Ester Lucero

Cassie Essary Tim Petete Ethnic American Literature November 12, 2009 Angel’s Psyche in Ester Lucero One of the most fascinating aspects of any story is the formation of it’scharacters. The way the author chooses to describe them, give them personalities, is how the reader will see their lives. A character’s psyche and the way he thinks about events around him change the way a reader perceives the story. Authors have an amazing chance to shape and bend a story to fit what they want it to be through the characterization of the people they write about. If an author is incapable of making characters believable and understandable, the story won’t survive. In Isabel Allende’s â€Å"Ester Lucero†, Angel is described in a way that makes the reader understand his impulses and desires, even if they areof a completely foreign nature to the reader. Allende is an extremely skilled writer that used her ability to make a character believable to her advantage for this story. Angel’s psyche is one of the most interesting elements of this story. When he returns from the war in the jungle, he seems to be in a state of inner turmoil. He’s searching for something to help him deal with the war and the things that he did and saw happen there. When Angel sees Ester Lucero for the first time, he believes that he is seeing a mirage. Nothing could possibly be that perfect, and he has to search her out. When he finally finds her, he is â€Å"shamed by his unseemly passion for a child who still had not reached puberty† (Pearson 10) as she is 12 and he is 30. Angel gives the impression that he picked Ester as the object of his interest because she is unavailable, therefore he never has to worry about what might happen if he did somehow attain her. Although he is attracted to her, he never makes a move to do anything about it, other than â€Å"watching her walk by on her way to school; attending her when she caught the measles; providing her with vitamins†¦;teaching†¦the multiplication tables† (Pearson 10). The simple fact that he is â€Å"dumbfounded not to find a whirl of suitors around Ester Lucero† (Pearson 10) leads the reader to believe that Ester is really not that special or beautiful, but is only special to Angel. Instead, Angel seems to have fixated on Ester as a way of getting past his ownproblems. Ester became something that he desperately wanted, but could never allow himself to have. She was a child, and he would not allow himself to touch her for that reason, and because his obsession with her is what keeps him going. Ester became the focus of all his attention so he didn’t have to deal with anything else in his life. Another issue with Angel is the fact that he has a bullet in his groin. The women of the town question his masculinity and begin to wonder if â€Å"maybe the malaria or that bullet he has there in his crotch rid him forever of a taste for women† (Pearson 10). They don’t realize that he has become completely engrossed with Ester and therefore uninterested in the other women of the town. Since Angel does have a bullet in his groin, and purposefully chose an unavailable girl to fixate on, it makes the reader wonder if the bullet did cause some sort of dysfunction. Perhaps the reason that Angel deliberately chose a girl that he could never have was because he knew women wouldn’t want him if they knew that he was impotent. Early on, when it is Angel’s turn with a â€Å"bride-for-the-moment† he â€Å"found no consolation †¦he would have to search for that girl, if for no other reason than to determine whether she was a mirage†(Pearson 9). This passage leaves the reader hanging as to whether Angel was unable to perform, or simply didn’t enjoy it. Angel’s masculinity is questioned by the people of the town, as well as himself throughout the story. The four main aspects of Angel’s psyche discussed here really help tell the story of whoand what Angel really is. Ester as a distraction from his own problems shows us that even though Angel is an extremely capable man, he can’t get past his own demons. He’s a doctor and a combat veteran, yet when he sees a little girl in the crowd, he chooses her to think about in order to avoid his own problems. The magical realism displayed in this story is a stroke of genius by Allende. She uses the herbs to add an element of suspense and terror to the story that wouldn’t have been present otherwise. The herbs and dance enable Angel to save Ester while dealing with some of his own problems at the same time. When the town women begin to question Angel’s masculinity, he does a sort of tailspin into the next main point in his psyche, which is obsessive love. He could probably choose any woman in the town, yet he chooses a 12 year old girl, and the love is not exactly pure. Angel’s obsessive love ties all four points together nicely. The love he has for Ester is not pure, but obsessive. He chose her because he needed a way to get out of his own head, and perhaps because he is impotent and couldn’t deal with the threat to his masculinity, and when he cured her, Angel really just needed a way to outwardly express his capability of taking care of her, even if he could never have her. Works Cited

