Pink Floyd and the Wall - 1576 Words

Discussing Pink Floyd and The Wall Rock Opera Pink Floyds the Wall is arguably one of the most intriguing and imaginative albums in the history of rock music. Since its release in 1979, and the subsequent movie of 1982, the Wall has become synonymous with, if not the very definition of, the term concept album. Aurally explosive on record and visually explosive on the screen, the Wall traces the life of the fictional protagonist, Pink Floyd, from his boyhood days in war-torn England to his self-imposed isolation as a world-renowned rock star, leading to a climax that is as questionably cathartic as it is destructive. From the outset, Pinks life revolves around an abyss of loss and isolation. Born to a†¦show more content†¦The Wall is a stunning synthesis of Waters familiar thematic obsessions: the brutal misanthropy of Pink Floyds last LP, Animals Dark Side of the Moons sour, middle-aged cynicism, the surprisingly shrewd perception that the music business is a microcosm of institutional opportunity, Wish You were Here, and the dread of impending psychoses that runs through all these records. There is a strongly felt antiwar sentiment that dates way back to 1968s A Saucerful of Secrets. However, where Animals, for instance, suffered from self-centered smugness, the even more abject The Wall leaps to life with a relentless lyrical rage that is clearly genuine. . Fashioned as a kind of circular maze (the last words on side four begin a sentence completed by the first words on side one), The Wall offers no exit except madness from a world malevolently bent on crippling its citizens at every level of endeavor. The process -- for those of Waters generation, at least -- begins at birth with the smothering distortions of mother love. Then there are some vaguely remembered upheavals from the wartime Blitz: Did you ever wonder Why we had to run for shelter When the promise of a brave new world Unfurled beneath a clear blue sky? In government-run schools, children are methodically tormented and humiliated by teachers whose comeuppance occurs when they go home atShow MoreRelatedPink And William Shakespeares Pink Floyd, The Wall 1288 Words   |  6 Pagesis often self-destructive. Pink is both a byronic anti-hero and a satanic anti-hero. Due to the trauma he has endured, it has caused him to alienate himself from all humanity. Pink does not have a clear path to follow and needs guidance. He lives in fear and inflicts this on vulnerable people to conceal his own insecurities- a satanic anti-hero. There are parallels between the character’s Macbeth in Macbeth by William Shakespeare and Pink in Pink Floyd-The Wall. Since Pink had endured trauma duringRead MoreEssay on Pink Floyd1223 Words   |  5 PagesPink Floyd For many people, the group Pink Floyd is considered as un-popular, aged, and without any sense in todays modern society. Its so unfortunate that true rock and roll music is being left behind for the new head-splitting garbage that infests the airwaves today. The newest generation is unaware of the history behind all the music they listen to now. Where did it all begin? Who first wandered into the realms of psychedelic music to create a style and a culture that would last forRead MoreSimilarities Between The Beatles and Pink Floyd775 Words   |  4 PagesPink Floyd and the Beatles had more in common then they’re often credited. Both bands members were raised in the United Kingdom. The original framework for â€Å"The Beatles† was conspired by the best friends, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Likewise, â€Å"Pink Floyd† was created by best friends Nick Mason and Roger Waters. By the same token, both bands were founded while the members received their education. Wo rld War II was a pin point in each of the band members lives, if not directly affecting them, thenRead MoreA Brief Look at Pink Floyd884 Words   |  3 PagesPink Floyd, an English psychedelic-rock band founded in 1965, was originally made up of construction students Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright. They originally started performing in London’s underground scene in the late 60s, and under Syd Barrett’s creative leadership they released two charting singles and a successful debut album. In December 1967, the group added David Gilmour as the band’s fifth member following the mental breakdown of Syd Barrett during their supportRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Fletcher Memorial Home 1288 Words   |  6 Pagesand is done differently by different artists. Pink Floyd is a band that was popular in the late 60s and 70s. During this time period, there was a large amount of politics going on around the world that influenced Pink Floyd’s writing. Fletcher Memorial Home by Pink Floyd uses ethos, pathos, and logos in order to make people understand how they were feeling and their opinions on the situations occurring at that time. Fletcher Memorial Home by Pink Floyd is from the album The Final Cut. This album wasRead MorePink Floyd Research Paper2981 Words   |  12 PagesPink Floyd research paper Hard at work in my room I was contemplating how to start my research paper off with a â€Å"BANG!†. When I realized, Pink Floyd’s music usually starts very slow and low. Without missing a beat, I picked up my acoustic guitar and began lightly strumming the intro to â€Å"wish you were here†. The light tones swept me to my high school years and brought back memories of movies, road trips accompanied by music such as this, music everyone can sing to, music that everyone can relateRead Moredfgdshg1724 Words   |  7 PagesRoger waters, band member of Pink Floyd, wrote almost the entire album of â€Å"The wall†, one of Pink Floyd’s most popular albums, a top three sellers, with over 23 million records sold. He was the singer, songwriter and bassist for Pink Floyd. David Gilmour wrote the music while he was working on a solo album in 1978. He brought it to â€Å"The Wall† album sessions and Waters wrote lyrics for it. Gilmour believed that the song, â€Å" comfortably numb† could be divided into 2 sections: Dark and light.Read MorePsychedelic Rock : The Defining Music Genre Of The 1960 S1717 Words   |  7 Pagesnevertheless has its roots in the British and American music industry. Not only did bands such as Pink Floyd and the aforementioned Doors shape the way music is looked at by the audience, but shaped how other artists look at their own music. Psychedelia had the biggest effect on the music industry during the 60s because of its deep roots in American and British music, the profound effects of the band Pink Floyd on the way music is played and presented, and the Doors effect on how poetry is made in musicRead MoreThe Beatles, The Musical Hair And Pink Floyd1491 Words   |  6 PagesCommercial success and true ‘artistry’ or creativity seem to be contradict with each other. However, I don’t agree this statement and it’s not correct at all. I’m going to use the Beatles, the musical Hair and Pink Floyd as examples (as they gained success in both aspects) to explain how these two elements can coexist in the following essay. The Beatles are originated in Liverpool in 1960, and become the iconic figure of the city and the British pop music (Britpop). As one of the most popularRead MoreContract Law and Music Copyright Essay1683 Words   |  7 PagesCOURSEWORK FOR CONTRACT LAW (MUSIC*) *On what basis does the inclusion of samples of a recording made by *Pink Floyd constitute an infringement of copyright? In civil law regarding copyright, there are two types of infringement; primary and secondary. Primary is concerned with the unauthorised use of copyrighted works and secondary would involve the dealing or making commercial use of such infringing copies. In the music industry, an infringement of copyright often consists of an existing piece

Just Take Away Their Guns - 819 Words

In James Q. Wilson’s New York Times article, â€Å"Just Take Away Their Guns,† Wilson sufficiently reasons how the elimination of illegal guns on the streets should be the central focus in determining the limits regarding American gun control regulations which are frequently debated in our modern world. While Wilson makes an effective argument, at times, he racially profiles which is a definite form of deceptive reasoning; in addition, many of Wilson’s arguments lack the elaboration he needs to avoid making hasty assertions. Wilson argues in his essay that not allowing people to buy guns will have no effect on the illegal use of guns, which in essence, is the sole reasoning for wanting to eliminate guns in the first place. He makes the claim†¦show more content†¦However, when making this point, Wilson alludes to the idea of the effectiveness of racial profiling. When making this claim on the effectiveness of employing more frequent, random searches, Wilson concedes that even though, â€Å"innocent people will be stopped,† and, â€Å"young black and Hispanic men will probably be stopped more than older white Anglo males and women of any race,† these searches are the only means by which we can eliminate illegal guns on the streets. Instead of analyzing the likely effects of this racial profiling on racial relations, Wilson uses circular reasoning to come to a conclusion that he has already previously made without exploring other options. â€Å"If we are serious about reducing drive- by shootings, fatal gang-wars and lethal quarrels in public places,† Wilson concludes that the only way is through these random searches regardless of whether or not racial profiling comes into play. By reasoning in such a manner, Wilson loses credibility and his argument suffers for this. This specific point brings to mind more questions that Wilson lacks the answers to. In this argument that police should be taught to be able to spot people that look like they are carrying guns, Wilson does not elaborate on how this would be possible. This jump in his reasoning leaves his argument a little patchy in the sense that it is hard to buy into a plan that has noShow MoreRelatedJust Take Away Their Guns955 Words   |  4 PagesClick-Clack-Bow! This is the noise of gun going off, something that is heard everyday. This very noise not only injures people, but it causes innocent people to die. Guns are the number one cause of leading deaths today. According to James Q. Wilson article à ¢â‚¬Å"Just Take Away Their Guns,† Wilson states that both the President and public want tougher gun control laws (125). The only difference is that the public believes that it won’t change anything. Wilson also believes that it would take a politically impossibleRead MoreJust Take Away Their Guns : A Critical Analysis1229 Words   |  5 Pages 2015 Just Take away Their Guns: A Critical Analysis by Dr. Justin Barnard â€Å"Legal restraints on the lawful purchase of guns will have little effect on the legal use of guns† (pg.125). Author James Q. Wilson, a professor of management and public policy at the University of California in Los Angeles writes the article â€Å"Just Take Away Their Guns† to provide the American public with evidence of why taking away their guns will have little effect on crime in the United States. â€Å"Just Take Away Their Guns†Read More Contrast Essay Between essays Just Take Away Thier Guns and I Want A Wife1805 Words   |  8 Pages Just Take Away Their Guns is an effective argument than I Want a Wife. James Wilson gives a more factual, organizational and better language used argument than Judy Brady. In I Want a Wife Brady is stereotypical of what she believes to be the roles of the husband and wife. Also Bradys essay is one sided, she never states a side that would argue her viewpoint. While Wilson shows two clearly stated sides of his argument. The first reason as to why ?Just Take Away Their Guns? is moreRead MoreGun Control Essay1155 Words   |  5 PagesGun Control in America Gun control recently has become a more serious problem in the eyes of the government. It is true that guns kill people, but so do bombs and car crashes. Guns do not shoot themselves, someone has pull the trigger. The problem with guns is not that they exist, but that people have started to misuse them more and more. Taking away guns would cause more problems than keeping them would. Guns are not just used for harming people, hunting also requires guns. Hunting is a very popularRead MoreWhat Would The World Be Like If Guns Were Banned?1062 Words   |  5 PagesWhat would the world be like if guns were banned? Would chaos break out, or would the United States have peace? The Second Amendment grants U.S. Citizens the right to keep and bear arms. While some people believe banning guns will make the world safer, others believe the world will only be in more danger. Prohibition did not work for alcohol and drugs, so why would it work for guns? Guns should not be banned because crime rate would increase, people need guns for self-defense, and it will eliminateRead MoreThe Government Should Not Control Over Our Guns Essay727 Words   |  3 PagesDraegan Eng 101 30526 24 June 2015 Gun Control â€Å"These kids spend a majority of their time in school, and if they’re not having a positive experience, they can become depressed. In some cases, they lash out, grabbing whatever weapon is available to them. It can be an assault rifle, a knife, a Molotov cocktail, poison, Indian burns or MMA. But if you take one weapon away, these kids are just going to grab the next thing available to them. Maybe they will use a gun with a smaller clip, limiting the amountRead MoreIs Gun Control the Answer? Essay1422 Words   |  6 Pagesinvolving firearms the focus is turned to gun control. This has turned the issue of gun control into a major debate in our nation. When it comes to taking a side on the issue many people decide completely on an emotional level instead of looking at the issue rationally. People think that solving violent crimes involving guns is as easy as taking away the guns. How do you go about taking guns away if that is the solution, or what will the effects be of t aking guns away from people who don’t use them forRead MoreThe Meaning of the Second Amendment - The Right To Bear Arms Essay1169 Words   |  5 Pagesessential rights of the people They believed so strongly that we needed the right to have guns that they put it second in the Bill of Rights. When the Bill of Rights was written it was after Americans had gone through tyranny of Great Britain. The founding fathers did not want what the rights of free people taken away again. They were also afraid that a centralized government could over throw the people and take over without a fight. The founding fathers wanted the people to be able to fight for freedomRead MoreGun Laws Should Not Be Banned1426 Words   |  6 Pagesanother gun control debate comes spiraling from the after math as laws against guns try to be placed. Is this really the best way to deal with the issue? No. The issue is people are killing people not guns are killing people. Society wants to ban guns because people are afraid when in actuality guns themselves are not the things that need to be banned. Even then do you have any proof the gun laws actually lower crime? Gun laws also go directly against the 2nd Amendment and it takes away one of theRead MoreThe Debate Over Gun Control939 Words   |  4 PagesGun Control Close your eyes and relax. Imagine that you are in a time of 236 years ago, and imagine that you are one of the few people that had the privilege of writing the country’s constitution. It would not take long until you get to the second amendment. This amendment reads â€Å"A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed† (Davis). This amendment has extreme importance, and should not be

