Rosalind Franklin Essay Example for Free

Rosalind Franklin Essay When Watson came calling in January 1953, Wilkins revealed he had been quietly coping Franklins data. When Watson saw one of the photos, his mouth fell open. Ultimately, trial and error produced a working model of DNA, but the information they used was based on Franklins data. It was March 7, 1953 that Cricke announced to the patrons of a local pub, that he and his confrere had found the secret of life. (Parshall, 173) Soon after, the results were published into an article in Nature, along with a supporting article from Franklin. (Maisel, 1) Rosalind Franklin continued her previous work. She collaborated on studies of the structure of the tobacco Mosaic Virus and also helped determine that RNA is a single-stranded helical molecule. (Sayre, 1) While on a visit to the United States later in life, she experienced episodes of pain in her abdomen. In the autumn of 1956, she learned she had ovarian cancer. Franklin continued her research up until only a few weeks before her death on April 16, 1958 at the age of 37. (Sayre, 1) The Nobel Prize was awarded to Watson and Cricke, in 1962. Rosalind Franklin never received credit for the work she had accomplished with the structure of DNA. This prestigious award it cannot be given to the dead. Ironically Wilkins was also awarded for his collaboration with Watson and Cricke. The Nobel Committee credited him with Franklins stellar work as well as his own. (Parshell, 74) In Cricks view, If Franklin had lived, it would have been impossible to give the prize to Maurice and not to her, because she did the key experimental work. (Write, 172) Even though Rosalind Franklin is no longer alive, research continues due to her previous work. If the structure of DNA had not been discovered, biotechnology would not be where it is today. By 1952 it was known the DNA had an exclusive role, as the substance capable of storing all the information needed to create a living being. It is considered to be the fine line between the living and the nonliving. Watson went on to teach at Harvard and eventually headed the National Institutes of Healths Human Genome project. This Project was begun with the intention of mapping out every gene in a human, and eventually learn their functions. This is where the field of bioethics is introduced. Many beneficial things may result from this knowledge. For example, with this information we may be able to cure many diseases and birth defects. Studying how the DNA is altered to cause these conditions will help scientist develop what is necessary to prevent these things. This project was recently completed which caused the public to question where the line must be drawn. With this new information, a couple may be able to pre-select the gender of their baby or maybe even certain traits. The new question is, When has science gone too far? Even though the mapping of the human genome may bring enormous benefits, it can be assumed that someone will want to abuse this new knowledge. As always we must accept the good with the bad. Discovering the structure of DNA and thus how it is able to replicate has also made cloning possible. This was demonstrated with the sheep named Dolly. It was cloned using DNA extracted from an adult sheep and inserted into an unfertilized egg. This process could be very beneficial in the future. We may be able to keep certain species from becoming extinct. As with any other situation, there is also a negative side. What if people want to clone themselves? (As pictured in the movie Multiplicity) There is a fine line between what is ethical and can be allowed and what cannot. For example, it would be unethical for people to continue to clone themselves in an effort to elude death. (Assuming this would be possible. ) Would it be unethical the clone in order to produce needed tissues or a certain blood type? Without Rosalind Franklins work, this information would not have been discovered for at least several years until the technology caught up with the project. It is because of her work that we may one day be able to cure birth defects, cancer, or other genetically related diseases. Unfortunately she has not received the recognition she deserves for her contributions to the scientific field. She spent most of her short-lived life working in the laboratory and most biology classes do not attribute any of her hard work to her. She has greatly impacted the world and everyones future. Stephanie Luchenfield 1. Were there any parts of the Paper that need to be more clearly explained? (ie scientific terms)? I am familiar with scientific terms so I understood what you were talking about. 2. Did it adequately explain why she was such an important person in history? Yes 3. Was it easy to follow? I found a lot of it hard to follow mainly because there were some parts that felt like I was reading a textbook. 4. What was your favorite part of the paper? I liked the part when you really explain the cloning process on regular terms by related what you were talking about with the sheep and the movie. . It was also where she crossed paths with Maurice Wilkins. (maire, 1).

