage. Many times in myth, the living desired to speak with the departed. When Odysseus wishes to speak with the Nekyia in Book eleven, goats must besacrificed and their blood was recognized as inspiring the deceased tospeak. The Egyptians also were concerned with the ability of the deceasedto speak in the next realm; this is exemplified in one of the mostimportant spells in The Book of the Dead, the opening of the mouth. When all the funerary rites had been done, the next step was tomark the spot of the deceased. The grave is marked with a stone, thesign, sema. This grave stone would have the name of the soul, and oftensome type of epigram in verse form. Invariably near the grave, some type ofguardian of the soul would be located. Lion and sphinx were found as gravemarkers and this idea is paralleled in the practices of the natives ofEgypt. A certain cult image was buried with the deceased in Egypt inorder to look after and more importantly protect ones ba from beingdisturbed. It also acted as a type of purge valve for any ba which mayhave been unjustly disturbed in the tomb. Burial practices aside one can note an interesting differencebetween these two ancient civilizations. Differences can be observedconcerning how amicable the afterlife was. The Egyptians had a positiveoutlook. They believed that after one became Osirus, They would move intoa new world, which was nice, no one had to work, and everything was veryclean. One could compare their lives in the next world with the childrensclassic board game, Candyland. In this game all was fine and dandy, thedont worry be happy attitude flourished, not distant from the life inthe Fields of the Blessed. On the other hand, Greco-Roman afterlife was arather dismal place. The dead Achilles summed everything up by saying toOdysseus, Do not try to make light of death to me, I would sooner be boundto the soil in the hire of another man, a man without lot and without muchto live on, than rule over all the perished dead. Needless to say, theHomeric afterlife was no Candyland. .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd , .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd .postImageUrl , .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd , .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd:hover , .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd:visited , .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd:active { border:0!important; } .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd:active , .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u44f3cc1e3a40ecb0ed13e07fa6acd3bd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Ku klux klan Essay SummaryCandyland or not, both cultures went to extremes in order toguarantee a successful voyage into the next world. The two ancientcivilizations hoped that through their intricate actions the individualwould be protected and prepared for their many experiences on the otherside. By looking at selections of Homers Odyssey and The Book of theDead, one can draw many similarities between the two cultures; however,differences are also apparent due to cultural differences concerning whatwould happen to the departed soul. __/\\_____ARYL__///\____ARYL___/\__/\___ARYL____/\__/\___ARYL_____/\__/\___ARYL______/\__/\___ARYL_______/\__/\___ARYL________/\\\____ARYL_________/////////_____ARYLDeathblow: When someone tries to blow you up, not because of who youare, but because of different reasons altogether. Kramer

Why the United States Entered Iraq and Kuwait War

11 ways to stop procrastinating and get writing

11 ways to stop procrastinating and get writing 11 ways to stop procrastinating and get writing Do you ever feel like youre always in a face-off with your word processor – and losing? If so, you wont be surprised to hear that one of the biggest problems nearly everyone faces when they have something to write is getting started. Call it writers block. Call it finding your muse. Call it spending two hours on Facebook for every two lines you write. Whatever you call it, getting started is hard. Most of us are guilty of procrastinating sometimes – especially when we have something important to write. Thankfully, there are lots of ways you can tackle this problem. Dont think that finding the writing process horribly painful is inevitable. Its not. By using the right tools and techniques and going in with the right mindset, you can be more productive and spend less time agonising about your writing. Ive put together eleven of the best ways of doing this. Some get you unstuck. Some get your thinking clear. Others just kill distractions. Together, they attack the problem of getting started from multiple angles. Try them. Get writing. And spend less time staring into the blank whiteness of Document1.doc. 1) Use a timer A lot of the time, it feels like the only real finishing line in writing is when youve finally hit send on an email or handed in a report. That reward is a long way away and youre not sure when its