William Wordsworth Free Essays

Describe similarities and differences between â€Å"I wandered lonely as a Cloud† by William Wordsworth and the extract from The Grasmere Journals by his sister Dorothy Wordsworth. Comparison must include comments on the, language, imagery, genre and audience of the two texts. â€Å"I wandered lonely as a Cloud† by William Wordsworth is a lyric poem focusing on the poet’s response to the beauty of nature. We will write a custom essay sample on William Wordsworth or any similar topic only for you Order Now A lyric poem presents the deep feelings and emotions of the poet rather than telling a story or presenting a witty observation. This is also seen on the language of the poem as W. Wordsworth uses personifications when he starts by comparing himself to a lonely cloud. Another personification and metaphor is when W. W compares the daffodils to a crowd of people and further more dancing humans. He starts his poem with a simile Alliteration: lonely as a cloud (line 1). Simile: Comparison (using as) of the speaker’s solitariness to that of a cloud (line 1). Personification: Comparison of the cloud to a lonely human. line 1) Alliteration: high o’er vales and Hills (line 2). Alliteration: When all at once (line 3). (Note that the w and o have the same consonant sound. ) Personification/Metaphor: Comparison of daffodils to a crowd of people (lines 3-4). Alliteration: golden Daffodils (line 4). Alliteration: Beside the Lake, beneath the trees, Personification/Metaphor: Comparison of daffodils to dancing humans (lines 4, 6). The speaker humanizes the daffodils when he says they are engaging in a dance. How to cite William Wordsworth, Papers

Human Resource Management Overview free essay sample

Human Resource Management is a very important key to any business there are many areas that relies on the people that work in this field. Working in this field takes a lot of dedication and time not only as a person but as a team member as well. Let me go ahead and get started discussing the importance of Human Resource Management. First of all, what is Human Resource Management also known as HRM? Human Resource Management is a group of people within an organization that focuses on recruiting new employees, providing directions to the current employees, etc.Human Resource Management responsibility is to work with issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training [ (About. We will write a custom essay sample on Human Resource Management Overview or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page com) ]. Human Resource Management is also a strategic and comprehensive approach to managing people and the workplace culture and environment [ (About. com) ]. Effective Human Resource Management enables employees to contribute effectively and productively to the overall company direction and the accomplishment of the organizations goals and objectives [ (About. om) ]. The goal of Human Resource Management is to maximize the productivity of an organization while treating employees with respect and keep them safe at the same time. What is the primary function of Human Resource Management? When it comes to a primary function to Human Resource Management; this is a difficult area because there is more than one function that is important in this area. As I can recall there are four main functions that revolves around this job category. The first major function is what they call acquisition in which this consists of planning for employees which involves the following; needs of employees, skills needed, recruiting, and hiring (11Ju). The second major function is development which consists of basically training activities (11Ju). The third function involves compensation which includes paying the employees and giving them incentives (11Ju). The fourth function that I can think of is maintenance which involves employee benefits, insurance, and etc (11Ju).So with this being said I can not narrow it down to one primary function. The main role for Human Resource Management in an organization’s strategic plan is the following. Human Resource Management works directly with the employees and they are aware of the employees needs and aware of the surrounding that the employees are put into. So therefore their main role is to help the others decide if a certain change would benefit or hurt the employees’ production, etc.Having some members from Human Resource Management aware of the strategic plan is critical when an organization is making plans to change something because they are able to say what they need to in order to keep the employees safe in the environment while making changes as necessary. If the HRM is left out of this type of planning there could be problems in a lot of different areas, Human Resource Management is able to see if the actions will interfere with the employees progress.In conclusion to this paper, there have been several important areas covered concerning Human Resource Management throughout this paper. The first section consisted of material that described what human resource management is in detail. The next section that was covered is concerning what the primary function of Human Resource Management is. The last section that was cove red is the role that human resource management plays in an organizations strategic plan.

Poetry Terms Quizlet Flashcard

Poetry Terms Quizlet

11 essays

The United States and Mexico border post 9/11 essays This study examines the effect of the increased border security in the post 9/11 era on bilateral relations between the United States and Mexico. The problem is approached inductively from a policy-related perspective, using some elements of theory for descriptive purposes. Using qualified expert opinion and description of the policies implemented after 9/11/01, this study attempts to draw substantive conclusions about the current state of this bilateral relationship and future policy outlook. This study hypothesizes that the border policy implemented after September 11, 2001 has negatively affected bilateral relations between the United States and Mexico. The independent variable in this study is the increased security at the border. The dependent variable is the bilateral relationship between the two neighboring states. In order to operationalize the qualitative description of these policies, this study will compare them based on the extent to which they meet the following criteria: promotes bilateral economic development and the further integration of NAFTA facilitates bilateral political cooperation; secures both sides of the border against illicit flows of goods and people across border; respects national sovereignty and territorial rights; addresses issues important to both countries; implements procedures expediently and equitably, using other agreements as precedent for comparison. This study has found that greater security at the U.S.-Mexico border has had a positive effect on their bilateral relationship. This disproves the original hypothesis. The reasons this study cites for this are the necessity for increased bilateralism in negotiations to secure the border and the spillover effect of policy into avenues for parallel growth and integration, including infrastructure and economy. This study examines the effect of the increased border security in the post 9/11 era on bilateral relations bet...

Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Civil War - Essay Example The Civil War took place in the years 1861 through 1865. The parties involved were the United States of America (USA) and Confederate States of America. USA or the Union forces were led by President Abraham Lincoln, who is credited for abolition of slavery in the country. According to Divine et al, the victory of the Union forces in the Civil War helped to maintain territorial integrity, abolished slavery, and initiated a lengthy process of post-war reconstruction that ultimately shaped up the present day USA with a strong federal form of governance. Moreover, according to Sprague (a soldier of the Union forces), USA actually wanted to enthrall â€Å"the great principals of the human freedom and free labour†. These principals remain at the heart of the American nationhood even today. Thesis Statement: Based on my reading of these letters I argue that the American experience during the Civil War was characterized by sincere patriotism even in most miserable conditions of milita ry camps and general hardships. Brief Summary of Each Source The documents that have been chosen for analysis are six letters written to Juliana Reynolds between the years 1862 and 1864, when the Civil War was at its height. The summary of each source is being given below: 1. Letter from Hiram P. Sprague to Juliana Reynolds, Feb 22, 1862 (Camp Jameson): Sprague was Reynolds’ cousin and he was writing from the battle field. In the letter, he first describes the difficulties he was facing in the military camp. Then he writes about Tilton, who was Reynolds’ beloved son. Next he writes about the progress of the Union forces. He further furnishes a vivid description of the land and vegetation of the Southern states. 2. Letter from John S. Smith to Juliana Reynolds, Apr 20, 1862 (Camp near Yorktown): Reynolds was Smith’s sister, and this letter shows how guilty Smith felt for not being able to write to her in proper time. Moreover, he describes the situation of the fr ont with great enthusiasm. He further writes, â€Å"Our pickets and the rebels pickets are so close to each other in places that they can converse with each other.† Then he writes about Tilton and certain changes in the contemporary postal services for the military personnel. 3. Letter from Hiram P. Sprague to Juliana Reynolds, May 24, 1862 (Camp advanced on to Richmond): This letter extensively describes the contemporary situation of the rebel Southern states long with military progress of the Union forces. Sprague also writes on his worries about the fact that the war might linger, otherwise â€Å"why does the president Call out fifty thousand more troops?† This letter clearly exhibits the discomfort of a soldier at different high level government actions. 4. Letter from John S. Smith to Juliana Reynolds, Jul 22, 1862 (Camp near Harrisons Landing): In this letter, Smith informs his sister that he had been posted in a hospital. He faced tremendous pressure of work in his new engagement. He also appeared to be doubtful about USA’s success in the war. The letter is an evidence of the fact that the war situation had become rather complicated by the mid 1862. 5. Letter from J.B. McCracken to Juliana Reynolds, Aug 6, 1863 (Camp Parole): McCracken was Reynolds’ friend, and he wrote very anxiously about the war. He wrote about the risks and sufferings of the army. The letter can be used to prove that the Union forces were suffering a lot during those years. 6. Letter from John Conser to Juliana Reynolds, Sep 5, 1864 (Camp near Petersburg): Conser was another cousin of Reynolds. In this letter too, the writer expresses deep concerns about the lingering war. However, he also writes about the successes of the Union forces and surmounting pressure on the rebels. Key Themes that

WP2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

WP2 - Essay Example On the other hand, critics of science assert that technologies such as genetic engineering are threat to humanity and contravene societal values and morality, thus creating a tussle between science and society. In Trusting the Future? Ethics of Human Genetic Modification (Op-Ed), Stephanie Saulter explores the extent to which the modern society can trust the future for making the right decision about human genetic modification (Saulter 1). The implication is that the current society attaches too many ethical concerns for genetic engineering of humans though there has been a tremendous success in assisted reproduction and Mitochondria replacements. Saulter argues that the current taboo-driven objection to using technology to promote diversity is unjustified because of the possibility of the human race depending on this technology to maintain its existence and avoid extinction of certain genetic attributes. The topic is about genetic modification of altering human genes to improve our fragile health. The article focused on reproductive and genetic medicine whereby mothers with high risk of genetic disorder through natural conception are given invitro fertilization or pre-implantation tissue to address the defect. This eradicates mitochondrial diseases by replacing the mothers faulty mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) with healthy mDNA from a donor egg and in effect having a third DNA in the reproduction which cause a debate for its propriety. Even though many societies are resistant to technological advancements in the field of medicine, the technologies remain crucial part of survival technique of the human race. This paper explores Saulter’s arguments and delves further to offer response to the main ideas discussed by the author. The article provides enough arguments to address the rhetorical question of what the modern society should consider ethical or not ethical.

Hiring and Retaining Staff Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hiring and Retaining Staff - Term Paper Example Because of this reason alone, it is important to understand the issues discussed in this paper and learn how to better overcome the modern day obstacles related to staff and recruiting. It is important to note that current trends indicate the current year has seen the competition for highly qualified individuals only intensity. This is partly due to the reality that the employment market has picked up substantially. As a result, it is important to note that talented professionals now have many job prospects in front of them, so companies are forced to really provide increased incentives if they are to truly attract the best of the best. In essence, it is up to the company today to market themselves in an attractive manner to prospective employees. There will likely be the need for counteroffers to be accepted, many applicants will outright reject solid job offers, that there will be a renewed focus on recruiting those that are already employed at another firm. In essence, we are regressing to the boom years of the late 90’s where if was definitely a job seekers market. One commonly held theory today is that employers need to return to a strategy of branding their organization as a long term recruiting strategy moving forward. In previous years, many organizations were forced to drastically reduce their budgets related to Human Resources, meaning that recruiters did not have much to work with. Now that business is picking up across numerous sectors, however, it is possible to change this to a more long term outlook detailing the various attributes of a company and what it has to offer prospective employees, particularly related to salary and benefits. This is similar to the branding of a product. The need for branding has emerged partially as a result of the increased competition for taken, but also because of the various ways that companies around the company are making use of

