Flannery O’Connor’s Short Story A Good Man is Hard to Find Essay

Flannery O’Connor’s Short Story â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† Flannery O’Connor’s personal views on the justification of religion and the resulting world or corruption and depravity are apparent in her short story â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†. She analyzes the basic plight of human existence and its conflict with religious conviction. The first two-thirds of the narrative set the stage for the grandmother, representing traditional Christian beliefs, to collide with The Misfit, representing modern scientific beliefs. The core of symbolism and the magnet for interpretation is at the end, the conversation between the grandmother and The Misfit. The conversation represents the examination of the clash between animal and metaphysical human nature and the Misfit is the literary depiction of the outcome of that clash. The grandmother is based on conventional Southern women. She dresses in her Sunday best so that noone would be mistaken as to her status as a lady, an issue at the heart of every true Southern woman. She related stories of old mansions and of the little ‘pickaninny’ by a door. This was not a racial comment because for it to be there would have to be an intent to insult an African American and there was not. This was written to further convey the notion of her embodying all the true characteristics of Southern women, including their adherence to devout Christianity. The Misfit exemplifies the cold, contemporary world. In the conversation The Misfit’s declar...

Human Trafficking of Young Women to be sold in Prostitution Essay

Before going into details, it seemed important to define what human trafficking is. Human trafficking regardless of its type is a criminal offense. The UN Convention against transnational crime define human trafficking as â€Å"the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of a persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the use of power, or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation† (UN Resolution 25, 2001, cited by Vandermey, Meyer, Rys, and Sebranek 2009, p. 246). Under Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are working hard not only to make sure the laws are put into practice, but also to contain this problem (Hart 2009, p. 43). The most severe forms of human trafficking have been defined in U. S. law as sex trafficking in which â€Å"a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained eighteen years of age†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Troubnikoff 2003, p. 3). In order to perpetrate this crime, it needs at least twelve to fifteen people who will be actors. These include an agency manager, office staffs (at least three), recruiters (at least two), a coordinator, drivers, safe house, document vendors, corrupt public officials, operator, cook, and at least six armed men who will take charge of the â€Å"recruits. † It also needs an office space, office equipments, and a safe house. This crime model further needs mobile communication equipments, tainted cars, and high powered guns, and contacts with other transnational crime syndicates are essential in this operation that will facilitate the deployment of women to their prospective clients. Where and how this crime model operates? This type of crime operates in countries where many people are poor and are longing to escape from the grinding poverty. Among their base of operation are the third world countries in Asia, the former Soviet republics especially Russia and Africa. They can easily prey on young women through their promise of dollar earnings plus other benefits that are not available in their country. This crime model operates on two fronts: by fronting a fake man power agency which lured young women into prostitution under a false pretenses of high paying jobs as waitresses, dancers, models, and au pairs abroad, and by kidnapping beautiful young women. The ‘hired’ and kidnapped women will then be required to stay in the safe house where they will be strictly guarded on a twenty four hour basis. The role each actor played On the democratic front, the roles each actor played in this crime model are crucial and communication with clients as well as secrecy is of utmost importance. The roles played by the recruiters, coordinators, the armed men, and the agency manager are the most crucial as they are the ones that are most exposed to their victims. They would be the one that will be subject of the victims’ families rage if their crimes are divulged as well as the object of police manhunt. Thus, they would need to create fictitious names, addresses, and pertinent information. Like in ordinary manpower agencies, the manager confirms the applicants’ application and provides assurance to their â€Å"client† as well as direction of the entire operation. The recruiters are responsible for recruitment and hiring of women. But they need to be very careful because of the government drive to contain the problem of human trafficking. Indeed, they need to use all their convincing power that they offer real job. The agency manager is also the head of the entire operation and is responsible to make their operation smooth and successful. The role played by the coordinator is also important. He is the one that has contact with the clients. In other words, he holds key position and is in contacts â€Å"in some segments† of the operation, and â€Å"organize their services (Zhang 2007, p. 97). Zhang pointed out that the coordinator is central to human trafficking operation though they have â€Å"nothing more than the right connection for to acquire the necessary services for a fee† (p. 97). Drivers, cook, and safe house operators are also important actors towards the deployment of women. Under the law all these actors are equally liable for the crime. But the operation of this crime will not be successful at all without the connivance of a corrupt public official. Corrupt government officials who hold vital responsibility towards the review and issuance of travel documents makes the operation highly successful. The document vendors provide real or false document needed for the deployment. But on the autocratic front, the most critical role played by the actors is that of the armed men who must insure that no one could get away or escape. It is critical because if any of the victims escape, the full force of the law will surely hunt them, as well as those behind them. These men therefore need to be heartless, ruthless, and hardened criminals who would not hesitate to shot or kill anyone would attempt to escape. The Blue print of deceit Ciment and Shanty (2008) asserted that there are various schemes of deceits human traffickers employed to collect