Seraglio: An analysis

Seraglio: An analysis ‘Seraglio centers on a fundamental mystery: the complexities of a husband and wifes relationship. The barrier that they experience between them is further emphasized through being from two different cultures, which is portrayed as almost being from two different worlds, ‘close but not touching, like two continents, each with its own customs and history, between which there is no bridge. It is evident that Swift sets this barrier from the start as his interesting choice of title refers to a room where the women are kept secluded from the men. The narration is in first person singular and is enhanced by the main protagonist the husband. The exotic setting which the characters are indulged in, contrasts deeply with the dark events that have the taken place in their lives; the husbands affair, his wifes miscarriage, the misfortune of not being able to have children in the future and the ways in which they try to mentally escape from these woes. Cosmic irony is common in Swifts work as his characters are hardly ever happy, and when they are, the feeling is almost alien to them. ‘Seraglio seems to defy the common story structure as there is no solution to the predicaments the characters face. The husband as a flat character means he has no function other than to provide us with the narrative, which is useful to us as readers when interpreting the essentials of the story. Swifts preservation of names and detail of the characters lives evokes further curiosity in the reader, proposing a desire for us to learn more about the characters. In comparison, if we look at swift himself, the Telegraph states ‘No contemporary author is such a closed book, indicating that his characters may be mirroring himself. In contrast to the lack in detail of the characters, Swift is quite descriptive when illustrating the city, possibly to indulge the readers attention further into the story. When it comes to the husbands personal life such as his current marriage, he makes more use of narrative passages, leaving the reader to dig in further for clues about the couple. It is as if Swift uses these narrative passages as a device for the author to piece certain things together, including the sensitivity of the couples relationship and the feelings associated. In ‘A Family Man, Pritchett narrates in third person whilst introducing to us the main protagonist Berenice, a woman who is involved in a ‘piquant affair with William Cork. We sense that it is on the verge of being discovered when Florence (Mrs. Cork) enters the story, ‘a large ponderous woman who immediately grips the readers attention due to this presentation of her. Initially, the reader is drawn to her size, but later it is who she really is that keeps us drawn to her further. Pritchett also injects curiosity into the story when describing how one character is towards the other, in this case, Berenice with Florence as the reader is stepping into her shoes and experiencing what she feels and how she reacts. The author uses her as a tool to aid us in interpreting this, as we are placed only in her shoes. Pritchett makes this easier for us as we read of Berenices character from a third person limited point of view. The tension is soon created when Florence reveals herself to be Mrs. Cork, the wife of William Cork, and continues to mount throughout the story as we observe how the two characters react with each other. Pritchett presents to us the two women meeting for the first time, at first humble towards each other but eventually confrontational, ‘Is that what he has been stuffing you up with? I know what you and he are up to. Florence is indefinite about the affair, however the reader knows completely well that it occurred, indicating elements of dramatic irony within the story. However, we are also left in the dark as much as Florence is when it comes to knowing the precise details of the affair (for example when it started), creating further suspense and mystery. Berenice is a dynamic character, in that she lies to Florence and changes her story to get around the difficult situation she finds herself in. We see another side to her, especially as Pritchett states in the beginning, ‘She had been brought up by Quakers and thought it wrong to tell or act a lie. This affirmation completely contradicts what she does later, creating a complex in her character. She encounters conflict and transforms as a result of it. On the other hand, Florence serves as a flat character as there are no multidimensional traits in her personality. Also, she is readily recognized as the adulterers wife, making her a stock character. Evidently, Prichett may have placed her there to bring out the multidimensional traits in Benerice. The other flat character in the story is Mrs. Brewster, whos