Comparison of Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band Essay Example

Comparison of Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band Essay Example Comparison of Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band Paper Comparison of Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band Paper Essay Topic: Literature In this essay I am going to compare the similarities and differences in The Speckled Band and Lamb To The slaughter. I will focus on key points of murder mysteries such as; the plot, characterisation, setting, and how the author creates suspense for the reader. Typical ingredients of a murder mystery is that theres the murder, the murderer, the victim, suspects, detectives and or police men, clues; some of these will maybe be red herrings to try and throw the view off the scent, and the motive. One of the short stories I am comparing is The Speckled Band; this was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and was published in 1892. A brief synopsis of the story is that the female protagonist (Helen Stoner) sister (Julia Stoner) has died is suspicious circumstances with no clues left. The main suspect is her step father (Dr Roylott) who is trying to inherit the money left to the by their mother. Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate. The other story is Lamb to the Slaughter; this was written by Roald Dahl and published in 1954. A brief synopsis of the story is that the female protagonist (Mary Maloney) being the stereotypical housewife, and waiting for her husband (Patrick Maloney) to return. He returns; he has to tell her something tells her and she starts acting strange. She carries on as normal and goes to prepare dinner. She gets the giant leg of lamb and clubs him to death with it. She then makes her alibi whilst the police search for clues. Ironically they end up eating the only clue. The Speckled Band being written in 1892 and Lamb to the Slaughter being written in 1954, shows that the difference in dates written makes a difference for the choices made by both the authors. For example Lamb to the Slaughter; has a female killer instead of a male killer which there would have been in 1892 in The Speckled Band. Also Lamb to the Slaughter doesnt use old fashioned English as The Speckled Band does. In Lamb to the Slaughter the story starts out as Mary being the victim as we presume that her husband has told her that he is leaving her and her unborn child, we see Patrick as the villain in this part. In The Speckled Band we know straight away who is portrayed as the villain, Dr Roylott. In Lamb to the Slaughter we are told that it is set in a warm, homely, modern household. The room was warm and clean, the curtains drawn, the two table lamps alight- hers and the one by the empty chair opposite. On the sideboard behind her, two tall glasses, soda water, whisky. Fresh ice cubes in the thermos bucket. This also gives the impression that it is a routine performed every day. In The Speckled Band it is set in the 1800s and people travel by train and dog-cart. We know this because Helen Stoner travelled on both of them. I observe the second half of a return ticket in the palm of your left glove. You must have started early, and yet you had a good drive in a dog-cart, along heavy roads, before you reached the station. The setting of the crime in The Speckled Band is stereotypically correct as it is eerie, mysterious old house. This building was of grey, lichen blocked stone. Suspicion is aroused at the murder site, all of the animals roaming around and the gypsies make the reader suspicious that something is going to happen. The villain of The Speckled Band is Dr Roylott. He is described as very tall So tall was he that his hat actually brushed the cross bar of the doorway and is compared to a bird of prey, His deep set, bile shot eyes, and high thin fleshless nose, gave him somewhat the resemblance to a fierce old bird of prey. He is an aggressive man Last week he hurled the local blacksmith over a parapet into a stream. The villain of Lamb to the Slaughter is Mary Maloney. To start with you wouldnt think this as she is presented as a typical loving, caring housewife who would do anything for her husband, she is also six months pregnant. Darling shall I get your slippers? She took his coat and hung it in the closet. Then she walked over and made the drinks. She is not the typical villain of a murder mystery story, but as the story progresses we discover what she is actually capable of. Both the villains are similar in the way that they prepare alibis to get away with their crimes. Dr Roylott used his knowledge of Indian animals, for example the snake he used to kill Julia Stoner with, because he knew the coroner wouldnt be able to trace the poison or spot the fang marks. Mary used her used her position of a loving wife of a detective to manipulate the officers away from the truth, eventually ironically making them eat the murder weapon. She knew what would have happened to her and her child so she needed a way to stop her from going to jail. Both of the murderers are cunning and both have motives. We sympathise more for Mary because Lamb to the Slaughter is written in the third person narrative, so we see the story from her perspective. The story concentrates on Marys feelings, so we never hear Patricks side of the story. In The Speckled Band Watson is narrating so he is biased towards Holmes, again we never hear Dr Roylotts point of view so this makes him be portrayed as selfish unreasonable and aggressive therefore having no sympathy for him. The victim of The Speckled Band is Julia Stoner and Helen Stoner because of all the mental grief and worrying she has done. We know she has been through a lot of stress as it says Her features and figure were those of a woman of thirty, but her hair was shot with premature grey, and her expression was weary and haggard. Both of the women are portrayed as very vulnerable and defenceless. Very typical of the time as there would not have been many male victims. The victim in Lamb to the Slaughter is Patrick Maloney. He comes across as though something is worrying or bothering him. Then we find out he has to tell Mary something which we presume is that hes leaving her. His agitation is shown in short abrupt sentences sit down sit down for just a minute sit down. As he is answering Mary in such a manner, I dont think the readers sympathise with Patrick because he is portrayed as uncaring for presumably leaving Mary and her unborn child. This makes him seem like the villain more than the victim. The detectives of The Speckled Band are Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr Watson. Compared to Lamb to the Slaughter Holmes takes a more professional role than the officers in Lamb to the Slaughter. Holmes thinks about his duties as a detective first, always thinks methodically about evidence and facts and he takes every little event and clue into account making him very precise. He often goes out of his way to solve the crimes and uses his knowledge as well. It would be a sharp eyed coroner indeed to distinguish the two dark punctures. He acts very calmly and tries to calm down the other people by being gentle and caring towards them. Soothingly bending forward and patting her forearm. The detectives in Lamb to the Slaughter are Jack Noonan another man known as OMalley and other officers who are not named. These detectives are close to Mary and Patrick because of Patricks job. This means they start comforting Mary not for one minute believing that she could of commit such a crime. This is very unprofessional compared to Holmes in The Speckled Band. They let social lives take priority, one by one the others came in and were persuaded to take a little nip of whisky, this being unprofessional like because they shouldnt drink on the job. The detectives presume that of course the murderer was a man Get the weapon and youve got the man. We done expect the detectives to be acting like this, we expect them to be acting professionally and to take all the clues and evidence into consideration, especially at the end we have the dramatic irony of them eating the murder weapon and OMalley saying to Jack Probably right under our very noses. As a modern audience I think that we would prefer Holmes as the detective as it is a very mysterious crime and the audience are wondering all the way through the story how it is going to be solved. In Lamb to the Slaughter tension is built up gradually. The change of atmosphere contributes towards this and also the change from long complex sentences to short, sharp and abrupt sentences. This helps to create tension and build up suspense; it becomes more dramatic as the pace increases. An example of the slow pace is Then she walked over and made the drinks, a strongish one for him and a weaker one for herself this gives the reader a sense of relaxation and calmness. Then as the pace quickens and the sentences get shorter Ill get it she cried jumping up Sit down he said it becomes tenser and less calm. I think the tension build up is quite sudden because the murder is such a surprise and comes out of the blue; this is because we dont expect Mary to perform such a crime because of her profile at the beginning of the story. In The speckled Band the tension surrounding Julias death is created by creating an expectation of the reader that something will happen. This is quite typical of the period it was written in. The noises in the story are eerie and create suspense that something is going to happen, and also the weather. Storms are considered scary and normally signify that something is going to happen. Some of the verbs used to create suspense are sprang rushed and slowly. Sprang gives the impression that something just suddenly sprang out, Rushed gives the impression that they need to rush what they were doing or something may happen, and Slowly gives an impression that they need to do It slowly or something may happen. The way Julia is described adds to the tension as it creates strong images in your imagination, Dreadfully convulsed Swaying and Terrible pain. The tension building techniques used are more obvious in this story compared to Lamb to the Slaughter because there a lot more details and description about the murder. This captures the readers attention, the sentences are a lot shorter, which increases the pace and builds suspense, and they match the feelings of Helen and Julias characters. The structure of Lamb to the Slaughter focuses on the relationship between Mary and Patrick and her actions towards him. How in a state of shock she committed a crime of passion. Also how she avoids getting caught by getting her alibis and her actions and feelings towards others. This keeps the reader in suspense to see what Mary does next and whether the police will find out what she did, and what will happen to her? In The Speckled Band the focus of the story was how Julia was killed, who? How? Why? What? Where? and When? The reader is in suspense thinking about how Holmes is going to solve the murder. All of these aspects also keep the reader interested and waiting to find out what happened. The reader is kept in suspense during the investigation by all the details and description which adds to the build up of the crime and story and the twists in the story. The reader is in suspense as Holmes puts all the clues and evidence together and then finally he tells how he solved the mystery. In Lamb to the slaughter the story ends with dramatic irony with the police eating the murder weapon, the leg of lamb. At the end Mary also starts to giggle as she realises that she has got away with her crime, or so we are led to believe as that is where the story finishes. The Speckled Band ends with Holmes solving the murder, a complete contrast to Lamb to the Slaughter as that is left unfinished. The ending of Lamb to the Slaughter is left very unclear, with no resolution; we are left feeling uncertain as we do not know what is going to happen to Mary. The Speckled Band on the other hand ends with no unsolved pieces, this is a more traditional ending probably appealing to Victorian audience because he solved the case, beating the evil villain making him the hero and the perfect detective. The ending of lamb to the Slaughter would appeal to a more modern audience because Mary is portrayed as a nice person and has her reasons for murder; she tries to escape jail and the crime of passion. It may not be such a bad thing that Mary may get away with the killing because she is pregnant and was in a state of shock so maybe she didnt know what she was doing. This type of ending leaves it open to your own imagination. In my opinion The Speckled Band was a better story because it had more of a mystery to it, although in Lamb to the Slaughter it was a mystery weather or not Mary would get away with it, I preferred the mystery of the murder trying to be solved. The Speckled Band has more twists of story and more suspense in my opinion. I did like the part in Lamb to the Slaughter when the police ironically ate the murder weapon I think this was very clever. Overall I enjoyed both stories but I preferred The Speckled Band.

