Colonialism and Imperialism in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay

   Joseph Conrad's novella, Heart of Darkness, describes a life-altering journey that the protagonist, Marlow, experiences in the African Congo.   The story explores the historical period of colonialism in Africa to exemplify Marlow's struggles.   Marlow, like other Europeans of his time, is brought up to believe certain things about colonialism, but his views change as he experiences colonialism first hand. This essay will explore Marlow's view of colonialism, which is shaped through his experiences and also from his relation to Kurtz.   Marlow's understanding of Kurtz's experiences show him the effects colonialism can have on a man's soul.   In Europe, colonialism was emphasized as being a great and noble cause.   It was seen as, the white mans mission to help civilize and improve a savage race.   At the beginning of the book, Marlow talks about the Roman conquest of Britain and the similar situation to that of Africa.   The Romans felt the British people were savage and looked down on them because they believed that they had achieved more.   I believe Marlow drew this comparison to ironically show that the Europeans are not as superior as they think and to demonstrate that they t... ...99. Print. Goonetilleke, D.C.R.A. "Heart of Darkness: Overview." Literature Resources from Gale. Gale, 1994. Web. 18 Oct. 2014.   Hillman, James. "Notes on White Supremacy: Essaying an Archetypal Account of Historical Events," Spring (1986): 29-57. Loe, Thomas. "Heart of Darkness: Overview." Literature Resources from Gale. Gale, 1991. Web. 18 Oct. 2014. McLynn, Frank. Hearts of Darkness: The European Exploration of Africa. New York: Carol & Gey, 1992. Patrick Brantlinger, ?Heart of Darkness: Anti-Imperialism, Racism, or Impressionism?? Criticism (Fall, 1985) 364.  Ã‚  

Arguments Against Slavery in the British Caribbean Essay

As a newspaper reporter in 1825, write an article presenting arguments AGAINST slavery in the British Caribbean under the following headings: i) Economic ii) Religiousiii) Humanitarian On every street corner, in every household, on every tongue and on every wall, contradictory views on the system of slavery are being disputed. The public is being bombarded by the economic, religious and humanitarian views of slavery. The pressing issue that will be highlighted in today’s article is the arguments against slavery. The economic arguments against slavery concentrate on the economic losses experienced by planters and their interests (like the West India Interest etc) from having a system of forced labour as opposed to free paid labour. It is argued that slavery is uneconomic as provisions have to be made to the control of slaves. These provisions are more expensive than the employment of free labour.Slavery is expensive when you add up the costs of buying and keeping the slaves and paying towards the forces needed to prevent revolts. The economist, Adam Smith, in his book â€Å"The Wealth of the Nation† wrote that ‘the work of free men comes cheaper in the end than performed by slaves.’ Slavery makes the slaves a reluctant labour force and so the slaves fell that their labour is useless as all the profits go to the master as the slaves are not allowed to own anything, not even themselves.The investments in slaves are now being wasted as they are dying in large numbers from measles, yaws, dysentery and other diseases. Also slavery is allowing the countries in the British Caribbean, example Jamaica, to become monocultural which is dangerous to our economy; as most of the income comes from there. It can be said that the most important point that can be argued is that British industrial development would be stimulated by free trade as the merchants would be able to buy cheaper goods elsewhere as there would no longer be mercantilism. Adam Smith also said in his book that ‘the laws which stood in the way of free trade were bad for the prosperity of a country as a whole.’ In addition, the religious arguments that were presented by the humanitarians were few; they were used against the enslavement of people. These arguments were from the Christian people in England. They are stressing that slavery is contrary to the will of God. Also, it is said in the bible to â€Å"love thy neighbor as thyself†; however the system of slavery engendered hate rather than role. All men are equal in the sight of God but slaves were subjugated to the will of their master. They believe it is morally wrong to be involved in slavery. The system of slavery violates the notion of justice as it is based on the exploitation of the slaves’ labor with almost total disregard for their rights. The humanitarian arguments are presented as justification for the abolition of slavery. Supporters of slavery argue that slavery is inhumane, unjust cruel, unjust and that punishment meted out to slaves is harsh and brutal. It is also argued that the system of slavery dehumanizes and humiliates slaves as it regards them as part of stock, not as human beings. It is believed that slave owners are not concerned with the wellbeing of their slaves, as food, clothing, housing and medical care are often inadequate. This is also believed to be the reason the slaves often fall prey to a number of diseases. It is also argued that slaves were not protected by the law. The colonial laws for the control of slaves are seen as repressive and do not provide security for them. The judicial system is believed to be titled against the slaves. This person appears so as some judges and magistrates are themselves slave owners, and they did not allow slaves to give evidence against a white person. Slaves also posses no legal right to own any property; they don’t have any right to their families, identify or even their names. The fact that slavery is already existent in Africa is an argument referred to many times in support of slavery, but it is often argued that the conditions of slavery in the Caribbean are far worst than the conditions of the domestic slavery practiced in Africa. Speaking of Africa, it is also believed that slavery has caused a lot of civil war within the continent. The slave trade, it is believed, had led to inter-tribal warfare in Africa, and destroyed family and political structures in its time, leaving the continent in complete devastation.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act Essay

