Bahrain Geography, History, Culture, and Economy

Bahrain is a small country located in the Persian Gulf. It is considered a part of the Middle East and is an archipelago made up of 33 islands. The largest island of Bahrain is Bahrain Island and as such, it is where most of the countrys population and economy are based. Like many other Middle Eastern nations, Bahrain has recently been in the news due to increasing social unrest and violent anti-government protests. Fast Facts: Bahrain Official Name: Kingdom of BahrainCapital: ManamaPopulation: 1,442,659  (2018)Official Language: ArabicCurrency: Bahraini dinars (BHD)Form of Government: Constitutional monarchyClimate: Arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summersTotal Area: 293 square miles (760 square kilometers)Highest Point: Jebal ad Dukhan at 443 feet (135 meters)Lowest Point: Persian Gulf at 0 feet (0 meters)   History of Bahrain Bahrain has a long history that dates back at least 5,000 years, at which time the region served as a trading center between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. The civilization living in Bahrain at that time was the Dilmun civilization, however, when trade with India declined around 2000 BCE, so too did the civilization. In 600 BCE, the region became a part of the Babylonian Empire. According to the U.S. Department of State, little is known about Bahrains history from this time until the arrival of Alexander the Great  in the fourth century BCE. During its early years, Bahrain was known as Tylos until the seventh century when it became an Islamic nation. Bahrain was then controlled by various forces until 1783 when the Al Khalifa family took control of the region from Persia. In the 1830s, Bahrain became a British Protectorate after the Al Khalifa family signed a treaty with the United Kingdom which guaranteed British protection in the event of a military conflict with Ottoman Turkey. In 1935, Britain established its main military base in the Persian Gulf in Bahrain, but Britain announced in 1968 the end of the treaty with Bahrain and other Persian Gulf sheikdoms. As a result, Bahrain joined the eight other sheikdoms to form a union of Arab emirates. However, by 1971, they had not officially unified and Bahrain declared itself independent on August 15, 1971. In 1973, Bahrain elected its first parliament and drafted a constitution, but in 1975 the parliament was broken up when it tried to remove power from the Al Khalifa family, which still forms the executive branch of Bahrains government. In the 1990s, Bahrain experienced some political instability and violence from the Shia majority and as a result, the government cabinet underwent some changes. These changes initially ended the violence but in 1996, several hotels and restaurants were bombed and the country has been unstable off and on since then. Government of Bahrain Today, Bahrains government is considered a constitutional monarchy; it has a chief of state (the countrys king) and a prime minister for its executive branch. It also has a bicameral legislature made up of the Consultative Council and the Council of Representatives. Bahrains judicial branch consists of its High Civil Appeals Court. The country is divided into five governorates (Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah, and Wasat) that is administered by an appointed governor. Economics and Land Use in Bahrain Bahrain has a diversified economy with many multinational firms. A large part of Bahrains economy depends on oil and petroleum production, however. Other industries in Bahrain include aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizer production, Islamic and offshore banking, insurance, ship repairing, and tourism. Agriculture only represents about 1% of Bahrains economy, but the main products are fruit, vegetables, poultry, dairy products, shrimp, and fish. Geography and Climate of Bahrain Bahrain is located in the Middle Easts Persian Gulf to the east of Saudi Arabia. It is a small nation with a total area of just 293 square miles (760 sq km) spread out over many different islands. Bahrain has a relatively flat topography consisting of a desert plain. The central part of Bahrains main island has a low elevation escarpment and the highest point in the country is Jabal ad Dukhan at 443 feet (135 m). The climate of Bahrain is arid and as such it has mild winters and very hot, humid summers. The countrys capital and largest city, Manama, has an average January low temperature of 57 degrees (14ËšC) and an average August high temperature of 100 degrees (38ËšC).​ Sources Central Intelligence Agency. Bahrain. CIA World Factbook.Infoplease.com. Bahrain: History, Geography, Government, and Culture.United States Department of State. Bahrain.

The Invention Of The First American History - 1157 Words

When you think of â€Å"the First American†, who do you think of? Do you think of a pilgrim or a Native American? Do you think of Benjamin Franklin? Probably not, but he has been graciously granted with this very title. Franklin is a large part of American history. A renowned polymath, he held many occupations including; an author, printer, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist and more! All throughout history there have been a plethora of inspirational, hardworking, intelligent, life-changing personages, one of them being Benjamin Franklin. He changed not only the world, but America and its history with his discoveries, knowledge, and beneficial insights. One of the most well known scientific discoveries Ben Franklin can be credited†¦show more content†¦Franklin proved that lighting was electricity and his discovery led to our world, starting with America, being more scientifically informed. One of the most courageous acts of mankind in this world is fire f ighting. Not many people may know this, but Benjamin Franklin was the founding father of firefighting. â€Å"In 1736, Franklin proposed volunteer fire companies that would gather men quickly to extinguish a blaze.† (Gausted 35) After a huge Philadelphia fire, Franklin founded Philadelphia’s first fire company – the Union Fire Company, the very first fire department. Franklin stated â€Å"I sought to explain what caused them and how one could prevent such fires in the future† (McCormick 151) Franklin was very interested in learning more about the situation and was concerned about the health and safety of everyone affected. Without his idea it would have been long before actual fire companies were started. Before there were fireplaces, there were fire places, where people would simply huddle together around a fire in their homes for warmth. Then came Benjamin Franklin and invented the metal lined fireplace. â€Å"Franklin had a spurred interest in improvin g heating systems. At first people didn’t have chimneys, they simply made a fire and sat around it. It did people little good to huddle by a fire, he argued, if currents of cold air then buffeted them. Many colds are caught that way. Franklin lectured it would be safer to sit in the open street.†

Building A Mystery Song Analysis Essay Example For Students

Building A Mystery Song Analysis Essay It is apparent that female music in Canada is a growing industry, and plays a very controversial role in Canadian society. Canada is a land of many ethnic backgrounds and an extremely diverse culture, one of the best ways to express culture is through music. Sarah McLachlan has enjoyed worldwide success with the album Surfacing, and more recently Mirrorball. The album titled Surfacing was released in 1997 and features a song called Building a Mystery. Building a Mystery clearly exemplifies the incorporation of many important musical elements to create a widely accepted song. In the application of a few distinct components, the listener can gain a broader understanding of Building a Mystery. The following essay will explore the use of structure, lyrics, instrumentation and the vocal quality of Sara McLachlans Building a Mystery. Female rock singers made a deep impact as they definitively entered the rock scene in the nineties and into the millenium as independent singer-songwriters. Many of their songs are built around repetitive cadences like this one. At first glance these songs seem rather simple and repetitive. Of course repetition is an important element of rock music. It cannot be denied that repetition gives rock songs much of their compelling character. However, as we have discussed in lecture, a lot of variation can be made with the help of just a few chords. Being not so repetitive after all, Building a Mystery gives good proof of that. There is a lot going on within the confined space of this song. The song starts with a short intro, followed by a first verse and next a short bridge and a break. Then we hear the second verse coupled to a long bridge, followed by the refrain. Next theres a third verse, again coupled to a long bridge and the refrain. A guitar solo, twice the refrain and an out to finish the track. The verses, the break and the refrains are all built upon an identical harmonic structure. So the main pattern of the song is repeated at least seven times. The lyrics in Building a Mystery are very controversial by nature and lead into deep insight through the use of metaphors. The song features three verses and a chorus, which is repeated many times throughout. McLachlan seems to use short insightful phrases to allow the listener to come to their own conclusions as to what she is illustrating. In the lyrics a woman voices her complaints about her lover. The text not only expresses a complaint. However, at the same time it is an analysis of the reason why she finds herself attracted to him. She describes him as a man who is hiding his inner self behind a careful constructed image, letting nobody look at his emotions deep down inside. The short bridge is formulated as some sort of conclusion following upon the description. All this man is doing, is aimed at the same thing: Building a Mystery. The way it is sung, makes it sound like a conclusion too. McLachlans lover is constructing his identity to give an impression of mysteriousness to the outside world. This line is followed by a break, which takes us back to the now familiar chord pattern. A definite conclusion is not voiced, but keeps hanging in the air. For obvious reasons, the instrumentation within a musical work is very important. This composition includes a wide variety of musical instruments however, the emphasis is placed on McLachlans voice. The bass, drums, background vocals, electric and acoustic guitars all work towards providing outstanding support for McLachlans voice. The use of the backups and the arrangement of the supporting instruments plays an integral role in the interpretation of this piece. The instrumental section prior to the entrance of McLachlans voice allows the listener to gain a strong sense of rhythm and melody. The constant theme involving the acoustic and electric guitars maintains the melody and continues through the extent of the piece. The primary guitar does this by playing one rhythm meanwhile the secondary guitar enters and displays the second element of the melody. .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d , .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d .postImageUrl , .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d , .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d:hover , .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d:visited , .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d:active { border:0!important; } .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d:active , .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua83cf2b414cae9417dd7fcef7650c70d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Catherine the Great of all Russia Essay Following this, the bass is established to give a beat that also is maintained throughout the song. .

