Best Character Analysis Tom Buchanan - The Great Gatsby

Best Character Analysis Tom Buchanan - The Great Gatsby SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Tom Buchanan – hulking, hyper-masculine, aggressive, and super-rich – is The Great Gatsby’s chief representative of old money, and (in a book with many unlikeable people) one of the book’s least sympathetic characters. He is Gatsby’s rival for Daisy’s love, but he is also caught up in an affair with Myrtle Wilson that proves fatal for many involved. So what’s important to understand about Tom? What are his motivations? Is there anything sympathetic about him at all? Find out here! Article Roadmap Tom Buchanan as a character: Physical description Biographical backstory Actions in the novel Analysis of Tom Buchanan: Quotes about or by Tom Frequent essay topics and discussion questions FAQ answering common student questions about Tom Quick Note on Our Citations Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book. To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text. Tom Buchanan's Physical Description He had changed since his New Haven years. Now he was a sturdy, straw haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining, arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward. Not even the effeminate swank of his riding clothes could hide the enormous power of that body- he seemed to fill those glistening boots until he strained the top lacing and you could see a great pack of muscle shifting when his shoulder moved under his thin coat. It was a body capable of enormous leverage- a cruel body. (1.19) Tom is established from the outset as masculine, aggressive, and, most importantly, dangerous. We also get a much more complete physical description of him than we ever get of Gatsby or Nick, which leaves little room to ever see Tom in a different, more sympathetic light – and in fact, all subsequent descriptions continue to show Tom as masculine, aggressive, and strong. Tom's Backstory Tom Buchanan is born into money, so along with Daisy, he is the book’s chief representation of old money, and what it means and looks like to be a member of that class. He attends Yale University, where he meets Nick, plays on the football team, and makes a few enemies: â€Å"there were men at New Haven that hated his guts† (1.20). A few years after, he marries Daisy, a wealthy heiress from Louisville. Daisy’s very much in love with him at first.But just after their South Seas honeymoon is over, he cheats on her with a maid at the Santa Barbara hotel they’re staying at, beginning a pattern of infidelity that we see continued in the novel (4.143). The two move around, spending time in Chicago and even abroad in France, â€Å"wherever people played polo and were rich together† (1.17). They have a daughter, Pammy, but Tom seems distant from her – after Daisy wakes up after giving birth, he’s â€Å"god knows where† (1.8) – in fact we never see Tom and Pammy in the same room in the novel. The family moves to New York, and Tom begins having an affair with Myrtle Wilson shortly afterwards. You can see how Tom's biography intersects with the backstories of the novel's other characters in ourGreat Gatsbytimeline. Want to get better grades and test scores? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. Summary of Action in the Novel In Chapter 1, Daisy Buchanan invites her cousin Nick Carraway to dinner at the Buchanans’ house. Nick is an old classmate of Tom’s who just moved to New York. Daisy and Nick take a private walk where Daisy confesses some of her unhappiness to Nick, but Tom cautions Nick not to believe everything Daisy says. In Chapter 2, Tom takes Nick with him to see Myrtle, his mistress. They meet up in Queens and then later in Manhattan, and have a party at the apartment Tom keeps for Myrtle. As the evening draws to a close, Tom punches Myrtle in the face and breaks her nose. In Chapter 6, Tom attends one of Gatsby’s parties with Daisy, and immediately becomes suspicious of Gatsby’s wealth and his wife’s relationship with him, and asks a friend to investigate him. In Chapter 7, Gatsby comes over for lunch at the Buchanans’ house, along with Nick and Jordan. The group ends up going to Manhattan at Daisy’s suggestion. Tom notices the way Daisy looks at Gatsby and realizes they are having an affair. But during the climactic confrontation in a Manhattan hotel, when Gatsby tries to get Daisy to admit she never loved Tom, Daisy can’t. Tom reveals that Gatsby is a bootlegger and promises to treat Daisy better. After this confrontation, Tom lets Gatsby and Daisy drivebackto West Egg alonetogether. This is a show of power: Tom is saying he has nothing to fear from Gatsby and knows that Daisy will never leave him. On that drive back, Daisy fatally hits Myrtle. Tom stops at the scene afterward, finds out Gatsby’s yellow car hit Myrtle, assumes it was Gatsby, and sobs on the drive back to East Egg. In Chapter 8, in the aftermath of Myrtle's murder, Tomand Daisy remain together and quickly leave New York, George Wilson shoots Gatsby and then himself, leaving Nick to grapple with Gatsby’s death alone. In Chapter 9, Tom runs into Nick outside of a jewelry store and confesses to Nick that he insinuated to George that Gatsby was both his wife’s killer and her lover, sparking the murder. Tom's preferred ratio of men to women. Tom Buchanan Quotes â€Å"[Tom], among various physical accomplishments, had been one of the most powerful ends that ever played football at New Haven- a national figure in a way, one of those men who reach such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterward savors of anti-climax.† (1.16) Tom is established early on as restless and bored, with the threat of physical aggression lurking behind that restlessness. With his glory days on the Yale football team well behind him, he seems to constantly be searching for – and failing to find – the excitement of a college football game. Perhaps Tom, like Gatsby, is also trying, and failing, to repeat the past in his own way. "Well, it's a fine book, and everybody ought to read it. The idea is if we don't look out the white race will be- will be utterly submerged. It's all scientific stuff; it's been proved." (1.78) In Chapter 1, we learn Tom has been reading â€Å"profound† books lately, including racist ones that claim the white race is superior to all others and has to maintain control over society. This speaks to Tom’s insecurity – even as someone born into incredible money and privilege, there’s a fear it could be taken away by social climbers. That insecurity only translates into even more overt shows of his power - flaunting his relationship with Myrtle, revealing Gatsby as a bootlegger, and manipulating George tokill Gatsby – thus completely freeing the Buchanansfrom any consequences from the murders. "Don't believe everything you hear, Nick," he advised me. (1.143) Early in the book, Tom advises Nick not to believe rumors and gossip, but specifically what Daisy has been telling him about their marriage. Nick certainly is wary of most people he meets, and, indeed, he sees through Daisy in Chapter 1 when he observes she has no intentions of leaving Tom despite her complaints: â€Å"Their interest rather touched me and made them less remotely rich- nevertheless, I was confused and a little disgusted as I drove away. It seemed to me that the thing for Daisy to do was to rush out of the house, child in arms- but apparently there were no such intentions in her head† (1.150). But as the book goes on, Nick drops some of his earlier skepticism as he comes to learn more about Gatsby and his life story, coming to admire him despite his status as a bootlegger and criminal. This leaves us with an image of Tom as cynical and suspicious in comparison to the optimistic Gatsby – but perhaps also more clear-eyed than Nick is by the end of the novel. "And what's more, I love Daisy too. Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time." (7.251-252) After seeing Tom’s liaisons with Myrtle and his generally boorish behavior, this claim to loving Daisy comes off as fake at best and manipulative at worst (especially since a spree is a euphemism for an affair!). We also see Tom grossly underreporting his bad behavior (we have seen one of his â€Å"sprees† and it involved violently breaking Myrtle’s nose after sleeping with her while Nick was in the next room) and either not realizing or ignoring how damaging his actions can be to others. He is explicit about his misbehavior and doesn’t seem sorry at all – he feels like his â€Å"sprees† don’t matter as long as he comes back to Daisy after they’re over. In short, this quote captures how the reader comes to understand Tom late in the novel – as a selfish rich man who breaks things and leaves others to clean up his mess. "I found out what your 'drug-stores' were." He turned to us and spoke rapidly. "He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That's one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasn't far wrong." (7.284) Again, Tom’s jealousy and anxiety about class are revealed. Though e immediately pegs Gatsby for a bootlegger rather than someone who inherited his money, Tomstill makes a point of doing an investigation to figure out exactly where the money came from. This shows that he does feel a bit threatened by Gatsby, and wants to be sure he thoroughly knocks him down. But at the same time, he’s the only one in the room who sees Gatsby for who he actually is. This is also a moment where you, as a reader, can really see how clouded Nick’s judgment of Gatsby has become. "You two start on home, Daisy," said Tom. "In Mr. Gatsby's car." She looked at Tom, alarmed now, but he insisted with magnanimous scorn. "Go on. He won't annoy you. I think he realizes that his presumptuous little flirtation is over." (7.296-298) A common question students have after reading Gatsby for the first time is this: why does Tom let Daisy and Gatsby ride back together? If he’s so protective and jealous of Daisy, wouldn’t he insist she come with him? The answer is that he is demonstrating his power over both Daisy and Gatsby – he’s no longer scared that Daisy will leave him for Gatsby, and he’s basically rubbing that in Gatsby’s face. He’s saying that he doesn’t even fear leaving them alone together, because he knows that nothing Gatsby says or does would convince Daisy to leave him. It’s a subtle but crucial show of power – and of course ends up being a fatal choice. â€Å"What if I did tell him? That fellow had it coming to him. He threw dust into your eyes just like he did in Daisy's but