Care Giver Perceptions of End of Life Care for COPD Patient

Care Giver Perceptions of End of Life Care for COPD Patient RESEARCH PROPOSAL Title: Exploring the primary family care givers perceptions of care giving for end of life care of COPD ICU patient. Introduction: The world perspective is shifting towards non-communicable diseases, with chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as chief causes of death globally. COPD is a chronic progressive disease of air flow obstruction which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. COPD is predicted as 3rd leading cause of death in 2030 according to 2008 WHO statistics. In terms of social burden of disease quantified by disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost, COPD ranked as the 12th leading cause of DALYs lost worldwide in 1990, but will be the 7th leading cause of DALY lost worldwide in 2030.COPD is more common among world age people due to decreased lung function capacity. The world population above 60 years was1.7% in 2013 and will continue to grow as a reaching 21.1 per cent by 2050 (world ageing population 2013). COPD is one of the major 8th leading causes of death in Singapore. According to MOH 2013 census COPD causes 1.6% of deaths per 18938 populations.COPD is a treatable disease but not a curable one. So ultimately it increases the economic burden of the country by its chronicity, rate of hospital readmission and affects the quality of life activities of daily living of the patient and family members. The total expenditure for COPD was $9.9 million per year. $ 7.2 million accounts for inpatient care cost (W.-S. Kelvinteo et.al, 2011). For last 10 years no studies found in Singapore on family care givers perspectives on end of life care in ICU. Primary family care givers most of the time the spouse are the carer for the COPD patient The Singapore old age percentage is in increasing trend 7.3% in 2000 9.3 in 2011 expected to rise up to 18.7% 2013. When a family member is dying, conversations about the end of life can be uncomfortable and difficult. Still, discussing end-of-life care is important. Patients with end-stage of diseases may suffer from distressful symptoms.The Advanced COPD patient suffer from severe distressful symptoms such a dyspnea anxiety and depression. Palliative care of malignant disorder gained more attention when compare to non-malignant diseases (Blackler et al., 2004; Lynn, 2000; Simonds, 2004).The palliative care needs of patients with end-stage respiratory diseases are increasingly being recognized (Curtis, 2008; Lanken et al., 2008) . The COPD patient experience significant impairment of quality of life and physical and psychological needs when compare to individual with lung cancer (Core et al., 2000; Edmonds et al., 2001; Skilbeck et al., 1998; Tranmer et al, 2003). Why family members? When there is progression of diseases it imposes negative impacts on psychological health of Care givers (Daniela Figueiredo, 2014). Careers are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depressive symptoms providing continuous care during the advance stage of the disease and end of life care (Abebaw Mengistus Yohannes 2007). Preparation for death should include a realistic appraisal of the prospects for dying peacefully at home. (Hansen –Flaschen J .2004) Most of the patients are willing to be housebound at the end stage of life so its responsibility of family cares to provide continuous care and support them White P (2011) stated 45% were housebound, 75% had a career in end stage of COPD . despite no studies have been conducted qualitatively on family care givers perception on End of life care on COPD in Asian countries . Review of literature: â€Å"Palliative care in COPD† search in PUBMED extracted only 285 titles from 1991 to 2011. ( Anirban Hom Choudhuri 2012) .The absence of palliative care services highlights the need for research into appropriate models of care to address uncontrolled symptoms, information provision and end of life planning. (Jones et al 2014). Synthesis of findings: The literature review showed that the family care givers suffer from intense conflict, emotions such as helplessness, guilt, anger, anxiety and frustration. These suffering are due to deterioration of the health of the loved one and cumulative losses over time that the patient illeness affect the care givers the most. The key findings of each study were identified and supplemented based on a review of the full article. Then, categories were derived by grouping the key findings thematically. Lack of support: Most of the family care givers reported they were unaware of the facilities for COPD patient. There was no social or psychological support. If the support is received also this is inadequate or sporadic. They learnt most of the things by their experience regarding prognosis, treatment signs and symptoms, illness. They faced the financial constraint in addition too. They are expecting support from the health care professionals. â€Å"Well, the care from Father’s doctors was extremely basic and, I felt, on the most part extremely uncaring†¦ The doctors really had an attitude of ‘You were a smoker, you’re dying of lung disease, and what do you want us to do about it?’ The way they spoke to him, and the fact that they really weren’t concerned, and they didn’t doo very much for him; anything they did for him, I was disappointed in† – participant from Hasson et al. (2009) Burden of care givers: Burden of care givers are noted in all the studies. Most of the care giver said they are exhausted and need to perform multi task. They need to spend most of time in caring the patient. The involvement in social life is reduced, change of relationship with patient. Mostly they are anxious and frustrated. Sometimes care givers are helpless when they patient are suffering from breathing difficulties. â€Å"It is very frustrating, and you know I don’t know if the government realizes how hard it is for carers..It’s a full-time job. It’s work isn’t it? It’s not something you do because you like it. I mean I care for my Dad, I love him and I want to look after him, but I also need my own time.†- participant from Philip et al. (2014) End of life care and support of Bereavement Mostly family career are involved end of life decision making which lead to a peaceful death and die with dignity for the patient. â€Å"I think the situation was the way is should have been. I think if there had been any external help, it would have been a bit of an intrusion. [Father] did not want to leave the house and that was fine but also whenever he was like that and he was not feeling the best, it was just best to leave him alone† – participant from Hasson et al. (2009) Some said the hospital policy did not allowed us to care for the patient in home during end stage of life. No adequate bereavement support for the family careers after the death. Some had counselling in later part of life. Rewards, meaning, and coping: However, some caregivers described their experiences as positive. Identified positive features include sense of pride, esteem, and mastery as a caregiver a sense of normalcy; being able to demonstrate love and fulfill satisfaction and sense of accomplishment ability to be with and help the patient life-enriching experiences closer relationships a sense that it is important. Some care givers felt that their loved one died with dignity and respect. They were able to provide good care and that provided them a sense of accomplishment. Conclusion: The COPD has a great impact on Family care givers. All the studies stated that there is a lack of support and facilities, unmet needs. There was a lack of knowledge about the available facilities and lack of emotional support .There is a need for supportive and education regarding the palliative and end of life care. Mostly of the careers reported they are helpless when patient suffering from breathlessness and guilt of not doing enough. Caregiver’s involvement in providing care and feeling able to provide quality care, will enhance the coping among the care givers. These four studies were conducted in European countries and thus there is a lack of ethnic diversity which may have an additional impact on caregiving culturally. Many recommendations were made for further research relating to the care givers perspectives. The studies did not discuss if there were any difference in the care provided by spouse/children or by ethnicity. Thus, further research can be done to study the cultural influences on care giving of COPD patients. Research Objectives What are the experiences of Family care givers on end of life care of patient with COPD in ICU? What are the needs of family care givers on end of life care of patient with COPD? What are the barriers of caring family care givers Details of Research Proposal: Aims To explore the needs of Primary family care givers or bereaved careers on end of life care of ICU COPD patient To explore the perspectives of Primary family care givers or bereaved careers on end of life care of ICU COPD Patient. Operational definition: End of life care: The care provided to alleviate the symptoms of patient during the end stage of COPD. Family care givers: Care provided by the Family members other than the health care professionals. Bereaved careers: Bereaved careers are one who suffered from the death family members due to COPD. Research Methodology: Study design: A Phenomenological Descriptive approach will be adopted to explore the perspectives of Family care givers on End of life care. Interviews will be conducted. Sampling: The study will use purposive sampling method to select the participant for the interview. Samples: Primary Family care givers COPD patient who have died in ICU Inclusion criteria: Participant Speak English Participant over 18 years of age Bereaved careers of COPD patient within a year. Exclusion criteria: Bereaved careers of other diseases. Family care givers of other diseases Bereaved and Family care givers of More than one year of COPD patient Sample size planning: Approximately 10-15 primary bereaved careers of COPD patient until the data saturation is obtained Ethical Consideration: The DSRB approval will be obtained before data collection. The purpose of the study will be explained to the participant before informed consents are obtained. The participant will be ensured that the information collected will be kept confidential and it will be used only for research purpose. Data collection: The researcher will get access to the COPD Program coordinator and get permission to conduct a study. After Permission is granted, the COPD patient died in ICU will be identified through the register. The eligible participant will be selected who meet the inclusion criteria. Then the family members will be contacted through telephone by the researcher and if the participant is willing to participate in the research.. The research process will be first explained to the selected participants in an appropriate manner without hurting their sentiments and understanding their difficult situation’s as well. Face to face semi structured interviews will be conducted with the Family care givers. In that interview, a set of general and open ended questions would be asked. And the entire conversation will be audiotaped. Each conversation is assumed to last for 40 to 60 minutes. When the participant become too emotional, the interview will be stopped and reassured by the researcher. Again the interview will be conducted when normality is retained. After the interview, basic demographic data will be collected and the same will be kept confidential. A pilot study will be conducted based on the interview guidelines prepared with 2-3 participants to assess the feasibility of this study. Interview guidelines: Introduction 🙠 2 minutes) Good morning .Thank you for participating in our Research. I Arunadevi graduate student from Alice Lee Center of nursing Studies, National University of Singapore. As a Part of my program I am conducting this Interview. The interviews will be carried out for 45 minutes to an hour. The Questions will be open ended questions. The answers will be audiotaped. Objectives :(1 Minute) To identify the perspectives of primary Family care givers on End of Life care Interview Questions: 45 minutes to One hour) How did you become a Primary care giver? What you understand your role as a care giver? What do you understand about end of life care? How do you experience providing care to family members at the end stage? What helped with the care? What do you felt as lacking while providing the care? What could be improved? Ending session: (5 minutes) Would you like to say anything further? Thanks for sharing your thoughts and views. It would surely help others and provide support when others are facing the same problem. Data analysis: The analysis of the data is based on Colaizzi (1978) which includes various steps such as read and acquire the meaning, organize it into meaningful themes, integrate results, send it to the participant as final validating steps. The recorded interviews will be listened repetitively and transcribed to verbatim by the researcher. The initial impression and reflection will be noted in a separate note book. The themes will be emerged from the transcript. The clustering of the themes with similar context will be made .The thematic analysis will be used to analyses the data. Whenever possible the transcript will be send to the participant to know the meaning or to validate the information. Gaps will be identified as well based on the expectations of the family care givers. Then certain recommendations/suggestions will be generated for the group based on the findings, in addition to the current facilities available. Rigour /Validity: The four essential criteria highlighted by Lincoln and Guba (1985) are as follows: Credibility, Transferability, Dependability and Conà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ rmability. Credibility refers to the confidence in the truth and interpretation of Data. After transcribing the transcription will be send to the participant when possible to validate the information. To ensure the findings are not modified by the researcher. Reflective Questioning will also be used to ensure the credibility. Transferability of the results generated in the study will be achieved through ‘thick description’, (Lincoln Guba 1985). The study findings will be useful to all the health care professionals family care givers of COPD patient on End of life care. Conformability and dependability rest on the consistency, objectivity and accuracy of the data findings chiefly depends on the data consistency and accuracy and (Richard Morse 2007). Audio recording and supervisor member check in will be done for conformability and dependability.

A Five Year Development Plan for Russia Essay -- Politics Government S

A Five Year Development Plan for Russia This paper presents a five year national development plan for the Russian Federation. The plan I have created is a culmination of a semester's worth of research on the current state of affairs in Russia. Following a brief review of relevent history, recommendations spanning the course of the next five years will be made in three areas that are of particular concern: economic development, political reform, and the environment. Relevent history and a synopsis of the current situation will preceed the recommendations in each section. Historical Background The pressure to be an industrial and technological powerhouse has left Russia with a skewed development situation. During the Soviet era, money and resources were funneled into the military, research, technology, and the space program. At the same time, basic necessities of the population were essentially ignored. Such high-tech government expenditures were exacted at a great social cost, as the bulk of Russia has remained largely underdeveloped. Russia's modern-day development requires that it focus on domestic issues, and catch up with itself in terms of its advanced industry. The Soviet Union ceased to exist as a political entity in the final days of 1991. From that point on, the Russian Federation was faced with and committed to the daunting task of getting its economy and its politics back on track. With the downfall of communism and the Soviet state came the downfall of both the ruble and the Russian economy as a whole. At its worst in 1992, Russia suffered 2000% inflation. As of 1996, the rate was less than 22% and it has fallen into the single digits in the present day, but the legacy of the monetary crisis has deeply ... ... References Aslund, Anders. How Russia Became a Market Economy. The Brookings Institution, 1995. Boycko, Maxim; Schleifer, Andrei; and Vishny, Robert. Privatizing Russia. The MIT Press, 1995. Filipov, David. The Boston Globe. "As Crises Ebb, It's Time to Get Down to Business; Outlook '97 Russia". January 5, 1997. Frydman, Roman; Rapaczynski, Andrzej; and Earle, John. The Privatization Process in Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic States. Central European University Press, 1993. Goldman, Marshall. Lost Opportunity: Why Reforms in Russia Have Not Worked. W.W. Norton & Company, 1994. Nelson, Lynn; and Kuzes, Irina. Property to the People: The Struggle for Radical Economic Reform in Russia. M.E. Sharp Inc, 1994. Nelson, Lynn; and Kuzes, Irina. Radical Reform in Yeltsin's Russia: Political, Economic, and Social Dimensions. M.E. Sharp Inc, 1995.