involvement in the novel is minimal, but her importance is great. It is through her words that we view (for the first time) another outlook on Benerice. After thinking Benerice would have learnt her lesson in regard to nearly getting caught by Mrs. Cork, Benerice visits another couple and we see elements of a flirty nature through Mrs. Brewsters view of her, ‘She ought to get married†¦I wish she wouldnt swoosh her hair around like that. Through this ironic ending, Pritchett is almost alluding to a possible recurrence of another affair with a married man (Mrs. Brewsters husband?), which presents the reader with a whole new series of events to look forward to. ‘The Prophets Hair portrays a family from the valley of Kashmir who are broken by a strand of the Muslim prophet Mohammeds hair. This story is full of overtones, regarding the effects of religion on others, and the way in which corruption is associated with money. Ultimately, Rushdie highlights two strong forces within our society: money and religion, and how they conflict with each other. In the end, the hair itself raises this point through the way it affects each character; the materialistic Hashim family and Sheikh Sin the thief who craves jewels, who all perish eventually. The opening of the story is filled with overtones of religion and money, which are emphasized from the start as we learn that Hashim is a ‘money-lender and ‘not a godly man. From the beginning we are informed that Hashim sees value in nothing else but money. Also, on discovering the religious trinket, Hashim immediately thinks of ‘American millionaires who buy stolen paintings and hide them away, which may suggest one of his thought processes of wanting to sell the phial in future. Hashim is a dynamic character and Rushdie demonstrates extreme contrasts and complexities in his character: the protagonist starts off as an atheist then transforms into (what he thinks) a deeply religious individual (even though he continues to beat others and has sinned to his wife), imposing strict religious acts onto his family. His character also becomes dislikeable to the audience after the effects of the Prophets hair. On discovering the find, he does not do the honorable thing of returning it to the shine. The reader expects this as we learnt in the beginning that ‘he set great store by ‘living honorably in the world, however, his actions were not honorable and resemble that of a thief. In contrast to Hashim, Atta is a flat character in that he does not undergo any change throughout the course of the story. Rushdie may have used him as a device to enhance the plot as he is at one point involved in removing the religious trinket from the home, and also represents the familys wealth in the opening scene. He also wakes up Hashim in the end, causing a series of unfortunate events to unfold.Huma is one of the main protagonists alongside her father, who also enhances the plot (perhaps more than Atta) as she introduces Sheikh Sin to the situation. She evokes pathos in the reader, and we can empathize with her more than Atta, as she is victimized by her father for no reason, whereas in the beginning Atta lands himself in trouble when looking for a thief, which the reader may interpret as foolish behavior. Other round characters include Sheikh Sin and his wife. She is a round character as she evokes interest in the reader in regards to how she got her vision back when her husband was killed.Rushdies use of symbolism is extensive throughout the story. I believe the religious trinket may symbolize the two elements of corruption involved in our society, folded into one. The phial has a monetary value whilst the hair contains great spiritual value. To attain the prophets hair is selfish and wrong, but the monetary value of the phial is greatly desired by all, possibly symbolizing that these two elements are not compatible with each other. Fiona Richards from the University of Leeds also states, ‘It illustrates the extent to which the icons meaning is determined by the context in which it is placed, and its ability to subvert and destabilize the limits placed upon its meaning by such a framing. Rushdie also prepares the reader with the series of events that are to occur, ‘the glassy contentment of that house hold, of that life of porcelain delicacy and alabaster sensibilities, was to be shattered beyond all hope of repair, indulging the readers interest further. Rushdie also induces cultural references through his use of words from the Kashmiri language, such as ‘kukri knives and ‘shikara. This gives the reader an insight into the culture by revealing to us different Kashmiri words. He is slightly expanding our knowledge of the Kashmiri culture here. ‘The Prophets Hair ends ironically, as the religious trinket aids poor Sheikh