The Count of Monte Cristo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Count of Monte Cristo - Essay Example The three form the antagonists in the story and plot against Dantes so he would lose what he has. Accordingly, Dantes was arrested for treason and consequently sent to prison for the rest of his life. Although he did not have any political stand, Dantes was unfortunately acting as a courier as a favor to his deceased captain and had in possession a letter from Napoleon. Moreover, the recipient of the letter was the father of the deputy public prosecutor and the latter did not want the public to know about his father’s misconduct. In jail, Dantes meets and befriend a priest who teaches him a lot of things – academic and about life in general. The priest, Abbe Faria, also tells him of a hidden treasure on the island of Monte Cristo. Dantes eventually escapes by hiding inside the deceased Faria’s shroud and swims to freedom when the jailers throw out what they thought was the priest’s body in the sea. Dantes uses the knowledge and the money he got from Faria to reinvent himself in order to get his revenge against the people who had made his life miserable. Throughout the beginning of the story, Dantes manifests a person who does not think ill of people. This was evident when, upon questioning from Morrel, he still had good words to say about Dangler even if he knew Dangler did not like him. (Dumas) When he found out the Cardousse had left his father to starve to death by making his father pay Dantes’ entire debt, Dantes still managed to welcome Cardousse into their home. (Dumas) He values his relationship with his father. When he found him starving, he immediately gave him gold to buy whatever he needed. (Dumas) Dantes was also someone who initially believed in hope and God. In prison, while struggling to make sense of what had happened to his life, he was still optimistic that God would pull him through the circumstances. This was especially clear when he continued waiting for the governor’s decision to release him from j ail and kept making rationalizations when the decision seemed to take longer than he expected. (Dumas) Initially, Edmond Dantes was convinced that he was just a victim of fate. From the innocent and simple-minded man that he was, however, he turned into a vengeful and cunning person once he discovered the reason for all the misfortune he had gotten. The priest Faria regretted telling Dantes how the latter ended up in jail. (Dumas 186) He knew that once Dantes found out about the truth, the latter would be filled with so much anger and passion to get back at those who took his life away. Because of his quest for revenge, Edmond Dantes mastered the art of lying like those who betrayed him. In the course of the story, he pretends to be someone else three times, initially, in order to save his boss, Morrel, and finally as the sophisticated Count of Monte Cristo. In the midst of executing his plans against Fernand and the rest, Dantes realizes that he has deeply hurt innocent people in t he process and that he is not God who can control and foresee the effects of his actions. (Dumas 610) In an attempt to mitigate all the wrongdoing he believes he has committed, he helps Maximilian appreciate the latter’s love for Valentine by letting Maximilian believe Valentine was dead. (Dumas) The story of Edmond Dantes can be likened to the life of tennis superstar Andre Agassi. Although the themes present in the novel by Dumas do not

Open Markets, Closed Borders Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Open Markets, Closed Borders - Assignment Example I am of the opinion that if full disclosure of information by the commission is done, the public would appreciate the facts and figures as they happened and help them deal with closure. It is important to note and mention that the questions that the victims and families have regarding the sad events of 9/11 would be put to rest. This is to say that the victims, families and the society as a whole would have closure on the issue, appreciating successes and failures accordingly. There exists as cooperative relationship between the DoD and homeland security where they engage in matters of complementarities (Wise, 2006). If there is a breach or any issue by the coastal line security and safety, then the homeland security would initiate the response at the signal of the DoD personnel. In practice, it is the role and duty of the DOD to safeguard the territorial integrity and waters of the USA, if a person is arrested trying to enter the country illegally, then the DOD personnel would handover such a person to Department of Homeland security for processing and charging such a person under relevant