coming. Its no wonder its hard to stay motivated. However, writing is much easier if you give yourself a clear finishing line – or a few of them. A timer can help. Heres how to do it: Write down a mini-task thats related to writing your document – say, researching some figures or writing your first draft. Use a timer (like this one) and set it for 25 minutes. Work on the mini-task you wrote down until the timer goes off. Take a break. You dont have to complete the mini-task. Thats not what counts as success here. Success is now defined as working on the problem for twenty-five minutes. Its far easier than just aiming for a really distant finishing line. Try it. Many people find it works. You can extend this method even further by trying the Pomodoro Technique. 2) Get your research done first Research can be the biggest part of your preparation. So if youre really not sure what it is youre writing about, you need to get back to the drawing board. Too many people struggle on, trying to make everything come together in one go. But lets say you have your ideas together, and you cant get unstuck because you cant figure out what needs to go in. Read on. 3) Write a mind map If writing is the problem, then try not writing. I know this sounds strange. But there are several ways you can move forward without having to write a single word of your document. Mind maps are one. Theyre a versatile tool (we go into lots of detail about these in our online-training programme e360). But the core idea is very simple. To create a mind map, follow these steps: Note down the subject in the middle of the page. Write the aspects of the subject around it. Look at each aspect and think about it. Draw a line for each new idea or piece of information and continue this process, radiating outwards. Keep asking questions such as Why?, How?, What?, When?, Where? and Who? until you’re satisfied you’ve put down everything you know about the subject. Just getting something down on paper will help you get into the flow. The same applies when youre face to face with your dreaded nemesis: the blank screen 4) Write absolute gibberish Hwgeuwhfeouwfewlfjewfn. Blub blub blub blub flep flep flep flep. Trolololololo. Feel better? Great. The relief of filling up the white space and getting your fingers moving can be good in itself for banishing the fear of getting going. (Ditch any idea that this is inherently ridiculous – if it gets you started, that’s all that matters.) The next tactic shows how you can take this complete freedom even further. 5) Get a draft written first: it doesnt have to be perfect If you write total gibberish, writing is as easy as randomly mashing the keyboard. If you aim for perfect writing first time, writing seems almost impossible. Thats because it is very, very hard to write brilliant, error-free content first time. Excellent content comes with gradual refinement by revising and editing your writing. But if you try and do writing and editing at the same time, youre paralysing yourself for no good reason. So draft freely. Try drafting more quickly than youre comfortable with, leaving spelling mistakes or sentences that dont sound that great behind – knowing you will return to fix your writing later. And take some pressure off yourself: 6) Stop aiming for the perfect document: the 90 per cent rule Trying to give 100 per cent can be a recipe for failure. The sports psychologist Robert Kriegel saw this while working with some Olympic sprinting hopefuls. The sprinters were tense and tight during practice runs. So Kriegel told them to try running at 90 per cent of their normal intensity. It had surprising results. The group ran faster when they were trying less. In fact, one sprinter even set an unofficial world record. Its the same with writing. Trying to be the 100 per cent complete greatest professional who will write the best of all possible documents is too much pressure. Youll do better by giving yourself (just a little) bit of slack. 7) Ask whoever needs the document what they want If youre really stuck, it may just be because you dont really know what you should write and why. Thats a pretty hard thing to admit, especially if youre deep in the writing process. But for some documents, it can be best to pull yourself away from your screen and ask whomever youre writing for what they want. This can be something as simple as, ‘Youve asked for a report on the incident, so Im going to write what happened and why it happened, interview everyone who was involved and ask them what they did, and give some recommendations to make sure it doesnt happen again.’ At this point, you might find out that youre missing a big section, or conversely that what youre writing is more detail than they want. Either way, getting some clarity on what’s expected will make every other part of your writing easier. (But what if you cant ask them? In that case, you can profile the reader in your head.) 8) Discipline yourself: install something that will force you to get focused Some of the best engineers, psychologists, designers and marketers in the world have collaborated to make the most distracting websites possible. Theyve developed ways of systematically undermining your willpower and keeping you hooked. And theyre getting better all the time. This can occasionally cause minor problems in staying focused. So, instead of fighting the siren call of these websites with your willpower, it can be best just to block all such sites completely. The tools RescueTime and SelfControl both help you do this. Many people find the compulsion to flip to their favourite wasting-time site fades once theyve run into a few messages telling them that its blocked. After a while, it gets easier to get into a state of flow and get on with your writing. 9) Take away your options: stop playing with fonts One of the most popular articles weve ever written is The best fonts for business documents – in the time youve been reading this, its very likely that several people have read that article. Were happy people are interested in looking professional, and any reduction in the number of serious business documents written in Comic Sans is a good thing. But, unfortunately, too many people look at formatting first, rather than last. Instead of drafting your document in Word, which is constantly offering you a range of seductive fonts and line heights and margin sizes and bullet-point options (and on and on and on), it can be better just to strip all this out. Draft does this. Its a site that lets you write documents in your browser, and we swear by it at Emphasis. The interface limits your formatting options and lets you get on with writing. (You can read our review of it here.) Best of all? A completely functional version is free (its the one I used to write this article). 10) Speak to someone As children, we communicated our ideas by speaking long before we started doing so in writing. For many people, speaking still comes more naturally and easily than writing once they’re adults. So if youre struggling, stop typing and talk to someone. Tell them the main points of what youre writing about and why. Youll find that, when youre speaking more conversationally, you cant get away with being vague or speaking in professionalese. Then, once the ideas are flowing, transfer them to the page. If you havent got anyone to talk to, you can imagine talking to someone. (Or talk to yourself – though doing this unannounced in the middle of the office might make it look like the pressure of writing has really got to you.) 11) Remind yourself why youre writing Too often, we can get so lost in the process of writing that we dont remember why were writing. But its good to keep your why in mind. If you have a to-do list for your document, try writing at the top make the customer feel happy or get basics of information to manager so we can get this project moving – or whatever applies to your piece of work. Moving away from your words and back to the main purpose of what youre doing makes it easier to get on with mini subtasks (like writing a first draft). Thats because you can see what youre doing in the context of something more meaningful. Try something new If you find yourself habitually procrastinating, you need to change at least some of your writing habits. This can feel scary. A good example is writing faster than youre comfortable with, leaving imperfect sentences in your wake. If youre used to writing something really, really good and deleting each sentence and re-writing as you go, its going to be tough when you first try writing more freely. But you should try. If theres anything to be learned from the extremely diverse habits of famous authors, its that they found their own best habits for writing well. Youre just as much a unique individual as they are. Try some of the ideas here, find what works for you, and get writing. If youd like to learn more about how to tackle other challenges in writing, check out our in-person courses for individuals and companies or our online-training programme e360 – or just get in touch. Image credit: Nataly Studio / Shutterstock

Issues in behavioral science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Issues in behavioral science - Essay Example Many people from the non-western countries often find themselves encompassed by the western culture making them undermine their local culture. Subsequently, cultural globalization reduces the diversity between global societies and on the other hand increases the diversity of individual choice. Zimbabwe and Kenya portray two of the most distinctive cultures greatly submerged in the pool of the western culture. The controversies that arise from cultural diversity tend to lay their basis on the dynamics of contemporary cultural growth. International relationships or amalgamation of countries due to change in technology has become a major concern to cultural change (Bliss, 2007). In response to cultural change due to globalization, both the society