he was a tough one. He ran over Myrtle like you'd run over a dog and never even stopped his car." (9.143) One of Tom’s last lines in the novel, he coldly tells Nick that Gatsby was fooling both him and Daisy. Of course, since we know that Gatsby didn't actually run over Daisy, we can read this line in one of threeways: MaybeDaisy never actually admitted to Tom that she was the one driving the car that night, so he still has no idea that his wife killed his mistress. Or maybe the way Tom has made peace with what happened is by convincing himself that even if Daisy was technically driving, Gatsby is to blame for Myrtle's death anyway. Or maybe Tom is still scared of speaking the truth about Daisy's involvement to anyone, including Nick, on the off chance that the police will reopen the case with new evidence. Depending on your interpretation, you can use this line as evidence if you’re arguing for a darker, more selfish version of Gatsby’s character. What level of bad guy is Tom, exactly? Depends on how you read his last confession to Nick. Common Essay Topics/ Areas of Discussion Since Tom himself isn’t a hero (or, on the flip side, a straightforward antagonist) of the novel, most essays about Tom involve comparing him to other characters – often Gatsby but sometimes George. Sometimes you have to do this from a higher level, and sometimes you have to do more in-depth character analysis. To see adetailedguide to a compare/contrast essay between these characters, read our article on the most commonly assigned compare/contrast character pairs. Either way, make sure to read Chapters 1, 2, 6, and 7 for Tom’s most important moments, and don’t neglect your analysis of the other characters. Read on for the most common discussion topics about Tom! Discuss Tom and Daisy (Old Money)vs. Gatsby (New Money) In this prompt, you would first find examples in the text that clearly illustrate Tom and Daisy as old money and Gatsby as new money. Yes, the Buchanans and Gatsby both live in mansions, they all have vast amounts of money at their disposal, and they all variously engage in bad behavior (affairs, drinking, crime), but their differences end up looming much larger than these similarities. Taste and Appearance. One place to start is to examine their dress, homes, and parties. Tom and Daisy dress luxuriously but without indulging in the very latest fashions or wild styles (note Tom’s riding clothes and Daisy’s white dress), while Gatsby wears a pink suit during the crucial scene in the Plaza Hotel in Chapter 7. And while Tom and Daisy have a mansion, it’s described as fashionable and white, with muted wine-colored carpet and white curtains, while Gatsby’s is a copy of a palace in France, and seen as over-large and garish. Finally, while Tom and Daisy host quiet dinner parties, Gatsby is notorious for his packed, lavish, and raucous blow-out bashes. Perception by Others. Also in Chapter 6, it's notable that Tom is immediately suspicious of Gatsby and doesn’t see him as worthy of their crowd during the encounter with the Sloanes,while Daisy is horrified by Gatsby's vulgar parties. Not only do their class differences become apparent to the reader through their dress, homes, and parties, but also Tom and Daisy are very aware of these differences in status, while Gatsby consistently misreads social clues. Displays of Power. Finally, the pecking order becomes painfully clear during the encounter in the hotel. Gatsby puts everything on the line and asks Daisy to confess that she never loved Tom. But not only can she not do that, she ends up admitting she did in fact once love Tom very much, so that Tom leaves the encounter secure in his marriage. Once you’ve fleshed out examples of how Tom and Daisy exemplify old money while Gatsby exemplifies new money, you could make a larger argument about one of the book’s major themes: the rigidity of society and class in 1920s Americaor the hollowness of the American Dream. Discuss Tom and Daisy as Reckless and CarelessPeople This prompt relies on this famous quote: They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made. . . .(9.146) Physical Recklessness.There are many examples of Tom and Daisy acting reckless, and of the fact thatthey are protected from the consequences of their actions by their money. Of course, while you can go for the biggest event, Daisy hitting Myrtle in Gatsby’s car, you should also find some smaller examples can help build your argument: Tom's mid-honeymoon car accident, when he "ran into a wagon on the Ventura road one night and ripped a front wheel off his car. The girl who was with him got into the papers too because her arm was broken"(4.143). the moment Tom breaks Myrtle’s nose in Chapter 2 In all threecases, there areapparently zero consequences for this behavior. After the honeymoon, Tom's marriage stays intact, and hegets to gooff to France. His affair with Myrtle continues even after the violence. And after Daisy kills Myrtle, the couple just skips town and doesn't even show up in the official police record of the accident. Emotional Recklessness.The pair are just as cavalier with each other's emotions as they are with everyone else's. Tom starts cheating on Daisy early on in their marriage (on their honeymoon!), assumingthat because she is soweak and passive, Daisy won't leave him.Meanwhile, Daisy enters into the affair with Gatsby, dismissing Tom and her marriage in a blasà © way. With these examples (along with other examples you can find!) fleshed out, you can start thinking about an overall argument or point to make. Here are just a few ideas: Tom and Daisy’s money protects them from consequences in a way the working class cannot be protected. Moral decay in America comes from the top down (with the hardworking George Wilson, who’s at the bottom of the social heap, the most hurt). Tom and Daisy’s behavior illustrates the emptiness of the American Dream. Tom and Daisy: never afraid to break eggs to make their selfishness omelet. FAQ Here are answers to some common student questions about Tom and his place inThe Great Gatsby. What’s up with Tom’s affair with Myrtle? Does he love her more than Daisy? Tom may enjoy spending time with Myrtle, but he would never divorce Daisy to marry her – she’s just the latest in a series of mistresses he has had since the beginning of his marriage. Tom and Daisy come from the same social class, and they both need each other to remain part of that group. In contrast, Myrtle is from a less-wealthy background, and would never truly fit into Tom Buchanan’s circles. So while Tom is pretty brazen about showing Myrtle off in restaurants and not hiding his affair with any real effort, for him the relationship is more about power – power over Myrtle, over George, and over Daisy – than about love. Want to get better grades and test scores? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. So does Daisy love Tom? Does Tom love Daisy? A lot of students wonder about Daisy and Tom’s marriage. Since we learn that Daisy was still in love with Gatsby right before going through with her marriage to Tom, and we see Tom engaging in affairs, it makes sense that we would wonder whether Tom and Daisy like each other at all. Well, first of all, it seems clear that, at least in the early days of their marriage, they were in love: "I never loved [Tom]," [Daisy] said, with perceptible reluctance. "Not at Kapiolani?" demanded Tom suddenly..."Not that day I carried you down from the Punch Bowl to keep your shoes dry?" There was a husky tenderness in his tone. ". . . Daisy?" "Please don't." Her voice was cold, but the rancour was gone from it. She looked at Gatsby. "There, Jay," she said- but her hand as she tried to light a cigarette was trembling. Suddenly she threw the cigarette and the burning match on the carpet. "Oh, you want too much!" she cried to Gatsby. "I love you now- isn't that enough? I can't help what's past." She began to sob helplessly. "I did love him once- but I loved you too." (7.258-264) Tom brings up happy memories from early in the marriage, and for once, his voice has a â€Å"husky tenderness,† which causes Daisy’s voice to lose the cold tone it had when she said she never loved him. She then breaks down and admits that she loved Tom. However, the fact that Tom is clinging to old memories, and Daisy uses the past tense – â€Å"I loved him once† – suggests that Tom and Daisy aren’t exactly head-over-heels for each other anymore. But our last scene that shows Tom and Daisy together suggests that that doesn’t matter. Even if they’re not in love, their relationship is stable, and neither has any interest in leaving the other: Daisy and Tom were sitting opposite each other at the kitchen table with a plate of cold fried chicken between them and two bottles of ale. He was talking intently across the table at her and in his earnestness his hand had fallen upon and covered her own. Once in a while she looked up at him and nodded in agreement. They weren't happy, and neither of them had touched the chicken or the ale- and yet they weren't unhappy either. There was an unmistakable air of natural intimacy about the picture and anybody would have said that they were conspiring together. (7.409-410) What does Tom’s racism have to do with anything? As we discuss above, Nick makes a point of showing Tom to be a racist, a believer in the pure white face’s need to subjugate everyone else in the world. But why does this come up at all? Is it just another unflattering detail about Tom? Tom’s racism is a reflection of his slight insecurities and his need to continually reassert his money and status. Even with all of his money and privilege, hestill has a slight fear that his place isn’t assured. That fear comes out in small moments in the novel – when George says he’s taking Myrtle out west and when Daisy briefly threatens to leave him. This is why we see Tom constantly swaggering and asserting his status. What’s Next? If you’re writing about Tom, it can be helpful to take a close look at the beginning of the novel, specifically, Chapter 1and Chapter 2. In these chapters, you both see Tom both in his high-class, old money home, and engaging in a â€Å"spree† with Myrtle. Make sure to close read and annotate both chapters! Tom is a major player in not just one but two of the novel’s major relationships. Read more about love, sex, and desire in The Great Gatsbyin our detailed article. Check out our analyses of all the other characters in the novel and learn how to compare and contrast Tom to other characters. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Shyness essays

