Pay Equity- Statistics, Legislations and Why Women Worn in Low - Paid Jobs Essay Example for Free

Pay Equity- Statistics, Legislations and Why Women Worn in Low Paid Jobs Essay Men and Women should not be called the opposite sexes, instead referred to as complimentary sexes. The sexes should be treated equally in every aspect, one of which is in the pay they receive. The sexes should receive equal wages for equal work. It should be more about ‘from each according to his ability, to each according to his need’. Statistics show that men are paid more than women for the same work. One may think if women are really paid less, why would anyone hire a man? Put another way, would not a company full of men will soon be put out of job by a company which hired only women. The truth is that the pay gap can be attributed to large scale discrimination against women. Men who earn more most often do so because of their gender. To get higher pay, men are more likely to enter higher-paying fields, perform riskier tasks and take positions with less stability which explains the fact that only 26% of all miners are women. To tackle this problem of unequal pay, various movements have risen in the recent times ensuring pay equity. In Canada, the purpose of the Pay Equity Act is to achieve equality in the workplace so that no person shall be denied employment opportunities. Though massive strides have been undertaken in the past for pay equity, the true scenario of pay equity has not been achieved as there is wage disparity in various jobs undertaken by women including unequal pay in the field of sports, and why women tend to work at low paid jobs. There is pay inequity almost in any profession undertaken by women. Men earn significantly more than women despite the existence of the Pay Equity Act. During the time when Baby Boomers were joining the workforce, women earned 59 cents to the dollar till the 1980s where the wage gap was narrowed by just 15 cents to just 74 cents to the dollar. Back then, the pay equity legislations never confirmed women equal pay as the men; they just gave the women the hope that women could raise their voice against unjust treatment by their employers. The Pay Equity Act of 1963 supported women who were employed in the public sector and thereby, offering no security to the ones employed in the private sector. In 2002, the median wages of women who worked full-time year-round were 76. 2 percent of men’s (Werschkul 13). In other words, women earned about 76 cents for every dollar earned by men. To reduce the wage disparities, pay equity legislation prohibits wage discrimination where employees are responsible for equal work. The goal of the legislation is to achieve the ideal balance between financial comfort, professional fulfillment and personal happiness for each women employee. Certain factors are a hindrance in the achievement of this dream. One reason why women earn less because women in the workforce are less likely to work a full-time schedule and are more likely to leave the labor force for longer periods of time than men. These differing work patterns lead to an even larger earnings gap between men and women suggesting that working women are penalized for their dual roles as wage earners and those who disproportionately care for home and family. Recent figures convey a better story. Working women today are paid an average of 80 cents for every dollar that men are paid, even when accounting for factors such as occupation, industry, race, marital status and job tenure. There are more than 80 fields in which women earn more than men, but some are too small to be statistically significant. Of which, there are only 40 fields in which women earn less than 5% more than their male counterparts. These positions include counter attendants in cafeterias, food preparation workers, waitresses and service station attendants to name a few. It has been argued that women earn less because they are not as qualified as their male counterparts. However women in the same positions as the men still earn less. For instance, women lawyers earn just 87% of their male counterparts (Farrell 8). In the medical field, physicians and surgeons earn just 59% of pay compared to male physicians and surgeons. Women and men employed in these fields are equally qualified as they would not be a certified physician without same qualifications. Despite similar qualifications, women still earn less. Pay inequity runs rampant in the sport world too. Professional sport continues to provide unequal pay to women. Paying men more for the same sport gives women in the sport less incentive to push themselves. As a result, it also discourages future female participation in the sport. Women athletes in the sport receive minuscule recognition and fewer rewards compared to their male counterparts. For example, for finishing in third place in the 2003 Women’s World Cup, each U. S. women’s national soccer team member was awarded $25,000. They would have received $58,000 if they had won the Cup. For reaching the quarterfinal of the World Cup in 2002, the U.  S. men’s national soccer team members received $200,000 each. To speak about Tennis, Wimbledon offered greater prize money to the male athletes till 2007. These discrepancies occur because of certain misconceptions. One misconception is that woman’s competitions are not as exciting compared to ‘masculine’ events for instance men perform riskier tricks, hit a tennis ball harder. Women should be compared to other women, not to men. There is a bias that women are not physically strong as the men but women perform to the best of their physical abilities. They would perform the same with a fluctuating pay. Athletes are driven by the passion for the sport, not for the money it offers. Another misapprehension is that women should not receive the same prize money as they are unable to bring the sponsorships and viewership compared to men. Women’s events are not publicized or advertised as much as compared to men’s events. Therefore it will be unfair to say they are unable to draw attention from the public. If the womens events are not included in the telecast, it is misleading to argue that mens events receive higher ratings. Another delusion is that men’s competitions go on for a longer time, include more games and thus men should receive more income. This assumption is flawed as length of the competition should not matter. Star athletes are the ones who draw the crowd. Women have the same capability like the men to draw crowds. The issue of pay inequity goes beyond the issue of money. This issue extends beyond the playing field. When girls grow up seeing celebrated women athletes receiving less than their male counterparts, they are forced to believe it is okay for them to compromise. This acceptable value is not an accepted one. Majority of women tend to be employed in low-paid jobs. In large corporate companies, there is a bias that women are better in the human resource field than in any other field. It is a stereotypical image of women being more cooperative, collaborative and intuitive than men. The CEOs of any company come from the manufacturing, marketing and operations department, not from the human resource department. The talented women are working in the human resources.