Sins wife and disabled children but destroys the wealthy Hashim and his family. In the end, it only worked for those who truly needed it. Weldons Weekend presents the habitual and normality of a standard middle class family, and the pressures that the main protagonist Martha faces. Weldon, who is a feminist also challenges conventional feminism here. The story is illustrated from an omniscient point of view, as Martha and at times Martins thoughts are revealed to the reader. The author portrays Martha as a perfect, loyal and hard-working wife, but her efforts are unappreciated by her dominating husband Martin, who she tries hard to please but (sometimes) gets stern looks from him. As the story follows, it is evident that Marthas daily struggle of being the perfect mother to her kids, keeping life organized and maintaining Martins satisfaction has had an effect on her mind state, to an extent that her thoughts have been tormented by fear and paranoia, ‘You dont want his secretary providing a passion you neglected to develop. Do you? The presence of Katie (Collins new wife after Janet) may also trigger Marthas paranoia as she represents what Martin could have after Martha. In her desperation to please Martin, Martha also changes her thoughts and ways to match that of Martins, ‘No such thing as an accident. Accidents are Freudian slips: they are wilful, bad tempered things. Although it appears as Martha is speaking, this is actually something Martin may have conditioned her to think. Her own thoughts have transformed to reflect Martins. The story contains heavy themes of gender stereotype and gender inequality. Weldon alludes to this when talking about the cars; Martin has a posh ‘sports car whilst Martha drives ‘an old estate car. Also, the reader can notice that Martin tends to do the ‘manly jobs such as driving and lighting the fire, whereas Martha cooks and cleans. Predominately, Martin is the dominant force in the story and Martha is the secondary force, who is threatened. Martha is also associated with further negative connotations, such as complaining too much, being paranoid and dull, and at times slow. This could represent the modern attitudes of housewives as they dont work but stay at home all day. This idea is further emphasized when we see elements of quoted dialogue from Martin. He mainly speaks in imperatives to her, ‘You shouldnt have bought it so ripe, Martha ‘Be honest now!This creates tension in the reader as one may get tired of hearing demand after demand. This also enables us to experience the restlessness Martha may feel. Martha contrasts to Katie, who is childlike in stature and also in manner, as Martha cannot trust her in the kitchen. She can also be viewed as being more independent than Katie, as Katie is ‘in [her] mid thirties with nothing at all to her name, neither husband, nor children, nor property. However, in the story it is almost as if Martha feels threatened by Katie because Martin states that she is ‘exciting and ‘wonderful and has restored Collins youth. Weldon cleverly reveals to the reader Collin and Janets past relationship to symbolize what could occur if Martin was not satisfied with Martha; he could find someone like Katie who is more extrovert and relaxed, and who could ‘bring out the youth in him. We learn that Janet was also ‘dull and quieter than her husband just as Martha is.The ending can be viewed as either being pessimistic or optimistic. Is it that Jenny has motherhood, marriage and friendship to look forward to? Or are these the things that she will find hard to embrace? In the end, Weldon leaves the reader to assume their own opinions. The story of Philomela is told in first person narrative, and it is Philomelas sister Procne who narrates the story. This contradicts the readers expectations as the title is ‘Philomela, so initially, we expect the story to be from from her point of view. Procne narrates in a cold and firm tone throughout the story, which creates more pathos without any extra detail being needed to create this mood.The reader cannot help but notice comparisons with Ovids tale of Philomela as it is a much more detailed version, providing an elaborate account of Philomelas suffering. On the other hand Tennant has cleverly condensed her version of the story, leaving the reader to conjure up thoughts about what might have happened themselves. On killing her son, the reader can still empathise with Procne when she states, ‘Years and years will pass, and these minutes will still be longer than them all. Every hour will be made up out of them. Although she keeps an unemotional tone during this scene, Tennant still informs the reader that this tragedy will never escape her mind, engaging our sympathies with her. Tennants use of symbolism is reflected through the birds in the