Shyness essays Personality is an abstract science about a very warm, personal, concrete subject matter (Klinger,21). In my first paper I described my personality according to the first five chapters of Derlega. In this paper I am going to describe how my greatest fear, shyness, relates to the last half of class and the whole picture. Shyness may be defined experientially as discomfort or inhibition in interpersonal situations that interferes with pursuing one's interpersonal or professional goals. It is a form of excessive self-focus, a preoccupation with one's thoughts, feelings and physical reactions. Shyness reactions can occur at any or all of the following levels: cognitive, affective, physiological and behavioral, and may be triggered by a wide variety of arousal cues. Among the most typical are: authorities, one-on-one opposite sex interactions, intimacy, strangers, and having to take individuating action in a group setting (Lynne Henderson, Ph.D. Shyness Clinic, 1996). These are just a few that I fall into. To put it in other terms, shyness is a shrinking back from life that weakens the bonds of your human connection with others and us. There are many symptoms that overt shyness. Some are as follows; speech dysfluencies, sweating, dry mouth, trembling or shaking, fear of negative evaluation and loo king foolish to others, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem are just a few that I experience. Research has distinguished shyness from introversion, although they are typically related (Zimbardo, P. G. 1977/1990). Shyness: What it is, what to do about it. Introverts simply prefer solitary to social activities but do not fear social encounters as do the shy, while extroverts prefer social to solitary activities. Although the majority of shyness is introverted, shy extroverts are found in many behavioral settings. They are privately shy and publicly outgoing. They have the requisite social skills and can carry them out flawlessly i...