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult | Summary and Analysis

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult | Summary and Analysis Anna Transplant Kidney Characters Anna Fitzgerald Anna is a 13-year-old girl from a middle-class family in Rhode Island. Her father, Brian, is a firefighter, and her mother, Sara, is a housewife who used to be a lawyer. Her two older siblings are Jesse and Kate. Jesse is an adult who has had a troubled past and lives in an apartment at the family house. Kate is 16 and has recuperated from leukemia, but the treatments have hurt her kidneys, and she needs a kidney transplant. Anna is a natural choice for the donor because she was conceived to help Kate medically and has made donations to her throughout her life. Anna seeks help from a lawyer, Campbell Alexander, to gain control over her body so she can stop being a donor to Kate. Anna is more mature than her age and often ponders deep questions about her sisters illness and her role in it. Anna struggles with her decisions, and even though she has her outbursts, she is very close to her sister, and at the hearing, she admits that it was Kate who made her decide to instigate the suit. What seemed to be a selfish act of a child was really the love of a sister. Although Kates illness has prevented her from having a normal life, Anna is close to Kate and the rest of her family. She is on the opposite side from her mother in the case, but they are still a close mother and daughter. Her father tries to look after her as well as Kate, and she bonds with Jesse because they both feel like they dont fit in. Annas business relationship with Campbell grows into a more personal one. She is with him in the wreck that ultimately kills her. She does donate the kidney while dying and at Campbells request. At the hearing, she stood up for herself and her sister and ended up saving her sisters life, anyway. Anna, who had always felt invisible in her family, ends up being a heroine. Campbell Alexander Campbell is the lawyer Anna Fitzgerald asks to represent her in her lawsuit against her parents. He seems cold and calculating at first by being single-minded about Annas case and pandering to the media. He has a guide dog, but he will not explain the animals purpose. He makes jokes when people ask him about it. His softer side is revealed through Julia, Annas guardian ad litem, and the flashbacks to their teen romance. He is the product of a wealthy background with parents who are shallow. His epilepsy and, therefore, the reason for the dog, is revealed in court. Although he wins the case, he feels for both sides and when faced with deciding to donate Annas organs, he makes sure Kate is the kidney recipient. He left Julia all those years ago because he did not want her to have to deal with his condition, but Julia chooses to stay with him. He marries her. Sara Fitzgerald Sara is a lawyer turned housewife. As Brians wife and Kate, Jesse, and Annas mother, she does everything she can to keep her family together. She is close to her sister, Suzanne, who is a career woman. She wants Suzanne to be her rescuer, and she wants Anna to be Kates rescuer. She is totally focused on Kates illness and wants to try every treatment possible. She either ignores Jesse or gets angry with him. It is her idea to get pregnant with Anna and for Anna to make donations. She is shocked when Anna sues her and Brian. Her temper and devotion to Kate make her a worthy adversary to Campbell in the courtroom. At first, Sara can not understand why Anna is doing this and estranges herself from Brian, but after all the facts are revealed at the hearing, she understands the conflicts involved and how Anna is her own person who can make her own choices and that Kate can make her own choices, too. She and Brian become a stronger couple, and she makes peace with Anna before her death. She was shattered by Annas death and hoped for her return. Through her family, she healed. Brian Fitzgerald Brian is a dependable husband to Sara and father to Kate, Jesse, and Anna. He is a firefighter who loves his job. His hobby is astronomy, and he makes astronomical references that can relate to his own life. When Anna sues him and his wife, he is surprised but wants to support Anna. He moves her into the fire station so she can have some distance from the home situation. This puts a strain on Brian and Saras marriage, and they just talk about the medical issues. His decision to testify for Anna at the hearing does not help matters. At the hearing, however, he changes his mind and wants Anna to donate. Brian is really conflicted on the matter. He is not only a rescue worker; he likes to rescue everyone around him, and in this case, he cannot. Even though his sister-in-law Suzanne can help the family financially, he wants to be the provider. He is the only one who learns Jesse is the arsonist and sets him on the right path. He grows closer to his wife as they learn how the medical issu es have overshadowed their marriage. He develops a drinking problem after Annas death but conquers it. Jesse Fitzgerald Jesse is the oldest child in the Fitzgerald family. After his sister is diagnosed with leukemia as a toddler, he is still a child himself and often has to give up events for Kate. After Annas birth, he feels useless because he is the sibling that cannot help. He acts out in school and is on a downward spiral into drugs, alcohol, stealing, and arson as he grows up. He tries to project the rebel image around his family, Julia, and Campbell, but his actions show his softer side. He donates platelets to Kate anonymously. He helps Anna out by taking her to the lawyers office and when visiting Kate. Brian finds out Jesse is the arsonist, and Jesse has a breakthrough. He plays with fire because he can control it. Fire is a theme in the book, and Jesse shows the negative side of fire. He becomes a police officer and wins an award. He transforms himself from a destroyer to a rescuer. Julia Romano Julia is the guardian ad litem assigned to represent Anna in the hearing. She has to make a report about which side she supports. She was a rebel as a teenager from a large, poor family and has turned into a responsible adult. She is close to her twin sister. Close sisterly relationships permeate the book, including Anna and Kates and Sara and Suzannes. She had a romance with Annas lawyer, Campbell Alexander, as a teenager despite their class differences. She was hurt when Campbell abandoned her. As she works with him on Annas case, she is attracted to him even though she tries to resist it. She is good with Anna and Kate because she talks to them like they are real teenagers. At the hearing, she is unable to pick a side. She finally learns why Campbell left her after he has a seizure at the hearing. When she finds out he has epilepsy, she refuses to abandon him. They get married. Kate Fitzgerald Kate is diagnosed with leukemia as a toddler. When her brother, Jesse, does not match her for bone marrow donation, their mother Sara has the idea to get pregnant with a baby who is a genetic match for Kate. Anna is born, and she donates to Kate on several occasions. Kate struggles with being a normal teenager and having cancer because her appearance is affected, and her first boyfriend had cancer and died. At 16, Kate is cancer free, but the treatments have affected her kidneys, and she needs a kidney transplant. It is assumed Anna will be the donor, but she files a lawsuit to gain control over her body so she can stop donating. Anna reveals at the hearing that Kate was suicidal and urged her not to donate a kidney. Kate wanted her sister to be free of obligations to her. The judge rules for Anna, but after Anna dies in a wreck, Kate gets Annas kidney. She recovers and becomes a dance teacher. She had told Julia she wanted to be a ballerina because she could have control over her bo dy. Duracell Dan He is the homeless man Jesse bribes to keep his arson