The History of Thanksgiving Essay Example For Students

The History of Thanksgiving Essay THANKSGIVING The purpose of Thanksgiving in Canada is different from the Americans. But even though the reasons for giving thanks are different, many of the customs are the same. Canadian Thanksgiving was originally started to give thanks to God for a bountiful harvest. This was when there were lots of farmers that grew crops. Now we give thanks for everything we appreciate. Some farming families still give thanks for a good crop. Harvest celebrations have been around a long time. Ever since the very first harvest, about 2000 years ago, people have given thanks for a prosperous bounty. The first formal Thanksgiving was in the year 1578. A man named Martin Frobisher had given thanks for surviving his journey from England. He also gave thanks for a place that is now called Newfoundland. The celebration at Thanksgiving was also brought to Nova Scotia when Americans began to settle there. At the same time French settlers were arriving and were also having feasts of thanks. In 1879, Canadian parliament declared November 6th a day of Thanksgiving and a national holiday. The date of Thanksgiving has changed several times until January 31st, 1957, when parliament proclaimed that the second Monday in October be a day of general Thanksgiving to the Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed. A big part of Thanksgiving is a Thanksgiving feast. The feast usually consists of potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, peas, gravy, stuffing, salads, buns and lots of other great food. We will write a custom essay on The History of Thanksgiving specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The main part of the feast is usually the turkey. Other families might have ham, roast beef, duck or chicken. The dessert that is most likely to follow the feast is pumpkin pie. Other people may choose different desserts and food depending on their customs and beliefs for which they choose to give thanks. Lets not forget the biggest and most important reason for this holiday giving THANKS! People usually give thanks for everything they have. Their jobs, health, families or just being alive are just a few of the things that people give thanks for. Thanksgiving is a time when people can create their own customs and traditions because everyone is thankful for different things. The cornucopia has become a traditional symbol of this holiday because it is commonly shown filled with grain, vegetables and fruit, the staple food that settlers would give thanks for. During Thanksgiving, my family spends time together and we have fun. We go to places and give thanks to God for having each other in our lives. We give thanks for our health, our home, our food and especially each other. My favorite part of Thanksgiving is the pumpkin pie after a big turkey dinner with all the fixings. Thanksgiving is the perfect time for me to appreciate all that I have. My family farms so we always give thanks for a good harvest. Where we come from the community celebrates Thanksgiving all together with a tradition call Fowl Supper. The entire community enjoys food prepared by the local families in the basement of the local church. To those people who created this wonderful holiday.. Thank-you for Thanksgiving. .

Alexander the Great, Greek Military Leader

Alexander the Great, Greek Military Leader Alexander the Great was the son of King Philip II of Macedonia and one of his wives, Olympias, a daughter of the non-Macedonian King Neoptolemus I of Epirus. At least, thats the conventional story. As a great hero, there are other more miraculous versions of the conception. Name:  Alexander III of MacedonDates:  c. 20 July 356 B.C. - 10 June 323.Place of Birth and Death:  Pella and BabylonDates of Rule:  336-323Parents:  Philip II of Macedonia and OlympiasOccupation:  Ruler and military leader Alexander was born around July 20, 356 B.C. Being non-Macedonian made Olympias status lower than the Macedonian woman Philip later married. As a result, there was much conflict between Alexanders parents. As a Youth Alexander was tutored by Leonidas (possibly his uncle) and the great Greek philosopher Aristotle. During his youth, Alexander showed great observational powers when he tamed the wild horse Bucephalus. In 326, when his beloved horse died, he renamed a city in India/Pakistan, on the banks of the Hydaspes (Jhelum) river, for Bucephalus. Our image of Alexander is youthful because that is how his official portraits depict  him. See Photos of Alexander the Great in Art. As Regent In 340 B.C., while his father Philip went off to fight rebels, Alexander was made regent in Macedonia. During his regency, the Maedi of northern Macedonia revolted. Alexander put down the revolt and renamed their city after himself.  In 336 after his father was assassinated, he became ruler of Macedonia. The Gordian Knot One legend about Alexander the Great is that when he was in Gordium, Turkey, in 333, he undid the Gordian Knot. This knot had been tied by the legendary, fabulously wealthy King Midas. The prophecy about the Gordian knot was that the person who untied it would rule all of Asia. Alexander the Great is said to have undone the Gordian Knot not by unraveling it, but by slashing through it with a sword. Major Battles Battle of the Granicus - 334 B.C. (western Turkey) against Persian satraps with Greek mercenaries.Battle of Issus - 333 B.C. (Hatay province of Turkey) against King Darius of Persia.Battle of Gaugamela - 331 B.C. (northern Iraq) against King Darius of Persia.Battle of the Hydaspes (Jhelum) - 326 B.C. (northern Punjab, in modern Pakistan) against King Poros, who ruled a small kingdom, but had war elephants. Near the end of Alexanders expansion. (Although Alexander had intended to go further, and was soon thwarted by his own men, he thought he was near the edge of the earth.) Death In 323, Alexander the Great returned to Babylonia where he became ill suddenly and died. The cause of his death is unknown. It could have been disease or poison. It might have had to do with a wound inflicted in India. Alexanders successors were the Diadochi Wives Alexander the Greats wives were, first, Roxane (327), and then, Statiera/Barsine, and Parysatis. When, in 324, he married Stateira, daughter of Darius, and Parysatis, daughter of Artaxerxes III, he did not repudiate the Sogdian princess Roxane. The wedding ceremony took place in Susa and at the same time, Alexanders friend Hephaestion married Drypetis, Stateiras sister. Alexander provided dowries so that 80 of his companions could also marry noble Iranian women. Reference: Pierre Briants  Alexander the Great and His Empire. Children Herakles, son of Alexanders wife/mistress Barsine [Sources: Alexander the Great and His Empire, by Pierre Briant and Alexander the Great, by Philip Freeman]Alexander IV, son of Roxane Both children were killed before they reached adulthood. Source: www.pothos.org/alexander.asp?paraID71keyword_id12titleChildren Alexander the Great- Children Alexander the Great Quizzes Why Did Alexander Burn Persepolis QuizAlexander the Great Quiz I - The Early YearsAlexander the Great Quiz II - From Empire-Building to Death Other Articles on Alexander the Great What Color Was Alexanders Hair?Was Alexander the Great a Greek?

Nucleation Definition (Chemistry and Physics)

Nucleation Definition (Chemistry and Physics) NucleationDefinition Nucleation is the process where droplets of liquid can condense from a vapor, or bubbles of gas can form in a boiling liquid. Nucleation can also occur in crystal solution to grow new crystals. It is seen in gases when tiny bubbles coalesce into larger ones. In general, nucleation is a self-organizing process that leads to a new thermodynamic phase or a self-assembled structure. Nucleation is affected by the level of impurities in a system, which can provide surfaces to support assembly. In heterogeneous nucleation, organization begins at nucleation points on surfaces. In homogeneous nucleation, organization occurs away from a surface. For example, sugar crystals growing on a string is an example of heterogeneous nucleation. Another example is the crystallization of a snowflake around a dust particle. An example of homogeneous nucleation is growth of crystals in a solution rather than a container wall. Examples of Nucleation Dust and pollutants provide nucleation sites for water vapor in the atmosphere to form clouds.Seed crystals provide nucleation sites for crystal growing.In the Diet Coke and Mentos eruption, the Mentos candies offer nucleation sites for the formation of carbon dioxide bubbles.If you place your finger in a glass of soda, carbon dioxide bubbles will nucleate around it. Carbon dioxide bubbles nucleating on a finger. Arie Melamed-Katz Sources Pruppacher, H. R.; Klett J. D. (1997). Microphysics of Clouds and Precipitation.Sear, R.P. (2007). Nucleation: theory and applications to protein solutions and colloidal suspensions (PDF). Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. 19 (3): 033101. doi:10.1088/0953-8984/19/3/033101

BBC Facing Tide of Claims for Sex and Age Discrimination Essay

BBC Facing Tide of Claims for Sex and Age Discrimination - Essay Example This study discusses that figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that in the past year there have been 12 cases brought by women alleging sexual discrimination at the corporation.This was up from nine in the year before and three in the year before that. There have also been a further three cases of ageism brought against the BBC by women in the last three years. The broadcaster refuses to say how many of these women it has given payments to stop an employment tribunal. But it is understood this has happened on several occasions in recent years and that is why these type of cases against the BBC have rarely if ever actually reached court. The decision to drop Moira Stuart as a TV news reader was one of the most controversial examples of perceived sexism and ageism at the BBC in recent years. This was followed by the decision to axe Miss Phillips.This paper outlines that presenters such as Selina Scott, Anna Ford and Kate Adie have also attacked the BBC's attitude towards older women amid accusations it shunts females off screen once they reach a certain age. In 2008 Miss Scott won a payout, believed to have been about [pounds sterling]250,000, from Channel Five after she said she had been offered a newsreading job only for it to be given to two younger presenters. Experts say the increase in cases could be because women have become emboldened to speak out against bosses or because the problems are actually getting worse.

Is Infant Industry in Vietnam A Good Idea Essay

Is Infant Industry in Vietnam A Good Idea - Essay Example The researcher states that international trade is deemed as one of the essential steps towards success in the global industry. It is also expected that trade liberalization could alleviate poverty rate in the country. On the downside, there will always be an increasing demand from developed, First World countries towards excessive liberalization of foreign imports and investment. In some cases, free trade has been helpful for China and Taiwan, albeit with some violations and tremendous criticisms. At the international forefront, it has received a tremendous setback such that the Doha trade talks had been stalled while governments block the acquisition of foreign companies. Only a tip-in of the iceberg, Vietnam is faced with the need to broaden and widen its free trade defenses while maintaining its infant industry towards economic and improvement of rural development in the countryside. Aimed at protecting an industry, or a country in this particular scenario, the infant industry is an argument claiming the need for, as well as allowing, small firms in underdeveloped or developing countries to have a protection mechanism or policies against large, well-established, and well-developed industries or countries. Because new firms, particularly in developing countries, are not yet capable to go on a head-to-head battle with well-recognized business establishments from developed countries, the infant industry argument allows a developing country to impose a protective tariff, or tax, to imported goods and products. When this occurs, imported goods are obliged to increase prices, thus making them less competitive as compared to those local businesses in developing economies. In return, local businesses are able to gain a strong footing in their local economy until such time that it could achieve a sufficient size and obtain a significant economy of scale.