Fiery Nationalism Essay Example for Free

Fiery Nationalism Essay For more than five centuries it has been, and remains, the world’s â€Å"most powerful idea†. Nationalism is a key characteristic of traditional global politics. Despite its strength however, nationalism is not as dominant a political identity as it once was. Nationalism had existed throughout human civilization; it became a major political movement, in large part because of centuries of imperialism. As countries expanded their borders through warfare and colonialism, the map of the world was completely redrawn. Geographic lines were shifted to create political entities based on the â€Å"winners† and â€Å"losers† of conflicts rather than based on ethnic lines of indigenous populations. Nationalism is a doctrine invented in Europe at the beginning of the nineteenth century. It pretends to supply a criterion for the determination of the unit of population proper to enjoy a government exclusively its own, for the legitimate exercise of power in the state, and for the right organization of a society of states. Briefly, the doctrine holds that humanity is naturally divided into nations, that nations are known by certain characteristics which can be ascertained, and that the only legitimate type of government is national self-government. Another definitions of nationalism are: devotion and loyalty to one’s own nation; excessive patriotism; the desire for national advancement or independence; the policy or doctrine of asserting interest of one’s own nation, viewed as separate from the interest of other nations or the common interest of all nations. Referring to the period 1900-1920, the positive part about nationalism as a political movement was that it allowed them to come together and overthrow imperialism. By the beginning of the twentieth century, nationalist movements threatened to tear apart the established empires and the world order the empires had created. On the other hand, the negative part was that it led to colonial wars for independence and civil wars within countries comprised of multiple nations. The problem for nationalist was that it was often difficult to determine exactly where some ethnics group began and others ended, which led to conflict between nationalities living together within a country. It’s true that imperialism and militarism were factors in WWI, but both were byproducts of nationalist governments. The alliance system also would not have caused war if it were not for nationalism. Serbian seeking to gain territory at Austria-Hungary’s expense, and members of a secret society collaborated together to kill the Austrian heir to the throne. This was the spark plug, nationalism, for the war. Nationalist-driven violence was certainly nothing new in the Balkans and what was left of the Ottoman Empire, so it was somewhat surprising that a politically motivated assassination in the region could lead to such large-scale warfare. No one thought it would take much longer than six months to wrap up, because each believed its alliance was clearly superior to other. Instead, the violence dragged into one of the deadliest conflicts in human history. From the period 1921-1945, the Interwar years from 1919 to 1939, it is a period that the conflict was not ended. Nationalism was negative. The frustrated nationalism created by the Treaty of Versailles, the social effects of the Great Depression and ongoing investment in military technology were the road for the next war WWII. In 1929, the Wall Street Market crash and hit Germany hard because the economy was built on mostly loans from America and was dependent on trade, so when the loans needed to be paid and there was no trade, Germany’s industrialism stopped; German workers were laid off, banks failed so saving and accounts were wiped out, inflation made it difficult to purchases necessities. Hitler decided that he needed to do everything at a political level, so that he will be seen as a legitimate leader and not someone associated with violence and bad things; he wanted to highlight the failings of other political parties. Hitler’s inflamed sense of nationalism encouraged him to share his beliefs and values with his fellow countrymen. His strong dependence on his beliefs gave him the reassurance he needed to do whatever he could to further his cause, no matter what people thought about him. Depression really took hold of Germany, and Germany had to repay the debt created by the Young Plan; Hitler tried to defeat the Young plan and this campaign made him a political force throughout the country; in his campaigning he turned down his Jewish hatred and promised to get rid of Communists and â€Å"other enemies† and to reunite Germany and other German speaking parts of Europe. Extremist were losing popularity because stability was returning; German Nationalist party made him respectable asking for him to help campaign against the Young plan’s repayment arrangements; Nazi party won 18.3% of the vote in September 1930. German nationalism made German citizens sympathize with one another, and the thought of more or worse poverty because of the repayments to America worried them all. Hitler, although not the most popular politician in the works at the time, definitely was able to