U.S. Intervention within the Nicaragua Contra War Essay

U.S. Intervention within the Nicaragua Contra War - Essay Example The CIA was responsible for U.S. operations involving the contras. Aid was later done covertly under the Reagan administration. Although many Nicaraguans also opposed the Sandinistas, few of them supported the contras because they focused on civilian targets and their brutality raised condemnation among the population and human rights groups (Horton 1998). The first contra groups such as the MILPAS were peasant militias formed by former Sandinista supporters. Formed in Honduras as the Fuerza Democratica Nicaraguense (FDN), it was headed by Enrique Bermudez, a former National Guard colonel and Jaime Irving Steidel, a Honduran-born field commander. Steidel was later replaced by Oscar Sobalvarro. In 1983, a political directorate was created under Adolfo Calero, a businessman and anti-Sandinista politician (Brown 2001). The creation of the Democratic Revolutionary Alliance (ARDE) and the Sandino Revolutionary Front headed by Eden Pastora in 1982 in Costa Rica established a second front. The ARDE was composed mainly of Sandinista dissidents and those who overthrew Somoza. They were primarily opposed to the increasing Cuban influence in the Managuan government. Although Pastora clearly stated his ideological difference from the FDN, he nevertheless called his campaign as the â€Å"southern front† to emphasise a common campaign against the Sandinistas (Brown 2001). Amerindian tribes such as the Misurasata, Sumo and Rama created a third front in 1981 against what they considered the Sandinistas’ genocide campaign against them. These tribes had a number of grievances against the Sandinista regime including: exploitive natural resource policies which deprived ethnic groups access to their ancestral lands and their subsistence activities; arrest and execution of the majority of Misurasata leaders; the bombing and occupation of more than half of Miskto and Sumu villages; the forced conscription of young men into the army; the eviction and relocation of 100,000

Benefits of the Eclectic Paradigm

Benefits of the Eclectic Paradigm The usefulness of the eclectic paradigm as a framework for combining and relating alternative theories of international business, and in coping with changes over time in the practice of international business Introduction The eclectic paradigm, namely the OLI paradigm was put together by the economist John Henry Dunning (1927-2009) in the late 1970’s. Dunning’s early research focused on American owned affiliates in the UK and their higher productivity compared to their local competitors. He wondered how and why these firms were able to compete locally with indigenous UK firms and started to raise questions about the advantages of multinational firms as an outcome of their activities abroad. He identified certain firm specific advantages and also advantages derived from the country of origin (Dunning, 2001). These are first two components of the later assembled paradigm, the O which refers to Ownership advantages and the L which refers to locational advantages. These early works and the early identification of the O and L and their mutual interaction are initially reflected in the book American Investment in British Manufacturing Industry (Dunning, 1958). This stream of research continued through the 1960’s when Dunning was working on American firms in Europe. Later during the 1970s, influenced by Buckley and Casson, Dunning started to address transaction cost explanations in an internationalization perspective (the I component of the paradigm) in addition to the previously identified O and L advantages. He was concerned about why firms decided to generate and exploit their specific advantages internally rather than through the open market forces. This broadened his perspective and articulated more clearly the early view he had on the O and L components. And by the time he was putting together the rest of the paradigm at the end of the 1970 ´s, he looked back to the 50 ´s and 60’s and the theories of Vernon, Hymer and others and interpreted them from within this framework and elaborated on how their ideas were expressed from the eclectic paradigm. Intellectually, he brought everything together, not just contemporary but also past theories, bringing all these explanations together in some sort of rubric that allows to connect the m. Since then, the eclectic paradigm’s simplicity and yet its thoroughness smoothly integrates international business theories and allows researchers from different fields and disciplines to systematically explain the growth of multinational activity (Cantwell and Narula, 2001). The Eclectic Paradigm Revisited The eclectic paradigm itself is not an explanation of the MNC rather it helps explain the level, determinants and patterns of the foreign value added activities (international production) of firms, and or countries. The paradigm offers a framework from which an explanation can be obtained. It is not itself a predicting theory but it is a way of connecting different theories which can be then used to help understand different types of foreign production according to their specific contexts and motivations (Dunning, 2001). The Eclectic Paradigm and its OLI components have gone through different revisions and are defined as follows: O: Ownership advantages. These are firm net competitive advantages that companies from one country possess