and traffic women for prostitution. Among these methods is deception, the recruitment of prostitutes, purchase or rent from relatives, boyfriends, and friends, Kidnapping, and as payment of debt (p. 220). This crime model is a rich source of illegal money as according to estimates, a single individual or a group involved in trafficking women and children for commercial sex â€Å"can make about US$122,000 from one woman in a year† Ciment, J. D. and Shanty, F. G. 008, p. 221) or an estimated 12 billion dollars annually. Deceptions of women are usually done through the form of either false promise of employment or false promise of marriage, or in some cases, a false promise of education. False marriages and mail order brides are used a means of deception to bring women for overseas prostitution. But all these promises are broken once the women are in the hands of the traffickers. They are then turned over to the safe house operators who insure maximum security with the help of armed men assigned to secure any possibility of escape. Recruitment of prostitutes also involved deception as despite these women knew what type of job awaits them. Ciment and Shanty noted that what they are not aware of is â€Å"the degree of exploitation to which they will be subjected (p. 220). The danger for this operation however is that when the supposed victims verify the identity of employment agency with proper government authorities regarding the legality of such employment agency, or the truth about the offered job with embassy of the particular country where the jobs are supposedly available. The same with the mail order bride, there is a need to verify the information of the man to be marrying with the embassy of the country where that man lives. If this is the case, there is a tendency that the whole operation will be disrupted as when formal complaints is made with government authorities regarding the discovery, the whole operation might be disrupted This operation therefore requires careful planning especially with regards to hiring, keeping and deploying women. One particular problem for them is that the families of these women are keen on the developments regarding their daughter’s longing to work abroad. In other words, they might be sensitive to anything that might be suspicious relating to working abroad. With various laws that apply to this crime such as kidnapping, illegal detention, illegal recruitment, exploitation of women and children and anti-human trafficking laws, they can easily be rapt by the authorities. That is, the families and friends of the victims can report to the authorities what ever they perceived as irregularity on the processes, the very time their daughter left their home as they are supposedly in touched with her, all through out the entire processes. In other words any thing that would create suspicion would mean risk for this business; risk in the sense that these families and friends might report to the police the disappearance of their daughters. Thus, they need to carefully lay out plans for deceitful their schemes. They might even involved in civic duties and social functions, befriend people in high places, and to even to the point of disguising as philanthropist in order to project an image that will unlikely to be suspected of crime involvement, and be generous to the families of the victims during the initial stages of the hiring. The actors in this crime model therefore appear harmless, genuinely concern, and would hardly be suspected of any crime involvement. Outwardly, they are not dangerous, dignified, and innocent but inside; they are ruthless, cruel and hardened criminals. The actors of this crime group however will use its entire means to control these women once they have gotten in their hands these women. They will confiscate all communication devices such as cell phones and devices, as well as passports and other travel documents to ensure no one will dare of escape. In order to appease the families of the ‘hired victims’ the agency might provide cash incentives or advance payment to which after everything has been facilitated particularly the deployment of women to their prospective clients, the office will banish in the thin air to transfer to a new location with a new name, new address, new schemes, but the same people, the same processes, and the same modos operande. Upon hiring of women, they need to provide assurance that everything is fine to avoid any suspicion. However, when this democratic approach proved ineffective, they will use violence to silence the families of the victims. Beeks and Amir (2006) cited that once a woman is in trafficker’s hands, the latter uses any and all means to control her: violence, including sexual assault, threats to the victim’s and her family’s lives, drugs, and threat to turn the woman over to unsympathetic authorities (p. 68). Beeks and Amid stated, â€Å"many women refuse to cooperate with the authorities because there was little or no protection, and they faced deportation, and threats against their families if they cooperate with foreign law enforcement† (p. 68). The extent of this crime model Trafficking of women for prostitution is the worst of all the types of human trafficking. According to Ciment and Shanty, there are an estimated 800,000 to 900,000 individuals that trafficked each year to which the majority come from Southeast Asia, particularly Myanmar, India, Thailand, and Cambodia. The former Soviet Union is now seen to be growing source of trafficking for prostitution and the sex industry (p. 195). The extent of human trafficking is not only confined in Asian countries and the former Soviet Union. Nicola (2009) noted that trafficking in human beings for sexual exploitation, â€Å"has involved all the European Union and more in general Western European countries in the past twenty years (p. 3). The extent of human trafficking for prostitution apparently is global because the demand for commercial sex is global. There are no doubts that about the global extent of trafficking in women for prostitution as according to Jeffereys (1997) prostitution has been â€Å"industrialized internationally† (p. 307). Jeffreys pointed out that prostitution is a result of the increasing â€Å"internationalization of the world economy, in which local communities in the third world become an integral part of the industrialized countries† (p. 308). Jeffreys explained that as a consequence of the lost traditional resources, such as land, paid labor or other means of income were felt greatly by women and girls who have to take care of children and family because of tradition or the disappearance of male support (p. 308). Jeffreys asserts, â€Å"Military prostitution and sex tourism have increased the global demand for prostitution† (p. 309).

