Ethical Lens Inventory Reflection Essay

My personal ethical lens is â€Å"Rights-responsibility and results lens.† The ethics game defines this lens as â€Å"I balance rationality and my intuition to decide how to complete tasks for the best of an individual.† Ethical lens report www.ethicsgame.com The results of the Ethical Lens Inventory (ELI) state my strengths as making choices for the greater good of everyone involved. I make it priority that each person’s rights are protected to assure everyone in the community is treated fairly. My opinion of ethical behavior is a person who does their job and does the right this as an individual. Meaning by making the right choice as an individual you can make several people happy at one time. When problem solving I analyze the problem thoroughly. I also take in considerations all options that are available to effectively solve the problem. After completing the research of new information I also keep in mind things that have worked for me in the past. I incorporate new information and my past experiences to solve the situation at hand. My weaknesses are defined as believing that my best is good enough. I feel as though I am content as long as I have succeeded. I can sometimes cause upset and pain unintentionally because of this. Another weakness is thinking because someone does not do things my way that it is not being done properly. I tend to become narrow minded. The ELI states I can become judgmental. It also states I may hold to high of expectations for those around me, and I can be an overachiever. It also said I should be careful not to cause failure for myself but putting too much on my plate. Many of my weaknesses can be very hurtful, and I need to be very aware of them. The ELI defines my blind spot as â€Å"Belief that motive justifies method or your own good is good.† â€Å"I sometimes fail to be accountable for those who are depending on me. I become complacent once I have satisfied my own needs, leaving others to fend for their own.† I can honestly say I strongly disagree with this information provided. I do not feel that others cannot depend on me. I am always the one helping everyone in a troubled situation. I hold myself accountable even when others do not. According to the ELI my classic values are temperance and prudence. â€Å"I value balance and restraint in the desire for pleasure. I offer wisdom in areas I am knowledgeable and foresight as I am enlightened. I bring optimism, imagination, and  entrepreneurship to the table.† I feel that this does describe me. I try to always keep an open mind. I love taking in new and fresh idea and strive for success in everything I do. My behaviors are described as following the rules individually while keeping others in mind also. I do what is expected and defined as right. I also try to keep others feelings in consideration so not to cause upset. I found this a bit contradictory to my weaknesses defined above. The ELI has made me aware of a few things that could potentially become serious issues if not focused on. It stated my vice was judgmental or greedy. If this were to show itself I could potentially seriously hurt a person’s feelings. I did not notice that for some individuals I hold extremely high expectations until review the results of the ELI. I have now become aware of this and trying to keep my expectations at a reasonable level. I also have to keep in mind that just because my way does work, someone else can reach the same result I do even if they do not do it my way. The ELI influences critical thinking in many different ways. Depending on where you fell in the lens you could be, like me, autonomous. You do what is right and what is best for you but also for the greater good of everyone. Critical thinking is to ask questions, do not take everything at face value, consider multiple points of view, and then draw a conclusion. I feel ethics can be very personal and emotional. Ethics are something that I feel are taught at a very young age and are groomed throughout life. I feel the same about critical thinking. Critical thinking is a problem solving tool and ethics are how we solve that problem logically. The simplicity of critical thinking breaks down once you involve emotions or personal biases involved. It can hinder a person from seeking multiple points of view. The ELI states that I am rational so I hope this never becomes an issue for me. I found the ELI very enlightening. After review and researching I cannot say I totally agree with everything stated. I will be aware of the things it did bring to my a ttention and try to be sure to keep them at bay.

Of mice and men dramatically conveys to us the vital importance of dreams in helping us to deal Essay

