Is Free Trade Desirable? Essay

The first part of this essay will be aimed towards understanding the concept of globalisation. We will analyse the various advantages and disadvantages that arise as a result of globalisation. The second part of the essay will concentrate on investigating the benefits and drawbacks that arise from the free trade. In order to devise an accurate and informative response to the essay question we must first understand the concept of globalisation. Globalisation is about what is happening to economies on a world scale. Although the idea is not often clear, everyone who talks about the concept recognises that the countries of the world tend to divide into two groups: those with developed economies and those that are sometimes referred to as developing countries. The economically developed countries have modern industries and technologies (the U.S, Japan and the countries of western Europe). The developing countries (most of Asia, Latin America, and Africa) have more lower incomes and large groups of impoverished people, especially peasants. However some countries are in between and have characteristics of both kinds of economies (for example, states of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe). The economic interactions of globalisation are fundamentally about big capitals of the developed countries that operate around the world. These are sometimes called multinational corporations; these dominate the economies of the developing countries along with a handful of global agencies such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organisation and the G-7 central banks. The results affect the majority of the working population in the developed countries, as shown by issues like runaway factories, satellite-linked offices and the attack on social welfare programs in the name of the free market. The term globalisation was originally started in the 1960’s to describe  international capital flows. Today however, globalisation is not just capital flow, but a revolution to make individual nations part of a global village, under one legislation. Basically, it’s to remove the distance between countries. As a result, it’s also the restructuring of everything, from politics, to the economy, to make it part of a global economy. The defining characteristic of globalisation is a free market capitalism and trade liberalisation. The consequences of these changed however, have not been discussed and are under heated debate. While some people think of globalisation as primarily a synonym for global business, it is much more than that. The same forces that allow businesses to operate as if national borders did not exist also allow social activists, labour organizers, journalists, academics, and many others to work on a global stage. With the technological revolution, it is now a lot easier to do so. Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalisation The existence of trade has always been present between people and between countries. However since the 2nd World War trade in goods and assets has gained a larger significance everywhere. There are various advantages related to globalisation – first the foremost related to trade and investments spreading wealth and linking countries together, however simultaneously there are various negative consequences. Some of the main advantages are: Increased liquidity of capital allowing investors in developed nations to invest in developing countries. Increased free trade between nations. Corporations have greater flexibility to operate across borders. Increases in environmental protection in developed nations. There will be a reduction in the likelihood of war between developed nations. Greater independence of nation-states. Spread of democratic ideals to developed nations. There will be a reduction of cultural barrier, increases the global village effect. Faster and easier transportation of goods and people. There will be increased flow of communication allowing vital information to be shared between individuals and corporations around the world. The presence of global mass media will tie the world together. Some of the main disadvantages are: Corporations seek out for the cheapest labour, therefore there will be increased flow of skilled and non-skilled jobs from developed to developing nations. There is increased risk of economic disruptions in one nation affecting all nations. Corporate influence of nation-states far exceeds that of civil society organisations and average individuals. There will be a threat that the control of world media by a handful of corporations will limit cultural expression. Greater chance of reactions for globalisation being violent in an attempt to preserve cultural heritage. Greater risk of disease being transported unintentionally between nations. International bodies like the World Trade Organisation infringe on national and individual sovereignty. Increase in the chances of civil war within developing countries and open war between developing countries as they compete for resources. Spread of materialistic lifestyle and attitude that sees consumption as the path to prosperity. What are some of the benefits of globalisation as put forward by the pro-globalisation movement? At a global level, globalisation has many benefits. For some people, it has been seen as an alleviation of poverty. One such example is the use of labour in 3rd world countries. At world level, globalisation creates hundreds of millions of jobs, not unemployment. These are mainly in the developing countries, but they are only marginally at the expense of jobs in advanced countries. As a result, the extra income would go to food and an improved lifestyle for some of the people living in 3rd world countries. For an example, the Japanese motor industry, Honda is manufactured in Thailand, and the U.S. Nike sports wear clothing are manufactured in China and South East Asian countries. This can create more jobs in the poorer countries and it also helps the wealthier countries. Due to the lower labour costs, larger quantities can be produced at a lower price. According to the World Bank report, it has said that developing countries have experienced high income growth, longer life expectancy, better schooling, higher wages and fewer people living in poverty since becoming integrated in the global economy. Environmental protection could also be pursued at a global level. Where international impacts, international cooperation and technology innovation, each of which is enhanced by the process of globalisation, can significantly accelerate efforts to find solutions. One such example is the whaling in Japan. With the population whales in the world declining, Japan was pressured into a Whaling Ban Treaty. Through this process, the amounts of whales around the world have gradually increased. More fundamentally,  globalisation fosters economic growth, which in turn generates and distributes additional resources for environmental protection. Increased trade and investment also promote opportunities to exchange more environmentally efficient technologies, share good practices, and contribute to environmental capacity building, particularly in developing countries. Green house gasses are one example. Through the Kyoto Treaty, most of the world’s leading nations have signed a contract to reduce greenhouse emissions. Only America and Australia have not signed. What are some of the disadvantages of globalisation as put forward by the anti globalisation movement? In this utopian idea, there are still flaws and disadvantages; mainly concern the developing countries. Some countries are just not able to compete with the cheap labour costs of other nation. The reason why countries such as Russia remain not integrated with globalisation is because they would lose many jobs. They are not able to compete with the prices of foreign products and many of the local manufacturers would begin to close down. Employment, nationally, would decrease as the factories move to countries of cheaper labour costs. Also, Australia has suffered because of the lamb tariffs in the U.S. As a result of this, many Australian farms will become bankrupt. George Bush, though an avid supporter of free trade and trade liberalisation has puts tariffs on lamb to help the ailing U.S. farming industry. Such hypocrisy however, does not help promote the benefits of globalisation. Despite claims from pro-globalisation companies the globalisation helps alleviate poverty, the Oxfam Community Aid Abroad estimates the 60 countries, a third of which are African, have become poorer since 1990. But why? Before some developing countries can join the globalisation market, they have to meet a certain criteria before entering. This might include dismantling trade protection policies and privatising public assets. This would allow rich and powerful multinational companies to buy up everything at a cheap cost, which would leave developing countries without many assets. Free Trade The free trade debate has been a long and very much politicized one since its conception, with people split up into camps such as â€Å"Economic Liberalists† and â€Å"Neo-Mercantilists†. Whether or not to impose a free trade system between countries has caused much fear and confusion within the public. Will free trade be beneficial to all or will it cause unemployment in developed countries? Will it cause entire domestic industries to crumble under the pressure of cheaper foreign products or will it lead to more productive domestic markets and new jobs in booming export industries? Will it lead to a so called ‘race to the bottom’ in which countries compete for the most lax environmental standards and low wages so as to attract investment, or will it increase workers rights and wages in developing countries and encourage better environmental standards for all countries? These are just some of the issues looming the free trade debate. Economic Liberalists argue that free trade would be beneficial to all countries if each country exports goods that it has the comparative advantage in producing, and imports products that they do not specialize in producing. Thus maximizing profits in they’re own specialized exports and obtaining other goods cheaply from other countries. However, as Clive Hamilton observes (2002:61) the comparative advantage theory makes many assumptions that do not hold in reality. Assumptions such as the non-existence of unemployment, perfect competition and the overlooking of implicit cost such as pollution and damage to the natural word make this theory in applicable in the real world. Even so this theory remains the basis for pushing free trade in the global market. Hamilton also stipulates that producing just what appears to be a country’s â€Å"comparative advantage† is not always the route to the highest profits. For example, in the 1950s the percussor to the World Bank advised South Korea to produce what was in its â€Å"comparative advantage†; rice and silk. However South Korea ignored this advice and instead went on to invest in industrial markets like the automotive industry and today is generating huge profits as a result of this (2002:48). This suggests that free trade would lock countries down into producing goods that it appears to have the â€Å"comparative  advantage† in while locking them out from realizing potential in other, previously unexplored markets. Many free trade advocates also put forward the case that free trade encourages competition. Ellig argues that â€Å"By exposing domestic companies to diverse overseas competitors, free trade creates pressure to improve quality† (2000:20ff). This stipulates that the introduction of less expensive quality goods from other countries will cause domestic companies to re-think strategies and operate more efficiently to compete with the foreign product. Thus improving the domestic market for that product. Hetzel also discusses this in his article The Free Trade Debate: The Illusion of Security Versus Growth: Free trade is a major source that drives innovation. †¦the McKinsey Global Institute†¦.compared productivity for the United States, Germany and Japan in selected sectors†¦ For each country, the Institute found that sectors facing foreign competition were highly productive, while protected sectors where unproductive. For example, in Japan, food manufacturing and brewing are protected from foreign competition. In these sectors, output per man hour is only a third of that in the US. (1994:44) However there is a fear that foreign competition may not always be able to be met by domestic firms thus destroying entire domestic markets for certain products. For example countries that allow sweat shops, suppress trade unions, allow child labour and tolerate highly polluting production methods will always have an advantage over domestic markets such as textiles and clothing (Hamilton, 2002:62). This would prove to be detrimental to unskilled workers. Therefore there is a fear that free trade cannot be fair or advantageous to all countries until a set of minimum workers rights and acceptable production processes are imposed on all countries. This leads to another fear expressed in the free trade debate; the so called â€Å"race to the bottom† in which large mega-corporations would move into countries that would allow them to produce their products at a lower cost due to low wages, the acceptance of child labour and no pollution restrictions in production plants, in turn prompting other countries to  lower their minimum wages and environmental standards to keep themselves attractive to foreign investment. Hamilton argues that â€Å"by permitting environmental subsidies a country can gain an unfair advantage in the international marketplace† (2002:65). Hamilton sums up his fears when he states: We frequently hear business groups arguing that Australia cannot afford proposed restrictions on pollution such as greenhouse gas emissions or improvements in working conditions such as shorter hours because it reduces their â€Å"competitiveness† against countries that have lower standards. They often threaten to move their operations to those countries giving rise to pressures for a ‘race to the bottom’. What is needed is a system that applies pressure to achieve ‘minimum safety standards for all workers. (2002:48) This view is countered by economic liberalists who state that lower wages and pollution restrictions give countries only a small advantage in attracting investment. A common view is that the vast technological differences in developed and developing countries would make up for any advantage developing countries have by providing cheap labour and loose pollution restrictions (Hufbauer and Kotschwar quoted in Ellig 2000:22ff). Another view commonly held by pro-free traders is that increased trade with developing countries will create wealth, therefore increasing wages and working conditions in said countries (Ellig, 2000:23). The view that free trade would improve wages and working conditions in developing countries is seconded by Lukas in his paper â€Å"WTO Report Card III: Globalization and Developing Countries†. Lukas highlights that although workers in the export sector of developing countries earn far less and endure much harsher working conditions than workers in the same sectors of developed countries, the comparison being made should be what these workers earn in the export sector, in comparison to other, locally available opportunities. It then becomes evident that employees in the export sector of developing countries are making much more than is offered in local opportunities (2000:7). Another notable point, is that employees of large  developed-country affiliate corporations, while making much less then they’re developed-country counterparts, are also paid significantly more then the average wage of the country they live in (2000:7). Lukas makes a significant observation that â€Å"poor countries tend to move away from labour-intensive production as they scale the ladder of economic development†. For example, South Korea’s textiles and apparel industry constituted 40% of its exports in 1980, however, this figure dropped to 19% in 1993. Today South Korea is more focused on automotive and electronic exports than clothing, and therefore, average wages have skyrocketed (2000:7). Another crucial point raised by protectionists is the fear that free trade will lead to the exploitation of the environment, with developing countries willing to forego their natural resources in order to attract international corporations and investments in their countries. This leads to the fear that developed countries, will fall to competitive pressures and will lower they’re high environmental standards in order to remain feasible to investors, and this win turn, will lead to a massive global environmental deregulation (Lukas, 2000:9). However, this view is debunked by economic liberalists stating that environmental standards make up only a small part of the factors that businesses take into account when choosing a location to manufacture in (Lukas 2000:9). Lukas argues that: Such considerations as guaranteed property rights, a functioning legal system, a well-educated workforce, and sufficient infrastructure figure much more predominantly in the calculations of most entrepreneurs and business managers than do environmental regulations (2000:9). Another important consideration is that businesses make considerable cost savings when using standardized production techniques. Therefore companies usually operate at the highest world environmental standards rather then using different production methods in different areas (Lukas 2000:9). Ellig also states that as peoples income rises (as a result of trade), that they want a cleaner environment, and the wealthier a society becomes, the more it can afford to spend on environmental protection (2000:23). Ellig also cites  a National (US) Bureau of Economic Research study that while studying 109 cities around the world, concluded that a 1% increase in income, leads to a 1% decrease in measured sulphur dioxide concentrations. This suggests that the more a country has the ability to trade, the cleaner the environment actually becomes. Conclusion In today’s corrupt society, it is hard to see globalisation work in a beneficial way for everyone. If it were to work, many of the rich and powerful nations would have to help many of the poorer nations, and not just with â€Å"jobs (cheap labour)†, but use initiatives such as dept reduction or cancellation. Although some good has been done through globalisation more damage has also been caused. A global effort to improve and upkeep the cultural, living and economic standards of every country would be required. Also, powerful nations would have to follow the rules and guidelines set instead of bullying poorer countries to allow them not to follow it. Globalisation is advantageous for the globe, but the world has to think globally instead of nationally. This would be difficult as there are many â€Å"rogue† countries that disagree with the globalisation paradigm e.g. Iraq. The free trade debate is undoubtedly complex and difficult to conclude. The problem being that its politicised nature invokes many fears of unemployment and environmental breakdown. It is these fears that often cloud people’s judgement and forbid them from looking at the problem in a logical objective manner. Would you think objectively if you thought your job was on the line? Although historically we know what protectionism can lead to; the post World War I depressions, the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, all a result of gross protectionism. To contrast this we can be benefits of increased trading in East Asia, with countries such as South Korea, and Singapore. No one can deny that increased trade makes a country wealthier and better off, so why then is free trade, the unlimited trade between all countries, so frightening? Bibliography and References: Joseph E. Stiglitz, Globalization and its Discontents , 2002 Ellig, J. 2000. â€Å"Why Free Trade is Good for Consumers†, Consumers’ Research, January: 19-23. Hamilton, C. 2002. â€Å"The Case For Fair Trade†, Journal Of Australian Political Economy, 48: 60-72. Hetzel, R.L. 1994. â€Å"The Free Trade Debate: The Illusion of Security Verses Growth†, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Economic Quarterly, 80(Spring): 39-58. Lukas, A. 2000. â€Å"WTO Report Card III: Globalization and Developing Countries†, http://www.freetrade.org/pubs/briefs/tbp-010es.html: 1-19.