Masks Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Masks - Term Paper Example This paper will get to review some of the reasons why people wear masks. Also, if it is something they want to do or want to stop doing. There are different individuals in the world. Some have been identified as the best while others not so much. There is the illusion that having friends is better than being alone. This may not be entirely true. When people find people to be around, they claim an undying friendship for each other. Very few people can identify themselves as having true or real friends. This is true wherever research may be carried out about this topic. When faced with problems, it is very easy to identify the real friends from the fake friends. Helping someone that may be headed in the wrong direction could make them feel wanted and cared for (Nutt, King, Saulsbury & Blakemore, p. 25). Having a friend with problems also comes with the territory. A friend may have problems depending on the way they are used to living. Drugs could be a very big problem if not taken care of at the earliest stage. The question many people may ask them is why they do it. The may not have a clear, concise answer for this. They might claim the feeling that comes with such way of living is comforting. What is the use of ‘good feelings’ whenever the use these drugs while bring health complications to one’s life? It is not worth the risk. One should rather be happy and live longer (Nutt, King, Saulsbury & Blakemore, p. 32). These are the types of masks that are present in society today. This mask is acquired at a very tender age. Usually people grow up thinking that life will be all that they thought of. This, they later come to find out, is not the case. When things do not go their way, they resort to such habits. There are many people in life that do not get to see some of the best things that life has to offer. This is because they

Individual Reflective Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Individual Reflective Report - Essay Example They came to this conclusion after one of the group members stated how the government imposes heavy excise duty on imported products. Members discussed conclusively and found out that the cost manufacturing these top cards is low due to availability of raw materials. Some of the members had the idea that, it was cheaper to import the top up cards but majority of the members rejected this idea arguing that it was time consuming. Recent statistics shows that the number of Chinese playing these online games has increased drastically. Chinese online games have improved the economy due to taxes imposed on such games. This company decided to sell these cards at a reasonable price to the Chinese players simply because internet-banking services in china are expensive (Jensen, 2012 p.12-37). The group also drafted the strategies on how to raise capital in order to venture in this business. Some argued that the business plan would help in getting loans either from the government or from non-go vernmental organizations. Although many ideas came up, no body discussed the negative impacts of this company to the society. This company will influence the local residents to play this games. This might bring negative impact to the local residents who do not have an idea on how to play these games. Process of Idea Initiation The teamwork in the business plan researched on several mechanisms that need review and thorough understanding of their behaviors. A group of the members took the responsibility of attending various seminars in the corporate world. Others decided to start reading journals and other relevant materials on how to make this company market its cards without problems. After thorough market research, the team realized that some of the ideas gathered are invalid and have no place in the corporate world of business. A section of the group lead by a renowned researcher deduced that internet and personal interviews gave immediate and timely response. Another collection o f experts gave their recommendations that customers should get informed information so that they can make informed choices. Generally, the whole idea rose at large and further steps taken to ensure that the best ideas take the day. Chinese internet games are becoming part of lifestyle in many parts of the country. This group business plan came up with financial estimates on how to make this happen. It is important to note that the team saw it important to present this in terms of a business plan so that sense in the whole idea can reveal itself. This balance sheet gives the real estimates on the utilization of resources. . All this ideas appears in a well compiled in book, which has a table of contents giving direction on how to go about it. This book has references, which are up to date depending on the research (Green, 2010, p.110-126). It has also given guidelines on how several ideas will come into effect with time and the impact it will have in the entire market. A business pla n that has some references act as a tool to monitor the activities and progress of the business. In my own understanding, a business plan can help this company to raise funds for its expansion hence serving many customers. This business plan will also help the company make future decisions comparing what is happening at the present. The business plan can act as a future reference to review the positive