The Chosen v The Assistant essays

The Chosen v The Assistant essays Themes are literary tools used by authors to enhance their writings. When a similar theme exists in two different novels, parallels can often be drawn between the characters and structures of literary work. Such is the case for Bernard Malamuds The Assistant and Chaim Potoks The Chosen. Religion plays a major role in the shaping of both novels. Both books begin with the respective religious outcast (Frank and Rueven) befriending the respective character (Morris and Danny) as a result of an act of malice. The characters Ida and Reb Saunders from The Assistant and The Chosen respectively have similar reactions to their childs involvement with this outcast. Thus, a definite parallel is evident between the general flow of both novels as a result of the religion theme. The Assistant, set in Brooklyn during the 1940s, opens with a robbery. Frank Alpine, a non-Jew who constantly found himself doing the wrong thing, was one of the men involved in the crime. Frank and his partner Ward robbed the grocery store of Morris Bober. Morris, a poor Jewish family man, had a mere $15 to offer them from his cash register. Ward reacted violently to this news by striking Morris on his head. Frank felt responsible for Morris suffering and was overcome with guilt. To exonerate his conscience, he befriended Morris and started to work for him at the store. In comparison to The Assistant, The Chosen also began during the 1940s in a Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. The opening scene is set at a softball game between two Jewish parochial schools. Hatred and determination were embedded in the minds of every player on that field. This was more than just a softball game between two schools. It was the Hasidics versus the traditional Jews. No one was backing down. Rueven Malter pitched the ball to Hasidic Danny Saunders. Dannys bat connected with the ball and smacked Rueven in t ...