of Zimbabwe and Kenya have with time completely changed from their local cultural lifestyles to adoption of foreign cultures. Before transformation, both cultures had a very different conception of lifestyle compared to their recent mode of life. They observed strict observance of the local customs and values. For instance, the mode of dressing which was perceived before transformation has greatly changed. Moreover, change in language and change approach of cultural customs has become diverse due to interaction with different invaders and indigenous inhabitants (Mensah, 2008). A case common in both countries which entails a custom of sitting around the fireplace and listening to stories has changed with technology thus having children using computers and televisions. This explains the influence of globalization and western culture on the local societies. As a growing society, Kenya has experienced diverse changes in its culture. It is evident that the western culture has polluted Kenyan’s culture in quite a number of several ways. Cultural diversity in Kenya being of major concern revolves under globalization. It is evident that the need to expand economically has enhanced

Creative writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Creative writing - Essay Example While the lectures functioned as a prominent gateway for much of the critical thought I developed during the course, some of the most powerful aspects that contributed to perspective shift occurred in through the Ted lectures. Within this context of understanding, one of the most powerful and overarching such influences came from Bjorn Lomborg’s lecture ‘Bjorn Lomborg sets global priorities’ (‘Ted’). While coming into the course I recognized that there were infinite world problems, including aids and global warming, an even more complex ethical question was the means of prioritizing these problems; these questions are central to Lomborg’s lecture and greatly influenced my political thought (‘Ted’). Within this context of understanding one of the most vital points was that economics is at the root of many ethical concerns, particularly when attempting to prioritize challenges to the world environment. This idea had a profound impact on my thought as I came to understand that while a plethora of ethical theories exist, such as utilitarianism or deontology, society must consider the practicality of enacting significant change. In enacting this change one must consider the economic viability of doing so. Another prominent thinker that influenced my perspective shift on the practicality of ethical change is Dave Meslin. Like Lomborg, we watched Meslin’s talk during the third lecture. While Lomborg had investigated large-scale aspects of cultural change, Meslin examined the practicality of such change in everyday contexts (‘Ted’). Meslin notes that while it has frequently been indicated that people are apathetic about their surrounding environment, when examined on a closer level it’s clear that there are a variety of obstacles that have been put in front of people to prevent them from taking significant civic action. One of the main notions I came to

Critical opinion about article Literature review

Critical opinion about article - Literature review Example Introduction While the function of drug coatings in medications are rarely considered by the consumer, they are vital to the function and efficacy of most modern medicines. By incorporating a drug into a polymer film, gel, or other encapsulating material, the hydrophobic molecules can be made to degrade much more slowly [1]. The use of an encapsulating membrane allows the chemical to circulate within the body, while also creating a hydrophilic shell that can pass through the cell membrane of the bacterial target [1, 2]. The coatings also may have the additional property of bioadhesion, keeping the drug at the target site for a longer period of time [3]. Niosomal membranes, non-ionic surfactant vesicles, are one common type of encapsulating material, especially for transdermal and ophthalmic topical use [4, 5]. Niosomes can also be made into a substance called proniosomes, a dehydrated powder formulation of niosomes, which can be transported further and stored longer, increasing their usefulness [6]. Niosomal Encapsulation and Hydrogen Bonding In their 2011 study, Hao and Li examined the efficacy of niosomal entrapment in solution, specifically on the rate of encapsulation when the niosomes were included in a solution that also contained the desired chemical for entrapment [7]. Niosomal encapsulation is achieved by coating a water-soluble pharmaceutical chemical with a lipid membrane, and this lipid coating will slow the release of the encased pharmaceutical chemical into the surrounding environment. This is usually made use of in such situations as a time-released or delayed-release medication [5]. Additionally, the use of a niosomal membrane around the pharmaceutical chemical is currently the only known method