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967 prohibits employers from discriminating against employees, or job candidates, on the basis of age. This law covers workers who are 40 years of age and older. An employer must have at least 20 workers to be covered by this law. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act makes it unlawful for an employer to make employment-related decisions based on an employee’s or a prospective employee’s age. Here are several ways in which workers age 40 and above are covered: †¢An employer can’t make hiring decisions based on an applicant’s age and he or she can’t discriminate based on age when recruiting job candidates, advertising for a job or testing applicants. †¢An employer can’t fire a worker because of his age. †¢An employer can’t use age to classify, segregate or limit an employee if this will negatively affect the employee’s status or deprive him or her of opportunities. †¢An employer can’t use age to determine an employee’s pay. †¢An employer can’t deny benefits to an employee because of the employee’s age. In some circumstances, however, the employer may provide reduced benefits to older workers if the cost of providing those reduced benefits matches the cost of providing benefits to a younger worker. In other words, the cost of providing the benefits to older workers and younger workers must be the same. †¢An employee may take age into account when making an employment-related decision only if it is in regard to an authentic qualification necessary for the business’s operation. Age discrimination involves treating someone (an applicant or employee) less favorably because of his age. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) only forbids age discrimination against people who are age 40 or older. It does not protect workers under the age of 40, although some states do have laws that protect younger workers from age discrimination. It is not illegal for an employer or other covered entity to favor an older worker over a younger one, even if both workers are age 40 or older.Discrimination can occur when the victim and the person who inflicted the discrimination are both over 40. Age Discrimination & Work Situations The law forbids discrimination when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment. Age Discrimination & Harassment It is unlawful to harass a person because of his or her age. Harassment can include, for example, offensive remarks about a person’s age. Although the law doesn’t prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that aren’t very serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted). The harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or someone who is not an employee of the employer, such as a client or customer. Age Discrimination & Employment Policies/Practices An employment policy or practice that applies to everyone, regardless of age, can be illegal if it has a negative impact on applicants or employees age 40 or older and is not based on a reasonable factor other than age (RFOA). The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age. The ADEA’s protections apply to both employees and job applicants. Under the ADEA, it is unlawful to discriminate against a person because of his/her age with respect to any term, condition, or privilege of employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, layoff, compensation, benefits, job assignments, and training. The ADEA permits employers to favor older workers based on age even when doing so adversely affects a younger worker who is 40 or older. It is also unlawful to retaliate against an individual for opposing employment practices that discriminate based on age or for filing