â€Å"Of mice and men dramatically conveys to us the vital importance of dreams in helping us to deal; with the often difficult realities of our lives.† In this novella by John Steinbeck, some characters had dreams to get them out of difficult realities, their dreams helped them to combat the loneliness and hopelessness of there existence. George Milton and Lenny Small, two poor homeless migrant workers who belonged nowhere and to know one were doomed to a life of wandering and toil, in which they will neve be able to reap the fruits of there labour. The one thing that that kept them strong through this repetitive and useless life was a dream. â€Å"Someday we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs† (George- pg 14). It was a dream that was shared by every American worker, to have a place of their own, the opportunity to work for themselves and know one to give them orders. For Lenny the dream was very much real, it helped him to cope with the boredom that he faced and he always went to sleep happy thinking about tending the rabbits. For George on the other hand, the dream was at first like a fairytale he told Lenny to bring a smile upon his face and the promise of tending the rabbits helped him to stay out of trouble but all the while he was very optimistic about the dream and felt that there was no way it would become a reality. George’s first views towards the dream were soon changed when Candy found out about what they were planning, he offers financial help and suddenly a new view is seen of the dream. This unexpected offer by Candy means that the dream is no longer a fantasy and finally all the pain and suffering might have payed off for George, Lenny and Candy but the threat to the fulfilment of this dream is ever present in Lenny’s behaviour and in the end its Lenny’s uncontrollable actions which finally destroy dream. The dream is constantly changing, at first it was just a story told by George to cheer up Lenny, then in the middle it seemed like it would come true and finally in the end it was apparent that everyone’s dreams were shattered with Lenny as the only exception, because he dies happy with the picture of the dream in his head. Candy wishes to share in the dream with George and Lenny because he is becoming old and useless like his dog, he has nowhere to go to and now one to care about him and unlike his dog they’re not going to take him out and shoot him, instead there going to put him in an old folks home where he will feel lonely and have no freedom. By joining Lenny and George he can live out his days happy and free, forever safe knowing he won’t be canned. Once Candy realises that the dream is more or less a reality he stands up for what he believes in with dignity and courage, something he didn’t do before he realised the dream was within reach. Candy realises that he doesn’t have to be the useless old cripple anymore because he can live the rest of his life happy, without being told what to do. Candy’s dream ended in a pessimistic way because all he wanted got destroyed leaving him with nothing and hence left in the same way he was before the dream- old, useless and hanging onto his job by a thread. Crooks dream was to be respected and not judged by his colour, he too wanted to live on the ranch with Candy, George and Lenny. Crooks is an example of the bitterness, anger and hopelessness that a black American struggling to be recognised as a human being is faced with. At first Crooks was most cynical about the dream of owning a ranch but the dream was powerful enough to convince him that it was the real thing for a few moments only to be shattered by Curley’s wife who made it clear that there is no way a black, crippled outcast such as himself would ever make such a dream a reality. That statement that Curly’s wife made, made Crooks realise that he was nothing more than an outcast and what she said was in a way true, with that all the hopes and dreams of Crooks were crushed. Like Crooks, Curley’s wife is stricken with isolation and sadness. She was out of place on the ranch and because of that she was a really lonesome person with lonesome feelings and hence was often desperate for someone to talk to. Throughout the novel Curley’s wife stirred up many emotions among the workers of the ranch, such as the way she looked and acted lead other characters in the novel to see her as a â€Å"tart†. Curly’s wife indulged in a dream which had already passed her by, leaving her with a life of empty hope. Like many young women, she aspired to stardom in films after being wrongly told that she was a â€Å"natural†. At first she seemed cold hearted and set herself to make trouble but then it became apparent that she was just lonely adn wanted someone to talk to and as Curley was not interested in hearing about her hopes or dreams, the only person she found willing to listen to was Lenny.