Products Apply to SuperVisions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Products Apply to SuperVisions - Case Study Example The representative description of quality by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Society Quality Control (ASQC) in 1978 is, â€Å"the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy given needs† (Peris-Ortiz et al 86). Supervisions is a regional retail eye care center, located in the northeast, which has been experiencing some quality management issues as discussed in this paper below.   There are two main approaches in the definition of quality, fitness for use and conformance to specifications. Fitness for use relies on the fact that customer needs must be the driving force behind quality products, while conformance to specifications argues that from the perspective of manufacturing or service delivery, specifications are targets and tolerances determined by designers of products and services. Targets being the ideal values for which production is expected to strive; and tolerances are acceptable deviations from these ideal values, recognizing that it is impossible to meet the targets all the time (Mawby 54).   Conformance to specification is the key quality dimensions that apply to SuperVision’s products. For SuperVision’s, conformance includes traits like, such as right lens and frame. The feature is a second most important quality dimension observed. The feature means availability of particular features than the total number of options available to customers. This encompasses reversibility such as change of lens and frames at minimal cost rather than purchasing a new pair. This is apparent in week one because it was noted that lenses were reversed. Furthermore, with wrong lenses attached, this is a quality dimension because they can be reversed in future (McCollum 116).   Reliability is the key service quality dimension observed.