Islam vs. Christianity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Islam vs. Christianity - Essay Example Nonetheless, this essay will address the comparison between Islam and Christianity from the historical perspective, as well as how the significance of these religions in society, especially with regard to the influence these might have on rulers in society. The rise of Christianity can be traced from the early Byzantine and Justinian Empires. Emperor Justinian I championed the Christian culture, which is evident in various levels of the Byzantine culture. Justinian is heralded for shaping church policies. He therefore, got rid of the former religious practices, including the practice of paganism. For instance, Justinian declared an expulsion for pagan teachers for the academy of Athens (The Metropolitan Museum of Art web). Overall, it is during the early Benzatium that Christianity spread, and replaced the gods of antiquity. On the other hand, the spread of Islamic religion can be traced to the Abbasid dynasty. The Abbasid dynasty is highly associated with the rise of civilization. T his later spread to other parts of the empire. In addition to various aspects of civilization in this dynasty, there was progress in science and this led to the development of Islamic sciences, which fell under the category of religious sciences. Nonetheless, this comprised branches such as Hadith, Fiqh, and Tafsir. The dominant religion in Abbasid dynasty was, therefore, Islam. However, there was religious tolerance in the dynasty. There is a relationship between religion and power, especially, when focus is on the past civilizations. The rulers in past societies drew considerably on religion to rule their subjects (Brisch Web). An example of this is the aspect of divine kingship in Mesopotamia. Basing the notion of religion, Naram-Sin of Akkad, who was the first ruler of Mesopotamia, declared himself a divine king. This aspect is also called self-deification. Other rulers that took up self-deification include Shulgi (2095–2049 BCE) of the Third Dynasty of Urm, Rim-Sin of La rsa (1822–1763 BCE) and Hammurabi of Babylon (1792–1750 BCE) (Brisch Web). Nonetheless, in self-deification, the kings compared themselves gods, who needed to be worshipped, like the one divine God. Nonetheless, a major reason for this was to prove that they were powerful, and to expand their area influence, as well as legitimize their powers. Rulers in some of the past civilizations also used religion to guide people. Nonetheless, the laws of some civilizations in the past were drawn from religion. However, the relationship between law and religion is changing throughout history (Barzilai Web). The use of natural law in past societies can be closely associated with religion. Nonetheless, among the Israelites, the Mosaic Law, including the Ten Commandments was used. These were considered as laws from God himself. In the epic of Gilgamesh, the rulers had a different perception of the gods. Mainly, the rulers feared and revered the gods, as they considered the gods dange rous. Therefore, in this case, self-deification as in the case of Mesopotamia was impossible, as the gods would possibly destroy any ruler that would attempt this (Carnahan Web). In addition, the gods in the epic of Gilgamesh were considered dangerous for humans. For instance, unlike in the Mosaic Law and Abrahamic covenant, the gods in the

Music Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Music - Assignment Example In this manner, the element of rapping is always very common and is almost predominant in nearly all forms of hip hop music (Katz, 2012). This paper is going to explore the origin of the hip hop music, taking into consideration several aspects involving the problems that the youths passed through that may have been responsible for the emergence of the hip hop music. In addition, the paper is going to explore some of the regions where the music genre of Hip hop music was mostly concentrated in the United States, as well as the reasons that may have influenced the rise of the hip hop music. The origin of the hip hop music is attributed to early histories relevant to the problems faced by the youth in America. Such youths saw it fit to spell some of the problems that they faced through rapping alongside the music. Other than rapping, it is important to note that the other characteristic of the hip hop music involves several forms of dancing as well as dancing styles. In connection to the above, it is crucial to note that hip hop music is mostly characterized by such forms of dancing including break dancing. These were some of the ways in which the youths employed in expressing their emotions as well as their problems relevant to the social, political as well as economic challenges that they faced in the regions of America (Flores, 2000). Other than the issue of dancing as well as rapping, the other common elements of the hip hop music includes scratching as well as graffiti writing. These are some of the artistic styles that accompany the issue of hip hop music. It is important to note that the origin of these elements is vested in the culture as well as the age brackets of the people mostly involved in the hip hop music. For instance, most youths are always the ones who mostly revere this musical genre called hip hop. It is of crucial significance to acknowledge the fact

My understanding of counselling PCA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