wiggle his foot in the door because of the small amount of doubt in the minds of the people. Hitler was trying to create a sense of nationalism in German people, to the point where they felt they were better than any person of any other race. By creating a clear separation, Hitler was able to set the German’s apart from others living in the same area. Hitler felt that the only way Germany would return to order was through the Nazi regime. By combining Chancellor and President, he ensured that he would be at the head of the government and could spread his fiery nationalism to his people. German citizens may not marry or have sex with Jews in order to keep the blood pure (punishment of hard labor); Jews are not allowed to employ female German citizens under 45 as domestic workers (punishment of imprisonment or hard labor). Hitler really began to try to drive a wedge between Germans and Jews so that nationalism was felt very differently by the two different groups. In encouraging the nationalism and superiority in the German citizens, he made them feel better and feel against the Jews. Hitler formally ends obedience to the Treaty of Versailles; German warplanes attack a Spanish town, and this becomes the first air bombardment of an undefended town in history. Hitler outlines plans for a future war, confiding in his general of his intent to destroy Czechoslovakia; this was the beginning of Hitler’s process of beginning war. Nationalism flexes its muscles here, as the Germans show their new might in their air force and their defiance of the Treaty of Versailles, hereby raising confidence of the German people in their own government and fear of Germany for other countries. The German people were ready for a war. They believed because their leader had taught them to, that the only way to improve their situation was to fight for it. Nationalism prepared them for a war, and not only were they ready for the act, but they were ready to accept the consequences. Their need for stability as a country transcended other needs, and they were ready to do what it took to achieve their goals. WWII was the result of Fascism, and fascism involved nationalism. It is about returning one’s nation glory days. Hitler and Mussolini both sought to take lands that they felt were those of their nation. Hitler wanted the land Germany had lost in war, and much more. Some of the most horrific parts of WWII, such as Holocaust, were direct products of nationalism. Jews were considered to be a different nation by Germans and thus, the government tried to eliminate them, along with others who they felt were not real Germans. From the period 1946-1999 people have been promised self-determination and were frustrated when the political leaders they trusted to deliver it had failed to do so. This period nationalism was in some part positive. This time they would fight for independence and create their own identities through civil war, political revolutions, and migration. With ongoing nationalistic-driven, postcolonial, and identity-related violence marking almost every region of the world and a â€Å"cold war† prevailing on a global level, the structure for the latter half of the twentieth century was established. The Cold war was an ideological conflict in which is side use its growing military technology and alliances systems to stop the spread of the opposing ideology. Because no one wanted a nuclear holocaust, the superpowers relied on others (proxies) to engage in battles for them. The process of decolonization was the final death toll of the imperial system that structured the world until the mid-twentieth century. And because it took place in the midst of a Cold war rivalry with two superpowers vying for ideological control, the process was fraught with violence. Nationalist sought independence from foreign domination. The most violent example how the Cold war affected decolonization was the civil war in Vietnam. The fifteen-year military conflict funded by the United States, the USSR and the PRC showed the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America what decolonization could lead to during the competitive Cold War, and it certainly was not independence. Arab nationalism rose up against centuries of Western imperialism; Islam took on Judaism and Christianity; and ethnic and religious groups fought over territory each claimed legal and history rights to. Also we see, Africa nationalist movement demanded independence some came peacefully, other not. Ghana was a peaceful transition under Kwame Nkrumah, and for Kenya was a violent transition under Jomo Kenyatta. India had been a British colony for many years, the movement led by Mohandas Gandhi pushed for independence, he used a peaceful way not violent- methods to get independence. In conclusion, in my opinion, nationalism has been a positive force, but it has also brought despair and destruction to the world. One side of positive nationalism: which I defined as the proper love of one’s country and the respect which is due to every culture and nation. The other side, the negative nationalism: an unhealthy form of nationalism, which teaches contempt for other nations or cultures and seeks to advance the well-being of one’s own nation at the expense of others.