An Analysis of Macbeths Ambition

An Analysis of Macbeths Ambition In  William Shakespeares tragedy Macbeth, ambition is presented as a dangerous quality. Because it is unchecked by any concept of morality, It causes the downfall of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and triggers a series of deaths, making ambition the driving force of the play. Macbeth: Ambition Macbeth’s ambition is driven by a number of factors, including: Prophecy: The Macbeth witches prophesy that Macbeth will become King. Macbeth believes them and the various prophecies are realized throughout the play. However, it is unclear whether these prophecies are preordained or self fulfilling.Lady Macbeth: his wife is the driving force that encourages Macbeth to overcome his strong sense of guilt and take action on the prophecies. Macbeth’s ambition soon spirals out of control and forces him to murder again and again to cover up his previous wrongdoings. Macbeth’s first victims are the Chamberlains who are blamed and killed by Macbeth for the murder of King Duncan. Banquo’s murder soon follows once Macbeth fears that the truth could be exposed. Consequences Ambition has series consequences in the play: Macbeth is slain as a tyrant and Lady Macbeth commits suicide. Shakespeare does not give either character the opportunity to enjoy what they have achieved – perhaps suggesting that it is more satisfying to achieve your goals fairly than to achieve them through corruption. Ambition and Morality In testing Macduff’s loyalty, Malcolm outlines the difference between ambition and morality by pretending to be greedy and power hungry. He wants to see if Macduff believes these are good qualities for a King to posses. Macduff does not and therefore demonstrates that a moral code is more important in positions of power than blind ambition. At the end of the play, Malcolm is the victorious King and Macbeth’s burning ambition has been extinguished. But is this really the end to over-reaching ambition in the kingdom? The audience is left to wonder if Banquo’s heir will eventually become king as prophesied by the Macbeth witches. Will he act on his own ambition or will fate play a part in realizing the prophecy? Or were the witches’ predictions wrong?

Campus issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Campus issue - Essay Example This assignment therefore discusses the problems that exists in Pepperdine University’s dining places and provides solutions to these problems. One day I had an interesting conversation with my friend Steve Wang who loved sports very much. He said to me, â€Å"After playing basketball with my friends, I become too tired to go upstairs to the Cafe or HAWC. Even though there is a food stand at the FF, the foods served there have lots of calories and students have to queue for long.† Another friend, Yu Duan, says â€Å"After a long sporting activity I need a nearby place to relax. The new cafe offers some nutritious foods such as chicken salad, fruits, and yogurt. However, these foods are high in calories and for sportspeople like us they are detrimental for our health.† From the sentiments of my two friends, it is clear that the University does not have enough food outlets to cater for the variant needs of students. A solution to this would be to build more food joints that would meet the need of different students especially the sportspeople. Breakfast offered in the Cafe has never changed. Omelets, sandwiches and chicken rolls have always been the order of the day. Most students have no interests in such unvaried breakfast menus offered every morning. As a result, most of the students forgo breakfast in the morning. I at one time overheard a student say, â€Å"Breakfast meals in these places are too monotonous. I am automatically full when I think of having breakfast here.† Therefore, I strongly suggest that the administration should direct the personnel in charge to vary the meals and have different meals for every morning. Although some students do not have meals in campus during the weekends, some of us who eat in school during weekends find the meals awful. Freshmen who do not have cars find it particularly difficult to drive downtown and enjoy the delicious foods in restaurants. My friend, Yu Duan, once made an interesting comment. He said, â€Å"The

