What is the importance of Moira in the novel Consider the ways in which the writer presents this character Essay Example

What is the importance of Moira in the novel? Consider the ways in which the writer presents this character Essay Moira is Offreds best friend in The Handmaids Tale, from the time before. She too is a survivor of the American permissive society, who actively rebels against the Gilead system, by constantly running away from the Red Centre, where she is to be trained to become a Handmaid. She is the heroin of the novel, fighting a one-woman resistance against an entire nation. It is Moira who predicts the rise of Gilead, knowing that liberties taken for granted cease to be liberties. Look out, Moria says to Offred, as the Gileadean coup begins. You wait, she said. Theyve been building up to this. Its you and me against the wall, baby. She was quoting an expression of my mothers, but she wasnt intending to be funny. She is presented as a strongly individual character against the background of a society that seeks to deny the rights of the individual. Offred finds comfort in her memories of Moira whom she sees as the embodiment of female heroism because she stubbornly refuses to submit to the princi ples of a male-dominated regime. For example wearing clothes from the time before, She still had her clothes on, jeans and a blue sweatshirt her hair was short, shed defied fashion as usual. We are first introduced to the character of Moira in chapter 7, as a trendy college student who wears purple overalls and one dangly earring leaving her paper on Date Rape to go for a beer. Margaret Atwood presents Moira as quite a spunky character, through the short, punchy sentences. The passage is also representative of the time before with its speech being different from that in the rest of the book, for example Now, its only me. You dont need to paint your face. Moira in the novel is the only one to try and escape the enclosure of the patriarchal regime, but ends up no better off for it. Despite the horrible foot punishment Moira suffers after her first attempted escape from the Red Centre, she remains undaunted. I left that old hag Aunt Elizabeth tied up like a Christmas turkey behind the furnace. I wanted to kill her, I really felt like it., Moira later tells Offred, as she describes, in her feminist-dialogic speech, her second escape attempt. After her disappearance from the Red Centre, Moira becomes a fantasy for the other Handmaids. Because of her rebellion, the Aunts are less fearsome and more absurd, for their power is somehow flawed. She represents all that they would like to do but would not dare: Moira was our fantasy. We hugged her to us, she was with us in secret, a giggle; she was lava beneath the crust of daily life. Moira here still speaks in the same way as she did in the time before, God, do I need a cigarette, which also pr ovides an irony that Moira still uses God in vain in a supposedly religious, however perverted society. We will write a custom essay sample on What is the importance of Moira in the novel? Consider the ways in which the writer presents this character specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What is the importance of Moira in the novel? Consider the ways in which the writer presents this character specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What is the importance of Moira in the novel? Consider the ways in which the writer presents this character specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Later on in the novel, she is then seen by Offred on a night out with the Commander to a brothel; Moira becomes a Jezebel; sterilised, sexually appealing, scantily clad women, who are kept in a locked hotel where only the Commanders and their privileged guests may enter. It is here that Offred has her final meeting with Moira, when her Commander disguises her as one of the Jezebels and sneaks her inside for an evening of kinky sex. Its like screwing on the altar or something; your gang are supposed to be such chaste vessels, says Moira. They like to see you all painted up. Just another crummy power trip. Moira and the other Jezebels are walled up in a prison; the only exit is the death of the Unwomen: Youd have three of four good years before your snatch wears out and they send you to the boneyard. Moira, however trapped in the regime she is now, still keeps her identity from the time before, from her language. She still uses words such as Godawful and Hell no which are both religiou s taboos in Gileadian society as because it is a society based on religion, these would be considered profane. Moira relates in many ways to the themes in the novel. She strongly portrays identity, as she is always known by her own name because she never becomes a Handmaid. Moiras lesbianism may also be seen as an aspect of her heroism. By rejecting men as sexual partners, she refuses to surrender her right to a personal identity. By the same token, she refuses to accept the purely biological role that the authorities in Gilead have assigned to fertile women of childbearing age. From the outset, Moiras resistance to the regime is both overt and active. Offred remembers that, during the period leading up to the coup, it was Moira who could see most clearly that the position of women was under threat. Similarly, at the Rachel and Leah Centre, Moira refuses to be bullied or beaten into even the appearance of acceptance. Instead, she takes matters into her own hands and tries to escape. She shows intelligence, resourcefulness and courage and, eventually, succeeds. She also strongly portrays Feminism, as she is the female rebel/heroin of the novel. Offreds recollection of her ideas, attitudes and behaviour in the time before allow us to see the extreme misogynistic principles that characterise Gilead in the context of what may be similar but much more subtle ideas and attitudes belonging to the present and recent past. Despite Moiras urgent warnings, Offred herself passively accepts the social developments that gradually move towards the final coup. She is privately concerned but she does not act to protect or defend her position as a woman. Instead, she retreats into the emotional security of her relationship with Luke and concentrates her energies on home making, thus accepting the traditional female role. Another aspect of the way in which Atwood uses Moira in relation to feminism is that she shows that along with Offreds mother and Ofglen, rebels fall victim to the regime. Despite their courage and commitment, all have disappeared by the end of Offreds narrative. Ofglen and Offreds mother are dead and, although Moiras destiny remains unknown, it is likely that she has met a similar fate. By comparison with these, Offred herself is passive and unresisting. Apparently compliant, her private opposition to the regime is revealed only through the narrative that comes to light many years after her death. Therefore some critics say that one of Atwoods purposes of Moira in the novel is to make an ironic comment on the long-term effectiveness of political activism. She implicitly emphasises as does George Orwell in 1984 the personal responsibility of the individual has towards his or her truth. Atwood also uses Moira as part of her exploration of the concept of narrative. Within the incomplete and segmented narrative that is Offreds story, Atwood embeds a number of other stories that are similarly incomplete. Moiras end is unknown but it is an interesting insight into the significance of Moira in Offreds life that the latter speculates to the ending of Moiras story that she would like to tell. The character of Moira can present quite a few messages from Atwood. J. Brooks Bouson points out that the narrative, while typecasting Moira as a feminist rebel. Also dramatises her defeat, as although Moira did everything in her power to escape the Red centre and the regime, she actually ended up still imprisoned. Moiras tragedy is that her energy and courage cannot be accommodated within Gilead, yet the regime will not let her escape. I think Atwoods message is bleak. She seems to condemn Offred and Serena Joy for being complacent and serving as agents of the totalitarian state, but then when Moira stopped complying, she still didnt succeed in making any difference.