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Thirteen

Elena stirred, then opened heavy eyelids. Light was showing around the edges of the curtains. She found it hard to move, so she lay there on her bed and tried to piece together what had happened last night. Damon. Damon had come here and threatened Margaret. And so Elena had gone to him. He'd won. But why hadn't he finished it? Elena lifted a languid hand to touch the side of her neck, already knowing what she would find. Yes, there they were: two small punctures that were tender and sensitive to pressure. Yet she was still alive. He'd stopped short of carrying out his promise. Why? Her memories of the last hours were confused and blurry. Only fragments were clear. Damon's eyes looking down at her, filling her whole world. The sharp sting at her throat. And, later, Damon opening his shirt, Damon's blood welling from a small cut in his neck. He'd made her drink his blood then. Ifmade was the right word. She didn't remember putting up any resistance or feeling any revulsion. By then, she had wanted it. But she wasn't dead, or even seriously weakened. He hadn't made her into a vampire. And that was what she couldn't understand. He has no morals and no conscience, she reminded herself. So it certainly wasn't mercy that stopped him. He probably just wants to draw the game out, make you suffer more before he kills you. Or maybe he wants you to be like Vickie, with one foot in the shadow world and one in the light. Going slowly mad that way. One thing was sure: she wouldn't be fooled into thinking it was kindness on his part. Damon wasn't capable of kindness. Or of caring for anybody but himself. Pushing the blankets back, she rose from the bed. She could hear Aunt Judith moving around in the hallway. It was Monday morning and she had to get ready to go to school. Dear Diary, It's no good pretending I'm not frightened, because I am. Tomorrow's Thanksgiving, and Founders' Day is two days after that. And I still haven't figured out a way to stop Caroline and Tyler. I don't know what to do. If I can't get my diary back from Caroline, she's going to read it in front of everyone. She'll have a perfect opportunity; she's one of the three seniors chosen to read poetry during the closing ceremonies. Chosen by the school board, of which Tyler's father is a member, I might add. I wonder what he'll think when this is all over? But what difference does it make? Unless I can come up with a plan, when this is all over I'll be beyond caring. And Stefan will be gone, run out of town by the good citizens of Fell's Church. Or dead, if he doesn't get some of his Powers back. And if he dies, I'll die too. It's that simple. Which means I have to find a way to get the diary. I have to. But I can't. I know, you're waiting for me to say it. There is a way to get my diary – Damon's way. All I need to do is agree to his price. But you don't understand how much that frightens me. Not just because Damon frightens me, but because I'm afraid of what will happen if he and I are together again. I'm afraid of what will happen to me†¦ and to me and Stefan. I can't talk about this any more. It's too upsetting. I feel so confused and lost and alone. There's nobody I can turn to or talk to. Nobody who could possibly understand. What am I going to do? November 28, Thursday, 11:30p.m. Dear Diary, Things seem clearer today, maybe because I've come to a decision. It's a decision that terrifies me, but it's better than the only alternative I can thinkof. I'm going to tell Stefan everything. It's the only thing I can do now. Founders' Day is Saturday and I haven't come up with any plan of my own. But maybe Stefan can, if he realizes how desperate the situation is. I'm going over to spend the day at the boarding house tomorrow, and when I get there I'm going to tell him everything I should have told him in the first place. Everything. About Damon, too. Oh, I'm scared. My stomach is churning. I could barely touch Thanksgiving dinner – and I can't keep still I feel as if I might fly apart into a million pieces. Go to sleep tonight? Ha. Please let Stefan understand. Please let him forgive me. The funniest thing is, I wanted to become a better person for him. I wanted to be worthy of his love. Stefan has these ideas about honor, about what's right and wrong. And now, when he finds out how I've been lying to him, what will he think of me? Will he believe me, that I was only trying to protect him? Will he ever trust me again? Tomorrow I'll know. Oh, God, I wish it were already over. I don't know how I'll live until then. Elena slipped out of the house without telling Aunt Judith where she was going. She was tired of lies, but she didn't want to face the fuss there would inevitably be if she said she was going to Stefan's. Ever since Damon had come to dinner, Aunt Judith had been talking about him, throwing subtle and not-so-subtle hints into every conversation. And Robert was almost as bad. Elena sometimes thought he egged Aunt Judith on. She leaned on the doorbell of the boarding house wearily. Where was Mrs. Flowers these days? When the door finally opened, Stefan was behind it. He was dressed for outdoors, his jacket collar turned up. â€Å"I thought we could go for a walk,† he said. â€Å"No.† Elena was firm. She couldn't manage a real smile for him, so she stopped trying. She said, â€Å"Let's go upstairs, Stefan, all right? There's something we need to talk about.† He looked at her a moment in surprise. Something must have shown in her face, for his expression gradually stilled and darkened. He took a deep breath and nodded. Without a word, he turned and led the way to his room. The trunks and dressers and bookcases had long since been put back into order, of course. But Elena felt as if she was really noticing this for the first time. For some reason, she thought of the very first night she'd been here, when Stefan had saved her from Tyler's disgusting embrace. Her eyes ran over the objects on the dresser: the fifteenth century gold florins, the ivory-hiked dagger, the little iron coffer with the hinged lid. She'd tried to open that the first night and he'd slammed the lid down. She turned. Stefan was standing by the window, outlined by the rectangle of gray and dismal sky. Every day this week had been chilly and misty, and this was no exception. Stefan's expression mirrored the weather outside. â€Å"Well,† he said quietly, â€Å"what do we need to talk about?† There was one last moment of choice, and then Elena committed herself. She stretched out a hand to the small iron coffer and opened it. Inside, a length of apricot silk shone with muted luster. Her hair ribbon. It reminded her of summer, of â€Å"About this,† she said. He had taken a step forward when she touched the coffer, but now he looked puzzled and surprised. â€Å"Aboutthat ?† â€Å"Yes. Because I knew it was there, Stefan. I found it a long time ago, one day when you left the room for a few minutes. I don't know why I had to know what was in there, but I couldn't help it. So I found the ribbon. And then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped and braced herself. â€Å"Then I wrote about it in my diary.† Stefan was looking more and more bewildered, as if this was not at all what he'd been expecting. Elena groped for the right words. â€Å"I wrote about it because I thought it was evidence that you'd cared about me all along, enough to pick it up and keep it. I never thought it could be evidence of anything else.† Then, suddenly, she was speaking quickly. She told him about taking her diary to Bonnie's house, about how it had been stolen. She told him about getting the notes, about realizing that Caroline was the one who was sending them. And then, turning away, pulling the summer-colored silk over and over through her nervous fingers, she told him about Caroline and Tyler's plan. Her voice almost gave out at the end. â€Å"I've been so frightened since then,† she whispered, her eyes still on the ribbon. â€Å"Scared that you'd be angry with me. Scared of what they're going to do. Just scared. I tried to get the diary back, Stefan, I even went to Caroline's house. But she has it too well hidden. And I've thought and thought, but I can't think of any way of stopping her from reading it.† At last she looked up at him. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"You should be!† he said, startling her with his vehemence. She felt the blood drain from her face. But Stefan was going on. â€Å"You should be sorry for keeping something like that from me when I could have helped you. Elena, why didn't you justtell me?† â€Å"Because it's all my fault. And I had a dream†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She tried to describe how he had looked in the dreams, the bitterness, the accusation in his eyes. â€Å"I think I would die if you really looked at me that way,† she concluded miserably. But Stefan's expression as he looked at her now was a combination of relief and wonder. â€Å"So that's it,† he said, almost in a whisper himself. â€Å"That's what's been bothering you.† Elena opened her mouth, but he was still speaking. â€Å"I knew something was wrong, I knew you were holding something back. But I thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook â€Å"his head and a skewed smile tugged at his lips. â€Å"It doesn't matter now. I didn't want to invade your privacy. I didn't even want to ask. And all the time you were worried about protectingme. â€Å" Elena's tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. The words seemed to be stuck, too. There's more, she thought, but she couldn't say it, not when Stefan's eyes looked like that, not when his whole face was alight that way. â€Å"When you said we needed to talk today, I thought you'd changed your mind about me,† he said simply, without self-pity. â€Å"And I wouldn't have blamed you. But instead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head again. â€Å"Elena,† he said. It felt so good to be there, so right. She hadn't even realized how wrong things had been between them until now, when the wrongness had disappeared.This was what she remembered, what she had felt that first glorious night when Stefan had held her. All the sweetness and tenderness in the world surging between them. She was home, where she belonged. Where she would always belong. Everything else was forgotten. As she had in the beginning, Elena felt as if she could almost read Stefan's thoughts. They were connected, a part of each other. Their hearts beat to the same rhythm. Only one thing was needed to make it complete. Elena knew that, and she tossed her hair back, reaching from behind to pull it away from the side of her neck. And this time Stefan did not protest or thwart her. Instead of refusal he was radiating a deep acceptance – and a deep need. Feelings of love, of delight, of appreciation overwhelmed her and with incredulous joy she realized the feelings were his. For a moment, she sensed herself through his eyes, and sensed how much he cared for her. It might have been frightening if she had not had the same depth of feeling to give back to him. She felt no pain as his teeth pierced her neck. And it didn't even occur to her that she had unthinkingly offered him the unmarked side – even though the wounds Damon had left were healed already. She clung to him when he tried to lift his head. He was adamant, though, and at last she had to let him do it. Still holding her, he groped over onto the dresser for the wicked ivory-handled blade and with one quick motion he let his own blood flow. When Elena's knees grew weak, he sat her on the bed. And then they just held each other, unaware of time or anything else. Elena felt that only she and Stefan existed. â€Å"I love you,† he said softly. At first Elena, in her pleasant haze, simply accepted the words. Then, with a chill of sweetness, she realized what he'd said. Heloved her. She'd known it all along, but he had never said it before. â€Å"I love you, Stefan,† she whispered back. She was surprised when he shifted and pulled away slightly, until she saw what he was doing. Reaching inside his sweater, he drew out the chain he had worn around his neck ever since she had known him. On the chain was a gold ring, exquisitely crafted, set with lapis lazuli. Katherine's ring. As Elena watched, he took the chain off and unclasped it, removing the delicate golden band. â€Å"When Katherine died,† he said, â€Å"I thought I could never love anyone else. Even though I knew she would have wanted me to, I was sure it could never happen. But I was wrong.† He hesitated a moment and then went on. â€Å"I kept the ring because it was a symbol of her. So I could keep her in my heart. But now I'd like it to be a symbol of something else.† Again he hesitated, seeming almost afraid to meet her eyes. â€Å"Considering the and then gave up, his eyes meeting hers mutely. Elena couldn't speak. She couldn't even breathe. But Stefan misinterpreted her silence. The hope in his eyes died and he turned away. â€Å"You're right,† he said. â€Å"It's all impossible. There are just too many difficulties – because of me. Because of what I am. Nobody like you should be tied to someone like me. I shouldn't even have suggested it – â€Å" â€Å"Stefan!† said Elena. â€Å"Stefan, if you'll be quiet a moment – â€Å" † – so just forget I said anything – â€Å" â€Å"Stefan!† she said. â€Å"Stefan,look at me. â€Å" Slowly, he obeyed, turning back. He looked into her eyes, and the bitter self-condemnation faded from his face, to be replaced by a look that made her lose her breath again. Then, still slowly, he took the hand she was holding out. Deliberately, as they both watched, he slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit as if it had been made for her. The gold glinted richly in the light, and the lapis shone a deep vibrant blue like a clear lake surrounded by untouched snow. â€Å"We'll have to keep it a secret for a while,† she said, hearing the tremor in her voice. â€Å"Aunt Judith will have a fit if she knows I'm engaged before I graduate. But I'll be eighteen next summer, and then she can't stop us.† â€Å"Elena, are you sure this is what you want? It won't be easy living with me. I'll always be different from you, no matter how I try. If you ever want to change your mind†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"As long as you love me, I'll never change my mind.† He took her in his arms again, and peace and contentment enfolded her. But there was still one fear that gnawed at the edges of her consciousness. â€Å"Stefan, about tomorrow – if Caroline and Tyler carry out their plan, it won't matter if I change my mind or not.† â€Å"Then we'll just have to make sure they can't carry it out. If Bonnie and Meredith will help me, I think I can find a way to get the diary from Caroline. But even if I can't, I'm not going to run. I won't leave you, Elena; I'm going to stay and fight.† â€Å"But they'll hurt you. Stefan, I can't stand that.† â€Å"And I can't leave you. That's settled. Let me worry about the rest of it; I'll find a way. And if I don't†¦ well, no matter what I'll stay with you. We'll be together.† â€Å"We'll be together,† Elena repeated, and rested her head on his shoulder, happy to stop thinking for a while and justbe. Dear Diary, It's late but I couldn't sleep. I don't seem to need as much sleep as I used to. Well, tomorrow's the day. We talked to Bonnie and Meredith tonight. Stefan's plan is simplicity itself. The thing is, no matter where Caroline has hidden the diary, she has to bring it out tomorrow to take it with her. But our readings are the last thing on the agenda, and she has to be in the parade and everything first. She'll have to stash the diary somewhere during that time. So if we watch her from the minute she leaves her house until she gets up on stage, we should be able to see where she puts it down. And since she doesn't even know we're suspicious, she won't be on guard. That's when we get it. The reason the plan will work is because everyone in the program will be in period dress. Mrs. Grimesby, the librarian, will help us put on our 19th century clothes before the parade, and we can't be wearing or carrying anything that's not part of the costume. No purses, no backpacks. No diaries! Caroline will have to leave it behind at some point. We're taking turns watching her. Bonnie is going to wait outside her house and see what Caroline's carrying when she leaves. I'll watch her when she gets dressed at Mrs. Grimesby's house. Then, while the parade is going on, Stefan and Meredith will break into the house – or the Forbes' car, if that's where it is – and do their stuff. I don't see how it can fail. And I can't tell you how much better I feel. It's so good just to be able to share this problem with Stefan. I've learned my lesson; I'll never keep things from him again. I'm wearing my ring tomorrow. If Mrs. Grimesby asks me about it, I'll tell her it's even older than 19th century, it's from Renaissance Italy. I'd like to see her face when I say that. I'd better try to get some sleep now. I hope I don't dream.