for achieving safe and efficient transdermal drug delivery. The ability of the niosomal membrane to help the pharmaceutical chemical cross the dermal and subdermal layers is dependent on the structural organization of niosomes, not simply on the properti es of the niosomal membrane. Other non-ionic surfactants do not produce the same successful results for transdermal permeation [4]. One of the chemical models in the Hao and Li study, p-hydroxyl benzoic acid, was found to form hydrogen bonds with the niosomal membrane being studied [7]. These hydrogen bonds caused an increase in the entrapment efficiency of the formulation. This can be seen in the fact that the second model used in their study, salicylic acid, showed lower rates of entrapment efficiency. Salicylic acid also did not form the same type of hydrogen bonds with the niosomal membrane, showing that the increased encapsulation efficiency seen in the p-hydroxyl benzoic acid solution was therefore related to the hydrogen bonding of the solute to the niosomal membrane. Figure 1 shows the changes in the UV absorption spectra of the solutions being studied which indicate the presence of hydrogen bonding between the niosomal coating and the p-hydroxyl benzoic acid. Conversely, th ese spectra also show the lack of such hydrogen bonding in the salicylic acid solution and the blank niosome solution. This study is the first to note the importance of those hydrogen bonds in the functioning of the niosomal membrane and the relation of those bonds to encapsulation efficiency [7]. Niosomes are able to form those hydrogen bonds by providing â€Å"a stable system that allows the self-assembly of hydrogen-bonded receptors to occur in contact with aqueous environments†

United Colors of Benetton Controversial Advertising Campaign

United Colors of Benetton Controversial Advertising Campaign MOHAMED RAFIQUE BIN RAMLAN The United Colors of Benetton Controversial Advertising Campaigns: An Analysis on Power of Determining the Meaning of Media Text The need to effectively sell to consumers throughout many cultures across world borders compelled businesses to tailor their advertising strategies to appeal to different geographic markets. The United Colors of Benetton however, has been employing the opposite strategy by trying to impart a single, what the brand perceived to be universally accepted message that would generate positive responses from all consumers regardless of their geographical, sociological, psychological, cultural, and economical make-up. Ironically, historically speaking, the brand’s campaigns, which had a reputation of being controversial despite claimed as an effort to promote universally positive values have consistently sparked negative responses from their audiences (Boches, 2011). The reason for this disconnection between the expected results and actual outcomes is that the campaigns depicted perceivably negative images so explicitly that they ended up misleading the audiences away from the brandâ €™s well-intended meaning. According to Hall, the apparent meaning (how the meaning is ultimately perceived by the audience, regardless whether it aligned with the intended meaning) of a media text is not solely inherent in the text itself nor the institution responsible for its production. It varies according to the interpretations of its audiences. It highly correlates with and dependent on the audiences’ cultural background, economic standing and personal experiences, and everything else the audiences had already identified and acknowledged (Hall, 1973). Hall added that the audiences are capable and often do distort the messages themselves through collective action, whether consciously or subconsciously. Thus, the audiences effectively became active participants in decoding media texts’ messages as they impose their own social context in their interpretations. Thus, the thesis of this essay is that the power to determine the meaning of a media text lies primarily with the audience. This essay analyzes three of the brands campaigns, focusing on the formation process of audiences’ perceptions on each campaign, which can be categorised into three different positions as proposed by Stuart Hall’s model of communication theory. In 1980s, acclaimed photographer Olivero Toscani captured the image for the brand’s notorious campaign, which the brand claimed to be an effort to raise awareness on social issues pertaining to race and effectively promote the value of racial integration (Elliot, 1991). The print ad for the campaign portrayed a depiction of a (apparently Caucasian) white skinned girl innocently posing side-by-side with a (apparently of African ethnicity) black skinned girl. At face value, this print ad seemed to be just another print ad promoting multi-racial value. With closer inspection, the print advert added to the negative representation of black people in the media. The black skinned girl appeared to be somewhat dark and grimy. There is no representation of happiness