The Lottery Essay Example for Free

The Lottery Essay The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a short story about a small town and their unique summer tradition. This stories thematic element is conformity and rebellion, showing a clash between two well-articulated positions in which a rebel, on principle, confronts and struggles with established authority (Abacarian and Klotz, 289). Jacksons short story caught my attention through her suspenseful structural technique, and incorporation of a serious, seemingly absurd, event in a nonchalant manner. Mr. Summers, who devotes his time to running civic activities, runs this event very year on June 27th. The children are always the first to assemble, innocent to the severity of the event that is about to occur. The head of the household each picks a piece of paper out of a black box, and keeps it sealed until everyone has picked. At the same time all of the men open their papers, and whoevers family has the paper with the black dot has been selected. This year, it was the Hutchinson family. Now, the paper with the dot is placed back in the box along with more blank slips to equal the amount of people in the family. They each pick, and the person who picks the lack dot is the winner, who then gets stoned by the town. Until the very end of the short story the reader is very much unaware of the situation and why this lottery is taking place, which is one reason I picked this story. Suspense in a story is one of my favorite elements and always keeps me wanting to read in order to find out what happens. Through most of the story Jackson shows the town quite cheerful and happy, but she begins to hint towards a dramatic event with statements such as a sudden hush fell on the crowd Oackson,342), l wish theyd hurry. I wish theyd hurry Oackson, 343), and a long pause, a breathless pause Oackson, 343). Once I realized what the point of the lottery is, I quickly thought back through the story and realized how apathetic she was towards this event. Throughout the course of the story, Jackson showed many of the characters acting very casual and carefree, even though one of their towns members was about to be stoned. I liked the way Jackson incorporated the idea of stones with the children in the beginning of the story. This makes the reader originally question its relevance and shows the innocence of youth. She then follows later with the elderly man stating that he had been at these lotteries for seventy-seven years, which showed the town being used to the tradition and show normal it was to the society, and how it only negatively affects the person who won and their family. The characters discuss how many towns have gotten rid of this tradition, and Old Man Warner states Nothing but trouble in that,, Old Man Warner said stoutly. Pack of young fools0ackson, 342). This displays the theme of conformity and rebellion, since the younger generations want to get rid of the tradition, and the older enerations with more power over the society believe it is for the best. Even the death of an individual in their town they say is necessary and tradition, which I found astonishing. oliday atmosphere, which concludes with a horrific event. The holiday atmosphere is used to diminish the immortality of the event, but the author successfully uses the happiness to add suspense to the tradition and add a dark twist to the severity of it all. Overall, the suspense positively adds to the structure of the story and the casual aspect of the stoning and death of a citizen follows the theme of conformity and rebellion.

The Left Hand of Darkness: Gethenian Society Essay -- Ursula K. Le Gui

The Left Hand of Darkness: Gethenian Society Upon finishing the novel, The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. Le Guin, what stands out the most in my mind is the strange and complex Gethenian society. There are many aspects, some of which we are accustomed to, and others we would never consider a part of our society. There are things we have never heard of, like kemmer and shifgrethor. As well things every society should have like politics and human interaction. Politics are an important part of the Gethenian society. The political structure varies from country to country, the main two countries being Erhenrang and Orgoreyn. Erhenrang has one supreme ruler, King Argaven, and the equivalent of a prime minister, whereas Orgoreyn, is ruled by a group of thirty-three commensals. Both political structures seem to only have a loose authority over their various domains, and both are concerned with what the other is doing, but neither one wants to be overshadowed. They are aware of what is going on in the opposite government, but only release to the public what they want to have known. That is, whatever makes them look better and the other look much worse. The truth is very hard to come by in these political institutions. Gethenians are not an aggressive people. Violence is not a large problem in the Gethenian society. Violent crime is virtually nonexistent, and is never talked about. However when a crime does occur, usually treason, the perpetrator is sentenced to exile if they live in Erhenrang, or can be sent to a voluntary farm if they are from Orgoreyn. Once exiled, the individual has a certain amount of time to get out of the country or they can and will be killed. Furthermore, anyone who aids them by giving them money, g... ...e is considered lesser or even more qualified for one thing. Every person is considered equal. There is however still a hierarchy of money and power. The people who have greater wealth are usually government officials and people close to the king. Otherwise, everyone shares what they have. A Gethenian would take you in a give you all they have to give, no questions asked. These are the main aspects of Gethenian society as I see them. It seems to me similar to ours; some parts better, some parts worse. It is hard for me to imagine a world where there is no division of stronger and weaker sex as it is still so dominant in our society. It would have an overwhelming effect on everything, which Le Guin shows through her explication of the Gethenian society. Works Cited 1. Le Guin, Ursula K. The Left Hand of Darkness. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group, 1969.

