Emergency Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Emergency Management - Research Paper Example An emergency manager should have concrete knowledge on disaster planning, applicable federal and state laws, services for emergency management, how to prepare management plans for emergency needs (Personal information from Manager Anderson). He/she should be a good public administrator and a good team leader who can lead a team effectively. He/she should be one who can evaluate and analyze a problem and give effective ideas on how to deal with the problem at hand. They should also have traits of calmness under emergency and stressful situations and portray that calmness outwardly. They should have the ability to maintain effective working relationships with officials at the local setup and beyond. They should also be firm decision makers with excellent communication skills. (Personal information from Coordinator Scott) Resilience and passion for work is also crucial for every emergency manager. Today’s and tomorrow’s managers in the emergency department will succeed in serving the society when they give their work the best that they can. (Personal information, Manager Anderson) Hopson (2012) in his publication: Emergency management, states how the role of an emergency manager was thought of as a quiet one, more so relegated to officials of an agency that were appointed to the position of a collateral duty.He states how that is not the case in the recent years. Emergency Managers’ role has been that of resource and coordination with local government partners when there is an emergency. The Emergency Managers currently have an additional role of Homeland security. Manager Anderson agrees with Hopson’s literature. He states that the role of Emergency Management cannot be overemphasized in today’s society. That it is key and important. Today’s Emergency manager faces issues of maintaining an all-hazards approach to emergency management so as to incorporate special needs of terrorism. The Federal Response

Public Sector Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Public Sector Accounting - Essay Example In order to demonstrate the differences an organization from each sector has been taken. The chosen public sector organization is The Royal Mail Holdings Plc and the publicly listed company is Aviva Plc. Royal Mail is a 100% UK Government owned organization involved with the postal services throughout UK, Ireland and Europe (Royal Mail Group Ltd, 2012). Aviva is a UK-based largest global insurance company and world’s sixth largest (Aviva, 2012). The third section demonstrates the effect of the objectives of public sector accounting and the rules and regulations governing public sector organizations in the form of differences and similarities in the format, style and accounting policies in the annual reports of Royal Mail and Aviva. The fourth section deals with the role of auditor in both the organizations. Overall the four sections in the project analyze if the differences between the two sectors’ accounting practices are prominent or if there is any reduction in their differing frameworks. Accounting Needs & Objectives The public sector encompasses all the organizations that are not owned or operated by private organizations. The organizations’ control lies in the hands of the Government, either national or local. Public sector in UK is diverse and includes nationalized industries, Government agencies and public service organizations. Nationalized industries are commercial organizations that sell goods to market but are mainly governed by government-appointed boards and ministers rather than markets or shareholders. The surplus generated from their operations is expected to enable replacement investment. The government agencies include welfare services and taxation body. These agencies are required to deliver satisfactory services to the claimants and taxpayers by using the resources at their disposal. The public service organization provides health, policing and defence services on behalf of central or local government. These services ar e financed from the tax revenues and therefore not charged from the public directly. Unlike the private sector with a clear objective of profit-making, the public sector has a complex mix of objectives and demands. It is primarily concerned with serving the general public. The importance of public sector accounting and disclosures, and their differences from the private sector accounting is due to the following reasons: Lack of making Profits: The ultimate objective of a private organization if profit making and/or creating wealth for its shareholders. However a public sector organization’s objective is not considered profit making. Sometimes this suggests the possibility of inefficient use of resources or absence of commitment to provide good service to the clients due to no profit-making. Lack of Competition: A private sector organization usually operates in an industry with direct competitors and subject to regulations by oversight regulatory bodies. Contrary to this the p ublic sector organizations are not subject to disciplines of the markets and lack the comparability with other firms. Public Interest: There is a corporate governance framework and audit rules for private organizat

LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