How Is Naturalism Depicted English Literature Essay

How Is Naturalism Depicted English Literature Essay Naturalism is an artistic movement that rose a great controversy between artists and writers. One of them was John Steinbeck, however many authors dared categorize him as realistic writer. Even he asserted that he did not care about genre. I have therefore decided to answer this research question : How is Naturalism depicted in the character Lennie from the short novel Of mice and men of John Steinbeck? This qualitative descriptive extended essay belongs to the category of literature. In this essay, I examine Naturalism and explain its origin and characteristics. From amongst those characteristics, I then analyze Lennies characterization and demonstrate the influence of Naturalism on it. For that reason, I divide my analysis into six parts, which do not solely comprise a literary analysis of narrative resources and literary devices, but also they include a deep stylistic analysis that uses the peculiar language usage to explain Lennies characteristics. Thus, I demonstrate Lennie is a character that mirrors many naturalistic ideas. One of them is the realness of Lennie, which depicts the objectivity naturalistic writers are supposed to have. Moreover, I explain how Lennie is a token of the naturalistic statement that regards humans as primitive beings. Likewise, I then argue that Lennie has no free will and acts after being influenced by his environment or his own primitive instinct, showing once more a naturalistic idea of determinism. Finally, after evidencing that George does not attribute any responsibility to Lennie for his bad actions, I prove another naturalistic statement that forbids authors from showing any kind of moral judgment. TABLE OF CONTENTS: INTRODUCTION p.4 CHAPTER 1: Background to literary Naturalism p.5 CHAPTER 2: Naturalism in the character Lennie from Of mice and men p.7 Realistic characteristics of Lennie p.7 Primitive behaviour of Lennie p.8 Animal Behaviour of Lennie p.9 Influence of the environment on Lennie p.11 No free will in Lennie p.12 No moral judgment on Lennies behaviour p.14 CONCLUSIONS p.15 BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES p.16 INTRODUCTION No doubt John Steinbeck was a hard-to-categorize author. Many authors have regarded him as a realistic and a sort of romanticism writer whereas others state that he is a naturalistic writer. Steinbeck emerged from a world of Experimentalism in which new forms of aesthetics and themes were being created and mixed. Moreover, this author stated, in one of his letters, as cited by Fredik Eliasson  [1]  , that he did not care about genre and, in another one, that a writer ought to do all work himself, avoiding taking advice from others. In the meantime, American Naturalism was a literary movement rising a great controversy between scholars. Darwins ideas caused a large disceptation, in which many people adopted and argued in favor of Naturalism. Then, in a world heading for globalization, why would John Steinbeck avoid being influenced by others? Given the context, I have formulated the following research problem : How is Naturalism depicted in the character Lennie from the novel Of mice and men of John Steinbeck? Throughout all this work I will try to answer this question. Therefore, it will be very important to stress that this qualitative-descriptive extended essay will not only focus on discovering what naturalistic characteristics are depicted in Lennie, but also on what devices Steinbeck used to let Lennie convey those features. Moreover, I would label this research as important because this work will not only focus on imagery and descriptions in the novel, but also there will be a stylistic analysis, which will be much better than a merely isolated literary analysis. In this essay, I will show how Steinbeck conveys some naturalistic ideas through the character of Lennie of his novel Of mice and men. In the first chapter, I will examine what Naturalism is and what its characteristics are. After this brief definition, I will discuss how John Steinbeck conveys naturalistic ideas in the characterization of Lennie, for which I will divide this analysis into six parts. After that, I will make some conclusions about it. CHAPTER 1: Background to Naturalism Naturalism is a literary movement that took place between the late 19th century and the middle 20th. It stems, according to the The Oxford companion to American literature  [2]  , from French literature, in which Émile Zola was the outstanding figure. This author wanted to form a literature ruled by science, that is, a literature that was not going to be an art anymore, but a science. He explicated his theory, as cited by Fredik Eliasson  [3]  , in his vast study Les Rougon-Macquart, in which human beings are regarded as human beasts and he asserts that they can be studied through their relationships to their environment. The previous ideas were on the basis of the philosophical doctrine of biological and social determinism  [4]  . On the one hand, the former derived from Charles Darwins theory of evolution. Although he never applied his theories to human behaviour, they were used to examine how ones situation was determined by biological aspects  [5]  . On the other hand, the latter was influenced by the ideology of Marx, which canvased the social and political situation of American urban life  [6]  . As set before, naturalistic works were basically defined by determinism. It stated that people are controlled by their instinct, their passions and their social and economic environment  [7]  . Therefore, humans should be considered as if they did not have free will. Furthermore, determinism, as established by Kathryn VanSpanckeren, denies religion as a motivating force in the world and instead perceives the universe as a machine, godless and out of control  [8]  . Then, due to the lack of free will, it would make no sense to judge human behaviour, for humankind does not made decisions by itself. Zola, in his essay The experimental novel, related the scientific method to literary works. He said: the experimental novelist is therefore the one () who does not interpose his personal sentiments  [9]  . Thus, novels had to be as objective as possible because naturalistic writers were supposed to offer a scientific view of reality, in which neither an illusion nor a moral judgment had to be included  [10]  . Among themes in Naturalism, the literary critic Walcutt could recognize four themes: Determinism, survival, violence and taboo  [11]  . The theme of determinism has already been explained. The theme of survival stems from the application of determinism to biological competition, which points out men can, due to their origin in animals, behave like them. The theme of violence is related to survival, because as everybody tries to survive, they have to damage each other in order to outlive. Finally, the last theme is taboo, which includes sex, disease, bodily functions, obscenity and depravity. On the whole, Naturalism regards humans as beings fated to obey their natural instinct and environment, depicting a reality in which they can not be criticized. Taking the information given into account, in the next chapter it will be seen that realism, which is result of objectivity, primitive and animal characteristics, environmental influence and the lack of free will and moral judgment will be used to analyze the characterization of the character chosen. CHAPTER 2: Naturalism in the character Lennie from Of mice and men Of mice and men is a playable novel of John Steinbeck published in 1937. This author was the winner of a Nobel Prize in literature thanks to his novel The Grapes of Wrath. Of mice and men is known on account of its themes of friendship and American dream. The two main characters are Lennie and George. In the following sub-chapters, I will focus on Lennie, a round and static character that is mainly characterized by indirect characterization. Realistic characteristics of Lennie One of the main and notable characteristics is the representation of reality. John Steinbeck takes advantage of descriptions and speech in order to present how the people of those times were. Thus, he is also stressing the objectivity of Naturalism, which states that everything has to be described as it is in real life. First of all, since the third-person narrator is omniscient, the novel becomes more objective. Furthermore, the use of a description of Lennies dress, given in the opening chapter, depicts some characteristics of real workers. It can be seen in the narrative discourse: Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls slung over their shoulders  [12]  . Here, the fact that they carry their blankets let us know, since the beginning, that they have no place to live. What is more, the use of the pronoun both extrapolates these characteristics to every person who is in the same situation, that is to say, any other rancher who is working hard to survive misery. Secondly, there is a great contrast between the language used in the voice of the narrator and the speech of Lennie and all characters in general. The former contains a Standard English whereas the latter presents a Vernacular English. As stated by Johanna Seppà ¤là ¤, in her short study Vernacular English in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men  [13]  , this kind of language shows extensions of the s-ending to all verb forms, omissions of the auxiliary verb in the present perfect, double negation, reduction of words and use of colloquial phrases and words. Thus, we can see that Lennie is uneducated like the way workers of that period were. Therefore, this another reason to believe that this novel has a great deal of realism, which is a naturalistic characteristic. Primitive behaviour of Lennie Another characteristic of Naturalism in Lennie is his primitive behaviour. Clearly he is a childlike person and it will be demonstrated through the analysis of his actions, his speech and what other characters think and say about him. To start with, one of the most repetitive narrations, that will let readers know Lennie is like a child, is the act of smiling and its synonyms such as grin, giggle, chuckle, and laugh. By analyzing the setting and the situation in which Lennie feels pleased, happy or is being friendly, one can infer Lennie laughs because of pride. For instance, he smiles when he is able to remember what happened in Weed, the previous ranch in which he worked, and what George had told him about not saying any word. Also, when he feels proud to strike Curley, the son of the owners ranch, and when he hears George saying that he was as strong as bull. Definitely, Lennie fits the description of a child that feels pride when doing something correctly and being congratulated. Continuing, Steinbeck used suspension points when he wrote Lennies speech. This device creates a pause which can endure more than a single period or comma. Therefore, this pause could mean he stops for a while until he remembers what he has to say. Here are some examples: I remember some girls come by and you says . . . you says . . .  [14]  , I . . . I Lennie thought. His face grew tight with thought. I . . . aint gonna say nothin ()  [15]  , Because . . . . because I got you ()  [16]  and I . . . I aint gonna . . . say a word  [17]  . Suspension points are also seen by the time Lennie is constructing the ideas that he wants to express: I was jus playin with him . . . an he made like hes gonna bite me . . . . an I made like I was gonna smack him . . . an . . . an I done it. An then he was dead  [18]  . As it can be seen, Lennie stops when he finishes telling a sentence and then he continues talking. This is similar to the way children learn to talk and, therefo re, it is another reason why Lennie should be labelled as a child. Finally, one peculiar characteristic he has is forgetfulness. When George is talking to Lennie in the beginning of the novel he says: I gotta tell you again, do I? () O.K-O.K. Ill tell ya again  [19]  . Here the adjunct again forms an iterative narration and, thus, it let us know that it is not the first time he forgets something. As he can not remember things, he also takes trouble to learn them. When George says: You say that over two, three times so you sure wont forget it  [20]  and () Say it over to yourself, Lennie, so you wont forget it  [21]  he shows that Lennie needs to repeat words in order to interiorize them, which seems to be a sign of subnormal intelligence. Likewise, because of his retardation, Lennie is regarded as a child. Indeed, he is compared to kids and babies. For instance, when he cries, George tells him: Blubberin like a baby!  [22]  . It is also seen when Slim asks George: Hes jus like a kid, aint he?  [23]  and then George replies: Sure hes jes like a kid  [24]  . Moreover, even Curleys wife uses the adjective sonny to call him: What you got there, sonny boy?  [25]  and then she says: Jus like a big baby  [26]  . As it can be seen, the abundance of viewpoints from different characters states that Lennie unquestionably behaves like a child, which should be considered as primitive behaviour. Animal Behaviour of Lennie Edmund Wilson holds, as cited by Susan Shillinglaw  [27]  , that Steinbecks characters were more nearly animal than human. No doubt, this assertion is valid when discussing Lennies characterization because, in the next argument, it will evidenced that Lennie, by means of imagery, a peculiar diction and foreshadowing, is presented as if he had animal features. Throughout all the novel, the narrator compares Lennie to a bear and a horse three times. His motion is compared to () the way a bear drags his paws  [28]  in both the beginning and the end of the novel. Moreover, there is a comparison to a horse because, as the narrator says: [Lennie was] snorting into the water like a horse  [29]  . The latter differs from the former because it points out that Lennie has not good manners. Nevertheless, they have two things in common: they symbolize strength and great size. Hence it can be stated that the most outstanding characteristics in Lennie are physical, whereas the intellectual ones are subnormal. The comparison to animals is mirrored by diction. In the first chapter, a simile compares Lennie to a terrier who doesnt want to bring a ball to its master  [30]  . Moreover, when he fights against Curley, the narrator describes the scene using the following words: Lennie covered his face with his huge paws and bleated with terror  [31]  . Here the noun paw and the verb bleat, which means to make the sound of sheep and goats, convey Lennies similarity to animals. Finally, he is also referred to as a cuckoo by Slim. Cuckoo is synonym of  mad and senseless  [32]  but, at the same time, as defined by the Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, it representsany of numerous birds of the family Cuculidae  [33]  . The polysemy of this word could have been used to label him as a mad person and simultaneously compare him to an animal. Thus, Steinbeck presents, again, Lennie with animal characteristics. Another device used for describing Lennie is foreshadowing. As cited by Byung-Chull Bae and R. Michael Young  [34]  , S. Chatman defines it as hints of what is to come. That is exactly what can be seen in the novel when Candys dog is shot at its head because the workers regard it as a dog that does not deserve to continue suffering. Lennie is implicitly compared to this animal when in the end of the novel George shoots at him, for otherwise he would be murdered cruelly. Influence of the environment on Lennie Naturalism states that human beings are the product of their social environment. Next, it will be shown that Steinbeck conveyed this idea by means of diction, the symbolism of George and his speech. First of all, one should understand what George symbolizes. According to the definition given by Steven Croft and Helen Cross in their book English for the IB Diploma, () a symbol is simply a feature whereby a word or phrase represents something else ()  [35]  . If George is to be considered as a symbol, one should say that he symbolizes Lennies social environment because George has been like Lennies family for a long time and has been looking after him since they met. When the narrator introduces Lennie and George, he uses a peculiar language when referring to their position. The voice of the narrator starts saying: one stayed behind the other  [36]  , by which readers do not know neither who is behind nor who is forward. Immediately, Georges appearance is described, letting readers know he is small. At first sight, one can imagine the small one must be following the other. However the narrator says: Behind him walked his opposite  [37]  and readers, thus, can imagine he is bigger than the other and nothing similar to the first ones appearance. In this situation, despite his size, Lennie is the follower and, therefore, here a hint appears to point out that Lennie is certainly dependent upon George. That dependence upon George can also be seen in the imitation. When George replaced his hat, pushed himself back from the river, drew up his knees and embraced them  [38]  , Lennie did the same and the author used the adjunct exactly and the same lexicon for describing both George and Lennies actions. What is more, he does not just do it , but he also watches George again to see whether he is doing it right. The adjunct immediately is used when Lennie imitates George at their arrival at the bunk house. Hence, it can be stated that humans beings, symbolized by Lennie, imitate and copy what they see in their environment, symbolized by George. Moreover, Georges speech reveals that Lennie () sure can take orders  [39]  . When he is talking to Slim, he says: [Lennie] can do anything you tell him  [40]  and jus tell Lennie what to do an hell do it if it dont take no figuring  [41]  . George knows Lennie can do everything he asks him to and that is why he turns to Lennie and says, Jump in. An he jumps  [42]  . After that, Lennie is very grateful, for George saves him from drowning, and forgets he had told him to jump. Here Lennie shows that he would not criticize any order he receives from George. Therefore, we can conclude that, according to this novel, environment has a determining influence on human beings. No free will in Lennie George says in one of his speeches: [Lennie] cant think of nothing to do himself ()  [43]  . It shows the idea of determinism which states that humans beings have no free will. In this sub-chapter, it will be demonstrated how Steinbeck conveyed this idea by means of mainly peculiar use of language. To start with, when Lennie was asked to give a mouse away, his hand went into the pocket (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦)  [44]  in order to do what was being asked. However, Lennie did not want to do it and held his closed hand away from Georges direction  [45]  . Nevertheless, despite his effort, Lennies closed hand slowly obeyed  [46]  . By looking at the subjects and the objects, it can be seen that his hand is doing the actions, in the first and last quotation. It tries to hand it over to George, but, when Lennie acts as the subject and his hand is the object, it seems that he has to order it to be away from George. As Lennies hand surrenders the mouse over to George, one could infer that however much Lennie tries to avoid doing something against his will, he can not refrain from that. A similar situation is seen when Lennie has the mouse for the second time. Before handing the mouse over, Lennie makes an elaborate pantomime of innocence  [47]  trying to find mercy in a situation in which he can not do anything to avoid the loss of the mouse. Then he looks cornered and Steinbeck uses the following words: Lennie hesitated, backed away, looked wildly at the brush line as though he contemplated running for his freedom  [48]  . Here Lennie clearly shows that he does not want to obey George. After that, the adjunct reluctantly is used to describe the way he is trying to leave the mouse. Lennie, still indecisive, is in a great dilemma in the following extract: Lennie approached, drew back, approached again  [49]  . As it can be seen, by means of an antithesis, the author shows that Lennie doubts as to the two totally different options he has: to approach and to drew back. Nevertheless, George snapped his fingers sharply, and at the sound Lennie laid the mouse in his hand  [50]  , showing once more that he can not follow his will, because he has to do what his surroundings (George) tell him to do. Moreover, his body can be characterized as that of an entity that acts following its primitive instinct. It is evidenced when Lennie kills Curleys wife. This event started when Lennies big fingers fell to stroking her hair  [51]  . Then she asked him to stop, but Lennies fingers closed on her hair and hung on  [52]  . She started to shout, but Lennies other hand closed over her mouth and nose  [53]  . The fact that Lennies fingers and hand are the subjects in these sentences shows how he loses control of his own body. Afterward, he looked down at her, and carefully he removed his hand from over her mouth  [54]  , realizing, thus, that she was dead. In the previous sentences, Lennie is the subject, showing that he regains control of his body, but it is too late, for his hand had already killed Curleys wife. No moral judgment on Lennies behaviour Likewise, as stated previously, human behaviour can not be criticized, for it is the product of the environmental influence. Next, it will be demonstrated that this idea is presented by Steinbeck by means of Georges speech. When George and Slim talk about Lennie, they say, repeating many times, that he is not mean. For example, after killing Curleys wife, Lennie flees the ranch and then George says: Lennie never done it in meanness (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦)  [55]  , He never done this to be mean  [56]  and, finally, He dint know what he was doin   [57]  . In fact, they say he does not act by malice but by unconsciousness of what he does. Another example is given after striking Curley, when George directly tells Lennie: You done jus what I tol you to () You aint done nothing wrong  [58]  . Thus, it is stated that somebody is not responsible for what they do because they just act unconsciously in response to their environment. CONCLUSIONS Taking everything into account, I can confirm the initial assertion which stated that John Steinbeck conveys some ideas of Naturalism. Use of similes, spoken language, peculiar diction, iterative narrations, descriptions and the voice of the narrator aid to characterize Lennie and, therefore, let readers see the naturalistic ideas conveyed in this character in the short novel Of mice and men of John Steinbeck. Steinbeck introduces Lennie as a realistic character that depicts a portrait of human beings who behave senselessly and show primitive features that approach the Darwinian idea which states that we all humans and animals had an origin in common. Although Lennie can not do things by himself and is almost always waiting for orders, he follows his natural instinct, which is demonstrated by his division into two entities: himself and his body. Moreover, Through the relationship between George and Lennie, Steinbeck conveys the main theme of Naturalism: determinism, which is evidenced in Georges influence on Lennie to act. Finally, as George said, Lennie has not free will and is not conscious of what he does. Therefore, he can not be criticized by other people. All in all, the previous characteristics of Lennie convey naturalistic themes that simultaneously bring the influence of Naturalism on Steinbeck out into the open. Having concluded this extended essay, I bid researchers to continue studying this topic. As it could be seen, I limited the scope to one character, which permitted me to reserve space for an exploration of it in considerable depth. Then, other essays could formulate some research questions from the following questions: How is Naturalism depicted in other characters from this novel?, is there any trace of moral judgment in this novel?, how is friendship, label of the relationship between George and Lennie, related with Naturalism? and how is Naturalism depicted in other novels of John Steinbeck? By answering these questions there will be a deeper understanding of the author and the themes he intended to transmit. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES Bae B. and Young, R. (n.d.). A Use of Flashback and Foreshadowing for Surprise Arousal in Narrative Using a Plan-Based Approach. Retrieved from July 20, 2011, liquidnarrative.csc.ncsu.edu/pubs/icids1.pdf Beale, P. and Partridge, E. (2002). A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English: Colloquialisms and Catch Phrases, Fossilised Jokes and Puns, General Nicknames, Vulgarisms and Such Americanisms As Have Been Naturalis