materials. He is with Jesse at one of his fires and tells Jesse a homeless man is in the burning building. This forces Jesse to save the man. Suzanne Crofton Suzanne is Saras older sister. She is a single, career woman who lives a different life than Sara. She is a support during Kates illness and even tries to help financially. Vern Stackhouse Vern is a sheriff and friend of the Fitzgerald family. He serves Sara with papers related to Annas lawsuit. He is around during the hearing and provides assistance to the family and Campbell. Isobel Romano Isobel is Julias identical twin sister and roommate. She had a bad breakup and cautions Julia against Campbell. Toward the end, Isobel and Campbell seem to come to an understanding. Objects/Places Providence Hospital This is where Kate is diagnosed and has her treatments and other stays. Anna is also a patient here as a donor. Her birth and death occur here. The Fitzgerald House This is the home of the Fitzgeralds where Brian, Sara, Kate, and Anna live. Jesse lives in an adjoining apartment. The Fire Station This is where Brian works and where he and Anna live to give Anna some distance from her mother and the case. The rooftop is a favorite place to watch the stars. The Locket Brian gives the locket to Anna as a child after one of her donations. It is a thank you present for helping Kate. Thirteen-year-old Anna sells it at a pawnshop to raise money for attorney fees. The Courthouse This is where the hearing is. Campbell and Annas secrets are revealed here. Campbell Alexanders Office Anna first meets Campbell here to initiate the lawsuit. Dr. Chances Office This is the office of the oncologist that diagnoses and treats Kate. The idea for Annas conception begins here. It is also where Annas donations are suggested. Duracell Dans Hideaway It is an underpass where a homeless man lives. He stashes the materials Jesse uses for arson. Jesses Apartment The apartment is part of the Fitzgerald house. From items in the apartment and other clues, Brian figures out that Jesse is the arsonist. This is where he confronts his son. The Wheeler School The Wheeler School is the private high school where Campbell and Julia met. Julias Apartment Julia lives here with her twin sister, Isobel. This is where she and her sister talk about Campbell. Campbells Apartment Campbells apartment is very sterile and high tech. It seems to reflect his personality. Julia reveals she does not like it, and he agrees. Shakespeares Cat Julia goes to the gay bar Shakespeares Cat to forget Campbell. Hercules the Goldfish A pet Kate got for her birthday. Sara saves him from near death a couple of times. Themes Fire Fire is a common theme in the book, and it ties much of the plot together. The passages that preface each section concern fire. Brian is a firefighter. Jesse sets fires. Kates illness can be compared to a fire because it is out of control and destroys everything in its path. Anna compares her initiating the lawsuit to fire. Brian says a fire should be allowed to burn unchecked. He is referring to Kates illness in that they should let it run its course without interference. He uses fire to make points in conversations with his coworkers. Brain connects fire to the story of Pandora s Box and hope. Hope is what he has left as Kates father. He is trying to put out the home fires, which include Kates illness, Annas lawsuit, Saras stubbornness, and Jesses troubles. Julia puts out the fire Brian starts in the kitchen; and in her role as guardian ad litem, she tries to put out fires. She also rescues Campbell. People that put out fires are rescuers. Characters in the book fill the rescuer roles. Brian is a rescuer on the job and in his family. Anna is Kates medical rescuer. Campbell points out at the hearing that people are not obligated to rescue by sharing a story of a homeless woman who let people die in a fire. Suzanne is Saras rescuer. Jesse goes from arsonist to rescuer. At the hearing, it is revealed that Kate wanted to be Annas rescuer for once. At the end of the book, it rains, and this puts out the fires of the characters burning throughout the book. Jesses inner fire is put out with Brians help, and he redeems himself. Kates fire is stopped, and she becomes healthy because of the kidney transplant. Campbell and Julias fire is contained because they reunite. Sara and Brians fire from Kates illness and Annas lawsuit and death is also contained, and they become a stronger couple. Astronomy Brians hobby is used to make points throughout the book. Some of the passages preceding the sections make astronomical references. Annas real name comes from a constellation named Andromeda, whose story is she is punished because of her mother, but she is rescued. The constellation resembles arms tied together. This can be applied to Annas story because her mother is pressuring her to donate, but with the hearing and the wreck, Anna is rescued. Brians talking about watching supernovas dies is comparable to the family and others watching Kate die. The story of Orpheus illustrates how death is inevitable. Sara continues the theme by comparing Kates sick face to the moons Brian likes, moons that are still, remote, cold.(118) Anna refers to the pleasant memory of catching stars after learning she can stay at the fire station. The punctuation of meteor showers during Brian and Annas conversation symbolizes what is hard for them to say. Anna compares astronomy maps to trying to find direct ion in her own life. Anna talks about astronomy to Campbell during the hearing. She talks about how stars are there even if one cannot see them. This applies to how oblivious parents, especially Anna and Campbells, can be to their children. Brian feels he lives on a different planet because of the situations of Anna and Jesse. He talks about cultures looking between the stars and realizes he has been looking at the wrong things. While rescuing Campbell from his seizure, he thinks about how astronomy of the past makes astronomy today inaccurate and says it is because the earths axis shakes. This tells the reader the life-shaking events of the book such as Kates illness and Campbells condition affects the perceptions of the people involved. After Annas death, Brian thinks about how the brightness of a star can overshadow another star, and when the other star is seen, it is too late. This applies to how Kate overshadowed Anna, and when Anna finally asserts herself, she dies. After Annas death, Kate reveals that her father said he could see Anna reincarnated in the stars. Roles The characters in the book play different roles. Anna is in the donor role for her sister when she would rather be in the role of a teenager who has friends and plays hockey. The lawsuit is Annas way of resisting her lifelong role. Throughout the book, she imagines herself in outlandish adventure roles, and after winning the hearing, Campbell thinks she will have fantastic roles in 10 years. Anna concludes that that the role she wants most is to be Kates sister. In the hearing, it is revealed that Anna does not mind playing the donor role, but Kate is tired of being the recipient. By getting Anna not to donate a kidney, Kate can be Annas savior, and they would have reversed roles for once. Jesse point out to Anna before she begins the lawsuit that the siblings have their own roles in the familyhe as the troublemaker, Kate as the martyr, and Anna as the peacemaker. Jesse changes roles by the end of the book. At first, he does not see himself as a rescuer because he cannot rescue Kate. After he has a breakthrough with his father, he goes from arsonist to police officer or savior. Sara and Brians roles go beyond being parents. Sara wants to play the savior role for Kate, but she has to get Anna to play that role. She demonstrates that she expects sisters to help each other as her sister, Suzanne, helps her. Sara has conflicts with the mother/lawyer role. After the lawsuit begins, Sara tries to balance being a mother