Pacifist Philosophy in Response to the Idea of War Essay Example for Free

Pacifist Philosophy in Response to the Idea of War Essay There are a variety of different philosophical interpretations of the idea of war, even what it means to be at war. Engaging in war is generally described as being the resort to violence in order to attain political ends. War is described by some as being a tyrannical crime, in that power hungry individuals lose sight of their morals and resort to unethical violence committed against others (Walzer, 2006). From this perspective, one notes the assertion that there is never a good reason to engage in such brutal behavior as to harm another individual. However, there are supposed potential weaknesses in this theory, due to the fact that nonviolence at all costs can be viewed as a complete lack of self defense (White, 2008). In any regard, the pacifist philosophy holds that there is never a good reason to engage in combat with other people, that true solutions are found solely through peaceful means. In light of the pacifist ideology, the idea of war has no place, even in the face impending and actual violence, and the best route in the face of danger is to resist participating in the cruelty. It is not always easy to attempt to manage a violent situation in peaceful ways, non-harmful ways, yet there are a myriad of creative ways to address the problem of violent people, ways which do not support aggressive thoughts and actions. In order to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the pacifist position, it is essential to engage in comprehensive research and thought about the meaning of peace at all costs. Pacifism The principle ideas which serve as the conceptual framework of the pacifist movement center on the assertion that war is dictatorial cruelty derived from evil thoughts and actions and that peaceful behaviors are the only way in which to effectively diffuse this brutality. Practical pacifism affirms that resorting to violence is not the answer to the problem of violence in the world, that violence should be absolutely avoided and peaceful means of solution oriented action should be taken (Fiala, 2004). In other words, there is the example of the country who supports the death penalty as a means of supposed just punishment for people accused of the crime of murder. From a pacifist perspective, the idea of using violence as a means to eradicate violence is simply unreasonable and points to an illogical frame of thought and action. The pacifist would be likely to condone a means of arrest and rehabilitation rather than arrest and kill. The idea of peaceful interventions is paramount and supercedes all options deemed to be harmful to people. On a more personal level, one can take the interaction between and husband and wife or mother and child. When a person becomes angry enough to yell or hit, then the answer is not to yell or hit back in response, but rather to be calm and communicate with the other person in figuring out a solution. This kind of civilized action and communication can go a long way in ensuring that the violence does not continue, and this kind of civilized communication and action is able to be successfully translated to the public and political sphere as well. Strengths There are many strengths of the pacifist movement, in that the people who support peace at all costs are able to devise a great many solutions to violence which are centered on ensuring the absolute safety and wellbeing of all people. It is important to consider the ideas generated by pacifists, as they directly speak to the absolute moral concept of non-harm. Jesus Christ himself is quoted as saying, â€Å"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,’ but I say to you, ‘Do not resist one who is evil; but if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also’†, described as one of the most revolutionary sermons he ever gave (Ellens, 2007). This powerful commentary demands that people utilize the supremacy of restraint when faced with violence, even at a time, like today, when major religions condone the use of brutality. There is not one major religion in the world which absolutely forbids the use of violence, to the detriment of all people in the world. There is not one country which expressly forbids the act of war and supports the command for love, the command to offer one’s cheek to one’s aggressor. With all of the available options for peace, including communication, protest, boycotting, arrest, and rehabilitation, there is a known and certain positive effect which can be produced through the use of more gentle modes of action than violence. The media today is full of popular artists who tout violence as a masculine or commanding way of settling a score. However, when a person resorts to violence in an attempt to eradicate violence, the end result is simply another person who is drawn into the problem itself. The only way to end the violence in the world is by commitment to faith in the inherent goodness of humanity, to staunchly support the idea that solutions can be found which do not cause harm to other people. Criminality is basically defined as causing harm, and it makes no sense to become a criminal in the desire to ensure justice. Weaknesses There are those people who claim that there are weaknesses in the pacifist philosophy, that absolute peace defies the need to defend oneself from harm. People who do not support absolute pacifism claim that one of the only ways to address the problem of rogue states is to resort to war (Jacobson, 2007). Engaging in the violence of war is supposedly justified as an unfortunate effect of having no other option but to defend oneself and one’s country from the violent actions of others. To some people, pacifism may seem to be weak. In response to an event such as the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, many people believed that the best solution was to violently enter into the home countries of the terrorists and to take over through the use of brutal force. To some people, there are terrorists, offenders, on one side of the war, and defenders on the other. From this perspective, there are two teams in the war game, certain people who are committing evil and need to be stopped at all costs, even through harm and loss of life, and people who are engaged in righteous self defense. This philosophical viewpoint stems from a bipolar system, where some people are engaging in violence for bad reasons and some people for good reasons. This simple yet convoluted way of thinking is highly selfish and negative, in that one person, or one team, is the victim, the oppressed, the suffering agent, the other person or team is the tyrant, the oppressor, the harmful agent. In this mode of judgment, there is only one guilty party, and the guilty are deserving of cruel punishment. However, the essential problem is always the same, in that there is supposedly never a good reason to cause harm to another person. Although the determination for war may be convenient, especially when people are actively engaged in the violent activity, there is still the basic problem of violence as a moral problem rather than a solution. Dividing couples, families, societies, countries, and political systems into warring teams of bad versus good does little to solve the core issues of the criminality of causing harm to others. Rebuttal Although some people believe that the pacifist ideology is weak and perhaps even a pathetic mode of political action, a powerful case can be made in support of peaceful decision making, decisions which are strong and influential while also being relatively calm and diplomatic. There is no government which has successfully demilitarized their country, no political system which has shifted to a purely diplomatic strategy for achieving peaceful end results (Djerejian, 2007). Due to the fact that all countries in the world are suffering from some form of violence, the case can certainly be made that policies which promote violence simply encourage the violent behaviors of citizens. What a different world this would be if the response to an attack was to demilitarize a region, to offer one’s cheek. What an interesting phenomena it would be to witness a region where guns were systematically removed from all persons, homes, and cars, even if it meant being shot in the process. Although an initial, primal, or habitual response to an attack is to harm one’s attacker, there is the ever present possibility of changing one’s response, to commit to the idea of peaceably reacting in the face of impending danger. When a child is hitting a parent, often the best reaction is to let a child hit until the child realizes that the parent is not going to hit back, to allow the child to realize that the parent is totally loving and totally dependable. Conclusion The political solution for all policy making is always going to be a peaceful solution, whether politicians realize it or not. The leaders of the world are going to be the ones who quietly offer their cheek, who are committed to helping their neighbors, even when these neighbors are seeking revenge. It takes a smart person to realize that one is participating in an immorally violent society, and it takes an even smarter person to realize that one is responsible for being an agent of change in support of pacifism. There are very few truly innocent people out there, if any, no countries which are politically perfect. From this perspective, people need to humble themselves in the face of their neighbors, to be aware of the shameful past and current atrocities being committed by governments across the globe, and to resolutely stand for the implementation of peaceful solutions. Policies can only be effectively changed by people who are committed activists in the name of peace, and these activists are the leaders of the world, pacifists in the name of the goodness of humanity. References Djerejian, E. (2007). Changing Minds, Winning Peace: A New Strategic Direction for U. S. Public Diplomacy in the Arab Muslim World. Lulu. com. Ellens, H. (2007). The destructive power of religion: violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Greenwood Publishing Group. Fiala, A. (2004). Practical pacifism. Algora Publishing. Jacobson, A. (2007). Nonviolence as a Way of Knowing in the Public School Classroom. In Factis Pax 1(1), 38-54. Walzer, M. (2006). Just and unjust wars: a moral argument with historical illustrations. Basic Books. White, J. (2008). Contemporary Moral Problems. Cengage Learning.