over those firms from other countries when servicing a specific market. L: Location advantages. The degree to which companies decide to locate abroad value added activities. These value added activities can be the result of internalizing. I: Internalization. The degree to which companies add value to their output by identifying as more profitable to internalize the generation and exploitation of their ownership advantages rather than through the open market. (Dunning, 2000, 2001; Ietto-Gillies, 2012) An interesting aspect of the OLI elements is that they are not independent from each other but that they interact. For example, the value added activities generated by locational advantages feed back to the O advantages. That is why an often misunderstood and controversial element is the O, because of the fact that it is called ownership, scholars like Rugman relate it only to firm specific advantages. However, the O also refers to advantages that come from the institutions of the country of origin (home country). In other words, what Dunning (2001) initially meant by (O) Ownership referred to the nationality of ownership as opposed to the ownership of assets by a firm. It was later on that Dunning acknowledged and expanded the Ownership advantages to include firm specific and other types of advantages such as the ones resulting from engaging in foreign production. Another reason why this is so important is because it does not necessarily imply that the MNE has to be legally defined by the ownership of assets, but if instead there is an international business network that is not entirely owned, it could still be consistent with the notion of capabilities generated within such a network associated with firms of a certain nationality of origin. On the other hand the L element has to do with host country advantages and it is just not necessary to compare the host with the home but different host countries with one another in determining where the firm goes to produce. OLI: Combining and relating IB theories The eclectic paradigm comes from other international business theories which are themselves influenced by economic and organizational theories. The paradigm draws from theories of the individual firm such transaction cost economics (internalization) and market power theories and their relationship with markets and integrates them with macroeconomic approaches to foreign production such as the product lifecycle theory (Cantwell and Narula, 2001). This encompassing aspect of the paradigm has brought many criticisms, one of the most popular ones calls it a â€Å"shopping list of variables†. Dunning (2001) responded to this criticism by clarifying that each variable of the paradigm is constructed based on well-known and accepted economic and organizational theories. In addition, he clarifies that the objective of the paradigm was not to explain all kinds of international production but to offer a framework that helps organize a methodology that can lead to a better explanation of different kinds of foreign production. Vernon’s product lifecycle theory is the most inherently dynamic or evolutionary in character of all the theoretical approaches of the paradigm. Hymer’s market power and Buckley and Casson internalization theories were limited to the period in which they were writing about them, during which an evolutionary perspective of the MNE was not yet explored. On the other hand the product life cycle theory was contemporaneous to the conditions of the 1960 ´s and therefore Dunning included this evolutionary character in the paradigm. This became an important part of the paradigm in the sense that it gave it an evolutionary and dynamic perspective on how firms grow over time, which is an integral part of the way the eclectic paradigm should be interpreted and used (Dunning, 2001). In addition, from an evolutionary approach, the Eclectic Paradigm’s internalization advantages are attributable to the conditions of improved organizational learning and technology creation, rather than to the conditions for a more efficient cost-minimizing organization of an established set of transactions. This opens up the possibilities of alliances in order to increase ownership advantages through cooperation. This takes the paradigm beyond a basic transactions costs perspective and expands the types of ownership advantages, from advantages in line with Bain -which assumes advantages to exist be prior to going abroad- to cooperative and interdependent generated ones (Tolentino, 2001). The Future of the Eclectic Paradigm in IB The eclectic paradigm has not only faced criticisms but also faces the challenges of an increasingly changing international business environment due to globalization and technological advances. In the last decades MNC activity has increased both in extent, intensity and form. There is also increased global interconnectedness and interdependence which makes inter firm alliances more common and necessary (Cantwell and Narula, 2001). RD is more complex and costly also increasing the way it is undertaken. Asset exploiting FDI is still present but asset augmenting and knowledge seeking FDI are increasingly important. All of this has created new ways of performing cross border activities and different strategies that MNCs use to pursue them. Additionally, the field of IB has also evolved. It has moved from a market driven view to a more knowledge driven one. Moreover, the level of analysis has changed as