LAW - Essay Example Since the incident took place at a public event and there are a number of eye witnesses out of whom there are two adults the statements can be corroborated to see if they match in case of any doubts regarding the children’s eye witness accounts of the occurring(section 4(7)(g) Code for Crown Prosecutors). Furthermore post emergency doctor’s reports can be used as supporting evidence to ascertain section 4(7)(k) Code for Crown Prosecutors. The evidence has been gathered in the normal course of investigation therefore it is safe to presume its admissibility will not be an issue also (section 4(7)(a) Code for Crown Prosecutors). Though section 4(11) of the Code may seem to be satisfied where sufficiency of evidence is concerned but it remains to be considered whether public interest will be served in prosecuting Mr. Eric assessing the balance scale between factors tending in favor (section 4(16) Code for Crown Prosecutors) and against(section 4(17) Code for Crown Prosecuto rs) a prosecution. ... Though an out of court disposal may be considered if section 4(16)(b) of the Code can be satisfied and that it can be ascertained that Eric’s offence was likely a one off incident induced by his intoxicated state (section 4(16)(e)) and that Fred is accepting or unaffected by the decision not to prosecute. As Fred has suffered serious jaw injury which is likely to require a minor or intrusive surgery causing him physical and mental distress (section 4(16)(g) Code for Crown Prosecutors) is of importance whether Eric’s monetary compensation if any satisfies Fred’s sense of due justice (section 4(16)(i) Code for Crown Prosecutors). As only in exceptional circumstances an out of court disposal by way of a simple caution is offered for indictable offences (section 7(5) Code for Crown Prosecutors) and a conditional caution may only be considered if after accounting for the victim’s and community’s interest it would serve no purpose to prosecute (section 7( 2) Code for Crown Prosecutors). Based on the facts provided Eric’s state of intoxication at a children’s sporting event makes the presumption of an assessment in his favor extremely unlikely, thus balancing the arguments and counter-arguments the decision to prosecute is the plausible outcome (section 7(8) Code for Crown Prosecutors). 2. The issue in respect of this question requires an analysis on the arrest and it’s lawfulness in respect of PACE 1984. Since Martin was merely a store detective section 24A Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 , which is relevant to the facts at hand, will be discussed. Section 24A Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 provides for

Henry James started life in a wealthy family Essay Example for Free

Henry James started life in a wealthy family Essay His grandfather was one of the first American millionaires. James father was a theologian and his brother was a psychologist. In fact, his brother, William James, was the pioneer of psychoanalysis. Around the time that James wrote The Turn of The Screw (1897), people began to think a lot more about the inner workings of the mind. James seems especially interested in what it is that attracts humans to one another and as to when sexuality begins to shape itself in a child. An example of this is shown in one of his early novels, Watch and Ward, in which a bachelor adopts a young girl with an intention to marry her. This is also shown in The Turn of The Screw, when Miles kisses the governess. The adversary of the governess, Peter Quint, has sexually abused Miles, continuing this psychological theme. Much of James work is centred on the innocence of the West and the corruption and wisdom of the East. When Henry James wrote The Turn of The Screw, I believe his intention was to create a gripping, thought-provoking piece of fiction to involve the reader. He wrote entirely through the governess eyes so that the book would involve the reader. There is also a prologue in which the reader is included in a circle of friends telling ghost stories to one another. One man proclaims that he knows of this story and then the narrative begins in earnest. This immediately tells the reader what to expect from the story and how to approach it. However, the practice of people sitting round an open fire and entertaining each other with ghost stories is, sadly, not common and, if it occurs at all, people tend to relate anecdotes rather than ghost stories. James has created a tense novel; he builds huge suspense by not immediately saying what is happening. He presents the story as a journal: the perceptions of the governess. This is slightly similar to The Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger. In this the main character (Holden Caulfield) pours out all his thoughts onto paper. The governess writes in a similar way, but it is subtler and more edited; James is trying to make the reader live the book. For instance, when the governess first realises that Miss Jessel is standing on the opposite side of the lake from her, James does not merely present this fact, but instead goes through all the ideas thoughts and observations of the governess in minute detail and keeps the reader in continued suspense until the revelation. Some people may have found this novel frightening in 1898 (its contemporary setting) but its setting is actually one of its downfalls in appealing to a modern audience. It is too near to real life to appeal or frighten. The modern horror audiences taste has become increasingly extreme so that horror films and books are more fantastical. Even though they are increasingly unrealistic, this makes them more frightening and somehow involves the audience more. The basis of the Turn of The Screw is horror invading everyday life. There is a lot more exposure to horror in the present day, so this dampens the effect that this novel has on people now. People become cynical when they are over-exposed to something, such as advertising. Henry James wrote verbosely, using lots of imagery, which in most cases is profound. He uses many subordinate clauses, which can make it difficult to understand i. e. : This is written in the voice of the governess (as a journal entry) and the choice of vocabulary shows us