A wake up Call essays

A reminder expositions Martin Scorseses Gangs of New York is artistic gem and was discharged with much buzz in the year 2002. In fact, many animating scenes in the film overwhelmed me. The plot fixates on mid 1800s racial scorn and political defilement in the Five Points segment of New York City. I never truly scrutinized the history in the film until I as of late read Professor DiGirolamos audit, Such, Such Were the Bhoys... DiGirolamos clothing rundown of recorded errors helped me go to a terminal acknowledgment. Posses of New York was never assume to be utilized as a recorded book, but instead, Scorsese needed to show us something the present. The timespan (mid 1800s), and plot engineered by Scorsese is a smart similitude to the province of New York City and America after September eleventh. The film fills in as a reminder to the potential good rot that will eject if present day scorn towards Arabs proceed. This is the message Scorsese needs the watcher to take from the film, instead of an increasingly close to home, and exact comprehension of American history during the mid 1800s. After September 11, 2001, there was a lot of disdain and racial scorn towards Arabs and even Middle Eastern looking people. Abhor violations and negative mentalities toward Arabs emerged, particularly in 2002, the year Gangs of New York was discharged. Scorsese utilizes the film as an allegory what exactly is going on in the present. The last scene was one of the most political and ground-breaking scenes in the film. Amsterdam and Jenny are in a burial ground, and the horizon changes from mid 1800s to the present. Right in the center of the screen stands the Twin Towers. The changing horizon toward the end is Scorseses method of advising us to use previous history, and take a gander at the current circumstance of racial separation. The Natives, drove by Bill The Butcher Cunning represent present day Americans in the film. The I ... <!

System Design Of The Waterfall Implementation Model Information Technology Essay

Framework Design Of The Waterfall Implementation Model Information Technology Essay The Waterfall model is an ordered programming advancement process, where the advancement in build up the product is spilling out of upward to descending (like cascade) through the phases of Requirements, Design, Implementation, Verification and Maintenance. The primary cascade model is distributed on article in 1970 by Winston W. Royce[1]. In Royces unique cascade model, the accompanying stages are followed all together: The cascade model actualized in this investigation is gone before with the prerequisite examination. Here, the prerequisites of the new programming will be distinguished. The writing audit about the product or framework that needs to configuration must be finished. Indeed, even a little task of figure the entirety of numbers likewise should be composed in light of the yield. All prerequisites will rundown and introduced to the group of developers. The product and equipment will be broke down incorporate the choosing of programming language used to plan the product. Framework Design This usage is trailed by the following stage in the cascade model, which is the framework configuration stage. In this area, the necessities that have been broke down will be converted into definite plan and flowchart of the product code is being made. Framework configuration is the significant stage that relying upon the past stage to make the extraordinary usage and can be executed appropriately. When have anything necessities to be embed in planning the code, it will be include in the prerequisite investigation stage and the structure eliminate is conveyed dependent on the new arrangement of assets. Framework Construction (Coding) In the framework development stage, all the plan will be changed over into machine-discernible coding. The coding of the product that needs to be created and executed is done dependent on the calculation or flowchart structured previously. Here, the entirety of the thoughts in built up the product of program to be structured is turn up. Framework Integration The different codes structured by various software engineers will be coordinated together so that, at the following phase of framework testing will have no issue. Framework Testing The total coding will follow by the testing division where it testing dependent on the practical and non-utilitarian prerequisites. It checks if there is any issue in the structured programming and on the off chance that it follows the particulars. At this stage, testing movement will incorporate the association of PC expert and customer. Here, the great progression of the procedure in planning the product will guarantee fulfillment from the customer. In the event that there is any issue with the structure, it must be returned to the framework plan. Coding and testing are rehashed. Framework Installation For the last phase of the product improvement process, utilizing cascade model, a legitimate execution of every past stage will guarantee it is followed the prerequisites and progressively critical to fulfilled the customer. The arrangement of conclusive programming which should be introduced at the customer framework will be tried so that, the customer doesn't confront any issue while utilizing the product. Here, the item is given over to customer. Framework Maintenance Some help with respect to the product that has been created must be given to the customer. In the event that have any issue about the product or customers request some further improvements to the present programming, so that, the entirety of the procedure should be begun from the prerequisites examination. Cascade Model Advantages and Disadvantages Points of interest Hindrances Direct model are the most difficulty liberated to be executed and straightforward. Can't return if the plan stage has any issue. The measure of assets required to actualize this model is insignificant. Any adjustment in usage the product is a wellspring of disarray. Documentation is produce at each period of the cascade model turn of events. Little blunder that emerges in the finished programming will turn into a major issue. Testing is done in each primary phase of programming coding. Blunders in the code possibly found when the testing stage is reached. Sit around and other significant assets. Utilizes a composed, regular strategy for venture improvement and conveyance. Customer doesnt get an opportunity to see the product until the last phase of advancement cycle. Not appropriate for venture prerequisites that are dynamic or continually evolving Cascade Model Vs Agile [3] Cascade Model Coordinated Model History Cascade model set up as a strategy by Winston Royce in 1970. The possibility of Waterfall model was create from the equipment fabricate systems and development methodologies that were produce in 1970s. Coordinated model were officially characterized by Edmonds in 1974. The deft model of programming improvement progress in 1990s when engineers changed from customary organized to adaptable advancement styles. Theoretical Difference Cascade model is the sequential procedure of programming improvement. The model stages are state underneath: Prerequisites determination, origination, examination, structure, coding, testing and troubleshooting, establishment, lastly support. The following phase of improvement can be do when the principal stage are completely finished. After the structure stage is finish, continue to actualize dependent on the coding stage with no changes. Nimble model spotlights on nimbleness and versatility being developed procedure. Includes numerous iterative that used to improve the yield of procedure. The structure can be changed even in the most recent minutes because of iterative execution. Quicker than cascade demonstrate and convey the working system. Productivity Less productivity than coordinated model because of its consistence to this present reality. The last moment changing in prerequisites and configuration are increasingly entangled. More effective than cascade model because of their iterative and agreeable nature. Item can be produce in brief timeframe and incorporated with changes. Appropriateness Cascade model is suitable for advancement of projects that are as of now steady and doesnt need a significant modification. Deft model is proper for electronic application where the iterative nature helps in coordinating and fixes the different bug that emerge after some time. Conversation and Conclusion Cascade model (substantial strategy) works best when we can plainly characterize our necessities that comprise of two; framework prerequisites and programming necessities. All the prerequisites must be reported with the goal that it is anything but difficult to build up the product dependent on the necessities that have been recorded. After the necessities are obviously characterize, it will wipe out the issue in the structure and advancement stage while additionally implementing order to our laborers or originators and software engineers. All laborers will clear on the planning and client desire. In light of the correlation between cascade strategy and spry technique, we get that, there is no success or lose circumstance on the grounds that between those two strategies, it has their particular points of interest. For instance, nimble technique is additionally the variety of the cascade strategy where it is exist when engineers choose to changed from customary organized, fragmented, bureaucratic ways to deal with increasingly adaptable improvement styles. Thusly, the deft technique or light weight strategy is presented in 1974. The strategy ought to be use in programming improvement are relies upon the undertaking, colleagues, and the organization condition that we work in. For instance, the cascade model is generally reasonable for advancement of projects that are as of now steady and don't require greater change. It is additionally included a huge size of group and spotlights on enormous venture. That is the reason it needs a greater measure of cost to build up this venture. Indeed, even this cascade model known as the standard technique, it still generally use since it is a straight model and least difficult to executed. Cascade model despite everything keeps on staying as the one of the most generally use philosophies even the new framework that progressively adaptable was exist, the broadly employments of cascade model is the motivation behind why it is examined and adjusted in different programming the executives and improvement venture. For an end, the procedure of programming advancement will be simpler on the off chance that we comprehend the cascade model chart. This technique isn't just least difficult programming process model for application advancement, yet in addition known as the most mainstream model for its simplicity of execution in the territory of programming improvement. ISO 12207:2008, SYSTEMS AND SOFTWARE [4] Building: Software Life Cycle Processes Programming life cycle forms is a structure relating to the procedures, exercises, and assignment utilized for picking up improvement and support of programming items. Specialization of the framework life cycle forms is the product life cycle forms. With regards to authoritative wish for is to characterize the standard procedures that reasonable to the organization business where follow the procedures from hierarchical instead of adhere to the ISO standard. Life cycle model is exclude from the norm, in any case, life cycle procedures will be mapped onto life cycle model that reasonable to the task, and acknowledged by the association. Framework Context Processes ISO 12207 is progressively explicit in light of the fact that it is incorporate the product explicit data to give all the more broadly characterized forms in ISO 15288. The name of procedures in ISO 15288 likewise somewhat changed in ISO 12207. This commitment is for fulfillment of the comparing forms in ISO 15288 and gives more specialization to those procedures. Programming Implementation Processes Programming Implementation is the product explicit specialization of the ISO 15288 norm. The existence cycle model is select and improvement exercises are mapped to that model. Standard and system depend on the necessities of task and usage plans. Programming execution process is upheld by six lower level procedures: Programming Requirement Analysis To build up the product necessity, the framework prerequisite must be examined. The product prerequisites need to b

Who Was the Wolf Man (Sergei Pankejeff)