well. In the 1990’s there was a shift from the macro level approach in which countries were the unit of analysis to a more micro approach with the firm as the unit of analysis. Lately the field is going even more micro by also paying increasing attention to behavioral (individual) considerations and therefore allowing it to use the individual as the unit of analysis. Actually nowadays, the direction of the field International Business studies is becoming more multilevel in character, allowing for different levels of analysis including the countries, firms and individuals. The field has also become more interdisciplinary by drawing from other disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, biology, geography and history. Therefore taking in to account all these changes the following question arises: Is the eclectic paradigm going to hold with the external changes related to globalization, technological change and the new directions in the field of international business? I believe it will. So far the paradigm has held for the last two decades (since the 1980’s) and it seems to be getting stronger as a guiding framework in international business studies. All its components are articulated in a way that allow all the aforementioned changes. For example the Ownership component has always been relational in character and has included different interactions and levels of analysis (Ietto-Gillies, 2012). Therefore this does not present a threat to the paradigm but it actually increases its relevance because it allows for multilevel analysis by combining the different units and elements of analysis and allowing them to interact. And even though there are not many discussions of the eclectic paradigm today, the paradigm is increasingly relevant now in relation to where the international business field is going. Additionally, the paradigm has successfully embraced phenomena such as Alliance Capitalism, technological accumulation, international networks and dynamic capabilities, by which firms cooperate and mutually increase their ownership advantages. These are areas of research that according to the critics are not addressed by the paradigm. Moreover, the Location element of the paradigm increases in importance in the sense that subsidiary location has become important because they are embedded in their foreign locations and can benefit from their networks and national innovation systems and therefore adding value to the MNC. On the other hand, dynamic capabilities are created not just within firms but by interacting or cooperating with other firms and actors (Knowledge enhancing technological dynamism) and they become part of the O advantages. These ownership advantages also come from the interaction with locations with which initial ‘O’ advantages are crucial for the development of absorptive capacity. Dunning argues that capabilities or ownership advantages are a condition for internalizing. This is a dynamic view in which advantages are an evolutionary concept. Critics say that some strategic considerations may not be covered by the OLI and that routines and processes should be added (OLMA). However, even though the paradigm does not specifically address routines and processes it addresses the ownership advantages that may result from them. Every day problem solving activities create unique core capabilities that are idiosyncratic of each firm, therefore giving them or enhancing existing ‘O’ advantages. This means that the OLI paradigm still holds for strategy considerations, especially in terms of capability development (in terms of O). Also in some way in ‘L’ with economies of location and experiences of location. Finally also with the interaction between O and L which creates a complex interaction at different levels and interactions. For example in the case of subsidiaries, competence creating subsidiaries actually enhance Ownership advantages therefore giving strength to the argument that O advantages are not only originated in the MNE ´s home country but also arise in subsidiaries as well. Today we can apply this also to international business networks, so rather than a legal definition of the firm, the MNE per se, the OLI paradigm can used as a method to analyze international business networks and also the MNE firm as a strategic coordinator of such networks. In other words the subject area moves on but the paradigm remains relevant, partly because of the degree of flexibility which is built in some of these characteristics, especially in the Ownership advantages, which is by the way, the most important component of the paradigm, because it is the one that ties everything together, since it is the properties of learning that define the location or the transactional network basis of the firm. Conclusions The objective of the eclectic paradigm is not to explain the multinational firm but the level and pattern of foreign value added activities of firms. It helps explain not only the initial act of foreign production but also its growth. The eclectic paradigm overcomes the limitations of partial theories of international production and provides a holistic framework in which existing alternative and complementary theories of international production coexist (Tolentino, 2001). In the international business field a systemic approach is now more needed than ever, in addition it must be inherently interdisciplinary. At the beginning the eclectic paradigm had a more descriptive approach. It was