that she is well educated (as does the fact that she can write) but perhaps a bit nervous. It is as if she is getting hysterical just writing about the experience. This is perhaps because she is unfamiliar with the job and has never worked with children before. The old definition of hysteria was: A nervous affection, occurring exclusively in women, in which the emotional and reflex excitability is exaggerated, and the will power correspondingly diminished, so that the patient loses control over the emotions, becomes the victim of imaginary sensations, and often falls into paroxysm or fits. Websters Dictionary This is a reminder of how women were seen and their (expected) role in society at the time the book was written. In relation to The Turn of the Screw being a successful ghost story for a modern audience, it may be slightly outdated and perhaps ill-received in our post-feminist society. Women are no longer seen as people who should only look after domestic matters. However, it can break the spell of the writing if you have to read a sentence twice to get the precise meaning of the writers idea. This can prevent people from getting involved in the story and if you are not involved, you are not enjoying the story. The imagery is open to interpretation but I believe that if you look at some of James imagery and can explain it with the first thought that enters your mind, you do not have James meaning. For instance, when Flora runs off to the lake to be with Miss Jessel and the governess and Mrs. Grose go to fetch her: The lake is a metaphor for Jessels evil influence and power. The governess is saying that she believes Flora can be saved because Jessel does not have complete control over her yet. The lake is also described as a sheet of water and a sheet can be used to hide things. Another use for a sheet which was more common in James time (the Victorian period) would be to cover unused furniture in ones second home. The practice of covering all furniture is uncommon in our time. This is another factor to consider when questioning whether The Turn of the Screw is an effective ghost story for a modern audience. There are also many references to the title of the book in some imagery such as, in the same chapter, when Flora is sticking a mast in her toy boat. This again uses the governess non-description of the important part of the scene to build tension. Some of the imagery used still has relevance today. We are instilled with an inherent metaphoric belief that high is good and low is bad, as shown in the book with the varying positions of the governess and the spirits on the staircase. Also the metaphor turning the screw is still an accepted term for increasing tension today. The language used may be difficult to understand for a modern audience and not many people can identify with the character, since there is not much to need for home tutors and guardians now. Parents generally have much more sociable working hours and prefer to spend the money on something more necessary. In addition, children are now required to go to school (unless they are one of the rare cases of those tutored at home. ) Many people will not personally know a governess, let alone be able to empathise with one. However, some people such as single parents (especially single mothers) may identify with feeling that sort of responsibility towards their children. The Turn of The Screw was effective in its contemporary setting. People were more superstitious at that time, because for many people life was hard, and they needed something to focus upon. More people believed in God, and for God to exist there has to be some evil in the world. There was also no entertainment except that which people made for themselves. Parlour games, telling stories or reading books were common leisure activities, since people could not just sit down in front of the television. Many of these stories were passed down from generation to generation and the most popular were ghost stories. We are fascinated with the supernatural and the unknown. It is one of the basic primal fears the fear of the unknown that appeals to us. The industrial revolution brought about more education for lower to middle class people and this meant there was a growing audience for books and especially fiction. People felt the need to escape from the real world. In modern times we are discouraged from this way of thinking because science has come a long way since the nineteenth century and there is no scientific evidence to suggest that these things can happen. However, fantasy books and films are popular, showing there is still an escapist desire in the human psyche, even though more people are educated and we are taught that ghosts do not exist. It seems that television has destroyed this silence and continuity. The story needs to be retold. The haunting effect of a ghost story can now be disrupted more easily because we have electricity, with which comes bright electric lights that can penetrate any unknown shadow. However, if you have a sufficiently romantic mind then the language could help involve you in the atmosphere. Also I think that people could identify with this because there are similar (perceived) dangers today. Peter Quint is a paedophile and what happens in the novel is also the stuff of nightmares for parents in modern times. However, despite these factors, I do not believe that The Turn of the Screw is ultimately a successful ghost story for the modern audience. The situation, language and characters are too alien, yet everyday, to really involve an audience. Technology, science and education deal the final blow, destroying the audiences connection with the heart of the story. Ed Byford In your opinion, is The Turn Of The Screw a 25/04/2007 successful ghost story for a modern audience?