Performance appraisals in improving employee performance

Performance appraisals in improving employee performance All organization faces the problem of directing the energies of their staff to the task of achieving organization goals and objectives. In doing so, organization need to devise means to influences and channel the behavior of their contributions. Performance appraisals constitute one of the major management tools employed in this process. This is based on the perception of an individuals performance in a job is improved by having definite goals, feedback about their performance and complemented by an appropriate reward system. Therefore, performance appraisal are been implemented. Performance appraisals are used in nearly all organization in worldwide. Corporations use different tools and have a number of goals for performance appraisal often resulting in some confusion as to the true purpose of performance appraisal systems. However, it is core because it allows an organization to measure and evaluate an individual employees behavior and accomplishment over a specific period of time (DeVries et al, 1981). There are many advantages in using performance appraisal in facilities organizational decision employees decision such as reward allocation, promotion or demotions, layoffs or recalls and transfers (Murphy and Cleveland, 1995). It also assists manager to develop employees. Additionally performance appraisal may increase employee commitment and satisfactions due to improvements in organization communication. The outcomes of performance appraisal are in the form of work performance, affective organizational commitment and turnover intention are very crucial to support the overall growth of an organization. According to business dictionary, Performance Appraisals define as a process by which a manager or consultant and evaluates an employees work behavior by comparing it with present standards, documents the result of the comparison and uses the results to provide feedback to the employee to show where improvements are needed and why. Performance Appraisals are employed to determine who needs what training, and who will be promoted, demoted, retained or fired. Besides that, the employees merit like initiative, dependability, and personality to compare with others and ranked or rate base on their performances. Although the performance appraisal is very importance for every kind of organization, it does have several functions. The primary purpose of performance appraisal is to justify the individual performance most often through (1) Clarifying job requirement and standards. (2) Providing feedback to the employee regarding his or her progress toward meeting these standards (3) guiding future performance by formulating an action plan and allocating rewards and opportunity. The purpose of providing feedback is to improve performance in the future for employees and team leaders. Managers able to get valuable information from their staff regarding about the employee and it will help the employee to make their jobs more productive. This process can go through by providing feedback in performance appraisals work units can identify problems that interfere with everyones and take steps to rectify them. Besides that, it also provides an opportunity to discuss strength and resolution of performance deficiencies of an employee. By this, it will allow the employees to move in his/ her direction. The employers promote a positive attitude, advancement and motivation to make the employee to understand their own special potential and find the roles which they really fit well. This also helps the employee to develop as a whole-person which is an important aspect of modern corporate responsibility. The advantage of it is the employment market in which all employers com pete to attract the best recruits and to retain the best staff. Second purpose of performance appraisal is to guide future performance by formulating an action plan and allocating rewards and opportunity. This is where the action plan put into place. The employee should be given time frame for the implementation of the plan in the future. So that the employee can spelled out completely and know what actions should be taken and when it should implement. The organization should inform the employee regarding the plan. Therefore the employee know what is to be accomplished, once the implementation of the plan. Besides that the manager and employee should communicate on a regular basis to discuss the effectiveness of the plan. Therefore, the business moves one step closer to the achievement of their set goal and objectives. This also helps to maintains record of workers that are legally viable which can protect the business when dealing in cases of dismissals and demotions. Importance of performance Appraisal The need of the performance appraisal system is mainly to find out the area of strengths and weakness of the employees. These strengths and weakness are studied by the HR managers carefully and are discussed with the employees the time of the appraisal. The performance appraisal process involves setting of performance standards which can help the comparison of the performance of all the employees. Communication of these standards to all the employees of the company is also one of the most crucial processes in the performance appraisal process. Performance measurement is a process which taken time and lot of efforts on part of the senior management of the organization. At many places, marks or grades are given to the employees by comparing their actual employee performance with the desired performance. Performance appraisal strengths and weakness can help employees conduct a reality check on them and improve their performance. The last step in the performance appraisal process is that of decision making in which the employees are given sufficient time to learn new technologies, be more efficient, increase their working speed and improve the quality of their work. The performance appraisal methods adopted by companies can differ depending on their needs. In many organizations, the feedback on job performance is ambiguous or is given annually as a ritualistic exercise. Many subordinates therefore haven trouble in gasping how their efforts are perceived by the organization. Almost everyone who has worked at a job can remember times when they were unclear on how their performance was being judged. The annual performance appraisal system tends to serve only a little purpose such as salary administration, training and succession planning, but this is not the sole objective of performance appraisal. These objectives will only dilute and weaken the clarity and validity of any appraisal system. Most organization ties the formal appraisal system directly to salary increase, which decrease their validity. Performance appraisal systems are important for organization because it proper enforcement of personal decisions, help works as control device and also give guide the employee development. Performance appraisals provide employee and manager w ith opportunities to discuss areas in which employees excel and those in which employees need improvement. Performance appraisal should be conducted on a regular basis and they need not be directly attached to promotion opportunities. Performance appraisal is importance in term of personal attention because during the review, supervisor and an employee discuss the employees strengths and weakness. This give an opportunity for the employee personally face the supervisor