Carrier Corporation

History of the air-conditioner Air-conditioner was invented based on invention of refrigerator. The history was told that the Chinese were the first to store natural ice and snow to cool wine and other delicacies. Evidence has been found that ice cellars were used as early as 1000 B. C. in China. Early Greeks and Romans also used underground pits to store ice. Ancient people of Egypt and India cooled liquids in porous earthen Jars. Ice was produced due to vaporization of water through the wall of these Jars, radiating heat nto the night air.In 18th and 19th centuries, natural ice was cut from lakes and ponds in the winter in northern climates and stored underground for use in warmer months. In early 20th century the same method was used but stored in open ice houses for businesses and to delivered homes to homes. At first, in 1823, Michael Faraday discovered that certain gasses under constant pressure will condense when they cool. Secondly, in 1842, Florida physician John Gorrie used dripping ammonia to produce cooling. Thirdly, in 1856, Australian inventor JamesHarrison, used ammonia on experimental basis but used ether in the equipment that was previously constructed. Then, in 1902, Willis Carrier, the â€Å"Father of Air- Conditioner† designed humidity control for a new air-cooling system and pioneered modern air conditioning. Willis Carrier also originated the carrier equation upon which the psychometric chart and all air conditioning is based. Later, 1906, Stuart Cramer, engineer in North Carolina, invented a ventilating machine that add water vapor to the air of textile plants. The wetness makes the fiber easily spin and ardly to break.He's the first to call this process â€Å"air conditioning†. During 1914, air- conditioner was officially used at home for the first time. Next in 1931, individual room air conditioning that sits on a window ledge was invented by J. Q. Sherman and H. H. Schultz The air conditioner was available to purchase in 1932. Packard invented the first ever air-conditioned car in 1939. The air conditioner controller on the dashboard was invented later. After that, the United States built first power plant to handle development electrical load of air conditioner in 1942.

Edward and Sarah Bishop of the Salem Witch Trials

Edward and Sarah Bishop of the Salem Witch Trials Edward Bishop and Sarah Bishop were tavern keepers that were arrested, examined, and imprisoned as part of the Salem witch trials of 1692. At the time, Edward was about 44 years old and Sarah Wildes Bishop was about 41 years old. There were three or four Edward Bishops living in the area at that time. This Edward Bishop seems to be the one who was born on April 23, 1648.  However, Sarah Bishops year of birth is not known. Note: Bishop is sometimes spelled Bushop or Besop in the records. Edward is sometimes identified as Edward Bishop Jr. Sarah Wildes Bishop was the stepdaughter of Sarah Averill Wildes who was named as a witch by Deliverance Hobbs and executed on July 19, 1692. Bridget Bishop is usually credited with running a tavern that was something of a town scandal, but it was more likely Sarah and Edward Bishop who ran it out of their home. The Background of Edward and Sarah Edward Bishop may have been the son of Edward Bishop, the husband of Bridget Bishop. Sarah and Edward Bishop were the  parents of twelve children. At the time of the Salem witch trials, an older Edward Bishop also lived in Salem. He and his wife Hannah signed a petition protesting the accusations against Rebecca Nurse.  This Edward Bishop seems to have been the father of the Edward Bishop married to Bridget Bishop, and thus the grandfather of the Edward Bishop married to Sarah Wildes Bishop. Victims of the Salem Witch Trials Edward Bishop and Sarah Bishop were arrested on April 21 of 1692 with Sarahs stepmother Sarah Wildes, William and Deliverance Hobbs, Nehemiah Abbott Jr., Mary Easty, Mary Black and Mary English. Edward and Sarah Bishop were examined on April 22 by magistrates Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne, on the same day as Sarah Wildes, Mary Easty, Nehemiah Abbott Jr., William and Deliverance Hobbs, Mary Black, and Mary English. Among those who testified against Sarah Bishop was the Rev. John Hale of Beverly. He outlined accusations from a neighbor of the Bishops that she did entertain people in her house at unseasonable hours in the night to keep drinking and playing at shovel-board whereby discord did arise in other families and young people were in danger to be corrupted. The neighbor, Christian Trask, wife of John Trask, had attempted to reprove Sarah Bishop but received no satisfaction from her about it.  Hale stated that Edward Bishops would have been a house if great profaneness and iniquity if the behavior had not been stopped. Edward and Sarah Bishop were found to have committed witchcraft against Ann Putnam Jr., Mercy Lewis, and Abigail Williams. Elizabeth Balch, wife of Benjamin Balch Jr., and her sister, Abigail Walden, also testified against Sarah Bishop, claiming they heard Edward accuse Elizabeth of entertaining Satan at night. Edward and Sarah were jailed in Salem and then in Boston, and their property was seized. They escaped from the Boston jail for a short time. After the Trials After their trial their son, Samuel Bishop recovered their property. In a 1710 affidavit attempting to gain recompense for the damages theyd suffered and to clear their names, Edward Bishop said they were prisnors for thirtiey seven wekes and required to pay ten shillings pur weeake for our bord plus five pounds. The son of Sarah and Edward Bishop Jr., Edward Bishop III, married Susannah Putnam, part of the family who had leveled many of the accusations of witchcraft in 1692. In 1975 David Greene suggested that the Edward Bishop accused - with his wife Sarah - was not related to Bridget Bishop and her husband, Edward Bishop the sawyer, but was the son of another Edward Bishop in town.

Nothing to do with Raspberries, Exactly

Nothing to do with Raspberries, Exactly Nothing to do with Raspberries, Exactly Nothing to do with Raspberries, Exactly By Maeve Maddox You may soon be seeing media coverage of a newly discovered threat to the already endangered honey bee population called Rasberry crazy ants. This previously unnoticed type of ant is thought to have entered the U.S. by way of a Texas port and is now busily at work destroying honey bee larvae and other things that human beings value. Rasberry crazy ants are named for an exterminator named Tom Rasberry who first noticed their destructive habits in 2002. Theyve already caused millions of dollars of damage in Texas. Honey bees are not their only target. The ants are attracted to electrical equipment and chew through insulation, causing short circuits. Their scientific name is paratrenicha species near pubens. The epithet crazy comes from the fact that these ants dont travel in straight lines, but wander from side to side. Since their scientific name is not likely to catch on, we can expect to see the word Rasberry in the news, a circumstance that may lead to confusion among insecure spellers. The name of the fruit is spelled raspberry. raspberry: 1623, earlier raspis berry (1548), possibly from raspise a sweet rose-colored wine (c.1460), from Anglo-L. vinum raspeys, origin uncertain, as is the connection between this and O.Fr. raspe, M.L. raspecia, raspeium, also meaning raspberry. One suggestion is via Old Walloon raspoie thicket, of Gmc. origin. Raspberries can self-pollinate, but cross-pollination carried on by bees improves fruit weight and shape. Most of the fruit we like to eat, however, depends entirely on bees for pollination. As a volunteer Master Gardener Im especially aware of the plight of the honey bee. Its astounding to me that some politicians and journalists seem to find the topic laughable. NOTE: Some dictionaries list the forms honeybee or honey-bee. Entomologists write it as two words. Paratrenicha species near pubens Colony Collapse Disorder article about bee ridicule in the media Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Types and Forms of HumorUsing the Active Voice to Strengthen Your WritingNominalized Verbs

Planning for Project Implementation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Planning for Project Implementation - Term Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the upgrading project of Bayshore community hospital could be faced by numerous challenges which could hinder the success of the project. These barriers could be identified as discussed below. Financing – the project shall be fully financed by the hospital. Though a provisional budget with estimations has been drawn, the years following the beginning of the project shall be financed from cash generated from the project. The projected cash inflow might fail to reach the projected levels; hence financial constraints. The hospital shall undertake intensive marketing for the project to ensure generation of enough capital for the project. The hospital shall also consider borrowing from the financial institution to avoid project failure. Staffing – the intended project might face staff shortage because of the activities involved. During the early stages, the project management team shall undertake training of several hospital sta ff to ensure conformity with the project. This will ensure that the employees remain informed about the project and its details. During implementation, other staff shall be hired for the project to ensure full staffing requirements for the project. Schedule – another barrier which could present surmountable challenge would be the schedule. The time allocated for numerous activities might become limited if problems occur midway. Though this might become inevitable, the project management team shall utilize the developed time budget for the project. During implementation, continuous monitoring shall occur to ensure conformity with the provided time deadlines and schedules. Evaluation of procedures shall be conducted throughout the project life to establish conformity with a schedule.

Borderline Personality Disorder Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Borderline Personality Disorder - Research Paper Example When a person has borderline personality, they are unable to control the emotions that they want to feel, frequently displaying emotions that are inappropriate for any given situation. Borderline personality alters the way in which a person views themselves, their surroundings, and their relationships with others. One of the first signs that someone may be suffering from borderline personality disorder is that they begin to look down on themselves, regarding themselves as evil or worthless, or feeling as though they do not exist at all. The person becomes insecure and loses their sense of self-worth. This often leads to problems within the work area, family, or intimate relationships. One moment the person may completely adore someone, and then the next moment they may want absolutely nothing to do with them (Kreisman & Straus, 1991); these feelings can also describe how a person feels about themselves. Someone being effected by borderline personality disorder cannot decide how they really feel about someone, and even if their explanations of their feelings to themselves make sense, their emotions often say something entirely different. To make matters worse, thei r emotions change from day to day, so they can never pinpoint their honest feelings. Other symptoms of borderline personality disorder include risky behavior, such as unsafe sex, gambling, drug and alcohol use and abuse, and reckless driving, as well as a difficulty in controlling the impulses to engage in the aforementioned activities. Intense emotions that come and go often, uncalled for anger and negativity, and harsh but random spikes of depression or anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and attempts are also symptoms that have been linked to borderline personality disorder. One of the more common symptoms is a fear of being alone, as a person with borderline personality realizes that they are pushing people away without that being their intentions, yet they are not sure how to make their emotions

Secular Organizations and Sacred Places Paper Research

Secular Organizations and Sacred Places - Research Paper Example National Park Service, 2011). These four American Presidents had played an important role in the creation of the democratic nation of the United States of America. This contemporary monument is admired and respected by all people holding democratic and secular beliefs. On the other hand, the Sphinx of Egypt was built nearly 6000 years ago during the reign of King Khafre (Guardian’s Sphinx, n.d.). Due to the artistic beauty and the message of love radiated by the gigantic sculpture, the Sphinx is popular among the tourists who respect democracy and secularism. The Sphinx has the body of a lion and the divine head of a king or God, which shows the combination of strength and intellect in the mythical creature (Guardian’s Sphinx, n.d.). Significance Mount Rushmore represents freedom, unification, and democracy that have been given to the American citizens by the great American Presidents (South Dakota Mount Rushmore Information, 2011). Since the busts of the American Presi dents are carved on the top of the mountain, the head is shown to be the most sacred part of the sculpture. It was the vision, planning, and successful implementation by the American Presidents who had emphasized freedom and democracy for the unified country.