to Anna and a lawyer on the opposing side of the lawsuit. This is a constant struggle until Sara realizes she is a good mother, and she should not try to save her children from themselves. Brian is the savior and mediator as he tries to save everybody in the family and acts as a buffer between Anna and Sara. Campbell has the lawyer role as he panders to the media and questions the witnesses at the hearing. He could be seen in a rescuer role as he rescues Anna from donating to Kate. He also has the romantic role with Julia, but this does not come to fruition until the end of the book after his secret is revealed. Julia has a mediator role as Annas guardian ad litem and a romantic role with Campbell after she learns the truth. Julias role as a sister is shown with her twin, Isobel. Ethical Dilemmas At the heart of My Sisters Keeper is an ethical dilemma: Should thirteen-year-old Anna be forced to give her kidney to her dying sister? Through much of the novel, it seems like Anna does not want to give Kate her kidney because she is tired of being a store of spare parts for Kate. Since she was born, Anna has undergone a number of painful procedures to save Kates life. Kate suffers from cancer and conditions related to the illness and its treatment. Her familys life has been focused on Kates illness and its potential recurrence during times of remission, since before Anna was born. Indeed, Anna was created to be a perfect sibling match for Kate. The Fitzgeralds went to a geneticist who created several embryos with the couples sperm and eggs, then figured out which one matched Kate. That embryo was implanted in Sara and became Anna. At the time, there was public controversy over their decision because Anna was seen as a designer baby. The ethical debate led to a talk show appearance for the couple, as well as hate mail. More than anyone else in the family, Sara sees no ethical dilemmas, neither in how Anna was created nor in making Anna suffer to try to keep Kate alive. Sara only responds to the latest crisis and the best solution at hand. When necessary, taking from Anna to give to Kate is no dilemma for her. The result is that Kate has lived longer than her doctor ever expected, but at the cost of a balanced family. The needs of Kate and her illness are put above all else, with Sara diligently guarding those interests at the expense of her husband and other children. Even Julia, the court-appointed guardian of Annas interests, cannot make a decision on what should be done. Annas lawsuit brings all these issues and the ethical dilemma to the forefront. With Campbell acting as her lawyer, she seeks the right to decide whether she gives up a kidney. Annas true motivation in her quest for medical emancipation is yet another ethical dilemma. As she reveals on the stand during the hearing, the reason that Anna has brought the lawsuit was for Kates benefit. Kate cannot tell her mother that she does not want to have the transplant. Kate is aware of the toll her illness has had on everyone and she seems tired of fighting. In fact, she has tried to kill herself before. This situation brings up the ethical dilemma: Should Kate be allowed to die when a measure can be taken to save her life? None of these ethical dilemmas is allowed to reach its full conclusion in the story. The novel ends with Anna suffering an injury that leads to brain death. As executor of her medical rights, Campbell authorizes the kidney transplant. Kates cancer goes into remission, and she has a normal life. But she knows that she is alive because Anna died. She believes that one sister had to die for the other to survive, another ethical conundrum. Control One issue that shapes many of the characters and situations in the novel is that of control. Nearly every major character in My Sisters Keeper is looking for control over some part of their existence in the face of disease. Anna, for example, seems to want to control her body and what is taken from it as evinced by her lawsuit. While it is later revealed that she actually filed the suit at Kates behest, Anna is still looking to control the situation to give her sister what she wants. Anna knows she cannot control her mother, her family, or her sisters illness, but she seeks control of her own destiny. Kate and Sara would like control of the opposite sides of the same coin. Kate wants to control her existence and the toll she puts on her family. She would like to become a ballerina if she grows up because she believes they have control over their bodies. Sara has spent her life since the diagnosis of Kates cancer trying to control the disease as well as Kates life. Sara has done everything in her power, including creating Anna, in an attempt to control Kates destiny. Sara has controlled all she could to keep Kate alive, without truly examining the consequences to herself and her family. One of the costs of Saras focused assault on Kates disease is the loss of closeness with Jesse. Both Brian and Sara have given up on Jesse, who repeatedly acts out. He loves his sisters and has done what he can to keep Kate alive, most notably giving his blood regularly to boost her platelets. But he has also moved into an apartment over the family garage to be separate from, yet still part of, his family. He sets fires to get attention and to feel a sense of control over something. Jesse knows the fires, car theft, and substance abuse are all masks for his pain, but he needs a parent to care about him. Brian reclaims control over his son when he finds evidence that Jesse set fires. Annas lawyer, Campbell, is also obsessed with control. He has suffered from epileptic seizures since the age of eighteen, but he keeps his condition a secret. Whenever someone asks why he has a service dog, he gives an obviously untrue answer. He allowed his condition to end his high school romance with Julia without telling her why. He controlled the situation because he believed she should be free of the burden of caring for someone with his condition. Familial Bonds The importance of familial, especially sibling, relationships is another underlying theme of My Sisters Keeper. Despite all the problems created by Kates illness and Saras quest to keep Kate alive, the Fitzgeralds remain a family. Though Brian and Sara have their problems, they work together to keep the family together amidst the disruptive force of Kates illness. Even Jesse, the delinquent son, still lives at home and is there to help out when Kate is ill or Anna needs his support. In turn, Anna helps her brother get out of jail when he is arrested for stealing the judges vehicle. Anna also does all she can to help her sister. While the pair squabble as sisters do when they share a room, Anna files the lawsuit to give Kate what she wants. All the siblings resent what has happened to them, but respond to the needs of the others in their family when the situation calls for it. After Annas unexpected death, the family grieves separately but eventually grows closer again. Like Kate and Anna, Julia and her twin sister, Izzy, are close. Julia allows her to move in after a painful breakup. Izzy wants to protect her from Campbell. While Campbells relationship with his parents is not close at all, it serves as an illuminating contrast to the Fitzgeralds and the Romanos. Style Point of View Each chapter in the book is told from the first person point of view. All the main characters narrate a chapter. They even have their own fonts. Picoult could have made this Kates story since it is the central issue, but she allows the characters to share their own stories. Kate has one chapter, and it is the final one. The other characters have more than one chapter each. The reader can see the effects of Kates illness on the Fitzgerald family. Everyone in the family despairs about Kates illness and Annas lawsuit, but they have different perspectives. The reader sees Campbell and Julias thoughts on the lawsuit and also their feelings about each