an age discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or litigation under the ADEA. The ADEA applies to employers with 20 or more employees, including state and local governments. It also applies to employment agencies and labor organizations, as well as to the federal government. ADEA protections include: †¢Apprenticeship Programs It is generally unlawful for apprenticeship programs, including joint labor-management apprenticeship programs, to discriminate on the basis of an individual’s age. Age limitations in apprenticeship programs are valid only if they fall within certain specific exceptions under the ADEA or if the EEOC grants a specific exemption. †¢Job Notices and Advertisements The ADEA generally makes it unlawful to include age preferences, limitations, or specifications in job notices or advertisements. A job notice or advertisement may specify an age limit only in the rare circumstances where age is shown to be a â€Å"bona fide occupational qualification† (BFOQ) reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the business. †¢Pre-Employment Inquiries The ADEA does not specifically prohibit an employer from asking an applicant’s age or date of birth. However, because such inquiries may deter older workers from applying for employment or may otherwise indicate possible intent to discriminate based on age, requests for age information will be closely scrutinized to make sure that the inquiry was made for a lawful purpose, rather than for a purpose prohibited by the ADEA. If the information is needed for a lawful purpose, it can be obtained after the employee is hired. †¢Benefits The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990 (OWBPA) amended the ADEA to specifically prohibit employers from denying benefits to older employees. Congress recognized that the cost of providing certain benefits to older workers is greater than the cost of providing those same benefits to younger workers, and that those greater costs might create a disincentive to hire older workers. Therefore, in limited circumstances, an employer may be permitted to reduce benefits based on age, as long as the cost of providing the reduced benefits to older workers is no less than the cost of providing benefits to younger workers. Employers are permitted to coordinate retiree health benefit plans with eligibility for Medicare or a comparable state-sponsored health benefit. †¢Waivers of ADEA Rights An employer may ask an employee to waive his/her rights or claims under the ADEA. Such waivers are common in settling ADEA discrimination claims or in connection with exit incentive or other employment termination programs. However, the ADEA, as amended by OWBPA, sets out specific minimum standards that must be met in order for a waiver to be considered knowing and voluntary and, therefore, valid. Among other requirements, a valid ADEA waiver must: obe in writing and be understandable; ospecifically refer to ADEA rights or claims; onot waive rights or claims that may arise in the future; obe in exchange for valuable consideration in addition to anything of value to which the individual already is entitled; oadvise the individual in writing to consult an attorney before signing the waiver; and oprovide the individual at least 21 days to consider the agreement and at least seven days to revoke the agreement after signing it. If an employer requests an ADEA waiver in connection with an exit incentive or other employment termination program, the minimum requirements for a valid waiver are more extensive. See Understanding Waivers of Discrimination Claims in Employee Severance Agreements† at http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/qanda_severance-agreements.html