originally developed by integrating some international business theories that come mainly from economics. Theory of trade in Vernon ´s case, theory of the firm of the industry in Hymer ´s case and again theory of the firm in Buckley and Casson’s case. Nowadays it is relevant to combine theories taken from different disciplines. Different ways to think about the world, new perspectives. That is why a systemic approach is needed. The eclectic paradigm is now it is an umbrella that handles a range of theories, a framework that enables the understanding of how these theories are tied and work together. Therefore what is happening is that the discipline is moving away from some of the earlier theories that were essentially theories of discrete individual choice, s uch as whether to export or not, or whether or not to locate production abroad, and in the case of having located production abroad, whether to license to and independent firm or produce internally with through a subsidiary. Those were firm level choice decisions, but if instead a system is wanted and the knowledge on how it evolves through time. Therefore the eclectic framework is precisely the right way to approach a complex system, because a paradigm like the eclectic paradigm provides a broader context, providing progressive interaction between different factors and actors giving it present and future relevance. References Cantwell, J.A. and Narula, R. (2001), The eclectic paradigm in the global economy, International Journal of the Economics of Business, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 155-172; revised version reprinted as Revisiting the eclectic paradigm: new developments and current issues, chapter 1 in J.A. Cantwell and R. Narula (eds., 2003), International Business and the Eclectic Paradigm: Developing the OLI Framework, New York: Routledge. Dunning, J.H. (1958).American investment in british manufacturing industry.George Allen Unwin Ltd. Dunning, J.H. (2000), The eclectic paradigm of international production: a personal perspective, chapter 5 in NTF. Dunning, J.H. (2001), The eclectic (OLI) paradigm of international production: past, present and future, International Journal of the Economics of Business, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 173-190; revised version reprinted as chapter 2 in J.A. Cantwell and R. Narula (eds., 2003), International Business and the Eclectic Paradigm: Developing the OLI Framework, New York: Routledge. Ietto-Gillies, G. (2012), Dunnings eclectic framework, chapter 9 in TCIP. Tolentino, P.E.E. (2001), From a theory to a paradigm: examining the eclectic paradigm as a framework in international economics, International Journal of the Economics of Business, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 191-209; revised version reprinted as chapter 7 in J.A. Cantwell and R. Narula (eds., 2003), International Business and the Eclectic Paradigm: Developing the OLI Framework, New York: Routledge.

The Impact Of Online Communities On Physical Social Relationships Essay

Abstract Nowadays, people spend much time in online communities to network with virtual friends and play role plays. They provide an advantage for people with special needs who cannot leave the house, because they benefit from the accessibility of the internet. Moreover, they help people who often move to stay in touch with their friends. Nevertheless, spending too much time in online communities leads to drawbacks in the development of the user’s personality. More energy is dedicated to the virtual life than to real life and people lose track of their personalities while busy building online ones. Also, frequent users of online communities have difficulties beginning meaningful real life relationships. Virtual friendships are shallow due to the physical distance and the anonymity of the internet and it is common to have more friends than you are able to care for. Therefore, it is more rewarding to invest into physical relationships. Virtual friendships Danger of online communities Anonymity of internet The Effects of Online Communities on Physical Social Relationships Introduction Meeting for an after-work drink at the pub, going to yoga classes twice a week and having coffee with the ladies afterwards, organizing events for your local church community – all of those are only examples of what you can do with friends. At all times, relationships consisted of activities and common experiences which form an unforgettable bond between people. Sharing a memory gives a feeling of belonging and is something that can be laughed and talked about still a long time after the experience. However, times have changed. Nowadays, it seems to be common to solely communicate with people over the internet. First, there were... ...20, 2008, from http://family.jrank.org/pages/660/Friendship-Benefits-Friendship.html Lovenberg, F. von (2007, November 10). Und wann steigen Sie aus? [And when will you drop out?]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 262, Z1. Scribner, R. (2007, June 11). ‘Second Life’ presents societal dangers. Retrieved April 21, 2008, from http://media.www.reflector-online.com/media/ storage/paper938/news/2007/11/06/Opinion/second.Life.Presents. Societal.Dangers-3079650-page2.shtml Second Life. (2008). What is Second Life?. Retrieved April, 8, 2008, from http://secondlife.com/whatis Warford, H. (n.d.). Virtual vs. real communities [Msg 5]. Message posted to http://www.theinstitute.ieee.org/portal/site/tionline/menuitem.130a35585 87d56e8fb2275875bac26c8/index.jsp?&p Name=institute_level1_article& TheCat=1021&article=tionline/legacy/inst2007/may07/marketplaceques.x ml&