The Rights Of The Defendant In The American Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system enforces criminal statutes through the social and legal institutions in accordance with the prescribed criminal procedure and regulations. It consists of subsystems such as the law enforcement, the judiciary, the public prosecutors and defenders, probation and parole agencies and the corrections department, and the prison institutions (Frase and Weidner, n. d. ). The criminal statutes define crimes and their respective defenses. On the other hand, criminal procedure delineates the â€Å"the stages of the criminal process from arrest through prosecution, sentencing, appeal and release from prison† (Jacobs, 2007).The criminal justice system works both in the federal and state levels. Each has its own set of criminal laws, courts, enforcement agencies and probation systems (Jacobs, 2007). The foundation of criminal procedure is the U. S. Constitution (Jacobs, 2001). Specifically the Bill of Rights is placed in the Constitution to protect the citizens f rom the vast powers of government. It grants fundamental rights and liberties to all those living in the United States (Jacobs, 2001). The defendant in a criminal prosecution is entitled the presumption of innocence.This necessarily means that the burden of proving his guilt beyond reasonable doubt rests upon the prosecution (Jacobs, 2001). The due process clause of the Constitution accorded the defendant a wide array of protections and guarantees such as giving him an opportunity to be heard. The Fifth Amendment ensures that the defendant is not tried twice or more for the same offense and by the same authority. This is the right against double jeopardy (Jacobs, 2001) Moreover, the Constitution protects the defendant by guaranteeing that he does not testify against himself or the right against self incrimination (Jacobs, 2001).The rights enumerated under the Sixth Amendment refer to the codified rights of the accused in criminal prosecutions. The rights of the defendant in criminal prosecution are: â€Å"1) right to a speedy trial; 2) right to a public trial; 3) right to a trial by jury; 4) notice of the accusation; (5) right to confront the opposing witnesses; 6) right to compulsory process for obtaining favorable witnesses; and (7) the assistance of counsel or right to counsel† (Oxford Companion, 2005). The right to a speedy trial prevents oppressive incarceration before trial and ensures defense by the accused of his cause.The right to a public trial acts as a safeguard against abuse of judicial power. Moreover, it also assures the accused that he is informed of the charges against him. This is part of due process (Oxford Companion, 2005). The right to confront opposing witnesses refers to the right of the accused to cross examine said witnesses. He is also entitled to subpoena witnesses in his behalf (Oxford Companion, 2005). Finally, the accused is also entitled to be represented by counsel or a lawyer. The Eight Amendment on the other hand proscr ibes excessive bail, cruel and unusual punishments (Jacobs, 2001). The rate of crime in the U.S. is quite appalling and this is blamed on the ineffective criminal justice system. The ineffective system is due to the â€Å"adversarial character and its irrational maze of procedural technicalities. † According to Maechling, the trial is characterized by artificiality whereby it is reduced into nothing but a sport game where defense lawyers try to outwit and use technicalities against the prosecution in their tactical defense theories. Frivolous objections and dilatory tactics mar the trial. By reason of this growing recognition, authorities have started to look into the possibility of reform in the criminal justice system.Synopsis of â€Å"Gideon’s Trumpet† The book written by Anthony Lewis was inspired by the actual court case, Gideon v. Wainwright (1963). Clarence Earl Gideon was arrested for a felony in 1961 in Panama City. The felony under Florida law involved the breaking and entering the Bay Harbor pool hall. During trial before the trial court, Gideon requested for the court to appoint a lawyer to handle his defense. The judge denied his request on the ground that state law allows appointment of counsels for indigents for capital offenses and considering that the felony he was being prosecuted for is not one with a capital penalty but a misdemeanor, i.e. petty larceny; he is therefore not entitled to have a counsel appointed for him. Gideon had no choice but to represent himself. Gideon has been previously convicted of four felonies, homeless and destitute. He had only the education of an eighth grader. He conducted his trial and lost. He was sentenced to imprisonment of five years. Subsequently, he applied for a writ of habeas corpus before the state Supreme Court based on the alleged violation of his rights under the federal Constitution. This was denied.He filed his five-page Petition for Certiorari directed at the Supreme Court of Florida requesting for the Court to take cognizance of his case. He also filed an application to litigate in forma pauperis. His main argument was that his â€Å"conviction violated the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. † He claimed that when he was deprived the right to counsel during a trial for a felony, it was tantamount to depriving him his right to due process of the law. The Supreme Court of U. S. granted Gideon’s petition and the judgment of conviction was reversed and remanded to the Supreme Court of Florida.In so doing, the ruling in the case of Betts v. Brady and Progeny was overturned. In the Betts case, Court ruled that â€Å"the appointment of counsel is not a fundamental right essential to a fair trial† [316 U. S. 455 (1942)]. It laid down the principle that the right to be represented by counsel is not necessary in state cases involving non capital offenses except in special circumstances. In Gideon, the Court i n abandoning the Betts reasoning ruled that the right to assistance of counsel is imperative, basic and fundamental and the Fourteenth Amendment requires that the same be available and applicable in state courts.Synopsis of â€Å"The Onion Field† This book was written by Joseph Wambaugh. The novel is about the two felony car officers who patrolled the side streets of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard. Ian Campbell was breaking in Karl