Penal System essays

Penal System essays Prison inmates, are some of the most "maladjusted" people in society. Most of the inmates have had too little discipline or too much, come from broken homes, and have no self-esteem. They are very insecure and are "at war with themselves as well as with society" (Szumski 20). Most inmates did not learn moral values or learn to follow everyday norms. Also, when most lawbreakers are labeled criminals they enter the phase of secondary deviance. They will admit they are criminals or believe it when they enter the phase of secondary deviance (Doob 171). Next, some believe that if we want to rehabilitate criminals we must do more than just send them to prison. For inezce, we could give them a chance to acquire job skills; which will improve the chances that inmates will become productive citizens upon release. The programs must aim to change those who want to change. Those who are taught to produce useful goods and to be productive are "likely to develop the self-esteem essential to a normal, integrated personality" (Szumski 21). This kind of program would provide skills and habits and "replace the sense of hopelessness" that many inmates have (Szumski 21). Moreover, another technique used to rehabilitate criminals is counseling. There is two types of counseling in general, individual and group counseling. Individual counseling is much more costly than group counseling. The aim of group counseling is to develop positive peer pressure that will influence its members. One idea in many sociology text is that group problem-solving has definite advantages over individual problem-solving. The idea is that a wider variety of solutions can be derived by drawing from the experience of several people with different backgrounds. Also one individuals problem might have already been solved by another group member and can be suggested. ...