My understanding of counselling PCA - Essay Example To answer the question in some detail, let us go back to the antecedents of counselling. Traditionally, people suffering from extreme abnormalities in thought and behaviour, unable to live ‘resourcefully’, were seen as mentally ill, and either isolated and/or were treated by psychiatrists using psychotropic medication. However, the vast majority of those identified as suffering from some type of mental disorder did not require hospitalisation, or drug treatment throughout their recovery phase. What they needed was psychotherapy, described as ‘talking cures’, where characteristically psychoanalysis held sway during the early part of the 20th century, until behavioural and cognitive therapies became more prevalent. Increasingly, psychoanalysis could not be justified not only on scientific grounds, but also on cost and length of treatment. It gave way to cognitive behavioural therapies modelled on learning theory based on Pavlovian classical conditioning and Sk innerian operant conditioning. Those who sought or needed such psychotherapeutic interventions were ‘patients’, and, conversely, those who treated them were drawn from the medical profession. In addition to psychiatrists, clinical psychologists in hospital settings also became providers in the care of these patients. Counselling evolved as an intervention outside the medical context offered by practitioners drawn from disciplines other than strictly within the medical establishment. An inability to cope with ordinary everyday life increasingly devoid of traditional supporting mechanisms of family, church (orthodox religion), and community, mostly in industrialised societies, left a growing populace vulnerable to psychological stress. Counselling therefore, happens to be a much broader concept than psychotherapy (or simply temed therapy) which evolved from more existential, philosophical and humanistic roots. Those who sought help from counsellors were not identified as patients. Not only were individuals seeking ‘greater well-being’ catered for, but those seeking help in specific contexts such as careers counselling and marriage guidance counselling meant that there was no longer a stigma attached to counselling. Indeed the origin of the very term counselling is ascribed to Frank Parsons (1909) at the beginning of the twentieth century who initiated help for young people with problems in finding suitable employment. Today, there is a continuum of helping interventions that range from intensive psychotherapy through counselling, to co-counselling, and to life coaching, where practitioners range from medical specialists to those drawn from varied walks of life, but with appropriate and recognised counsellor training. The relationship between the counsellor and the counselled is one of equality. The counsellor does not set him/herself up as an expert. The client is the expert on him/herself. The counsellor explores with the counselled, o ptions elicited during the counselling process. By meeting at regular intervals the counsellor helps the counselled to commit to agreed upon courses of action gently but firmly holding him/her responsible for the outcome. Counselling is a burgeoning profession and the recognition afforded its mainstream practitioners is a testament to its enduring value. It is necessary to look more closely at the theoretical underpinnings of the practice of counselling. A recent analysis of the

Commodity Trading in the United Kingdom Dissertation

Commodity Trading in the United Kingdom - Dissertation Example This research study examines how two of the largest commodity traders in the world, Vitol and Glencore International, conduct their commodity trading activities through the commodity exchanges in the United Kingdom and in its OTC market. The pit trading system of the years gone by is now replaced by electronic systems that receive orders from traders through the Internet to match these orders with other orders for execution of a transaction. In an electronic exchange the clearinghouse regulated by a supervisory body and the government acts as an intermediary, to deliver lower costs, security, reliability and a global reach for trading in commodity contracts and commodity derivatives. The OTC market in the United Kingdom is less strictly regulated than the exchanges listing commodity contracts and commodity derivatives, but this market offers flexibility for those with needs that standardised commodity listed contracts cannot satisfy. A literature review and semi-structured interviews with commodity traders with expert knowledge assist the research together with the case studies for Vitol and Glencore International. The research concludes that it is likely that the United Kingdom commodity market will continue to attract interest from all around the world with a promise for delivering more for less even into the future. Contents Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Background 3 1.2 Objectives of the Research Study 6 Chapter 2 Literature review 8 2.1 The Impact of Electronic Trading on Commodities 8 2.2 Contracts on Commodity Exchanges 10 2.3 The Trading House and Trading Commission in Exchanges 11 2.4 The Financial Services Authority (FSA) 12 2.5 The London International Financial and Futures Exchange (LIFFE) 13 2.6 Trading on the LIFFE CONNECT 15 2.7 Buyers and Sellers on Electronic Exchanges 17 2.8 Types of Orders on the LIFFE CONNECT 18 2.9 Basics of Commodity Trading 21 2.10 Commodity Derivatives 22 2.11 Over-the-Counter Trades 23 2.12 Regulation of Commodity Tradin g 25 2.13 The Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) 27 Chapter 3 Methodology 30 Chapter 4 Results of Semi-Structured Interviews 37 Chapter 5 Case Studies 44 5.1 Vitol Case Study 44 5.2 Case Study for Glencore International 47 Chapter 6 Analysis and Interpretation 51 Chapter 7 Conclusions and Recommendations 65 Appendix A - Questionnaire for Semi-Structured Interviews 69 Appendix B - Consent Form 74 Bibliography / References 76 List of Figures Figure 1: Change in Commodities Trading in the United Kingdom over the Years 53 Figure 2: Commodity Assets under Management in the United Kingdom 55 Figure 3: OTC Derivatives Trading in Commodities in the United Kingdom 56 Figure 4: Commodity Trading on Exchanges in the United Kingdom 57 Figure 5: A Comparison of Commodities, Stocks and Bonds in the United Kingdom 58 Figure 6: Breakdown of Exchange Traded Commodity Securities in the United Kingdom 60 Figure 7: Value of London Bullion Market Clearing 61 Figure 8: A Comparison of Lon g-Term Commodities Returns based on the Goldman Sachs Commodities Index 62 (This page intentionally left blank) Chapter 1 Introduction Agricultural commodities, minerals, crude oil, metals, natural gas and even energy in the form of electricity are among the fundamental inputs for production and consumption in all societies (Schaeffer, 2008, Pp. 1 – 5). Thus, resource commodity markets are vital for all regions and nations because these markets play a central role in economic development, international trade, and global economic and political stability. Commodity markets enable resource-producing nations to earn export revenues by linking