and able to address personal concerns. Besides that, it also importance to communicate about the divisional and also company goal. These help the management to communicate with employee regarding about goal of the company and also highlight the way in which the employees can participate in the achievement of those goals. Benefit of appraisal Most significant benefit of performance appraisal is conducted properly by both supervisors and subordinates have reported the experiences as beneficial and positive. Many supervisor avoid administering performance reviews because the fear of criticizing their employees and also the paperwork. Employees also fear because of negative feedback, being refused a raise or punished for issues out of their control. But appraisal offers a valuable opportunity to focus on work activities and goals, to identify and correct existing problems and to encourage better future performance. Thus the performance of the whole organization is enhanced. Performance appraisal benefits the employee in (1) increased employee productivity and (2) improve areas of weakness. Increased employee productivity Supervisors use performance appraisals to help employees to get a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities within the framework of the company goals. When the employees know that they are an integral component to the overall performance of the company, they will feel more accountable with their duties. Therefore, the supervisor can accurately identify their weaknesses and assist employees in improving and also able to increase the productivity of the employee. Improve areas of Weakness Performance appraisals can expose employees weaknesses and enables them to improve for further career development. Employees have to use the feedback to expand their skill base and focus on areas that need coaching and education. Motivate employees Performance appraisal enables supervisors to formally recognize the achievements and contributions of their employees. The appreciation which receives from subordinates help to increased retention of highly productive employees. During the performance appraisals, supervisor may use incentives such as raises and promotions to motive the employees. For management, performance appraisals bring out the key and non-key performers. The management then takes steps to hone the key performers and develop the non-key into putting in their best. Performance appraisals identify the areas where training and development are needed. This is to expose their weakness and enable them to improve for future career development, if an employee desires to become a manager, yet leadership are lacking, performance reports reveal this incompetency. Employees use review to expend their skill base and focus areas that need coaching and education. This is to assist employees in deciding if they are in the industry that matches their values and personality. Besides that it helps the management to generate idea for improvement. How to improve employee performance Implementing employee appraisal is an important responsibility for a company manager and supervisor. Employees are highly praised for their contribution and given constructive ways to improve the area that are still being learned. Therefore, well designed appraisal systems can strengthen good relationships between supervisors and employees. To improve the appraisal system, there are several ways such as (1) a collaborative approach, (2) Clear objective, (3) Focus on observable behavior (4) Avoid personal feedback. A collaborative approach If both supervisor and employees help to develop the appraisal system, they are likely to endorse it. Therefore, the collaborative approach has several advantages. The appraisal system is likely to be accepted and endorsed by both supervisor and employees since it was created by their peers. Besides that, the actual appraisal form will probably be more meaningful and appropriate since it directly reflects the objectives of their peers. In addition, performance dimensions are tailored to the organization and are clearly defined in appropriate terms. The policies and procedures take into account organizational objectives and concerns. Clear objective In formal performance appraisal system there will be two objectives that compete during the appraisal process. Firstly is to provide feedback to the employees. This is to help the employees to develop themselves and improve their performance. Secondly is to document the performance and to communicate and support administrative decisions about salary increase, promotions, and transfers. Therefore, an effective appraisal system is to focus on one objective during the interviews. These help the supervisor to conduct the interview to improve performance as often as necessary for the benefit of employees, supervisors and the organization as a whole. Focus on observable behavior In appraisal process, discussion between supervisor and employee is most important. In this process, supervisor are not been trained to handle the interview with their employees. The main reason why this process is importance because it help the employees to understand and use the feedback to develop themselves and improve their performance in future. If the feedback it not clear, then it will be difficult for the employee to understand. Avoid personal feedback In all appraisal form contain a section on employee strengths and weaknesses where supervisors comment about the employees aptitudes and qualities that will contribute to or interfere with an employees job performance. In the form, the supervisor need to rate the employees on the personal traits such as maturity, attitude and personality. The problem arises when the supervisor gives feedback to their employees. The employees often become suspicious when they receive general comment such as rate between 3 on a 5 point scale of maturity or poor interpersonal skill. This type of feedback are often disagree by the employees because the characteristic being evaluated are not directly observed. The supervisor does not see the initiative, aptitude, maturity or even job knowledge and interpersonal skill of the employees but they see in a large number of individual behavior form they infer traits and aptitudes. The supervisors who evaluate their employees in these vague, subjective terms may find themselves in court defending their performance appraisals against charges of EEO violations and discrimination against women and minorities. Summary To summarize, performance appraisal should be viewed as a beneficial process within the context of an effective systems of personnel management. It should be accepted as a normal management responsibility to review the performance of all employees and for all managers to discuss performance with their subordinates on a regular basis. Performance appraisal can be an effective tool if they are used in a constructive and motivating manner. The appraisal should target specific areas of weakness and strength. It is importance for employees to know the areas where they are under performing as well as the categories where they excel. A performance appraisal should be a well-though out instrument designed to bring about a desired behavior. When you communicate with an employee using a performance appraisal, it provides an opportunity for clarification of any discrepancies. Those elements will help to ensure that performance appraisal conducted in any organization will yield the desired benef its and be more readily accepted by all concerned.