Do Patients Really Have a Choice in Anaesthesia and Surgery Essay

Do Patients Really Have a Choice in Anaesthesia and Surgery - Essay Example The mere condition of having sensation blocked or the nerves being desensitized is not accepted by many and there may be each to their own reasoning for it. The anesthesia is used to avoid the person undergoing surgery from pain or distress. For different issues, different kinds of anesthesia may be used. There is general, local, regional and dissociative anesthesia, each one used in different cases as each one has their own varying effects. Consent, is now an integral part of pre anesthetic consultation. Nowadays, given the evolved role within the health institutions, plus the legal and ethical issues, the patients are informed about the procedure they will be subjected to during the surgery. Disclosure of information seems to be the most legal and ethical discussion in the consent process. Given the function of any anesthesia, this consent is vital. This reinforces the idea that the given ‘consent’ to the patient before any surgery, is not actually being asked to accep t a procedure but is being offered a range of options from which to choose. Any medical profession indeed respects the patient’s reasoned choice and their right in law to refuse treatments. As anesthetists, the consent process can serve more than one purpose. It protects the practitioner from any ethical or legal issues. It ensures that the patient has agreed to the given way of treatment. The consent is a representation of the choice the patients have today in this. (Slater. R, 2007) No matter what examination or treatment one has to undergo, one may ask their anesthetist if there is any choice in the anesthetic method. One should also understand that some surgeons are more content operating on patients who have received one form of anesthetic rather than another. This most often means that the patient has a general anesthetic, which involves temporary unconsciousness. The article on All about Anesthesia, Do you have a choice, talks about the surgeon not having to choose the type of anesthesia one will receive, unless there is no anesthesia involved in one’s case. (2012) However, the surgeon may discuss the choice with the patient and with their anesthetist. In the same way, ones anesthetist does not choose what operation one will have or how it will be carried out. Again, ones anesthetist may discuss the operation with the patient and the surgeon, particularly if one has special anesthesia problems. The type of anesthesia varies with the given situation. Example for a finger ligament being torn off or the finger’s bone being broken may allow for local anesthesia, this type of a surgery allows a choice from the range of anesthesia. On the other side, during a caesarian, spinal or epidural anesthesia can be used. This type of scenario may allow less choice for the patient because general anesthesia may be harmful to the baby. Another case may involve a heart surgery, which will involve the use of general anesthesia and confine the choice o f the patient. Given the intensity of the situation like a heart surgery, a patient can not choose spinal anesthesia for their own good. This aspect suggests that a patient’s choice depends on the situation they are in. The beginning of this article stated a brief case where the patient would not agree to get their sensation paralyzed for a while, may be due to a range of reasons. These may involve the patient not approving the idea of losing control, issue of allergy,