Thats Like Me Essays - Cannabis, Herbalism, Medicinal Plants

That's Like Me Essays - Cannabis, Herbalism, Medicinal Plants That's Like Me Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many different cultures. The purposes have changed over time to fit in with the current lifestyles. This pattern is also true in American history. The use of marijuana has adapted to the social climate of the time. Marijuana, whose scientific name is cannibis sativa, was mentioned in historical manuscripts as early as 2700 B. C. in China. (Grolier Electronic Encyclopedia, 1995). The cultivation of the marijuana plant began as far back as the Jamestown settlers, around 1611, who used hemp produced from the marijuana plant's fibers to make rope and canvas. It was also used in making clothing because of it's durability. These uses fit in with the social climate of the time, because the main focus was on survival rather than for psychoactive purposes. During the prohibition, marijuana was widely used because of the scarcity of alcohol. Prohibition was repealed after just thirteen years while the prohibition against marijuana lasted for more than seventy five years. This double standard may have resulted from the wishes of those in power. Alcohol prohibition struck directly at tens of millions of Americans of all ages, including many of societies most powerful members. Marijuana prohibition threatened far fewer Americans, and they had relatively little influence in the districts of power. Only the prohibition of marijuana, which some sixty million Americans have violated since 1965 has come close to approximating the prohibition experience, but marijuana smokers consist mostly of young and relatively powerless Americans (American Heritage, pg 47). Alcohol prohibition was repealed and marijuana prohibition was retained, not because scientists had proved that alcohol was the less dangerous of the various psychoactive drugs, but because of the prejudices and preferences of most Americans (American Heritage, pg 47). In 1937 the government issued the Marijuana Tax Act, which levied a dollar an ounce tax on marijuana, coupled with fines of $2,000 for drug posession and jail sentences for evasion of the tax. For this reason marijuana use in the United States appears to have gone into decline in the late 30's (Grolier Wellness Encyclopedia, pg 54). Then marijuana was outlawed in 1937 as a repressive measure against Mexican workers who crossed the border seekingjobs during the Depression. The specific reason given for the outlawing of the hemp plant was it's supposed violent effect on the degenerate races (Schaffer, pg. 86). Beginning in the 60's marijuana use saw a resurgence which may be attributed to many causes. One of the main causes was the rebellion of youth against the Vietnam War. They used marijuana as an escape from war to peace. It was easy at this time to depict marijuana as a beneficial and completely harmless substance whose effects were far less harmful than those of legal drugs such as alcohol and nicotine because there was not enough scientific research done during the 60's (Grolier Wellness Encyclopedia, pg 54). Another cause may have been the discovery of the psychoactive component of marijuana- tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC. Users found the relation between the doses and the effects (Grolier Electronic Publishing, 1995). The current atmosphere provides for doctors to suggest synthetic marijuana (THC) in a pure and standardized form by perscription (called Marinol) for the treatment of nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy. Also, although there is no scientific evidence that shows marijuana is beneficial in the treatment of glaucoma, it may prevent the progression of visual loss. Marijuana, along with alcohol and a host of other substances, can actually lower intraocular eye pressure. The mediction however, must be carefully tailored to the individual to prevent further eye damage. The evidence has clearly shown that marijuana has been around for a great deal of time and has served multiple purposes throughout history.

Reimagining Detroit by John Gallagher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reimagining Detroit by John Gallagher - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to summarize Gallagher’s arguments about what has gone wrong with Detroit, what made it go wrong, and the corrective actions that need to be taken to rectify the situation. A comparison of Detroit’s situation will be made with Dubai city. An analysis of the solutions given by the author to the problems facing Detroit will be also e evaluated. The solutions will be assessed to see if they are applicable to the current problems facing Dubai. One thing that is wrong with Detroit according to Gallagher is that the city is shrinking and losing its former glory. The city is getting depopulated, thus creating a lot of empty spaces (2). Gallagher notes that, at its peak, Detroit was ranked fourth largest city in the U.S. It had numerous factories which were doing so well and its many streets were lined with people and shopping malls. During this time, Detroit was densely populated, segregated, and enjoyed a lot of prosperity. However, all these disa ppeared as many shops and factories have closed down with many people moving to places with conducive environments for investment and job opportunities. Gallagher attributes this mass migration to many factors such as insecurity, poor governance, and lack of good infrastructural facilities among others. In order to overcome these wrongs and bring back Detroit to its former glory, Gallagher proposes adjusting expectations. In this case, he argues that Detroit residents should stop looking back and accept the situation and work with the city as it is now. To inspire Detroit, Gallagher uses a host of other cities in the U.S. and other countries that have made use of empty space and rebuilt their infrastructures. For instance, he notes that in Seoul, London, and Zurich, streams that were once covered in the sewer system have been harnessed and brought back to the surface, thus improving the environment as well as establishing new parts and developments alongside the water. In San Franci sco and Portland, highways that were not needed were removed from the city center, creating room for the neighborhood to reconnect with the waterfront. He also notes that, in Havana, a good network of urban farms initially developed during extreme food shortages, but is now acting as the food basket for Havana, supplying a variety of vegetables and fruits (Neill 648). Gallagher suggests simple interventions for Detroit at the local level. For instance, he notes that one of the wrongs that have scared people and investors away from the city is the fact that the city is dirty and stinky. This is because the city is full of weeds and has poor sewerage system. Therefore, to beautify the city, Gallagher recommends the removal of the weed-choked vacant lots that make the city untidy (28). He recommends the use of Philadelphia Green model: reseed the lots with ground cover or grass, install picket fences and plant trees. His suggestions also include building a good sewerage system to remov e the wastes as this will help keep the city clean and attractive to both the people and the investors. Gallagher sees a problem with the roads within the city of Detroit. He notes that the roads are dilapidated and pathetic. Some of the roads in good condition no longer carry the traffic that they used to carry due to the mass exodus of people from the town. He cites the eight-to-ten-lane that longer serves the purpose for