Mass Spectrometry - What It Is and How It Works

Mass Spectrometry - What It Is and How It Works Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical laboratory technique to separate the components of a sample by their mass  and electrical charge. The instrument used in MS is called mass spectrometer. It produces a mass spectrum that plots the mass-to-charge (m/z) ratio of compounds in a mixture. How a Mass Spectrometer Works The three main parts of a mass spectrometer are the ion source, the mass analyzer, and the detector. Step 1: Ionization The initial sample may be a solid, liquid, or gas. The sample is vaporized into a gas and then ionized by the ion source, usually by losing an electron to become a cation. Even species that normally form anions or dont usually form ions are converted to cations (e.g., halogens like chlorine and noble gases like argon). The ionization chamber is kept in a vacuum so the ions that are produced can progress through the instrument without running into molecules from air. Ionization is from electrons that are produced by heating up a metal coil until it releases electrons. These electrons collide with sample molecules, knocking off one or more electrons. Since it takes more energy to remove more than one electron, most cations produced in the ionization chamber carry a 1 charge. A positive-charged metal plate pushes the sample ions to the next part of the machine. (Note: Many spectrometers work in either negative ion mode or positive ion mode, so its important to know the setting in order to analyze the data.) Step 2: Acceleration In  the mass analyzer, the ions are then accelerated through a potential difference and focused into a beam. The purpose of acceleration is to give all species the same kinetic energy, like starting a race with all runners on the same line. Step 3: Deflection The ion beam passes through a magnetic field which bends the charged stream. Lighter components or components with more ionic charge will deflect in the field more than heavier or less charged components. There are several different types of mass analyzers. A time-of-flight (TOF) analyzer accelerates ions to the same potential and then determines how long is needed for them to hit the detector. If the particles all start with the same charge, the velocity depends on the mass, with lighter components reaching the detector first. Other types of detectors measure not only how much time it takes for a particle to reach the detector, but how much it is deflected by an electric and/or magnetic field, yielding information besides just mass. Step 4: Detection A detector counts the number of ions at different deflections. The data is plotted as a graph or spectrum  of different masses. Detectors work by recording the induced charge or current caused by an ion striking a surface or passing by. Because the signal is very small, an electron multiplier, Faraday cup, or ion-to-photon detector may be used. The signal is greatly amplified to produce a spectrum. Mass Spectrometry Uses MS is used for both qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis. It may be used to identify the elements and isotopes of a sample, to determine the masses of molecules, and as a tool to help identify chemical structures. It can measure sample purity and molar mass. Pros and Cons A big advantage of mass spec over many other techniques is that it is incredibly sensitive (parts per million). It is an excellent tool for identifying unknown components in a sample or confirming their presence. Disadvantages of mass spec are that it isnt very good at identifying hydrocarbons that produce similar ions and its unable to tell optical and geometrical isomers apart. The disadvantages are compensated for by combining MS with other techniques, such as gas chromatography (GC-MS).

Lessons Learned from WWI, WWII and Vietnam War Essay

Lessons Learned from WWI, WWII and Vietnam War - Essay Example The most probable cause of the war was the assassination of Ferdinand the crown prince of Austria-Hungary by Serbian Slavs on June 28, 1914 at Sarajevo. If you ask many leaders of the time, they would say the war was inevitable. However, as Stoessinger would put it â€Å"it was people who actually precipitated wars† (Xiii). The Austria-Hungary leader Emperor Franz Joseph had a great hatred for Slavs and combined with unrelenting pressure from his chief of staff general Conrad Von Hotzendorff and foreign minister Count Leopold Von Berchtold, he decided to wage war on Serbia. The war was thus not a revenge for the assassination as the Kaiser of Germany Wilhelm II would have expected. The Kaiser gave Joseph his undying support not knowing his real intentions. The support was sacred and irrevocable hence could never be retracted (Nibelungentreue) and Joseph knew this. That is one lesson leaders should have learnt: never to let personal ethics rule over political judgment. If Kaise r had known what his support would result to, he would not have given it in the first place. The effect was that it put him right at crossroads with his cousin Czar Nicholas II of Russia as he entered the war to defend Serbia against unjust aggression by Austria. Czar did not see the reason why Austria would send such a humiliating and provocative ultimatum to Serbia. He saw it as an excuse to wage war on Serbia and he was not mistaken therefore, despite diplomacy from Kaiser nothing could stop his army from mobilizing for an imminent war.