This Boys Life Essay -- Literature Life Decisions Relationships Essay

Dwight and Caroline’s relationship can be characterized into three stages. From its inception Jack and Caroline had a relationship based on infatuation alone. Their relationship consisted of passion alone for each other. Caroline was sexually attracted to Dwight, as was he to her. Caroline was infatuated with the person Dwight appeared to be. She was turned on that he was nice and charming and knew how to treat a woman. When they first began to go out Caroline adored the fact that he brought her flowers. Dwight was simply interested in Caroline for what she had to offer him. The passion alone is what got him to that level. Soon after their relationship developed into a Fatuous Love. In the beginning of the marriage the couple’s relationship had been based on passion and commitment. Both were still physically and sexually attracted to each other but the role of commitment came into play as well. Dwight needed a female figure in the home to do his chores, such as cook hi s dinner and clean his house, as well as a mother-like figure for his children. Caroline needed to settle down and start her life over. She was tired of always being on the run, and Dwight brought as sense of security and stability into her life. She also needed a father for Jack. This may have driven her into the arms of Jack more than any other reason. Dwight had everything she was looking for in a father for Jack. He seemed caring, authoritarian, loving, and stable. Their relationship would continue to go on in this manner until the passion faded. This led to an Empty Love relationship. The commitment alone is what kept them together. They no longer had any real feelings of love fore one another. Dwight was simply with Caroline for the reason that she kept food on the table and kept his house clean. Caroline on the other hand was still with Dwight because she had no where else to turn as well as what Jack had to offer her son. Dwight was like a father figure to Jack, something th at Jack never had before and needed at this age because he was very impressionable. Caroline’s commitment, for the fact that he provided for them and supposedly was like a father to Jack kept her with Dwight. From the time Jack arrived in Seattle to the time he left for prep school Jack’s behaviors and life decisions were extrinsically and intrinsically motivated. Upon his arrival in Seattle with his mother Jac... ...e his life in Concrete would be wasted if he didn’t realize that this is his opportunity to leave. I would also tell Arthur that he can â€Å"succeed† and make it big because he’s a smart kid, and that he shouldn’t let his mind and talent go to waste, especially not in a crude town like Concrete. In a way I seized my chance when I made my decision to move to Danbury. Things weren’t going to well for me back in NY. I was hanging out with too many people from the wrong crowd, and that eventually put me in many uncomfortable situations. I was lagging behind in school and I kept getting into trouble. Had I stayed in NY I probably would be up to the same things now as I was before. I would be cutting school and causing my mother even more grief. Since I moved here I have brought up my grades and am preparing for the SAT’s. That is another thing I doubt I would be doing if I were in NY. Eleventh grade is the most important grade, and I knew I needed to do well if I wanted to go to a good college and make something o myself. The opportunity arose when my aunt moved here and I seized the chance. I’m glad I didn’t decide to stay, otherwise I would be wondering if I could have pulled it off.

Accounting theory Essay

Accounting theory and its application is very fundamental to students and professional in accountancy. It equips people in the accountancy profession with financial accounting theory and associated research. Relevance of this theory is that it provides accountants with knowledge to critically investigate and analyze contemporary accounting issues. Research enables students to have broad thinking of current accounting issues such as environmental aspects and social responsibility aspects. The study of popular culture lead to research concerning all the emerging issues in the Accounting profession. It brought about the question as to whether students or other stakeholders in the profession should engage the attention of people in the field of research. Deegan,C. (2009) in his book stated that there is little attention given to issues that impact to aspects of the accounting profession. Relevant issues for study in accounting and auditing concern accounting principles and standards, auditing ,professional behavior and general professional matters, such as scope of services, maintenance of quality control and strategies. Study of popular culture has provided researchers with the following arguments to justify implication of the Accounting profession. a. Accounting is a dynamic line of specialization where participants/accountants should be in a position to respond to changes in the business society and come up with revised accounting principles and standards. This will enhance understanding of the financial statements to stakeholders and society in general. b. Public accounting like other profession in United States should provide high level of motivation for evaluating what the actual events. It further anticipates any additional changes in future to improve and provide information on value creation by entity from different dimensions from profit. From research this has lead development international public sector accounting standards The study of popular culture will enable researchers to determine emerging issues such as, unexpected business failure, legal liability of an independent auditor and effectiveness and appropriateness of audit evidence gathered from the society. Besides, it will factor the complex nature of business transactions which normally affect the position of an independent auditor. Studying the popular culture also provides researchers with knowledge to evaluate the value added to the financial statements by various entities. This helps to determine effects of social and environmental accounting; highlights the role of culture in explaining international differences and disclosures in accounting. Popular culture enables society in understanding the reaction of capital markets to financial reporting. By understanding popular culture, it lead to research on fundamental issues such as corporate governance, social and environmental reporting which enables companies in their Annual Operating Plan set aside some amount to used in promoting things like sporting activities. Culture has exceptionally attracted voluntary reporting by allowing research on institutional theory, legitimacy theory, stakeholder’s theory and positive accounting theory. Nevertheless the study popular culture has significantly analyzed normative theories of accounting as well as development of accounting for price level changes. It involves critical appraisal of Historical cost accounting approach, general purchasing power approach and current cost accounting approach. Culture study highlights efforts towards international harmonization of accounting in terms of disclosure and reporting. Application of accounting research has influenced extension of financial reports such employment statements which analyzes the benefits which employees get from employment which in turn its cost to the employer. Earnings per share analyze both basic earnings per share and diluted earnings per share in determining worthiness of company. Research of popular culture is very significance in understanding economic actions to a particular interest of groups within society and to the entire society; it involves extending the accountability of organization beyond the Traditional role providing financial account to the owners of the capital, in particular, the shareholders. Such an extension is predicated upon the assumption that companies do have wider responsibilities than simply to make money for their respective shareholders.