The driving age should be raised or requirements for a license should Essay

The driving age should be raised or requirements for a license should be changed - Essay Example It is said that a sixteen-year-old teenager is not mature enough to be allowed to drive and while some people might think it sounds unfair, it has been biologically proven. The frontal cortex in the human brain is responsible for motor skills, risk taking, problem solving and emotional maturity. While lack of experience might be blamed as a cause of road accidents by teenage drivers, emotional maturity is the major reason why teenagers make bad drivers. There is a process called the spreading of white matter from the back to the front of the brain which helps in effective communication between brain cells, a process that usually takes place when one attains the age of twenty and continues until one is around thirty years of age (Gillin). It is clearly visible from this fact that a teenager’s brain does not have the capacity needed to make urgent and important decisions when driving. An adult’s brain can be able to switch on fast when an emergency occurs on the road whil e he is driving, for example, when a kid decided to rush to the road, thus saving a life. Teenagers are also more of risk takers, which become a problem when they are on the road, combined with emotional immaturity being a risk taker serves as a big problem as they will want to put themselves in situations that will be difficult to handle. While I am not advocating that the driving age be changed to mid 20’s to allow for maturity, a middle ground can be reached by raising the age from sixteen to eighteen to reduce the cases of teenage motor accidents (Bjorklund and Blasi 473). Statistics show that car crashes are the number one cause of death among teenagers in the U.S and those between sixteen and nineteen years of age were more likely to be involved in serious and fatal accidents than those aged twenty years and above. The former age had an estimated 2700 deaths and 282,000 casualties in the year 2010. It is also interesting to note that death was recorded more among male d rivers of the said age group as compared to female drivers. There were also increased chances when the passenger was a teenager and in the first six months of being given a driving license. Moreover, 56% of interviewed teenagers admitted to answering mobile phones and 13% said that they are used to sending and responding to text messages while driving and a further 17% admitted that speeding was fun while driving (â€Å"Teen Drivers Facts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Some of the reasons noted as to why teens were more likely to be at risk, most of those involved in accidents at the time had been drinking and or speeding therefore resulting in fatal accidents and even death. In addition, most of the teenagers are unable to recognize dangerous situations and therefore end up taking risks that are life threatening and for those who already find themselves in such situations are not able to act fast as to prevent any forthcoming accidents. Some teenagers do not follow the rules of the road, one ver y important rule is to give enough space or headway between your car and the one in front of you therefore ensuring that you can see the road well and reduce chances of a crash in case the car ahead of you gets involved in one or brakes suddenly.