Importance Of Priority In Todays Society :: essays research papers

Importance of Priority in Today's Society In today's society it is of the ultimate importance to keep self- discipline as a major priority. Right now we may not realize it, but we are not living in a perfect society on this planet. But perfect is not the answer for our world, as it seems implausible. Rather, we are trying to work out into the opposite direction and not suffer chaos. Think of what would happen, if we all took the responsibility to keep our self disciplined and utterly focused in trying to do the best we could. Our world would not suffer the many consequences we suffer now. For example, if we decided to peaceful with other nations, and kept respect and peace with everyone. The prevention of mayhem, chaos and anarchy will not just come one day like an invisible shield trying to prevent this situation from happening. What needs to happen is, every person on this earth out of the many billions that there are, needs to take responsibility of his/her actions. Chaos, mayhem, disturbance, turmoil, pandemonium, uproar. Is this what we want in our world today? Although people are afraid to say it, it is obvious that if we all do not think before we do things, these events that I described could occur in the near future. Many people are in belief that chaos, mayhem, and even anarchy will not occur in their lifetimes. And most possibly what they think is true, but they don't show helpfulness towards they younger generations. By making a large pothole, it may be very difficult to fill it. By ruining the world today, it seems as if we are striving to mayhem. In our society we are not working to help other people and just help ourselves. If we all worked together, and not thought so much about ourselves we would therefore show that we can work as a large family or community, thus helping us realize what drastic situation we are in. Michael Jackson states in one of his songs " Heel the world, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race." The only way we could actually fulfill this statement is to be self-disciplined in what we do. Prevention of all three aspects, mayhem, chaos and anarchy, is a must and a necessity in our developing world. Also self responsibility ties into this matter. By being aware of your actions and not doing anything that could effect yourself or anyone else, we are one step closer to a better world, not only for us but the for other generations

Essay --

Jefferson Finis Davis was born on June 3,1808, in ____ Kentucky. He was the tenth of ten children. Davis was named after the third president of the United States of America, Thomas Jefferson. During his childhood Davis moved twice; he moved at the age of 3 to St.Mary Parish, Louisiana. Less than a year later he moved to Wilkinson County, Mississippi. Three of his brothers served in the war of 1812. He began his education in 1813 at Wilkinson Academy, near the family cotton plantation. Davis Later attended a catholic school called Saint Thomas. When he was there he was the only protestant student in attendance. Davis went on to attend Jefferson College in Washington, Mississippi, in 1818, and then attended Transylvania University at Lexington, Kentucky, in 1821. His father Samuel died on July 4, 1824, when Jefferson was 16 years old. He attended the United States Military Academy starting in 1824. He was placed under house arrest after his involvement in the eggnog riots. In June 182 8 he graduated 23rd in a class of 33. Following graduation, Second Lieutenant Davis was assigned to the 1st Infantry Regiment he was stationed at Fort Crawford, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin Territory. Zachary Taylor had recently been placed in command of the fort when Davis arrived in early 1829. Davis returned to Mississippi on furlough in March 1832 this was his first leave since arriving at the fort. The Black Hawk war broke out while Davis was still in Mississippi. He quickly returned to the fort in August 1832. At the end of the war, Colonel Taylor assigned him to the transportation of Black Hawk to prison. Davis soon fell in love with Sarah Knox Taylor, his commanding officers daughter. They pursued Sarah’s father for permission to marry but he... ...inted and then elected to the U.S. Senate. He resigned his position to run for Governor of Mississippi. Although he was not successful, he was ultimately named Secretary of War under President Pierce. He went back to the Senate in the 1840s and remained there until Mississippi seceded January 9, 1861. Davis waited for official notification and addressed the Senate on January 21, 1861 calling it the â€Å"saddest day of his life.† He returned to Mississippi. Davis was first named as Major General for the Army of Mississippi on January 23, 1861 and then elected as Provisional President of the Confederate States of America and inaugurated in February. He was selected because of his military and political background. When Virginia joined the Confederacy, Davis moved the Capital to Richmond in May 1861. By November he had been elected to a full-six year term as President.