Hunger Games Research Paper

The Hunger Games The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins, takes place In a post-apocalyptic America with 12 (originally 13) Districts and an over controlling government who lives in the city known as The Capitol. As punishment for an uprising against the government almost 75 years before, each district must volunteer one male and one female between the ages of 12 and 18 every year.The well written and well known trilogy appeared on the American Library Association's (ALAS) list of most frequently banned and challenged books for the second year in a row in 2011 ranking third in cost frequently challenged books. The ALA defines a challenge as â€Å"a formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that a book or other material be restricted or removed because of its content or appropriateness† (ALA). The protagonist in The Hunger Games trilogy, Catkins Overseen, must survive The Hunger Games while facing many challenges.The Hunger Games trilogy is on the LA'S list of Banned and Challenged books because of violence, being unsuited to age group, and being anta-Ethel, despite Its many contributing factors which make It a favorable trilogy, including many historical attributes. Violence is never a good thing, especially when it comes to killing. The Hunger Games trilogy Is a war trilogy with a lot of violence. Collins does a very good Job at putting In an appropriate amount of violence In each book to give It Just the right effect of gruesomeness (Bobbin).The violence in the trilogy occurs very often, mainly while the tributes are in the arena. As the tributes rise up on metal platforms, a giant metallic Cornucopia filled with helpful supplies sits in the center. Just seconds Into the games. Tributes are being slaughtered and picked off by other tributes. A boy. I think from District 9, reaches the pack at the same time I do and for a brief time we grapple for it and then he coughs, spattering my face with blood. I stagger back, repuls ed by the warm sticky spray. Then the boy slips to the ground. That's when I see the knife In his back. Collins 158) Within the first couple of minutes of the games, when everyone charges in to gather supplies from the Cornucopia, fighting starts right away and many tributes are already killed Immediately. When Cat, the male tribute from District 1, sees that the supplies that him, and the members of his alliance, had organized Into a pyramid has been blown up he goes Into a rage and walks over to the boy from District 3, who planted the mines after Cat told him to, and snapped his neck (Collins 224). The violence in this trilogy is ongoing and a natural part of a dyspepsia society.Violence is also one of the main reasons why it has been challenged for being unsuited to the age group targeted. Throughout The Hunger Games, suspense builds and the violence becomes more frequent which is one of the reasons that many parents, including a mother from Softwood, New Hampshire, have challen ged it. In 2010, the mother of a seventh- grade student claimed â€Å"her daughter was having nightmares and that the children In the book were being exploited for their having to fight each other for entertainment† (CTD. In Floorboards).The mother's challenge was unsuccessful and her daughter was taken out of class while the rest of the student read. Society would. A few of these ethical dilemmas include lying and slaughterhouse the trilogy, she is forced to face many choices that go against her morals in order to save someone (including herself) pay the ultimate price of their lives (Bobbin). Not many people would be willing to kill someone for any reason even if it is to save someone else's life which are dilemmas Catkins faces on a day to day basis, both inside the arena and out.A decision that Catkins faces is to either kill her friend and fellow tribute from District 12 and win, or kill herself and let PETA win. Both Catkins and PETA choose that they would rather kill t hemselves than kill one another and let the Capitol have no single victor (Bobbin). There are many other decisions that Catkins and her friends must make throughout the trilogy. Although the Hunger Games has been challenged by many people to be taken off shelves, very few have been successful because it has many contributing factors that make the trilogy marvelous.Many history teachers like to teach this book due to the many historical attributes throughout the book. Many history teachers say that Collins based Catkins off of the hero in the myth of Theses and the Minotaur (or the Labyrinth myth). According to the author of the Percy Jackson series, Rick Ordain, â€Å"Collins has transformed the ancient Labyrinth myth into a terrifyingly believable tale of future America† (Ordain). In a high school in Texas, English teacher Rebecca Tortes stated that â€Å"History teachers also enjoyed the references to classic history and gladiator theme† (CTD. N Smith). Many history teachers say this because fighting for the entertainment of the government is what gladiators and these tributes did. All in all, The Hunger Games is a thrilling trilogy in which many fight for the government's entertainment. Many challenges saying that The Hunger Games are violent, unsuited to the age group, and anti-ethic have been made but few have been successful because of the many historical references made throughout the trilogy.