Who Was the Wolf Man (Sergei Pankejeff) History and Biographies Print Sergei Pankejeff: Who Was the Wolf Man? The Wolf Man, a.k.a. Sergei Pankejeff, Was One of Freuds Most Famous Patients By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Updated on October 22, 2019 Getty Images More in Psychology History and Biographies Psychotherapy Basics Student Resources Theories Phobias Emotions Sleep and Dreaming Pankejeff was a patient of Sigmund Freud who gave him the case name Wolf Man to protect his identity. Pankejeff was born to a wealthy family from St. Petersburg. In 1906, his older sister Anna committed suicide and Pankejeff began experiencing symptoms of depression. In 1907, his father also committed suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills. Soon after, Pankejeff began seeking treatment for his own depression. In 1910, Pankejeff went to Vienna to be treated by Freud. The first description of the case was published in 1918 under the title From the History of an Infantile Neurosis. Much of Freuds analysis centered on a dream that Pankejeff had as a young child: I dreamt that it was night and that I was lying in bed. (My bed stood with its foot towards the window; in front of the window there was a row of old walnut trees. I know it was winter when I had the dream, and night-time.) Suddenly the window opened of its own accord, and I was terrified to see that some white wolves were sitting on the big walnut tree in front of the window. There were six or seven of them. The wolves were quite white, and looked more like foxes or sheep-dogs, for they had big tails like foxes and they had their ears pricked like dogs when they pay attention to something. In great terror, evidently of being eaten up by the wolves, I screamed and woke up. My nurse hurried to my bed, to see what had happened to me. It took quite a long while before I was convinced that it had only been a dream; I had had such a clear and life-like picture of the window opening and the wolves sitting on the tree. At last I grew quieter, felt as though I had escaped from some danger, and went to sleep again   Freuds Analysis of the Wolf Man Freud believed that the dream was the result of Pankejeff having witnessed his parents having sex. The case of the Wolf Man played an important role in Freuds development of his theory of psychosexual development. Freuds Stages of Psychosexual Development After a year of treatment, Freud declared Pankejeff cured and the man returned to Russia. Despite Freuds assessment that the problem had been resolved, Pankejeff continued to seek psychoanalysis, often from followers of Freud, until his death in 1979. Pankejeffs assessment of the success of his treatment was far less optimistic than Freuds. Prior to his death, he was interviewed by an Australian journalist and said, the whole thing looks like a catastrophe. I am in the same state as when I came to Freud, and Freud is no more. Criticism of Freuds Analysis Psychologist and science writer Daniel Goleman criticized Freuds analysis and treatment of Pankejeff in The New York Times, writing: Freuds key intervention with the Wolf Man rested on a nightmare in which he was lying in bed and saw some white wolves sitting on a tree in front of the open window. Freud deduced that the dream symbolized a trauma: that the Wolf Man, as a toddler, had witnessed his parents having intercourse. Freuds version of the supposed trauma was contradicted by the Wolf Man himself, Sergej Pankejeff. In an interview with Karin Obholzer, a journalist who tracked him down in Vienna in the 1970s, he explained that he saw Freuds interpretation of his dream as terribly far-fetched. Obholzer also reported that Pankejeff believed that The whole thing is improbable, since in families of his milieu young children slept in their nannys bedroom, not with their parents. As for Freud curing him, Pankejeff refuted the claim saying that he resented being propaganda and a showpiece for psychoanalysis. That was the theory, that Freud had cured me 100 percent. However, Its all false. An Overview of Freuds Interpretation of Dreams

Willys Struggle for Identity in Death of a Salesman Essay

Throughout his life, Willy Loman thinks of himself as well-liked in the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. It is the most important attribute to him. Willy lived his life thinking he had thousands of friends all over the New England territory and that he would be recognized anywhere he would go. He boasts this to his sons and they think he is the greatest man on Earth. He raises his two sons, Biff and Happy, to be well-liked and Willy does not care about their grades. He believes they will be better prepared for the business world if they are well-liked, and does not think education matters as much as personality, appearance, and physical skill. Although he has set high standards for sons, his morals are being well-liked, he†¦show more content†¦Unfortunately, he goes to his grave without knowing that, maybe he was not fit to be a salesman. After Willys death, Charley says about Willy, A salesman is got to dream (Brown, 306), but one must wonder, did Willy Loma n dream the wrong dream (Brown, 306)? Although Willy realizes in his visions that he was not the greatest salesman, he does not realize why Biff is not successful with his expert advice. Toward the end of the story, Willy realizes that his life is falling apart: Biff does not have a stable job or family, is making only commissions for his job, his refrigerator and car are in despair, and he talks to himself. Willy just cannot figure out what has gone wrong, especially with Biff who to him seemed so promising because of his good looks and his charm with others. When Biff comes home again, Willy gets real nervous and starts talking to himself (Act I. Scene I). He is stressed out that Biff has done nothing with his life so he starts seeing visions of the past. When Willy talks out loud while seeing visions, he is trying to discover where he went wrong as a person and father. To find where he went wrong he begins to ask anyone in visions or in person. One character that he frequently asks for advice throughout the drama is his older brother Biff (Gross, 319-321). One of the first times Willy looks for his past mistakes in his memories is when he is looking around the kitchen for cheese after he almost got into a car accident and afterShow MoreRelated Failure of the America Dream in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman1097 Words   |  5 PagesFailure of the America Dream in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman examines Willy Lowman’s struggle to hold on to his American Dream that is quickly slipping from his grasp. As Americans, we are all partners in the â€Å"dream† and Willy’s failure causes each of us anxiety since most of us can readily identify with Willy. Most Americans can readily identify with Willy. As children, our minds are filled with a â€Å"marketing orientation† as soon as weRead MoreLiterary Analysis: Death of a Salesman Essay1705 Words   |  7 Pagesyou end up worth more dead than alive, (Miller, 98). This quote was spoken by the main character of the Arthur Miller play Death of a Salesman: Willy Loman. This tragedy takes place in Connecticut during the late 1940s. It is the story of a salesman, Willy Loman, and his family’s struggles with the American Dream, betrayal, and abandonment. Willy Loman is a failing salesman recently demoted to commission and unable to pay his bills. He is married to a woman by the name of Linda and has two sonsRead MoreThe Collapse Of A Cherished Businessman1571 Words   |  7 PagesSome of his most famous modern tragedies include The Crucible, All My Sons, and Death of a Salesman. First staged in 1949, Death of a Salesman is considered Miller’s greatest and most cri tically acclaimed work. Set in twentieth century New York, Death of a Salesman highlights the tale of the perfectly named Willy Loman, a common, failing, itinerant salesman from New York. The story outlines the hardships and struggles of Loman’s work life and his deep family issues with his grown sons. Over the courseRead MoreArthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman1027 Words   |  5 PagesTragic Heroism of Biff Loman in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller This literary study will define the tragic heroism of Biff Loman in Arthur Miller’s play The Death of a Salesman. Biff is initially a victim of Willy’s continual harassment to make more money and find a better career. In this family unit, Biff must endure the unrealistic and fantasy-based elusions of his father in his fanatical pursuit of the American Dream. However, Biff soon learns of Willy’s extra-marital betrayal to his motherRead More Death of a Salesman is a Tragedy as Defined in Millers Tragedy and the Common Man1046 Words   |  5 PagesDeath of a Salesman is a Tragedy as Defined in Millers Tragedy and the Common Man In Tragedy and the Common Man, Arthur Miller discusses his definition and criteria for tragedy as they apply to the common man. The criteria and standards proposed by Miller may be used to evaluate his timeless work, Death of A Salesman. The first major standard of tragedy set forth is:   â€Å"...if the exaltation of tragic action were truly a property of the high-bred character alone, it is inconceivable thatRead MoreDeath of a Salesman vs. Tragedy and the Common Man1220 Words   |  5 Pagesshould be possible for every reader to be able to identify with the tragic hero. Miller redefines tragedy as more common occurrence than what might happen in tragedies such as portrayed by Shakespeare and other classical writers, thus defining Death of a Salesman as a tragedy. Willy Loman is a tragic hero. He fears that while he hopes to be viewed as a good, decent human being, others might not agree. He wants to believe that hes a well-liked, decent person who doesnt make mistakes. The truth isRead MoreAnalysis Of Father And Son In Arthur Millers Death Of A Salesman808 Words   |  4 PagesMiller’s classic playwright, Death of a Salesman, the establishment of said relationships, or in some cases lack of said relationship, is seen throughout the theatrical work. Miller’s vivid use of flashbacks helps exemplify his true intent in writing such a hauntingly realistic story of internal loss of self identity and worth reflected in family relations.Although many do not realize these happenings all begin with Willy’s relationship with his estranged father. Willy’s abandonment by his father atRead MoreThe American Dream By James Truslow Adams1707 Words   |  7 Pagesinto a state of dissatisfaction and disappointment. Arthur Millerâ⠂¬â„¢s play, Death of a Salesman, was a story about a salesman who lived behind a persona he created that embodied the elements of success and talent. However, due to his inability to achieve his unrealistic ideals for himself, he later came to his demise, believing that his death would bring a greater prosperity than what he was originally bringing in as a salesman. Similarly, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the main characterRead MoreThe Strength of Family in Death of a Salesman and A Raisin in the Sun1198 Words   |  5 Pagesin Arthur Miller’s â€Å"Death of a Salesman† and Lorraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†, perverted conceptions of the American Dream convince certain characters that they are entitled to the fruits of miracles. Despite their best intentions for supporting their families, Walter Younger and Willy Loman encounter unsurpassable obstacles and are unable to fulfill their dreams. When all hope has bee n lost, family is the only thing that these characters have left. â€Å"Death of a Salesman† and â€Å"A Raisin inRead MoreArthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman1159 Words   |  5 PagesPeople have different identities because they all make their own over the course of their lives. Identity development is the outcome of different experiences and situations people encounter throughout their lives. Views, beliefs, activities, and conflicts have an impact on how individuals form their identities. People go through life trying to recognize their character traits, the act of which leads them to their identities, but over time can lose the identities they have through society, through