Expo 2020 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Expo 2020 - Assignment Example The economy of United Arab Emirates is going to be boosted by $23 billion by Expo 2020 as predicted by those states which have ever hosted the same event. The section below candidly discusses some of the important sectors are going to benefit from Expo 2020. United Arab Emirates is well known as a center for commerce especially in Dubai where there are more than 100 malls which are well recognized for the retail market. Expo 2020 is expected to boost the retail markets with an exponential growth of up to four times making the economy of UAE to thrive. If knowledge driven decision support system is used then the economy will thrive thus high gross domestic product. Due to exchange of currency from other countries which will be involved in Expo2020, banks are going to provide a modest lift to the gross domestic product growth. The economy of UAE will be stable since non United Arab Emirates residents will have to deposit or invest in UAE banks making it advantageous to the economy of UAE (Sao, 2012). Leadership skills must be incorporated to make sure that all the sectors are going to use knowledge driven decision support system which is computerized making it simple for the employees and the customers that are going to visit UAE. 25 million people are expected to visit UAE and they are outside UAE thus boosting the transportation sector where the tourists are going to use airline and road transport making the tourism and commerce marketing to thrive with a 30% increment. This will boost the economy of United Arab Emirates making the countries to increase their gross domestic product thus the resident economic situation stabilizing. In many countries, jobs have been a challenge to many countries but United Arab Emirates will benefit from Expo2020 with the departments like tourisms and commerce having more than 275,000 jobs being created making the United Arab

Moodal Realism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Moodal Realism - Essay Example Epistemology is popularly held to be a conjunction of two fundamental words: "episteme", which means knowledge or information and "logos" means belief or a system of meanings. Thus it is a field of enquiry into the relevance and ingredients of knowledge and how do they affect us by their state and nature of existence. Hence, knowledge is seen as an after product of something. It is not a neutral state of being that was just there from the beginning. And when speaking of beginning, it also has a theological side to it, because it then analyzes the Christian belief of Origin too and how knowledge came into being. Therefore epistemology defines, analyzes, classifies and determines the very existence of knowledge. It is a very vast field but it is interminably connected with ideas and quests of metaphysics that questions the nature of our immediate outside or reality, and our inside or being. Thus if theory of knowledge questions the understanding of a mass of gathered data, then metaphy sics interprets that to understand the world we inhabit. Ontology situates the various categories into different areas of interpretation and locates it within the fixity of a single perceivable and understandable reality. But what if the reality is a plural idea Then what happens to the idea of the being Where do we locate the consciousness 3.0 Interrelation Between Modal Realism and Epistemology Counterfactuals come in between the assumptions of Modal Realism and critical problems of it concerning epistemology to whose scope it may. Thus counterfactualism opens up more possibilities and act against the teleological determinism that seem to haunt historical truths that seem to be chronologically and determinedly progressing towards an ultimate end and has a hidden purpose towards ultimate perfection or destruction. In theology that maybe an apocalypse or Judgement Day, while in science it may be the end of evolution and extinction and in physics it may be the end or the beginning of another universe altogether. Hence, how does the study of knowledge that asserts the value of knowledge treat Thus knowledge and truth are interrelated. Hence, Modal Realism becomes a claim that must either be a part of that truth, which is either established by reason or by empiricism and hence is a priori or posteriori in their essence and existence. Lewis makes a claim which allows us to at lea st think of many possible worlds where all things are parallely possible without any temper spatial relation to each other and thus if in one world President Kenny is assassinated, then in another he may have somehow been luckier and had a chance to be the president of America for another term. But how can the validity of such a bizarre notion (at least bizarre to the seeming establishment of epistemological understanding of know-how truth, belief and system of verified reality Thus the question of 'what if' is problematic not just within its essential dimension of being impossible (since a priori knowledge is another area

Grammatical analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Grammatical analysis - Assignment Example The author of the letter addresses her bank manager with an issue she requires the manager to address as soon as possible. She does this owing to the unique requirements of the bank. Banks always give bank statement only upon request. She therefore uses the letter to request for the bank statements. The format of the text automatically identifies it as an official letter that addresses a specific issue. Furthermore, the author ot the text addresses the issue prudently using the fewest words possible. Such is a requirement in official letters. Official letters must always address a specific issue articulately. The author of the text does this as she addresses the issue to her bank manager before ending the piece. She ensures to include all the details necessary to justify her request for the bank statement. Key among the features of the text is the kind of service she requires from the bank and the urgency with which she requires the bank statements. Such are vital features that enhan ce the process of service delivery. All texts exist in specific genres. The text alongside just as explained earlier is a letter. Letters are pieces of communication that address particular issues to specific audiences. A letter has a definite audience. The letter alongside has a specific audience and addresses specific issue. The author of the letter addresses her bank manager. She explains her predicament to the manager and therefore requests for his help (Bell, 2004, pp123-178). Apparently, the boarder authorities require her bank statement in order for them to process her visa. She therefore writes the letter to the bank manager requesting for the statements. In doing this, she must introduce herself effectively. This validates the bank number she includes in the letter. Such is a vital inclusion since the bank knows her by the number. The genre if an effective way of identifying the text since it enhances the process of analyzing text. Every

Somalia Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Somalia - Outline Example The World Bank and USAID have been involved in the water supply sectors of the given countries to a large extent; hence they provide credible and reliable data on the water supply situations in these countries and thus justify the use of these sources. Water provision is a serious problem in most developing countries, and it is even a worse scenario in Somalia. This is a country that has been war-ravaged for the last two decades. To generate effective recommendations for water provision in Somalia, it is first necessary to establish the water supply situation, and then compare water provision systems that are considerably effective in countries with a similar situation like Somalia’s. This study explores the water provision solutions that have been implemented in Mozambique and Ghana and use them to generate recommendations for the water supply crisis in Somalia. According to the Advanced Blue Revolution Initiative, Somalia lacks an official water supply and sanitation system (ABRI 2009, p. 1). A large population obtains water from boreholes and shallow wells. The shallow wells are usually located near settlements, and the condition of this water is alarming due to nearly latrines seeping health hazards to ground water; cholera and diarrhoea outbreaks are common, and ABRI statistics indicate that less than 29% of the population has access to clean and sustainable water sources. It might be necessary to point out that the urban water supply system that existed in Somalia before degeneration into conflict was already constrained, poorly funded and mismanaged, and became inoperable after the civil crisis. This is the basis that informs the choice of comparison countries; Mozambique has an experience of nearly 20 years in war, and Ghana is muted as a model for other developing countries in efforts to curb most of their challenging problems. A brief background on Mozambique’s water provision system indicates that it was rendered useless

Availability of Sex Education in Public Schools to Decrease Teen Research Paper

Availability of Sex Education in Public Schools to Decrease Teen Pregnancies - Research Paper Example Studies do reflect on certain advantages that can be associated with the availability of sex education in public schools. Three main arguments in support of sex education include: (i) It can help the children learn about their body changes and thus also clearly answer their curious questions regarding the opposite sex, (ii) It can enable a complete understanding of the sex process and also the need for abstinence from it until marriage, (iii) Child sexual abuse might be controlled (De). These arguments might be understood in greater details as follows. As far as the first argument is concerned, teenagers tend to be highly curious about the body changes that occur within them with age as well as regarding the body of the opposite sex. This might lead to attraction towards each other causing them to perform sex. This might be prevented through lessons provided in class that would clear all their doubts regarding body changes. The second argument would be relevant since several myths are associated with sex, for example, there lies a fear of a girl not being able to be pregnant on her first try (â€Å"Should health and physical education teachers teach children about sex? Heres a look at the pros and cons†). Through proper lessons, such myths might be removed and it would always be better for teenagers to learn about the details of sex through teaching rather than trying to perform sex and learn or learn from other sources like pornography. Thirdly, child sex abuses might be curbed since teachings in schools would enable teenagers to learn what is actually good and what is not. In spite of certain advantages being in association with sex education in schools, there are certain arguments against the issue as well. These might include: (i) Students often consider the subject as a mockery.