Adolescence in the Bell Jar and Catcher in the Rye Essay -- Bell Jar, C

Adolescence in the Bell Jar and Catcher in the Rye Adolescence is the period between puberty and adulthood. Every teenager experience this moment in life differently some sail through happily to carry on with a peaceful life where as others are less fortunate and find that this moment is much more harder and stressful then they thought. Esther Greenwood and Holden Caulfield are one of the less fortunate and have bad experiences through their adolescent. Salinger and Plath present this in their novels Catcher in the Rye and The Bell Jar. Both novelists use first person narrative giving us as readers a more personal description about their story, involving us more into their lives and letting us travel with them on their pathway through adolescent. The tone, dictation and the use of grammar are consistently those of an adolescent person and express distinctive commentary on how they feel and what they observe everyday. Salinger and Plath present the different elements of adolescence that teenagers experience such as depression, grief, pressure, sexuality etc through their characters Holden and Esther. Throughout adolescence teenagers experience a variety of pressures from their family, friends and even the society. Holden and Esther both come from adequate families who brought them up well although this can also mean living up to their expectations. Esther lives up to different expectations than Holden. Esther’s background was less promising than others, her mother could not provide her with a good education it was down the Esther to work really hard at studying to gain scholarships she places huge pressure on herself to achieve these goals that she doesn’t know anything else â€Å" I had been inadequate a... ...and doesn’t bother to help him. This mirrors with Esther’s feeling, that people are not responding to her properly even her own mother who doesn’t believe that the depression is a true illness but just a passing perversity or rebellion. Even her own Doctor fails to help her by showing that he wasn’t really listening to what Esther had to say about her illness by repeating a question to Esther. Throughout the novel Esther is very direct about her depression â€Å"I haven’t slept for 14 days† yet no one chooses to listen to hear but when she tells them â€Å" I feel better, I don’t want to go to the doctors† her mum suddenly listens replying â€Å" I knew my baby wasn’t like that† Plath shows that people don’t want to hear anything depressing or morbid unless it directly involves them but if it doesn’t they don’t want to know they only listen to what they want to hear.

America Is in the Heart

America Is In the Heart Summary The plot of America is in the Heart parallels its author's personal experiences. The protagonist, who is also named Carols (though he goes by the nickname ‘Also' when In the Philippines and tells others to call him ‘Carl' while in the united States) Is a young boy working with his father on their farm in the Philippines at the book's opening.After a period of working throughout the island of Luzon Carols immigrates to the united States, where he continues to work as a migrant laborer until he realizes he is capable of writing in English and pledges to bring his family members jack to life through the written word. He also often uses literature to connect with the united States Itself; Carols reads classic American authors like Whitman and Melville in an attempt to discover and understand a side of the united States far removed from the prejudice and pain of the American society he found himself in.On one occasion Carols and some acquaintanc es were attacked by a group of white men for no reason other than their race, only to be greatly aided by the white men and women working in a hospital. Walking down the marble stairway of the hospital, I began to wonder at the paradox of America. Joss ©'s tragedy was brought about by railroad detectives, yet he had done no harm of any consequence to the company. On the highway, again, motorists had refused to take a dying man. And yet in this hospital, among white people– Americans like those who had denied us– we had found refuge and tolerance.Why was America so kind and yet so cruel? Was there no way to simplifying things in this continent so that suffering would be minimized? Was there no common denominator on which we could all meet? I was angry and confused, and wondered if I would ever understand this paradox. (Bulbous 147) The rod â€Å"paradox† perfectly summarizes Carols' experiences in the United States. Like Carols searched for America through the works of great American authors, the reader can look through Bullion's work and glimpse at an early 20th century America in conflict with itself.The 1 united States, which had Just entered the long years of the Great Depression when Carols arrives In Seattle, is revealed In the novel as consisting of two very different halves, and Carols is constantly vexed by the inconsistent nature of the United States. In America Carols experiences both great kindnesses and great realties, often within the same moment, and this strange combination often drives Carols to tears. He experiences no shortage of prejudice in the united States, and the results of these prejudices range from verbal slights to severe physical and sexual abuse.Yet despite the many hardships and prejudices Carols faces, he comes to think of America in a very positive light?the kindnesses he benefits from in the United States combine with a more intangible sense of hope in the potential of America. Within Bullion's work the reader finds tropes that should sound familiar to anyone who has taken elementary school American history classes; there is assurance and a faint tint of pride in the possibilities of America; by the end of the novel Carols has faith that this is a nation where great things can and do happen, and