Causes of Plagiarism Essay -- Plagiarism Essays

Plagiarism has become a major issue among university students around the world. Academic misconduct has been a concern to those teaching at the universities. Hence, to prevent this from occurring the educational bodies have implemented measures to avoid plagiarism. Presently, the newly recruited students are informed of the consequences of plagiarism and that stern action is in place (Ashworth, Bannister, & Thorne,1997,p.1). However, plagiarism can be divided into two parts: deliberate and inadvertent. Presented here are the reasons why student plagiarism is considered quite high at western universities, even though many of the university students do not mean to cheat. There are three reasons as follows: (1) lack of clear understanding about the concept; (2) lack of knowledge about citation and referencing skills; and (3) poor time management. The first focus is on definitions of plagiarism and the differences between two types of plagiarism, reasons for inadvertent plagiarism, and l astly why international students have became the most plagiarising students in western universities. Plagiarism is one type of academic misconduct which is treated seriously in today’s universities. Plagiarism is defined as † literary theft, stealing ( by copying ) the words or ideas of someone else and passing them off as one’s own without crediting the source†(Handa & Power, n.d., p.66). For example, use of any material which is taken from any sources, such as books, electric journals, the Internet, or from other people’s work comprises plagiarism. There are two types of plagiarism: (1) deliberate (intention to cheat); (2) inadvertent (no intention to cheat). If students do it on purpose or intend to cheat, it means that the students have cheated... ...), 471-488. http://www.elearning.tcu.edu/resources/faculty/turnitin/Why%20Students%20Plagiarize.pdf Peter Ashwortha, Philip Bannistera, Pauline Thornea, "Guilty in whose eyes? University students' perceptions of cheating and plagiarism in academic work and assessment" Studies in Higher Education, Volume 22, Issue 2, 1997 Roig, Miguel (1997) "Can Undergraduate Students Determine Whether Text Has Been Plagiarized," The Psychological Record: Vol. 47: Iss. 1, Article 7. Available at: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/tpr/vol47/iss1/7 Walker, John. "Student Plagiarism in Universities: What are we Doing About it?" Higher Education Research & Development, Volume 17, Issue 1, 1998 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0729436980170105?journalCode=cher20 Wang, Y. (2008). University student online plagiarism. International Journal on E-Learning, 7(4), 743-757.

History †MapQuest Chapters Essay

WebQuest Chapter 19: The Pullman Strike 1. ) George Pullman explained that the benefits of having his workers living in his company town was that he believed that the surroundings would remove the workers from the â€Å"Feeling of discontent† which â€Å"Characterized the American Workman†. This would protect his company from the economic loss that the discontented worker would suffer if he was living under bad conditions. He also took the rent that was due directly out of the paychecks of his employees. 2. ) The readings do not state a dollar amount for the hourly wage. The Parable of Pullman states that the workers wages were close to subsistence level. The amount of the pay cut averaged 25% 3. ) Eugene Deb was a Locomotive Fireman. It was under him that the American Railway Union was organized in June of 1893. He was the president of the ARU. It was a single organization that represented all types of railroad employees. In August of 1893 they had had success over the Great Northern Railway in a wage cut dispute. The Pullman workers also joined the ARU. When they went on strike in May of 1894, the ARU supported the strike and it became a nationwide strike between railroads and the American Railway Union. After the strike was broken by federal intervention, Debs was jailed for six months for his role in the strike,, specifically for violating a federal injunction and interfering with the mail. 4. ) The strike ended because the ARU members had refused to work any train that had Pullman’s cars included in it. The companies purposefully attached Pullman cars to mail trains. This caused the mail to be delayed. The result was the Federal Government issuing an injunction and President Cleveland sending Federal troops to enforce it, in order to stop the mail delay. A â€Å"yellow dog† contract is a contract that a worker signs promising not to join a labor union while he is an employee of the company who holds the contract. 5. ) The appellants had been refused employment, had no viable way to leave the Town of Pullman, and their families were starving. Instead of employing these individuals, Pullman had brought in substitute workers. Governor Altgeld wrote Pullman a letter basically stating that he should bear some responsibility for the plight of those in his town. He also stated that he was going to conduct a personal investigation. He made good on his word for the investigation. 