European Court of Justice - Free

European Court of Justice Free Movement of Persons Essay From early on it became clear to close observers of the EU that the role and rule of law were going to be critical in anchoring EU policy regimes. If the legal system could ensure a high rate of compliance, a way of giving authoritative interpretation to disputed texts, and a means of redress for those for whom the law was created, then the EU process as a whole would gain solidity and a predictability that would help it to be sustained. The ECJ was established in the first treaty texts; these have been virtually unchanged since then, except to cater for the increasing workload and successive enlargements of the EU membership. The ECJ, sited in Luxembourg, is now composed of fifteen judges, as well as the nine advocates-general who deliver preliminary opinions on cases. The SEA in 1986 established a second Court of First Instance, composed now of fifteen judges, to help in handling the heavy flow of cases. The EU has thus something like a supreme court, able to provide an overarching framework of jurisprudence, as well as to deal with litigation, both in cases referred via the national courts and in those that are brought directly before it. The Courts sanctions are mostly the force of their own rulings, backed up in some instances by the ability to impose fines on those (usually companies) found to have broken EU law. The T EU gave the ECJ power to fine member governments for non-application of European law. Also, as a result of its own rulings (especially one of the Factortame cases on fisheries see Chapter 13), damages can be claimed against governments that fail to implement European law correctly. The Courts take their cases in public, but reach their judgments in private by, if necessary, majority votes; the results of their votes are not made public, and minority opinions are not issued. A series of key cases has, since the early 1960s, established important principles of European law, such as: its supremacy over the law of the member states, its direct effect, a doctrine of proportionality, and another of non-discrimination. In doing so the ECJ has gone further in clarifying the rule and the role of law than had specifically been laid down in the treaties. In some policy domains court cases have been one of the key forces in developing EU policy regimes. Table 1. summarize the pattern and volume of cases before the Court. Table 1 New cases at the European Court of Justice, 1972-1997 (no.) (five-year, periods, Since 1972; five-year 1992-1997; each year given) Subject-matter Cases 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1993 1994 1995    1997    until       1971    Agriculture and 99 36 61 83 81 198 210 65 70 60 66 fisheries Transport 3 2 4 5 14 10 11 5 3 11 Taxation 27 1 2 9 35 20 21 25 36 33 61 Free movement of 53 3 25 56 45 33 58 86 79 50 61 goods and customs Competition and 38 6 10 42 34 54 35 20 35 28 45 state aids Freedom of 3 2 4 12 12 20 47 34 46 39 establishment and to provide services Free movement for 37 11 19 17 35 49 59 44 54 70 51 workers and social policy Environment 15 11 11 42 59 47 Rest a 2 16 21 44 23 43 29 26 54 34 Staff of EU 268 23 25 85 77 9 10 5 15 13 14 institutions b Other(ECSC, EAEC, 25 27 11 9 4 13 4 15 privileges and immunities) All 895 82 162 348 395d 438 486c 347 409 420 444 a Inc. common commercial policy and cases under agreements with third countries. b These are contract and social security cases of EU civil servants, mostly dealt with by Court of First Instance created in 1989, except for appeals to ECJ. This strong legal dimension has a large influence on the policy process. Policymakers pay great attention to the legal meaning of the texts that they devise; policy advocates look for legal rules to achieve their objectives, because they know that these are favoured by the institutional system; policy reformers can sometimes use cases to alter the impact of EU policies; and in general there is a presumption that rules will be more or less obeyed. Hence policy-makers have to choose carefully between treaty articles in determining which legal base to use, and to consider car Efully which kind of legislation to make (Reich Harbacevica, 2003). Regulations are directly applicable within the member states once promulgated by the EU institutions. Directives have to be transposed into national law, which allows some flexibility to member governments, but within limits set by the ECJ. Decisions are more limited legal instruments applied to specific circumstances or specific addressees, as in competition policy. All three kinds of law may be made either by the Commission (under delegated powers), or by the Council, or jointly by the Council and EP (under co-decision). And all are subject to challenge through the national and European courts. The vigour of the European legal system is one of the most distinctive features of the EU. It has helped to reinforce the powers and reach of the EU process, although in recent years the ECJ has become a bit more cautious in its judgments. We should note also that in some policy domains member governments have gone to considerable lengths to keep the ECJ out of the picture. Part of the reason for the three-pillar structure of the T EU was to keep both CFSP and JHA well away from the reach of the European legal system. Even though the ToA goes some way towards incorporating parts of JHA and Schengen more fully within the system, it remains contested how far they will be brought within the jurisdiction of the ECJ. One issue which floats in the debate is how far the other European legal order, based on the European Convention of Human Rights attached to the Council of Europe, is to be linked to the EU, and whether the EU should adopt its own Charter on Fundamental Rights. The wider institutional setting The EU institutional system includes in addition a number of additional organizations that have an impact on, or provide instruments for, EU policies. Some are consultative. Some provide control mechanisms. Some provide autonomous operating arms. Consultation and lobbying The founding treaties established the Economic and Social Committee (and the Consultative Committee for the ECSC) as a point of access to the policy process for socioeconomic groups. Its creation borrowed from the corporatist traditions in some of the founder member countries. It has not, however, become an influential body in the policy process. Instead socio-economic groups have found their own more direct points of access since the 1960s, both through EU-Ievel federal associations and through sector-specific trade and producer organizations. These became even more active in the period around the development of the single European market (Forder, 2002). Individual large firms have also taken pains to develop links with the EU institutions, again some since the 1960s, but many more and with more vigour since the early 1980s. A more recent development has been the increased activity of groups and lobbies representing societal interests, the consumers, the environmentalists, womens groups, and increasingly a range of other advocacy groups and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Illustrations of the activities of these different kinds of groups can be found in many of our case-studies (Groenendijk Guild, 2001). The TEU introduced a second consultative body, the Committee of the Regions, in response to the extensive involvement of local and regional authorities in seeking to influence those EU policies that impacted on them. The Committee provides regional and local politicians from the member states with a multilateral forum, and an opportunity to enhance their local political credibility. At least as important, however, is the direct lobbying by infranational (local and regional) authorities, many with their own offices in Brussels. These same infranational authorities also engage in efforts to influence national policy positions and the implementation of Community programmes. Chapters 9 and 13 comment on this in relation to the structural funds and the common fisheries policy. Control and scrutiny In the mid- 1970s concern started to be voiced that the EU policy process was subject to few external controls. The EP at the time had few powers, and national parliaments paid rather little attention to EU legislation and programmes. It was the growing scale and scope of the EU budget and spending programmes that led the arguments about the inadequacy of scrutiny. This led to the creation of the European Court of Auditors by the 1975 Budget Treaty. Since 1978 it has, from its seat in Luxembourg, endeavoured to evaluate systematically both revenue-raising and spending. Both in its Annual Reports and in specific reports it has drawn attention to various weaknesses in the budgetary process, as handled by the Commission and national agencies. Here we should note that about four-fifths of EU budgetary expenditure is disbursed by national agencies. Chapter 8 describes some of the Court of Auditors activities and impact. We note here that many of its criticisms fell for many years on deaf ears member governments that were reluctant to face up to some of the issues, an EP that had other preoccupations, and a Commission which repeatedly undervalued the importance of sound financial management. In late 1998 this situation was reversed by the row over alleged financial mismanagement by the Commission. Another new instrument of post hoc control is provided by the Ombudsman attached to the EP under the provisions of the TEU. The aim is to provide a channel for dealing with cases of maladminstration vis-à  -vis individuals. Thus far the existence of this office has not had a large impact, although it may have contributed to making the policy process a little more open than hitherto. Some control and scrutiny of policy depends on national institutions, both parliamentary and financial. National parliaments had no official recognition in the institutional system until the early 1990s. Each member state had developed its own, mostly rather limited, procedures for national parliamentary scrutiny of EU policy. The same discontent that had led to some strengthening of European procedures started to provoke a debate on national scrutiny. Both the T EU and the ToA mention the importance of encouraging this, although there is little likelihood of standardized procedures emerging. Instead it seems likely that EU-level policy-makers, especially in the Commission, will pay more attention to national parliamentary discussions and appear more readily before national parliamentary committees of inquiry. This heightened sensitivity to country-level preoccupations is becoming a more marked feature of the EU policy process. It may well be emphasized by the establishment of national parliamentary offices in Brussels (by September 1999 from Denmark, Finland, France, and the UK). From market citizenship to political and social citizenship As mentioned previously, 184 it was at the 1972 Paris Summit that European economic integration was put into a broader perspective of social welfare. Since then, the neo-liberal philosophy that was at the basis of the European Economic Community (and still is, to a large extent, at the basis of the European Community, that is, the first pillar of the Union) was gradually turned into a more socially oriented philosophy. From a perspective of citizen rights, this means that the rights that citizens enjoy by virtue of EC law are no longer only â€Å"market rights† but have been enlarged to include â€Å"political rights† as well, and slowly also â€Å"social rights† in the broad sense of the word, that is, rights (and duties) concerned with peoples welfare generally, including work, education, health, and quality of life. 185 This transformation started with the incorporation, by the Maastricht Treaty, of a new part II in the EC Treaty, entitled â€Å"Citizenship of the Union† and composed of Articles 17–22 (ex 8–8e) EC. According to Article 17 (1) EC, citizenship in the Union, â€Å"complement[ing] and not replac[ing] national citizenship, † is established and accorded to every person â€Å"holding the nationality of a Member State.† The rights enjoyed by Union citizens are, according to Article 17 (2), â€Å"the rights conferred by [the EC] Treaty †¦ subject to the duties imposed thereby.