other. By viewing Annas thoughts, the reader can see she does not take her decision to sue her parents lightly and that she is smart and perceptive. Jesse seems like an unlikable person, but his thoughts and actions show his pain over Kates illness and his helplessness. The reader sees Saras desperation to heal Kate at all costs and the epiphany she has during the hearing. The author shows Brians conflict over supporting his children when the family is in a divisive crisis. Campbells tough side as a lawyer and softer side with Julia are in his chapters. His growing friendship with Anna is shown. Because of the mystery of the guide dog, the reader wonders what Campbells medical problem is. Julia is able to see the Fitzgeralds objectively, so the reader gets an unbiased strangers view. After the intertwining of the characters viewpoints, the chapter from Kates point of view is surprising and enlightening. Up until her chapter, she was always a character seen by everyone else. Setting The book is set in Providence, Rhode Island. The medical settings are Kates hospital room and Dr. Chances office, which are both located in Providence hospital. Although Kate goes through tough times in her hospital room, Anna goes there to visit her sister despite the lawsuit. It is in Dr. Chances office that Sara gets the idea of having another child. His suggestions of how Anna can donate to Kate start there. The hospital is where Sara finds out about the lawsuit. The Fitzgerald house, which includes Jesses apartment, is another setting. It is in the house where Kates leukemia signs begin, and she has other medical problems there. The house is where family arguments such as between Kate and Sara take place. Brian finds materials around the apartment that make him realize Jesse is the arsonist. The homeless man, Duracell Dans, place at the underpass is where the rest of Jesses materials are kept. Campbell and Julias flashbacks are at the Wheeler School, which is a private high school in Rhode Island where they met. The class differences between Campbell and Julia and the other students reactions to their relationship occur at the school. Campbells apartment is part of the story because it is described as being modern and up-to-date but not warm like Campbell at first. Julia tells Campbell after they reconcile that she does not like his apartment. Julias apartment is where she and her sister discuss Campbell. Julia goes to a bar called Shakespeares Cat to try to escape Campbell. The fire station is a setting where Brian works, and he and Anna live to get away from the lawsuit at home. The fire station is a rescue place in different ways. Not only does it house the firefighters, but it also gives Brian an escape from the house and medical drama. On the rooftop, he can practice his astronomy hobby. Anna escapes there to get away from the pressures of her mother and the lawsuit. The courthouse is where the hearing is held. Campbells secret is revealed there, and the truth behind the lawsuit is also revealed there. Some settings serve as places that save the characters. The hospital obviously saves Kates life. The fire station saves Brian and Anna. The courthouse saves the Fitzgerald family and Campbell and Julias relationship. Language and Meaning At the beginning of each section, the language of passages from famous works refer to the books situations and themes. Annas first memory storys language sets the tone for the rest of the book. The language in the main part of the book is simple, but medical terms are used often. They are well explained. Sara, Kate, and Anna have as much medical knowledge about Kates condition as anyone else. Sara uses medical language to try to save Kate. Kate uses it, along with the language of a frustrated teenager, who is concerned about appearance and dating. Anna also mixes it with her own concerns about her life outside Kate. Legal language is used in the petition and in the hearing. The medical language helps Kate, but the legal language helps Anna. Sara analyzes words as she ponders situations. For example, she talks about how there is no word for a parent whose child dies. (703) Anna tries to figure out language, too. Brian and Anna use the language of astronomy and legends in an attempt to figure the world out. Brian uses his firefighter language to demonstrate situations. There is a combination of characters thoughts and dialogue. Because of his medical knowledge as a rescue worker, Brians thoughts let the reader know what is wrong with Campbell. Julias language with the Fitzgeralds is that of the mediator, which is part of her role as guardian ad litem even though she is not as conciliatory toward Campbell. The characters thoughts allow the readers to understand them; their dialogue does not sufficiently describe the characters. For example, Annas thoughts reveal her maturity beyond her 13 years. Jesse projects a tough-guy image to everyone with crude language, but his thoughts reveal his softer feelings about his family. Campbell is similar in that he acts like the tough lawyer, but his flashbacks to Julia and his present-day thoughts unveil his romantic side. Getting ready for the last day of the trial, Campbell, Brian, Jesse, Anna, and Sara note that it is raining at the beginnings of their chapters. These words quench the fires that have been raging in the book. Structure The chapters are not numbered. They are titled by the characters names. There is a prologue with a quote and then a short story by Anna. The sections are started by a day of the week and a passage. Saras chapters are flashbacks titled by years until her chapter called Present Day where she joins the present. She begins with Kates diagnosis and goes through the milestones of Kates illness. Campbell and Julias chapters are in the present, but they have flashbacks to their time together in high school. There is an epilogue by Kate set in a time in the future. The plot zigzags back and forth between the present and the past; it depends on the speaker. The book chronicles the events of the Fitzgerald family out of order mainly after Kates diagnosis: Annas birth; Annas donations; Anna, Kate, and Jesses childhoods; and the hearing and its aftermath. Campbell and Julias professional and personal stories and sections of the past about their teen relationship are mixed in. Multiple Points of View One striking feature of My Sisters Keeper is the way Picoult uses multiple first-person narrators to tell the story. A first-person point of view tells the story from one characters perspective in his or her own voice. Each section in the novel is made up of parts designated by the name of the character whose voice and perspective is being revealed. Picoult emphasizes the differences in these voices through the use of different fonts for different characters. The use of multiple voices allows readers the ability to understand the situations from different standpoints. The way Sara sees Kates cancer and Annas lawsuit is quite different from Annas viewpoint, Jesses position, and Campbells and Julias judgment. The result is a rounded, dramatic narrative. Flashback/flash-forward Several characters use flashbacks and flash-forwards as part of their narratives. Flashbacks look back in time, while flash-forwards describe future events. The only major character in the book who does not get a voice in the main chapters is Kate. She speaks only in the prologue and epilogue, eight years after the novels end. In the prologue, she talks about how she imagined killing her sister and that she only existed i