story, ‘I moped, like the birds my children bring back when they go out for a walk. Procne associates herself with these birds, and this association may allude to the women of that era who werent allowed to speak out, who didnt have a voice. The absence of Philomela has led the grief-stricken Procne to isolate herself, and it is the sound of birds that is the only thing which keeps her content, ‘It was summer, and birds were singing in the thicket of olives. This could perhaps forshadow the events that are to occur, as the birds are the only thing which give her hope and also represent the voiceless women, particularly Philomela who will give her the power to avenge later. Procne turns from a grief-stricken sister to a murderer and an avenger. These complexities in her character cause her to be a dynamic one. Philomela is also a dynamic character as she encounters conflict and is changed by it. She also introduces and enhances the plot. She evokes the anger and hostility needed towards her husband in order to carry out the revenge, ‘She reached my side and took my hand so I could rise with new strength. On the other hand, Tereus is a flat character because he has no other function other than to serve as a villain in the story, who offers to take Philomela to Thrace but then rapes her.Isyth is a flat character as he has no major involvement in the story apart from being served on a plate to his father and used as part of revenge. Procne constantly describes Philomelas physical features, ‘I watched her all the time- for signs of happiness, or discontent, or simply to see what her eyes would say to me. Her eyes which speak their own language provide the reader with an insight into how she feels, as this is the only way we can understand her. References Books Bradbury, Malcom (1988), The Penguin Book of Modern British Short Stories, Penguin Books Internet Sources Malcom, David (2003), Understanding Graham Swift [Online] University of South Carolina http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=EttQoAGfCcsCpg=RA1-PA72lpg=RA1-PA72dq=criticism+on+seraglio+by+graham+swiftsource=blots=s3rfxl9fbvsig=3LdeVZlPHVfNg2 02fSIWzw2dHchl=enei=lWWJS4P2H4n60wSF0p3UCwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=4ved=0CA4Q6AEwAw#v=onepageq=f=false[Accessed: 25/02/10] KCS,(2007) Analysis: Rushdies The Prophets Hair [Online] http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/226858/analysis_rushdies_the_prophets_hair.html[Accessed: 10/01/10] Richards, Fiona The Desecrated Shrine: Movable Icons and Literary Irreverence in Salman Rushdies ‘The Prophets Hair [Online] University of Leeds http://www.soas.ac.uk/soaslit/issue2/RICHARDS.PDF[Accessed: 25/02/10] Marks, Tracey (2000), Philomela in Ovids Metamorphoses [Online] Ancient Sites Communityonline discussions on Greek and Roman mythologyhttp://www.webwinds.com/thalassa/philomela.htm[Accessed: 25/02/10] Gradua Networks (1995-2009) A Family Man by V.S. Pritchett: How the writer makes the story interesting and entertaining [Online]http://www.cheathouse.com/essay/essay_view.php?p_essay_id=103107#ixzz0gmm2K9D7http://www.cheathouse.com/essay/essay_view.php?p_essay_id=103107[Accessed: 18/12/09]

polar bears :: essays research papers

Polar Bear, common name for a white bear found on the sea ice of the Arctic throughout the North Polar basin. The only marine bear, it is longer than other bears and streamlined for aquatic life. It has the plantigrade feet (heel and sole touching the ground) typical of bears, with five sharp, curved claws on each foot for grasping the ice and holding its prey. Long hair between the pads protects the bear's feet from the cold and provides traction on the ice. Stiff hairs on the forelegs, and very broad front feet, help the bear swim. All polar bears are white, although their fur may yellow in the summer. The largest wild bears ever weighed—more than 800 kg (1760 lb)—have been polar bears. However, most male polar bears weigh an average of about 350 kg (about 880 lb), and most females weigh about 250 kg (550 lb). Polar bears have a strong navigational sense, an extremely good sense of smell, and they are unusually clever at solving problems in order to obtain food. They eat primarily ringed seals, and occasionally bearded seals, walruses, or white whales. They also feed on berries, sedges, mussels, and kelp. As with other true bears, polar-bear mothers and young form strong bonds. The young are very small when born: about 1 kg (about 2 lb). Their eyes remain closed for about 40 days and they must nurse every few hours. The mother holds them close to keep them warm. Except during the breeding season, male polar bears are solitary and roam over vast expanses of sea ice while hunting. During the breeding season (May to June), the males fight furiously over females.