Les Miserables - Reconciliation between a Man and Himself Essay

Les Miserables - Reconciliation between a Man and Himself The ending of the Victor Hugo novel, Les Miserables, contains a reconciliation between a man and himself, and his family. This is, in many ways, the entire purpose of the book. Goodness or saintliness can be achieved,   despite difficult or unwholesome beginnings. This theme is an enduring one, because of both its truth and its presentation. Fay Weldon may as well have been   describing Les Miserables when she said "The writer, I do believe, who get the best and most lasting response from readers are the writers who offer happy endings   through moral development .... some kind of spiritual reassessment or moral   reconciliation, even with the self, even at death."   The hero Jean Valjean undergoes quite the transformation throughout the   course of his story. He begins as a criminal and convict with absolutely no scruples. A kindly prelate forgives him after a theft, and simply turns the other cheek. This act of unexpected generosity inspires Valjean...

A Soul Built Through Pain and Suffering Essay

Similar to imprints on sand or carvings in wood, character is moulded and developed by indents – through pain and suffrage. In the novel, The White Tiger, Aravind Adiga explores the dark realities of India’s caste system with a story of a man who broke through the division. The quote by Helen Keller, â€Å"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved,† is seen through Balram’s journey as he overcomes obstacles to achieve his success. Adiga illustrates that one cannot see true light of a strong soul, inspired ambition and success, without the struggles of being in true darkness and the disadvantages that come along with it. Balram Halwai is raised in the lower-social caste town of Laxmangarh, India, where he is forced to deal with indignities caused by his family’s poverty. Balram witness’s the death of both of his parents, from illnesses in both of which could have been cured had he been in a higher-caste system of society. His father, Vikram Halwai, died of mistreated tuberculosis. Balram exclaims the ignorance of the government as they failed to appropriately care for his father’s condition and death: The ward boys made us clean up our Father before we could remove the body. A goat came in and sniffed as we were mopping the blood off the floor. The ward boys petter her and fed her a plump carrot as we mopped our father’s infected blood off the floor. (Adiga 42) The lack of care exhibited by the hospital emphasizes the harsh reality of just how terrible life is for the impoverished in India. Balram spoke in high honor of his father and mentions that his father â€Å"never crouched,† like the servants were expected to on his job – that he â€Å"preferred to stand† (Adiga 20). A life of a man that Balram respected and loved, a life that protected him against his worst fear of lizards, and taught him how to have pride in everything he does – a life Balram held with the utmost importance and praise – was the same life that later had to be mopped off the floor by his very own son. The negligence of human life desensitized Balram at a young age and strengthened his soul by realizing the dog-eat-dog society he lives in. Following his father’s death, Balram soon realizes he doesn’t only live in a dog-eat-dog society, but a dog-eat-dog home, too. Balram reminisces on his encounter with his brother and notes: I couldn’t stop thinking of Kishan’s body. They were eating him alive in there! They would do the same thing to him that they did to father – scoop him out from the inside and leave him weak and helpless until he got tuberculosis and died on the floor of a government hospital†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Adiga 74) Balram recognizes that the women he used to live with before becoming a driver – especially his grandmother – use the men for hard labour to provide for the family, wearing them down to the bone. His grandmother’s further letters of blackmail demanding money from Balram are another clear example of selfishness within the family. This realization strengthens Balram’s soul even more by teaching him that he is truly alone and that no one – not even his own family – is willing or wanting to help guide him forward. If he is going to make it out of the darkness, Balram knows it will have to be on his own. Consequently, the pain and suffering triggered Balram’s ambition to veer the direction of his predetermined life of poverty into something more. Balram uses the rooster coop as his analogy of life for the low-caste system in