Hettinger, who was newly assigned to felony cars. In the evening of March 9, 1963, both were patrolling and noticed a suspicious 1946 Ford. Both decided to check it out. The two men in the Ford were responsible for the robberies in the area. Powell exited the car and poked a gun at Campbell while Smith exited the passenger side.Hettinger was asked to hand his gun to Smith and both cops were forced to get in the Ford. Campbell at gunpoint drove the Ford while Hettinger laid flat on the floor of the backseat. They were assured that they would be rele ased when they get to the remote area so that it would take time for them to get help. After driving for sometime, they stopped and both were asked to get out of the car. Powell fired at Campbell and hit him in his mouth. Hettinger ran to the field while he heard four more shots. Both culprits were apprehended and went through custodial investigation. Both pointed to each other as to who shot Campbell.After many years of dilatory motions, appeals and lengthy trials, both were found guilty and sentenced to death in 1967. Since death penalty was abolished in the early 1970s, their sentences were commuted to life. Discussion and Analysis The main theme of Gideon’s is that society must protect a person charged with an offense. The rights and liberties afforded to him by the law and the Constitution must be strictly observed and enforced. The accused must be presumed innocent until proven guilty and he must be afforded the right to have counsel because this is part of the right to due process.The study of law requires knowledge, skill and experience in trial proceedings. Even an educated and intelligent man who is not properly educated and trained in law is considered incompetent and unable to defend himself. Courts are created to punish and deprive the guilty of their liberties through imprisonment and other imposable penalties. Thus, it is imperative that if a person is charged with an offense in court he must be able to put a defense and be heard by a properly trained counsel. To deprive him of this would be tantamount to depriving him of due process and would render nugatory the basic tenets of the Bill of Rights.A person charged of an offense would need the expertise of a counsel so that he does not risk himself of being convicted even if he be innocent simply because he does not know how to establish his innocence. More so an uneducated man, a feeble minded person or an indigent. Consequently, it becomes the duty of the court to appoint counsel so that such person may not be denied due process of law as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. The central theme in â€Å"The Onion Field† is that the defendants brought to trial are guilty already.It also justifies the use of deadly force by the police to achieve their ends so that it can serve to prevent crime. It also portrays the weakness of the legal system when it can be manipulated to prolong and lengthen the trial by legal tactics and dilatory measures by the defense which further victimized the cop who survived the crime—Hettinger. He was asked to relive and testify over and over again the details of the incident. The courts have been overly protective of the rights of the defendants that it defeats the very ends of a peaceful and safer society. Similarly, there are two models of criminal law that are subject of heated debates.Central to this controversy is rooted from the goals of the criminal justice system; firstly, the need to enforce and implement the laws to maintain peace and social order and secondly, the need to protect people from being victims of injustice. The first goal is the crime control model, as developed by Herbert Packer in 1960s while the second is the due process model (Schmalleger, 1999). The crime control model has placed its priority upon arrest, prosecution and conviction of criminals. This model supports and justifies all acts of the police and prosecution on an all out war against crime.This includes profiling, sting operations, patrolling areas that are high risk and the like. It entails aggressive identification, pursuit, isolation and prosecution of the criminals. This model allows collateral damage or acceptable losses even if this be a human life (Perron, n. d. ). For instance, a 75-year old minister was handcuffed during a raid on drugs. He suffered and died of a heart attack. Later it turned out that the informant gave a wrong apartment number. The minister is considered a collateral damage in the war aga inst drugs (Perron, n. d. ).Moreover, the crime control model assumes the defendant is already guilty even before trial. In the book, ‘The Onion Field’ the investigating police officers already assumed that Powell and Smith are guilty of the crimes for which they were being investigated even before their trial. This can be seen from Smith’s apprehension when he was thrown to the floor of his bedroom and shouted at by the apprehending officers as a cop-killer. Due to countless motions and re-trials, Hettinger was made to relive and recount his ordeal. He was on moral trial by his colleagues.He resigned and got involved in petty thefts and was never the same again. Hettinger was the collateral damage. The Due Process Model focuses on protecting the rights and liberties of the defendant in criminal prosecutions. Perron, a certified criminal investigator claims that â€Å"the due process model demands a careful and informed consideration of the facts of each individ ual case. According to this model, law enforcement agents must recognize the rights of suspects during arrest, questioning, and handling. In addition, constitutional guarantees must be considered by judges and prosecutors during trials.The primary mission of the due process model is to protect innocent people