Compare and contrast the images of kyoto in the immediate past -war Essay

Compare and contrast the images of kyoto in the immediate past -war era (1950s) - Essay Example During the World War, Kyoto was fortunately spared of being hit badly by nuclear weapons and arms. However, there have been a number of changes within the city since the past. This paper thus helps to provide an analysis of Kyoto in the year 1950 as compared to present day Kyoto. Taking a look at the demographics within the city, the population of the city has decreased at least three fold in the past fifty years. Before the war, Kyoto held the position of being called the fourth most populated city in Japan however, a present day analysis shows that as compared to the past, the population of Kyoto has fallen bringing the city to a seventh position within Japan. Culture is a very inherent part of the city and has become one of its testimonials over time. There are a number of temples and shrines all around the city that were built in praise of Japanese emperors for the purpose of praying as well as carrying out festivals, ceremonies and other traditions. In the modern day period, the city is sprawling with a hip urban population, skyscrapers and cultural hotspots as compared to the private houses and rural migrated population that had formed a part of the city. Old buildings and temples like the Kiyomizudera, Kyoto Imperial Palace and Fushimi Inari have all been restored for the purpose of retaining the cultural past as well as opening up to a level of tourism. (Top 10 Sights of Kyoto, Japan) Change and development thus, in the present has been for the better more than for the worse; more urbanisation has led to better prospects for advancement in the field of information and technology for the city as well. A significant change may also be witnessed in the night life of the city; however, the use of Geishas for entertainment (a very renowned aspect in Japan) still continues to thrive in Kyoto just like it used to in the past. Of course, the sense of dressing and portraying oneself has undergone a little change keeping in mind the western culture and influx of people from all over the world. The city has been able to attract a great amount of tourism as well because of its famous shrines and temples that were built in the past. Some of them, like the Kamigamo Shrine and the Nijo Castle have gained UNESCO World Heritage Sites status and thus are protected by the UN. The economy of the country has also improved for the better because of a shift towards the tertiary sector. Most large technology related companies in the world like Nintendo, Intelligent Systems, Rohm and Horiba have formed a part of the skyline of the city with time. These changes have helped the city to boost its growth. However, at the same time, a vast amount of importance has still been kept aside for traditional crafts and the agricultural sector which has seen a lot of improvement since the past due to better equipments and implements in the field of technology and irrigation. The infrastructure of the city has developed a great deal as well; if one was to compare the c ity on the basis of its looks and image with respect to the post war era in 1950s and present day Kyoto, one would be able to witness a vast amount of change. Railways and subways have been set up all over with the Kyoto station being the central portal from which lines now connect every city around the country. One of the biggest achievements in the field of transport is also the high speed rails which have changed the look of the city completely. Despite these many changes the city still continues

Economic Growth and Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economic Growth and Development - Research Paper Example Economic growth refers to an increase in the output of a country over time according to Glanville and Glanville. It is an increase in a country’s national income indicated by the Gross National Product, GNP or Gross Domestic Product, GDP or in per capita output, that is, GNP or GDP per person. This makes its measurement quantitative, hence a macroeconomic variable that could be measured in a straight-forward manner. The history of economic growth could be traced back to the Adam Smith theory which argues that savings and investment are growth stimulators. Growth would be directly affected by accumulation of capital and indirectly through labour productivity and exchange and trade. This theory postulates economic growth as the increase in the main factors of production, namely, labour, capital and land.Economic growth does not consider the magnitude of the informal economy, also known as the black economy, which refers to the unrecorded economic activity. It does not account fo r natural resources depletion that could lead to pollution and disease. It concerns the increase in the output of an economy. Haller defines it as an increase in the income per capita of a nation, especially quantitatively. The ultimate goal of economic growth according to Colombatto is to increase people’s production and consumption of both goods and services.Economic development differs from economic growth. It is a rather much broader concept which involves non-economic and intangible improvements on the standards of living as documented by Glanville and Glanville