6. ) The investigations found that the letter of complaint was indeed valid. There were 1600 families that were without the basic necessities of life, such as food. The investigators also found that there were 600 new workers but 1600 old workers that were still unemployed. HISTORY PAGE 2 of 3 7. ) Pullman blamed the workers for their plight, stating that if they had not gone on strike, they would not be suffering. WebQuest Chapter 20: The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire 1. ) The workforce was mainly made up of young immigrant women. There were also men employed, and boys as elevator attendants. There were other boys and girls present during the fire. 2. ) There were a total of 146 people who died in the fire. Most of these were young women. The readings do not break out the deaths by gender. There were also men and boys who died in the fire. About a third jumped from the ledges to avoid burning to death. The rest died of burns, some at their sewing machines. 3. ) The exit doors on the ninth floor were locked, ostensibly to prevent employee theft. The one fire exit that was available was inadequate for the number of workers. The conditions existed because fire inspections and precautions were inadequate. The workers feared that if they spoke out about the conditions, that they would lose their job. Economics also played a role in why the conditions were not corrected. 4. ) The citizens of New York, from every physical and economic part of the City, demanded justice. Workers offered testimony and support. There were protests in the streets. They demanded a safer work environment. 5. ) The unions became strong after this tragedy. Many workers saw the benefit in having an organization speak on their behalf. The other legacy is the building codes and worker safety legislation that was passed after the fire. WebQuest Chapter 22: The Platt Amendment 1. ) The Platt Amendment was attached to the Cuban Constitution. The Cuban Government, with reluctance, included the amendment in their constitution. The United States was already occupying Cuba. The United States was not going to relinquish any control without the amendment in place. 2. ) The Platt Amendment was drafted by Secretary of War Elihu Root, and presented by Senator Orville Platt. It was attached as a rider to the Army Appropriations Bill of 1901. The intent was to protect Cuba from foreign intervention and allow the United States to exercise authority in Cuba if the situation warranted it. It was passed by the Senate HISTORY PAGE 3 of 3 3. ) The Platt Amendment barred Cuba from going into debt, making treaties with other nations that gave those nations any power over Cuban affairs, or stopping the US from creating a sanitation system. It restricted Cuban Sovereignty by giving the United States broad latitude of power over the domestic and foreign relations of Cuba. 4. ) The Platt Amendment was used by the United States as an excuse for intervention in Cuba in 1906, 1912, 1917, and 1920. The Platt Amendment was also used for the creation of the base at Guantanamo Bay. 5. ) The Cubans were reluctant to attach it to their Constitution. They feared rampant US intervention. Widespread criticism of the amendment and rising nationalism in Cuba resulted in President Franklin Roosevelt’s repeal of the Amendment in 1934, except for the lease of Guantanamo Bay. 6. ) Whereas the Platt Amendment specifically provided causes for the intervention in Cuba by the United States, the Teller Amendment stated that the United States disclaims sovereign claims to Cuba, and will leave control of the island to the Cubans, and will not claim jurisdiction. The two documents are in sharp contrast to one another.

Are Gertrude and Ophelia merely pawns in the world of Hamlet? Essay

‘Are Gertrude and Ophelia merely pawns in the world of Hamlet? Explore the plays representation of femininity, paying close attention to the role and function of each of these two characters in the play’. William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ can be seen as a chess game bought to life. The play depicts the events in a 16th century Danish royal family that unfold after a suspicious murder of the king. The plays two female characters Gertrude and Ophelia can be likened to pawns in this intricate web of lies and deceit, as their words and actions are dictated by the males of the play. This can be directly linked to the broader cultural understandings of gender roles in 16th century England, as women were portrayed as passive, weak and submissive to the males power strength aggression and action . As all texts position readers to interpret different characters in different ways, this text to can be read as empowering the females, by appearing to be submissive, in order to manipulate the men. However, as essentially Gertrude acts as a vehicle for Hamlets emotions, and Ophelia is primarily shaped to conform to external demands to reflect the male characters desires, the role of the women in Hamlet is primarily that of a manipulated pawn in a chess game that not even the kings can win. The play ‘Hamlet’ begins with the funeral of the former king of Denmark, that is simultaneously the wedding celebrations of the new king Claudius and his bride Gertrude, the young Hamlet’s mother and former King’s wife. Hamlet’s suspicions that â€Å"something is rotten in the state of Denmark† are later confirmed by the ghost of his father, who reveals Claudius killed him, in a bid to gain power and his wife, Gertrude. Hamlet then decides that he must get revenge on Claudius and so pretends to be mad, fooling his mother, lover Ophelia