he ends the novel by stating that nothing will ever take this faith from him again.By recognizing the two halves of this paradox and forgiving the united States for its comes to with his various inconsistent childhood and adult perceptions of America. His ability to not only make these understandings but allow them to evolve throughout his time in the United States makes Bulbous a credible and fascinating source of information on the America that he lived within and further complicates the already tangled and wide-ranging opinions of what the word â€Å"American† should mean at all.By allowing his audience to peek into his experiences through his protagonist and namesake, Carols Bulb ous shows how America both defines and is defined by the masses who venture onto its shore in an attempt to find the lives they were meant to live. The Small Key Summary â€Å"The Small Key† is a beautiful account of the feeling of a man, whose first wife died, ND his second wife. As the story opens Lateran describes in a few lines the rural setting of the story. The man and his wife live far from any neighbors. Their house is surrounded by wild bamboo.Her husband is a very hard working prosperous farmer. They are having lunch and the man cannot linger as the fields need plowing. His wife is not feeling well so as he leaves he tells her he will ask Tia Maria, an aunt or a neighbor, to stop by. Once the husband is gone the wife begins to fold his coat. A small key falls to the floor and the woman, in her late twenties, looks almost old. She tries to throw herself into her work on the laundry but her eyes keep going too small trunk in the corner of the room. She knows in that t runk are the clothes of her husband's late first wife.She tries to tell her self what does it matter if her husband keeps the clothes of his first wife, after all she is dead. She begins to wonder why her husband feels he has to carry to key to the chest with him in his coat when he leaves the house. When the husband arrives home happy that the plowing is completed, Tia Maria meets him at the gate and tells him his wife is sick. The Small Key† is a short story by Philippine author Pas Lateran. It is about a woman named Solaced who is married to a man named Pedro Bubby. They live on a farm.One morning Solaced finds herself knowing that the farm will produce plenty but that she still had some inner feeling of discontent. She planned to mend some of her husband's shirts, which were in a locked trunk. Pedro took out from his pocket a string which held two keys, one large and shiny and one small and rusty. He gave Solaced the large key to his trunk and put the small key back in his Jacket pocket. Since it was hot that morning, he removed his coat before leaving to work in the field. When he was gone, Solaced began to fold the Jacket and the small key fell to the floor.It is obvious that Pedro values the small key while Solaced fears it. Solaced knows that the small key is a key to a different trunk. She tries to busy herself so that she will not think about what the smaller trunk contains, but she cannot stop thinking about it and reveals that the small trunk contains clothing that belonged to Padre's first wife. She wonders why it is that he keeps her old clothing and why he seems to eave a special feeling about them. She obviously fears that Pedro still loves his first wife even though she has been dead for many years by now.She reveals that she hates the things in the small trunk and worries that they will destroy the relationship of the small trunk, Solaced opens it. At this point, Pedro returns home to find Solaced in bed supposedly with a fever. It turn s out she does not. The next morning Pedro discovers a pile of ashes and half burnt clothing in the backyard. He realizes what Solaced has done and rushes to look in the trunk to confirm it. Solaced has indeed, earned his first wife's clothing. Pedro is angry and bitter that this has happened and he expects that Soloed will explain things later.He thinks to himself that he will forgive her because he loves her but that even if she did it out of love for him, it will always remain a matter of some resentment toward her for doing it. The Summer Solstice Summary â€Å"Summer Solstice† is a short story that has received recognition both critical and praising. Written by Nick Joaquin, the story takes place in sass Philippines during the festival days of SST. John. There is a pro-woman feel to the story, which has rendered a lot of debate and attention considering the setting is in a time where women must be submissive.In this analysis, learn about the setting, the themes and symbo lism that this short and interesting story incarnates. The Train, or otherwise known as the Tartaric, was a three day festival that celebrated a ritual of fertility. This was done only by women. Many men frowned upon the extravagant dances and plays surrounding the ritual. â€Å"Summer Solstice† is set during the three days of the SST. John's festival. Lupine, a Filipino woman who feels closed to her womanhood, is aired to Paean, who is no doubt loyal to her.They have three small boys and live a somewhat wealthy life as they have a Cambridge driver named Entry and a maid and cook named Mad. Guide is a cousin of Paeans who comes back to the Philippines after studying in Europe. The story starts when the family is enjoying the days of the SST. John's festival until Guide makes suggestive comments to Lupine, and even bending down to kiss her feet. This makes her leave abruptly and have a discussion with her husband the coming night. Lupine secretly found herself intrigued by the attention of Guide; she felt that he was correct in saying that women should be ravished and men should adore them.This causes her to participate in the last night of the festival, which is the Train ritual. Paean goes with her and tries to drag her back once the dancing begun, but she runs from him to the women. He tries to take her back but the women in the crowds beat him out, leaving him helpless. As the two return home, Paean says he must whip his wife because he loves her and feels that she needs to be put in her place. To this, she shouts and says she wants to be adored, not respected and orders him to kiss her feet. America Is In The Heart I. Authors Biography Carlos Bulosan is said to be one of the earliest and most influential of Asian American writers. 