Adopting Alternatives to the Traditional Criminal Justice System

The following proposal to President Obama is expected to meet his approval.   He would ensure that it is followed, seeing that it is meant to improve the criminal justice system of the United States, thereby enhancing the living standard of the Americans.   It would be easy to pass this proposal with the American public as well.   After all, they do not desire to be held in jails for crimes they have not committed, and neither do they want the lives of fellow Americans destroyed through the traditional criminal justice system.Adopting Humane Crime Deterrance TechniquesA popular theory in management sciences, the Contingency Theory, simply states: ‘It depends!’   Each and every individual exhibiting criminal behavior cannot be jailed, just as each and every victim of abuse does not wish for all perpetrators to be jailed.After all, even children may exhibit behaviors that appear uncivilized, if not criminal; for example, an unruly child in school may smash his frie nd’s head with a football.   Still, a child is a child – at the lower end of the learning curve.This is the reason why alternatives to the traditional criminal justice system, such as shaming, peacemaking strategies and restorative justice are especially recommended for juvenile delinquents (Sherman & Strang, 1997a).As a matter of fact, research has shown that young offenders are most likely to change their problem behaviors through restorative justice techniques rather than court proceedings (Sherman & Strang, 1997a).   Adult drink drivers, too, are very likely to change their problem behavior because of the humaneness of restorative justice (Sherman & Strang, 1997a).Of course, the same has not been said for serial killers or rapists.   After all, there was a reason for the Biblical rule: ‘Eye for an eye, tooth for tooth.’   Just as all types of crimes cannot go unpunished, all types of criminals do not require the harshness of the traditional jus tice system, defined by the terminology of â€Å"punishment, zero tolerance, criminal personality (Wormer, 2002).†The United States jails more individuals than any other place in the world, â€Å"perhaps half a million more than Communist China (Kemp, 2000).†Ã‚   It is not surprising, therefore, that our prisons are overcrowded.   Yet, the victims do not only desire for the perpetrators of crimes to be punished but also shamed so as to keep them from criminal activities in future.Shaming, peacemaking strategies, and restorative justice also carry elements of punishment.   These alternatives to the traditional criminal justice system allow the perpetrator of a crime to be known to all concerned.   However, these alternatives to the traditional justice system are less harsh.What if the person who is said to have committed the crime is innocent?   If a blamed person is truly innocent, the traditional criminal justice system that punishes him or her is a sham at be st.   On the contrary, alternatives to the traditional justice system, e.g. shaming, peacemaking strategies and restorative justice, are more apt to allow for the truth to be known.Then again, the use of humane alternatives to the traditional criminal justice system depends on the extent of justice required by the victim and the seriousness of the crime.   Unfortunately, the traditional criminal justice system often turns a blind eye to itself when it punishes innocent people, when intentions are misjudged, and innocent people are stigmatized as criminals for the rest of their lives.There are countless instances of such crimes perpetrated by the traditional criminal justice system, which is the very reason why alternatives to the traditional system must be thoroughly researched and applied when needed.Seeing that law enforcement personel, lawyers and judges too may misjudge people or hold them for crimes that they are not responsible for – considering the traditional crim inal justice system as a hard and fast rule appears as a crime in itself.   What is more, at times when the traditional criminal justice system fails to deliver, it makes a mockery of justice.There are other loopholes in the traditional criminal justice system as well.   Numberless severely mentally disturbed people, also known as psychopaths, insist on repeating their crimes.   Psychologists offer defense on the behalf of such individuals.It is still debatable whether insanity is an acceptable defense.   If a psychopath constantly harasses an individual, the victim may naturally want the mentally ill person to be punished, if not held behind bars in a mental hospital.Peacemaking strategies, such as getting a â€Å"respected community leader† to arbitrate or mediate disputes, resolve family troubles, and correct behavior by allowing the criminal to perform community service may not work in such cases (Neilson, 1999, 108).   But, even the traditional criminal justice system does not serve its purpose in all cases.It is, therefore, best to consider a mix and match of various crime deterrance techniques.   Unless a young offender is severely mentally ill, alternatives to the traditional criminal justice system, such as shaming, peacemaking strategies and restorative justice, may work best.Unless it is a rape, robbery or murder case, alternatives to the traditional system must also work best on adult offenders that have never received a legal notice in their lives.All that the victim desires is justice.   As Sherman & Strang (1997b) have maintained, if the perpetrator of a crime agrees not to repeat the offence, and manages to keep his or her word, it is perfectly correct to allow the individual to change his or her behavior by realizing his or her folly.   This is the reason why social workers are firm believers in alternatives to the traditional criminal justice system (Wormer).The Contingency Theory should continue to play a central role in the justice system.   Every case brought before law enforcement personnel and courts of law is unique, and must be treated thus.   If everybody is treated as an equal, the criminal justice system would make a mockery of itself playing the game of three blind mice – the ones given the task of meting out justice, the offenders, and the victims.Sane people do not want to be shamed or punished, and if they have mistakenly offended others, are usually prepared to mend their ways especially when mediators are involved in the case.   Human beings have a natural affinity with each other.Almost everybody in the world shrieks in terror at crimes perpetrated against humanity.   Therefore, it is most reasonable to consider the traditional criminal justice system alongside the alternatives to the system.   More correctly, it is necessary to put together the alternatives with the traditional criminal justice system and use the correct measures based on the facts of each case.J ust as everybody is not dishonest, all individuals cannot be expected to have the same level of intelligence or sense of responsibility toward society.ReferencesKemp, R. B. (2000, Mar). The U.S. Penal System: Restorative and/or Retributive Justice.Woodstock Report. Retrieved Nov 28, 2008, from http://woodstock.georgetown.edu/publications/report/r-fea61a.htm.Neilson, M. O. (1999). Navajo Nation Courts, Peacemaking, and Restorative Justice Issues.Journal of Legal Pluralism, Vol. 44. Retrieved Nov 28, 2008, fromhttp://www.jlp.bham.ac.uk/volumes/44/nielsen-art.pdf.Sherman, L. W., & Strang, H. (1997a, Apr). Restorative Justice and Deterring Crime.Australian Institute of Criminology. Retrieved Nov 28, 2008, fromhttp://www.aic.gov.au/rjustice/rise/working/risepap4.html.———————————–. (1997b, Apr). The right kind of shame for crime prevention.Australian Institute of Criminology. Retrieved Nov 28, 2008, from h ttp://www.aic.gov.au/rjustice/rise/working/risepap1.html.Wormer, K. V. (2002, Jan 7). Restorative Justice and Social Work. Social Work Today, Vol. 2,No. 1. Retrieved Nov 28, 2008, fromhttp://www.restorativejustice.org/resources/docs/vanwormer/.