Leadership in organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership in organizations - Essay Example Secondly, it provides an insight into their leadership approach towards individuals and teams. Thirdly, aspects of effective and strategic leadership for change as well as team development and management remain considered in analyzing the company’s leadership style of the two managers. Lastly, a personal judgment on the management styles and recommendations of this case study group would be incorporated in the report. Report on the Leadership Style of Mountain West Company Introduction Leadership styles include autocratic, bureaucratic, laissez-faire and democratic. Democratic leaders believe that staffs can be led while autocratic leaders believe in pushing staffs. Autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire leaders exercise low, moderate and high delegation respectively whereas bureaucratic leaders believe in equal delegation for all staffs. Autocratic leader makes decisions and declares them or sells decisions whereas laissez-faire leaders define limits and ask staffs to make decisions or permit staffs to function within defined limits. Additionally, democratic leaders may present ideas and invite questions, present tentative decisions subject to change or could as well present problems to staffs to obtain suggestions and thereby make decisions. However, bureaucratic leaders apply any style in decision making depending on the staffs and the present situation. Evelyn demonstrates democratic leadership while James demonstrates autocratic leadership. Analysis and evaluation of the both leadership styles For several years, Mountain West employed various aspects in the operations of the call centre that gave the company a competitive edge over and above their direct competitors in the industry. Under the management of Evelyn, she ensured the allocation of regular breaks to the staffs of the department. As well, various training opportunities and trainings remained available to the staffs in facilitating an up to date acquisition of knowledge regarding custome r service techniques, different products and problem solving skills. Moreover, Evelyn having taken into account her vast experience at the department and the pressure related to the work made provisions for flexible working schedules for the call centre staffs. Furthermore, the team at the customer service department incorporated their operations to integrate customers’ needs. This encouraged staffs to take adequate time in understanding and resolving customers’ problems. This would also be attributed to the ability of Evelyn to foster organizational needs in their activities at the department as they felt part of the company irrespective of their low pay (Lussier & Achua 2009, pp. 404-407). By contrast, a young manager becomes employed following Evelyn’s retirement to manage the customer service department. The senior management perceives the appointment of James to the reduced and controlled costs of the department. With the mindset of attaining the mark, Jame s increased the number of calls per hour for each staff as well as cutting back on the number of training the department received. Under James’ management, performance would be measured in terms of efficient scheduling though not reflecting flexibility and speed. In the face of these changes, the costs of the depa

Standard Of Monopolized The Oil Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Standard Of Monopolized The Oil Industry - Essay Example Buying Competitors Though most of Standard Oil’s takeovers aimed at gaining competitive advantage, they also benefitted the acquired company too. Rockefeller and his partners gained confidence from the competitors through wide-ranging volunteer association. Standard Oil also offered the former executives, of the acquired companies, high positions in the new company and was assured parity in management and was assimilated into the management because they were experienced and were well acquainted with the oil industry and local markets (Montague 76-81). The Standard Oil trust comprised of different companies in the industry which attained competitive advantage and maintained an even competition among the members. Rockefeller perceived the buyouts of the other refineries in Cleveland as foreseeable. He is quoted noting â€Å"the battle of the new idea of cooperation against competition† (Montague 52). In his mind, huge industrial amalgamations referred to as monopolies wou ld substitute competition and individualism in the oil industry. Rockefeller used hardball tactics to buy out the competitors. In 1874, the company started purchasing new oil pipeline networks. This assisted the company to amputate the flow of oil to the other companies that Rockefeller wanted to acquire. When a competing company made efforts to build a rival pipeline across Pennsylvania, Standard Oil purchased the land along the way to barricade the way. In the end, Standard Oil obtained control of all the pipelines within the nation. Notably, Standard Oil had attained full control of 90 percent of United States refining companies (Montague 176) Discounted Shipping Rates In order to attain a competitive advantage over its competitors, Standard Oil surreptitiously organized for reduced shipping rates from railroads. This aimed at reducing the average costs incurred by the company. Rockefeller had a fascination for efficiency that was unparalleled.

Teaching-learning critical incident checklist Essay

Teaching-learning critical incident checklist - Essay Example The learners should be able to learn various theories about certain concepts via observation. This is because observation enables a student to think critically about difficult concept manifested in form of a diagram or image Evaluation and analysis requires own intellectual exploration, which explains to readers what they may not see in a subject at first or second glance. A working thesis on the analysis is very imperative. The thesis will help in choosing at least three supporting points aiding the audience in understanding the text. I understand that there are different kinds of analyses that can be made on a document or text (Loui, 2005) Frequent reading can help one understand instructors in their professional teaching and assessments. Knowing how to summarize and analyze text is a good beginning to academic reading. The student aims at knowledge acquisition, comprehension, new vocabulary acquisition, argument development, information evaluation, and synthesis (DiRanna, 2008). The teacher should perform both formative and summative assessment of learners to gauge their level of understanding. Formative assessment occurs throughout the process of learning. It ensures that problems experienced by students are not piled up until the end of the learning period but are solved throughout the lessons. Summative assessment summarizes the progress and development of students over a particular period (Brookhart & Nikto, 2008). Through constant evaluation, students are able to be encouraged to perform better in future tests, despite poor current performance. However, not all will be motivated, most of them will be driven by the fact that they learn new things in the tests, and are challenged to remember the things taught previously by their teachers. Most of the students will also take summative assessments as a goal towards which they work to achieve (Pearson, 2002) The teacher needs to supervise learners so that they conform to the

Morality and Generally Good Morals Essay Example for Free

Morality and Generally Good Morals Essay Morals, values and beliefs are all very similar in a way even though they may have different scientific definitions. Everyone in the world has morals, values and beliefs, although they may differ and have different roles in each other’s lives; theses three things all have an impact on how we choose to live our lives in some way. According to the online Merriam Webster dictionary, a moral is defined as something â€Å"concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character. † How we act in certain situations is often based on our morals. With morals, the way one was raised plays a big factor on whether or not that person makes morally right or wrong decisions. More often than not, someone who had a stable and well-rounded upbringing will make more morally right choices in their life compared to someone with less family influence or support. Sometimes there are exceptions with this, but generally good morals are usually instilled in people at a young age which can last a lifetime. A moral can also serve as a lesson or theme which is why the phrase â€Å"the moral of the story† exists. With that being said, it is possible for someone to gain moral values through learning lessons through personal or others’ life experiences. By learning lessons through experiences it allows us to have a better understanding on how to act if a similar experience arises again. One moral value that my parents always stressed me to have was to be honest with everyone. They taught me that with honest actions comes more respect and trust from others, which will be very beneficial in my personal and professional life. Value is defined as â€Å"the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something† by the online Oxford Dictionary. Values are the components of peoples’ lives that they find important and meaningful. People’s values often change throughout their lives as their circumstances change. Personally, my values are education, family, friends and money. All of these are important aspects to me which I find necessary to be content with my life. If I didn’t find education valuable to me I would not be enrolled in school right now. Also, without my family and friends, I would not be who I am today since they serve as a great support system and offer value to my life. Money is important because without it I would not be able to support myself while away at school . For example I would not be able to buy necessary items such as books and supplies to give me the best chance at succeeding in college. As time goes on these values may change to my career, my children and more things that would be more meaningful to me as I get older in age.

Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay Example for Free

Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay To defend against criticism is one thing, to convince the critic is another. The latter is far more challenging, though none could say with merit that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a man unsuited for battling adversity. In 1963, King was jailed for marching without permit in the city of Birmingham. His detractors regarded his actions as, â€Å"unwise and untimely† (King 1), prompting the civil rights activist to respond with â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail†. In it, King utilizes the three classical appeals, biblical references, various forms of rhetoric, and a carefully selected tone to create a wonderfully worded piece that serves the purpose of arguing his side. An argumentative piece is any writing that supports a specific set of opinions and beliefs. Often times, they utilize the three classical appeals in order to persuade the audience of said ideas. In the letter, King makes use of all three. For instance, he applies logos, the logical appeal, in the lines, â€Å"Several months ago the [Southern Christian Leadership Conference affiliates] here in Birmingham asked [me] to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program†¦ So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here,† (King 1). In order to justify his appearance in Birmingham, something called into question by his fellow clergymen, King presents basic logic. He was there because he was invited, an inarguable fact that grants him reason for presence and serves the point of urging others to accept his arrival in Birmingham as justified. That said, this fact would fall flat if King’s position was nothing outside a man in jail. The second classical appeal is ethos, the ethical appeal. Most often, the ethical appeal builds up the author’s appearance, making them into a figure the audience believes worthy of listening to. Though few of the modern world would question King’s words, many of his contemporaries viewed him poorly. So, in order to convince these people of his position, he had to highlight his better qualities. In expressing his genealogy as, â€Å"being the son, the grandson and the great-grandson of preachers,† (King 7), King successfully makes himself out to be a man who has a close connection to the church. This makes him a more valid figure to his audience, particularly because they are clergymen. As a valid figure, the audience is more likely to accept his words as true and reasonable, thereby increasing chances that they come to agree with his argument. That said, such would not occur if all King presented, as a valid figure or otherwise, was logic. A connection to the audience is just as vital as all else, after all. The final classical appeal is pathos, the emotional appeal. It serves to make a link between the argument and the audience’s feelings, thereby impassioning the topic for them. King accomplishes this seamlessly by selecting the perfect medium for his audience of religious peoples. Emotionally charged biblical references strike out at King’s readers, grasping them by the heart and shoving them into compliance. This can be seen in the statement, â€Å"Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists,† (King 7). King conjects that the people of the church have damaged it and, therefore, have damaged Christ himself. This statement would illicit an emotional response from any Christian, particularly feelings of horror and guilt. Because of this response, the readers are more likely to consider King’s opinions in order to avoid further damaging Christ and also to seek forgiveness for earlier infringements. Still, knowing both sides as reasonable is not always enough. To completely convince his readers, King had to discredit their own views. Antithesis is an example of a rhetorical device, one that presents the opposing idea to the author’s thesis before pointing out its flaws. Of the many forms of rhetoric King uses, this one appears the most frequently and serves the largest role in supporting his purpose of convincing his fellows. In fact, it appears at the start of many of King’s body paragraphs, such as with the declaration, â€Å"In your statement you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion?†(King 5). An example of antithesis based on it and its following line’s examination of the critic’s opinion, this use of rhetoric allows for King’s audience to see the fault in their own argument. Furthermore, it allows for the clergymen to further consider King’s own position. Had this been done with ferocity, it would have elicited a horrendous response. Fortunately, King presented a kind and patient tone throughout his letter. He expressed understanding for the clergymen’s views and approached convincing them gently. This can, arguably, be seen most evidently in the lines, â€Å"If I have said anything†¦that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me,† (King 9). King does not approach with accusation, demanding that the clergymen apologize for their judgments. Instead, he offers apologies on his side just in case he happened to over step some line. This attitude is further displayed in the closing, which reads, â€Å"Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood, Martin Luther King Jr.,† (King 9). By expressing that he is interested in such positive relations in such a positive way, King is able to seal the deal, leaving his piece convincing enough to sway the most rigid of opponents. King sets out in his letter to persuade his fellow church goers of his positions, to demonstrate that that his argument is the one that should be followed. He accomplishes this well by using some of the most effective literary tools for his audience, namely in the form of rhetorical devices, biblical references, classical appeals, and gentle tone. He started with the vast challenge of persuading his critics. In the end, he left his critics with the even more complex challenge of bringing themselves to further deny his opinion. If modern day is any indication, the majority failed miserably, if not for the betterment of society.

How Should our Society Assign Value to Human Life?