Jane’s Asylum Memorandum and Elian Gonzalez Case Brief Essay

Question Presented Under the Immigration and Naturalization Service requirements for filing a petition for asylum in the U.S., can a relative submit an application on behalf of a minor? Short Answer No. Minors can submit a petition for asylum in the United States, because the Supreme Court feels that application for asylum cannot be made against the wishes of a parent, if the child lacks the mental capacity to request asylum. A third person cannot speak on the behalf of a minor because it is the right of the parent to speak on behalf of his child in the court. Statement of Facts Jane is 14 years old. She has Canadian citizenship and has no dual citizenship with any other country. Her father is a Canadian citizen and her mother is an American citizen. Her parents have been divorced for six years. Her father, John, has primary guardianship in Quebec. During the school breaks and holiday vacations, she lives with her mother, Anne, in New York. John is a high-level government minister, working on creating an independent French Canadian State. Under Canadian law, both Anne and John retained full custodial and parental rights following the divorce. Six months ago, Jane was living in New York during a school break. During the break, Jane telephoned her father asking to be allowed to return to Quebec. John advised her to stay the remainder of the break and try to get along with her mother. Two days later, at 6:00pm, Anne returned from work to find a message on her answering machine from Jane, saying that she was going to live with her uncle, Billy, in California. He is 21 years old. Jane’s message stated that she hated both of her parents and believed that neither of them cared about her at all. Her father received a similar message. Anne died on the way to the airport to catch up with Jane. Jane refuses to return to Canada. Billy wants to file an asylum petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Jane’s behalf since she is a minor. He claims that Jane is afraid to return to Canada due to propaganda issues. Jane claims that other rebellious children and adults who disagree with the goals of the government have been used for propaganda purposes Application The issue of asylum is not always easy and special notes are particularly made for asylum when it seekers involve minors. The United Nations General Assembly recognized and accepted international instruments and documents that contain provisions specifically relating to children. They recognize and promote the principle that children’s rights are human rights, and that children’s rights are universal. See, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, (1948)(e.g., Article 14 provides for the right to apply for asylum, Article 25(2) refers to the special care and assistance required for children). Pursuant to 8 U.S.C 12  §1158 (2004), any foreigner physically in the United States, irrespective of such alien’s status, may apply for asylum. The Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General may grant asylum to any who have filed for asylum and has completed the requirements and followed the required procedures, Id.  § 1158(b) (1) (a). The next part of the issue is who can file for the minor. Jane would be classified as either a minor principal or an unaccompanied minor according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The difference between the two is a minor principal is a person under the age of 18 when filing for asylum by one’s own right, as opposed to as a derivative family member on a parent’s or spouse’s asylum application. An unaccompanied minor principal applicant for asylum who is under 18 years of age and who has no parent or legal guardian in the U.S. who is available to provide care and physical custody. This definition encompasses separated minors, e.g., those who are separated from their parents or guardians, but who are in the informal care and physical custody of other adults, including family members. See, Homeland Security Act 6 U.S.C.  §279 (2002). The latter is better fitting in Jane’s case. Because she is under the age of 18, she left the care of her parent, has no living parent in the United States, and in the physical care of an adult family member. The last part of issue one is the filing an application for asylum be a child. .In Gonzalez v. Reno, 86 F. Supp. 2d 1167 (S.D. Fla. 2000), aff’d, the court found that a child with out mental capacity cannot file asylum against the wishes of parent. In Polovchak, the court concluded the minimum age of 12 was the lowest for the age of majority needed to distinguish the child’s asylum interests that different from those of their parents. Polovchak v. Meese, 774 F.2d 731 (7th Cir. 1985). Jane has a particular fear of being used, as propaganda, in a province political issue will not affect her age to form a political opinion. Matters pertaining to persecution of political opinions of a minor differing than those of a parent cannot be a rejection due to age. See, Civil v. INS, 140 F.3d 52 (1st Cir 1998); Matter of S-P, Int. Dec. 3287 (BIA 1996)(stating that the Ninth Circuit has recognized imputed political opinion as a ground for satisfying the refugee definition). In 1994, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stated, that children and adolescents are entitled to special attention because their needs, and their legal and social status, can be significantly different from those of adults, and from each other as well, due to age-related developmental differences†, Conclusion In conclusion, Jane’s uncle, Billy, cannot file for a petition for asylum on Jane’s behalf. Jane can seek and file a petition for asylum in the United States on her own. Since Jane is 14 years