Capital Budgeting Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Capital Budgeting - Statistics Project Example One of the most important considerations for an investment and financing decision will be proper asset-liability management. Companies will have to face a severe asset-liability mismatch if the long-term requirements are funded by the short-term sources of funds. Such a mismatch will lead to an interest risk thereby enhancing the interest burden of the firm and a liquidity risk with the short-term funds being help up in long-term projects. Whenever a business firm plans to invest in a long-term project, it needs to assess the benefits that can be reaped out from that particular long-term investment and come to a conclusion whether that particular investment is profitable for the business or not. The entire process of assessing a proposed long-term investment and coming to a conclusion whether it is worth investing or not is termed as "Capital Budgeting." The ultimate goal of any individual or a firm's maximization of profits or rate of returns - in other words market value of one's investments. Thus, investment management is an ongoing process which needs to be constantly monitored by way of information as this may affect the value of securities or rate of returns of such securities. ... c. Estimate of future profitability and growth and the reliability of such expectations. d. Translation of all these estimates into valuation of the company and the securities. The global financial markets now-a-days are getting more integrated, and people and firms are entering into more and more cross - border financial deals. In order to make these transactions feasible, a system for determination of the amount and method of payment of the underlying financial flows is needed. Since the domestic currencies of the parties involved will be different, the flows will take place in some mutually acceptable currency. All the relevant transaction taking place would hence be on account of international trade in goods or services, or due to acquisition or liquidation of financial assets, or because of creation or repayment of international credit. Measurement of Total risk Undoubtedly, all the modern forms of risk quantification find their origins in Risk is associated with the dispersion in the likely outcomes. Dispersion refers to variability. If an asset's return has no variability, it has no risk. An investor analyzing a series of returns on an investment over a period of years needs to know something about the variability of its returns or in other words the assets' total risk1. There are different ways to measure variability of returns. The range of the returns, i.e. the difference between the highest possible rate of return and the lowest possible rate of return is one measure, but the range is based on only two extreme values. The variance of an asset's rate of return can be found as the sum of the squared deviation of each possible rate of return from the expected rate of return

Free Essays: A Mapmaker’s Dream :: mapmaker

  16th Century Map of the World   In James Cowan’s â€Å"A Mapmaker’s Dream,† a 16th century roman monk vicariously travels the world without actually leaving the confines of his monastery.   The monk, named Fra Mauro, learns of the world through stories told by a variety of travelers.   With his newly acquired perception of the world, Fra sets out to chart the lands that were, at that time, still being discovered.   From these stories, Fra’s â€Å"perfect map,† or mappi mundi as he called it, would be constructed.   In this process, the boundaries of Fra’s world would be pushed to the limit.   Being celibate from exposure to the world around him, Fra spread word that he would be building a map of the new world.   Quick response from seasoned explorers from all corners of the world would soon become available to him as many travelers would readily unburden themselves of the new and strange things they saw.   These stories of the uncharted lands were told by a variety of people.   With vivid descriptions of the people visiting him, Fra helps to put an excellent image of his visitors into the reader’s head.   He describes one sailor as still having sea salt hanging in his beard, while describing a merchant as bone-weary and dusty from his merchant’s trail.   The stories he learns from these men also paint a great mental image as to what Fra is thinking and feeling.   From these rendezvous with travelers, the beginning of a geographical map is built, but unlike the conventional mapmakers of the time, Fra was not only interested in the shape of lands and waters, but also in the feeling these places created in the storyteller.   Other than mountains, canals, and valleys, Fra Mauro learns about the culture, peculiarities, and feelings of the locations that the travelers visited.   Though his sources are not of highest reliability, they are reflective of the perception of a typical 16th century person.   Two of his most interesting stories are the story of the essence of the mummy princess that he discusses with the scholar and the tale of the one-eyed, one-armed Cyclopedes that he learns from the Franciscan monk.   Fra also delves into the renaissance occurring between these same European countries and what is today the Americas.   This is how Fra Mauro’s perception of the world was built – through second hand stories told to him.