1 He was a Filipino born on November 2, 1911 in Pangasinan to a rural and peasant family in the village of Mangusmana located near the town of Binalonan. His family strived to make both ends meet to make a living and send their children to school like many other Filipinos at that time of economic turmoil; brought by the increasing wealth and power possessed by the elite. Carlos, committed to help support his family, went searching for a better life for himself, continued his education, and made the choice to travel to America with high hopes to reach his ambitions.II. Summary American is in the Heart is the autobiography of Carlos Bulosan, who begins his story by narrating his childhood life in his town Mangusmana. He lives alongside his father in a farm where they both work in. On the other hand, his mother lives in the city with one of his brothers and younger siste r. Because of this living arrangement, Carlos has never met some of his older siblings. One of the sons Macario is said to be â€Å"the hope of the family†. They hope that when he graduates he will return home and find a teaching job to help support their family and pay their debts. He attends high school in another village, and because of this their family pawns their land one hectare at a time in order to compensate for his expenses. Unfortunately, things don’t go as the family hopes for and Macario loses the teaching job.Due to the harsh economic conditions at that time, children like Carlos were working and doing what they could to help support their families. Carlos, at five years of age eventually moved to Binalonan to work in the fields. His salary goes to his mother for paying the moneylender, and to Macario’s schooling. When he isn’t working the fields, he is with his mother, assisting her with her barter business that allowed him to travel to  neighboring villages with her. In these villages, Carlos observed the middle class and their way of life, and later on he grows a loathing towards them.Whilst in the Philippines, Amando, Macario, and Carlos were made to believe that America stood for equality and justice, and ultimately they all separately make their journey to America. Upon their arrival in America, they are faced with the brutal reality of the great exploitation that the Filipinos are subjected to by the Whites. Carlos is amazed by ruthlessness and inhuman treatment that the Whites have shown toward Filipinos, and is forced to move place to place due to one misfortunate event after another. Carlos struggles to sustain a job with a close to nothing salary and with unsanitary living conditions, but his job and stay is always immediately cut short when conflict stirs between Filipinos and Whites forcing him to flee to another town. To add to his pitiful state, many times he is beaten and assaulted because of the dis crimination the Americans have toward the Filipinos.Ultimately Carlos and his companions develop a sense of activism, and fought for the Filipinos and their rights in Filipino labor and rights movements. Their effort to assemble the workers brought them right into the conflict involving agricultural interests. Their labor movement ultimately became associated with revolutionary units. In the succeeding events of his life, Carlos is diagnosed with tuberculosis, and was said to been confined in the hospital for a period of two years.Once he was released, he and his friends grew to be greatly involved in the movement for Filipino civil rights. They then assembled a group of Filipinos with the ambition of achieving American citizenship for Filipinos in America. Unfortunately their efforts were not enough and they loose the fight. When the time came that World War II erupted, Carlos and his fellow Filipinos were prohibited from enlisting in the army. Even to the point where the Philippin es was being occupied and seized, they were still disallowed to enlist. Due to this, the Filipinos where forced to start a movement fighting for their desire to join the armed forces, which eventually resulted with the United States president giving a special proclamation that would allow Filipinos to do so.III. Analysis America Is In the Heart being an autobiography novel, it didn’t have that much symbolism. It was a straightforward novel and the author Bulosan, narrated the events of his life clearly and vividly. Throughout the story, you can’t help but feel sorry for him (Buloson) and all the tragedies and struggles he encountered. To rate this novel, I would say that I have nothing too criticizing to comment about it.The plot is very similar to other stories involving the struggles of Filipinos whilst under the power of oppressors. Overall, the novel was a good reminder and eye opener on the reality of discrimination showed toward Filipinos, which is still very muc h relevant today. Also, it reminds us of the strong fighting spirits that Filipinos possess. This novel is certainly a good piece of literature that is purely and truly Filipino.IV. Insights The life story of Carlos Bulosan in â€Å"America In The Heart† is something I can greatly empathize with. I like himself, went to America at a very young age of nine, with a hopeful heart that America was a land of opportunity. In school I was thought that America fought for equality and everyone was given the same opportunities. I thought, I could go see all the places that I saw in movies, and I generally thought my family and I would have a better life. My naà ¯ve nine-year-old heart