in the look in her face. The eyes giving the expression of emotionless and cold with her insipid stare, half of her appearance hidden by dark shadows with no smile on her face and hair styled with spikes which somewhat resem bles a pair of tiny horns. This connotation of obscurity is reflected to the arbitrary meaning with malicious in society. In addition, somewhat societies claimed the looks appeared to be somewhat devilish because they associated darkness with negative appearance. (Moore, 1991) However, the white skinned girl quite apparently enhanced with digital editing appeared to look happy and healthy. Her blond curly haired and a smile underneath her rosy cheeks brands her to look innocence and radiant in person. This resembles her to be styled and edited to look somewhat angelic with her cupid-like look. (Moore, 1991) Especially in the U.S., the promotion of racial integration value from this particular print ad was less apparent in comparison to the sensational outburst created by this print ad by apparently reinforcing negative stereotypes on black skinned people. One might argue that portraying obviously negative stereotypes undermines against them rather than reinforces them, but tense racial dynamics in the United States resulted in dominantly negative perception towards the meaning of the print ad. The intended meaning of the print lies at which Hall established as ‘the negotiated position’, where the meaning is in a position that compels the audience to both accept and reject the intended meaning. The portrayal of the black skinned girl as explicitly and unnaturally devilish proved to be counter-productive to the intention of the print ad to promote the values of embracing other cultures and ethnicities. To a certain extent, the audience do recognized and acknowledged the intended meaning, but simultaneously resisted and modified the meaning in a way which reflects their own experiences, interests, and biases (Hall, 1980). Hall stated that â€Å"decoding within the negotiated version contains a mixture of adaptive and oppositional elements†: while the audiences somehow recognized the abstract idea behind what they were perceiving, the formation of meaning in their minds operated at a more restricted, situational condition, establishing new rules which ultim ately shaped the meaning of the media text. In the 1990s, the controversy ignited by the brand’s shocking campaign intensified. The brand’s shift in focus towards more gritty social issues ranging from dying AIDS patient to image of blood-smeared clothes (Mezzofiore, 2011) faced not only negative reaction from audiences, but sparked public protests and banned by many governments across the world. The print ad which depicted the blood-smeared clothes of a dead Croatian soldier was intended as a part of a campaign that promotes anti-war effort (Associated Press, 1994). One argument which could justify the explicitly gory depiction of the print ad is that it makes for an intense emotional appeal to the consumer, evoking feeling of compassion in them and to perceive the brand as sympathetic and with conscience, ultimately increasing brand appeal and loyalty. Ironically, the German court ruled that the print ad could not be published anywhere in the country on ground that using such intense emotional appeal to sell pr oduct is immoral (Walsh, 1995). Many audiences perceived the image as too disturbing to reflect the value of peace the brand claimed to promote and they could not make any sensible connection between print ad and the product the brand is actually selling. In this case, the intended meaning of the campaign was within ‘the oppositional position’ when channelled through a medium ready to be perceived by its audiences. One of the prevailing philosophy of the brand’s advertising strategy was that ‘there are no shocking pictures, only shocking reality’ which reflected the brand’s effort to expose realities that people refuse to see and face. The brand’s campaign strategy relied on the assumption that the value that it is promoting through this campaign is universally positive, and that it is immune to any interpretations (whether or not they are misleading) formed by the audiences on the basis of their overall make-up. In this oppositional position, the audiences understood only the literal meaning of the image and blinded themselves from the intended meaning. The audience decoded the message and formed interpretation in a way the campaign did not foresee. The audiences’ sociological mak e-up has placed the meaning in the oppositional position as to what the meaning was supposed to be. Although some may actually understand the intended meaning, the text of the medium did not speak in the same language as the audiences’, thus they ended up rejecting it. (Hall, 1980) After consistently recorded low sales, presumably due to a string of high-profile yet unpopular ad campaigns (Maguire, 2003), the brand finally employed a drastically different advertising