Mattel Responds to Ethical Challenges Essay Example for Free

Mattel Responds to Ethical Challenges Essay Mattel, Inc. is a global leader in designing and manufacturing toys and family products. Well-known for brands such as Barbie, Fisher-Price, Disney, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Tyco, Cabbage Patch Kids, and board games, the company boasts nearly $5.9 billion in annual revenue. Headquartered in El Segundo, California, with offices across the world, Mattel markets its products in over 150 nations. It all started in a California garage workshop when Ruth and Elliot Handler and Matt Matson founded Mattel in 1945. The company started out making picture frames, but the founders soon recognized the profitability of the toy industry and switched their emphasis to toys. Mattel became a publicly owned company in 1960, with sales exceeding $100 million by 1965. Over the next forty years, Mattel went on to become the world’s largest toy company in terms of revenue. In spite of its overall success, Mattel has had its share of losses over its history. During the mid to late 1990s, Mattel lost millions to declining sales and bad business acquisitions. In January 1997, Jill Barad took over as Mattel’s CEO. Barad’s management-style was characterized as strict and her tenure at the helm proved challenging for many employees. While Barad had been successful in building the Barbie brand to $2 billion by the end of the 20th century, growth slowed in the early 21st. Declining sales at outlets such as Toys ‘R’ Us marked the start of some difficulties for the retailer, responsibilities for which Barad accepted and resigned in 2000. Robert Eckert replaced Barad as CEO. Aiming to turn things around, Eckert sold unprofitable units and cut hundreds of jobs. In 2000, under Eckert, Mattel was granted the highly sought-after licensing agreement for products related to the Harry Potter series of books and movies. The company continued to flourish and build its reputation, even earning the Corporate Responsibility Award from UNICEF in 2003. Mattel released its first Annual Corporate Responsibility Report the following year. In 2011 Mattel was recognized as one of Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For for the fourth consecutive year. MATTEL’S CORE PRODUCTS BARBIE AND AMERICAN GIRL Among its many lines of popular toy products, Mattel is famous for owning top girls’ brands. In 1959, Mattel introduced a product that would change its future forever: the Barbie doll. One of the founders, Ruth Handler, had noticed how her daughter loved playing with paper cutout dolls. She decided to create a doll based on an adult rather than on a baby. Barbie took off to become one of Mattel’s critical product lines and the number one girls’ brand in the world. Since her introduction, Mattel has sold more than 1 billion Barbie dolls in over 150 countries. The Barbie line today This material was developed by Debbie Thorne, John Fraedrich, O.C. Ferrell, and Jennifer Jackson, with the editorial assistance of Jennifer Sawayda under the direction of O.C. Ferrell and Linda Ferrell. It is provided for the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at the University of New Mexico and is intended for classroom discussion rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of administrative, ethical, or legal decisions by management. Users of this material are prohibited from claiming this material as their own, emailing it to others, or placing it on the Internet. Please call O.C. Ferrell at 505-277-3468 for more information. (2011) Includes dolls, accessories, Barbie software, and a broad assortment of licensed products such as books, apparel, food, home furnishings, home electronics, and movies. To supplement the Barbie line, in 1998 Mattel acquired a popular younger type of doll. Mattel announced it would pay $700 million to Pleasant Co. for its high-end American Girl collection. American Girl dolls are sold with books about their lives, which take place during important periods of US history. The American Girls brand includes several book series, accessories, clothing for dolls and girls, and a magazine that ranks in the top ten American children’s magazines. HOT WHEELS Hot Wheels roared into the toy world in 1968. More than thirty years later, the brand is hotter than ever and includes high-end collectibles, NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) and Formula One models for adults, high-performance cars, track sets, and play sets for children of all ages. The brand is connected with racing circuits worldwide. More than 15 million boys aged five to 15 are avid collectors, each owning forty-one cars on average. Two Hot Wheels cars are sold every second of every day. The brand began with cars designed to run on a track and has evolved into a â€Å"lifestyle† brand with licensed Hot Wheels shirts, caps, lunch boxes, backpacks, and more. Together, Hot Wheels and Barbie generate 45 percent of Mattel’s revenue and 65 percent of its profits. CABBAGE PATCH KIDS Since the introduction of mass-produced Cabbage Patch Kids in 1982, more than 90 million dolls have been sold worldwide. In 1994, Mattel took over selling these beloved dolls after purchasing production rights from Hasbro. In 1996, Mattel created a new line of Cabbage Patch doll, called Snacktime Kids, which was expected to meet with immense success. The Snacktime Kids had moving mouths that enabled children to â€Å"feed† them plastic snacks. However, the product backfired. The toy had no on/off switch and reports of children  getting their fingers or hair caught in the dolls’ mouths surfaced during the 1996 holiday season. Mattel voluntarily pulled the dolls from store shelves by January 1997, and offered consumers a cash refund of $40 on returned dolls. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission applauded Mattel’s handling of the Snacktime Kids situation. Mattel effectively managed a situation that could easily have created bad publicity or a crisis situati on. Mattel stopped producing Cabbage Patch Kids in 2000. MATTEL’S COMMITMENT TO ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Mattel’s core products and business environment create many ethical issues. Because the company’s products are designed primarily for children, it must be sensitive to social concerns about children’s rights. It must also be aware that the international environment often complicates business transactions. Different legal systems and cultural expectations about business can create ethical conflicts. Finally, the use of technology may present ethical dilemmas, especially regarding consumer privacy. Mattel has recognized these potential issues and taken steps to strengthen its commitment to business ethics. The company also purports to take a stand on social responsibility, encouraging its employees and consumers to do the same. PRIVACY AND MARKETING TECHNOLOGY One issue Mattel has tried to address repeatedly is that of privacy and online technology. Advances in technology have created special marketing issues for Mattel. The company recognizes that, because it markets to children, it must communicate with parents regarding its corporate marketing strategy. Mattel has taken steps to inform both children and adults about its philosophy regarding Internet-based marketing tools, such as the Hot Wheels website. This website contains a lengthy online privacy policy, part of which is excerpted below: Mattel, Inc. and its family of companies (â€Å"Mattel†) are committed to  protecting your online privacy when visiting a website operated by us. We do not collect and keep any personal information online from you unless you volunteer it and you are 13 or older. We also do not collect and keep personal information online from children under the age of 13 without consent of a parent or legal guardian, except in limited circumstances authorized by law and described in this policy. By assuring parents that their children’s privacy will be respected, Mattel demonstrates that it takes its responsibility of marketing to children seriously. EXPECTATIONS OF MATTEL’S BUSINESS PARTNERS Mattel, Inc. is also making a serious commitment to business ethics in its dealings with other industries. In late 1997, the company completed its first full ethics audit of each of its manufacturing sites as well as the facilities of its primary contractors. The audit revealed that the company was not using any child labor or forced labor, a problem plaguing other overseas manufacturers. However, several contractors were found to be in violation of Mattel’s safety and human rights standards and were asked to change their operations or risk losing Mattel’s business. The company now conducts an independent monitoring council audit in manufacturing facilities every three years. In an effort to continue its strong record on human rights and related ethical standards, Mattel instituted a code of conduct entitled Global Manufacturing Principles in 1997. One of these principles requires all Mattel-owned and contracted manufacturing facilities to favor business partners committed to ethical standards comparable with those of Mattel. Other principles relate to safety, wages, and adherence to local laws. Mattel’s audits and subsequent code of conduct were designed as preventative, not punitive measures. The company is dedicated to creating and encouraging responsible business practices throughout the world. 1 Mattel, Inc., Online Privacy Policy, http://www.hotwheels.com/privacy-policy (accessed August 23, 2011). Mattel also claims to be committed to its workforce. As one company consultant noted, â€Å"Mattel is committed to improving the skill level of workers [so that they] will experience increased opportunities and productivity.† This statement reflects Mattel’s concern for relationships between and with employees and business partners. The company’s code is a signal to potential partners, customers, and other stakeholders that Mattel has made a commitment to fostering and upholding ethical values. LEGAL AND ETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES Mattel prefers to partner with businesses similarly committed to high ethical standards. At a minimum, partners must comply with the local and national laws of the countries in which they operate. In addition, all partners must respect the intellectual property of the company, and support Mattel in the protection of assets such as patents, trademarks, or copyrights. They are also responsible for product safety and quality, protecting the environment, customs, evaluation and monitoring, and compliance. Mattel’s business partners must have high standards for product safety and quality, adhering to practices that meet Mattel’s safety and quality standards. In recent years, however, safety standards have been seriously violated, which will be discussed in more detail later. Also, because of the global nature of Mattel’s business and its history of leadership in this area, the company insists that business partners strictly adhere to local and international customs laws. Partners must also comply with all import and export regulations. To assist in compliance with standards, Mattel insists that all manufacturing facilities provide the following: 1 Full access for on-site inspections by Mattel or parties designated by Mattel 2 Full access to those records that will enable Mattel to determine compliance with its principles 3 An annual statement of compliance with Mattel’s Global Manufacturing Principles, signed by an officer of the manufacturer or manufacturing facility2 With the creation of the Mattel Independent Monitoring Council (MIMCO), Mattel became the first global consumer products company to apply such a system to facilities and core contractors worldwide. The company seeks to maintain an independent monitoring system that provides checks and balances to help ensure that standards are met. If certain aspects of Mattel’s manufacturing Principles are not being met, Mattel will try to work with them to help them fix their problems. New partners will not be hired unless they meet Mattel’s standards. If corrective action is advised but not taken, Mattel will terminate its relationship with the partner in question. Overall, Mattel is committed to both business success and ethical standards, and it recognizes that it is part of a continuous improvement process. 2 â€Å"Mattel’s Commitment to Ethics,† eBusiness Ethics, http://www.e-businessethics.com/mattel9.htm (accessed August 23, 2011). MATTEL CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION Mattel takes its social responsibilities very seriously. Through the Mattel Children’s Foundation, established in 1978, the company promotes philanthropy and community involvement among its employees and makes charitable investments to better the lives of children in need. Funding priorities have included building a new Mattel Children’s Hospital at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), sustaining the Mattel Family Learning Program, and promoting giving among Mattel employees. In November 1998, Mattel donated a multiyear, $25 million gift to the UCLA Children’s Hospital. The gift was meant to support the existing hospital and provide for a new state-of-the-art facility. In honor of Mattel’s donation, the hospital was renamed Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA. The Mattel Family Learning Program utilizes computer learning labs as a way to advance children’s basic skills. Now numbering more than eighty throughout the United States, Hong Kong, Canada, and Mexico, the labs offer software and technology designed to help children with special needs or limited English proficiency. Mattel employees are also encouraged to participate in a wide range of volunteer activities as part of â€Å"Mattel Volunteers: Happy to Help.† Employees serving on boards of local nonprofit organizations or helping with ongoing nonprofit programs are eligible to apply for volunteer grants supporting their organizations. Mattel employees contributing to higher education or to nonprofit organizations serving children in need are eligible to have their personal donations matched dollar for dollar up to $5,000 annually. INTERNATIONAL MANUFACTURING PRINCIPLES As a U.S.