Critical and Creative Thinking Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical and Creative Thinking Questions - Essay Example As I cam to an understanding that not all people are taught in the same way that I was taught, I began to wonder how God could allow so many people to get it so wrong. Somewhere, though, I had an epiphany. Maybe it wasn’t that they were all wrong, but that they just had a difference in the way that they believed. I began to come to a place where I had to believe, because I believed in a just and fair God, that the approach made toward God wasn’t nearly as important as just the belief. If this was not true, then there would only have ever been two choices in believing in God - a single approach toward God, and a single approach away from God. In understanding that variety was not a threat to the way in which I believe, it was possible to have an understanding that the way that others believed was based solely on their traditions, just in the way that I believe based on the traditions of my family and spiritual community, I was able to accept the validity of the beliefs of others and create a more harmonious way in which to live a spiritual life. I do not believe that anyone is free of prejudice. Simply making the choice of how people are judged, provides for prejudice. Even deciding not to associate with a serial killer would be a prejudice (although this would be a prudent prejudice). However, legitimately foul prejudice based on any form of looks or any form of belief is very difficult to completely shed from one’s mind. Walking through an airport, for instance, many people get a tiny twinge when someone from Middle Eastern descent is noticed, even though much has been written and reported on how very small the radical element of the Muslim faith is in percentage to the number who are not of radical and fanatical beliefs. This leads to the most important element of prejudice that must be addressed before prejudice can be eliminated. Fear is the most destructive force in the cause against prejudice. It seems to be a natural

Jean Yip International Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Jean Yip International Marketing - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  Jean Yip group started as a Jean Yip Salon Limited in the year 1982, and Ms. Jean Yip was its founder. Through her exemplary leadership, the company has outspread from a single outlet in Katong Plaza to more than 60 hairdressing, beauty and slimming outlets today. The outlets in key locations all over Singapore. The company has also expanded regionally in cities of Malaysia, Indonesia and China. The group has a brilliant team of more of more than 800 creative hairstylists and professional beauty therapists making it the leading hair and beauty group in Singapore.   This study declares that  Jean Yip provides a wide range of hairdressing services with a little bit over 400 gifted and professional artistic hairstylists who can provide; super shine hair treatment services, super silk hair treatment services and amber duo color services. The company also provides face treatment services. Jean Yip has qualified employees who can perform skin lighten ing, black spot removal, pimple control among many others. The employees of this company are well equipped to perform R6 skin revolution facial treatment.  In terms of boy treatment, Jean Yip can conduct a series of treatments that include; Slimming, permanent hair removal and stretch mark removal services.  Nail care is another service that Jean Yip offers. The company produces brands that are top notch service such as manicured and pedicured nails are some.  