How Technology affects business Essay

1.0 Introduction Technology is an improvement over what was available in the past. People and organizations often seek technology because it eases tasks and facilitates production. With the appropriate technology, complex tasks are simplified. Man has used technology to achieve previously insurmountable tasks: walk on the moon; create test tube babies; treat life threatening diseases; predict weather; send information across the world in seconds, etc. Mark Behrsin and Bill Twibill emphasize the importance of technology in business when they write that, Visionaries such as retail giant Wal-Mart and shipment pioneer FedEx have used technology not only to solve logistical problems, but to seize new opportunities, open   new channels to market and create new business models they have forced their competitors to adopt. Wal-Mart looked to technology to improve supply chain management and steal a competitive edge. FedEx looked to the opportunities technology offered to manage the extent   of its growth without finding a way to automate business   processes. At the time its SuperTracker application cost   a massive $100 million to develop but the investment has   paid off many times over (4). The evolution of technology often accompanies the invention of machinery which is used to accomplish the required task. For instance, advances in information technology and communication have brought about mobile phones, which are a departure from the fixed lines in the past which are connected by wires. Charles F. MacCormack recalls that, In terms of people impact, technology has fundamentally changed the way we do business. Fifteen years ago, communications with our field organization was a matter of faxes at best, and more often mail couriers. An exchange of information could literally take weeks to complete†¦ Now we use email, voice and video conferencing to communicate in minutes (1). In recent years, there have been advances in various aspects of technology. However, it is important to state that while technology is often applauded for its many benefits, the phenomenon can also adversely affect businesses. This paper explores this double sided nature of technology as it affects businesses. 1.2 Thesis statement Technology is important to human beings across the world because of the many benefits which it presents. In many ways, technology has been used to solve problems facing people in various societies. This paper examines the effect of technology on businesses. If it is obvious that technology brings a world of good to the various businesses which people are involved in, what are the problems created by technology? In other words, this paper also explores the ways in which technology adversely affects businesses. 1.3 Benefits of technology in business Speed In the first place technology is beneficial to business because it speeds up the production process. Speed is necessary in business because, when there are more products in a short period of time, profit is maximized. In the printing of newspapers, high speed machines are required to ensure that mass production of the newspapers is attained in the short space of time within which the newspapers are needed. This applies to all other businesses where products need to be produced or assembled for sale. Machinery is important. In bakeries as well, technology is essential because human labor is avoided because of its inefficiency and much of the work is automated. In this case, the automation by machines also ensures that hygiene. The efficiency of machines cannot be overemphasized at this point. When compared to human labor, machines offer a higher level of efficiency. With the appropriate technology in a bakery, machines can produce more loaves of bread than human effort. Efficiency Apart from the production process, technology also ensures speed in another dimension. In service delivery, vending machines are important because they serve members of the public promptly and avoid the build up of queues. Take the ordinary coffee vending machine. It would take a longer time if people were served by a waitress. However, the coffee vending machine accepts cash and provides the service at the touch of a button. Vending machines are found in banks, under ground train stations, shopping malls, etc. Also, it is important to note that Automated Teller Machines (ATM) are an important technology that is very useful in the banking industry. These ATM have eased the stressed placed on banks by its teeming customers. With the use of ATM, bank customers can enjoy hassle free self service. They only need the attention of bank staff when they have a problem with the machine or if errors are generated by the machine. The technology of the ATM has enabled banks cope with the work lo ad and ensure that they are able to achieve more in a short period of time. In this way B. Ives and S. L. Jarvenpaa note that technology serves to expand business because with the appropriate technology they are able to take more orders and cope with more customers. Competition As businesses strive to beat their rivals and competitors, the technology