Native Americans in California Missions Essay

Spanish wanted to colonize some of America, just like the Europeans. Building religious based Missions all throughout California was a way for them to maintain ultimate social, political, and economic control. Spanish explorers arrived on the border of California during the 16th century. The very first Franciscan mission was built in San Diego during 1769. By 1833, twenty two Spanish Missions existed from Southern California to Northern California. Native Americans made up about one-third of those who lived and worked at the Missions. There were an estimated 310,000 Indians living in California during the 16th century. The Spanish provided the Native Americans with the necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter. Although the California Missions had the right intentions of providing for the Native Americans, the Spanish acted in an inhumane and unfair way. Junipero Serra arrived in San Diego in 1768 and lead a group of Franciscans to find property and more importantly, workers. He welcomed the Native Americans with open arms and open doors. In a primary document written by Junipero Serra himself, he admitted that he used the Native Americans solely for work. However, he said that providing them with food and shelter compensates for their hard work. â€Å"So if families other than Indian come from there, it will serve the same purpose very well—that is, if we can provide for them†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Serra). Serra’s defenders state that he respected the Natives’ culture. However, his criticizers argue that he used force to urge the Native Americans to live at the Missions against their will. Although the Natives did not agree with Serra’s beliefs and actions, they were very respectful for the most part. For those who did not respect Serra received physical punishment with â€Å"whips, chains, and stocks to enforce religious obedience† (Serra). Junipero Serra was a great leader who made sure the California Missions were in order. The California Mission had worthy intentions and plans for the Native Americans. The Spanish welcomed them into their ‘homes’ and provided them with the essentials such as food, clothing, and shelter. However, living at the Missions had its consequences. The Native Americans were forced to change their entire lifestyles – from their beliefs, their daily routines, to the way they dressed and what they ate. Although anthropologists conducted that some Native Americans enjoyed their new lives, more than eighty percent refused to convert their ways of life (Sandos, 13). For thousands of years, the Natives were accustomed with their own lifestyle and beliefs, and all of a sudden, everything was stripped away from them. Even their personal identity was taken away from them. The Franciscans provided each individual with Spanish names which were to be used instead of their native birth names. â€Å"The missions were not agents of intentional enslavement, but rather rapid and therefore violent social and cultural change† (Archibald, 24). The Native Americans ended up becoming tax pay citizens along with being under Spanish wing twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The Franciscans had very different beliefs and traditions from the Native Americans. The Native Americans were forced to convert their religion to Roman Catholics. The Native Americans were more of a â€Å"spiritual† group rather than a religious group. Instead of believing in personified figures, such as Jesus, they believed spirits lie within their nature. Native Americans feed their energy off of nature. They believed that they are protected by the Mother Nature that surrounded them. The Spanish used religion to explain their actions, which made it ‘okay’ for them to convert the Native American’s beliefs because they were backed up by their god (California). Every person living and working at the Mission had to be officially baptized as a rite of passage. On Sundays and holidays everyone was obligated to go to church and worship. The Natives were forced to memorize Catholic rituals, songs, and scriptures. Prayer lasted four hours on Sundays and feast days. On a regular basis on typical days, prayer lasted two hours. Catholicism was a huge part of living at the Missions. The Missions were surrounded by Spanish soldiers so everyone was watched very closely. Once the Native Americans accepted the Spanish lifestyle, it was nearly impossible to escape. It was as if they were held against their own will. A few sources compare the treatment of Native Americans to slavery (Archibald, 48). Slavery is defined as an economic exploitation that benefits only the slave-owner. In the California Missions, the Native Americans worked solely to provide and maintain a certain lifestyle for the Spanish. Besides minimal food and shelter, the Native America’s natural human rights were stripped from them. Native America women made clothing, prepared meals, cleaned the rooms, and whatever domestic chores needed to be done at the Mission. Native American mothers even had to care for Spanish children instead of focusing on their own (Mission). The Native American men had to hunt for food and build new Missions. In addition, they learned carpentry, leatherworkers, smiths, and farm work. The Franciscans controlled their days into a rigorous schedule announced by church bells (Archibald, 104). If the workers were not done with their tasks by the chimes of the church bells, they would suffer major consequences. The Franciscans did not view their actions as imprisonment because they believed that the providence of food and shelter compensates for Natives’ hard work. In reality, the Missions were not a place to live a life of ease nor was it a place to acquire personal fortune and prosperity. The Native Americans were not worked to death like the slaves in southern United States at this time. However, the strict regulation, cruel and unusual punishments and forced new traditions are extremely inhumane acts. According to Julio Cesar, â€Å"When I was a boy the treatment given to the Indians at the Mission was not good at all. We were at the mercy of the administrator, who ordered us to be flogged whenever and however he took notion† (Mission). Every Mission had two priests. One priest’s duties were to preach and teach about religion. The other priest’s duties were strictly on the work field. He instructed and gave the Native Americans and other workers their duties. The lifestyle in the California Missions was set in a very rigorous schedule so it was nearly impossible for the Native Americans to take a break or escape the hardship. The Natives resisted colonization after just a short time living and working at the Missions. There were a few deadly rebellions conducted by the Native Americans. They destroyed Mission property and even threatened to kill priests. The most infamous attack occurred in San Diego. On November 4, 1775, hundreds of men completely destroyed the Cuiamac Rancheria Mission of San Diego. The men also killed three Hispanics, including the Father, Padre Jaime (Sandos, 92). In addition, in 1824, another great Indian rebellion in California occurred at the Missions of Barbara. A large part of the Mission building was wrecked by a large fire. On the same day, hundreds of Native Americans attacked the Spanish defenders and soldiers. Leaders of the rebellion were severely punished. Seven were executed and the others were imprisoned or required to do even crueler labor. The Natives revolted because of their poor treatment and forced labor enforced by the soldiers and Fathers (Sandos, 73). These rebellions were among the many others throughout the 16th century in the California missions. This proves that the Native Americans were furious about getting different beliefs and work forced onto them. The Spanish settlers caused a lot of health problems to flourish all throughout California. Soon after the arrival of Spanish colonists, diseases spread from Southern California to Northern California so Native American fatalities heightened. Highly infectious diseases such as smallpox, measles, and syphilis killed thousands of Native Americans, especially children, so the Indian population dropped drastically (Sandos, 64). About sixty percent of the Mission Native Americans’ death was due to introduced diseases. In just a few decades, the Native American population in California decreased from 310,000 to about 100,000. Since the California Missions held many residences, people lived in such confined spaces which caused contagious diseases to spread rapidly. In order to keep the population at a steady rate for enough workers, Mission leaders separated Native American children from their parents to maintain the children’s health to save them to work at the Missions as they got older (California). The Natives were furious that their families were being separate. Mothers were not there to care for their children, so the Native children were on their own. There was a lack of physicians to care for the ill so not everyone could be helped. Diseases were not the only reason why the Native population dropped drastically. They went through rigorous changes in diet so their bodies were not used to the food they were eating. In addition, malnutrition caused toxins in their bodies. In addition, the intense demanding manual labor is a factor that contributed to their inability to overcome the sickness. Death rates were higher than birth rates so the Mission had to keep recruiting different tribes all throughout California (Mission). By 1834, there were only about 15,000 Native American residents in the twenty two Missions. The Spanish were only in contact with the Native Americans for personal gain. The Franciscans maintained total economic, social, and political control all throughout California. Very few Native Americans chose to stay at the Missions voluntarily. During their time at the Missions, they had to conduct harsh labor and all of their rights were taken away from them. Although they provided the Native Americans with food, shelter, and clothing, the Franciscans treated them like slaves. The Spanish’s involvement backfired since a majority of Native Americans died due to illness, making them nearly extinct. The physical and metal demands required were a major strain on the Native Americans.