from wrongful conviction. † This model is guided by the principle that it is better to release guilty persons than to prosecute and incarcerate an innocent person. It recognizes the innocence of the accused before conviction and therefore prescribes as an imperative the observance and respect to the rights of persons during criminal prosecutions. It protects the rights of an individual first and foremost since the rights of one represent the rights of the many (Perron, n. d. ).The book, â€Å"Gideon’s Trumpet† may illustrate the due process model. The case was heard at the time when the Betts principle was controlling. This means that the accused can only be appointed a counsel in case where he is charged with a capital offense. The Supreme Court overturned this dictum and laid down a principle that indigent defendants in all criminal prosecutions must be given the right to assisted by counsel otherwise this will be a denial of his right to due process. Gideon’s upholds the rights of the accused in criminal prosecutions and considers him innocent until proven guilty.To a certain extent, the book ‘The Onion Field’ illustrates also a due process model principle in that the numerous trials and hearings manifested a system that allowed due process or the right of the accused to be heard and present his own evidence during trial. For the law enforcement, the due process model only frustrates and delays the elimination of crime in the society. It is claimed that observance of the rights of the accused only lengthens the process of putting the criminal behind bars. It protects the guilty at the expense of innocent individu als.On the other hand, advocates of due process model believe that crime control model is prone to commit errors that result consequently in the conviction of the innocent. They believe that it is too harsh and believes in the philosophy of a police state (Perron, n. d. ). Conclusion These two models are susceptible to being reconciled and rationalized. As proposed by a noted criminologist Frank Scmalleger in his book, Criminal Justice Today claimed that the American criminal justice system works as a ‘crime control through due process. ’ According to him, this new model balances the different strengths and weaknesses of the previous two models.It harnesses the strong points of each model and avoids their respective pitfalls. This means that law enforcement strategies to control crime and apprehend criminals can continue under the philosophy of still brining the defendant to court for prosecution. Although evidence may be gathered as to prove factual guilt still the jud iciary is left with the role of establishing legal guilt. The greatest challenge that is facing the criminal justice system is finding balance between the rights of the defendant in criminal prosecutions and the interest of the people in the society to impose punishment on the guilty.As between the crime control model and the due process model, I would prefer to live in the due process model of criminal justice. The United States symbolizes stability and democracy and its Constitution as the bedrock of society. Advocating crime control model would mean the higher risk of violations of civil liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and the principles embodied in the Declaration of Independence of our forefathers. All men are created equal with unalienable rights in seeking life, liberty and happiness. By leaving to the power and discretion of the police and law enforcement, the prerogative to adjudge guilt i.e. factual guilt would mean leaving the decision to curtailing freedom and l iberties in the hands of men who are not properly trained to seek legal guilt. It would also mean that rules in determining factual guilt may be relative and subjective unlike if this was determined in accordance with laws and judicial pronouncements based on jurisprudence and sound judicial principles. In order to keep order and peace in a society, laws are to be observed with uniformity and with a clear and informed consideration of the facts before one is convicted.The due process model makes use of an objective and just standards of determination of guilt or innocence rather than one that may be subjective and error prone. References Frase, R. and Weidner, R. â€Å"Criminal justice system – structural and theoretical components of criminal justice systems, the systems in operation, the importance of viewing criminal justice as a system. † American Law and Legal Information web site Crime and Justice vol. 1. Retrieved on November 19, 2007, from http://law. jrank. or g/pages/858/Criminal-Justice-System. html. Jacobs, J.â€Å"Criminal justice in the United States: A primer,† American Studies Journal, 2007 Special Edition, No. 49. Retrieved on November 19, 2007, from http://asjournal. zusas. uni-halle. de/76. html. Jacobs, J. , â€Å"Issues of Democracy,† 2001. Retrieved on November 9, 2007, from http://usinfo. state. gov/journals/itdhr/0701/ijde/jacobs. htm. Lewis, A. , Gideon’s Trumpet, (New York: Random House, Inc. , 1964. Maechling, Jr. , C. , â€Å"The crisis of an American criminal justice† 1996. Retrieved on November 20, 2007, from http://www. cosmos-club. org/web/journals/1996/maechling.html Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States, â€Å"Sixth Amendment† (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005). Peak, K. , Justice Administration, third edition 2001, Prentice Hall. Perron, B. ‘The crime control and due process models’ The Criminal Defense Training Council. Retrieved on Novemb er 21, 2007, from http://www. defenseinvestigator. com/article10. html#_ftnref4 Schmalleger, F. , Criminal Justice Today, fifth edition, Prentice Hall 1999. Wambaugh, F. , The Onion Field, London: Quercus 21 Bloomsbury Square, 2007 edition.