intro to philosophy :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Intro to Philosophy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Paper #2 Question 1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Internet also known as the â€Å"information superhighway of the world†, is increasingly becoming the most prevalent form in which to gather and distribute information. This issue brings up a number of moral dilemmas concerning the lack of censorship and editorial monitoring in this immense communication system. Some of the questions that have arisen are whether or not freedom of speech should be controlled, to an extent, and if so where would those barriers be drawn. Also, should the truth behind Internet publications be monitored, access to inappropriate material be denied to certain individuals, and should laws be passed to prevent the exploitation of unknowing bystanders. These issues are not only controversial but also extremely complicated to pursue through legal terms and justifications.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The First Amendment of the Constitution grants everyone in the United States the freedom of speech and press, thus the Internet phenomenon is protected regardless of the perverse nature which it is capable of presenting. Ultimately, it is possible for anyone to express his or her own beliefs, whether considered true or not, through the Internet. This in turn leads many unsuspecting youths and even some adults to believe the â€Å"lies† they read just because it is out there.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Stuart Mill’s work, On Liberty explains Mill’s notion of freedom and his justifications behind his concepts. This work was originally published in 1859 but due to its advanced theories it is possible to apply these conceptions to the moral dilemmas the Internet possess. Mill’s philosophies are considered utilitarianistic, this means that the value something possesses is determined by its utility, also actions should be directed toward achieving the greatest happiness for the largest group of people. With this in mind we can further understand Mill’s theories on liberty, freedom and whether they should be controlled.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mill’s explains that freedom of speech and expression are essential to the mental well being of mankind. To refuse a person the right to express their opinion because it is contrary to popular belief would be a great wrong. This is because without these different opinions there would be no need to justify those beliefs held widely. Lack of practice in explaining the attributes of certain beliefs will make them forgotten and these â€Å"truths† would lose meaning. Mill’s clarifies a misconception about truths with the following statement:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  truth always triumphs over persecution, is one intro to philosophy :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Intro to Philosophy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Paper #2 Question 1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Internet also known as the â€Å"information superhighway of the world†, is increasingly becoming the most prevalent form in which to gather and distribute information. This issue brings up a number of moral dilemmas concerning the lack of censorship and editorial monitoring in this immense communication system. Some of the questions that have arisen are whether or not freedom of speech should be controlled, to an extent, and if so where would those barriers be drawn. Also, should the truth behind Internet publications be monitored, access to inappropriate material be denied to certain individuals, and should laws be passed to prevent the exploitation of unknowing bystanders. These issues are not only controversial but also extremely complicated to pursue through legal terms and justifications.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The First Amendment of the Constitution grants everyone in the United States the freedom of speech and press, thus the Internet phenomenon is protected regardless of the perverse nature which it is capable of presenting. Ultimately, it is possible for anyone to express his or her own beliefs, whether considered true or not, through the Internet. This in turn leads many unsuspecting youths and even some adults to believe the â€Å"lies† they read just because it is out there.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Stuart Mill’s work, On Liberty explains Mill’s notion of freedom and his justifications behind his concepts. This work was originally published in 1859 but due to its advanced theories it is possible to apply these conceptions to the moral dilemmas the Internet possess. Mill’s philosophies are considered utilitarianistic, this means that the value something possesses is determined by its utility, also actions should be directed toward achieving the greatest happiness for the largest group of people. With this in mind we can further understand Mill’s theories on liberty, freedom and whether they should be controlled.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mill’s explains that freedom of speech and expression are essential to the mental well being of mankind. To refuse a person the right to express their opinion because it is contrary to popular belief would be a great wrong. This is because without these different opinions there would be no need to justify those beliefs held widely. Lack of practice in explaining the attributes of certain beliefs will make them forgotten and these â€Å"truths† would lose meaning. Mill’s clarifies a misconception about truths with the following statement:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  truth always triumphs over persecution, is one

Gary Sotos Like Mexicans: Personal Experiences :: essays research papers

Gary Soto's Like Mexicans: Personal Experiences My decision to write in response to Gary Soto's work, â€Å"Like Mexicans† was influenced for the most part because of the similarities between myself and Gary Soto, and our families included. Gary Soto is a Mexican American male, who grew up in the San Joaquin Valley in the industrial part of a town called Fresno. His grandparents came to this Great Valley in search of creating a better life for themselves and their families. I am also a Mexican American male who was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley in a small town called Porterville. My grandparents migrated with their children, my mother, father, and their brothers and sisters in hopes of creating a better life for themselves as well. At the time economic betterment meant working as a hired slave for minimal income and keeping your mouth shut. After all, you were nothing more than a wetback who came to America to reap her benefits.(This ludicrous ideology is still present today) Gary Soto's grandparents and my grandparents, although they ma y be a generation behind one another, I am sure were exposed to many of the same hardships and or social barriers. It was not uncommon back then as it is not uncommon today for Mexican families with minimal work skills to be forced into the fields to work with their children alongside in hopes of escaping poverty. For the most part such families remained poverty stricken due to unfair and illegal wages and work conditions. However irrelevant this all may sound, facing similar hardships or obstacles will often create a sense of unity among those who are affected by such conditions. In short, I feel that not only do Gary Soto and I share a common ethnic origin, but all that comes with our origin, be it pride, shame, or ideology. "Like Mexicans" is a short story in which Gary Soto is constantly being reminded that he should marry his own kind. His own kind being one of Mexican descent, and of poverty and refraining from others, especially â€Å"Okies† as his grandmother used to always say. Soto ends up marrying a Japanese woman, not a Mexican. But he still has to deal with his internal struggle and acceptance of this choice. One cannot be looked down upon for questioning oneself and the decisions one makes, especially when it comes to marrying after being raised in a household that reinforced the belief , â€Å"Marry Your Own†. My mother and my father never told me that I should marry one of my own.