Schindlers List

â€Å"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference† Winston Churchill. This relates to the film Schindlers List as the main character Oskar Schindler has a major change in attitude towards the Jewish people. At the beginning of the film Schindler is introduced as a selfish man looking to exploit the Jews as workers. While he witnesses the liquidation of the Ghettos Schindler’s personality soon changes as he releases he can make a difference. This is shown using specific shots and lighting techniques.Through the use of hand-held cameras and camera shots used during the invasion of the Krakow Ghettos the chaos and fear makes an impact on the viewer. Hand-held cameras were used in amongst the crowds of Jews and Nazi soldiers to give the viewer an experience of what these people went through during this terrible time. The hand-held was used when we see an old lady walking in an alley when we see Nazi troops approaching. High angle shots are used to make the Jews l ook small and powerless during this scene. Whereas low angle shots are used to make the Nazi officials look powerful.The camera techniques help to make an impact on the viewer during this scene. Schindlers change was shown through the effects of colour and lighting techniques. Lighting was used to reveal Schindlers change. Lighting was used when we see that his face is shown fully lit whereas in the beginning of the film his face is only half lit to show that he was a selfish man. Colour was used to show how important a particular part of the scene was. This was shown when we see a little girl in red walking around the crowds of Jews being killed, while there is a children’s choir singing in the background.This scene had made Schindler finally realise what the Nazis were doing to the Jews was wrong. This shows that Schindler went through a change in attitude as he realises what the Jews have had to go through. The use of sound and music were used during the invasion when the Jews are in hiding. Sound was used amongst the people as it had been silent and one sudden move there is a. The sound was used to make the The uses of visual techniques during the liquidation were to show the change that Schindler had gone through after witnessing the events of the iquidation. The importance of this scene was to show the difference of Schindler from how he was in the beginning of the film to what he had been changed into at the end. The liquidation also gave us a sight on the importance of how Schindler had used specific techniques to show his face being fully lit. As Edward Evenetthale once said â€Å"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something and I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. †

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Rhetoric Essays

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Rhetoric Essays Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Rhetoric Essay Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Rhetoric Essay Essay Topic: Jonathan Edwards Sermons Jonathan Edwards was a Puritan preacher present during the time of the Great Awakening, a time period in colonial America when religion gained a massive resurgence. He (as well as George Whitefield) was a key figure in the time, due primarily to his awe-inspiring sermons depicting the horrors of hell.One of his sermons, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, held many similarities to his others: it depicts the scorching fire, and the suffering, and the wickedness, and the reality of a hell that all unconverted people will go to if they do not completely accept God as their true savior and lord. In order for Edwards to have grasped his audience with fear, he showered upon the audience vivid imagery, threatening diction, and analogies to get his point across: there is a hell, and God’s hand is ready to flick you into its fiery pit, unless God is accepted and you go through conversion.Edwards delivers such a passionate sermon so that he can help revive the religious fervor he beli eves should be spread. To introduce his sermon, Edwards was very quick to make real the concept of a hell. He utilized horrifying imagery with words such as â€Å"hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them,† that vividly portrayed what Edwards identified as hell. The vivid portrayal was used to form a concrete image of hell, a definite, tangible, fiery hell.The congregation at the time likely had their ears and minds penetrated by the macabre Edwards had produced – which is exactly what he wanted to happen. However, he wasn’t doing this all for shock factor. He wanted to do more than create some cheap thrills for his audience. He genuinely wanted the congregation to â€Å"wake up† and face the reality that Jesus must be accepted as savior, and conversion was a must-do. The title of the sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, makes clear that sinners are being held in the Lord’s hand.Clearly stating this in his sermon, Edw ards said, â€Å"if God should withdraw His hand, [your bodily constitution, your care of your own life, and the means your use for your own preservation] would avail no more to keep you from falling. † With that said, he was implying that it is God’s hand that provides a barrier between your soul and the fires of hell. Similarly to the vivid imagery used previously, Edwards also compared God’s hand with great waters, the likes of which are, â€Å"constantly rising. † In the odd case that one would not understand that God is the sole purpose many people are not urrently burning in hell, Edwards continued his analogies, stating, â€Å"the bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string. † Essentially, the great waters and bow comparisons mean the same thing. They both mean that at any time, similar to a flood or the shot of an arrow, God’s hand can release the firm grasp it has on the damned human souls resting upon it, sending them straight to hell. The parallel was used to show the simplicity of the situation; no ifs ands or buts. As the sermon closed, Edwards did not forget to leave the congregation with some final morbid images.He produced a degrading image of an angry God holding a sinner over the pit of hell, as one would a spider, furthering the thought that God is the only reason one is not currently burning in hell. Additionally, Edwards said that, â€Å"you (the sinner) are ten thousand times more abominable in His eyes than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. † Once again, one can see Edwards’ continued use of bringing in abstract concepts, such as hell and God’s perspective, and putting them into tangible ideas. This technique served to produce an even more realistic image of what being unconverted and unfaithful to God carries.All in all, it is evident why so many colonial Americans followed the religious bandwagon of the first Great Awakening. With s ermons similar to Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, one can be easily swayed to have an alteration of perspectives on religion. With vivid imagery so vivid allowing words to be tangible, cringe worthy diction, and analogies bringing forth abstract concepts to put into real ones, Edwards had gotten his point across: hell is real, and only those who accept God will be the fortunate ones to miss witnessing the hell’s horrors.

Analysis of the Differences Between Laws and Ethics

Analysis of the Differences Between Laws and Ethics Ethics refers to a set of rules or guiding principles that inform and govern people’s conduct in various situations and circumstances. For example, different professions have different codes of ethics that determine how they behave and act. Ethics influence behavior and decisions in various ways. In addition, it can be classified into different groups including personal ethics, professional ethics, and universal ethics that govern society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of the Differences Between Laws and Ethics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, law refers to rules or codes of practice that are created and reinforced by an authority such as a government in order to bring order and cohesion. Law is compelling because failure to adhere to its precepts leads to punishment. Moreover, law is diverse because its implementation includes various forms including constitutions, policies, term s of service, and other forms of legal provisions. Law and ethics have several similarities. First, they influence human conduct and decisions in order to benefit individuals and society. People follow ethics because it represents principles and values that direct society. On the other hand, people follow law because it creates a common ground to unify people and create order among individuals in society. Second, they serve the main aim in society. They improve the moral status of individuals in society. Law enforces certain rules with a punishment threat if broken. Ethics relies on people’s rationality and sensibilities in order to influence people’s behaviors. They are both responsible for maintenance of order and social cohesion. Law and ethics have several differences. Law is compelling while ethics is not. Breaking law results in punishment while acting without regard to ethics does not have punishment. Acting ethically is a personal responsibility while obeying l aw is mandatory for everyone. Again, they influence people’s conduct in different ways. Ethics usually affects people’s behavior with regard to how they treat those who are close to them or those whom they interact with regularly. In contrast, law affects people’s behavior with regard to people whom they rarely interact with. Ethics is defined by the values, customs, or beliefs of a community or society. In contrast, law is defined by universally accepted standards and behaviors. Ethics is immune to societal or communal change while law is not immune to change. Ethics changes only when the morals, perceptions, and values of society change. On the contrary, law can be changed by an act of a governing body or a decision by lawmakers.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ethics tells people what they ought to do and in what ways. For example, business peop le are expected to serve their customers with honesty and fairness. This concept does not apply to law because it tells people what they are not supposed to do and what they must do. It has prohibitions and mandates. Unlike ethics, it does not tell people what they should do and in what ways. Finally, ethics influences individuals internally while law influences people externally. While law is enforced, ethics is not. In conclusion, law and ethics are similar because they aim to promote order and cohesion in society. In addition, they influence behavior in ways that benefit individuals and society. On the other hand, they are different in several ways. Law is enforced while ethics is not. Law is easily changed while ethics is immune to changes. Changes depend on shifts in people’s moral values and cultures. Finally, law is binding because it tells people what they cannot do and what they must do. Ethics tells people what they ought to do. People are free to either adhere to e thics or not. On the contrary, it is mandatory to follow law.

Romanticism Or Postmodernism Arts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Romanticism Or Postmodernism Arts - Assignment Example The paper "Romanticism Or Postmodernism Arts" states the romanticism and postmodernism arts. Some artists popular in the postmodern movement are Chris Burden, Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Roy Lichtenstein, Barbara Kruger, Rene Magritte, and Umberto Boccioni. There are several arts pieces that fall under the postmodernist art category. Some personal favorites are that of Chris Burden's â€Å"The Reason for the Neutron Bomb,† which is made up of 50,000 nickels topped with matchsticks that represent the Soviet tank buildup in Europe. Another art piece under this category is that of Barbara Kruger entitled â€Å"Your Body is a Battleground,† which is a feminist take and critique on how media creates an idealized version of beauty. There is also James Rosenquist's â€Å"President Elect,† which is actually a campaign poster turned into a commentary about consumerism and commodification. It is said that postmodern art actually began after the WW1. Peop le have tried to believe and push for a better future. The views that tradition and anything linked to the past restricts freedom caused the evolution of the belief that changes can be done and that human destiny can be influenced through art. However, after the WW2, it is understandable how people felt it is almost impossible to sustain this ideal. Furthermore, with the Cold War and the continuous threats about mass destruction, an optimistic view of the future seems impossible. It seems now that the future is no longer the goal of art.