Consequences of China’s One Child Policy

HIST HP 264-002| Consequences of China’s One-Child Policy| | | In the mid 1950’s, China’s population grew rapidly under Mao Zedong. He felt that the only way for China to get back on its feet was to become industrialized and that China would need manpower for this industrialization. â€Å"Even if China's population multiplies many times, she is fully capable of finding a solution; the solution is production,† Mao Zedong proclaimed in 1949. â€Å"Of all things in the world, people are the most precious. † The population grew so dramatically that the country’s resources were becoming scarce. In 1979, just three years after Mao’s death, the â€Å"One-Child Policy† took effect. This law was implemented by Deng Xiaoping to curb the population growth. The original intent for this policy was economically based. There had been a great famine, in which many people lost their lives, and China wanted to prevent this from happening again. There was not enough suitable farmland to provide food for the entire population nor was there enough water. They wanted to reduce the demand for natural resources, maintain a steady labor rate, and reduce unemployment caused by surplus labor. China’s justification for this policy was based on their support of the Marxist theory of population growth. This policy has been called the largest population control effort in history. The policy is very controversial mainly due to the way enforcement has been carried out. While the policy itself has achieved its main goal, by preventing over 400 million births from 1979-2010, the long-term consequences for China will be great. The one-child policy has many regulations. China maintains that this a voluntary policy but the enforcement of the policy has proven otherwise. I will touch briefly on a few of the most important points of the policy. The policy states that both the husband and wife must both practice birth planning. Birth outside of marriage is not allowed. Couples are permitted to have one child. Late marriage and late births are encouraged. Couples who follow the policy and have only one child will be given a certificate to receive rewards and preferential treatment. Those who refuse to follow the policy and give birth to a second child will be fined from the month that the child is born. The wages or annual income of both husband and wife will be decreased by ten to twenty percent for seven years. Regarding pregnancy not adherent to the plan, both husband and wife will be imposed a fine monthly during the period of pregnancy. If the pregnancy is terminated, the fine imposed will be returned. China’s system in caring for the elderly after retirement is simple. The eldest son is generally responsible. In earlier days, this was not such a terrible burden. However, with China’s one-child policy, many families find themselves in quite a predicament when their one child is a girl. A girl is traditionally groomed to be married. When the time comes for her to marry, she leaves her family and becomes a part of her husband’s family. She then becomes responsible for helping her husband care for his aging parents. Thus, her own family will be left without support and care. Even in cases where the family’s only child is a son, the â€Å"4-2-1 Problem† is often created. There is an increased burden on the one child to provide for his aging parents and grandparents, in addition to his immediate family. (The 4-2-1 policy refers to 4 grandparents, 2 parents, and 1 child. If personal savings, pensions or state welfare fail and the single child cannot care for the older adult relatives, the older generations would face a lack of resources and necessities. This is just one possible consequence to China’s one-child policy. When mothers become pregnant for the first time, some manage to have an ultrasound to determine the sex of the baby. This is i llegal in China but still happen none-the-less. If the parents learn that this first child is a girl, it is sometimes aborted. This is due to China’s preference of boys. There are many reasons that Chinese families prefer boys. One reason is an old religious link to Confucianism that prefers sons over daughters. Another reason is that a son is believed to be stronger and better able to help the family with farm work. Also, as I stated earlier, a son will support his parents in retirement and take care of them. A daughter would leave her family and become a part of her husband’s family. Sex-selective abortions are leading to a decline in the female population, which will also have long-term consequences as well. In China, boys are considered to be so important culturally, that a family is looked down on if they do not produce a boy. Therefore, having a boy is a source of great pride for a family. As if they can control their baby’s gender, wives are often threatened to be sent back home to their own families if they cannot produce a boy. When a woman is sent back to her own family, it is considered to be very shameful for both she and her family. Also, she would now be seen as a burden to her own family. They would have another mouth to feed and would have to support her as well. This would create further hardships for her family. Another consequence is the danger associated with enforcing the policy. In the early years of the policy, there were drastic measures taken to ensure that the policy was enforced. Population control workers were hired to enforce the policy strictly. Forced abortions were