-based multinational company owning and operating facilities and contracting worldwide, Mattel’s Global Manufacturing Principles reflect not only its need to conduct manufacturing responsibly, but to respect the cultural, ethical, and philosophical differences of the countries in which it operates. These Principles set uniform standards across Mattel manufacturers and attempt to benefit both employees and consumers. Mattel’s Principles cover issues such as wages, work hours, child labor, forced labor, discrimination, freedom of association, and working conditions. Workers must be paid at least minimum wage or a wage that meets  local industry standards (whichever is greater). No one under the age of 16 or the local age limit (whichever is higher) may be allowed to work for Mattel facilities. Mattel refuses to work with facilities that use forced or prison labor, or to use these types of labor itself. Additionally, Mattel does not tolerate discrimination. The company states that an individual should be hired and employed based on his or her ability—not on individual characteristics or beliefs. Mattel recognizes all employees’ rights to choose to associate with organizations or associations without interference. Regarding working conditions, all Mattel facilities and its business partners must provide safe working environments for their employees. ISSUES WITH OVERSEAS MANUFACTURING Despite Mattel’s best efforts, not all overseas manufacturers have faithfully adhered to its high standards. Mattel has come under scrutiny over its sale of unsafe products. In September 2007, Mattel announced recalls of toys containing lead paint. The problem surfaced when a European retailer discovered lead paint on a toy. An estimated 10 million individual toys produced in China were affected. Mattel quickly stopped production at Lee Der, the company officially producing the recalled toys, after it was discovered that Lee Der had purchased lead-tainted paint to be used on the toys. Mattel blamed the fiasco on the manufacturers’ desire to save money in the face of increasing prices. â€Å"In the last three or five years, youve seen labor prices more than double, raw material prices double or triple,† CEO Eckert said in an interview, â€Å"and I think that theres a lot of pressure on guys that are working at the margin to try to save money. The situation began when Early Light Industrial Co., a subcontractor for Mattel owned by Hong Kong toy tycoon Choi Chee Ming, subcontracted the painting of parts of CARS toys to another China-based vendor. The vendor, named Hong Li Da, decided to source paint from a non-authorized third-party supplier—a violation of Mattel’s requirement to use paint supplied directly by Early Light. The products were found to contain â€Å"impermissible levels of lead.† On August 2, 2007, it was announced that another of Early Lights subcontractors, Lee Der Industrial Co., used the same lead paint found on Cars products. China immediately suspended the companys export license. Afterward, Mattel pinpointed three paint suppliers working for Lee Der—Dongxin, Zhongxin, and Mingdai. This paint was used by Lee Der to produce Mattels line of Fisher-Price products. It is said that Lee Der purchased the paint from Mingdai due to an intimate friendship between the two company’s owners. On August 11, 2007, Zhang Shuhong, operator of Lee Der, hung himself after paying his 5,000 staff members. Later that month, Mattel was forced to recall several more toys because of powerful magnets in the toys that could come loose and pose a choking hazard for young children. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other inside the child’s stomach, causing potentially fatal complications. Over 21 million Mattel toys were recalled in all, and parents filed several lawsuits claiming that these Mattel products harmed their children. At first, Mattel blamed Chinese subcontractors for the huge toys recalls, but the company later accepted a portion of the blame for its troubles, while maintaining that Chinese manufacturers were largely at fault. The Chinese view the situation quite differently. As reported by the state-run Xinhua news agency, the spokesman for Chinas General Administration of Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine said, â€Å"Mattel should improve its product design and supervision over product quality. Chinese original equipment manufacturers were doing the job just as importers requested, and the toys conformed to the U.S. regulations and standards at the time of the production. Mattel also faced criticism from many of its consumers, who believed Mattel was denying culpability by placing much of the blame on China. Mattel was later awarded the 2007 â€Å"Bad Product† Award by Consumers International. How did this crisis occur under the watch of a company praised for its ethics and high safety standards? Although Mattel had investigated its contractors, it did not audit the entire supply chain, including subcontractors. These  oversights left room for these violations to occur. Mattel has also moved to enforce a rule that subcontractors cannot hire suppliers two or three tiers down. In a statement, Mattel says it has spent more than 50,000 hours investigating its vendors and testing its toys. Mattel also announced a three-point plan. This plan aims to tighten Mattel’s control of production, discover and prevent the unauthorized use of subcontractors, and test the products itself rather than depending on contractors. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT’S REACTION Chinese officials eventually did admit the government’s failure to properly protect the public. The Chinese government promised to tighten supervision of exported products, but effective supervision is challenging in such a large country that is so burdened with corruption. In January 2008, the Chinese government launched a four-month-long nationwide product quality campaign, offering intensive training courses to domestic toy manufacturers to help them brush up on their knowledge of international product standards and safety awareness. As a result of the crackdown, the State Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) announced that it had revoked the licenses of more than 600 Chinese toy makers. As of 2008, the State Administration for Commerce and Industry (SACI) released a report claiming that 87.5 percent of China’s newly manufactured toys met quality requirements. While this represents an improvement, the temptation to cut corners remains strong in a country that uses price, not quality, as its main competitive advantage. Where there is demand, there will be people trying to turn a quick profit. MATTEL VERSUS FORMER EMPLOYEE AND MGA In 2004, Mattel became embroiled in a bitter intellectual property rights battle with former employee Carter Bryant and MGA Entertainment Inc. over rights to MGA’s popular Bratz dolls. Carter Bryant, an on-again/off-again Mattel employee, designed the Bratz dolls and pitched them to MGA. A few months after the pitch, Bryant left  Mattel to work at MGA, which began producing Bratz in 2001. In 2002, Mattel launched an investigation into whether Bryant had designed the Bratz dolls while employed with Mattel. After two years of investigation, Mattel sued Bryant. A year later MGA fired off a suit of its own, claiming that Mattel was creating Barbies with looks similar to those of Bratz in an effort to eliminate the competition. Mattel answered by expanding its own suit to include MGA and its CEO, Isaac Larian. For decades, Barbie has reigned supreme on the doll market. However, Bratz dolls have given Barbie a run for her money. In 2005, four years after the brand’s debut, Bratz sales were at $2 billion. At the same time, Barbie was suffering from declining sales. In 2008 Barbie’s gross sales fell by 6 percent. Many analysts believe that Barbie has reached the maturity stage of its product life cycle. Four years after the initial suit was filed, Bryant settled with Mattel under an undisclosed set of terms. In July 2008, a jury deemed MGA and its CEO liable for what it termed â€Å"intentional interference† regarding Bryant’s contract with Mattel. In August 2008, Mattel received damages in the range of $100 million. Although Mattel first requested damages of $1.8 billion, the company is pleased with the principle behind the victory. In December 2008, Mattel appeared to win another victory when a California judge banned MGA from issuing or selling any more Bratz dolls. However, the tide soon turned on Mattel’s victory. In July 2010, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the ruling. Eventually, the case came down to whether Mattel owned Bryant’s ideas under the contract he had with the comapny. In April 2011, a California federal jury rejected Mattel’s claims to ownership. In another blow to Mattel, the jury also ruled that the company had stolen trade secrets from MGA. According to the allegations, Mattel employees used fake business cards to get into MGA showrooms during toy fairs. Mattel was ordered to pay $85 million in liabilities, plus an additional $225 million in damages and legal fees. MGA CEO Isaac Larian has  also announced that he will file an antitrust case against Mattel. Mattel continues to claim that Bryant violated his contract when he was working for the company . MATTEL LOOKS TOWARD THE FUTURE Like all major companies, Mattel has weathered its share of storms. The company has faced a series of difficult and potentially crippling challenges, including the recent verdict against the company in the Bratz lawsuit. During the wave of toy recalls, some analysts suggested that the company’s reputation was battered beyond repair. Mattel, however, has refused to go quietly. Although the company admits to poorly handling recent affairs, it is attempting to rectify its mistakes and to prevent future mistakes as well. With the economic future of the United States uncertain, Mattel may be in for slow growth for some time to come. Mattel is hard at work restoring goodwill and faith in its brands, even as it continues to be plagued with residual distrust over the lead paint scandal and its alleged theft of trade secrets. Reputations are hard won and easily lost, but Mattel appears to be steadfast in its commitment to restoring its reputation. QUESTIONS 1. Do manufacturers of products for children have special obligations to consumers and society? If so, what are these responsibilities? 2. How effective has Mattel been at encouraging ethical and legal conduct by its manufacturers? What changes and additions would you make to the company’s Global Manufacturing Principles? 3. To what extent is Mattel responsible for issues related to its production of toys in China? How might Mattel have avoided these issues? 9 Sources: Lisa Bannon and Carlta Vitzhum, â€Å"One-Toy-Fits-All: How Industry Learned to Love the Global Kid,† Wall Street Journal, Apr. 30, 2003, http://online.wsj.com. Adam Bryant, â€Å"Mattel CEO Jill Barad and a Toyshop That Doesn’t Forget to Play,† New York Times, Oct. 11, 1998. Bill Duryea, â€Å"Barbie-holics: They’re Devoted to the Doll,† St. Petersburg Times, Aug. 7, 1998. Rachel Engers, â€Å"Mattel Board Members Buy $30 Million in Stock: Insider Focus,† Bloomberg.com, Dec. 22, 2000. Mattel, Inc., Hot Wheels web site, http://www.hotwheels.com. â€Å"Independent Monitoring Council Completes Audits of Mattel Manufacturing Facilities in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand,† Mattel, press release, Nov. 15, 2002, www.shareholder.com/mattel/news/20021115-95295.cfm. â€Å"Investors and Media,† â€Å"Mattel Children’s Foundation,† and â€Å"Mattel Independent Monitoring Council,† Mattel, http://www.mattel.com/about_us (all accessed Apr. 30, 2003). â€Å"Mattel and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Announce Voluntary Refund Program for Cabbage Patch Kids Snacktime Kids Dolls,† U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Office of Information and Public Affairs, Release No. 97-055, Jan. 6, 1997. â€Å"Mattel, Inc., Launches Global Code of Conduct Intended to Improve Workplace, Workers’ Standard of Living,† Canada NewsWire, Nov. 21, 1997. â€Å"Mattel, Inc., Online Privacy Policy,† Mattel http://www.hotwheels.com/policy.asp (accessed Apr. 30, 2003). Marla Matzer, â€Å"Deals on Hot Wheels,† Los Angeles Times, Jul. 22, 1998. Patricia Sellers, â€Å"The 50 Most Powerful Women in American Business,† Fortune, Oct. 12, 1998. â€Å"Toymaker Mattel Bans Child Labor,† Denver Post, Nov. 21, 1998. Michael White, â€Å"Barbie Will Lose Some Curves When Mattel Modernizes Icon,† Detroit News, Nov. 18, 1997. Laura S. Spark, Chinese Product Scares Prompt US Fears. BBC News. July 10 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6275758.stm (accessed May 8, 2009). Benjamin B. Olshin, China, Culture, and Product Recalls. S2R. August 20, 2007, http://www.s2r.biz/s2rpapers/papers- Chinese_Product.pdf (accessed April 5, 2008). Mattel Recalls Batmanâ„ ¢ and One Pieceâ„ ¢ Magnetic Action Figure Sets. CPSC. 14 Aug. 2007, http://service.mattel.com/us/recall/J1944CPSC.pdf. Parker. Magnetic Toy Sets (accessed May 8, 2009). Product Recall. Mattel Consumer Service. 1 Apr. 2008 http://service.mattel.com/us/recall.asp. David Barboza and Louise Story. Toymaking in China, Mattel’S Way. New York Times. July 26, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/business/26toy.html?pagewanted=1_r=3hp (accessed May 10, 2009). Shu-Ching Chen, A Blow to Hong Kongs Toy King. Forbes.Com. August 15, 2007, http://www.forbes.com/2007/08/15/mattel-china- choi-face-markets-cx_jc_0815autofacescan01.html (accessed May 10, 2009). David Barboza, Scandal and Suicide in China: a Dark Side of Toys. Iht.Com. August 23, 2007, http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/23/business/23suicide.php?page=1 (May 10, 2009). The United States Has Not Restricted Imports Under the China Safeguard. United States Government Accountability Office. Sept. 2005, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d051056.pdf (May 10, 2009). Jack A. Raisner, Using the â€Å"Ethical Environment†Paradigm to Teach Business Ethics:the Case of the Maquiladoras. Journal of Business Ethics. 1997, http://www.springerlink.com/content/nv62636101163v07/fulltext.pdf (May 10, 2008). â€Å"Mattel awarded $100M in doll lawsuit,† USA Today, August 27, 2008, pg. B-1. Nicholas Casey, â€Å"Mattel Prevails Over MGA in Bratz-Doll Trial,† The Wall Street Journal, July 18, 2008, pp. B-18-B-19. Nicholas Casey, â€Å"Mattel to Get Up to $100 Million in Bratz Case,† The Wall Street Journal, August 27, 2008, http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB121978263398273857.html (accessed 28 Aug. 2008). American Girl, http://www.americangirl.com (accessed 14 Sept. 2008). â€Å"Barbie,† http://www.mattel.com, http://www.mattel.com/our_toys/ot_barb.asp (accessed 14 Sept. 2008). Mattel Annual Report 2008, http://www.shareholder.com/mattel/downloads/2007AR.pdf (accessed 14 Sept. 2008). â€Å"Mattel History,† http://www.mattel.com/about_us/history/default.asp?f=true (accessed 3 Dec. 2008). â€Å"Learning from Mattel,† Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, http://mba.tuck.dartmouth.edu/pdf/2002-1-0072.pdf (accessed 3 Dec. 2008). â€Å"Mattel to Sell Learning Company,† Direct, 2 Oct. 2000, http://directmag.com/news/marketing_mattel_sell_learning/ (accessed 3 Dec. 2008). Miranda Hitti, â€Å"9 Million Mattel Toys Recalled,† WebMD, 14 Aug. 2007, http://children.webmd.com/news/20070814/9_million_mattel_toys_recalled, (accessed 3 Dec. 2008). â€Å"Third toy recall by Mattel in five weeks,† Business Standard, 6 Sept. 2006, http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=297057, (accessed 3 Dec. 2008). â€Å"International Bad Product Awards 2007,† Consumers International, http://www.consumersinternational.org/Shared_ASP_Files/UploadedFiles/527739D3-1D7B-47AF-B85C-6FD25779149B_InternationalBadProductsAwards-pressbriefing.pdf (accessed 3 Dec. 2008). Gina Keating, â€Å"MGA ‘still accessing’ impact of Bratz ruling: CEO,† Yahoo! News, 4 Dec. 2008, http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081205/bs_nm/us_mattel_larian_1 (accessed 5 Dec. 2008). â€Å"Bratz loses battle of the dolls,† BBC News, 5 Dec. 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7767270.stm (accessed 5 Dec. 2008). â€Å"100 Best Companies to Work For,† CNNMoney, http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2011/full_list/ (accessed 23, Aug. 2011). Andrea Chang, â€Å"Mattel must pay MGA $310 million in Bratz case,† Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2011, http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/05/business/la-fi-mattel-bratz-20110805 (accessed 23 Aug. 2011). Ann Zimmerman, â€Å"Mattel Loses in Bratz Spat,† The Wall Street Journal, 22 April 2011, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703983704576276984087591872.html (accessed 23 Aug. 2011). â€Å"Income Statement: Mattel Inc. (MAT),† Yahoo! Finance, http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=MAT+Income+Statementannual (accessed 23 Aug. 2011).