Reflection paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflection - Research Paper Example I like this film because the director is able to find out an apt solution for the emotional problems faced by the high school students. Problems faced by teenagers/adolescents The teenagers/adolescents feel that that they are no more children. On the other side, elders are not ready to consider them as grown up individuals. This status between the worlds of children and elders is really frustrating for the teenagers/adolescents. So, the teenagers/adolescents in high schools are forced to form their own gangs or cliques. In the film, the children from the Shermer High School undergo detention and this change their lives. Barsanti (2010) stated that, â€Å"A cross-section of high schoolers spend Saturday detention testing each other’s limits, probing for weaknesses, categorizing, and defining† (p.49). The students are aware of the fact that they are from different groups and cliques. In the beginning, they refuse to share their personal matters. Gradually, they began to s hare their personal matters and the problems faced by them. In the film, the teenager named as Allison Reynolds reveals that she is compulsive liar. On the other side, John Bender is facing some adjustment problem at his home because homely matters disturb him a lot. In the end, all the children came to realize the fact that they face similar problems. Most of the parents consider that their children should obey them without any objection. One can see that the grass root level reason behind the faced by teenagers/adolescents is interconnected with their families. For instance, the high school children in the film face a number of problems in their families and this leads to further problems at the school. Their hatred towards their parents eventually leads them towards misbehavior and punishment. So, this film reveals that the elders must try to understand the fact that family problems can lead teenagers/adolescents to misbehavior at schools. Family circumstance and individual devel opment In my opinion, family circumstance can exert positive or negative influence on individual development. For instance, most of the troublemakers at schools are from broken families. When a child is not able to have enough emotional attachment at home, it will react in a different way. One can see that the most important factor behind the success of a family is unity or deep relationship among the members. If the elder members of a family fail to provide enough love and care to the youngsters, there exists high possibility for emotional problems. In the film, problems within the private circle leads the children towards further problems at their school. On the other side, their teachers are not ready to find out the reason behind their misbehavior. For instance, their teacher (Mr. Vernon) never tires to find out the reason behind their misconduct. If the teacher tries to talk with them, he can easily find out the problem and can help them to overcome the same. I consider that th e students must try to discuss their problems with their teachers. If students face some problem in their private circle, they can discuss the same with their teachers. In the film, peer group influence is strong among the students and they are not aware of the drawbacks of the same. So, the director makes use of the lives of high school children to reveal the relationship between family circumstan

Requirements and specifications Literature review

Requirements and specifications - Literature review Example ng the combo of MySQL and ASP.net is to make sure that the web interface is robust, data retrieval is quick and robust, and standards can be upgraded easily (Patton, 2005). In order to provide users a perfect match, different search algorithms were taken into consideration. The best one of all the considered algorithms is Classification Tree that would match matches on the basis of their common characteristics. The algorithm is not very complex yet reliable. Users would be able to extract accurate search results just by entering keywords, which would ensure satisfaction of the users and will save their precious time. Apart from this, the problem of users being overlapped by other users in the search results will be solved by implementing the idea of creating sub profiles. Every user will be able to maintain different profiles under different categories (this feature is also available on many other websites to avoid the overlapping issue in search results). The idea of this project is to build a secure and anonymous database for the experimental social science lab at Essex. It is required to set up a whole new database, develop a web portal and an interface for the paid participants that are taking part in the social science experiments in the Essex Laboratory. Database will be filled up by the researchers themselves, as they will upload the information about the subjects whom they want to recruit. Once the database is live, those subjects who meet a certain criteria, set up by the researchers, will be notified automatically. Those subjects who are notified via auto generated emails would be able to line up their visit at the experimental lab according to the system generated schedule. The recommended database for this project is MySQL and web interface would be developed on ASP, harnessing the power of .Net framework 4.0. Upon the entrance of the subjects in the laboratory, their identity will be checked automatically from the database. They will be able to go