How Should our Society Assign Value to Human Life? Sample Student Essays The Value of Life Writing Assignment So far in this assignment sequence, we have heard a number of different voices giving insights into the value of life. Hamlets soliloquy offers an emotional, metaphor-laden glimpse into the thinking of a young man contemplating suicide. Lance Armstrongs autobiography uses storytelling from a first-person perspective to get across how the famed cyclist thinks about life. Amanda Ripleys article from Time magazine provides insight into the problems involved in translating the concept of valuing life from abstract terms into actual dollars and cents. The Human Life Value Calculator establishes specific criteria for assigning monetary value to a persons life. You might not fully agree or disagree with any of the texts essential claims about the value of life. This makes your voice an important contribution to this discussion about how we should value human life. Where do your ideas fit into the terrain mapped by the other texts we have read? Is it right to assign dollar values to a persons life? Do suffering and illness impact how we should value life? Assume that the audience for your piece consists of intelligent citizens interested in this issue-the same types of people, for instance, who would read Time magazine. As you write your essay, think about the different ways the authors we have read make their points about valuing life. Depending on the points you are trying to make, you might want to use some metaphors for life, as Hamlet does, or tell some stories the way Armstrong does. You may choose to include some words from people you interview, as Ripley does in her article, or you might even choose to establish some criteria for how human life should be calculated in monetary terms. As you construct your essay, make conscious choices about the ways you can represent your ideas to your reader. Be sure to refer to and cite the readings. You may also use examples from your personal experience or observations. The sample student essays that follow reflect the EPT Scoring Guides criteria. Sample student essay with a score of 6: The Value of Life Should people put the value of life into monetary value or should life be kept solely as an emotional quantity? People and societies throughout the ages have been trying to answer the problem of putting the value of life into terms of dollar bills. The ancient Egyptians buried their dead with all of their worldly belongings. They believed a persons monetary worth on Earth was over, and they should take all of that earthly worth with them to the afterlife. Modern day Americans are different from the Egyptians. Today people believe that the families of the dead should be compensated for their loss. It is true that life is a precious commodity much like a diamond. But unlike a diamond, life has no set monetary value. But todays government is trying to change that. After the tragedies of September 11, 2002, the federal government started a federal fund to help the victims and families of victims of the attacks. This fund would give priority to people who were injured in the attacks, then to the spouse, and then to the parents. Sounds great doesnt it? Your husband dies and now you just lost your income, and the government is going to pay you for your loss. Well dont jump on the bandwagon so fast now. This might sound great now, but once you are knee deep in the program, it wont be so fun. To figure out how much money a person will receive from this fund is determined by a multi-step process. First they figure out how much an individual would have earned had there been no attacks. This would mean that a bankers family would earn far more than the family of a janitor in the building s. Is it true that a banker is worth more to society than a janitor? Is a lawyer more important than a desk clerk? Then the fund adds $250,000 as a base cover, and then another $50,000 for a spouse and each child (Ripley 12). This would imply that a married man who has 6 kids in more important than a married man with no children at all. Is it more important in society to make babies than it is to just live your life? What about people who havent yet had a chance to start a family because their lives were cut so short? Now all that money sounds like a blessing, doesnt it? Well now that you have your foundation money, now you have to subtract the money you get from life insurance, pension, Social Security death benefits, and workers compensation. After these little subtractions, you now have the total that you are going to receive from the governments fund. Now you are going to be hit with new questions after all this, for example is a rich man with high life insurance, high pension, and no children worth less than a poor man with no life insurance, no job, and ten children (Ripley 13)? The answer to all these questions is no. The lives of all people should be valued at the same price, if you are to set a price at all. A rich man should be the same as a poor man; a woman with no children should have the same life value as a woman with seven kids. The point is that if the government is going to put a monetary value of a human life, than it should be the same for everyone. We hold these truths to self-evidence: that all men are created equal (King Jr.). There are many arguments against putting a money value on human life and two of the most impressive come from Alephonsion Deng and Lance Armstrong. Alephonsion Deng is one of the Sudanese Lost Boys. We crossed a thousand miles of war ravaged country without the hope of sanctuary. Bullets replaced food, medicine, shelter and my loving parents. I lived on wild vegetable, ate mud from Mother Earth, and drank urine from my own body (Deng 16). He had to walk across an entire country from refugee camp to refugee camp, always with the thought of death behind him. He didnt have the luxury of being able to go down to the grocery store when he ran out of food. He had to scavenge for what ever he could get his hands on. If Mr. Deng was asked about the governments 9/11 victims fund, which is set to put a monetary value on life, he would probably be outraged. After what he had been through he would probably say that it is impossible to turn something as valuable as life into terms of money. Lance Armstrong survived a long battle with cancer, and after this battle came out with a new outlook on life. When I was 25, I got testicular cancer and nearly died. I was given less than a 40 percent chance of surviving, and frankly, some of my doctors were just being kind when they gave me those odds (Armstrong 1). Before having the ordeal with cancer his out look on life was just live it fast, everything was fast for him. After surviving the unbeatable he came out with a brand new outlook on his value of life. He now preached that life can end very quickly and that everyone should live their lives to the fullest terms possible. If someone asked Lance Armstrong about the government trying to put life into terms of dollars, bills, he would have a heart attack. Much like Mr. Deng, he would think that life is precious and the government should not demean it by trying to bring money into the same picture frame as life. Should life be put into monetary values? The answer is no. Life is way too precious of a commodity to put into terms of money. People who have been on the brink of death would all say that you cannot put a value on the natural high that is known as life. To go back to an earlier metaphor, life truly is like the most precious and valuable of gems. They are similar in rareness and beauty, but are different in the fact that gems have a set money value, but life is a lot more stupendous than any gem on Earth. That is why life doesnt have a monetary value and never should. Work Cited Armstrong, Lance, and Sally Jenkins. Its Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to life. New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. Deng, Alephonsion. I have Had to Learn to Live With Peace. Newsweek 31 October 2005: 16. King, Jr., Martin Luther. I Have A Dream. Mephis Educational Computer Connectivity Alliance. 11/21/05. http://www.mecca.org/~crights/dream.html. Ripley, Amanda. What is Life Worth? Time December 2002: 12-13. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992. Unknown, Human Life Value Calculator. Life and Insurance Foundation for Education. November 14, 2005ÂÂ   http://www.life-line.org/life_human.html. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guides criteria for a score of 6. The superior response indicates that the writer is very well prepared to handle college-level reading and writing. Because this prompt asks for an edited (that is, revised and polished) essay, student papers should reflect the appropriate degree of organization, content, and editing. The writer addresses the entire topic and responds fully to all aspects of the prompt. The writer demonstrates a thorough critical understanding of the readings by incorporating them into the argument and by quoting them extensively, accurately, and, generally, in correct MLA format; occasional dropped in quotations indicate that the writer has not yet fully mastered this process. The writer uses rhetorical questions to undercut the assumptions made by sources with whose opinions the writer disagrees; rhetorical questions are occasionally overused, but the writer attempts to mitigate them with details from the reading. The writer has a smooth and easy writers voice, addressing the reader directly and confidently. The essay uses a sophisticated inductive strategy, marshaling evidence first and saving the conclusions for later. The essay remains focused throughout. The essay makes use of source material beyond the readings; it also ties different types of support material together nicely. The writer avoids a formulaic essay approach and brings the reader full circle at the end by returning to the opening idea (the gem). Errors are rare and do not detract from meaning. Sample student essay with a score of 5: The Value of Life People often question how we should measure the value of life. Can life be calculated into dollars and cents? Should ones value be determined by their lifes accomplishments? Or does the value of ones life depend solely upon how much that individual embraces and loves their existence? In my personal experience I have found the latter to be true. Life is given value and meaning by one enjoying and accepting it. Someone once said You should not fear death, but fear the unlived life. This means that one should not fear the end of a journey, but enjoy the trip. To me this is absolutely true. Why should we spend our time fearing the inevitable? We are given only a few short years to experience the world, friendships, loves, and losses. Even the bad experiences teach us to appreciate the good ones. This doesnt mean we should all go out and be terrible people just so we will appreciate our good experiences, but rather that we should learn from our mistakes. Lance Armstrongs view of life is similar to this; he says that sometimes life is fun, and great, and other times it is horrible, but whether good or bad our experiences make us stronger people. It is these experiences which give our lives meaning. Meaning and value however, are completely different issues. So how can the value of ones entire life and worth be translated into monetary values? The people at most life insurance companies will tell you it is a simple mathematical process based on age, physical health, and income. Subtract $1000 for every year over 40, subtract for any diseases, or illnesses, add 50 times their yearly income and voila! Youll have the value of anyones life calculated in an instant! Unfortunately, this process cannot be applied to memories and experiences. You cant subtract points for every bad experience, lost love, and abandoned friendship and even the bad memories are carried around with us forever. Amanda Ripleys article, from TIME magazine, outlines, some of the problems with calculating the monetary value of life. Many people view the amount of money they receive as a measure of their loved ones value, which creates problems for the people who have to award the money. Calculating the value of l ife in dollar worth can be a complicated issue involving tough emotional and moral dilemmas. Value is something which each individual assigns to their life depending on how much meaning it has to them self and others. A life is not a self contained object; it is a network which is shared with others. All people have value not just to themselves but to others as well. If you died tomorrow you entire network of friends and family would surely mourn for you. All of the people whose lives you have touched would mourn for you. In Hamlets soliloquy, he neglected to consider what effect his life had on his family and friends. Everyone whether they realize it or not, has some kind of effect on the people around them. Hamlet thought of his own life as worthless and thought everyone else did too. Lifes value cannot be determined by dollar value, popularity or even by ones accomplishments. If one doesnt value life them self then they will be unhappy therefore making people around them unhappy. People must depend on themselves to make their lives valuable and meaningful. Ultimately it is peoples own ability and willingness to value life which gives them worth. Bibliography Armstrong, Lance, and Sally Jenkins. Itss Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to life. New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. Ripley, Amanda. What is Life Worth? Time December 2002: 12-13. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992. Unknown, Human Life Value Calculator. Life and Insurance Foundation for Education. November 14, 2005 http://www.life-line.org/life_human.html. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guides criteria for a score of 5. The clear competence of the essay indicates that this writer is quite ready to handle college-level reading and writing. Because this prompt asks for an edited (that is, revised and polished) essay, student papers should reflect the appropriate degree of organization, content, and editing. The essay thoroughly addresses the prompt and raises the pertinent question of the difference between value and money. The writer remains focused throughout the essay, offers a clear thesis about enjoyment and acceptance, and pursues that thesis throughout the supporting paragraphs. The writer uses transitions to guide the reader, such as the sentence that ends the second paragraph, It is these experiences which give our lives meaning, which transitions to the opening sentence of the third paragraph, Meaning and value however, are completely different issues. Occasional shifts in diction (for example, one in first paragraph, to we in the second, to you in third) are distracting; the essay mainly uses a conversational tone that works very well for this writer. The writer makes a lovely case in the fourth paragraph for life as a network rather than a self-contained object. The essays second half begins to repeat itself, particularly in the final two paragraphs, although the writer attempts to mitigate this repetition by using the Hamlet example. Errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics are minor; the writer could use some practice with commas. Sample student essay with a score of 4: The Value of Life The value of life. What is it exactly? We will never know the true definition of the value of life because there are so many different perspectives in this world and everyone will think their perspective is right. According to the Human Life Calculator, our value is based on the amount of money we will make in our lives and nothing more. It depends on the money we make, how many children we have, and how much we spend on ourselves each month. Some people find it fair to actually compare the value of life to the dollar amount they are worth. They might even look into it so much that people choose their partner according to their monetary values and not the emotional attachment. There are many people like that these days that only worry about money and what society thinks of them instead of wanted to be truly happy. I dont agree with the Human Life Value Calculator what so ever. No persons life should be estimated on their monetary worth. It should go deeper then that. It all depends on how they want to live there life and if they think they live it to the fullest. If they live it to only become rich and die rich then so be it that is their own personal value. But to assume that every person values their life that way is completely and utterly wrong When it comes to Hamlet, he wonders if there is even a value to life. To be, or not to be-that is the question: that is his main issue throughout the entire play. He pretty much loses everything that means anything to him in his life so he cant help but wonder if there is even a point anymore. Anything he truly valued, such as his father and Ophelia, was taken from him. He has nothing to value so why should he question the value of life? Life has many hardships no matter who you are, even if you are Hamlet. It still has a value to it. It teaches you to value you what you have because you never know when or they may not be there. Lance Armstrong is a whole different story. He looks at life in such a positive perspective now unlike before. Unlike many people, he was given a second chance to live his life. He values every single thing because he never knows when it will be his time to go. He was luck the first time but no one know if he will be next time, if there is a next time. He learned the hard way not to take life for granted but to take advantage of it and live everyday as though it were your last. Not everyone is as lucky as Lance Armstrong. He now realizes how valuable his life and everyone in it is but thats because he was given a second chance. There are so many people out there who wish they would have realized how valuable everything was before it was too late because they didnt get that second chance. We may not realize it until it happens but when we or a loved one goes through suffering or illness it truly impacts how we value life. It makes us face the reality that not everyday is guaranteed and people will not stay with us forever no matter how much we wish they would. I think, as a society, we should value life not by how much money we have or how much we are worth but by how much we enjoy life and everyone in it. It shouldnt take the death of a loved one for us to realize everyday is valuable. We should wake up everyday realizing its a new day and be thankful for it. Im not saying to wake up and say today might be my last but realize it, embrace it. Take nothing fro granted and live everyday to its fullest. If you love someone then tell them. If you want to start a business then do what it take to start one. Do whatever you have to so that when you leave this world you are happy with who you are and what you accomplished. Dont expect to have no regrets or make no mistakes because those are what helped to form you to the person you become over time. I admit I am far fro perfect but that is what makes me and I am happy with myself. I love my life and everyone in it who helps to form it. I wouldnt take anything back or do anything over because if I did I wouldnt be the intelligent, free spirited, young woman I am today. I value my life to the fullest and it will never be based on money or praying to be given a second change because I didnt live it right the first time. Works Cited Armstrong, Lance and Sally Jenkins. Its Not About The Bike: My Journey Back To Life.New York: Berkley Trade, 1991. Human Life Value Calculator Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Alan Durband. London: Hutchinson and Co., 1986. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guides criteria for a score of 4; however, it is a strong 4. This adequate response to the topic suggests that the writer should be able to handle college-level reading and writing. Because this prompt asks for an edited (that is, revised and polished) essay, student papers should reflect the appropriate degree of organization, content, and editing. The essay is a classic befuddling 4 paper; it wobbles between a 5 paper and a 3 paper, never really settling in either camp. The writer opens with a rhetorical question and then moves quickly to a clear, if simplistic, thesis. The writer attempts to integrate the readings by including supporting detail, although the essay offers only a single direct quotation. The works cited list provides a quasi-MLA format for sources. The logic in the third paragraph fails to persuade; the writer opens by showing Hamlet questioning lifes value and then closes with the question, He has nothing to value so why should he question the value of life? The essay is somewhat repetitive, restating the idea of personal satisfaction as the best gauge of lifes value. The essay lacks transitions in general, although the opening sentence of the penultimate paragraph, Not everyone is as lucky as Lance Armstrong, is an exception. The writer opens each paragraph with a statement that focuses on the reading; however, the second half of each paragraph, which features the writers own experience and opinions, generally becomes repetitive, rambles, or offers a cliched conclusion. The writer struggles with usage (than/then, there/their, everyday/every day), mechanics (especially punctuation), and grammar, although such instances do not greatly detract from meaning; the shifts in person in paragraph six, however, are quite distracting. Sample student essay with a score of 3: Extreme Life What is life? I dont know, but I know it is full of obstacles. Sometimes they are small, sometimes they arent. I dont think there is a point to it, but who knows? Another thing I know, everybody dies at the end, so why wont people live it to the maxim instead of just sitting on their bums and doing nothing, Being alive to me is to experience new adventures and to have fun. Life is worth living for as long as you can. As Lance Armstrong said, I want to die at a hundred years old with an American Flag on my back on the star of Texas on my helmet. It is very fun living out to your maximum, doing extreme sports like bungi jumping. I think that life should be extreme. It is also nice to come back home to someone who loves you and cares about you. I love food; I think its another great thing to spend time with friends, especially when you can dig in and pig out. Its nice to have friends that are there for you when you have problems, and you know that they will help you out. Life is just a great things, but it doesnt always feel like it. To be or not to be is Hamlets famous quote. I bet every single person on earth has come to this decision. Besides the great things in life, you come across difficulties. For example losing the loved one. I think that hurts the most. Another thing is when you dont feel loved or accepted. Thats when people come out of their limit and start doing bad stuff like drugs. When it gets really out of hand, they try to commit suicide. I believe that anybody who tried it or attempts suicide it are failures in life. As Lance Armstrong said, Why dont we all just stop and lie down where we are? what is we just do it? Its just an easy way out of life, escaping all the obstacles and pain. There is a lot of it. You friend can stab you in the back, your family member can die, there are just too many to name. You should just love life enough to struggle through the painful times. Why would I want to change, even for a day, the most important and shaping event in my life? Lance Armstrongs words. Express how I feel. I would not give me life up for anything. I have made many of bad mistakes that I should not have done, but those mistakes make me the person I am today. I wouldnt want to look or be any different than I am right now. I love my life, and I hope everyone else does too because its the only one weve got. You will have to start loving it or that only one wont be a good one. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guides criteria for a score of 3. Although the essay suggests developing competence, it is flawed in significant ways that suggest the writer needs additional practice before being able to succeed in college-level reading and writing. Because this prompt asks for an edited (that is, revised and polished) essay, student papers should reflect the appropriate degree of organization, content, and editing. The essay responds to the prompt at the opening, although it moves away from the prompt later. The writer attempts to define life itself rather than discuss the value of life. The writer offers a thesis about adventures and fun but does little to offer support for that thesis. The essays paragraphs, although short, are overworked in that they contain several ideas competing for space; the essay does not attempt to separate paragraphs into discrete ideas. The paragraph about eating and hanging out with friends struggles with logic, perhaps because the writer is still trying to connect the evidence to the thesis; by the third paragraph, the writer seems willing to move away from the thesis completely. The opening of the third paragraph (To be or not to be is Hamlets famous quote. I bet every single person on earth has come to this decision) makes neither logical nor rhetorical sense. The writer attempts to quote texts directly but lacks the skill to incorporate quoted material properly. The writer shows a limited syntactic repertoire; the first paragraph, for example, contains four rhetorical questions out of six sentences. Errors of grammar, usage, and mechanics accumulate to detract from meaning; there are several missing apostrophes and fragments (see the second sentence of the final paragraph, for example). Sample student essay with a score of 2: Value of Life This is a question that runs through everybodys mind. What would somebody pay for a life? What would you do if your life ended tomorrow? Would you tell someone that you cared about the most that you loved them? What would you do for your final hours? How do you think the people aboard the 9/11 plane attack felt as soon as they knew that they werent going to see their families anymore? These questions are all very goods questions but the most important one is Have you been living the life that you wanted to live? Humans always follow others ways of posture and ways of thinking. People picking up laughs, looks, even the way they think about other people. Think of it this wayif someone put a gun to year head and they said, Give me three reasons why I should not pull this trigger? What would you say? It might sound like a harsh, blunt question but if you think about it. where you living your life to the fullest? Posers always get on everybodys nerves. They are going to look back on their lives and think what they did was really stupid. Their values of life are following somebodys elses footstep, following others stories, what they like, dont like because they cant think for themselves. They rely on other people to make their decisions for them. The final thought is the toughest thought of all. Things all bundled up inside your head. The only thing to realize is that people dont make you who you are. You make the decisions that will lead your life, the rest of your life. What would your family get if you died? Tack on an extra $50,000 in pain and suffering for a spouse and for each child. Thats what you would get. Now think to yourself, are you living your life to the fullest, what you think is good? Ripley, Amanda. What is a life worth? Time: 11 Feb. 2002. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guides criteria for a score of 2. The serious flaws here indicate that this writer will need considerable additional practice before being able to succeed in college-level reading and writing. Because this prompt asks for an edited (that is, revised and polished) essay, student papers should reflect the appropriate degree of organization, content, and editing. The essay opens with a statement about questions, followed by six rhetorical questions in a row. The writer seriously overuses the questioning strategy, with three additional questions in the second paragraph and two in the fourth (concluding) paragraph; the essay itself finishes with a question. The essay neglects the prompt; it discusses values rather than the value of life. The final paragraph attempts to approach the prompt by quoting Ripley (although the writer does not attribute the quoted material), but the quotation is ineffectively dropped into the concluding text. The essay does not demonstrate any discernible organizational strategy. Some sentences make no sense at all, such as People picking up laughs, looks, even the way they think about other people. Errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics are present but not all that profound; lack of logic and content is the issue with this essay. Sample student essay with a score of 1: The Value of Life People put a money aspect on people for example, when people have money then we need them, we dont even care about anyone unless they have money. When disaters like sunamis happen, people want to find there family but dont understand the water infected and no one nos whats happening to any one any where. Katrina for example. They (the army) use colors were dead are, yellow were sick are, green x marking the spot were people who are worth saving were. We help people every where in the world but no our own people, to save them, even the army was there making every one get out of there house if they wanted to or not, they might get shot if not. People have always come here to make a new lives and this is what happens? Its way messed up. Is this how to value people? Shakespeare new how bad life can be. To be or not to be said Hamlet who thought not. We have to find out a way to help and over come what might happen next so every one is not so discouraged because money is not the answer or stocks or bonds or jewelers but only love. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guides criteria for a score of 1. The fundamental deficiencies here indicate that this writer will need a great deal of additional practice before being