An Analysis Of Dantes Inferno English Literature Essay

An Analysis Of Dantes Inferno English Literature Essay Dantes Inferno represents a microcosm of society; that is, laymen, clergy, lovers, wagers of war, politicians, and scholars are all collected into one place and punished for their worst and most human attributes. Hell, despite its otherworldly appearance and brutal, ugly nature, is somewhat humanized by the fact that those who are punished come from every country (Dante 3.123) and every walk of life, regardless of age, race, sex, or creed. While Dante Alighieri did not invent the idea of Hell as a place of punishment for the wayward and sinful souls in the afterlife, he did create the most powerful and enduring (Raffa 1) imagining of a concept which has received significant attention in biblical, classical, and medieval works. Dantes Divine Comedy was written sometime between 1308 and 1321 and is considered the supreme work of Italian literature (Norwich 27). It is an epic poem divided into three separate sections: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, respec tively. The personal element of the journey through Hell in Dantes Inferno literally explores the descent of one man into sin; through the use of poetic justice, both contemporary and historical figures, and mythological figures, Dante crafts an immediate and enthralling work dealing with the nature of sin and its place in society. The concept of poetic justice is famously explored in Inferno, where it is put to dramatic effect devising appropriate torments for each particular sin (Raffa 3). From Limbo to Treachery, Dante catalogues and documents the punishment of sinners both infamous and beloved, famous and unknown. In every case, the punishment fits the crime in a twisted and malignant fashion after all, the poem does discuss the realm of Satan, the Christian embodiment of evil. The nine circles of Hell described in Inferno are as follows: Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Avarice and Prodigality, Wrath and Sullenness, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Treachery. These nine circles are based off of the idea of the Seven Deadly Sins, with some additions such as Limbo created by Dante. The poem begins with Dante lost in a dark wood, assailed by three beasts he cannot evade, and unable to move straight along (Dante 1.18) the road to salvation, represented by a mountain. A lion, a leopard, and a she-wolf symbolizing pride, envy, and avarice, respectively block Dantes path to the top of the mountain, forcing him to descend into the depths of Hell with Virgil. The entire journey documented in the Divine Comedy is an allegory for mans fall into sin before achieving redemption (represented by Purgatorio) and eventually salvation (represented by Paradiso). Before Dante even enters the gates of Hell, he is introduced to his guide for the first two realms of the afterlife, Inferno and Paradiso. For this role, Dante chose Virgil (70-19 BCE), who lived under the rule of Julius Caesar and later Augustus during Romes transition from a republic into an empire, and is most famous for the Aeneid. Two episodes in Virgils work were of particular interest to Dante. Book IV tells the tale of Aeneas and Dido, the queen of Carthage, who kills herself when Aeneas abandons her to continue his journey and [found] a new civilization in Italy (Raffa 8). Book VI recounts Aeneas journey into Hades to meet the shade of his father and learn of future events in his journey. Many elements in the Aeneid are present in heavily modified form in Dantes Inferno. Many of Dantes mythological elements are based on Book VI of Virgils Aeneid, which recounts Aeneas visit to the underworld. Virgil imbued his version of the underworld with a fluid, dreamlike atmosphere (5), while Dante instead strives for greater realism, providing sharply drawn and tangible figures. After passing through the gateway to hell, marked ominously with the words ABANDON EVERY HOPE, WHO ENTER HERE (Dante 3.9), Dante and Virgil witness a realm of miserable people who lived without disgrace and without praise (3.17-35) on the periphery of the Inferno. In this realm, the two poets encounter the souls of those who lived such undistinguished and cowardly lives that they have been cast out by Heaven and refused entry by Hell. These souls are forced to race after a banner which never comes to a stop, and are stung repeatedly by flies and wasps, their blood and tears nourishing the sickening worms (3.69) at their feet. The punishment for these cowardly souls is clear; just as in life they refused to be decisive and act, they now are barred from both eternal paradise and eternal damnation, and chase down a waving banner which they will never be able to reach. Next, Dante and Virgil meet Charon, Hells boatman. In the Aeneid, Charon is the pilot of the vessel that transports shades of the dead across the waters into the underworld. In both works, he is an irritable old man with hair white with years (3.83) who objects to taking a living man (Aeneas, Dante) into the realm of the dead. In each case, the protagonists guide (the Sybil, Virgil) provides Charon the proper credentials, and their journey continues. In Limbo, the guiltless damned, noble non-Christian souls, and those who lived before the time of Christianity are punished. The idea of a place for souls who did not sin; and yet lacked baptism (4.34-35) existed in Christian theology prior to Dante, but his vision is more generous than most. Dante includes unbaptized babies, as well as notable non-Christian adults in his version of Limbo, which bears a resemblance to the Asphodel Meadows, a section of the Greek underworld where indifferent and ordinary souls were sent to live after death. Dante suggests that those in Limbo are being punished for their ignorance of God by being forced to spend the afterlife in a deficient form of Heaven; while certainly not as hellish as the other circles, Limbo is by no means a paradise. Dante encounters the classical poets Homer (eighth or ninth century BCE), Horace (65-8 BCE), Ovid (43 BCE -17 CE), and Lucan (39-65 CE), who welcome back their comrade Virgil and honour Dante and one of their own (Dante 4.79-102). Philosophers Socrates and Aristotle also make appearances in Limbo as the shades of men renowned for their outstanding intellectual achievements. Socrates (born ca. 470 BCE in Athens) was a legendary teacher known for the rigorous method of questioning that characterizes the dialogues of Plato (ca. 428-ca. 347 BCE), who also appears. In addition, one notable non-Christian soul finds himself in Limbo, separated from the rest: Saladin, the distinguished military leader and Egyptian sultan who fought against the crusading armies of Europe yet was admired even by his enemies for his chivalry and magnanimity. Dantes implication is that all virtuous non-Christians find themselves in Limbo. The Lustful are punished in the second circle by being blown about by a hellish hurricane, which never rests wheeling and pounding (5.31-33). Lust, for many of the inhabitants of this circle, led to the sin of adultery and in the cases of Dido, Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, and others a violent death. The violent winds are symbolic of lust, and represent the power it holds in affairs of blind passion and physical love. Lust contains the shades of many famous lovers: Semiramis, Dido, Paris, Achilles, and Tristan, among others. Semiramis was a powerful Assyrian queen alleged to ave been so perverse that she even made incest a legal practice (Raffa 27); Dido, queen of Carthage and widow of Sychaeus, committed suicide after her lover Aeneas abandoned her (Virgil IV); Paris later died during the Trojan war; Achilles was the most formidable (Raffa 27) Greek hero in the war against the Trojans, who was killed by Paris (according to medieval accounts); finally, Tristan was the nephew of king Mark of Cornwall who fell in love in Iseult (Marks fiancee) and was killed by Marks poisoned arrow. Minos, the one who judges and assigns (Dante 5.6) the souls during their descent into Hell, is an amalgam of figures from classical sources, completed with several personal touches from Dante. He is a combination of two figures of the same name, one the grandfather of the other, both rulers of Crete. The elder Minos was admired for his wisdom and the laws of his kingdom. The second Minos imposed a harsh penalty on the Athenians (who had killed his son Androgeos), demanding an annual tribute of fourteen youths (seven boys and seven girls), who were sacrificed to the Minotaur, which appears later in Inferno. Minos long tail which he wraps around himself, that marks the sinners level (Dante 5.11-12) is Dantes invention. Gluttony is punished in the third circle. The souls of the damned lie in a vile, grimy slush brought about by cold, unending, heavy, and accursed rain (6.7-8). These former gluttons lie sightless and heedless of their neighbours, symbolizing their cold, selfish, and empty pursuit of hedonism and empty sensuality. The slush, representative of overindulgence and sensuality, serves to cut one off from both the outside world and from Gods deliverance. Gluttonous individuals of note include a Florentine contemporary of Dantes, identified as Ciacco ( pig in Italian). Ciacco speaks to Dante regarding the political conflict in the city of Florence between two rival parties, the White and Black Guelphs, and predicts the defeat of the White Guelphs, Dantes party. This event did indeed occur, and would lead to Dantes own exile in 1302. As the poem is set in the year 1300, before Dantes exile, he uses the events of his own life to illustrate the unique ability of shades in Inferno to predict the future, a theme which is returned to later in the poem. Cerberus, guardian of Gluttony, is similar to the beast of Greek mythology. In the Aeneid, Virgil describes Cerberus the three-headed dog which guards the entrance to the classical underworld as loud, huge, and terrifying. Dantes Cerberus displays similar canine qualities: his three throats produce a deafening bark, and he eagerly devours the fistful of dirt Virgil throws into his mouths like a dog intent on its meal. Cerberus bloodred (6.16) eyes, greasy, black (6.16) beard, and large gut link him to the gluttonous spirits whom he tears, flays, and rends (6.18) with his clawed hands. The Avaricious and the Prodigal are punished together in the fourth circle. Avarice, or greed, is one of the inequities that most incurs Dantes scorn and wrath (Raffa 37). Prodigality is defined as the opposite of Avarice; that is, the trait of excessive spending. Both groups are forced to eternally joust with one another, using cumbersome stone weights as weapons. They call out to each other: Why do you hoard? Why do you squander? (Dante 7.30). Here Dante describes the punishment of both extremes, criticizing excessive desire for and against the possession of material goods using the classical principle of moderation. In the fifth circle, the Wrathful and the Sullen are punished. The wrathful fight each other eternally on the surface of the river Styx, which runs darker than deep purple (7.103), while the sullen lie gurgling beneath the water. Dante describes how the Wrathful combat one another: [They] struck each other not with hands alone, but with their heads and chests and with their feet, and tore each other piecemeal with their teeth (7.112-114). The wrathful are damned to eternally struggle and fight without direction or purpose, while the sullen have withdrawn into a black sulkiness from which they can find joy in neither God nor life. In the fifth circle, Filippo Argenti, a prominent Florentine and a Black Guelph, calls to Dante. A hotheaded character (Raffa 40), little is known regarding Filippo except what transpires in Inferno. He quarrels with Dante, lays his hands upon the boat the poets travel on, and is eventually torn apart by his wrathful cohorts. The two men were political opponents, but Dantes behaviour towards Filippo indicates a more personal grievance. Perhaps he had humiliated Dante in life, or had taken some part of Dantes property after his exile from the city. Phlegyas is the solitary boatman (Dante 8.17) who transports Dante and Virgil in his boat across the Styx, the circle of the wrathful and sullen. He was known in Greek mythology for his impetuous behaviour; in a fit of rage, Phlegyas set fire to the temple of Apollo because the god had raped his daughter Apollo promptly slew him in response. Phlegyas appears in Virgils underworld as an admonition against showing contempt for the gods (Virgil 6.618-620), a role which he reprises in Inferno. Between the fifth and sixth circles lie the walls of Dis, the fortressed city of Lower Hell (Raffa 39). The fallen angels who guard the gates of Dis refuse entry to the two poets, requiring the arrival of a messenger from Heaven to open the gate for them. Dante designates all of Lower Hell circles six through nine, where the most serious of sins are punished as the walled city of Dis, with its grave citizens, its great battalions (Dante 8.69). The first five circles, which exist outside of Dis, are collectively known as Upper Hell, as they are where the lesser sins are punished. With the appearance of the three infernal (9.38) Furies, who threaten to call on Medusa, Virgils credibility and Dantes survival appear to be at risk. Furies were often invoked in Virgils classical world to exact revenge on behalf of offended mortal and gods. Medusas hair was turned into snakes by an angry Minerva after Medusa made love with Neptune in the goddesss temple, and became too horrifying to look at without being turned to stone. Dante describes Medusa as the Queen of never-ending lamentation (9.44). The Furies names evil thought (Allecto), evil words (Tisiphone), and evil deeds (Magaera) (9.45-48) describe the three manifestations of sin, which can turn people to stone by making them obstinate cultivators of earthly things (Raffa 41). Heretics are punished inside the walls of Dis, in a spreading plain of lamentation and atrocious pain (Dante 9.110-111) resembling a cemetery. The sixth circle contains souls trapped