† Those rights are in the first place the internal market freedoms (in the exercise of which discrimination on the basis of nationality is prohibited) and related consumer and worker rights specified elsewhere in the treaty. Then, in Articles 18 to 21 EC, a limited number of rights are enumerated, starting with the general right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States and followed by a number of specific political rights: the right to vote and stand as a candidate at municipal and European Parliament elections, the right to diplomatic protection in a third country, 186 the right to petition the European Parliament and to address complaints to the European Ombudsman. In Articles 39–46 of the (as yet non-binding) EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, this list of citizen rights was consolidated, and it was expanded with the rights to good administration and access to documents (Peers, 2004). The enumeration of these lists of rights in the EC Treaty, as amended, and in the EU Charter may seem rather symbolic, many of the rights mentioned being already specified in other treaty provisions. However, the fact should not be overlooked that the rights enumerated in Articles 18 to 21 EC are granted to all citizens, that is, they are unconnected with the exercise of any economic activity. That obviously holds true for the political rights, but it is also becoming increasingly true, as we will see below, for the general right of citizens, established in Article 18 EC, to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States. Among the rights conferred by other treaty provisions are the rights that workers from other Member States, and by extension members of their family (so-called â€Å"dependents†), enjoy in the Member State where they work. These rights remain connected, however, to the status of â€Å"worker† in the sense of Article 39 (1) EC (relating to freedom of movement for workers), as interpreted by the ECJ in numerous judgments. It means, in concrete terms, that nationals from one Member State who want to work in another Member State need a residence permit, for which they must produce proof of engagement from an employer. Similarly, family members, whether from a Member State or a third country, must produce proof of their relationship with the worker. it was expanded with the rights to good administration and access to documents. The enumeration of these lists of rights in the EC Treaty, as amended, and in the EU Charter may seem rather symbolic, many of the rights mentioned being already specified in other treaty provisions. However, the fact should not be overlooked that the rights enumerated in Articles 18 to 21 EC are granted to all citizens, that is, they are unconnected with the exercise of any economic activity. That obviously holds true for the political rights, but it is also becoming increasingly true, as we will see below, for the general right of citizens, established in Article 18 EC, to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States (Pettit, 1997). Among the rights conferred by other treaty provisions are the rights that workers from other Member States, and by extension members of their family (so-called â€Å"dependents†), enjoy in the Member State where they work. 188 These rights remain connected, however, to the status of â€Å"worker† in the sense of Article 39 (1) EC (relating to freedom of movement for workers), as interpreted by the ECJ in numerous judgments. It means, in concrete terms, that nationals from one Member State who want to work in another Member State need a residence permit, for which they must produce proof of engagement from an employer. Similarly, family members, whether from a Member State or a third country, must produce proof of their relationship with the worker. [1] A financial burden on the host Member State, the students right of residence was directly based on Article 18 EC, with the effect that he was entitled in Belgium to financial assistance available to Belgians. In fact, not only EU citizens but also third-country nationals enjoy social rights under certain conditions, principally when they are family members of migrant workers, or migrant workers from countries with which the EU has special agreements. In this context, the Mary Carpenter case deserves to be mentioned: it concerned the right, under EU law, of the non-EU spouse of a U.K. national to remain with him in the United Kingdom, despite her having violated immigration rules. The ECJ ruled in that case that, since the deportation of his spouse (who cared for children from his previous marriage) could adversely affect the husband in the exercise of his (EC) right to provide services in other Member States, the situation fell within the scope of EC law. Furthermore, the Court held that although a Member State may limit the right to provide services on grounds of public policy or public security (as mentioned in Article 46 referring to Article 55 EC), the Member State concerned is bound to observe the human rights requirements embodied in EC law, including respect for the right of family life, as laid down in Article 8 ECHR. Citing the Boultif judgment of the Court of Human Rights, the ECJ held that the U.K. would be violating the right to respect for family life if it expelled Mrs. Carpenter without a more significant public policy reason than violation of immigration laws. The ECJs case law deriving social rights for Union citizens from the free movement and residency right embodied in Article 18 EC raises the delicate issue of how far the ECJ can go in imposing financial burdens on Member State social security systems in the name of solidarity between Union citizens. The issue is underlying many recent judgments, but is most apparent in Baumbast. In that case, the ECJ ruled that Article 18 (1) EC is sufficiently clear and precise to be directly applicable (and directly effective), and this despite the fact, as pointed out previously, that the article submits the free movement and resident right â€Å"to the limitations and conditions contained† in the treaty and in secondary legislation. The question at issue was whether the U.K. immigration authorities could reject Mr. Baumbasts application for renewal of his residence permit on the grounds that he and his family were not insured for emergency treatment in the U.K., where the family lived (although they were covered by comprehensive medical insurance in Germany, of which Mr. Baumbast was a national). Such a residence permit is needed under the three EC directives granting rights of residence to categories of persons other than workers. These directives provide that rights of residence are subject to two conditions: first, the applicant must possess sufficient resources, and, second, he or she must have comprehensive medical insurance for all risks. It was clear, as the court observed that Mr. Baumbast had sufficient resources, but it was equally clear that he had no health insurance for emergency treatment within the U.K (Dougan Spaventa, 2003). In its judgment, the ECJ ruled that the refusal of the British authorities was unfounded. It recognized that the requirements in the directives were permissible, being based on the idea that exercise of the Union citizens right of residency can be subordinated to the legitimate financial interests of the Member State, including the fact that foreign nationals should not become an â€Å"unreasonable burden† on the public finances of the host state. Nevertheless, those limitations and conditions, laid down in secondary Community legislation, must be applied in compliance with general principles of Community law, and in particular with the principle of proportionality. The Court then found that to deny Mr. Baumbast residence solely on the grounds that he lacked medical insurance for emergency treatment within the United Kingdom would be a disproportionate interference with the exercise of his residency right under Article 18 (1) EC. Conclusion The difficulty with the ECJs case law in this case, but also in other â€Å"social rights† cases, is that the Court, and the EU, â€Å"cannot simply grant full rights of residency to all its citizens, because it cannot foot the consequent welfare bill, especially in respect of economically inactive individuals. The aspiration towards a supranational form of social citizenship, which many see embodied in Article 18, must therefore remain sensitive to domestic conceptions of belonging to (and being excluded from) the welfare society.† Apart from this basic question, many other issues of a more specifically legal nature arise, such as which general principles other than proportionality will be permitted to qualify restrictions imposed by secondary Community legislation. The question is most acute with regard to economically inactive and financially dependent persons: What are the benefits of Union citizenship for them? Should they not be able to derive residency rights from fundamental rights provisions, such as respect for private and family life and for human dignity? Should these rights not have an impact upon the ability of Member States to expel individuals who would otherwise be considered an unreasonable burden upon the public purse? A straight answer to that question would be to grant Union citizens who have been lawfully resident in another Member State, for example, at least five consecutive years â€Å"permanent resident† status regardless of their economic or financial status, as is proposed by the Commission in a draft general directive which, if adopted, would replace much of the existing secondary legislation. References Bright; Christopher. Business Law in the European Economic Area. Oxford University, 1994 Case C-413/99, Baumbast and R v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, [2002] ECR I-7091. Case C-60/00, Mary Carpenter v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, [2002] ECR I-6279. Dougan, Michael and Spaventa, Eleanor; â€Å"Educating Rudy and the (Non-) English Patient: A Double-bill on Residency Rights under Article 18 EC, † 28 ELRev., 2003, 699–712. Forder, Caroline; â€Å"Editorial: Common Minimum European Standards in Immigration Matters, † 9 MJ, 2002, 221–29. Groenendijk, Kees and Guild, Elspeth; â€Å"Converging Criteria: Creating an Area of Security of Residence for Europes Third Country Nationals, † 3 EJML, 2001, 37–59, at 52. Goyder; D. G. EC Competition Law. Oxford University Press, 1998 Jarvis; Malcolm A. The Application of EC Law by National Courts: The Free Movement of Goods. Oxford University, 1998 Leibfried, Stephan; Pierson; Paul; European Social Policy: Between Fragmentation and Integration. Brookings Institution, 1995 Pettit, P. Republicanism: A Theory of Freedom and Government (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997). Peers, Steve; â€Å"Implementing Equality? The Directive On Long-Term Third-Country Nationals, † 29 ELRev., 2004, 437–60. Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on the Right of Citizens of the Union and their Family Members to Move and Reside Freely within the Territory of the Member States: COM (2001) 257 final. Reich, Norbert and Harbacevica, Solvita; â€Å"Citizenship and Family on Trial: A Fairly Optimistic Overview of Recent Court Practice with Regard to Free Movement of Persons, † 40 CMLRev., 2003, 615–38. [1] The most important of these measures are: Council Directive 68/360, containing formal requirements for workers and their family members, and Council Regulation 1612/68, concerning the substantive rights and social advantages that workers and their family members enjoy. Further directives relating to rights of residence granted to categories of persons other than genuine workers are: Directive 90/366, replaced later by Directive 93/96, covering students exercising the right of vocational training; Directive 90/365, dealing with persons who have ceased to work; and catch-all Directive 90/364, governing all those persons who did not already enjoy a right of residence under Community law. These three residency directives have in common that the persons involved must have adequate resources not to become a financial burden on the social assistance schemes of the host Member State and must be covered by sickness insurance. For references, see Craig and de Bà ºrca, n. 36 above, 756. Th e scope of these directives was reconsidered by the ECJ in its Grzelczyk and Baumbast judgments mentioned later in the text.

Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide and the Law :: Euthanasia Physician Assisted Suicide

Euthanasia and the Law A severely handicapped or terminally ill person should have the right to choose to live or die. The right to live; the right to choose to live or die should not only be a right allocated for bodied individuals of sound mind but for all human beings. Euthanasia is a controversial issue which encompasses the morals, values and beliefs of our society. Euthanasia, literally defined means "good death". There are two types of euthanasia, active and passive. Active euthanasia is the intentional killing of a person by medical personnel either by a lethal injection or by denying ordinary means of survival. The act of euthanasia called "passive euthanasia", is committed by denying or withholding ordinary medical care to a patient. Currently, under Canadian law euthanasia is prohibited. In Holland euthanasia has been accepted, in principle for terminally- ill patients, on request. It comes to be seen as practice for those whose "quality of life" is judged by themselves as worthless. Even though euthanasia is not yet legal in Holland, it is legally tolerated. Doctors are rarely prosecuted and even more rarely convicted. If euthanasia were to be decriminalized in Canada certain restrictions would have to be put into place, to ensure that a patient's rights are not infringed upon. A living will should be made when the patient is of lucid mind. Also, a council should be selected and outlined in the living will. The council should be chosen by the patient, when the patient is of sound mind and is able to make decisions. The council might consist of the patient's family, doctor or any other he or she feels have the same view or perception of life. Presently in Canada a living will is not a legally binding document. A living will is a document prepared and sighed in advance of illness, in which a person may specify which treatment or care is to be withheld or withdrawn from him or her in certain situations. It is extremely general, trying to cover a wide range of accidents or illnesses and possible treatments. Living wills are created to protect the individual who is unable to participate in decisions

Mccarthy Paper

Ubiquitous Love In the novels, The Road and All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy, McCarthy shows through symbolism and setting, that ever-present love is a basic human need. In The Road, the boy symbolizes faith, and is the source of never-ending love. All the Pretty Horses, the horses symbolize an unfallen spirit, and is the basis of a deep love. In The Road, the desolate and godless world proves to be unforgiving, yet there is a beacon of light and love found through the boy. In All the Pretty Horses, the beautiful yet disappearing Wild West is a source of pain, but also love. McCarthy uses symbolism in both of his novels, to show an underlying importance, and to further enhance his overall theme of needing something concrete to love. In The Road, McCarthy shows how a father and son’s relationship is based off of the father’s unconditional love for the boy. McCarthy writes; â€Å"Can I ask you something? Yes. Of course you can. What would you do if I died? If you died I would want to die too. So you could be with me? Yes. So I could be with you. Okay† (McCarthy 11). This quote dives deep into how the man feels about the boy. Through this quote, the man fully expresses that he would not want to live if he had to live without the boy. The boy proves here to be the man’s only hope and the source of what keeps him going. The boy symbolizes faith in a godless and desolate world. In All the Pretty Horses, horses hold deep importance and meaning for John Grady Cole as he adventures away from home. McCarthy writes, â€Å"What he loved in horses was what he loved in men, the blood and the heat of the blood that ran them† (McCarthy 7). In this quote, John Grady Cole simply, but quite deeply displays his undeniable love for horses. John Grady Cole goes as far as to say that he loves horses equally as much as he loves mankind, and that both horse and man have similar qualities. McCarthy gives great symbolism to the horse, as it is being compared to mankind. Horses symbolize an unfaltering spirit that John Grady Cole so dearly idolizes as he experiences pain and anguish while his beloved Wild West slips through his fingers. The horses are the only thing that John Grady Cole can hold onto from the Wild West. He will hold on strong, no matter what happens to him, and will love horses as he loves mankind. In both The Road and All the Pretty Horses, McCarthy symbolizes holding onto something and never wanting to let go in both the boy and the horses. The boy and the horses prove to be something that is ever-present that the main characters in the novels can love unconditionally. McCarthy uses setting to further enhance plot and the theme that ever-present love is a basic human need. In The Road, McCarthy creates a desolate and destroyed world that the man and the boy find themselves trapped in. McCarthy writes, â€Å"When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of the night he’d reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him. Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what had gone before. Like the onset of some cold glaucoma dimming away the world. His hand rose and fell softly with each precious breath† (McCarthy 1). In this quote, McCarthy sets the stage for what the world looks like. He describes it as extremely dark, and uses the simile of glaucoma to physically describe the Man and Boy’s experiences. The sight of this new, harmed world basically deteriorates your sight, as the world is no long worth looking at. McCarthy also uses strong and consistent word choice with dark, darkness, gray, cold and dimming. These words give rise to the depressing setting that the Man and the Boy are in. Also in this quote, describes the man’s love and protectiveness for the boy. McCarthy uses juxtaposition here to show that despite the dark, dreary and ever discouraging world they are in, there is a strong and deep love that can overcome any type of desperation. In All the Pretty Horses, McCarthy paints a beautiful country whose culture is slowly diminishing. McCarthy writes, â€Å"They rode out along the fence line and across the open pasture-land†¦The light fell away behind them. They rode out on the high prairie where they slowed the horses to a walk and the stars swarmed around them out of the blackness. They heard somewhere in that tenantless night a bell that tolled and ceased where no bell was and they rode out on the round dais of the earth which alone was dark and no light to it and which carried their figures and bore them up into the swarming stars so that they rode not under but among them† (McCarthy 30). In this quote, McCarthy sets up John Grady’s world with incredible imagery, describing the open fields, prairies and the abundance of stars that consume them. John Grady’s world is picturesque and seems quite perfect as the feeling of this quote is quite calming. But, in the face of this beauty, John Grady is still faced with the ever-present disappearance of the Wild West culture. Although McCarthy finds sadness in the beauty, John Grady is yet again placed with his horses. McCarthy describes the men and their horses as â€Å"they† showing an unbreakable bond. In both The Road and All the Pretty Horses, McCarthy uses contrasting settings to ultimately unite them by showing that ever-present love can be found no matter where you are. In the novels, The Road and All the Pretty Horses, McCarthy shows through symbolism and setting that ever-present love is a basic human need. He cleverly displays this by providing similar and contrasting elements. Humans need to know that they have something constant and concrete to love in order to survive. People tend to struggle when faced with challenges alone. The presence of something to love; whether it is a son, or a horse, is essential. This love is what drives the human race to overcome obstacles and barriers throughout life. McCarthy, Cormac. All the Pretty Horses. New York: Knopf, 1992. Print. McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. Print.