Assessment Essay Example for Free

Assessment Essay Initial assessment- the starting part, used to decide what is known, what needs to be taught and what can be assessed. Formative assessment- this stage is where the learner is still in training and requires feedback on how they are progressing. Summative- used to judge completion. Whether you have passed or not. Holistic- clustering of assessments based on the grouping of a work role, rather than stand alone. Functions of assessment in training – Identify the skill gap – Design the training – Deliver the training – Plan the assessment – Assess – Feedback – Either move on to the next part of training or go back and re do the previous assessment. This starts from the minute you get a new learner signed on. I do this by, setting out a training plan, giving the training, deciding with the learner when we both feel they are ready to be assessed and then do the assessment. With Sonya, she came from another salon where she had already done her level 2, she was about to be signed on to level 3. Before we got her signed on we done an assessment on a colour and a cut to make sure she was competent at level 2. 1:2 Key concepts and principles of assessment Reliability: By using the criteria and qualification and credit framework any assessor working independently should come to the same decision when assessing a learner. The learner should have been given the appropriate training and be competent to do the assessment. Validity: Is the work valid to the unit? The learner should be watched at all times to make sure the work is authentic. Assessments show us, what the learner is capable of and where further training would be required. It would also show if the learner needed any extra help. 1:3 Responsibilities of the assessor – Make sure the candidates logbook is marked of when an assessment has been passed. – Provide opportunities for assessment and make sure you book time out in your column. – Be fair to all candidates, avoid any discrimination, comparing one against the other. – Assess the learner against the national occupational standards and not your own opinion of what the standards should be. – Consider the needs of the individual candidates; one might have a different learning style to the other. Learning difficulties should also be taken into account and help appropriate given where needed. – Plan and assess assessments with candidates. Make sure learner and assessor think it is the right assessment to be done and that the learner is capable of doing the assessment. – Place the learner under no undue pressure. If the candidate does not feel good about doing the assessment you should encourage them, if as an assessor you think they are capable of passing the assessment. But do not apply pressure as this could make the learner worry or feel stressed out by this. – Check and ensure all the evidence is valid, authentic, current, sufficient and reliable. Make sure the work is valid to the unit and accurate, the learners own work, the work is consistent and of the appropriate nvq level criteria and is not a fluke. The work should also be current, i.e. if the learner has transferred salons and had some assessments already signed off you should make sure they are currently competent. – Give constructive feedback. Using â€Å"complement sandwich† Positive comment Critical comment Positive comment Make sure you include the learner to give self assessment so you know how they think they have done. When giving your feedback always start with â€Å"how do you think you did?† Always give feedback promptly and record all assessment decisions and evidence clearly and fully so that everyone can always look back and see what has been said and done. Also in case there are any disagreements on the outcome you can look back at the records. – Agree future action plans with the learner so that both the learner and assessor know what the next stage will be. – Any discussions with the learner should be carried out in a professional manor. During meetings with the learner you should review the progress of assessment plans and determine where additional learning and training is required. I have recently had an issue with one of my trainee’s, she did not want to be taught anymore, and just wanted to be assessed on her cutting. She felt she had had enough training , although I didn’t. As she felt very strongly about this I allowed her to do a model we were going to use as training as an assessment, I did this so she would understand that she needs more training. Once she had completed the assessment I checked the cut, and explained to her where she had gone wrong, and also explained to her that with a little bit more practice she would be able to be assessed on models similar to what she had done and would be able to be marked off on them. She has agreed to have a little bit more training and agreed we will decide together in future when she will be assessed so as not to waste models. 1:4 Regulations and requirements relevant to assess hairdressing. – Realistic working environment. Must develop realistic management procedures that incorporate a ‘salon image’. – All assessments must be carried out under realistic commercial pressures and on paying clients. Assessments should be completed within the commercial timescale. Candidates must be able to achieve a realistic volume of work. – The space per working area conforms to health and safety legislation. – The range of services, professional tools, products, materials and equipment must be up to date and available for use. A reception area for clients to be greeted must be available. It must also include a payment facility. – A retail facility must be provided. Assessment. (2016, Sep 20).