Cell Phone Use And Relevance To Students Major In Universities - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 565 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/08/16 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Cell Phone Essay Did you like this example? According to the case study from the text book, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, (Scandura 252).   Lab126 which is Amazons private lab was given the task in 2009 to develop a new smart which is known as the, Fire Phone today. The case study also stated some features that were brought up during the initial conceptual phase for creating this phone. Such as double touch screens, using the phone as A USB drive, teleconferencing capabilities or infrared cameras. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Cell Phone Use And Relevance To Students Major In Universities" essay for you Create order These ideas most likely came up during the, Team Decision Making Methods that the books mention. Brainstorming is one of the most common forms of team decision making (Scandura 237238). Brainstorming is a conference technique of solving specific problems, amassing information, stimulating creative thinking, developing new ideas, etc., by unrestrained and spontaneous participation in discussion (Dictionary.com, 2018). The number of ideas generated in the brainstorming process should be filtered by all the group members. After reviewing all these ideas thoroughly Amazon should have split the group into small teams, and according to their field of expertise they are responsible to explore more in-depth features. For instance, one team could have been focused on refining the idea of using the Fire Phone as a USB drive. It also can be very challenging to evaluate the teams success before placing the product on the market. Therefore, one way to see if this product would sell is to use focus groups to test the new ideas, and possible prototypes of the phone. Using focus groups would avoid and doubt or questions before placing this product on the market. Also, Amazon could have tested the new phone inside their corporation but use different employees not the ones that were involved in developing this product. Using your own employees would be an excellent source of feedback to evaluate the teams success before placing the phone on the market for consumers. As a leader of this highly technical team the best decision-making method for achieving the greatest result for the product would be the Consensus method. This method involves discussing ideas and deferring a final decision until everyone can say they have been heard and will support the final decision (Scandura 238). During this process, team members can convey with each other about other features that could be implemented as they progress forward as a team. The biggest factor in creating this product could be the different personalities of each individual member of the team. Even though, engineers are directed by theories, facts, testing a number in their technical field of expertise; their personality may trigger many conflicts inside the team as they may think that they are right and others wrong (Personailtymax.com,2016). Also, a leader or supervisor cannot be called all the time to resolve conflict, but when a serious issue comes up it must be taking care of immediately. Leadership should come in the play after discussing the problem and trying different methods to reach a solution. Sometimes though as a team or group an agreement cannot be reached and such prevents the team to progress forward. At this point a leader or supervisor needs to step up and make an executive decision and impose his/her authority to solve the conundrum. A important fact to remember when making a final decision as a leader you is to make sure you do undermine anyone on the team so to dont diminish the teams purpose.

The Constitution fails to meet the needs of a rapidly changing society Free Essays

When the Constitution was written by the ‘Founding Fathers back in 1787, they intentionally made it so that it could survive over time. They made it flexable so because they envisaged that there were problems that they could not forsee in the future, these are things such as the Depression of the late twenties and early thirties. ‘The Framers’ intended for the amendment process to be the main way of updating the constitution and through time this has been evident. We will write a custom essay sample on The Constitution fails to meet the needs of a rapidly changing society or any similar topic only for you Order Now An important part of a democratic government is the accountability of those in power, in recent times we have seen the system in America fail, in part this may be due to the fact that the constitution may be outdated. During Bill Clintons’ second term of office there were a number of scandals that rocked the White House, the first being the Paula Jones affair. During a hearing about the Paula Jones affair Clinton stated that he had not had â€Å"sexual relations† with Monica Lewinsky, this turned out to be a lie and Congress attempted to impeach him. The impeachment failed due to the wording of the constitution as it was based on the fact that they believed he had committed ‘a high crime or misdemeanour’ but Clintons’ lawyers asked for a definition of this and Congress could not give one. This shows that the wording of the constitution was outdated or the constitution was badly worded. There was also a lack of accountability during the Watergate scandal as President Nixon was able to escape with no punishment even though he was part of a conspiracy to commit a felony, all charges against Nixon were dropped by his successor Gerald Ford due to the fact that Presidents have the power to withdraw charges against anybody in America. This shows that there is an essential part of the democratic process missing due to flaws in the constitution. When the constitution was first written in 1787 there was a strong possibility of war, so when the founding fathers drew up the constitution they added in an article which said that all people have the right to bear arms. This article has been problematic ever since. Within the last decade there have been many high profile shootings in schools such as Columbine, this has led to a stronger fight against the gun laws. There are those such as the National Rifle Association who say that that right can not be taken away from them as it is one of their constitution rights but there is a problem with that as within the preamble there is the mention of insuring domestic tranquillity, can this be done when there are children who can gain easy access to guns, there are also the problems with the number of deaths due to gun crimes, the right to life is also mentioned in the constitution. The flexibility of the constitution is crucial to its longevity as if it was too rigid it would not have lasted, there may be the problem though that it is too flexible. Over the years there hav been many changes in the federal system, most notably the introduction of Roosevelts ‘New Deal’ which saw the power shift more towards the central government, then there was the move back through presidents such as Nixon and Reagan. During this time the efficacy of the government could be questioned as we saw with the ‘Appropreations Crisis’ in 1995, during this time government was shut down for two weeks this was ineffect shutting down the country as federal run services such as the postal service were also closed. A solution was found to stop that happening again, that arrived in the form of the ‘Line Item Veto’, this gave the President the power to remove unsuitable sentences or paragraphs from a bill. Eighteen months after its introduction it was scrapped as the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional as it gave too much power to one person. Many considered this as a mistake as it made the legislative process faster as it saved the bill being sent back to Congress. This shows that there is room for improvement within the constitution. Through time the main way to update the constitution has been through the Amendment process. As society and its ideals has changed so has the Constitution, when society started to object to slavery and racism the constitution began to follow, the same with womens rights. There are other problems as I have already mentioned the constitution still protects the pro-gun lobby as it is stated in the constitution that all citizens shall bear arms, after a number of atrocities and the significant rise in gun crime, society is begininng to object but still there is no movement on any new amendments in regards to gun laws. The lack of movement may be due to the constitution being outdated but it may also be due to the power that the NRA and other pro gun groups have but we have seen great trides taken through time such as the moves against racism. The constitution was based on what was happening in the eighteenth century and what the ‘Framers’ envisaged would happen in the future, but there would seem to be the ability within it, due to its flexibility, to change with modern society. Through time we have seen how society has changed and not far behind is the constitution due to the amendment process. How to cite The Constitution fails to meet the needs of a rapidly changing society, Papers