Convexity and Nonsatiation

Checking the convexity and nonsatiation assumptions EC201 LSE Margaret Bray October 25, 2009 1 Nonsatiation 1. 1 1. 1. 1 The simple story De? nition and conditions for nonsatiation Informally nonsatiation means that â€Å"more is better†. This is not a precise statement, and it is possible to work with a number of di? erent de? nitions. For EC201 †¢ Nonsatiation means that utility can be increased by increasing consumption of one or both goods. If the utility function is di? erentiable you should test for nonsatiation by ? nding the partial derivatives of the utility function. 1. 1. 2Example: testing for convexity with a Cobb-Douglas utility function A Cobb-Douglas utility function has the form u(x1 , x2 ) = xa xb where a > 0 and b > 0. Here u(x1 , x2 ) = 12 2/5 3/5 x1 x2 . Assuming that x1 > 0 and x2 > 0 the partial derivatives are ? u ?x1 ?u ?x2 = = 2 ? 3/5 3/5 x2 > 0 x 51 3 2/5 ? 2/5 > 0. xx 51 2 (1) (2) You should note that because the partial deriva tives are both strictly1 positive utility is a strictly2 increasing function of both x1 and x2 when x1 > 0 and x2 > 0 so nonsatiation is satis? ed. 1. 1. 3 Implications of nonsatiation 1.If utility is strictly increasing in both goods then the indi? erence curve is downward sloping because if x1 is increased holding x2 constant then utility is increased, so it is necessary to reduce x2 to get back to the original indi? erence curve. 2. If utility is strictly increasing in both goods then a consumer that maximizes utility subject to the budget constraint and nonnegativity constraints will choose a bundle of goods which satis? es the budget constraint as an equality so p1 x1 + p2 x2 = m, because if p1 x1 + p2 x2 < m it is possible to increase utility by increasing x1 and x2 whilst still satisfying the budget constraint. A number is strictly positive if it is greater than 0. function is strictly increasing in x1 if when x0 > x1 and x2 is held constant at x2 then u x0 , x2 & gt; u (x1 , x2 ). 1 1 The important point here is that the inequality > is strict. 2A 1 1. 1. 4 Nonsatiation with perfect complements utility A utility function of the form u (x1 , x2 ) = min (a1 x1 , a2 x2 ) is called a perfect complements utility function, but the partial derivative argument does not work because the partial derivatives do not exist at a point where a1 x1 = a2 x2 which is where the solution to the consumer’s utility maximizing problem always lie.This is discussed in consumer theory worked example 6 1. 2 1. 2. 1 Nonsatiation: beyond EC201 Complications with the Cobb-Douglas utility function A really detailed discussion of nonsatiation with Cobb-Douglas utility would note that the partial derivative argument does not work at points where the partial derivatives do not exist. The partial ? u derivative does not exist if x1 = 0 because the formula requires dividing by 0. Similarly the ? x1 ?u formula for requires dividing by 0 if x2 = 0 so the function does not have a partial derivative with ? x2 respect to x2 when x2 = 0.However observe that if x1 = 0 or x2 = 0 then u(x1 , x2 ) = 0, whereas if x1 > 0 and x2 > 0 then u(x1 , x2 ) > 0 so if one or both x1 and x2 is zero then increasing both x1 and x2 always increases utility. Thus nonsatiation holds for all values of x1 and x2 with x1 ? 0 and x2 ? 0. 1. 2. 2 More general formulations ?u ?u > 0 and > 0 implies nonsatiation. However these conditions can be ?x1 ?x2 weakened considerably without losing the implication that the consumer maximizes utility by choosing a point on the budget line which is what really matters.For example if utility is increasing in good 1 but decreasing in good 2 so good 2 is in fact a â€Å"bad† the consumer maximizes utility by spending all income on good 1 and nothing on good 2. The condition that 2 2. 1 2. 1. 1 Convexity and concavity Concepts Convex sets A set is convex if the straight line joining any two points in the set lies entirely within the set. Figure 1 illustrates convex and non-convex sets. 2. 1. 2 Convex functions A function is convex if the straight line joining any two points on the graph of the function lies entirely on or above the graph as illustrated in ? gure 2.Another way of looking at convex functions is that they are functions for which the set of points lying above the graph is convex. Figure 2 suggests that if the ? rst derivative of a function does not decrease anywhere then the function is convex. This suggestion is correct. If the function has a second derivative that is positive or zero everywhere then the ? rst derivative cannot decrease so the function is convex. This gives a way of testing whether a function is convex. Find the second derivative; if the second derivative is positive or zero everywhere then the function is convex. 2. 1. 3Concave functions Concave functions are important in the theory of the ? rm. A function is concave if the straight line joining any two points on the graph of the function lies entirely on or below the graph as illustrated in ? gure 3. Another way of looking at concave functions is that they are functions for which the set of points lying below the graph is convex. Figure 3 suggests that if the ? rst derivative of a function does not increase anywhere then the function is concave. This suggestion is correct. If the function 2 Convexity Mathematically a set is convex if any straight line joining wo points in the set lies in the set. Which of these sets are convex? B A non-convex convex C D convex non-convex Figure 1: Convex sets A function is convex if a straight line joining two points on its graph lies entirely on or above the function. If the second derivative of the function is positive or zero at every point then x2 the function is convex. 0 x1 Figure 2: A convex function 3 A f unc tio n is c on ca ve if a s tra ight lin e joining tw o po ints on its g ra ph lies en tirely o n or be low the fun ction . If the s ec on d de riv a tiv e o f the fun ction is ne ga tive or zero a t e very p oint the n 2 the fun ction is c on ca ve . ca ve 0 x1 Figure 3: A concave function has a second derivative that is negative or zero everywhere then the ? rst derivative cannot increase so the function is concave. This gives a way of testing whether a function is convex. Find the second derivative; if the second derivative is negative or zero everywhere then the function is concave. You may ? nd it easier to remember the di? erence between convex and concave functions if you think that a function is concave if it has a cave underneath it. 2. 2 2. 2. 1 Convexity in consumer theory De? nitionThe convexity assumption in consumer theory is that for any (x10 , x20 ) the set of points for which u(x1 , x2 ) ? u (x10 , x20 ) is convex. If utility is strictly increasing in both x1 and x2 so the indi? erence curve slopes downwards the convexity assumption is is equivalent to an assumption that thinking of the indi? erence curve as th e graph of a function that gives x2 as a function of x1 the function is convex. ?u ?u > 0 and > 0 so the indi? erence Thus if the test for nonsatiation establishes that both ?x1 ?x2 curves are downward sloping the convexity assumption can be tested by rearranging the equation for an indi? rence curve to get x2 as a function of x1 and u, and then ? nding whether the second derivative ? 2 x2 > 0. ?x2 1 2. 2. 2 Example: testing for convexity with a Cobb-Douglas utility function 2/5 3/5 Here u(x1 , x2 ) = x1 x2 . Write 2/5 3/5 u = x1 x2 . (3) Rearranging to get x2 as a function of x1 and u ?2/3 x2 = u5/3 x1 . Holding u constant so staying on the same indi? erence curve ? x2 2 ?5/3 = ? u5/3 x1 ?x1 3 and 10 5/3 ? 8/3 ? 2 x2 = >0 u x1 ?x2 9 1 4 (4) ?u ?u > 0 and > 0 the indi? erence ?x1 ?x2 curve is downward sloping and the preferred set is above the indi? rence curve so the convexity condition is satis? ed. so on an indi? erence curve x2 is a convex function of x1 . Beca use 2. 2. 3 Algebra problems You should know how to rearrange equation 3 to get equation 4. If this is causing you problems note ? rstly that equation 3 implies that ? ?5/3 2/5 3/5 2/3 u5/3 = x1 x2 = x1 x2 so x2 = 2. 3 u5/3 2/3 x1 ?2/3 = u5/3 x1 . Beyond EC201 Concavity and convexity can be de? ned algebraically and this is essential if you want to prove any results about concavity and convexity rather than appealing to intuition as I have done here.The procedure I have given for checking the convexity condition in consumer theory requires that the ? rst ? u ?u derivatives > 0 and > 0 and does not work with more than two goods. There is a much ? x1 ?x2 more general method; write down the matrix of second derivatives of the function u (x1 , x2 ). If this matrix is positive semide? nite everywhere the function is convex, if the matrix is negative semide? nite everywhere the function is concave. You do not need to know about this for EC201. 5