common amongst these enforcement procedures. Portable ultrasound devices were used to identify candidates who were carrying second children in remote villages. Some mothers who were eight and a half months pregnant were forced to abort their babies. This was often carried out by injecting a saline solution directly into the mother’s stomach. If mothers did not go to the clinic willingly to have the abortions, they were dragged there by force. There have even been reports of mothers who were already nine months pregnant, and in labor, having their babies killed while they were still in the birth canal. This not only harms the unborn child but also puts the mother’s health at risk with the possibility of hemorrhaging, infection, or even death. After these forced abortions, these mothers were subjected to forced sterilization as well. This means that if the government ever changes their mind and retracts the policy, these mothers will have no chance of having another child. Often, a mother becomes pregnant with a second child and manages to keep it a secret from the authorities for fear of forced abortions. If the family is wealthy, they are sometimes allowed to keep the baby if they pay large monetary fines to the government. The amounts of the fines are based on the statistics of the particular area where they are located. They can also have their houses and land taken away as a penalty. They can be denied bonuses at work or may lose their jobs altogether. Parents with more than one child are not given the same benefits as parents of only one child. They must pay for both children to go to school and pay for the entire family’s healthcare. Most families are not able to pay these fines nor are they able to survive without the significant benefits that are normally provided. This leads to families living in poverty and even death due to starvation or lack of proper healthcare. Another consequence of China’s one-child policy is the rate of female infanticide. Parents often panic when their baby is a girl and either kill the baby themselves or abandon the baby. Babies are abandoned in many ways. Sometimes they are taken to remote places and left to die. Other times they are left in public places, with or without notes, so that they can be found and taken to an orphanage. If the child is not found immediately, they can often be malnourished or in poor health when arriving at an orphanage. When this is the case, and a baby is beyond help, some Chinese orphanages have what are called â€Å"dying rooms†. These rooms are horrific. Babies are strapped to a chair with a hole in the seat that collects the baby’s waste. The babies in these rooms are left there, with no nourishment or care, to die. In the cases where the babies are abandoned and someone finds them rather quickly, they are taken to an orphanage to be cared for or are sent to a foster family. The lucky children are adopted internationally. Others can spend their whole lives in the orphanage. In China there are around 1,000 orphanages. Only 250 of those will send children out of the country to be adopted. Officially registered adoptions increased from 2,000 in 1992 to 55,000 in 2001. Many more were adopted informally without registration. In 2005, around 7,900 children were adopted into the United States. In reality, only about 5% of children in Chinese orphanages are adopted at all. Many babies put up for adoption have not been abandoned by their parents but confiscated by family planning officials. The one-child policy has also had a negative effect on the children legally born to couples. Parents tend to over indulge these children. This epidemic has created the name â€Å"little emperors† for these children and the condition created is being called â€Å"little emperor syndrome†. These children are spoiled. Because there was once a great famine in China, the parents want to give these children what they were deprived of. They want to ensure that they have plenty to eat and overindulge them. The children have become fat. There is now an initiative in China to stop obesity in children. There are clinics where parents and children are educated about healthy eating and exercise. Some children are even receiving acupuncture to curb their appetites. The fact that children are becoming overweight is not the only problem with the â€Å"little emperors†. They also suffer from poor social communication, poor cooperation skills and lack of self-discipline. They often struggle with strong personality disorders. In March 2007, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) called on the Chinese government to abolish the one-child rule. Ye Tingfang, a sponsor of the proposal, argues that â€Å"It is not healthy for children to play only with their parents and be spoiled by them. The one-child limit is too extreme. Children in our country may not even be blessed to have cousins which is a serious handicap to their nature and may lead to personality flaws. It violates nature’s law and in the long run, this will lead to Mother Nature’s revenge. Because of the one-child policy, families who desperately want to have a second child often take on a foster child. This can temporarily fill a void of desire for more children. These families become very attached to the babies that they care for and love them just as if they were their own. When these babies are adopted, the foster parents are devastated and become deeply depressed and are forced to cope with the los s. This emotional strain is equally felt by