Romeo and Juliet Oral Commentary Essay Example For Students

Romeo and Juliet Oral Commentary Essay It is too like lightning, which doth cease be is the line that Juliet uses to describe love as she questions Romeos feelings towards her and is afraid that they will cease be. This passage is the latter part of Act 2, Scene 2 and describes the climax of Romeo and Juliets relationship since it is at this time they decide to marry. This passage is foreshadowed by the events at the Capulets feast and foreshadows the eventual marriage of the two lovers. It also foreshadows the deaths of the couple. This is shown by Juliets words All my fortunes at thy foot Ill lay/ and follow thee my lord throughout the world Upon discovery of Romeos suicide when she wakes up, Juliet follows Romeo by killing herself in hope that the two of them will be united in death. In this passage, a shift in Juliets character is revealed as her maturity is shown through her remarks about the abruptness of love, Shakespeares theme of loyalty to love is illustrated in this passage as the two lovers meet despite their families feud and finally this passage emphasizes the romantic tone of the play with the beautiful language that is used when Romeo and Juliet communicate. Dramatic Significance * Develops conflict () * This passage develops conflict because it foreshadows the marriage of the two lovers, as they arrange to wed the next morning. * In this scene, Romeo and Juliet make the choice to be together, after having discovered that they are kin to rival families. They are aware of the consequences they face, but choose to place love over all else. * Reveals character () * This scene reveals Juliet to be extremely devoted to Romeo. Throughout the passage, Juliet frequently remarks that she will always remain faithful to her true love, describing Romeo as the god of her idolatry, stating that she will worship him for the rest of her life. * This passage also illustrates a shift in Juliets character. In the beginning of the play, she was revealed to be naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve, thinking that she could possibly come to love Paris merely by looking at him. However, as she falls in love with Romeo, Juliet experiences a rite of passage, which provides her with a more mature outlook on love. Love cannot be based purely on physical appearances, but must have passion as well, and it is, in fact, Juliet who delivers some of the plays most powerful and passionate lines, including My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite. * Develops themes () * A common theme in this passage is that of duality. The light and dark motifs throughout this passage create a sense of irony. Romeo and Juliets love is seen as a light in the surrounding darkness of hate. However, their declaration of love and the consummation of the marriage are done at night, while the feuding occurs in during the day. * Another theme in this passage is the struggle between loyalty to love and loyalty to family. The enmity between the families makes the love difficult for Romeo and Juliet and they must rebel against their families to be with each other, as Romeo ventures into the Capulet orchard to see his beloved. However, both lovers choose loyalty to love over their families, which is continually seen in the dialogue. * Lastly, the theme of love versus lust is also expressed through the actions of the two lovers. Their love is based on love at first sight, and the two agree to marriage even though they have known each other for only a couple of hours. One must wonder whether their actions are truly based on love, or rather lust. Love is always patient, but the lovers act rashly in a manner similar to lust. .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e , .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e .postImageUrl , .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e , .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e:hover , .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e:visited , .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e:active { border:0!important; } .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e:active , .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1a23832fbf2715e4918242fa45a1fd5e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Commentary on the short story Essay* Develops tone () * In the beginning of the passage, Juliet responds to Romeos affections with reluctance, refusing to admit her love for him. However, as the scene progresses, the tone shifts from indecision to lyrical, through the lines in which Juliet states I gave thee mine before thou didst request it; and yet I would it were to give again. She expresses her inner feelings for Romeo, which then creates a romantic tone, through the use of beautiful imagery. The passage also ends on an optimistic note, as the lovers prepare for their impending marriage. 3. Literary Significance * References to each other (I, you, me, names) * The references to each other further illustrate the deep bond between the lovers because they cannot make a sentence without referring to each other. * Swearing Parts (God, What shall I swear by?) * These parts refer to a higher power by which they swear. This emphasizes the conflict between fate vs. free will. * References to light and dark images (lightening, flowers opposites) * The references to images that are associated with light and dark, like lightening and the nature, emphasize the theme of duality. Love can be like the lightening, which is rash and quick, but also like nature, where it can blossom into a beautiful flower. * References to night (Good-night!) * This also calls attention to the theme of duality, as night is always mentioned in a positive way, like goodnight, or blessed night * Simile/comparison (My bounty as boundless.) * This is a comparison between Juliets love and the depth of the sea, with her saying that her love for Romeo knows no boundaries. * References to marriage (fortunes, my lord, rites, honourable love) * The references to love and marriage emphasize the theme of free will, as the lovers make the choice to engage in matrimony. * Theatrical devices (Nurse, calls within) * The dramatic devices in this passage add suspense to the scene, as they are frequently used to inform the audience that the Nurse is calling Juliet from within. This gives one the idea that Romeo may be discovered by her and the Capulets. 4. Conclusion () The balcony scene is one of Shakespeares most famous passages since it is when the two lovers plan their union and unknowingly, their own demise. Despite the knowledge about the feud between their families, Romeo and Juliet continue on their dangerous quest for love. The relationship reaches its climax when Juliet proposes to Romeo. This creates ironic tension because it contrasts with the common convention that the male must always propose to the female. This also contradicts Juliets hesitancy to reveal her feelings at the beginning of the passage. Romeo and Juliet is a play in which the two lovers are derived from hatred. The couple shows no concern of the hatred that surrounds them but instead; focus on their love for each other. It is through this youthful optimism that they overcome most boundaries in order to be together. However, considering the ending of this play, one must wonder which of the two is always triumphant, love or hate?