old, she has the mental capacity to file for asylum because the courts view mental capacity for petition of children asylum seekers be at the minimum age of 12. In addition, the claim of being used as propaganda tool to further her father’s actions to have the province become an independent from the Canadian government, allows Jane to have different political opinions of her father. Jane’s status would make her an unaccompanied minor. Her applicant status means that she is an applicant for asylum because she is under 18, has no parent or legal guardian in the U.S, has no legal parent living in the U.S., and is in the informal care and physical custody of an adult family member. It is my opinion that she would have successful results in seeking, filing, and receiving asylum in the U.S. CITATION: Gonzalez v. Reno, 86 F. Supp. 2d 1167 (S.D. Fla. 2000) FACTS: The parties to this case are Elian Gonzalez with Lazaro Gonzalez and Attorney General Janet Reno. Six-year-old Cuban national Elian Gonzalez became the focus of international attention five months ago, on November 25, 1999, when he was rescued by two Miami anglers who found him floating on an inner tube several miles off Fort Lauderdale. Elian was transferred to a United States Coast Guard vessel so he could be transported to a nearby hospital for treatment for dehydration and hypothermia. Elian’s mother, Elisabeth Brotons, drowned during the voyage from Cuba. The INS temporarily paroled him into the care of Lazaro Gonzalez, his great uncle, in Miami. On January 19, 2000, Lazaro Gonzalez, instituted this action as next friend, or alternatively as interim temporary legal custodian, of Elian Gonzalez, a six-year-old child, against the Attorney General, the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (â€Å"INS†), and other federal defendants. The complaint challenged the INS’s refusal to accept and adjudicate two asylum applications that Lazaro submitted with respect to Elian and an essentially identical application that bore Elian’s signature. On January 27, 2000, the government filed a motion to dismiss or, in the alternative, for summary judgment. The district court heard oral argument on the government’s motion on March 9, 2000. On March 21, 2000, the district court granted the government’s motion to dismiss or for summary judgment and dismissed the case. Plaintiff appealed. On April 19, 2000, this Court issued an injunction pending appeal, barring Elian’s removal from the United States during the pendency of this appeal ISSUE: 1. Whether the district court was correct in holding that Elian Gonzalez has no due process rights concerning the manner in which the INS considered the asylum applications filed on his behalf. 2. Whether the INS’s thoroughly considered and crafted approach to considering asylum applications submitted by a third party on behalf of a six-year-old child, against the express wishes of the child’s sole surviving parent. RULE: 1. An unadmitted alien cannot challenge decisions by INS officials with regard to their applications for admission, asylum, or parole on constitutional grounds 2. An application for asylum cannot be made against the wishes of a parent, if the child lacks the mental capacity to request asylum and a third person cannot speak on the behalf of a minor because it is the right of the parent to speak on behalf of his child in the court. ANALYSIS: The Court felt that the district court ruled correctly on its holding that Elian Gonzalez had no due process rights in the way the Attorney General considered the asylum applications submitted for him. The ruling on due process was found to lack merit because â€Å"aliens seeking admission to the United States . . . have no constitutional rights with regard to their applications†, Jean v. Nelson, 727 F.2d 957, 968 (11th Cir. 1984). Although the statute requires the existence of some application procedure so that aliens may apply for asylum, section 1158 says nothing about the particulars of that procedure, 8 U.S.C.  § 1158. The matter for decision is not up for the courts to decide but for the agency to enforcing the statute, in this case the INS, to choose how to fill such gaps. See Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837 (1984), 104 S. Ct. at 2793 The second issue was who could actually speak for Elian Gonzalez. The INS Commissioner reached a decision that a six year old is too young to file an asylum claim on his own. It was therefore the job of the Attorney General Reno’s job to determine who should speak for the child, and she found that the father, Juan Miguel, should speak for the child. In Polovchak v. Meese, 774 F.2d 731 (7th Cir. 1985, the court concluded the minimum age of 12 was the lowest for the age of majority needed to distinguish the child’s asylum interests that different from those of their parents. Lazaro Gonzalez application for guardianship was not allowed because the matter was with immigration lending it to be a federal matter. CONCLUSION: The courts ruled that an alien seeking asylum has no constitutional right to do so, thus removing the power to assert a right to due process under the law. Since Elian was an alien, the Attorney General had full custody over his status. On the second point was could Elian through a third party bring an application for asylum on his behalf. Because Elian was only six years old, he lacked the legal capacity to file for himself. The court felt that only the father could speak for his child. Since the application for asylum was in direct conflict with his wishes, the court saw no reason to reverse the lower court decision therefore sending the child back to his homeland. Had Elian been at least 12 years of age and could articulate the reasons for his fear of being returned to Cuba