Sensation and Perception Essays

Sensation and Perception Essays Sensation and Perception Essay Sensation and Perception Essay Sensation is a process by which we detect physical energy from the environment and encode it as neuron signals.   Perception is the process by which we select, organize, and interpret our sensations.   Sensory adaptation occurs when our sensitivity is diminished due to unchanging stimulus; in other words, after constant exposure to a stimulus, our nerve cells fire less frequently (we â€Å"feel it† less, it becomes almost unnoticeable).   Even though sensory adaptation reduces our sensitivity, it enables us to focus our attention on informative changes in our environment, without being distracted by the uninformative constant stimuli we are bombarded with (like the feel of our clothing, or the sound of street noise).Pain is your body’s way of telling you that   something has gone wrong.   It is not just a matter of sensing, but is also a property of the brain.   However, the pain system is not located in any one simple neural cord connected to a specific par t of the brain.   There is no one type of stimulus that triggers pain, and there are no specific receptors for pain.   At low intensities, the stimuli that cause pain can also cause other sensations, such as warmth or coolness.There is no one pain theory that explains all findings, but there are some useful theories that try to offer explanations.   The gate-control theory proposes that the spinal cord contains a neurological â€Å"gate† that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain.   The â€Å"gate† is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain.   In the cultural differences in pain theory, different cultures understand pain differently and place different significance on certain sensations.   One culture’s severe pain might be another’s minor ache, something that is just accepted as the way it is and thus needs to be dealt with, not allowing it to become a primary point of focus.

Sentence Flow

Sentence Flow Sentence Flow Sentence Flow By Maeve Maddox David writes: I was wondering if you could share your thoughts on how to flow from sentence to sentence. I feel mine can be a bit jumpy as I tell the story. Much is written about â€Å"transition sentences,† that is, sentences that bridge paragraphs, but that’s not what this question is about. This question is about what a writer can do to avoid writing paragraphs that all progress to a beat of dumpty-dumpty-dump. Two things contribute to the flow of sentences within a paragraph: 1. sentence length 2. logical progression of thought In browsing my shelves for examples, I realized that some very popular writers don’t seem to share David’s concern regarding â€Å"jumpy† narration. Here’s a typical paragraph from Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code: Langdon and Sophie stepped into another world. The small room before them looked like a lavish sitting room at a fine hotel. Gone were the metal and rivets, replaced with oriental carpets, dark oak furniture, and cushioned chairs. On the broad desk in the middle of the room, two crystal glasses sat beside an opened bottle of Perrier, its bubbles still fizzing. A pewter pot of coffee steamed beside it. Not a complex sentence in sight. It doesn’t seem to matter if Brown is being reflective or describing action. Most of his sentences are simple or compound. Here and there the reader comes across a noun clause introduced by that, or a an adverb clause introduced by as or as if. Mostly it’s dumpty-dumpty-dump. Yes, Dan Brown is a wildly successful writer and I’m happy for him. His gift, however, is story-telling, not writing style. Here are two examples from a novel by a writer who is both an effective story-teller and a fine stylist. The first is a paragraph in which the narrator is reflecting on his life. He is attending the opera with his employer. I suppose I had once aspired to come here and walk among these beautiful, elegant people as one of their own, but that had been long ago, before all my dreams had been dashed like porcelain on paving stones. Now that I was finally here, I felt all the more like a Welsh collier’s brat, as if I were still twelve, nose running, and starting to outgrow my brother’s cast-offs. I was in the right place at the wrong time. Such was the refrain of my life. Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas The first sentence is long and leisurely, suggesting reflection. It contains no fewer than four clauses and numerous phrases. The second sentence has multiple clauses and phrases, but the last two are simple sentences, brusquely bringing the introspection back to the present moment. The second example is from an action paragraph in which the narrator is about to be murdered. The cross spun in a circle, and when it stopped, a pistol was clapped to my head. It was my own revolver. I recognized the filed-down sight. I closed my eyes and felt surprisingly at ease. I was ready to die now. I gave it all over. At that point, I would have preferred a bullet to slow death. Ibid. The first sentence has three clauses joined by the most commonplace conjunctions and and when. The loosely joined clauses suggest a spinning motion. The next two sentences are simple and staccato. Short sentences take the reader along rapidly. They convey the breathlessness felt by the man in danger. The next sentence has two clauses, but they are short and, again, joined by the nearly invisible and. The next three sentences are simple. With the length of the sentences the writer has conveyed both the fear and resignation felt by the narrator. The writer striving for a pleasantly flowing style will vary sentence length and kind, crafting length to thought. Here are some joining words with which to introduce subordinate clauses. Subordinate conjunctions after, although, as, as if, as long as, as much as, as soon as, as though, because, before, even if, even though, how, if, inasmuch, in order that, lest, now, provided (that),   since, so that, than, that, though, till, unless, until, when, whenever, where, wherever, while, Conjunctive adverbs accordingly, also, anyway, again, besides, certainly, consequently, contrarily, finally, further, furthermore, elsewhere, hence, henceforth, however, in contrast, incidentally, indeed, instead, likewise, meanwhile, moreover, namely, nevertheless, next, nonetheless, now, otherwise, rather, similarly, so, subsequently, still, that is, then, thereafter, therefore, thus, undoubtedly, yet Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good With20 Words Meaning "Being or Existing in the Past"Epidemic vs. Pandemic vs. Endemic

The devil's highway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The devil's highway - Essay Example The problem between the Mexican and US borders needs to be viewed from the humanitarian angle. But unfortunately it is (mis)managed and treated as if it is a war-zone. The book by Luis Alberto Urrea, â€Å"The Devil’s Highway: A True Story,† highlights a grave incident. More must have happened in the past. This highway is managed by insensitive personnel, with devilish tendencies. In May 2001, twenty-six Mexican men smuggled themselves through the border and reached an area of the deadly Arizona desert known as the Devil’s Highway. The dangers ahead were well-known to them. Yet for the sake of a bright career, they mortgaged their lives. Through the arduous journey, 14 died and 12 reached their destination. The author describes the disposal of the dead bodies thus: â€Å"The dead bodies, dense and dark, were zipped into bags and delivered to the loading docks.† (Urrea, p.191)The hurdles before them were obvious-- La Migra-the US Border patrol, the Mexican Federals, gung-ho gringo vigilantes, who invariably took law into their own hands, the burning 110 degree sun that spared none, the rattlesnakes, and what not! The coy otes were the group’s smugglers, who specialized in such adventurous clandestine immigration activity. While narrating the grim tragedy that struck this group of 26, the author analyzes the economic factors and the harsh immigration policy, which creates the artificial barrier between the peoples. The conditions at both the borders are no helpful; they are exploitative. The saga of the twenty-six men contains the important message for the right-thinking people of both the countries, Mexico and USA. The pages of human history are daubed in bloodshed in the name religion, race, color and territorial aggrandizement and they raise several crying questions for humanity. Industrialization, internet revolution, material civilization and globalization have added one more acute problem to the existing woes of the humanity—that of