AP Literature Reading List 127 Great Books for Your Prep

AP Literature Reading List 127 Great Books for Your Prep SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips A lot of students wonder if there’s a specific AP English reading list of books they should be reading to succeed on the AP Literature and Composition exam. While there’s not an official College-Board AP reading list, there are books that will be more useful for you to read than others as you prepare for the exam. In this article, I’ll break down why you need to read books to prepare, how many you should plan on reading, and what you should read- including poetry. Why Do You Need to Read Books for the AP Literature Test? This might seem like kind of an obvious question- you need to read books because it’s a literature exam! But actually, there are three specific reasons why you need to read novels, poems, and plays in preparation for the AP Lit Test. To Increase Your Familiarity With Different Eras and Genres of Literature Reading a diverse array of novels, poetry and plays from different eras and genres will help you be familiar with the language that appears in the various passages on the AP Lit exam’s multiple choice and essay sections. If you read primarily modern works, for example, you may stumble through analyzing a Shakespeare sonnet. So, having a basic familiarity level with the language of a broad variety of literary works will help keep you from floundering in confusion on test day because you’re seeing a work unlike anything you’ve ever read. To Improve Your Close-Reading Skills You’ll also want to read to improve your close-reading and rhetorical analysis skills. When you do read, really engage with the text: think about what the author’s doing to construct the novel/poem/play/etc., what literary techniques and motifs are being deployed, and what major themes are at play. You don’t necessarily need to drill down to the same degree on every text, but you should always be thinking, â€Å"Why did the author write this piece this way?† For the Student Choice Free-Response Question Perhaps the most critical piece in reading to prepare for the AP Lit test, however, is for the student choice free-response question. For the third question on the second exam section, you’ll be asked to examine how a specific theme works in one novel or play that you choose. The College Board does provide an example list of works, but you can choose any work you like just so long as it has adequate â€Å"literary merit.† However, you need to be closely familiar with more than one work so that you can be prepared for whatever theme the College Board throws at you! Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. Note: Not an effective reading method. How Many Books Do You Need to Read for the AP Exam? That depends. In terms of reading to increase your familiarity with literature from different eras and genres and to improve your close-reading skills, the more books you have time to read, the better. You’ll want to read them all with an eye for comprehension and basic analysis, but you don’t necessarily need to focus equally on every book you read. For the purposes of the student choice question, however, you’ll want to read books more closely, so that you could write a detailed, convincing analytical essay about any of their themes. So you should know the plot, characters, themes, and major literary devices or motifs used inside and out. Since you won’t know what theme you’ll be asked to write about in advance, you’ll need to be prepared to write a student choice question on more than just one book. Of the books you read for prep both in and out of class, choose four to five books that are thematically diverse to learn especially well in preparation for the exam. You may want to read these more than once, and you certainly want to take detailed notes on everything that’s going on in those books to help you remember key points and themes. Discussing them with a friend or mentor who has also read the book will help you generate ideas on what’s most interesting or intriguing about the work and how its themes operate in the text. You may be doing some of these activities anyways for books you are assigned to read for class, and those books might be solid choices if you want to be as efficient as possible. Books you write essays about for school are also great choices to include in your four to five book stable since you will be becoming super-familiar with them for the writing you do in class anyways. In answer to the question, then, of how many books you need to read for the AP Lit exam: you need to know four to five inside and out, and beyond that, the more the better! Know the books. Love the books. What Books Do You Need to Read for the AP Exam? The most important thing for the student choice free-response question is that the work you select needs to have â€Å"literary merit.† What does this mean? In the context of the College Board, this means you should stick with works of literary fiction. So in general, avoid mysteries, fantasies, romance novels, and so on. If you’re looking for ideas, authors and works that have won prestigious prizes like the Pulitzer, Man Booker, the National Book Award, and so on are good choices. Anything you read specifically for your AP literature class is a good choice, too. If you aren’t sure if a particular work has the kind of literary merit the College Board is looking for, ask your AP teacher. When creating your own AP Literature reading list for the student choice free-response, try to pick works that are diverse in author, setting, genre, and theme. This will maximize your ability to comprehensively answer a student choice question about pretty much anything with one of the works you’ve focused on. So, I might, for example, choose: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare, play, 1605 Major themes and devices: magic, dreams, transformation, foolishness, man vs. woman, play-within-a-play Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte, novel, 1847 Major themes and devices: destructive love, exile, social and economic class, suffering and passion, vengeance and violence, unreliable narrator, frame narrative, family dysfunction, intergenerational narratives. The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton, novel, 1920 Major themes and devices: Tradition and duty, personal freedom, hypocrisy, irony, social class, family, â€Å"maintaining appearances†, honor Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys, novel, 1966 Major themes and devices: slavery, race, magic, madness, wildness, civilization vs. chaos, imperialism, gender As you can see, while there is some thematic overlap in my chosen works, they also cover a broad swathe of themes. They are also all very different in style (although you’ll just have to take my word on that one unless you go look at all of them yourself), and they span a range of time periods and genres as well. However, while there’s not necessarily a specific, mandated AP Literature reading list, there are books that come up again and again on the suggestion lists for student choice free-response questions. When a book comes up over and over again on exams, this suggests both that it’s thematically rich, so you can use it to answer lots of different kinds of questions, and that the College Board sees a lot of value in the work. To that end, I’ve assembled a list, separated by time period, of all the books that have appeared on the suggested works list for student choice free-response questions at least twice since 2003. While you certainly shouldn’t be aiming to read all of these books (there’s way too many for that!), these are all solid choices for the student choice essay. Other books by authors from this list are also going to be strong choices. It’s likely that some of your class reading will overlap with this list, too. I’ve divided up the works into chunks by time period. In addition to title, each entry includes the author, whether the work is a novel, play, or something else, and when it was first published or performed. Works are alphabetical by author. Warning: Not all works pictured included in AP Literature reading list below. Ancient Works Title Author Genre Date Medea Euripides play 431 BC The Odyssey Homer epic poem (no date) Antigone Sophocles play 441 BC Oedipus Rex Sophocles play 429 BC 1500-1799 Title Author Genre Date Don Quixote Miguel de Cervantes novel 1605 Tom Jones Henry Fielding novel 1749 As You Like It Shakespeare play 1623 Julius Caesar Shakespeare play 1599 King Lear Shakespeare play 1606 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Shakespeare play 1605 The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare play 1605 Othello Shakespeare play 1604 The Tempest Shakespeare play 16 Candide Voltaire novel 1759 1800-1899 Title Author Genre Date Emma Jane Austen novel 1815 Mansfield Park Jane Austen novel 1814 Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen novel 1813 Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte novel 1847 Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte novel 1847 The Awakening Kate Chopin novel 1899 The Red Badge of Courage Stephen Crane novel 1895 Bleak House Charles Dickens novel 1853 David Copperfield Charles Dickens novel 1850 Great Expectations Charles Dickens novel 1861 Oliver Twist Charles Dickens novel 1837 A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens novel 1859 Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoyevsky novel 1866 Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert novel 1856 Jude the Obscure Thomas Hardy novel 1895 The Mayor of Casterbridge Thomas Hardy novel 1886 Tess of the d’Urbervilles Thomas Hardy novel 1891 The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne novel 1850 A Doll’s House Henrik Ibsen play 1879 The American Henry James novel 1877 The Portrait of a Lady Henry James novel 1881 Moby-Dick Herman Melville novel 1851 Frankenstein Mary Shelley novel 1818 Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy novel 1877 Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain novel 1885 The Queen of AP Literature surveys her kingdom. 1900-1939 Title Author Genre Date My ntonia Willa Cather novel 1918 The Cherry Orchard Anton Chekhov play 1904 Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad novel 1902 Sister Carrie Theodore Dreiser novel 1900 Murder in the Cathedral T.S. Eliot play 1935 Absalom, Absalom! William Faulkner novel 1936 As I Lay Dying William Faulkner novel 1930 Light in August William Faulkner novel 1932 The Sound and the Fury William Faulkner novel 1929 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald novel 1925 A Passage to India E.M. Forster novel 1924 The Little Foxes Lillian Hellman play 1939 Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston novel 1937 Brave New World Aldous Huxley novel 1931 A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man James Joyce novel 1916 Billy Budd Herman Melville novel 1924 Major Barbara George Bernard Shaw play 1905 The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck novel 1939 The Age of Innocence Edith Wharton novel 1920 Ethan Frome Edith Wharton novel 19 The House of Mirth Edith Wharton novel 1905 Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf novel 1925 1940-1969 Title Author Genre Date Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe novel 1958 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Edward Albee play 1962 Another Country James Baldwin novel 1962 Waiting for Godot Samuel Beckett play 1953 The Plague Albert Camus novel 1947 Invisible Man Ralph Ellison novel 1952 Lord of the Flies William Golding novel 1954 A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry play 1959 Catch-22 Joseph Heller novel 1961 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’ s Nest Ken Kesey novel 1962 A Separate Peace John Knowles novel 1959 To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee novel 1960 The Crucible Arthur Miller play 1953 Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller play 1949 House Made of Dawn N. Scott Momaday novel 1968 Wise Blood Flannery O’Connor novel 1952 1984 George Orwell novel 1949 Cry, the Beloved Country Alan Paton novel 1948 All the King’s Men Robert Penn Warren novel 1946 The Chosen Chaim Potok novel 1967 Wide Sargasso Sea Jean Rhys novel 1966 The Catcher in the Rye JD Salinger novel 1951 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Tom Stoppard play 1966 Cat’s Cradle Kurt Vonnegut novel 1963 The Glass Menagerie Tennessee Williams play 1945 A Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee Williams play 1947 Black Boy Richard Wright memoir 1945 Native Son Richard Wright novel 1940 Don't get trapped in a literature vortex! 1970-1989 Title Author Genre Date Bless Me, Ultima Rudolfo Anaya novel 1972 The House on Mango Street Sandra Cisneros novel 1984 â€Å"Master Harold† . . . and the boys Athol Fugard play 1982 M. Butterfly David Henry Hwang play 1988 A Prayer for Owen Meany John Irving novel 1989 The Woman Warrior Maxine Hong Kingston memoir 1976 Obasan Joy Kogawa novel 1981 Beloved Toni Morrison novel 1987 The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison novel 1970 Song of Solomon Toni Morrison novel 1977 Sula Toni Morrison novel 1973 Jasmine Bharati Mukherjee novel 1989 The Women of Brewster Place Gloria Naylor novel 1982 Going After Cacciato Tim O’Brien novel 1978 Equus Peter Shaffer play 1973 Ceremony Leslie Marmon Silko novel 1977 Sophie’s Choice William Styron novel 1979 The Color Purple Alice Walker novel 1982 Fences August Wilson play 1983 The Piano Lesson August Wilson play 1987 1990-Present Title Author Genre Date Reservation Blues Sherman Alexie novel 1995 The Blind Assassin Margaret Atwood novel 2000 Oryx and Crake Margaret Atwood novel 2003 The Memory Keeper’s Daughter Kim Edwards novel 2005 Cold Mountain Charles Frazier novel 1997 Snow Falling on Cedars David Guterson novel 1994 The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini novel 2003 A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini novel 2007 Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguro novel 2005 The Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingsolver novel 1998 The Namesake Jumpa Lahiri novel 2004 All the Pretty Horses Cormac McCarthy novel 1992 Atonement Ian McEwan novel 2001 Native Speaker Chang Rae-Lee novel 1995 The God of Small Things Arundhati Roy novel 1997 A Thousand Acres Jane Smiley novel 1991 The Bonesetter’s Daughter Amy Tan novel 2001 The Story of Edgar Sawtelle David Wroblewski novel 2008 Don't stay in one reading position for too long, or you'll end up like this guy. Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. An Addendum on Poetry You probably won’t be writing about poetry on your student choice essay- most just aren’t meaty enough in terms of action and character to merit a full-length essay on the themes when you don’t actually have the poem in front of you (a major exception being The Odyssey). That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be reading poetry, though! You should be reading a wide variety of poets from different eras to get comfortable with all the varieties of poetic language. This will make the poetry analysis essay and the multiple-choice questions about poetry much easier! See this list of poets compiled from the list given on page 14 of the AP Course and Exam Description for AP Lit, separated out by time period. For those poets who were working during more than one of the time periods sketched out below, I tried to place them in the era in which they were more active. I’ve placed an asterisk next to the most notable and important poets in the list; you should aim to read one or two poems by each of the starred poets to get familiar with a broad range of poetic styles and eras. 14th-17th Centuries Anne Bradstreet Geoffrey Chaucer John Donne George Herbert Ben Jonson Andrew Marvell John Milton William Shakespeare* 18th-19th Centuries William Blake* Robert Browning Samuel Taylor Coleridge* Emily Dickinson* Paul Laurence Dunbar George Gordon, Lord Byron Gerard Manley Hopkins John Keats* Edgar Allan Poe* Alexander Pope* Percy Bysshe Shelley* Alfred, Lord Tennyson* Walt Whitman* William Wordsworth* Early-Mid 20th Century W. H. Auden Elizabeth Bishop H. D. (Hilda Doolittle) T. S. Eliot* Robert Frost* Langston Hughes* Philip Larkin Robert Lowell Marianne Moore Sylvia Plath* Anne Sexton* Wallace Stevens William Carlos Williams William Butler Yeats* Late 20th Century-Present Edward Kamau Brathwaite Gwendolyn Brooks Lorna Dee Cervantes Lucille Clifton Billy Collins Rita Dove Joy Harjo Seamus Heaney Garrett Hongo Adrienne Rich Leslie Marmon Silko Cathy Song Derek Walcott Richard Wilbur You might rather burn books than read them after the exam, but please refrain. Key Takeaways Why do you need to read books to prepare for AP Lit? For three reasons: #1: To become familiar with a variety of literary eras and genres#2: To work on your close-reading skills#3: To become closely familiar with four-five works for the purposes of the student choice free-response essay analyzing a theme in a work of your choice. How many books do you need to read? Well, you definitely need to get very familiar with four-five for essay-writing purposes, and beyond that, the more the better! Which books should you read? Check out the AP English Literature reading list in this article to see works that have appeared on two or more â€Å"suggested works† lists on free-response prompts since 2003. And don’t forget to read some poetry too! See some College Board recommended poets listed in this article. What's Next? See my expert guide to the AP Literature test for more exam tips! The multiple-choice section of the AP Literature exam is a key part of your score. Learn everything you need to know about it in our complete guide to AP Lit multiple-choice questions. Taking other APs? Check out our expert guides to the AP Chemistry exam, AP US History, AP World History, AP Psychology, and AP Biology. Looking for other book recommendation lists from PrepScholar? We've compiled lists of the 7 books you must read if you're a pre-med and the 31 books to read before graduating high school. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Contemporary Capitalism Essays