used by these businesses is often a yardstick for determining leaders in the industry. Take the software industry for instance. Around the world, Microsoft is a leader in the industry because it has the technology that has made it stay there. Technology is also important in the health industry. Due to specialization, some hospitals and research centers are renowned for the diagnosis and treatment of some specific diseases. They are leaders in the industry because they have the technology to do so. J. Bakos and M. E. Treacy insist that technology is useful to businesses as they build their competitive strategy. Industry leaders and secrecy In business, the technology which enables one company stay in the lead and above other competitors is often a well kept secret. This company will never share that technology with others because it will loose its position as a leader in the industry. In medicine, the patents for the manufacture of certain drugs are owned by certain pharmaceutical companies and they are not will to give it out. Sound technology gives businesses an edge over competitors in the industry. Across borders Advances in information technology have ensured that businesses are no longer confined to particular countries but are given a chance to be heard across the world. In the light of this, businesses can extend their boundaries to other countries of the world. Furthermore, banks too have taken advantage of information technology by establishing a network of their branches around the world. This facilitates transfers within the bank and also with other banks in the world. Information technology also facilitates electronic commerce, where people can shop on the internet and have the goods sent to them in the post. This is a faceless transaction. In a study, Steve MacFeely and Caitriona Obrien find that the productivity of firms that have e-mail and a website is higher than those who do not. The foreign exchange market as well as the stock market also benefits from information technology. Today traders in various parts of the world can trade it stock and bonds from their computers in whate ver part of the world because they are connected to the Internet. 1.4 Dysfunctions of technology on business Redundant Technology poses a number of threats to businesses. As a dynamic concept, technology is always changing and improving. In various aspects of human endeavor, there is always a drive to find new methods. When this new technology is developed and put into use, it renders the previous technology redundant and this has far reaching implications on business enterprises which use the outdated technology. In the first place, these businesses face the challenge of catching up with the current technology. This involves a lot of cost. Secondly, the businesses using outmoded technology will loose customers because the newer technology will definitely be more efficient. In the long run the profit of the business will dwindle. The photography business is an example of this phenomenon. With the introduction of digital photography which ensure instant printing of photographs, old methods of photography have become very unpopular. Extra cost Technology places extra cost on businesses. With the introduction of technology, businesses which want to keep abreast with it need to spend money to train staff on the use of the new technology. Technology often requires special training. The other alternative is to employ professionals who are versed in the processes of the new technology. Employing these kinds of professionals also places a strain on the resources of the business. Businesses that want to stay afloat need to keep up with the trends in the industry and this is one of such- but it has severe cost implications. Unemployment Technology often causes drastic change and cause unemployment. With appropriate machines occasioned by technology, many employees are laid off work. This was a feature of the industrial revolution. However, the same situation applies here with the introduction of new technology. The entire idea of technology is to improve production using machines that minimize cost but in the end maximize profit. Also, there is the notion of novelty attached to technology. Thus the inefficiency associated with human labor is eliminated. Service delivery In some cases technology is not able to deliver the benefits which are expected. Managers in various organizations may have high expectation of technology. However, it is not able to delive in many cases. Mark Behrsin and Bill Twibill write that, It is understandable that businesses have come to distrust technology. There are almost constant reports detailing the   number of technology -related projects that have failed to   meet expectations. Recent research from KPMG suggests   that 56 percent of publicly-listed firms have had to write off   at least one technology project in the last five years as a   failure (4). 1.5 Conclusion Technology is essential in business but it presents some problems to businesses as well. When managers in various organizations understand these dynamics, they will succeed in their various endeavors.