Art is fun Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art is fun - Essay Example This shows that art is undergoing a transformation into a multicultural platform where parties involved are sensitive to each other’s cultural issues. The distinctive observation about Donald Morgan’s work of art is that the artifacts he creates and displays around the world are culture sensitive. The artifacts he creates are based on forest imagery, objects that are familiar to individuals from all cultures. Therefore, Donald Morgan’s work is multicultural and serves to bring individuals together from various cultures in appreciating common works of art. The main focus of Donald Morgan’s multimedia presentation is the notion of manifesting diversity. The forest imagery that the presentation depicts ranges from natural to artificial objects and living to non-living objects (University of Oregon, uoregon.edu). This forest diversity represents the cultural diversity that characterizes the peoples of the world. Morgan depicts his art both through paintings an d sculptures. This serves to emphasize the concept of diversity further by utilizing diverse artistic techniques. A distinctive observation concerning Barminski’s multimedia presentation is that he employs diverse artistic techniques, which put across his message concerning gun culture. He uses sculptures as well as photos and drawings. Therefore, his artwork portrays diversity (Barminski, Barminski.com). Both Morgan’s multimedia presentation and Coco’s performances make me feel that different people are becoming more tolerant of each other’s differences than ever before. I feel there is a realization among people all over the world that their different cultures, beliefs, and lifestyles are not significant enough to compromise their relations with each other. For example, Coco writes that a white visitor to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago was shocked to see Coco and Guillermo put in a cage like animals. Thinking they were not performing but were real aborigines, he was astonished to see people put in a cage for display to the public (Gablik, 313). This occurrence serves as a testament to the fact that western attitudes regarding cultural equality have changed significantly since several years ago, when western people used to believe their culture is superior to the rest of the world’s cultures. The performances of Coco and Guillermo had a significant impact in furthering the cause of artists of color of achieving greater representation in the world of art. However, some of the methods the two performers used to achieve their aims were unorthodox. In particular, the instant whereby the two performers mislead city officials in Spain to believe that their performance was just street entertainment in order to receive their permission was quite irresponsible of them (Gablik, 326). Their decision to downplay the political aspect of their performance almost put the city officials in trouble with their seniors. The two should have conducted all their activities with honesty and integrity. Their lack of integrity undermined the cause for which they were fighting. Donald Morgan’s multimedia presentation displayed a high degree of creativity which I found very impressive. His focus on forest imagery is quite revolutionary

Article reflection in urben design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Article reflection in urben design - Essay Example I like using my smart phone during travel times. I see my travel time as a good way to do those things which I would otherwise be unable to while in the house or in otherwise busy environments such as the classroom or at work. I can say for sure that Smart phones have really changed my travelling experience. Not only can I search for different things as I travel around, but am also able to catch up with news from online sources. Armed with a smart phone, my commuting episodes are always an interesting and productive. The time I use in a public transport medium is never wasted because I use it to do other things such as researching for my course. The things I can do while using a public means of transport range from playing my favourite Smartphone games, to catching up with news from digital versions of the major newspapers. Watching videos online is also an important part of the things which I do during the travel time. On my travels, I also realise that am not the only one who is be nefiting from the portable technologies. Although I personally only use my Smartphone and rarely carries other portable devices such as tablet computers, I realise that most people these days are carrying portable devices on their travels. These digital devices include laptops and tablet computers and these people are never shy to use these devices (Schwieterman 30-35). These people are usually busy on their digital devices, usually with earphones tagged to their ears which mean that they are listening to something. When travelling, I usually like listening to my favourite FM especially during the breakfast shows or the drive-on shows in the evening. I listen to my favourite FM but during the times when there is nothing interesting to listen to, I can listen to my favourite music on the phone. I also like listening to podcasts which I also download online. There is one trend which I have realised with me. For instance, I have noticed that I rarely do the things which I do with my ph one when I am in the house. When am in the house, I rarely ever listen to radio or podcasts. I only find these things interesting when am travelling as a way to keep myself busy. However, listening to music and podcasts are not the only things I do with my phone. I do extensive useful work such as researching for my course. With easy use of internet on my iPhone, I find it easy to be able to use the internet for research. I am very fond of reading articles online on my phone while listening to music on the background. This helps me to pass time and to be able to travel in ease. I also play games as I have installed a number of apps for gaming on my phone. The list of the things I can do on my phone are endless. Most of these activities I only engage when using public transport, not only to pass time, but also to relax myself. I have found public transport very relaxing because I can engage in whatever things I want to do unlike when I am driving. Driving, while at some times enjoyab le, has its own share of troubles. For example a flat tyre always seems to come at the most incontinent of times. The occasional speeding ticket and other minor incontinences also make driving a wreck in most cases. On the other hand, travelling through public transport means that I can sit back and relax and wait for my destination to come to me. Using