and enclosed in fiery tombs for failing to believe in God and the afterlife. Since they did not believe in Hell, the Heretics are punished by being sealed away from it in the most unpleasant possible way inside a flaming sepulchre. Among the tombstones of the sixth circle, Dante encounters more Italian contemporaries. A pair of Epicurian Florentines are disocvered sharing a tomb: Farinata degli Uberti, a Ghibelline; and Cavalcante de Cavalcanti, a fellow Guelph and the father of Guido Cavalcanti, Dantes fellow poet and closest friend. Farinata is an imposing figure, rising out of his inflamed sepulchre from the waist up and seeming to have great contempt for Hell (10.31-36). As the leader of the Ghibellines, Farinata was an enemy to the Guelphs, the party of Dantes ancestors. Farinata declares that his colleagues would have annihilated Florence (10.92), had he not interceded forcefully, an act which has earned him Dantes respect. Cavalcante was an enemy to the Ghibellines, like Dante, and married his son Guido to Farinatas daughter in order to foster peace between the two parties. Dantes best friend, Guido Cavalcanti, was a poet who held the philosophical belief that love is a dark force which leads only to mis ery and death. Therefore, Cavalcantes appearance in Hell might be more a matter of guilt by association to his sons worldview than any kind of reflection on himself. The Minotaur is the guardian and mythological symbol for the seventh circle, Violence. At the sight of Dante and Virgil, the minotaur reacts like one whom fury devastates within (12.15), and his frenzied bucking allows the travellers to proceed unharmed. The Minotaur is a physical manifestation of violence in Inferno: almost every part of the Minotaurs story, from its creation to its demise, contains some form of violence (Raffa 55). The sinners in the seventh circle are divided into three groups: the violent against people and property, the violent against themselves, and the violent against God and nature (Dante 11.28-33). The first group comprised of assassins and murderers, among others are immersed in Phlegethon, a bloodred, boiling (12.101) river of blood and fire, up to a level commensurate with their sins (12.73-75). Because they committed such acts of bloodshed and destruction in their lives, they are punished by being immersed in a river of that which they have spilt. The second group the suicides are transformed into knotted, gnarled (13.5) thorny bushes and trees, which are fed upon by Harpies. These souls have given away their physical bodies through suicide, and are forced to maintain treelike forms. These suffering trees cannot speak until Dante accidentally injures one and causes it to bleed. Dante uses the soul-trees as a metaphor for the state of mind which leads to self-harm and suicide. Finall y, the third group blasphemers and sodomites reside in a desert of sand, fire and brimstone falling from the sky. The blasphemers lie down upon the sand, the usurers recline, and the sodomites wander seemingly aimlessly in huddling groups, all while being burned by distended flakes of fire (14.28-29). This symbolizes how those who act violently against God and that which God has provided are perpetually unable to find peace and comfort in their lives. Among those immersed in Phlegethon is Alexander the Great, submerged up to his eyebrows in blood. He suffers for his reputation as a cruel, bloodthirsty man who inflicted great harm upon the world and its peoples. In the forest of suicides, Dante hears the tale of Pier delle Vigne, who killed himself after falling out of favour with Emperor Frederick II (Dante 13.64-69). Dante encounters his mentor, Brunetto Latini, among the sodomites. Surprised and touched by this encounter, Dante shows Brunetto great respect and admiration, thus refuting suggestions that the poet Dante placed only his enemies in Hell (15.43-45). The Centaurs are men from the waist up with the lower bodies of horses (Raffa 55) who guard the river Phlegethon. Thousands of centaurs patrol the bank of the river, using bows and arrows to keep damned souls submerged. In classical mythology, Centaurs are best known for their uncouth, violent behaviour. Chiron, leader of the Centaurs, enjoyed a favourable reputation as the sage tutor of both Hercules and Achilles. Pholus and Nessus the Centaurs assigned to escort Dante and Virgil have fully earned their negative reputations, however: Pholus who Virgil describes as full of rage (Dante 12.72) had been killed when a fight broke out during a wedding after he and his fellow centaurs attempted to carry off the bride and several other girls, and Nessus was killed by Hercules with a poison arrow for attempting to rape the heros wife, Deinira, after Hercules entrusted him with carrying her across a river (12.67-69). The penultimate circle as well as the most detailed is Fraud, which Dante describes as a place in Hell made all of stone the colour of crude iron (18.1-2). This circle is divided up into ten smaller pockets: panderers and seducers, flatterers, simonists, sorcerers, barrators, hypocrites, thieves, fraudulent advisers and evil councillors, sowers of discord, and falsifiers. Panderers (pimps) and seducers march eternally in opposite directions, lashed cruelly (18.36) by demons. Just as they used passion and seduction to bend others to their will, they are now themselves driven by hellish demons. Flatterers exploited other people using language, therefore, they are plunged in excrement (18.113), representing the false words they produced. Simonists payed for positions of power within the Catholic Church, and are placed upside-down into holes in the floor, with both soles [of their feet] on fire (9.25). The holes into which their heads are planted resemble baptismal fonts, used in several religious rituals a constant reminder of the corrupt nature of their former positions in the church. Sorcerers, astrologers, and false prophets have had their heads twisted toward their haunches (20.13) so that they can not see what is ahead of them. This symbolizes the twisted nature of magic in general specifically, it refers to the use of forbidden means to see into the future. Dante felt particularly unforgiving towards politicians after his exile from Florence, thus, corrupt politicians (barrators) are immersed in a stew of sticky pitch (21.8). Their punishment represents the sticky fingers, corrupt deals, and dark secrets inherent in positions of political power. The hypocrites listlessly walk with lagging steps, in circles, with features tired and defeated (23.59-60), wearing leaden cloaks, representing the falsity behind the appearance of their actions. This falsity literally weighs these souls down and renders any sort of progress impossible. The thieves are pursued and at tacked by lizards and snakes, their bites causing them to undergo various transformations (24-25). Just as they stole in life, their very human identity becomes subject to theft in Hell. Fraudulent advisers and evil councillors are encased within individual pyres. These individuals did not give false advice out of ignorance; rather, Dante refers to rhetoric [used] by talented people for insidious ends (Raffa 99). In life, they caused those whom they advised to do ill without dirtying their own hands now they are punished alone in their fires. The sowers of discord are hacked apart, their bodies dividing as in life they caused division among others. Their wounds are quickly healed, only to have themselves hacked apart again (Dante 28.139-142). Dante considers falsifiers (alchemists, counterfeiters, perjurers, and impersonators) a disease upon society, and their corrupting influence is reflected in their diseased bodies and minds (Raffa 99) in the tenth pouch. In the eighth circle, Dante meets a number of notably fraudulent individuals. Venedico Caccianemico, who sold his own sister to the Marchese dEste, is recognized among the pimps in the first pouch, despite his attempts to avoid detection (Dante 18.40-60). In the fifth ditch, the thief Vanni Fucci is burnt to ashes before being reincarnated; Agnel blends together with a reptilian Cianfa; and Buoso exchanges forms with Francesco. Vanni Fucci was a black Guelph from Pistoia, a town not far from rival Florence; Dante says he knew Vanni as a man of blood and anger (Dante 24.129). Agnel is thought to be Agnello Dei Brunelleschi, a man who joined the white Guelphs Dante s party but then switched to the black faction when they came to power. Both he and Cianfa are renowned for their thievery. Buoso stole while serving in public office, then arranged for Francesco de Cavalcanti to take over and steal on his behalf. In the eighth pit, Ulysses and Diomedes are condemned for the deception of the Trojan Horse, luring Achilles into the war effort, and stealing a statue of Athena from Troy (26.58-63). Dante encounters the schismatic prophet Muhammad; the poet views Islam as an off-shoot from Christianity, and similarly condemns Ali, Muhammads son-in-law, for the schism between Sunni and Shiite Muslims (28.22-33). The Malebranche ( Evil claws in Italian) are the devils of the fifth pocket of circle eight who bring to Hell the shades of corrupt political officials and employees. They are agile, smart, and fierce (Raffa 77), they are armed with long hooks, which they use to keep the shades under the surface of the black pitch (Dante 21.55-57). It is likely that the names Dante coined for individual demons ( Bad Dog, Sneering Dragon, Curly Beard, etc.) are based on actual family names of civic leaders in Florence and the surrounding towns. The Giants physically connect circles eight and nine: standing on the floor of circle nine, they tower over the inner ledge of circle eight with the upper halve of their immense bodies. They are archetypal examples of defiant rebels: Nimrod, who attempted to build the Tower of Babel before it was knocked down by God and his people were scattered; Ephialtes, who fought against Jove and the other Olympian gods; and Antaeus, whose relationship with the titans who stormed Mt. Olympus damned him, despite the fact that he was born after his brothers had waged war against the gods. Nimrod has been punished by being forced to speak an incomprehensible language; that is, his language is as strange to others as theirs is to him. Ephialtes, like the rest of the titans who challenged the gods, is immobilized with heavy chains. Antaeus is not given any exceptional punishment, for he is only guilty by association. It is Antaeus who assists Virgil and Dante by lowering them down to the ninth circle , after being enticed by Virgil with the prospect of eternal fame upon Dantes return to the world (31.115-129). The final circle is Treachery, a frozen lake at the centre of Hell, which is divided into four Rounds: Ca?na, Antenora, Ptolomaea, and Judecca. In Ca?na, traitors to their kindred are immersed in ice up to their faces. In Antenora, traitors to political entities are located similarly in the ice. In Ptolomaea, traitors to their guests are punished, lying on their backs in the ice, with only their faces uncovered. In Judecca, the traitors to their lords and benefactors are completely encapsulated in ice, distorted in pain. In the first round of Treachery, Dante encounters Mordred, who attacked his uncle King Arthur and was pierced mortally by Arthurs lance (Dante 32.61-62). In the second round, Count Ugolino pauses from his ceaseless assault upon the head of his rival, Archbishop Ruggieri, to tell Dante how Ruggieri imprisoned and killed him with his children. This story, the longest single episode related by a damned soul in Inferno, serves as Dantes final dramatic representation of mankinds capacity for evil and cruelty. Fra Alberigo, who had his brother killed at a banquet, explains a key conceit of Dantes Inferno: sometimes, a soul falls into Hell before they have actually died. Their earthly bodies are possessed by demons, so what appears to be a walking, living man is actually beyond the point of repentance (33.134-147). Finally, Lucifer the emperor of the despondent kingdom (34.28) lies at the centre of the Inferno. As ugly as he once was beautiful (34.34-36), Lucifer is a wretched contrast with his limited autonomy and mobility. Lucifers three faces (black, yellow, and red) parody the doctrine of the Holy Trinity: three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) in one divine nature the Divine Power, Highest Wisdom, and Primal Love which also created the gates of Hell, and, by extension, the entire realm of eternal damnation. His flapping wings generate the wind that keeps lake at the centre of Hell frozen, while his three mouths chew on the shade-bodies of the three archtraitors Judas, Brutus, and Cassius the gore mixing with tears gushing out of his three sets of eyes (34.53-57). Dantes Inferno heralded a revolution in Christian theology through its innovative use of poetic justice, historical and contemporary figures, and classical mythology. By combining these disparate elements into a single, cohesive poem, Dante effectively changed the way the Western world imagined the afterlife and Hell in particular. By focusing on the details of the scenes and the identities of those whom the fictional Dante converses with, Inferno illustrates a horrifyingly real and immediate vision of Hell, one which has persisted at least in some part to this day. By focusing on the personal journey of one man through the afterlife, the focus of the narrative is shifted onto the reader, who can easily identify with Dante as the first-person narrator. While the circumstances surrounding the creation of the Divine Comedy Dantes exile from Florence, his fall from political grace, and his eventual death soon after the completion of his magnum opus are rather tragic, they all contribute to Dantes work in a way which colours the text and gives it a personality and passion which is still felt to this day. For seven hundred years, Inferno has elicited strong responses from its readers from fascination to revulsion and everything in between (Raffa 5). Regardless as to the readership, the response to Inferno has been, and will continue to be, anything but apathetic.