Intergovernmental Organisations Essay

a) Explain how membership of intergovernmental organisations gives some countries political and economic power. (10) Being a member of intergovernmental organisations does give some countries political and economic power. Like figure 4 shows, the USA is part of many intergovernmental organisations and they have the status of a superpower showing there are clear benefits of being a part of IGOs. However, some may argue that countries such as China and India are rising in both political and economic power yet like figure 4 shows, they are barely part of the leading IGOs. Therefore, membership of intergovernmental organisations does give some countries political and economic benefits but there is evidence to show that not being apart of an IGO still allows for development in a countries wealth and political stance. Economically, being a part of the World Trade Organisation like many leading superpowers are (for example, the UK and the USA) does allow for these leading countries to have influence in trade decisions. This means that they can benefit economic decisions to suit themselves. For example, the USA can exploit LDC’s such as Bangladesh by taking more imports for a less expensive price. Furthermore, being a member of the International Monetary Fund means that countries have the voting power to influence the economic policies of other countries. Thus these countries can create friendly policies towards TNCs that are based in their own country, greatly benefiting their own wealth. Additionally, being apart of the EU and NATO in which many of the countries that are part of many IGOs are part of have trade blocs which can cater for the protection of key markets and still help intraregional trade. Therefore it does seem that economic power of a country does improve with the help of being a part of IGOs such as the World Trade Organisation.

A hobbits Tale essays

A hobbit's Tale essays A hobbit, nothing more than a small hobbit, in which one of literarys best fantasy adventures, written by J.R.R Tolkien, is started. The hobbit chosen by the great wizard, Gandalf The Grey, was chosen to aid dwarves in their quest to reclaim the mountain, which had been taken over by Smaug, a great red dragon. This describes the adventure which follows, focusing on the true nature of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins and other hobbits in general. Bilbo, being a hobbit, is a calm fellow. It could be said that the reason why hobbits are so calm and un-violent is due to their size. Shorter than both humans and dwarves of the Middle Earth, and their want for power seems somewhat simplistic. Simplistic when compared to the wants of the humans, elves, dwarves, goblins, and many of the other races within the Middle Earth realms. This knowledge of knowing that hobbits are not a violent culture, should also give you a view of the irony in which a wizard would chose one such as Bilbo to aid on an adventure Before one can go deeper into his personality, the knowledge of his lineage must be known. The Baggins family, throughout the history of the Shire, are well known. As they are a well predicted people, all knowing what a Baggins will say and do, based solely on their family line. Again, for Bilbo to join on an adventure of this scale, would go against that tradition of the Bagginses to be predictable. This, however, may be contributed to his mothers lineage, the Tooks. Well known in the area for their adventurous spirits, in which, contradict that of the Baggins, yet somehow, a Baggins and a Took got together. Thus, one can blame Bilbo for joining the adventure on the blood from his mothers side, keeping pure the Baggins Yet, curiosity prevails within Bilbo. He has a liking for maps of all kinds, and things of old. All of which, the dwarves...

Excoriating and Coruscating

Excoriating and Coruscating Excoriating and Coruscating Excoriating and Coruscating By Maeve Maddox Both excoriating and coruscating are verb forms used as adjectives. Excoriating is a hideous word. At least, its meaning is: excoriate (transitive verb): to pull off the skin or hide from (a man or beast) The word retains this literal meaning in the context of pathology to refer to the removal of skin by cutting, abrasion, or corrosion: Gastric secretions leaking around the gastrostomy can result in skin excoriation. Excoriate can also mean to strip bark from a branch or other part of a plant: A tree which does not fructify is often rendered fertile by an excoriation near its root. In general usage, excoriate is frequently used figuratively to mean, â€Å"to upbraid scathingly, decry, revile†: Feinstein excoriates CIA for spying on Senate committee Kerry excoriates Assad regime for ‘inexcusable’ chemical strike Coruscating, on the other hand, is a pretty word: coruscate (intransitive verb): to give forth intermittent or vibratory flashes of light; to shine with a quivering light; to sparkle, glitter, flash. From the Latin verb coruscare, â€Å"to vibrate, glitter, sparkle, gleam,† coruscate and its forms (often misspelled with two r’s) are used to describe lighting effects: now, when the ground was white with snow, and the forest trees covered with ice, and sparkling and corruscating [sic] in the rays of the sun, Nettie would shout with delight below, by the creek, a corruscating [sic] tendril of smoke drifted up through the trees. Figuratively, coruscating describes a lively witty writing style, the kind demonstrated by Oscar Wilde in The Importance of Being Earnest, a play devoid of malice. Ambrose Bierce and H.L. Mencken, on the other hand, made use of a lively, quick-witted coruscating style to excoriate the people and institutions they despised. For this reason the pretty word coruscating and the ugly word excoriating have collided like chocolate and peanut butter in a Reese’s candy ad. A few journalists seem to understand the meaning of coruscating, but a great many use it as if it meant excoriating: Michael Moore’s coruscating attack on the gun culture, Bowling for Columbine. [Julia Gillard] launched a coruscating attack in parliament on opposition leader Tony Abbott Iain Macwhirter launches coruscating attack on Alex Salmond and Rupert Murdoch Betsy Andreu, the wife of Lance Armstrongs former team-mate Frankie, who played a key part in exposing the Texan as a drug cheat, has launched a coruscating attack on the disgraced cyclist. Because of the confused idea that coruscating has something to do with negative comments, the word is frequently paired with review, critique and criticism: The Australian literary critic Clive James manages to produce coruscating reviews like his brutal attack on Dan â€Å"Da Vinci† Brown’s novel Inferno. But the most coruscating criticism came from Ankie Spitzer and Ilana Romana, two of the widows of the Munich Eleven Wow, a coruscating criticism of Sonys PS4 Another possible reason for the frequent misuse and misspelling of coruscate could be that speakers associate it with the meaning and spelling of corrosion. In the interest of saving coruscating to mean sparkling, the next time you want to characterize a verbal attack as extremely scathing, use excoriating. When you do have occasion to use coruscating, remember to spell it with one r. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Math or Maths?One Sheep, Two Sheep, One Fish, Two Fish . . .Hyphenation in Compound Nouns