the birth parents, who were forced to either abandon the baby or surrender it by force, as well as the foster parents who have cared for the infant. The one-child policy has affected the population significantly. In some areas, there has been a negative population growth. This means that the deaths of a region have outweighed the births. Also, the Chinese population is aging. This is when the median age of a country or region rises. The elders are now becoming greater than the younger generation. This will surely pose a tough strain on the younger generation to care for their older family members with no help from siblings. Another potential problem will arise as the preferred boys reach the age to marry and procreate. There will be a major shortage of women to fulfill the need. In recent studies, the ratio of men to women is 117:100. It is estimated that in the year 2020, there will be 40 million more men than women. This will have extreme consequences. These consequences include social instability, courtship motivated emigration, and forced marriages. Another tragic consequence is prostitution which can also lead to a rise in human immunodeficiency virus infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. Already there has been a problem with abduction of women. Women are being kidnapped and sold to men in other provinces. They are being raped and treated badly. If they try to scape, they are beaten severely. This are all consequences of the gender imbalance created as a result of China’s one-child policy. There have been a few exceptions made to the policy over the years. In rural areas, parents can apply to have a second child if the first is a girl. Other circumstances that would allow consideration for a second child would be if the first child s uffers from a physical disability, mental illness or mental retardation. When this special permission is granted, the parents are subject to birth spacing. This means that the parents must wait a specific amount of time before having the second child. This time period is generally from three to five years. Exceptions have also been made if both parents are only children. This would relieve the burden of the â€Å"4-2-1 problem† on just one child. Special considerations have also been made when the father is a disabled serviceman who will not be able to care for his own aging parents. Official permission is sometimes granted in cases such as the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, where children perished and in other cases where the child is deceased. Finally, there are exceptions made in affirmative action cases such as with Han Chinese who are considered to be minorities. Although the one child policy seems like an extremely harsh and controversial method of controlling the population, it isn’t as harsh as it may seem at first. It depends on which area of the country you live in as to how much it affects you. In some areas which have a low population, the policy is somewhat lenient, whereas in Sichuan, the policy is strictly adhered to in both rural and urban areas because it is overpopulated. As nearly 50% of China’s population live in the countryside, many are permitted to have two children because for the majority of places, the policy is more strictly enforced in urban areas. Typically, the power of enforcement is given at the provincial level. In March of 2011, the policy was reviewed by the Chinese government. Some officials expressed the need for consideration to allow couples to have a second child. The government announced that the policy will remain unchanged through at least 2015. China’s one-child policy has had many benefits. It has greatly reduced the severity of some major problems that come with overpopulation such as epidemics and slums. It has also helped out the issues with overwhelmed social services such as healthcare, education and law enforcement. The policy has helped reduce China’s ecological footprint by decreasing the abuse of fertile land and reduced the production of high volumes of waste. It has, in recent years, provided better health service for women. There has been a reduction in the risks of death and injury in pregnancy and women receive free contraception and prenatal classes. China in recent years, for the most part, has maintained a steady labor rate with reduced unemployment. With families having to spend less money on multiple children, they have more to invest for retirement. Finally, with fewer children, women can invest more time in their careers, increasing their personal income. With all of the benefits that have come from the policy, sometimes all the money and material possessions in the world cannot compare to the love of a child and the freedom to choose how large your family can be. In conclusion, China’s one-child policy was a drastic measure taken over thirty years ago to control a growing population problem. While it has succeeded in lowering the population and improving the economic situation, the long-term emotional and physical effects felt by families will continue to be unbearable for generations. Losing a child due to natural causes is hard enough but being forced into abortion, sterilization and abandonment has to be so much worse. BIBLIOGRAPHY Fitzpatrick, Laura. â€Å"China’s One-Child Policy,† Time, posted July 27, 2009, http://www. time. com/time/world/article (accessed April 9, 2011). Buckley Ebrey, Patricia. Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook. 2nd ed. (New York: The Free Press, 1993), 478-481. Hesketh, Therese, Ph. D. â€Å"The Effect of China’s One-Child Policy after 25 Years,† The New England Journal of Medicine 353, no. 11 (2005): 1171-1176. Lost Girls. DVD, directed by David Royle (2005; Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2005). Phillips, Michelle. â€Å"Women forced to abort under China’s one-child policy,† The Washington Times, posted June 2, 2010, http://www. washingtontimes. com/news/2010/jun/2 (accessed April 9, 2011). Mosher, Steven W. â€Å"A Mother’s Ordeal: One Woman’s Fight Against China’s One Child Policy,† (MN: Park Press, Inc. , 1993), 56-60. Hays, Jeffrey. â€Å"One-Child Policy in China,† http://factsanddetails. com/china. php (accessed April 9, 2011). Scott, Joan. â€Å"Child Adoption in Contemporary Rural China,† Journal of Family Issues, March 27, 2006: 301-340. Consultative Conference: â€Å"The government must end the one-child rule,† AsiaNewsit. com, March 16, 2007 (accessed April 9, 2011). Sina English, â€Å"Advisors say it’s time to change one-child policy,† Shanghai Daily, March 15, 2007. http://english. sina. com/china/1/2007/0315/ (accessed April 9, 2011). ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Laura Fitzpatrick, â€Å"China’s One-Child Policy,† Time, posted July 27, 2009, http://www. time. com/time/world/article (accessed April 9, 2011). [ 2 ]. Patricia Buckley Ebrey, Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook. 2nd ed. (New York: The Free Press, 1993), 478-481. 3 ]. Therese Hesketh, Ph. D, â€Å"The Effect of China’s One-Child Policy after 25 Years,† The New England Journal of Medicine 353, no. 11 (2005): 1171-1176. [ 4 ]. Steven W. Mosher, â€Å"A Mother’s Ordeal: One Woman’s Fight Agains t China’s One Child Policy,† (MN: Park Press, Inc. , 1993), 56-60. [ 5 ]. Lost Girls. DVD, directed by David Royle (2005; Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2005). [ 6 ]. Michelle Phillips, â€Å"Women forced to abort under China’s one-child policy,† The Washington Times, posted June 2, 2010, http://www. washingtontimes. com/news/2010/jun/2 (accessed April 9, 2011). 7 ]. Jeffrey Hays, â€Å"One-Child Policy in China,† http://factsanddetails. com/china. php (accessed April 9, 2011). [ 8 ]. Patricia Buckley Ebrey, Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook. 2nd ed. (New York: The Free Press, 1993), 478-481. [ 9 ]. Lost Girls. DVD, directed by David Royle (2005; Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2005). [ 10 ]. Joan Scott, â€Å"Child Adoption in Contemporary Rural China,† Journal of Family Issues, March 27, 2006: 301-340. [ 11 ]. Consultative Conference: â€Å"The government must end the one-child rule,† AsiaNewsit. com, March 16, 2007 (acce ssed April 9, 2011). [ 12 ]. Sina English, â€Å"Advisors say it’s time to change one-child policy,† Shanghai Daily, March 15, 2007. http://english. sina. com/china/1/2007/0315/ (accessed April 9, 2011). [ 13 ]. Lost Girls. DVD, directed by David Royle (2005; Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2005). [ 14 ]. Therese Hesketh, Ph. D, â€Å"The Effect of China’s One-Child Policy after 25 Years,† The New England Journal of Medicine 353, no. 11 (2005): 1171-1176. [ 15 ]. Lost Girls. DVD, directed by David Royle (2005; Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2005). [ 16 ]. Patricia Buckley Ebrey, Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook. 2nd ed. (New York: The Free Press, 1993), 478-481.

Motives in the Media essays

Motives in the Media essays In a world littered with mediums of communication, few have the historical significance of the newspaper. It is a part of who we are, and how we view ourselves. Their shapes, size, and color take us collectively to a simpler time, where we recall our parents in a very relaxing setting, reading about the day's news. The newspaper has an aura of honesty that cannot be denied. It is real, in the sense that it has weight and occupies space. It also is an established medium for delivering the news, information, not just to one small group of people, but to the masses. It is also non-discriminatory in its approach. The news is relayed in text, but also in pictures. One is not required to have a degree in some discipline to understand the news. It is just there. Words relaying facts from a writer to a reader. Yet in a World cluttered with stands full of different papers, how do they all survive, if the sole focus is to relay the news? It is a static medium of information, yet in a sense, it is very dynamic. People read the same newspaper, yet subtly, and without their knowledge, they leave with different thought processes. The articles, or stories, or advertisements have evoked a reaction, however, seldom is it the same reaction. In a World with numerous newspaper agencies vying for the readers eye, there is more of a precedence then ever on the editors of these papers to convey news and other information that will evoke a reaction in the receiving audience, and allow for the writers message to sneak through. What is of interest is the means by which the writers of these stories create these multilayered reactions, and also the nature of the message that is received by the reader. The primary medium for written communication of information on the University of New Brunswick campus is the Brunswickan Student Newspaper. This newspaper, written to a primarily student audience lends graciously to an analysis of the messages being conveyed to a ...

Girl Interrupted essays

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