strategy with its ‘Unemployee of the Year’ campaign in 2012 that addressed the issue of youth unemployment. The campaign was also a contest in which unemployed youths could win EUR 5,000 that they would use to implement a project that would create a positive impact on their community (Lidbury, 2012). The campaign featured a series of thematically focused print ads which depicted close-ups of youths paired with captions such as â€Å"Valentina, 30, non-lawyer from Italy†. The brand campaign â€Å"presents a realistic portrait of todays society by actively tackling a current problem, that of youth non-employment and the potential conflict between generations, in order to show it in a new light and create value for the immense human capital of young people.† This time, the c ampaign generated more positive responses in comparison to the previously mentioned campaigns which were perceived as exploitations of social issues that do not attempt to create solutions. In this case, the audiences were located within the dominant point of view where the audiences took the actual meaning of the media text directly and decoded it exactly the way it was encoded. The audience fully shared the text codes and successfully reproduced the text’s intended meaning (Hall, 1980). Since the issues of youth unemployment are arguably universal, misunderstanding during interpreting media text did not occur as both the sender and receiver have the same cultural biases. The sharp turn of strategy made by the brand was evident by criticism that the print ads for the campaign are too boring (Mahdawi, 2012) and did not represent what they have recognized the brand for: controversy. However, this criticism was overwhelmed by the overall positive response towards the brand’s effort to provide solutions to youths’ unemployment. Marketers predicted that the campaign would help the brand build a lasting relationship with its target consumers. The Reception Theory which focuses on the reader’s reception of a literary text or media established that the process of negotiation and opposition of meaning take place when the reader is interpreting the text. A text- be it a book, film, or other creative work are interpreted by their respective audiences who are not behaving passively, but acting as active participants in interpreting the meanings of the text (Morley, 2015) based on their individual make-up. In other words, the meaning of a media text is not inherent within the text itself, but is created within the relationship between the media text and the audience. A correct interpretation of the meaning of a specific text could only occur when the audiences have a shared cultural background and interpreted the text the way the producer of the text presumed it would be interpreted. The less shared heritage an audience has with the producer of the media text, the less likely the audience will be able to recognize the pro ducer’s intended meaning. Two audiences with vastly different cultural, sociological, economical, psychological, and geographical background will extract two very different meanings from the same text. Thus, the power to determine the meaning of a media text lies primarily with the audience. References: (Word Count: 1638) 1. (Fabrica) http://www.seouldesign.or.kr/EBOOK_DATA/pdf/fabrica_seminar.pdf 2. Boches, E. (2011) Three Ways to Look at Benetton: The Cause, The Creative, The Controversy, Creativity Unbound. [Online] Available at: http://edwardboches.com/three-ways-to-look-at-benetton-the-cause-the-creative-the-controversy. (Accessed: December 17th 2014) 3. Gianatasio, D. (2011) Benetton is Not Feeling the Love for its Unhate Kissing Campaign; Pope Ad is Quickly Pulled, Adweek. [Online] Available at: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/benetton-not-feeling-love-its-unhate-kissing-campaign-136587. (Accessed: December 17th 2014) 4. Crawshaw, S. (1995) Benetton Sued Over Shock Ads, The Independent. [Online] Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/benetton-sued-over-shock-ads-1569139.html. (Accessed December 17th 2014) 5. Walsh, M. W. (1995) German Court Bans Shocking Benetton Ads; Law: Panel Labels as Immoral the Clothiers Campaigns on HIV, Oil Slicks and Child Laborers, Los Angeles Times. [Online] Available at: http://articles.latimes.com/1995-07-07/news/mn-21071_1_benetton-ads. (Accessed: December 17th 2014) 6. Moore, L. W. (1991) Is Ad Theme Racial Harmony or Angel/Devil Stereotype?, Philly.com. [Online] Available at: http://articles.philly.com/1991-09-12/news/25799573_1_benetton-campaign-racial-harmony-oliviero-toscani. (Accessed: December 17th 2014) 7. Elliot, S. (1991) The Media Business: Advertising; Benetton Stirs more Controversy, The New York Times. [Online] Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/23/business/the-media-business-advertising-benetton-stirs-more-controversy.html. (Accessed: December 17th 2014) 8. Mezzofiore, G. (2011) Benetton: A History of Shocking Ad Campaign, International Business Times. [Online] Available at: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/benetton-history-shocking-ad-campaigns-pictures-252087. (Accessed: December 17th 2014) 9. Kenna, A. (2011) Benetton: A Must-Haves becomes a Has-Been, Bloomberg Business Week Magazine. [Online] Available at: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_12/b4220021488483.htm. (Accessed: December 17th 2014) 10. Hall, Stuart (1980): Encoding/decoding. In Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (Ed.): Culture, Media, Language. London: Hutchinson. 