Platoon Plot Essay -- essays research papers

Platoon is a story of a soldier’s perspective of the Vietnam War. The movie is for the most part told out of the eyes of members of one platoon of the 25th Infantry Division. It is a movie dedicated to all of the people who fought in the Vietnam War. In the movie, Chris Taylor is a young man from a wealthy family, but while in college, chooses to help his country and do his duty in the Vietnam War. He is sent to Vietnam gets put in the 25th Infantry Division. Chris first has some rough times while over there. He gets bitten by ants while traveling through the jungle, and gets blamed for falling asleep while he was on watch. The North Vietnamese tried and were unsuccessful at ambushing them. However, it was not Chris’s fault (It was a soldier named Junior who fell asleep). Chris starts to miss home after some of these events happen. After being put on light duty, he gets mixed up in what some of the other soldiers were doing to deal with their depression - drugs and alcohol. He also meets some nice people such as King and Big Harold in the process. The Platoon soon sets out again, patrolling the jungle. They discover a Vietnamese bunker complex and soon after discover something else: Manny, one of their soldiers is missing. The soldiers go through all of the fortified area, and two of them set off a mine. Lieutenant Wolfe then gets word to move his men to a nearby village, which was thought to have Vietnamese soldiers in hiding. On their way, they discover Manny dead, tied t...

Analyse the role of human activity in plant succession

There are many factors that can affect a climax vegetation. These include climate, hydrology and soil type. Human activity also plays a major role. If succession is modified or interrupted by a human influence then a plagioclimax is reached. Human activities include grazing, burning and deforestation and these processes can be collectively known as arresting factors. A plant succession begins on bare ground with light-seeded grasses, legumes and flowering plants. Over time small trees, brush and briar thickets shade out the sun loving grasses. Ultimately, light-seeded trees shade out the brush and make conditions favourable for shade loving mast producers like oaks. Deforestation involves the cutting down, burning and damaging of forests. If the current rate of deforestation continues then the world's rainforests will disappear completely within 100 years – causing unknown effects on global climate and eliminating a majority of plant and animal species currently alive on the planet. The reasons for deforestation are complex. It is mainly carried out for agricultural reasons, e.g. grazing cattle and planting crops. Poor farmers may chop down a small area (usually a few acres) and burn the trunks in a process known as ‘slash and burn' agriculture. Cattle pastures often replace the rainforests in order to grow beef for the world market. Another type of deforestation is known as commercial logging. This is the cutting down of trees in order to sell off as timber and pulp. This process uses heavy machinery, such as bulldozers and road graders etc to remove trees and this is detrimental to the forest and plant successions overall. Competitive global marketing drives the need for money in economically challenged tropical countries. At national level, governments sell logging concessions to raise money for projects or to pay international debt. For example, Brazil had an international debt of $159 billion in 1995 on which it must make payments each year. Logging companies seek to harvest forest and make profits from sales of pulp and valuable hardwoods e.g. mahogany. This raises the money required in order to pay back some debts. A case study of an area where deforestation has affected succession is in the Philippines. For the past 50 years the Philippines has lost 2.4 acres of hardwood forest every minute leaving only 21% of forest cover. This has been due to increasing agriculture and illegal logging. Reports of deforestation-related declines in rainfall totals and disruption of rainfall regimes have also been reported for parts of the Philippines (Alfonso, pers. comm., 1988). During the 1960s there was considerable deforestation on Mount Apo, for instance, due to the establishment of coffee plantations; and the apparent result is increasing drought. The short-term gain of deforestation, i.e. the profit to be made, is all well and good but there have been a large number of adverse effects brought about by the removal of large areas of forest. The main effects are increased soil erosion (which leads to increased flooding in most areas), reduction in biodiversity, the Greenhouse Effect, reduced fertility of land in deforested areas and disruption of the hydrological cycle. Major roads are being built through the forest to provide easier access to the underground resources like iron and aluminium ores: more trees need to be removed to mine these commodities. Inhabitants of shanty towns around Major cities in Brazil are being encouraged to move to rural areas and more land has to be cleared to accommodate these people. In third world countries forests are cut down and used to provide firewood, since this is practically the only source of fuel available to people living there. There are also a large number of new markets opening which are set to increase the demand for products, which have their origin in the tropical rainforests. These include body creams, bath oils, sweets, fruits and nuts, but as these products come into greater demand the future of the forest will be more secure because to produce a large yield of these products a large number of trees need to be grown. About 16-20 million hectares of tropical rainforests are removed each year. When trees are removed no water gets transpired back into the atmosphere from the soil. Because of this there is reduced rainfall and surrounding areas of forest are threatened with dessication and faster soil erosion because the soil is no longer held together by moisture. Another recently discovered side effect of deforestation is that it may actually help to spread diseases like malaria and river blindness. Anopheles darlingi, a mosquito that effectively spreads malaria parasites, breeds in pools of water created in deforested land, open cast mines, and on eroded land after trees have been removed. Deforestation has favoured a population explosion for this species and up to a quarter of the people living along the Transamazon highway in Brazil are affected by malaria each year. However damaging to plant succession human activities can be, the effects provide excellent conditions in which for a secondary succession to take place. A secondary succession differs from a primary succession in that it occurs in an area where a community of plants and animals has recently been wiped out, i.e. the land is already suitable for a wide diversity of species to establish themselves on. A secondary succession can happen on an area of land where a forest fire or parasite wiped out a previous climax community or which has been disturbed in some way by humans e.g. deforestation or arable farming. A secondary succession takes place much more quickly than a primary succession for two main reasons, the most obvious one being that a suitable medium already exists for the new organisms to grow in, and the other being that some seeds or spores from the last plant community can still be present in the soil after the community is destroyed. This is a positive aspect as new plant species can grow and thrive. As well as big processes such as deforestation, humans can contribute to vegetation in smaller ways. There are now varied types of species in Britain due to human interferences, modification and management. Without interference vegetation would be typically temperate forest. Today, in Britain, there are no natural woodlands at all, only semi woodlands, and there is only 2% of that. In Spain the figure for natural woodland is 28% and Sweden has a 64% woodland covering. Other interferences have caused the introduction of foreign plants such as the rhododendron or sycamores. The rhododendron was in fact imported from Japan. Other introductions to this country include the rabbit, which was imported from Spain by the Normans. Urbanisation also causes damage to plant life. High demand for housing has caused the destruction of forest and woodland, especially in the north. A rising birth rate in the twentieth century called for an increase in housing, and this needed to be conducted as cheaply and effectively as possible. As a result, miles of forests were cut down in order for building to go ahead. This s detrimental to our health as well as destroying areas of natural beauty. . Recent investigations suggest that over a third of the world's oxygen supply is produced by the rainforests, the only larger source being algae in the sea. So cutting down trees is very damaging to our well being.