Contemporary Capitalism Essays Contemporary Capitalism Essay Contemporary Capitalism Essay We live today in a crucial period in human history, of human thinking, in which one looks for new criteria, new concepts, new values and new certainties. The latest crises and the latest tendencies throughout the world have made the economists change their opinion about capitalism, the right political system, the perfect combination between the political order and the economical order, and so on. New tendencies like: globalization, regionalism, integration, and new technology. We also are faced with new psychological concepts such as, a world without frontier, a world fully open, lack of privacy, the new meaning of individualism, the new powers emerging, the â€Å"green† phenomenon (ecology), and immigration. All of these factors have led to some new (sometimes even controversial) theories about what is the right type of economy and political system of a specific country and how it can keep its sovereignty in this over connected world. We live in a period of history, in which everything is revised; new concepts are brought in to place, creating a new order. There is a search for new concepts, another paradigm, new values and new certainties. We live in postmodernist world. The economists live in a Babel tower, in which no one listens to one another and no one understands each other. â€Å"Leave three economists together and you can be sure that you will have at least four different theories about the economical politics that needs to be implemented†[1]. This has led to the following concepts, some of them best demonstrated in the recent party disputes in Britain. 4. 1 The Third Way The „Third Way† is a label for the need to update left-of-centre thinking in the light of the big changes sweeping through the world, especially the influence of globalization. A notable work on this theme is the one of Anthony Giddens[2]. He approaches one of the most provocative themes of public interest, from the post-communist period. He tries to look for a new political, theoretic and doctrinaire road, outside from the traditional distinction between left and right, a simultaneous transposition between old social-democracy and neoliberalism. The â€Å"First Way† was the traditional left: traditional social democracy, which dominated political thought and practice in the early post-war period. It was based on Keynesian economics and upon the notion that the state should replace the market in major areas of economic life. That approach foundered as the economy became more globalised and as it came to be recognized that the state is often inefficient and clumsily bureaucratic. The â€Å"Second Way† was Thatcherism, or market fundamentalism or neoliberalism the belief that the realm of the market should be extended as far as possible, since markets are the most rational and efficient means of allocating resources. [3] Thatcherism produced some important innovations and restored British economic competitiveness. Yet it too succumbed to its own limitations. Poverty and inequality arose more sharply in the UK during the Thatcher years than in almost any other developed country. Privatization was the order of the day and investment in public services foundered. The legacy of Mrs. Thatcher was a society with growing social and economic divisions and deteriorating public institutions. It was absolutely necessary to look for a third alternative a political approach that sought to reconcile economic competitiveness with social protection and with an attack upon poverty. [4] â€Å"Some have seen the â€Å"Third Way† as a sound-bite, empty PR a political outlook devoid of significant policy content. This view is quite wrong. Labor has won three successive elections for the first time in its history and could very well win a fourth precisely because the â€Å"Third Way† is policy-rich. Gordon Brown is unlikely to use the term, and I have dropped it myself precisely because it has been so widely misconstrued. But he will not revert to Old Labor, and he will certainly follow and further develop the main framework of â€Å"Third-Way† political thinking. †[5] That framework is based upon a number of key policy principles. The first is: hold the political centre-ground. No social democratic party can succeed today. The second is: ensure the economy is strong. Securing greater social justice depends upon a robust economy, not the other way around. The third is, invest heavily in public services, but insist that this is coupled to reform, to make the public services more effective, responsive and transparent. Choice and competition are essential to these aims; they are the means of generating reform and of empowering citizens who use these services. The fourth principle is to create a new contract between state and citizens, based upon responsibilities as well as rights. Government should provide resources to help people shape their own lives; these should regard the multiple problems that an individual or a family faces, about the quality of the jobs, health, children protection, education and transportation[6]; but it should also expect people to deliver on their part of the bargain. For instance, in the past, unemployment benefits have been an unconditional right. But this situation discourages personal responsibility and has the effect of locking workers out of jobs. Those who lose their jobs should have a responsibility to actively to look for work, and should be given retraining opportunities should they need them. Also â€Å"even in the middle of the tendencies of our dislocated society, we are capable to gather and sustain one each other†[7]. Finally and most controversially of all, although crucial to Labors success dont allow any issues to be monopolized by the political right. The right has always tended to dominate in areas such as law and order, immigration and terrorism; we need to look for left-of-centre responses to these problems. Given the impact of living in a more global world, we have to find a new balance between civil liberties and security. Labor has been widely accused of undermining our freedoms, but every country today is finding it hard to settle upon where the balance should lie. For a long time it was believed that those countries that combined capitalism and socialism (for example Sweden and Yugoslavia) can survive because of the qualities of both systems, but later on it was proved that the defects can’t be left without consequences. This debate led to controversies even in Romania, controversies that have been started by amateur politicians regarding doctrinaire problems that have only caught rumors about the discussions held at a European level, so they ended up being distorted. But the discussion about â€Å"the third way† has a strategic importance for Romania. In a country where most citizens voted for the left side, where the occasional social-democracy, the reinvented one, the democratic left but even the reformed communists or the extreme left have prevailed in the 2000 elections, the problem of reinventing social-democracy from the space of prosperous foreign capitalism holds a big attraction. Only a capitalist reform can produce in Romania, like in any other former communist country, an economical prosperity, the only realist base for the â€Å"state of the social protection†. 8] The Marxists left wanted to overthrown capitalism, and replace it with a different system. Also, a lot of social democrats were saying that capitalism can and must be progressively modified so it won’t lose the majority of its defining characteristics. Nobody ever offered an alternative to capitalism- the problem that remains is how much and in what way capitalism must be adjusted and controlled. After Second World War and until the ’70, on the basis of the Keynesians recipes, the State took on to increase its role, functions and powers within society, becoming what was called the â€Å"Welfare State†. The social struggles of the XIX-th century and the XX-th century were finally recognized. They also succeeded in making a new compromise between the work force and the capital (in the benefit of the former one), a new allocation of resources, in which the redistribution in favor of the helpless occupied front row. There has been registered reduction of inequalities of incomes and general increase in standard of living in almost all the western countries. But at the end of the ’60, critics against this type of society began to multiply. Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan both opened a new era in the western social-economical and political life, one that was based on the liberal ideology. They replaced taboo words such as â€Å"The State† and â€Å"Citizen† with â€Å"Market† and â€Å"Individual†, and in this era the forces of the capitalism reconquered the lost terrain, reestablishing the balance between capital and work force in the benefit of the latter. The State became a weaker and a more invalid social and economical actor in front of the bigger international firms and in front of the forces of the market, it became less representative and less credible. Books like Anthony’s Giddens, â€Å"The third Way† and Bodo’s Hombach â€Å"Aufbruch die Politik des Neuten Mitte†[9], reference books in current political science, both announce the end of social-democracy as a modern political doctrine. In turn as already presented they present â€Å"The New Center† as a complex and syncretism (combination of different elements belonging to different arts) doctrine, a synthesis of doctrinaire ingredients both from the left and from the right. It supposes to eliminate any type of radicalism and thus to respond to the today’s complex realities, and proposing a so called â€Å"third way†, always searched, always invoked in different spaces, in different times. [10] Many economists criticize this â€Å"Third Way†. For them and for me it is not a viable political system. It is not a new way, but just a combination of two old ways, a combination that fails to bring the best from the two. It cannot define itself but through reference of its two already known poles. It cannot be an authentic doctrine, but a mix specific to each conjuncture in time and space. It cannot be but an exception, transitive and temporary, because it doesn’t have a doctrinaire showing consistency and originality. The main counterargument is that if the capitalist are left to do what they know best make money, but then the state interferes and redistributes it in order for everybody to be equal, than where does it leave the engine, the motifs that propel these capitalists. The Welfare State failed in providing the true social justice because of the excessive redistribution that discouraged and penalized the individual initiative. 4. 2 Capitalism the only plausible way (The misery of capitalism) For certain critiques of capitalism one can sense a double disposition: on one side the desire to counterpoise, to discover all its flaws; on the other side, the temptation of accelerating its flow for the purpose of better hurrying up its fall. The illusion, ghost, already present at Marx and which consist in the fact that it was believed that capitalism will expand everywhere through a blasphemous production, and will extenuate it by overcharging, so it will tilt suddenly in its counterpoint, the golden age. For Marx the â€Å"Golden Age† was socialism. Capitalism self-destroying will only be caused by its planetary expanding: at the end, after its devastation, there will be the flickering of a new aurora.. It is a self firing capitalism, made him self useless because it has succeeded. If everything will become a market, as Jeremy Rifkin[11] predicted, nothing will be a market. This type of expectation can thrill the imagination, but doesn’t hold to common sense: on one side, capitalism is far from ruling everywhere, and even if no rival is present, it is absent in its most fundamental forms. To the other half of the world, capitalism is viewed as a rider of the Apocalypse wearing, in its chaos, the promises of a wonderful horizon, it means to ask capitalism too much, to transfer only to its economical sphere a hope that was once entrusted to religions. We cannot expect from Capitalism anything else but what it knows to do best: produce material goods in an unlimited number, and nothing else. For other writers the question is not if capitalism will survive, because for them it’s a superfluous question, but mainly how capitalism changed and how willing are we the accept it. â€Å"Its survival for over two centuries, capitalism owes it both to its enemies and to its followers†[12] There is no replacement for socialism only slight changes from within. Free-market economy not only did