The Struggles Faced In The Color Purple And The Joy Luck Club Essay

The Struggles Faced in The Color Purple and The Joy Luck Club A common bond of struggle links the novels The Color Purple by Alice Walker and The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Rape, suicide, death, war, oppression, and racism invade the two novels. In The Color Purple, Celie overcomes racism, violence, and other issues to find dignity and love. In the Joy Luck Club, the daughters struggle for acceptance, love, and happiness. Though the characters endure many hardships they survive not only by not becoming bitter individuals but becoming more whole individuals. Celie in The Color Purple has struggled since the very beginning because of the poor treatment she has received by men. Being raped by her father Fonso, Celie becomes pregnant and Fonso sells both of the children that she has. Celie promises to protect Nettie, her sister, from Fonso's abuse is the first sign of her taking a stance to prevent the horrors which are occurring in her patriarchal existence. When married her husband Albert just uses her as a slave. He perceives her as livestock, and denies her not only love but humanity (Hall, 3) The first night together he raped her. She worked on the farm and put up with his children. At 14 she writes notes to God on the dehumanizing nature of her existence and the humiliations she has suffered (Kirkpatrick, 846). Although she totally devalues herself, Celie finds her sister very valuable, worth protecting. Her selflessness and lack of bitterness are evident here. Celie shows resentment and bitterness at the way she has been treated by men. Albert also betrays her by hiding all of the letters from Nettie making Celie believe that her sister is dead. She also feels betrayed by God, who seems to her to have condoned much of the strife in her life. Celie’s life has been one of hopelessness, even longing for death as a relief from life’s hardships (Hankinson, 3) Shug suggests to her that the ultimate goal for people is life giving rather than life denying. Celie is also a prime example of trying to overcome her struggle to find who or what she wants to be. Shug Avery is a symbol to Celie of the ideal women that she wants to be. Shug is also a symbol of life, freedom, and love. Celie is submissive and abused often. However, she has not lost her intelligence and keeps her anger in check and doesn’t do anything rash for the sake of seeing her sister again. In ... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  By examining the characters of The Color Purple and The Joy Luck Club, one can conclude that many of the characters face struggles throughout the two novels. Each character finds their own way to deal with their struggles. Celie finds a new self-respect and strength while the daughters in The Joy Luck Club realize the strength and dignity of her mother and learn to appreciate her Chinese heritage. Works Cited Hall, James C. â€Å"Towards a Map of Mis(sed) Reading: The Presence of Absence in the Color Purple† African American Review (Spring 1992):2-6 Hamiliton, Patricia L. â€Å"Feng Shui, Astrology, and the Five Elements: Traditional Chinese Belief in Amy Tan’s the Joy Luck Club† MELUS (Summer 1999):1 Hankinson, Stacie L. â€Å"From Monotheism to Pantheism: Liberation from Patriarchy in Alice Walker’s the Color Purple† Midwest Quarterly (Spring 1997): 3 Heung, Marina â€Å"Daughter-Text/Mother-Text: Matrilineage in Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club†Feminist Studies (Fall 1993): 3 Kirkpatrick, D.L. â€Å"Alice Walker† 1986. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press. 846 Schell , Orville â€Å"Amy Tan the Joy Luck Club† March 1989. New York: 1989. 92 Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club. 1989. New York: G.P. Putnam