Plastic Sergury

A study by Psychology Today magazine shows that many people are not satisfied with their looks: 60,000,000 do not like their noses; 30,000,000 do not like their chins; 6,000,000 do not like their ears and another 6,000,000 do not like their eyes. Unfortunately, with the help of cosmetic surgery, society tries to meet the perfect body image. But is it the universal remedy? Certainly not. To begin with, however small the operation might be, there is always a chance something goes wrong. The numbers are very alarming: in 20% of surgical operations, the patient has to recover from the damage experienced.Although serious risks such as blindness and heavy lung problems are rather rare, less serious ones should not be neglected: chronic pain, allergic reaction, delayed or prolonged healing, †¦ In any case, cosmetic surgery is far from pain free. And what is more, a rather large number of surgeries have already failed. That is to say: the ‘miracle worker' caused many people to die because of operations that were far from needed. Take the 36-year old housewife, Lorraine Batt, for instance. As a result of a surgery which was attempt to remove a scar caused by a caesarean section, she came to an untimely death.Such tragic events are a strong warning that our society has to be less appearance-focused. In addition, effects of surgery will not last. The cosmetic surgery may make you younger for a few years, but life goes on and the wrinkles come back. It is as unnatural to try to possess eternal youth, as it is to oppose the ageing process. Moreover, silicone implants have to be replaced within fifteen years. Yet the fact that this implies a new surgery is often forgotten. A common ground to go through this procedure is to make oneself more confident, comfortable and stronger than others.There are, however, costs to such modifications. The notion that millions of pounds are spent on cosmetic surgery, while millions of people in developing countries need that money , is objectionable. Is it impossible in our modern world to realize this ‘technical innovation' is in fact another example of our western selfishness and self-love? Furthermore, is it right to change the body you are given and transform it into ‘something' you are not? Every single person is unique and that is what makes life so special. The outside appearance is the representation of the inner-self.Therefore, drastically redesigning your looks causes strange effects, which was, for example, the case with Michael Jackson. If your personality is lacking, your appearance will suffer too. Consequently, cosmetic surgery does not make you a different person. As wonderful as this piece of modern medical technology may sound, cosmetic surgery is not all that advantageous and in most of all cases, it is not needed. There is no point in transforming a healthy body. That is why the idea of the perfect body image has to be forgotten, and it has to be recognized that everyone is a s pecial human being. nd May 2008 julielai: I suggest taking out the fourth paragraph all together. But make sure your essay is long enough for your assignment. Perhaps elaborating a bit more on the deaths? Cosmetic surgery: a miracle worker? A study by Psychology Today magazine shows that many people are not satisfied with their looks: 60,000,000 do not like their noses; 30,000,000 do not like their chins; 6,000,000 do not like their ears and another 6,000,000 do not like their eyes. Unfortunately, with the help of cosmetic surgery,  society tries  (people, not society? to meet the perfect body image. But is it the universal remedy? Certainly not. To begin with, however small the operation might be, there is always a chance something goes wrong. The numbers are very alarming: in 20% of surgical operations, the patient has to recover from the damage experienced. (This kind of contradicts the the deaths you mention later):  Typical side effects include  chronic pain, allergic r eaction, delayed or prolonged healing,  not to mention the pain the patient will feel after the operation.But the real risk lies in the possiblitity that the surgery may fail. That is to say: the ‘miracle worker' caused many people to die because of operations that were far from needed. Take the 36-year old housewife, Lorraine Batt, for instance. As a result of a surgery  Ã‚  to remove a scar caused by a caesarean section, she came to an untimely death. Such tragic events are a strong warning that our society has to be less appearance-focused. In addition, effects of surgery will not last.The cosmetic surgery may make you younger for a few years, but life goes on and the wrinkles come back. It is as unnatural to try to possess eternal youth, as it is to oppose the ageing process. Moreover, silicone implants have to be replaced within fifteen years. Yet the fact that this implies a new surgery is often forgotten. Furthermore, is it right to change the body you are given and transform it into ‘something' you are not? Every single person is unique and that is what makes life so special. The outside appearance is the representation of the inner-self.Therefore, drastically redesigning your looks causes strange effects, which was  the case with Michael Jackson. If your personality is lacking, your appearance will suffer too. Consequently, cosmetic surgery does not make you a different person. As wonderful as this piece of modern medical technology may sound, cosmetic surgery is not all that advantageous and in most of all cases, it is not needed. There is no point in transforming a healthy body. That is why the idea of the perfect body image has to be forgotten, and it has to be recognized that everyone is a special human being.