not fulfill its promises, disenfranchising millions of people, but also appears as a simple machine of producing goods with no other purpose, reason but to produce other goods. When it fails, capitalism revolts us with its misery that it brings or maintains; when it succeeds it horrifies us through a depth of ugliness and bad merchandise. We manage to put up with it as much as we accept it, without actually adhering to the stories that make capitalism move forward. â€Å"Capitalism has to sustain its process in front of judges that already have in their pockets the death sentence. These judges prepare to file against the defendant, whatever arguments the lawyers might invocate, the only way the defense might register a success is to change the accusation paper†[13] Pascal Bruckner takes this idea forward and says that this accusation document doesn’t exist. He admits that capitalism is not the best solution, but he also says that by not having adversaries it is the only plausible way. For some writers like Viviane Forrester[14] capitalism is nothing else that the twin brother of Nazism that will finish the program of extermination, fifty years after the failure of the later. She assimilates the â€Å"economical horror† with the concentration camps from The Second World War and foresees â€Å"ready genocide† from the masters of the world. The target is the poor people. Christophe Dejours[15], a psychiatrist, writes a new page in the history of revisionism. In his opinion he assimilates the enterprise personnel with some collaborationists who participate with the boss at oppressing the employees just like numerous Germans collaborated for the extermination of the Jews. Pascal Bruckner also criticizes capitalism because of the publicity that bombards our every day life; because of the way all the countries tend to copy America, (â€Å"everybody can become American because America is already everybody†[16]) even if the only accepted form of racism is anti Americanism; because in his opinion capitalism killed our freedom, by imposing all these rules; because the disparities between the rich and the poor have grown so much; because of the way countries criticize the international system just to actually get better into it; because there is no longer the case of good will, but only one’s interests (â€Å"We cannot rely on the goodwill of the butcher, merchant, beer vendor or baker to supply us the meal, but on the care that they have for their own interests. We do not ever address their humanity, but their selfishness; and we will never tell them our needs, but always their advantages†[17]); because of the consumerism life that subjugate the individual, when the subterfuge of shopping became a prison, where the consumer defines itself through what he/she drinks, eats, listen, and vegetates in an adolescent universe, incapable to prioritize its desires and needs; because the unlimited progress of science did not go hand in hand with the recognition of the consciousness. ; because there the gap between rich people and poor people is growing bigger and bigger (â€Å"In 1960, a fifth of the most wealthy people in the world disposed of an income 30 times bigger than a fifth of the poorest. Today it disposes 82 times more†[18]) Bruckner thinks that it was communism that saved capitalism, and if it was true that capitalism could face its destruction because of its successes it is not longer true because it can let itself be educate d by those who want to delete it from the map and participate without their will at its own resurrection. Bruckner also mocks J. Garello. The later emphasizes that â€Å"In the real capitalism there is no corruption because the politics is held with care away from the economical order. There is no pollution because the responsible polluters must repair the damages that they inflict. There is no trash, dirt, because people learn spontaneously to improve their fate and progress on the later of income thanks to their initiative and their aptitude for work and trade. †[19] According to Bruckner this author thinks about capitalism as â€Å"a piece from the true cross†. Bruckner doesn’t agree that the individual can be reduced to modern Robinson, always rational, self conscious of its own interests and condemned for ever to maximize its potential. The same author also states that capitalism and democracy are less complementary but more supplementary, they sustain each other as much as they are contradictive, they have reports of confliction assistance, they listen to false similarity. 4. 3 Global economy –the end of capitalism as we know it or a new economy emerging? 4. 3. 1 Bleak times â€Å"The capitalists do not believe at all in capitalism. They believe in socialism for the wealthy. They want to be sure that the government takes care only of them and that the other ones don’t realize it. These guys, after all of that stuff theyve been telling us all these years about capitalism, free market, free enterprise they dont believe in any of that. They dont believe in free enterprise or a free market. They want they want socialism for themselves. To hell with everybody else, but give it to them. And I think, really, what were seeing here right now with them, with the banks, were seeing the end of capitalism the end of capitalism as we know it. And I say good riddance. †[20] George Soros believes that the connection between capitalism and democracy is a fragile one. Capitalism and democracy comply themselves to different principles. The stakes are different: for capitalism – wealth, for democracy – political authority. The criteria that are taken into consideration when measurements are made are also different: in capitalism, the measurement unit is the money, in democracy –the citizen’s vote. The values that capitalism and democracy serve are also different: in capitalism one can affirm that is about personal interests, in democracy – public interest. 21] Historically, democracy has been an important counterweight to the capitalist system, but in an era of globalization, Mr. Soros believes, no individual state can resist its power. C ollective decision-making institutions either do not exist or are not able to effectively intervene. While ideological global capitalism has thankfully swept away corrupt states, Mr. Soros worries how long it will be before it undermines reform-minded governments and even destroys itself. [22] Fukuyama also believes that capitalism and democracy do not necessarily have to go together. For him thou, it’s a preferable solution, because in his opinion at the end of history, capitalism will prevail, and liberal democracy is the only viable political system. [23] By â€Å"global capitalist system† Soros doesnt mean what we would understand by the term: capitalism as a world-wide system of production for profit, but the more restricted sense of present world financial arrangements which allow the more or less free movement of capital throughout the world: â€Å"The global economy is characterized not only by free trade in goods and services but even more by the free movement of capital. Interest rates, exchange rates, and stock prices in various countries are intimately interrelated, and global financial markets exert tremendous influence on economic conditions. Given the decisive role that international financial apital plays in the fortunes of individual countries, it is not inappropriate to speak of a global capitalist system† [24] It is these arrangements-this single world financial market-that he is saying is in danger of disintegrating; which of course would not at all be the same thing as the collapse of capitalism that ha s sometimes been mistakenly predicted by some writers in the Marxist tradition Soros, following, consciously or not, a distinction made by one school of anti-imperialist thinkers in the 1970s and 80s, divides the â€Å"global capitalist system† into a centre (US, Western Europe, Japan) and a periphery (Asia, Latin America, Russia, East Europe, Africa). Under this system capital flows from the centre to the periphery and back, supposedly to the mutual benefit of both. He sees the danger of disintegration coming from countries on the periphery taking steps to stop the free flow of capital in a bid to avoid the negative effects of the systems instability on their economies and populations: â€Å"To put it bluntly, the choice confronting us is whether we will regulate global financial markets internationally or leave it to each individual state to protect its own interests as best it can. The latter of course will surely lead to the breakdown of the gigantic circulatory system, which goes under the name of global capitalism† [25] So what Soros means by the â€Å"breakdown† or â€Å"disintegration† of global capitalism is not the collapse of the world-wide system of production for profit based on the exploitation of wage labor, but only states coming to adopt measures that impede the free movement of finance capital. Global institutions must be created to lay down some basic ground rules for the operation of global capitalism. For Soros is no free marketer. In fact part of his book is a devastating attack on those he calls the â€Å"market fundamentalists†, the followers of Von Mises, Von Hayek and others, who advocate that market forces be given complete free reign (laissez-faire) and who came into intellectual prominence in the time of Reagan and Thatcher. Soros levels two charges at them. Firstly, that they think markets have an in-built tendency towards creating a stable situation through supply and demand being in balance, while this is not the case. Second, that they preach that the market is the best way to regulate all human activities. Writing from his own experience, admittedly not of the real economy but only of financial markets, Soros challenges the equilibrium theory. The external shocks which the market fundamentalists invoke are usually, of course, government interventions of one sort or another. According to them, if governments just stood aside and let the magic of the market operate, there would be no slumps just continuous, smooth growth. But there is no evidence for this. Throughout the 19th century British governments pursued a policy of laissez-faire yet slumps still occurred on a regular basis. [26] The fact is that the market system does have a built-in tendency towards creating booms and busts rather than stability and smooth growth. As Marx pointed out, this applies to the real world of market-oriented production and not just financial markets. Soros is even prepared to give Marx some credit here: â€Å"†¦ the capitalist system by itself shows no tendency toward equilibrium. The owners of capital seek to maximize their profits. Left to their own devices, they would continue to accumulate capital until the situation became unbalanced. Marx and Engels gave a very good analysis of the capitalist system 150 years ago, better in some ways, I must say, than the equilibrium theory of classical economics†[27]. He claims, however, that thanks to â€Å"countervailing political interventions in democratic countries† Marxs â€Å"dire predictions did not come true†. This is based on a misunderstanding of Marxs view. The â€Å"dire predictions† that Soros mentions were not, as he seems to assume, that the unregulated profit-seeking of capitalists would lead to the collapse of the capitalist system but simply that their competitive struggle for profits meant that steady, smooth growth was impossible and that growth proceeded by means of booms and slumps. Capitalism has not collapsed because it was never going to, not because of government intervention Marx didnt foresee. And government intervention has not been able to eliminate the boom/slump cycle which Marx saw was an unavoidable feature of capitalism. Soros sees himself as continuing the political philosophy of Karl Popper. As expounded in books such as â€Å"The Open Society and Its Enemies†, Popper argued against the idea of trying to establish a â€Å"perfect† society in favor of accepting an â€Å"open† society as one subject to permanent improvement by piecemeal social engineering, by which he understood capitalism with a political structure involving elected institutions, the rule of law and pluralism, more or less what the West has had for years. 