Resilient Cultures by Kicza, John Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Resilient Cultures by Kicza, John - Essay Example This means that those in the east and the north adopted maize farming from the Mexicans or the natives of south west American (30). The Europeans had failed to change the farming system of the Northerners for several years. My thought was, the natives of the east and the north had resisted the European farming system for several years. There are several religious systems in America such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. The native Indians in America had their religious believes before the coming of the Europeans. Slave trade had existed in several European countries before they colonized America. Some of the slaves were taken to work on plantations in America (60). These slaves were captured from different regions in Africa and some from Asia. It could be possible these religious beliefs were introduced by the interaction between the slaves and the American natives. Christianity was dominant among the Europeans, and it was spread across the world. This means that the Europeans introduced Christianity to the Americans and the slaves introduced other religions. Some of the slaves settled permanently in America and had to establish their places of worship. In the second half of the fifteen century, the eastern section of America had begun building the 13 colonies, and Virginia was established in 1607. This shows that as Europe and the Ottoman Empire were dominating, America was advancing. The Americans had acquired architectural design skills from the Europeans. Historically when the Ottoman Empire controlled the Mediterranean, they took silk, spices, porcelain and other valuables from Europe. Applying the same to America, Christopher Columbus was not only looking for a shorter route to china but was also looking for valuable skills and spices in Europe (78). This gave the Americans the wealth and the skills needed to build the colonies and develop the economy of the country. Aztec was an

Research paper-Art history-Choir & apse of San Vitale Essay

Research paper-Art history-Choir & apse of San Vitale - Essay Example The mosaic method has been discovered to be in use in Mesopotamia as early as the fourth millennium B. C and many researchers also feel that mosaics may have origins in imitating the various carpets and tapestries that abounded. (Anthony 27) This paper will discuss three such mosaics: the aspe and choir at San Vitale, the Deesis Mosaic of Christ flanked by the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist and Christ enthroned, the apsidal mosaic in the basilica of Saint Paul’s. Each of these is representational of their religious affiliation as well as their historic and cultural context in which they were created. There is also a sense of humility when faced with these works. The creation of the mosaic itself is somehow representational of the many facets of the art and of the religious tradition it represents. While certainly lacking in depth of filed and light/shadow, the mosaics represent in this sense a divine use of an inner light, a creativity in the weaving of the image that can be achieved in no other art form. One author refers to this Inner Light as, â€Å"The vibrancy of effect produced by decidedly broken color creates a definite esthetic stimulant which in the right surroundings, quickens religious emotion† (Anthony 37). The juxtaposition of varying pieces of glass and fragments of tile create a quality that the mind sees almost as moving and alive, something that seems to touch the soul and heart as well as the eye. This resonance lends itself well to the feeling of spiritual and religious passions. The figures represented are perceived as symbolic icons, which already produces an immediate religious invocation only to be enhanced further by mosaic’s shapes and often brilliant colors. The first mosaic under discussion is found in the Basilica of San Vitale located in Raveena, Italy. The church was consecrated in 547AD and the Archbishop

California Should Have Stricter Divorce Laws Essay

California Should Have Stricter Divorce Laws - Essay Example This skyrocketing number of divorces has resulted in greater numbers of children being separated from one of their parents and cast into an uncertain future. More importantly, California has made divorce such an easy process that it now suffers from a culture of divorce that is void of personal commitment, places career and finance ahead of relationships, and needs to be reformed to make divorces in California a more deliberate process. A major breakdown in marriage that is caused by easy divorce is the breakdown in the trust and commitment that a couple needs to exist as equal partners. This breakdown begins way before a problem in the marriage surfaces. The easy dissolution of a marriage dilutes the traditional marriage vows and leaves them as little more than a casual agreement. When both spouses live with the anxiety created by the knowledge that the marriage can end at any time, and for no good reason, couples are less likely to invest in their relationship. They may be more reluctant to invest in property or children. A difficult, and more thoughtful approach, to divorce could help restore the belief necessary to remove the uneasiness of living with the thought that your spouse is in no way contractually bound to the you. I think it would also be a significant