Fast Food and the Problems with Fast Food Essay Example for Free

Fast Food and the Problems with Fast Food Essay Fast Food Having an Effect on U. S Health Fast food chains are anywhere and everywhere. You cannot drive to town without passing at least two or three of these â€Å"restaurants. † The concept behind fast food was a good idea, but the results were catastrophic in the health aspect. Now that fast food has become one of the top industries in the world, everything has gone awry. The fast food industry has drastically changed the way people view food, how convenience is rising and the cost for products. Fast food restaurants first started as drive-ins with car hops, but in the 1980’s began with drive-thru windows. McDonald’s was one of the first ones to convert from car hops to drive-thru windows. The idea of fast food service brought about a whole new concept to how we view food. Without proper education in the health field typical Americans would not know what their body needs and what they consume. Maybe if that was the case the obesity rate and rates of chronic heart disease would plummet and we could focus on more important problems. When these restaurants began to spring up, it spread like wildfire. Sonic, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s and etc. all became multi-million dollar companies. They discovered they could mass-produce products that were cheap and that could make them money faster than what they had to been doing before (Super-Size Me). Fast food has sprung up and become a leading industry because they are focused on quick, cheap food for people. Despite how bad it is for them it is cheap and fast to produce. They are extremely convenient due to the drive-thru windows that are being incorporated into any and all fast food restaurants. The food that you buy is relatively inexpensive and cheap also. Another key point to fast food restaurants popularity is that they are advertising their foods more towards the children. McDonald’s has their cartoon show that advertises their products to children along with the play places and their mascot, Ronald McDonald. They also incorporate toys and such for the kids’ meals. Burger King does something similar to McDonald’s with their characters. There are many lawsuits against corporations advertising to children for fast food, which are still being reviewed for the time being. This advertising is being sued because of the high rates of obesity in younger children is sky rocketing and chronic heart diseases at younger ages is also a factor in these lawsuits (Food, Inc). The health factors play perhaps the largest role in any type of food industry. â€Å"The disadvantages to fast food is that the products are higher in soya, fat, sugar, oil, fried meat, salt cheese, mayonnaise, and obviously salt†(Bose). There are very little nutrients in fast food if any due to the process of frying the foods to cook them. There is also bacteria present on the food before frying it which can do harm to our bodies if not destroyed also. There is a direct link between fast food and obesity, coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes. Fast food is loaded with salt and fats that are not needed for the body to function which after a long period of â€Å"exposure† can lead to CHD and obesity. â€Å"Eating fast food two or more times a week was also found to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 27 percent† (University of Minnesota). The advantages of fast food are more for convenience than nutrition. †In a survey done by WebMD the top 11 reasons for eating fast food are as follows: They’re quick, they’re easy to get to, I like the taste of fast food, they’re inexpensive, I’m too busy to cook, it’s a â€Å"treat† for myself, I don’t like to prepare foods myself, I don’t like to prepare foods myself, My friends/family like them, it is a way of socializing with friends and family, they have many nutritious foods to offer, they’re fun and entertaining†(Hitti). This survey just shows that most Americans do not have time or do not make the time to prepare meals for themselves and their families. If families are too be healthier individuals they need to make time to prepare meals for the entire family. Choosing one day out of the week to cook meals for the whole week is a great and convenient solution to this problem. The major chains that have flourished greatly are McDonald’s with their advertising towards children and very inexpensive foods, Burger King with their better â€Å"quality† tasting food, and Sonic which kept the drive in style fast food, but incorporated a drive thru into their layout. Each of these restaurants have one thing in common, they all advertise to children as their main concentration. Keeping their restaurants friendly and geared towards kids pushes the kids to want to keep going to these places so they can eat and play. Sonic does not offer a play place or anything like what Burger King and McDonald’s have. Sonic keeps more of the older style of fast food using car hops and drive ins which plays to their advantage being one of the very few restaurants that even do this anymore. One of the biggest problems with fast food is that they try to keep us in the dark about what we are consuming. That should raise the question of what is being hidden from us. In the documentary, Food Inc. all of the corporations producing foods refused to comment on their procedures. The farmers were not even allowed to let the cameramen into their chicken houses. This alone should tell us there is something that these companies are hiding that could cause them to lose a lot of money. If you watch closely to how these companies operate then that alone should raise an eyebrow or two as to what is their big secret and why are we the consumers kept in the dark about this. For McDonalds, the chicken nuggets they sale are not actually chicken nuggets. The â€Å"nuggets† are the leftovers of the chicken made into a pink paste like substance that is then made into a chicken nugget. None of the meats made are 100 percent beef or chicken or fish. The products are leftovers of the real ingredients ground up and mixed with other products to make what we consume. Trans-fatty acids are placed into the products to preserve them which only make them worse for us, which leads to insulin resistance over time and cause Type 2 diabetes. The beef has been reported to have less than 2 percent actual beef in the burgers. Many of the mystery ingredients in fast food are typically industrial chemicals. The occurrence with deaths due to how our food is processed is becoming a major concern for most states. Unfortunately FDA regulations are very lax with food processing companies and fast food companies because some of the â€Å"big wigs† are working for these food companies (Food, Inc. ). The beef that is being processed for our consumption are typically standing in their own manure, which causes infected meats and disease ridden food. Also chicken houses are very similar to the way beef is raised. The chickens are packed into these houses and pumped with steroids so they will grow much faster and much larger than normal. This means less time spent raising the chicken and faster money in the pockets of the corporations. Food is an essential part of life. It is necessary to live and to function throughout the day. The type of food we consume is up to us, we can have healthy, nutritious food or we can have quick, unhealthy food. The choice comes down to our knowledge of what we consume and need as humans. Unfortunately fast food has changed how we view food, how convenience is a greater commodity than nutrition and the cost for products. Works Cited Bose, Debopriya. â€Å"Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Food. † 12 Nov. 2013. Buzzle. Web. Clarke, Nancy. â€Å"Health Risks Involved When Eating Fast Food. † 9 Sep. 2013. Demand Media. Web. Food, Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Perf. Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Gary Hirschberg, and Joe Halatin. Magnolia Pictures, 2008. Documentary. Henshaw, Ashley. â€Å"The Major Health Hazards of Fast Food. † 9 Sept. 2013. SymptomFind. Web. Hitti, Miranda. â€Å"Top 11 Reasons for Fast Food’s Popularity. † 12 Nov. 2013. WebMD. Web. Pereira, Mark, David S. Ludwig, Alex I. Kartashov, Cara B. Ebbeling, Linda Van Horn, Martha L. Slattery, David R. Jacobs. â€Å"Fast-food Habits, Weight Gain, and Insulin Resistance (The CARDIA Study): 15-Year Prospective Analysis. † 9 Sept. 2013. 365. 9453(2005): 36-42. Web. 9 Sept. 2013 Martindale, Diane. â€Å"Fast Food is a Major Public Health Hazard 177. 2380. † 2 July 2012. Organic Consumers Association. 9 Sept. 2013. Web. Super-Size Me. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Perf. Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, and Lisa Ganjhu. Kathbur Pictures, 2004. Documentary. University of Minnesota Academic Health Center. â€Å"Fast Food Intake Increases Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease in Singapore. † ScienceDaily. 9 Sept. 2013. Web. Weiss, Thomas C. â€Å"Associated Health Risks of Eating Fast Foods. †. Disabled World. Fast Food Having an Effect on U. S Health Fast food chains are anywhere and everywhere. You cannot drive to town without passing at least two or three of these â€Å"restaurants. † The concept behind fast food was a good idea, but the results were catastrophic in the health aspect. Now that fast food has become one of the top industries in the world, everything has gone awry. The fast food industry has drastically changed the way people view food, how convenience is rising and the cost for products. Fast food restaurants first started as drive-ins with car hops, but in the 1980’s began with drive-thru windows. McDonald’s was one of the first ones to convert from car hops to drive-thru windows. The idea of fast food service brought about a whole new concept to how we view food. Without proper education in the health field typical Americans would not know what their body needs and what they consume. Maybe if that was the case the obesity rate and rates of chronic heart disease would plummet and we could focus on more important problems. When these restaurants began to spring up, it spread like wildfire. Sonic, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s and etc. all became multi-million dollar companies. They discovered they could mass-produce products that were cheap and that could make them money faster than what they had to been doing before (Super-Size Me). Fast food has sprung up and become a leading industry because they are focused on quick, cheap food for people. Despite how bad it is for them it is cheap and fast to produce. They are extremely convenient due to the drive-thru windows that are being incorporated into any and all fast food restaurants. The food that you buy is relatively inexpensive and cheap also. Another key point to fast food restaurants popularity is that they are advertising their foods more towards the children. McDonald’s has their cartoon show that advertises their products to children along with the play places and their mascot, Ronald McDonald. They also incorporate toys and such for the kids’ meals. Burger King does something similar to McDonald’s with their characters. There are many lawsuits against corporations advertising to children for fast food, which are still being reviewed for the time being. This advertising is being sued because of the high rates of obesity in younger children is sky rocketing and chronic heart diseases at younger ages is also a factor in these lawsuits (Food, Inc). The health factors play perhaps the largest role in any type of food industry. â€Å"The disadvantages to fast food is that the products are higher in soya, fat, sugar, oil, fried meat, salt cheese, mayonnaise, and obviously salt†(Bose). There are very little nutrients in fast food if any due to the process of frying the foods to cook them. There is also bacteria present on the food before frying it which can do harm to our bodies if not destroyed also. There is a direct link between fast food and obesity, coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes. Fast food is loaded with salt and fats that are not needed for the body to function which after a long period of â€Å"exposure† can lead to CHD and obesity. â€Å"Eating fast food two or more times a week was also found to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 27 percent† (University of Minnesota). The advantages of fast food are more for convenience than nutrition. †In a survey done by WebMD the top 11 reasons for eating fast food are as follows: They’re quick, they’re easy to get to, I like the taste of fast food, they’re inexpensive, I’m too busy to cook, it’s a â€Å"treat† for myself, I don’t like to prepare foods myself, I don’t like to prepare foods myself, My friends/family like them, it is a way of socializing with friends and family, they have many nutritious foods to offer, they’re fun and entertaining†(Hitti). This survey just shows that most Americans do not have time or do not make the time to prepare meals for themselves and their families. If families are too be healthier individuals they need to make time to prepare meals for the entire family. Choosing one day out of the week to cook meals for the whole week is a great and convenient solution to this problem. The major chains that have flourished greatly are McDonald’s with their advertising towards children and very inexpensive foods, Burger King with their better â€Å"quality† tasting food, and Sonic which kept the drive in style fast food, but incorporated a drive thru into their layout. Each of these restaurants have one thing in common, they all advertise to children as their main concentration. Keeping their restaurants friendly and geared towards kids pushes the kids to want to keep going to these places so they can eat and play. Sonic does not offer a play place or anything like what Burger King and McDonald’s have. Sonic keeps more of the older style of fast food using car hops and drive ins which plays to their advantage being one of the very few restaurants that even do this anymore. One of the biggest problems with fast food is that they try to keep us in the dark about what we are consuming. That should raise the question of what is being hidden from us. In the documentary, Food Inc. all of the corporations producing foods refused to comment on their procedures. The farmers were not even allowed to let the cameramen into their chicken houses. This alone should tell us there is something that these companies are hiding that could cause them to lose a lot of money. If you watch closely to how these companies operate then that alone should raise an eyebrow or two as to what is their big secret and why are we the consumers kept in the dark about this. For McDonalds, the chicken nuggets they sale are not actually chicken nuggets. The â€Å"nuggets† are the leftovers of the chicken made into a pink paste like substance that is then made into a chicken nugget. None of the meats made are 100 percent beef or chicken or fish. The products are leftovers of the real ingredients ground up and mixed with other products to make what we consume. Trans-fatty acids are placed into the products to preserve them which only make them worse for us, which leads to insulin resistance over time and cause Type 2 diabetes. The beef has been reported to have less than 2 percent actual beef in the burgers. Many of the mystery ingredients in fast food are typically industrial chemicals. The occurrence with deaths due to how our food is processed is becoming a major concern for most states. Unfortunately FDA regulations are very lax with food processing companies and fast food companies because some of the â€Å"big wigs† are working for these food companies (Food, Inc. ). The beef that is being processed for our consumption are typically standing in their own manure, which causes infected meats and disease ridden food. Also chicken houses are very similar to the way beef is raised. The chickens are packed into these houses and pumped with steroids so they will grow much faster and much larger than normal. This means less time spent raising the chicken and faster money in the pockets of the corporations. Food is an essential part of life. It is necessary to live and to function throughout the day. The type of food we consume is up to us, we can have healthy, nutritious food or we can have quick, unhealthy food. The choice comes down to our knowledge of what we consume and need as humans. Unfortunately fast food has changed how we view food, how convenience is a greater commodity than nutrition and the cost for products. Works Cited Bose, Debopriya. â€Å"Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Food. † 12 Nov. 2013. Buzzle. Web. Clarke, Nancy. â€Å"Health Risks Involved When Eating Fast Food. † 9 Sep. 2013. Demand Media. Web. Food, Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Perf. Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Gary Hirschberg, and Joe Halatin. Magnolia Pictures, 2008. Documentary. Henshaw, Ashley. â€Å"The Major Health Hazards of Fast Food. † 9 Sept. 2013. SymptomFind. Web. Hitti, Miranda. â€Å"Top 11 Reasons for Fast Food’s Popularity. † 12 Nov. 2013. WebMD. Web. Pereira, Mark, David S. Ludwig, Alex I. Kartashov, Cara B. Ebbeling, Linda Van Horn, Martha L. Slattery, David R. Jacobs. â€Å"Fast-food Habits, Weight Gain, and Insulin Resistance (The CARDIA Study): 15-Year Prospective Analysis. † 9 Sept. 2013. 365. 9453(2005): 36-42. Web. 9 Sept. 2013 Martindale, Diane. â€Å"Fast Food is a Major Public Health Hazard 177. 2380. † 2 July 2012. Organic Consumers Association. 9 Sept. 2013. Web. Super-Size Me. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Perf. Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, and Lisa Ganjhu. Kathbur Pictures, 2004. Documentary. University of Minnesota Academic Health Center. â€Å"Fast Food Intake Increases Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease in Singapore. † ScienceDaily. 9 Sept. 2013. Web. Weiss, Thomas C. â€Å"Associated Health Risks of Eating Fast Foods. †. Disabled World.