was shattered after a few months, when I learned that America isn’t all that beautiful, as it seemed, especially for Filipino Migrants.Finding work was hard even with an undergraduate diploma. Filipinos were looked down on because of how â€Å"uncivilized† the Philippines was. And based on observation, some Americans really do tend to show a bias toward Filipinos. At that point, I then missed our comfortable home and lifestyle back in the Philippines. We had time to go out with the family and enjoy the good things in life; while in the States my parents rarely were home at the same time due to work, and the main agenda was paying the bills.Sometimes we Filipinos complain a whole lot about our country. We aspire for  the western life, and what it can give to us. I think a big reason why this is so, is because throughout history we have always been so oppressed by these western nations. We were made to believe that these nations will always be better, but if there’s one thing that I’ve learned it’s that: we Filipinos are hardworking, loyal, and God fearing people, and possessing these attributes bring us far and past the hardships given to us. America is in the Heart This work is the author’s autobiography. Carlos Bulosan was a Filipino, born and raised to his youth in the largely agricultural province of Pangasinan in the Philippines. His family was of peasant background and together, all of them worked to make the fields productive (p. 4-5). They were uneducated, as first they could not afford it and second, they did not see its need in the backbreaking, manual labor of growing corn.However, as the farm gate prices of farm produce remained low and the price of farm inputs continuously increased together with basic necessities, the family was forced to be at the mercy of moneylenders at exorbitant interests. Unable to pay their ballooning debts, they were eventually dispossessed of the land which was their sole means of survival (p. 15-16). Thus, hiring themselves out was the only way to avoid their early demise. The Philippines, from the author’s birth (1913) to the time of his writing, was under U.S. colonization. This a period l asted from 1989 to 1946, the latter coinciding with the work’s first publication. The American governorship did not pursue large-scale industrialization as an economic policy in that country so that the available industries in the urban areas could not absorb the displaced peoples from the countryside. The economic alternative presented by emigration was embraced when all other means of survival in one’s own country have failed.It is a choice that espoused both hopes and despair – hopes for a better financial situation and despair at uprooting one’s self from family, community and country. Emigration is not a purely individual exercise of freedom of choice but has underlying social factors. For a Filipino, American culture is not something unfamiliar. The colonial mentality which pervaded the educated upper and middle classes, sought to emulate the ideals and lifestyles of America (p. 20). What was American was described as superior or any other superlati ve.This view eventually diffused to the poor, working class. However, the author’s experiences in the 1930’s and 40’s were quite contradictory with what he expected. The tenets of democracy, equality and economic progress espoused by the U. S. to the whole world were challenged by the brutality of racial discrimination. The color of one’s skin severely limited the availability of economic opportunities. The author and his brothers who left for America found their dreams shattered with the scarcity of long term jobs. They eventually engaged in the seasonal harvests in the West.The author has written a life story of his bitter, personal struggles in this book, of working in canneries and taking on other odd jobs in between harvests just to be able to live and send some money back home to his family. With no legal or organizational means to advance their collective rights, Carlos Bulosan (a. ka. Allos) and other Filipinos were susceptible to exploitative wor king conditions. As such, Filipinos and other immigrants of color were faced with the immense challenges of establishing a decent living and security in life.This seemed insurmountable as discrimination is not something that depends on personal beliefs but is a practice actually institutionalized in American society. Labor laws and social norms defined the place of people of color in all spheres of life. Personal rage developed from continually being looked down on and referred to such derisive terms as monkeys and law breakers. Being a Filipino at that time who merely speaks to a white woman was taboo. The added pressures of perennial unemployment, hunger and disease has caused immigrants during Allos’ time to engage in excessive drinking and violent acts.This was regarded as the only venue of expressing resistance to such inhuman treatments and as a temporary relief to such a painful situation. Although racial discrimination was rampant during his time, the author overcame his subjective opinion that all Americans were racists. This was because he encountered many Americans who were humanitarian and even advocates of immigrant, labor and racial discrimination issues. Thus, his hopelessness was replaced with a conscious determination to change current situations.He joined a labor union and became active as one of its leaders in the fight for job security, better labor remunerations and benefits and equal treatment of cannery workers. His efforts were made not just for the present or for himself but for all other Filipino-American workers in the cannery. This consciousness shows how, despite his negative experiences, he has come to see himself as part of American society and to contribute to the creation of better living conditions in it.In a sense, this constituted a form of nationalism, of finally identifying one’s self