28] For Popper found the main enemies of his â€Å"open society† were the totalitarian ideologies of fascism and â€Å"Marxism† (which, for him, was not just Marxs own views but those mixed up wi th Lenins and Stalins)[29]. Soros adds a third which he says has come into prominence since the collapse of â€Å"communism†: uncontrolled capitalism. Hence the subtitle of his book â€Å"Open Society Endangered†, though he had already expressed this view in a famous article â€Å"The Capitalist Threat† that first appeared in â€Å"The Atlantic Monthly† in February 1997 and which was widely reproduced. Soros sees the danger coming from the penetration of market values into all aspects of life, leading to social disintegration. Monetary values†, he writes, â€Å"have usurped the role of intrinsic values and markets have come to dominate areas of society where they do not properly belong†[30]. He is in fact quite forceful in his criticism of this aspect of global capitalism. Soross mistake is to think that you can have capitalism and somehow keep its money-commodity relations from spreading everywhere. The history of capitalism is the history of the continuous spread of such transactional relationships, the market works its way into more fields of human activity. It is a process that cannot be stoppe d within capitalism as growing marketization is just as much a feature of capitalism as capital accumulation; indeed the two go together. Soros, however, is a supporter of capitalism: â€Å"I want to make it clear that I do not want to abolish capitalism. In spite of its shortcomings, it is better than the alternatives. Instead, I want to prevent the global capitalist system from destroying itself† [31] One might doubt whether he has given serious consideration to the alternative of a global society based on the common ownership of the worlds resources and production directly to satisfy human needs. Not that one would really expect him to. Some of his fellow-capitalists already think he has gone too far in his criticism of their system. [32] 4. 3. 2 The new economy â€Å"The anthems of modernity sing liberalism. Its victory is almost complete, absolute, to the north and south, to the sunset and the sunrise. Globalization signifies liberalization. The horizon is liberal. †[33] The today’s dominant doctrine at a global level gravitates around some key concepts, it cultivates some values that tend to acknowledged almost unanimously. First of all it affirms, and emphasizes the prevalence of the individual, in its quality of an entrepreneur, manufacturer and consumer, and respects its freedom of action and interaction with its neighbors, the ones like him, in order to maximize his individual utility. The state is a minimal one, its action reducing only to protect the negative rights (as described by von Humboldt, Herbert Spencer, and Robert Nozick). Society has at its basis a network of economical transactions between individuals, through which everybody exchanges goods and services, abilities and knowledge, time (understood as fundamental economical resource), with the purpose of maximizing profits and the degree of individual satisfaction. [34] This way the allocation of resources and the social adjustment is no longer directed from above, but are being harmonized and optimized on the horizontal, due to these complex relations between individuals, a characteristic of the free market. This is a second key concept of the liberal model. The market gains its own rights again as a natural form of organizing and regulating not only the economical activities, but also social life in general. Society becomes thus a market society, which attains the true social justice. This new type of society assures the equality of chances, encourages the initiative and free competition between individuals, in order for each of them to take care of themselves and to follow their own ideal of personal wealth, according to their own natural abilities and the own obtained trough education, according to the work they depose and the creativity they are showing. Nobody guarantees the right for work anymore; each one has to demonstrate that he/she is useful because of his/hers work. The initial forming and the continuous role one plays becomes more and more important. In order to insure social equality, the state must ensure everybody’s right to education. Another essential element of the new political-economical orthodoxy is the private enterprise, producer of wealth, of adding value, and the organizer of the social texture. It is the main object in the economical game, directing the transactions and determining the distribution and the redistribution of costs and profits at a global level. Today’s informatics and telecommunication revolutions radically transform the classical private enterprise more likely into a network, a system that works horizontally. The decisions are becoming more and more decentralized, and they give responsibilities to all the employees, through a participatory management and a representative one for all the involved interests. But above all, thrones the great capital, especially the financial one. All the elements of the economic system: people, goods and services, are being appreciated by their contribution to the profitableness of the social capital. At a global level, the politics that need to be promoted must envisage first of all the legacy of human kind, the common interest: protecting and rehabilitating the environmental conditions (air, water, forests so on), through regulation accepted at a global level; common security (regarding food, finance, health so on); peace; protecting and rehabilitation of the cultural legacy, with its wonderful diversity; punishing the crimes committed against humanity, by consolidating The International Criminal Court and others. [35] Braileanu considers also that a minimum intervention of the state is necessary, and only especially for defense, public order, in general for defending the rights and freedoms of its members. But â€Å"If we do not want the state to interfere in all the domains of our private life, if we want to be free and productive, it is necessary to look and establish a precise limit beyond which the State cannot confiscate what belongs to us†[36] He also acknowledges the fact that we are dealing with an integrating process, and that there is no reason or ways to fight it. The main agents of this formidable envelopment are the huge multinational enterprises, groups or chains industrial and financial, conglomerate tentacles that concentrate and dominate the world. Historically, the world was never ruled by so few and so powerful masters. The true global governance is managed by only six major actors: The International Monetary Fund, The World Bank, G7- The group of the seven most industrialized countries in the world, The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and NATO. The influence of technology and information led to acceleration in the process of concentrating the capital, thus the power. The logic of the market leads to monopoly. This idea was also seen by Marx as the last stage of capitalism. He declared that by reaching this point it is going to be easier to pass to a socialist society. In today’s new economy, the balance between capital and work is a different one. The father is the capital, and the mother is the work. In the new condition of this postmodern marriage, the feminine part is asked to be very flexible and mobile. Tiberiu Braileanu admits that the new economy has its dangers. But he says â€Å"in order to avoid them, the principle for durable, long-lasting development must include the necessary human solidarity and reconsideration of the person, of the human being, in the center of the economic preoccupation†[37] 4. 4 Capitalism – an almost complete victory against â€Å"the enemies of the open society†? One can argue that only the capital is anticapitalist, because it works at overthrowing its previous conditions through what Joseph Schumpeter called â€Å"the continuous hurricane of destructive creativeness†, the appearance of new values through destroying the existent goods Less pessimistic than Schumpeter but anxious about the future nonetheless is Francis Fukuyama. Fukuyama’s argument is in two stages according to David Reismen in his book â€Å"Conservative Capitalism. The Social Economy â€Å"[38]. First, he argues, ethical absolutes are the precondition for success and not just the icing on the cake: â€Å"Law, contract, and economic rationality provide a necessary but not sufficient basis for both the stability and prosperity of postindustrial societies; they must as well be leavened with reciprocity, moral obligation, duty toward community, and trust, which are based in a habit rather than rational calculation. The latter are not anachronisms in a modern society but rather the sine qua non of the latter’s success. [39] Second, Fukuyama continues, the social capital that is the source of the constraint is being eroded by evolution and it is not being replenished: â€Å"Communities of shared values, whose members are willing to subordinate their private interests for the sake of larger goals of the community as such, have b ecome rarer. And it is these moral communities alone that can generate the kind of social trust that is critical to organizational efficiency. † [40]p. 309 Fukuyama also militates for liberalism, and more than that his perfect system would be a liberal democracy. He, as Tiberiu Braileanu, both see that today this system has some shortcomings. A free society presumably means the abolition of any power, in the idea that human nature is kind and that it can evolve without exterior coercion. To have a number of freedoms doesn’t mean to be free. And then, are we really free? The new technologies affect so much our private lives, that one can say that we are all in a conditional freedom, ever more connected. Also as Pericle said â€Å"If you want to be free, you must work†. Just as Soros, Fukuyama thinks that without its exterior enemies, capitalism tends to self destroy. According to Denis Duclos[41], the major characteristic of the present capitalist system is a phenomenon of â€Å"autofagie† (self eating) and the devouring of the exceeding work. The enterprises swallow each other, the markets devour themselves, and people have to put up with the consequences of this insane recycling, governed by the law of profit by any means. Fukuyama’s book was indeed surprising. Fukuyamas thesis consists of three main elements. First, there is an empirical argument. Fukuyama points out that since the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, democracy, which started off as being merely one among many systems of government, has grown until the majority of governments in the world are termed democratic. He also points out that democracys main intellectual alternatives (which he takes to be various forms of dictatorship) have become discredited. Second, there is a philosophical argument examining the influence of thymos (or human spiritedness). Fukuyama argues that the original battles for prestige among the first men of history, and the willingness of some to risk their lives in order to receive recognition from another is an unnecessary form of human behavior within a democracy. In essence; the roles of master and slave are rationally understood by both parties to be unsatisfying and self-defeating. This follows the work of Hegel and an Anglo-Saxon tradition typified by John Lockes ideas on self preservation and the right to property. Finally Fukuyama also argues that for a variety of reasons, radical socialism (or communism) is likely to be incompatible with modern representative democracy. So the last question for Fukuyama, that tries to look for an end to history, is if liberal democracy is fully satisfying or are there still contradictions that will be kept deep inside the liberal arrangement? Of course liberal democracy has various problems such as unemployment, environmental pollution, drugs, and crime, but beyond these immediate problems lays the question if there are deeper sources of malcontent- if life is fully satisfactory? â€Å"If we can’t see any of these contradictions then we can say together with Hegel and Kojeve[42] that we have reached the end of history. But if we do see them, then we must say that History, in its strict meaning, will continue†. [43] Therefore, in the future, democracies are overwhelmingly likely to contain markets of some sort, and most are likely to be capitalist or social democratic. 1] Milton Fridman, Liber s[pic] alegi , editura ALL, Bucure_[pic]ti, 1999 [2] Anthony Giddens, Baron Giddens (born January 18, 1938) is a British sociologist who is renowned for his theory of structuration and his holistic view of modern societies. He is considered to be one of the most prominent modern contributors in the field of sociology, the author of at least 34 books, published in at least 29 languages, issuing on average more than one book every year. Three notable stages can be identified in his academic life. The most recent stage concerns modernity, globalization and politics, especially the impact of modernity on social and personal life.