Aspects of Policing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Aspects of Policing - Research Paper Example In essence, the same words, "to serve and protect," might be on many police departments' patrol cars, but interpretation is left wide open to the many analysts engaged in the field. Body Traditionally, police officers have been viewed as soldiers engaged in a war on crime. This view has had the detrimental effect of focusing on ineffective strategies for crime control while resulting in a major cause of police violence and civil rights violations. The "war model" inaccurately portrays a ‘search and destroy’ mentality to banish crime, disorder, and the scourge of drugs (Byrne & Pease, 2008). According to DeParis (2000) it does not help that many police departments continue to use a bureaucratic, closed-system approach in an ever-changing and intrusive external environment. Such an environment results in an unstable situation (p. 108). Nevertheless, noteworthy changes in the policing philosophy have resulted in the movement towards community policing. Many feel that this m ovement is the result of police that have not been accountable to the community, but have served status quo interests. Researchers declare that the conversion from traditional policing to a community-oriented approach will be one of the most significant challenges affecting police organizations today (Gilling, 2007). With the help of responsible citizens and progressive police administrators there have been tremendous accomplishments in developing a form of policing that better meets the needs of the community. But Goldstein (2000) complains that the term "community policing" tends to be used indiscriminately to encompass the most ambitious project in policing to the most mundane, without regard for its true meaning. Politicians, administrators and police executives exacerbate the problem by misleading citizens into expectations that community policing will provide instant solutions not only for the problems of crime, disorder, and racial tension but for many of the other acute prob lems that plague the community as well. Of course, the failure of superficial programs with the community-policing label then adds to the frustration of not only the community, but also the police officers involved (Jean, 2007), One reaction in the law enforcement community has been to attempt definition and simplification of the community policing model. This presents a problem for such a complex process as policing. In fact, Goldstein (2000) argues, the field already suffers because so much in policing is oversimplified (p. 72). The criminal justice system has traditionally categorized and defined crime, violence, and disorder into simple convenient terms that act to disguise amorphous, complex problems. Oversimplification places a heavy burden on the police and complicates the police task. Goldstein (2000) explains that the police respond with such equally simplistic terms as "enforcement" and "patrol" in which the community is familiar but does not understand the methods they em brace or their value. Goldstein (2000) is concerned that if community policing is used as just another generic response or simplistic characterization of the police function this truly innovative approach will quickly lose credibility (p. 72) Another concern for police executives making the transition to community policin

EXPEREINCE ATTENDING A REGAEE PARTY OR CONCERT Assignment

EXPEREINCE ATTENDING A REGAEE PARTY OR CONCERT - Assignment Example Even the people’s clothes mirror their current state of mind: psychedelic t-shirts of all colors twisting and turning, as if someone spilt buckets of color on them and then let them go outside. I walk slowly among the crowd, pushing my way through to the bar, and even though the place is crowded, no one seems to mind you pushing them to pass by. They are smiling, nodding in acceptance and good mood, completely letting themselves go, losing themselves in the hypnotic power of music. The rhythm is so intense that it takes hold of you and it doesn’t let go. The people resemble one huge tidal wave of color, of nations, black, white, red, yellow, it doesn’t matter. This is where the whole world is united through music, they are one and I am a part of this divine unity of color. I reach the bar and ask for a drink. The bartender is a young guy, with hands of an octopus, moving so quickly that you can barely see them. With the glass in my hand, I turn to the crowd and j ust watch them, responding to the voice of the DJ, who created a magical relationship between himself and this human tidal wave which is hypnotized by the power of love, unity and human brotherhood that this music conveys. I close my eyes and let myself go†¦