with a country that was originally not your own, and cultivating a love for it despite its flaws. It has also opened to him th e availability of other tools of expression – writing. The book’s title, â€Å"America is in the Heart†, captures the experience of an immigrant becoming a citizen – that race and country of origin does not preclude you to be an American, you only have to develop a heart for it. EvaluationUsing in poetic prose, Carlos Bulosan’s work is a clearly written, direct-to-the-point, tell-it-like-it-is account of the horrors in his immigrant experience. Valid in this case, the author does not claim it to be typical of Filipino-American experience. His eventual reunification with his family also constituted such a â€Å"happy ending† that may not be a commonplace experience during his time because of distance and financial constraints. Although the book conveys the author’s honesty, a downside of it is its lack of complexity.The presence of consistent historical, time and place references could have made it a more useful source for Filipino imm igrant studies. These references enable us to put into proper context such personal experience, contributing to our further understanding of it. Because experience is removed from its social context, we can not judge it to be representative of the immigrant, colored or Filipino experience and much less representative of the sector’s experience during the early to mid 1900’s.Its value is appreciated through a deeper understanding of the Philippine social context, early American laws and norms with regards to immigrants and that period characterized by the Great Depression. It complements existing studies and researches on the plight of Filipino-American immigrants by providing an actual experience to theoretical frameworks. It also serves as a concretization of concepts of race and ethnicity which may be unfamiliar to many Americans.Because of his background as a union organizer, the work as expected, espouses Marxist or Socialist ideas characteristic of the labor movem ent. Still, the strongly worded concretization of an immigrant’s experience serves to remind every American about our disregard, misconceptions or denial of the existence of racial discrimination. It challenges us to search for the causes of our prejudice and to develop our society to conform to our ideals. This work is central to the theme of multi-culturalism and the need for acceptance and tolerance. ConclusionThis book is for those who wish to understand foremost the Filipino-American experience and complements existing knowledge on racial, ethnic, immigrant and labor issues. At a time when anti-immigrant sentiments seem to be on the rise in our society and our economic stability seems uncertain, America is in the Heart an easy read so that we may have an objective view of why this is happening. This we can accomplish without falling into the pit of prejudice ourselves. List of References Bulosan, C. (1974). America is in the Heart. Washington: University of Washington Pr ess.

Dante Club

The Dante Club begins with the murder of fictional Chief Justice Judge Healey, who had avoided taking a position to stop or support the escaped slaves of the South. Found by his chambermaid near a white flag atop a short wooden staff, Healey had been hit in the head and then left in his garden to be eaten alive by strategically placed maggots and stung by hornets. Holmes, who examines the body for the police, recognizes the correlation between the murder and the punishments seen in Dante's Inferno.Then Reverend Talbot, who was paid by the Harvard Corporation to write against Dante, was found dead in an underground cemetery, buried up to his waist upside down, his feet burnt. Members of the Dante Club, a group of poets translating The Divine Comedy from Italian into English, notice the parallels between the murders and the punishments detailed in Dante's Inferno. The club, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. , and James Russell Lowell, sets out to solve th e murders, fearing that the truth will ruin Dante's burgeoning reputation in America, thus making their translation a failure.Then, Phineas Jennison, both a wealthy contributor to the Harvard Corporation and friend to the translators (a â€Å"schismatic†), is sliced open exactly down the middle—all killed in extreme fashion and undeniable resemblance to the punishments of people in Dante's Inferno. Eventually, the murderer is discovered to be a former Civil War Soldier Dan Teal, a man who worked at Ticknor and Fields. Driven partly mad by the trauma of his war experiences, Teal hears Dante Club member George Washington Greene giving sermons on Dante, and becomes convinced that Dante alone understood the need for perfect justice in the world.With protecting Dante as his sole motivation, Teal takes it upon himself to release Hell's punishments as indicated by Dante, in order to purify the city. Teal finds each of his victims when learning of their involvement in the stop ping of the translations, which become their respective sins. The club eventually tries to capture him, with the aid of Boston's first African-American policeman Nicholas Rey, the only other person who saw the connection, while attempting to punish Harvard Treasurer Dr. Manning and Pliny Mead (â€Å"the traitors†). Mead was a student of the Dante course who helped betray his eacher by cooperating with Manning. He later fled when the club attempted to punish him for his involvement in stopping the translation of the Inferno. They later encounter him as he tries to round up the translators, to punish them for not embracing his â€Å"work. † Dr. Manning—saved by Longfellow, Holmes, Rey, Lowell, and Fields—realizes the situation as he recovered from his attempted punishment of being buried naked in ice. He sees Teal on the street with a gun to Longfellow, and Manning ends the murderer's life, thus returning the city to normal.