Grapes of Wrath4 essays

Grapes of Wrath4 essays The Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck, is a story about a familys epic Struggles of survival during the time of the depression. Tom, the eldest son of the Joad Family, finds himself in a unique when he must leave his home and head out to California with his family. As Tom and his family headed West on their journey, he found himself as the leader of the family after his grandpa had died and his father was not thinking straight. Throughout the journey, Tom and his mother took care of the family and did the best they could to maintain order in the family. Tom was a good, reasonable person. Sure he had been locked in Prison for four years, but that was only because he got in a drunken fight and killed a man with a shovel. But Tom was only defending himself, he didnt mean to kill the man, but he did. In prison, Tom kept to himself and didnt talk much. He probably figured that was the only way he was going to get out of prison sooner. And his patience paid off, because he was released in four years, instead of seven. When Tom got home, he realized that nothing was left. All of the houses were torn down and everyone was gone. If Tom hadnt seen his old neighbor Muley, he might have never seen his family again. After Muley had told Tom that his family was with his Uncle John, he set out to his Uncles house with his old friend, Casy. As soon as Toms mother saw him standing in the doorway, she was so happy that Her head sank slowly to her side and the fork she was holding in her hand hit the floor (Steinbeck 80). After Tom had re-acquainted ...

Definition of packet ship or packet liner

Definition of packet ship or packet liner Packet ships, packet liners, or simply packets, were sailing ships of the early 1800s that did something which was novel at the time: they departed from port on a regular schedule.   The typical packet sailed between American and British ports, and the ships themselves were designed for the North Atlantic, where storms and rough seas were common. The first of the packet lines was the Black Ball Line, which began sailing between New York City and Liverpool in 1818. The line originally had four ships, and it advertised that one of its ships would leave New York on the first of each month. The regularity of the schedule was an innovation at the time. Within a few years several other companies followed the example of the Black Ball Line, and the North Atlantic was being crossed by ships that regularly battled the elements while remaining close to schedule. The packets, unlike the later and more glamorous clippers, were not designed for speed. They carried cargo and passengers, and for several decades packets were the most efficient way to cross the Atlantic. The use of the word packet to denote a ship began as early as the 16th century, when mail referred to as the packette was carried on ships between England and Ireland. The sail packets were eventually replaced by steamships, and the phrase steam packet became common in the mid-1800s. Also Known As: Atlantic packet

English Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

English - Research Paper Example on that was made during the research was that all the included companies were already optimizing their profits, and that was the reason Google Company collected data from these companies. The entire report covered practices that could lead the company to realize its optimal profits as well as the practices deemed to deny the company its optimal results. The study did not cover the rival companies’ aftermaths of realizing their optimal results since the research was only focused on the Google Company. The limitations encountered were mobility from one company to another. Also, some companies were not willing to share some of the information that we needed and, therefore, much time was used while trying to convince the managers the need for the study. To guide us in the study, we researched on some similar studies that have been done in the past. According to Schoeffler et al, (2014), companies’ management teams have to ensure that they offer the best environment to their employees for optimal profits. Another study conducted by Watson (2013) stated that it is the role of both the senior and junior employees to ensure that the company reaches its optimal production levels. Also, Reichheld and Sasser (2010) wrote that both internal and external factors affect the productivity of any given company. As such, we realized that a company’s productivity is affected by many forces that the company has to be aware of. Yield optimization- this method was found only to work well for the advertising department. Compared to other companies, Google Company has relaxed on using this method and, therefore, this is one of the causes of the company’s low profits. Revenue optimization- in this section, Google Company has managed to improve its relationships with its customers basing on its segmentations. Thus, the company management has dealt with the varying segmentations as required. Also, in the offensive manner, the company has increased its sales by creating new