sign to the children that commitment, promises, and sacred vows have a purpose. It is generally held true that children suffer the most in a divorce. Initially they are impacted by the separation from one of their parents and a confused notion that it may have been their fault. Divorced couples that I have known have greater financial problems that directly impact the children. These parents sharing custody, or with single custody, find less time to involve themselves in the child's life. The child may participate in fewer outside the home activities and have less connection with their social environment. I don't believe that remarriage and step-parenting can ever replace the bond of the biological parents in the minds of the children. These difficulties will follow the child through their life and result in alienation and very little faith in the institution of marriage. While children are taught that commitment has less value in a relationship than the convenience of easy separation, the easy divorce laws reinforce the idea in the minds of adults. Making a career choice or a wish to make a geographical move may break up a marriage. If personal fulfillment outweighs the trust that the partner has invested in the relationship, the jilted spouse will be left with the haunting fear of intimacy. They have come into the institution of marriage with uncertainty and leave it with the certainty of mistrust and betrayal. I think that these issues could be addressed by making the laws on divorce stricter in its requirements that lead into the legal finalities. I think stricter laws on divorce would help insure that the intent of marriage is not at the mercy of whimsical personal preferences. Often, these career or personal preferences are a short-term divergence outside the relationship. They may offer a future that appears to be rosier than it will eventually be. Thoughts of infidelity may wane with time, counseling, or reexamination. However, a quick and easy divorce eliminates any possibility of

NO TOPIC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

NO TOPIC - Essay Example There are many ways to success as demonstrated by "A Rice Sandwich" by Sandra Cisneros, where she demonstrates some of them with substantial backing in the process of writing the story. The first means of making it to the end without having to do much is blackmail, which is portrayed thoroughly with different character sin the story, which shows different types of blackmail and how they are used to the advantage of the characters using them. The first case is emotional blackmail, which appears to be the most effective means of making it to the top without investing oneself heavily in the issues that matter. This occurs through establishing an emotional connection and using it to one’s own advantage, where it is applied at the right time to exert the most pressure on the subject to give in to one’s demands. As such, the story depicts this with clarity, where the persona of the story uses tears to will the parents into submission, as there is no desire whatsoever to have lunch at school. The second use of tears as a form of blackmail is portrayed in the nuns’ cases, where tears are the only thing that come out of the persona in the story, when the nuns want the persona to engage in an activity (Cisneros). Consequently, emotional blackmail is an effective way to be successful by wooing people to avoid emotional pain or even sympathize with one’s emotional pain, where crying is now the means of blackmail against subjects in power. This also acts as a form of manipulation, where there are several incidences in the story showing how manipulation serves to achieve success. This leads to the second form of blackmail, which involves having damaging information on someone and using it to one’s advantage as is seen in the case of the nuns against the persona. The nuns ask the persona, where they live, where the persona points to dilapidated apartments, leading to shame and embarrassment, this proves the use of information to exert power against other people and to have one’s way with rebuttal or consequences. The consequences are borne by the person, on whom compromising information exists, leading to their full cooperation and even fulfillment of one’s wishes. The above two-mentioned form of blackmail are also mentioned in "The Circus" by William Saroyan, as means of getting being successful, where information is applied to manipulate individuals to achieve their potential. "The Circus" by William Saroyan portrays information as a way t success, where individuals use information as a motivating factor to work hard or harder in order to ensure that they are successful. Louis Dagget uses information as his path to success, where he takes to heart the words of his superiors in ensuring that he gets to be a lion tamer (Beckhoff 20). Consequently, information becomes as a means of success, where he now seeks to work in a circus irrespective of the position, but as part of the circus crew altogether; furth ermore, means of achieving success are through undermining one’s confidence, which is different from blackmail. Undermining confidence serves as a means of being successful by demeaning one’s sense of self-worth leading in a person giving up his or her standing or position. Undermining one’s confidence dwells on the weaknesses that one has and knows about himself or herself. As such, â€Å"A Rice Sandwich† portrays this way of achieving succ