Advertising: It’s Everywhere

Advertising: It's EverywhereNo, it's not your imagination. The amount of advertising and marketing North Americans are exposed to daily has exploded over the past decade; studies show, that on average we see 3,000 ads per day. At the gas pumps, in the movie theatre, in a washroom stall, during sporting events—advertising is impossible to avoid. Even outer space isn't safe from commercialization: the Russian space program launched a rocket bearing a 30-foot Pizza Hut logo, and some companies have investigated placing ads in space that will be visible from earth.The challenge of the future may be finding public and private spaces that are free of advertising. Marketers are pressed to find even more innovative and aggressive ways to cut through the â€Å"ad clutter† or â€Å"ad fatigue† of modern life. Here's an overview of some of the ways marketers are targeting us: * Ambient advertising Ambient advertising refers to intrusive ads in public places. With the cost o f traditional media advertising skyrocketing and a glut of ads fighting for consumers' attention, marketers are aggressively seeking out new advertising vehicles.Cars, bicycles, taxis and buses have become moving commercials. Ambient ads appear on store floors, at gas pumps, in washrooms stalls, on elevator walls, park benches, telephones, fruit and even pressed into the sand on beaches. Even some members of the industry itself are critical of this trend to slap ads on everything. Bob Garfield, columnist for the ad industry magazine  Advertising Age, calls this plethora of commercial messages â€Å"environment pollutants. † Others worry that this deluge of advertising will create a backlash with consumers. Stealth- endorsers Marketers are moving away from the traditional use of celebrities as product hucksters, since a cynical public no longer believes that celebrities actually use the products they endorse in commercials. The trend now is to brand celebrities with specific merchandise by having them use or wear products in public appearances or promote them in media interviews—without making it clear that the celebrities are paid spokespeople. * Naming rights Corporations are turning public spaces into commodities by purchasing naming rights to arenas, theatres, parks, schools, museums and even subway systems.Cash-strapped municipalities see naming rights as a way to raise much-needed revenues without raising taxes. * Targeted advertising Targeted ads are a form of Internet marketing. Using sophisticated data collecting technologies, Web sites can combine a user's personal information with surfing preferences to create ads that are specifically tailored for that user. * Cross-merchandizing A wave of media mergers over the past decade has produced a handful of powerful conglomerates that now own all the major film studios, TV networks, radio and television stations, cable channels, Internet, book and magazine publishing and music companies.Thes e giant conglomerates use their various media holdings to promote products and artists through massive cross-promotional campaigns. For example, when the world's largest entertainment conglomerate AOL Time Warner was preparing the release of the film  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, it enlisted all its various media divisions—cable systems, speciality channels, TV networks, magazines and Internet companies—to help mass-market the movie and the spin-off merchandise.Commenting on the phenomenally successful cross-promotional approach used to market the film (Harry Potter smashed all previous opening records, grossing $90 million in its first weekend) AOL Time Warner executive Richard Parsons explained: â€Å"This drove synergy both ways. Not only did we use our promotional and advertising platforms to help create awareness, we used the film to drive traffic to those vehicles. † * Product placement The future of product placement as a successful advertisin g tool was assured when the 1982 film  ET  featured Reese's Pieces in a pivotal scene—causing sales of the candy to jump 65 per cent.Since that time, product placement in movies, on TV, and increasingly in video games, has become a commonplace marketing technique. The marketing company FeatureThis extols the virtues of product placement for potential clients, on its Web site: â€Å"Break through the cluttered media entertainment environment inexpensively,† it claims â€Å"product placement in feature films and television reaches millions of consumers, over and over again. † With the advent of technologies such as TiVo, which allow consumers to edit out TV commercials, product placement is taking on an even greater importance.TV producers are looking for new ways to integrate advertising and content. Basing an entire show around a product is one technique; and giving viewers the capability of immediately purchasing products featured on the program is another. Following a segment of the NBC TV show  Will and Grace, in which a character wore a pink Polo shirt, the network ran a 10-second clip telling viewers to go to the Polo Web site (which is 50 per cent owned by NBC) to purchase one.The site sold $3,000 worth of shirts over the next five days. In the near future, Interactive TV will allow users to order a pair of pants that your favourite TV star is wearing, merely by clicking on them. * Digital or â€Å"virtual† advertising Digital advertising goes one step further than product placement by using computer technology to add products to scenes that were never there to begin with.This practice is common in sporting events coverage, where ads are digitally inserted onto the billboards, sideboards and playing surfaces in arenas and stadiums. While digital ads are mainly used in sports coverage, virtual advertising is starting to break into the entertainment world as producers digitally insert products into TV scenes after the scen es are shot. The technology also allows product names to be altered in scenes, creating the potential for new advertising revenues when series are sold into syndication. |