India. He explains: Hundreds of pale hens and brightly coloured roosters stuffed tightly into wire-mesh cages, packed as tightly as worms in a belly, pecking each other and shitting on each other, jostling just for breathing space; the whole cage giving off a horrible stench†¦The roosters in the coop smell the blood from above. They see the organs of their brothers lying around them. (Adiga 147) He compares the chickens to the people in his country as neither of them are attempting to escape their cages, â€Å"The very same thing is done with human beings in this country† (Adiga 148). He details how the coop is self-trapping and comes to a conclusion that only through individual action can one break out of the coop. This realization gives Balram a will and determination to escape the rooster coop. As Mr. Ashok’s personal driver, Balram is forced to partake on more roles in the job such as giving the Stork foot massages, cooking, cleaning, and almost having to be framed for a murder he did not commit. When Balram finally starts cheating his master off his money, he expresses that, â€Å"Instead of guilt, what did I feel? Rage. The more I stole from him, the more I realized how much he had stolen from me.† (Adiga 196). This is a milestone in Balram’s life as he finally changes from the quiet, hard worker but begins to realize that he was facing numerous unnecessary humiliations, none of which were part of the job. He knows that the rich are treating him like an animal and that is a feeling that no amount of rupees can compensate for. Through the disloyalty towards his master, Balram demonstrates ambition by taking action in getting closer to his dream of escaping his servant status which is done by escaping the rooster coop. As a result of taking action to liberate himself from the rooster coop, he achieves success. Balram murders his master, Mr. Ashok, and steals his bag enclosed with thousands of rupees. He uses his reoccurring analogy of the rooster coop to validate the murder of his master by stating, â€Å"I think the Rooster Coop needs people like me to break out of it. It needs masters like Mr. Ashok – who, for all his numerous virtues, was not much of a master – to be weeded out, and exceptional servants like me to replace them† (Adiga 257). The murder of Mr. Ashok was the final action that all of his previous small acts of cheating and stealing led up to. The money Balram gained from the murder provided him a chance at a new life filled with endless opportunities. He chooses to start his own taxi business and explains, â€Å"Once I was a driver to a master, but now I am a master of drivers. I don’t treat them like servants – I don’t slap, or bully, or mock anyone. I don’t insult any of them by calling them â€Å"family,† either. They’re my employees; I’m their boss, that’s all.† (Adiga 259). This shows the contrast of his life and how far he has come. His life takes a complete turn, as he changes roles from servant to master. It also foils the characters of the rich and corrupted masters Balram encounters in his life, as it emphasizes his moral character. Balram achieves his success but still remains a fair, professional boss – nothing like the other masters in India. His struggles drove Balram to fight for a life of freedom and dignity. He re-evaluates the actions he had to take in order to achieve this success and questions, â€Å"Are you a man or a demon?† and quickly justifies it with, â€Å"Neither, I say. I have woken up, and the rest of you are still sleeping and that is the only difference between us† (Adiga 271). Balram realized the dog-eat-dog world he was faced with and knew from a young age that it was every man for himself. He had no advantages above any single other person living in the low-social caste. He was equally impoverished but woke up and broke free. Throughout the course of his life, there’s not a minute where Balram does not see suffering. Pushed by his dark life of having watched his parents die, and being stripped of his dignity by the rich, Balram becomes determined to raise himself up from the darkness and into the light. He takes the necessary action of murdering his master to carry out his plan of escaping the rooster coop. His hardships are finally rewarded by the honest taxi company he establishes. Had Balram never been encaged, he would not appreciate the beauty of his freedom as much as he does now. One who has never seen a sunset cannot fully appreciate the sunrise, and one who’s never felt the storm cannot fully appreciate the sun. Balram’s seen both dusk and dawn and rain and sun which allows him to appreciate the light a little more than ever.