and Claudius. However, due to Hamlet’s procrastination, events take a turn for the worse as the end of the play brings about death to every main character through error of judgment. Gender roles in the play Hhamlet are a major factor dictating the lives of the females Ophelia and Gertrude. As strong masculinity was cherished, female traits were not desirable in a man, and this explains the actions of Hamlet, who acts in the realm of feminine for the first 4 acts. His fathers death bought about this loss of masculinity and Claudius further strips him of this honor by saying, â€Å"of impious stubbornness. Tis unmanly grief. † (Act 1 sc. 2, 94 ) thus Hamlet is left vulnerable and passive. He recognizes this in his second soliloquy, ‘Oh what a rogue and peasant slave am I,† and he shows his disgust at his feminine characteristics by loudly disapproving of Gertrude and Ophelia’s blatant sexuality. This is best shown as he shouts at his lover Ophelia, â€Å"get thee to a nunnery,† to preserve her purity and voice his disgust. Hamlet’s change of feeling towards Ophelia is a direct result of his dissatisfaction with his own short comings, and Ophelia has no choice but to conform to this change of attitude unquestionably. Therefore Ophelia through no fault of her own is faced with the fact she has lost her lover, but also her respectability, as it is well known she was not the innocent doyenne she is initially presumed to be, she is in the doghouse so to speak. Ophelia’s actions in the first part of the play are determined by her brother Laertes and father Polonious to great extent, as they warn her to stave off Hamlet’s advances. She states to her father, in response ‘my lord he hath importuned me with love in an honorable fashion,†(act 1 sc. 3)in such a way that would indicate she believes he genuinely loves her. Yet as he further challenges she submits without fight, â€Å"my lord I shall obey†(act 1 sc. 3) and is forced into an informant role. This lack of strength of character is in keeping with typical gender roles of the era, and is further evidence that whilst Ophelia feels differently, she is perfectly willing to go along with whatever the male figures in her life decide for her. As the play progresses we as readers gain the full force of the dependence Ophelia has on these characters, as their absence and later killing, drives her into the madness from which she never recovers. This culminates in her untimely suicidal death that sums up the purpose her role had in the play, to merely conform to the males desires and needs. She is Laertes ‘angel’, Polonious’s ‘commodity’ and Hamlets ‘spectre of his psychic fears’ . Ophelia could be called an unstereotypical female in the play, because she does not play the innocent virgin role, and she goes mad after the death of her father instead of quietly accepting it. However this more strongly reflects the weaknesses of her character ,the absence of her inner strength and reveals that she is too easily overcome by emotion, traits that are more prominently associated with females, especially in the 16th century. Thus Ophelia is dominated by the males in the play, due to her weaknesses that lead to her demise, much like a pawn on a chess board. Gertrude’s role in the play of ‘Hamlet’ is controversial, considering firstly her position of power, that she has continued to hold despite her late husbands death, as queen of Denmark. One would assume that Shakespeare, by placing Gertrude in this highly respected role is empowering her and her authority, therefore moving against broader cultural assumptions of femininity. This is certainly a possibility, given the lengths Claudius went to in order to satiate his lustful desires, as with the romanticized story Helene of Troy. That Claudius the new King would desire Gertrude as his wife, although she had already been married, had a son and was middle aged puts Gertrude in yet another position of power, but did this empower her? After all, it is certain Claudius’s main ambition was to gain the throne from his brother and so his marrying Gertrude provided, perhaps not love, but for an easy transition that would not bring about much controversy. Either way, as with Ophelia she does not take advantage of this power and is entirely submissive to Claudius. This is primarily because she allows herself to be manipulated. She is aware of the approved role of women and ascertains to it, as she states when watching the character reflective of herself in Hamlet’s play, ‘The lady protests to much, methinks’,(act 3, sc. 2, 226) Claudius effectively uses her throughout the play, most notably when he arranges with her agreement, for Polonious to spy on a conversation she has with Hamlet. This betrayal of trust to the son she loves demonstrates how easily she is led astray by persuasive men like Claudius and it is a serious weakness in her character. Essentially her role consists of a pawn, not a queen, passed between two kings who dominate her and her actions. This weakness translates to her relations with her son Hamlet, upon whom she dotes, and this is noticed by Claudius, ‘The queen his mother lives almost by his looks. ‘(Act 4,Sc. 7,11-12) That the norm of parental roles have almost been reversed, with Gertrude looking up to her son and idolising him, whilst Hamlet looks down upon her gives him a superior position, from which he directs her actions. This happens most noticeably in the closet scene with Gertrude, as Hamlet shames his mother