The Iliad And The Epic Style Essay Example for Free

The Iliad And The Epic Style Essay ‘Epos’ which   is the root Greek word for â€Å"epic†Ã‚   means , â€Å"early, unwritten narrative poetry, celebrating incidents of heroic traditions.(Rees.1966). High seriousness and elevated style are associated with epic, which is evidenced in the convention of Invocation at the start of an epic. In Iliad the poet invokes the muse to assist his dedicated labour:   â€Å"Sing Goddess the wrath of Achilles Pleiades/the ruinous anger that woes on the Danna’s brought.† Aristotle in his Poetics describes epic as seeing life as a whole. We see in the Iliad, the epic song as the expression of an entire nation or race, the epic spans a long period of action (at least 10 years of siege and conquest of Troy by the Achaeans). Critics named as ARCHITECTOINICS, the controlled power and design of the epic, in which the poet managed a vast canvass spanning oceans and including the gods in its scope; at the same time never wavering from its central design: the revenge of Achilles and the conquest of Troy are epic subject of the Iliad. Homeric similes and epithets became conventions following the Iliad where Homer constantly engages stock epithets like â€Å"fleet-footed Achilles†,† wine-dark sea† or â€Å"rose fingered dawn†. The epic simile is a device by which the poet would temporarily deviate from his subject while he is making a long drawn out comparison, which in itself stands like a descriptive poem independent of the subject. For example the reaction of Hector on hearing the encouraging words of Apollo in Canto 15 of the Iliad, where the poet launches a detailed comparison of a horse   highly descriptive and grand in its flow, as a parallel to the reviving spirits of Hector.(â€Å"Like a stalled horse fed to the full in the manger/breaks loose from his halter..etc.†) Other conventions like war council, elaborate games and competitions started with Iliad where Achilles is shown throwing a grand Game show after the funeral of his friend Petroclus. The intervention of gods in the destinies and affairs of men is a constant epic feature, called the â€Å"epic Machinery†. The seeds of disaster were in the Olympian incident of Paris son of Priam and prince of Troy acting as Judge in a Beauty competition among Goddesses, Aphrodite, Hera and Athena. Paris decides in favor of Aphrodite as she grants his wish of getting for wife the most beautiful woman. He meets Helen ,wife of Menelaus king of Greece, and abducts her to Troy and thus the Great War starts. It is God Apollo who guides Paris to kill Achilles by sending an arrow at his heels; the fire gods fashion the armor for the invincible Achilles.The gods represent inexorable Fate,in whose grip men are powerless; in whose hands men are puppets. The personae are all divine in origin too. Helen and Achilles’ parentage goes back to Zeus and the sea nymph Thetis respectively; Zeus Athena and Hera have direct stakes in the war, which is but an extension of their strife to control one another. Catalogues of chieftains who participate in the war and the list of the ships launched by Menelaus, which again are part of epic conventions, give an exalted setting to the heroic struggle. The revenge of Hector, the wrath of Achilles, the prolonged siege of Troy   provide the grand and solemn background   against which the characters like Agamemnon Ajax and Hector acquire supernatural stature. The Iliad has highly descriptive passages on the life in Troy, the tragic aspects of war, on friendship and simple aspects of life. The scene of Hector taking leave of his wife is immortal poetry, and the epic itself is a moving expression of heroism high Idealism. And patriotism. The Heroes themselves are partly historic and partly mythical, legendary characters.`   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   REFERENCE: S.O. Andrew M.J. Oakley, (translators) Homer’s Iliad, 1960.London JM Dent SonsLtd. RJ Rees, An Introduction To English Literature,(p.46-50).1966.Macmillan,London.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   [emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected]_