Analyse the compromises made in the Vienna Convention between common Essay

Analyse the compromises made in the Vienna Convention between common law and civil law approaches to contract formation - Essay Example Many of the principles of international mercantile law were derived from the early rules and traditions formulated in the Middle Ages.2 However, with regard to the unification of laws and the harmonization of principles that govern transnational commerce and in particular, the international sale of goods, serious efforts were undertaken only in the 1930s. The first draft of a uniform law on international sale of goods was developed in 1935, World political events intervened - in particular, the Second World War - and it was only in 1964 when two conventions were approved in a conference at The Hague. These conventions were the Uniform Law on the International Sale of Goods ("ULIS") and the Uniform Law on the Formation of Contracts for the International Sale of Goods ("ULF"). Unfortuna... Many states were not comfortable with the influence of the civil law traditions of Western Europe3 . The failure of these two conventions made one conclusion inescapable: to achieve uniformity and harmonization of the principles governing the international sale of goods, there must be widespread concurrence from a vast majority of state-actors.4 The road towards a unified law was long and arduous. Two years after the conferences at the Hague, the United Nations established the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). However, it took ten years before the UNCITRAL released the 1978 Draft Convention. Perhaps the circumstances were a little different than they were in 1968, and there was a growing realization of the imperative to come up with rules that harmonize international trade law. In 1980, 62 countries came together in a conference in Vienna and, after some debate, approved unanimously the Convention on the International Sale of Goods (CISG). In 1988, the CISG finally came into force. The prefatory statement of the CISG illuminates us as to the overarching goals of the Convention: ''THE STATES PARTIES TO THIS CONVENTION, BEARING IN MIND the broad objectives in the resolution adopted by the sixth special session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on the establishment of a New International Economic Order, CONSIDERING that the development of international trade on the basis of equality and mutual benefit is an important element in promoting friendly relations among States, BEING OF THE OPINION that the adoption of uniform rules which govern contracts for the international sale of goods and take

I have not chosen a topic yet, choose whatever is good Essay

I have not chosen a topic yet, choose whatever is good - Essay Example Similarly, the type of movies people enjoy watching tells the type of character they have as well in real life. On the other hand, some people still have a hard time picking out their favourite movie genre. Consequently, there are various movie genres nowadays that identifying them becomes confusing. Classifying them according to the general emotional effect that it gives on its audience makes it easier for ordinary people to tell which types of movies they like. Based on the dominant feelings drawn from its viewers, it would be appropriate to classify movies into three general categories. The first category for movies would be the drama. Movies that draw out strong emotions from the viewers may be classified under this category. In other words, movies under this group make people cry, fall in love, hate, and hope. Therefore, other movie genres such as romance or love stories fall under this group. The usual plots of drama movies include various themes in the family, friendship and love. Specific examples of such are conflicts between parents, children, as well as parents and children. Themes such as intrapersonal conflicts are also tackled in this type of movie. A huge majority of movies that fall under this category are based on real events and real people in the society. The main purpose of these movies is to impart life’s valuable lessons among its audience. Moreover, another general classification that would be deemed fit is action movies. For the majority of the film, moviegoers feel the sudden rush of blood as they witness the actors involve in a lot of physical activities such as fist fighting, gun fires, running and chasing, wars and the like. Adventure films may be grouped under this category. Furthermore, actions movies are easily identified because its stories center on social and political problems. These types of movies focus on solving interpersonal relationships among co-workers involving

Improving the Quality of Education in the Urban Schools Essay - 2

Improving the Quality of Education in the Urban Schools - Essay Example Ameliorating the teachers’ quality will play a significant role in improving the quality of education in poor urban schools. Miller states that improving the quality of teachers in the urban district schools will play a very crucial role in improving the quality of education in urban schools. I think that Miller is right in saying that the pay that urban teachers receive is very discouraging when reviewed against the high cost of living in urban areas. This discourages many teachers from teaching in these schools and makes it hard for them to attract top talent from other schools or from graduating college students compared to the private schools. Statistics show that a large percentage of the experienced teachers in the urban schools will retire in a decade leaving seven hundred thousand new and untrained school teachers in the urban district schools. In my opinion, this will contribute significantly to increased poor performance in urban schools as the students will be taught by inexperienced school teachers. There is also the issue of bad and poor-performing teachers the urban schools who contribute sig nificantly to the poor performance in these schools (Miller 34). Miller suggests that the state should review the salaries of urban school teachers to enable them to attract top talent. I concur with him and also suggest that the urban school teachers should have pay perks that will help in motivating them by giving bonuses to the top-performing teachers. The federal government should increase their salaries at least fifty per cent, thus attracting college graduates who would have joined other professions due to the salaries. By increasing the teachers’ starting salaries to sixty thousand annually, the union will entice many talented teachers and attract others. However, the issues of poor performing teachers should be addressed.