The Cute Meet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Cute Meet - Essay Example She is working on her laptop. She glances up and their eyes meet. Romeo (Dramatically) What beauty is this? Ophelia (Mouths the word ‘hi’) Romeo (His fingertips touch the glass) (he continues talking dramatically and exaggerated, even though he is serious) In my life, I have never seen a beauty such as this. I don’t know what to do: whether to go in, or to stay here on this sidewalk. It is like a dream to see such a vision as this. But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the East and Juliet is the sun – INTERCUT BETWEEN INT. AND EXT. Ophelia (Grimaces, looks at camera) My name is Ophelia Romeo (Not hearing her, but thinks he reads her lips) Yes! Yes! I do feel you, I feel every breath you take, every move you make. My heart beats with the rhythm of your soul! My body – It begins to rain, a big dropped, emotional rain like one would see in any other romantic comedy. Romeo stops for a few minutes then a look of anger and horror crosses over his face. He looks down to his tablet as it begins to flash and fizzle out. Romeo Unfreaking believable! Romeo throws the tablet and begins to pump his fist at it in big exaggerated circles. No way! No way! INT: COFFEE SHOP - DAY Ophelia watches through the window, her eyes are wide and she appears to be shocked and confused as she sees Romeo act out and throw his tablet. She lowers her eyes to her laptop and ignores him. We see her writing on her laptop as she composes an e-mail. OPHELIA VOICOVER (Typing) Ok, he is too violent for me. Thought that one was a keeper too. He was really cute and we did this whole eye lock thing. It was like in a movie or something, but no way. No way will I be with some guy who loses his temper over a little rain! You remember the last guy I met and when the rain started? Yeah, that was done right, all Hollywood. His eyes met mine and I was hooked. He stood there for about five minutes just looking at me! Too bad he couldn’t seem to come i n out of the rain. Yeah. LoL. Men are just strange. Ophelia (Her phone rings and she laughs and answers the phone) You never could stand typing. Didn’t I teach you how to short hand it? Uh huh. Uh huh. I know, you would think it would be easy. INTERCUT PHONE CONVERSATION INT: BEDROOM - DAY GASTON, a twenty-something male with traits that suggest he is gay, talks to Ophelia on the phone. Gaston Well maybe you are just too picky. Maybe that boy had something really important on that tablet? You do know, maybe he was in the middle of curing cancer! Ophelia I hardly think so. No one who is going to cure cancer takes the time to shop at Hugo Boss. Besides, if he is curing cancer he isn’t going to have any time for me, now is he. Gaston You just keep thinking that way and you are going to have less and less of these things happening, Miss Cynical. Ophelia Oh no, I am destined to live the dream. Uh huh. Uh huh. No, it is going to happen just like you see in the movies. I prom ise. Why don’t you come to the coffee shop so we can lose the tech? Gaston walks in through the door and hangs up his phone, sitting down next to Ophelia and pulling out an e-reader. Gaston (His eyes on the reader) Good thing you finally got around to that invite, I was tired of holding on to that thing. I gotsta get me a smaller phone! Ophelia (not raising her eyes but

The Baroque Period Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Baroque Period - Essay Example The Baroque Era of Music is traditionally considered the period of time between 1580 and 1760. As with other art forms of the period, the Baroque Era of music is noted for its ornate qualities. One of the most notable music forms coming out of this period was the Opera. Although there were variations of the Opera throughout Europe, including Italy, Germany, England and France, during the Baroque Period, they all contained several interlocking threads: the ornate set designs, beautiful melodies and professional presentation. The opera was originally designed as a form of entertainment for the court and as such usually spared no expense in their set design and elaborate costumes. Operas of this time period used â€Å"different approaches to singing and embellishment (even bowing) and freer attitudes toward improvisation.One of the main focuses in Baroque style music was the expressiveness of the era itself was expressed so beautiful in the music of this time period – bold, arti culate and free flowing. â€Å"There are people -- actors, preachers, and public speakers, singers -- called upon to use their voices in public spaces with bigger or smaller voices. And these Baroque composers, Handel for example, understood the human voice probably like nobody before or after.† (Giles, 1999, 43). By far the Baroque Era can be summed up musically, as with the era itself, grand. It was larger that life. The elaborate spectacles were designed to entrain while vocalizing with flare and flash the grandeur of the period. Thought provoking always; it was reaching out and questioning with a style and grandeur that can only be termed is Baroque. This style of music and its very nature, like the development of counterpoint itself during this era was a period of exploration and growth with heavy influences of the church the music was almost a release from any societal conceived limitations. It was freedom of expression beautiful performed with the flourish and bold vis ual impact, intricate musical embellishment and theatrical dramatization. This age of conceptualizing and wondering had respect for the past but also an eye on the future. This was expressed also through the literary works focusing on one of the artistic masters of the time period, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Using the inquisitive, questions style typified by many of the writers of the Baroque period Pino Di Silvestro, the author, beautifully rediscovers the literary flair of the time period. Like the renewed emergence of the importance of the church as an entity during this time period literature and art marked "a similar subversion of the status quo is to be found in those of