into helping him to convince Claudius further, that he is in fact mad, despite the fact prior, she conspired with Claudius over Hamlet. Thus, this proves that she did not intentionally want to hurt Hamlet by conspiring with the king to spy on him, in the previous scene, but that she is so willing to be led that she will follow the directions of whichever male instructs her. This closet scene also gives rise to the climax of Hamlet’s rage, but in this intense emotional scene, we as readers are given no indication as to Gertrude’s feeling. It is in fact because her character is so negative, insignificant and undeveloped that she arouses in Hamlet the feelings that she is incapable of representing. This translates to her primary role being that of a vehicle for Hamlet’s emotions-thus she is again manipulated and used as a pawn for Hamlet’s emotional state. Not only this, but Gertrude can also be seen as the reason, at least for Hamlet, for the tragedy. Gertrude’s guilt and Hamlet’s disgust at her, had to be maintained and emphasised in order to supply a physiological solution for Hamlets actions. As Hamlet shamelessly uses his mother to prove he is mad, to show his emotions and provide a reason for his anger it gives rise to the question, who the real villain is in Hamlet. Gertrude and Ophelia, whilst looked down upon throughout the play for being blatantly sexual and susceptible to her passions and are thus blamed by Hamlet, are merely acting the role of pawns in a chess game, manipulated by the males. Each female appear only to fulfill the role of reflecting the males desires as is in keeping with the representations of femininity by Shakespeare. Whilst readers may emerge initially from a reading of Hamlet with the impression that Hamlet is the misunderstood hero, with Ophelia and Gertrude playing the interfering adulterous ‘ugly stepsister’ role, another reading is possible. That, through no fault of their own, the female’s submissive roles in fact corrupted the males to such an extent that they, even Hamlet became obsessed with the idea of power. So, although the females were manipulated by the males, it caused the opposite effect by empowering them, as they ended up as the reason for the males actions. In conclusion, though controversial, it is evident that due to the role and function of the females in the play, Gertrude and Ophelia were used by the males to such a point, that although the end result would suggest otherwise, their role consisted of nothing more than pawns in a chessgame. http://www2. students. sbc. edu/young02/hamlet. html ibid http://www. turksheadreview. com/library/introlit. html http://www. freeessays. tv/c2951. htm T. S. Eliot (1888-1965). The Sacred Wood: Essays on Poetry and Criticism. 1922.

The Break Up - Movie Interpersonal Communication Essay

Final Paper: Convince Me!/The Break-Up (This document is 2 pages long. Please review both pages) For your final paper, you must convince me that you learned in this class. How? Keep reading†¦. Watch the film, â€Å"The Break-Up† (starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston). This film displays every concept we have learned about: The Communication Process, Conflict, Nonverbal Communication, Verbal Communication, Perception and more. You may rent this if you like. But, you may view the film for free on the NCC Library Database, â€Å"Swank Films†. Here is the link: http://dc.swankmp.com/ncc332328/sdc/watch.aspx?v=d7563ad740ae4ffa943ffcbeadc17cb2 How should I approach this paper? Good question! Here’s my suggestion. Browse through the†¦show more content†¦Although this paper uses a mainstream movie, at all times you should use scholarly writing and language throughout the paper. Be sure to use the formal names of concepts/theories used in the lecture/textbook. (i.e.: DO NOT say: â€Å"They were poor listeners in that scene. So, I feel that they should have listened better.† Another no-no would be, â€Å"He was so mean to her. So, I definitely think that should break-up†.) A good example would be (In this example, I’m using pretend names/scenes. And, this is just a partial explanation of a theory): In â€Å"x† scene, John is not displaying effective listening. According to Inter-Act’s chapter, Listening Effectively, listening is, â€Å"the process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages† (Verderber and Verderber 196). From the basic definition to the Active Listening Process outlined in this chapter, John fails on all accounts. He is watching television while Janet is speaking to him about a serious topic. Therefore, he is displaying poor eye contact and is truly not physically and mentally ready to attend (204). 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Is It Really A Dream - 933 Words

Is It Really A Dream? The American Dream is defined as â€Å"a life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the U.S† (Dictionary.com). This so called â€Å"dream† is an idea that has distinguished both America and her people for centuries. For generations, the American Dream has powered hope for hard-working Americans to achieve a better life - to ful-fill this dream. But over time, the idea of this dream has been criticized. In The Great Gatsby and in Of Mice and Men, F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Steinbeck present the idea of searching for the American Dream as ineffectual, only supplying moral corruption and disappointment. 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