11. Schrà ¸der, Kim Christian. (2000). â€Å"Making sense of audience discourses: Towards a multidimensional model of mass media reception†. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 3:233 12. Salkeld, Richard , 2014. Reading Photographs: An Introduction to the Theory and Meaning of Images. 1st ed. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. pp64-65 13. Benetton Group Website. [Online] Available at: http://www.benettongroup.com. (Accessed: January 11th 2015) 14. Maguire, M. (2003) United Colors of Benetton: A Company Of Colors And Controversies. GRIN Verlag. 15. â€Å"A campaign to combat the culture of hate†, unhate.benetton.com 16. Mahdawi, A. (2012), ‘Benettons Unemployee of the Year is a Flimsy Attempt at Brand-Aid’, The Guardian, [Online]. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/sep/19/benetton-unemployee-campaign-flimsiest-brand-aid. (Accessed: January 11th 2015). 17. Lidbury, O. (2012) ‘Benetton Launch ‘Unemployee of the Year’ Campaign’, Fashion. [Online] Avalable at: http://origin-fashion.telegraph.co.uk/columns/olivia-bergin/TMG9552570/Benetton-launch-Unemployee-of-the-Year-campaign.html. (Accessed: January 11th 2015). 18. AP News Archive (1994). ‘Latest Benetton Poster Provokes Croat Outrage With Am-Yugoslavia’. [Online] Available at: http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1994/Latest-Benetton-Poster-Provokes-Croat-Outrage-With-AM-Yugoslavia/id-83dd11f663e4b97caf2026954d083f9d. [Accessed 11 January 15]. 19. Morley, D. (2015) ‘Audience Research’, Museum Of Broadcast Communications [Online] Available at: http://www.museum.tv/eotv/audiencerese.htm. [Accessed 11 January 15]. 20. Hall, S. (1973) ‘Encoding/Decoding; Culture, Media, Language: Working Papers in Cultural Studies, 1972-79’, pp. 128-138.

Victor Hugos Les Miserables and Jean Valjean Essay -- Victor Hugo Les

Victor Hugo's Les Miserables and Jean Valjean "Is there not in every human soul, was there not in the particular soul of Jean VaIjean, a primitive spark, a divine element, incorruptible in this world, immortal in the next, which can be developed by good, kindled, lit up, and made resplendently radiant, and which evil can never entirely extinguish." (Hugo, p. 78) Victor Hugo's 1862 epic novel Les Miserables ranks among the literary greats of the 19th Century. Despite its awesome length, it has remained as one of the most approachable readings of literature. The tale of Jean Va1jean, the hero in the novel, is a fascinating story that beckons readers to turn the pages at a finious, pace. Since the novel is divided into several segments with names of the characters as the titles, the reader will realize that Les Miserables is a novel exploring the relationship of personal and communal destinies. As we progress through the pages, we witness the transformation of our outlaw protagonist and his persistent strivings, to overcome his despair and egotism. The reader will feel from Vaijean's adventures, that the moral character can and does grow, no matter how his previous devastating experiences had hardened him. Since Valjean is the unifying centre of the action in the novel, his moral and spiritual growth through his interaction with characters in L es Miserables will give credence to the earlier proposition that the moral character can evolve. To examine the moral growth of Jean Valjean, it would be useful to establish his initial mental shape and thoughts. From the moment he appeared in the novel, Jean Valjean was depicted as a man against himself Freed from prison after serving an unjust sentence of nineteen years for the the... ...e bishop in Digne and his tremendous moral and spiritual growth. By pursuing his unerring moral course, going to the foulest of depths, Jean Valjean had emerged entirely transformed and transfigured. Despite the adversities and dilemmas, he never lost track of his moral bearings and came out of the stem examination of his conscience stronger. His spiritual itinerary had brought him to experience and triumph over the testing demonic forces of despair, hate and pain. The holy bishop would be pleased to know lies had brought him to Heaven and led another man to his salvation. Footnotes: (1) Jean Valjean's passport had indicated that he was a dangerous man since he had escaped twice from the galleys. (2) Champmathieu was a man accused in Arras of being the fugitive Jean Valjean. If convicted as Valjean, Champmathieu would be sentenced to life in the galleys.