World War One To An Armistice In 1918 History Essay

World War One To An Armistice In 1918 History Essay The failure of the spring offensive in 1918 indicated that Germanys military defeat was imminent. The collapse of Bulgaria and the desperate situation on the Western Front, which was only made worse by the intervention of the American troops, made the Germans take further steps. The German military leaders feared an absolute collapse of the front and that the enemies could make their way farther and could thus claim and take over German territory. In August 1918 the Allies fought the Germans back from their fronts and Ludendorff, a German general, had to inform the Kaiser: We have nearly reached the limit of our powers of resistance. The war must be ended. In September 1918 the German government began negotiations on an armistice with the American President Woodrow Wilson whose 14-points they expected to bring about a peace treaty without too much loss. At the end of September 1918 Bulgaria made peace and one month later Turkey was defeated. Austria was defeated by the Italians at Vittorio Veneto and signed an armistice with the Allies. Germany was now fighting the Allies alone. They had no other choice than to sign an armistice with the Entente in Compià ©gne, France on November 11. This treaty marked the end of World War One. Exhaustion at the front But where did the exhaustion at the front and the necessity of an armistice come from? The first and major reason is that the conditions the soldiers at the fronts had to live with were disastrous. They led to exhaustion and war weariness. When the war began many young men rushed to join the armies to proudly fight for their fatherlands. The British government asked for 100,000 volunteers but after just one month they already had 750,000. However, the peoples enthusiasm did not last. Everyone had believed the war would be over by Christmas 1914; nobody had expected they would continue fighting for four more years.  War-weariness set in. People, both at the so called home front and soldiers fighting at the actual front, were tired of war and disappointed that in spite of the large loss all the armies had suffered, and the fact that not any progress had been made, there was still no end in sight. Soldiers young men of 20 years only had seen their comrades wounded and die one after the other. Either killed by the enemies bullets or bombs or slowly dying of influenza or other disease, caused by the miserable conditions in the trenches. These brave men were fighting in a futile battle, between the dead bodies of their friends, suffering from extreme temperatures and hunger. As a result of the Allied blockade beginning in 1914 German soldiers were exceedingly poorly fed. The allied navies prevented ships sailing directly to Germany providing it with anything that could be used for making war (including food) in order to starve the Germans until they give up and surrender. The Allies also had an overwhelming superiority in artillery, tanks and mechanised transport and their equipment was greatly superior. The Germans had to rely on their superior skill, but they didnt have a top-down command structure like the British or the French. It is said that the Germans were tactically unsurpassed, but operationally deficient and strategically inept. So it was not military prowess that led to the Armistice. A part of the German military leaders didnt want to admit their failure in the battlefield. They claimed that the German army had actually been undefeated and their failure was only due to unpatriotic civilians and treacherous politicians at the home front stabbing their own forces in the back. This untrue theory was called stab-in-the-back-theory (German: Dolchstoßlegende). Exhaustion at the home front But it was not that people at the home front were being unpatriotic that led to the German defeat. Of course many people had lost their belief in their fatherland, but in fact it was the same exhaustion and war weariness as in the battlefield that forced the German leaders to start negotiating about an armistice. Generally the word home front indicates the inclusion of the civil population into warfare, even if the actual front is outside of the populations lebensraum. And indeed, they were involved and suffering from the effects of the war. The biggest problem at the home front was the acute food shortage bare hunger. The civilian population of Germany was suffering. Although the German U-Boat campaign had led to food shortages in Britain the Allied naval blockade that prevented supplies from getting into German ports hit Germany harder. Even worse was that the shortage of food during the war had led to an inflation, a rise in the general level of prices of goods. So those little supplies of food that were available was often not affordable for the common family. Even fuel was short supply and limited. Furthermore the influenza epidemic of 1918 and 1919 killed between 20 and 40 million people in Europe. The so called Spanish Flu also hit German cities and claimed many lives amongst the people, who already suffered from and were weakened by the lack of food. In November 1918 the population was not willing to accept this situation anymore. Strikes and demonstrations paralysed Berlin. Workers went on strike, soldiers refused orders, and the German navy mutinied. The strike and protest spread all over the country. Within a week, there was no more German city that was not involved into the demonstrations, protests and strike developed into a revolution. On 9 November 1918 Germany was declared a democratic republic, which was followed by the formal abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II. On 11 November the Armistice of Compià ¨gne was signed by Center Party deputy Matthias Erzberger. World War I was officially over. Conclusion Exhaustion on the front and on the home front, not military prowess, brought World War I to an Armistice in 1918. The major reasons for the exhaustion were the large losses that the countries had suffered without making any progress. Bad conditions in the battlefield such as hunger and disease caused war weariness. Hunger and very bad living conditions caused exhaustion and war weariness on the home front. The German people was not willing to take this anymore and started a revolution in November. Germany became a republic and finally signed the Armistice of Compià ¨gne on November 11. The Great War was over! An essay by Katharina Voß The information was found at the following pages: http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/learning/bitesize/standard/history/1890_1920/end_of_great_war_rev1.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/german_experience_01.shtml#three http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/braveryinthefield.htm http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/home_front_1914_to_1918.htm http://de.internationalism.org/Welt150_nov1918