The Promise of the After-Life in Islam Essay Example for Free

The Promise of the After-Life in Islam Essay I. The Five Pillars and the Seven Articles of Faith That which makes the life of man pleasant and enjoyable, makes his labor joyful, gives warmth to his heart, and broadens the horizons of his vision, is none other than what revelation and religion give man belief in an eternal world . . . (Lari, 1992, p. 17) Islam means total submission to Allahs will. A good Muslim has genuine belief in the Five Pillars of Islam and the Seven Articles of Faith. The Five Pillars purify a Muslim and compound the way of life for him. They are Ash-shahada, testifying that Allah is the only God and Muhammad is His messenger, Salat, five daily prayers, Zakat, charity to needy Muslims, Fasting during Ramadan to appreciate Allahs providence and making a pilgrimage to Mecca to perform Hajj. Observing these Five Pillars reinforces a Muslims true faith. The Seven Articles of Faith are key principles to follow. They are the affirmation that Allah is One (tawhid) and He is The Only Creator to be worshipped, belief in His angelic agency, scriptures, prophets, Judgement Day (Yawm Al-Qiyamah), the belief that the power of executing good and evil acts emanates from Allah and the belief in life after death (Bowker, 2001, p. 21). In Islam, judgement, reward and punishment form the foundation of its creed (Elias, 1999, p. 64). The eschatological thought of Islam teaches a Muslim that he will either pay or earn his dues. The way he lives his present life will determine the nature of his hereafter (al-akhirah). Lari (1992, p. 155) says that the fear of God stems from mens fear of their own deeds and will instill discipline and order. In Islam, the perpetuity of this world is a fallacy (Coward, 1997, p. 50). Eternity resides only in the hereafter. Death will lead to resurrection and Judgement Day when every Muslim will stand before Allah to account for his deeds. Adhering to Islams creed will emancipate a Muslim and merit him with heaven while disobeying it will banish him to hell. Under these circumstances, Muslims are compelled to walk in the path of Allah in this life given the accountability of ones sins on Yawm Al-Qiyamah or Judgement Day, the threat of jahannam or hell, where one is consumed by a raging fire; or the promise of earning His blessing in the al-akhirah or hereafter with the reward of al-janna or heaven, wherein resides Allahs infinite love. II. The three worlds Every soul shall taste of death; you shall surely be paid in full your wages on the Day of Resurrection. Whosoever is removed from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, shall win the triumph. The present life is but the joy of delusion. (cited in Coward, 1997, p. 48) The Quran mentions phases of ones life, categorized it into three different worlds. They are the World of earning, Intermediate state and Resurrection (Ahmad, 1996, pp. 151-157). A. World of earning This is the present life where one accumulates merit or demerit for his deeds. The Quran (84:6) says, O man! To the degree that you strive to obey God you will in the end meet your Creator (cited in Lari, 1992, p. 36). According to two studies (Lari, 1992; Ahmad, 1996) good or bad effects of ones deeds will act as poison or panacea on him in the hereafter (Lari, 1992, p. 143). The bliss or burden felt when carrying out an act disappears but it leaves an impression on the heart (p. 150). One cannot escape punishment in the afterlife. Present life is riddled with tests of Allah, who guides people by showing the good way as well as the one that leads [them] astray (Sakr, 2001, p. 18). One who corrupts his soul through evils like deceit, immorality and rejection of faith will be punished severely on Judgement Day. Death is the opening of the gates of eternity (Lari, 1992, p.15). Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Rumi recites, O you who attempt to flee death in your fear, It is yourself that you fear use your intelligence! It is your countenance that is ugly, not the visage of death; Your soul is a tree on which death is the leaf. (cited in Lari, 1992, p. 18) When ones relationship with God weakens and he starts to distance himself from a firm rooting in faith, the entirety of his being becomes a hunting ground for demons who rob him of all virtue, piety, and the capacity for salvation (Lari, 1992, p. 153). Therefore, his ultimate aim and desire should be to seek the ultimate perfection achievable by man, which is the attainment of union with the sublime origin of all being (Lari, 1992, p. 36). B. Intermediate state This state is known as Barzakh. Here, the soul lives in another phase of existence (Haeri, 1997, p. 24) which falls between present life and resurrection (Ahmad, 1996, p. 152). The soul departs from the body and is held at Isthmus, a storage place for souls. Then, the soul returns to the grave to be questioned by two angels, Munkir and Nakir. They will question regarding Allah, belief in Islam, ones way of life and other questions to test ones virtues and piety. If one is righteous, one will be shown heaven. If not, one will be shown hell and tormented in ones grave. C. Resurrection They will blow on the trumpet and everything in the heavens and the earth will be swallowed up by death, save only that which God wishes to preserve. Then another trumpet blast will be sounded and all creatures will suddenly rise up to behold the plain of resurrection.(cited in Lari, 1992, p. 126) This is how the Quran (39:68) describes resurrection. The first sounding of the trumpet signals every living being to drop dead and the second sounding restores life for everyone to awaken. The trumpets function is to call for universal death and universal revival (Lari, 1992, p. 128). Before resurrection, comes the end of the world. According to the Quran (81:1-6), When the sun (with its spacious light) is folded up; When the stars fall, losing their luster; When the mountains vanish (like a mirage) (cited in Sakr, 2001, p. 73) only Allah remains. After forty years, He resurrects all. The Quran illustrates this by saying, And We send down from the sky rain charted with blessing, and We produce therewith gardens and grain for harvests . . . and We give (new) life therewith to land that is dead: thus will be the resurrection. (cited in Sakr, 2001, p. 82) III. Judgement Day: Accounting for ones deeds With resurrection comes Judgement Day which emphasizes on the Qurans tenacious stress on the ultimate moral responsibility and accountability of each believer (Esposito, 1998, p. 30). Mankind will be led in groups naked to an uninterrupted plain devoid of any irregularity where none can escape Allahs vision (Al-Ghazali, 1995, p. 177). The blazing sun will make the tightly packed congregation perspire in the sweltering heat according to their sins to atone for the duties they failed to perform. Supporting information in a study by Muslim, he says some will have sweat up to their ankles . . . and others will have it up to their mouths (cited in Sakr, 2001, p. 90). The intensity of a sinners suffering will be so unbearable that he will request to be sent to hell rather than undergo this torture. The concept of punishment is imminently significant in Islam. All will stand before Him in humility and be answerable for their deeds. Each will be issued his Book of Records which chronicles all his actions and intentions and this book is testament to how he led his life. A righteous person will receive the book in his right hand to indicate that Allah is pleased with him. A sinner will receive it in his left hand (Sakr, 2001, p. 101). Everyone is then interrogated about the way they lived. There is no intercession, prejudice nor favoritism in the judgement (p. 97). In two different works (Hamid, 1996; Sakr, 2001), it is said that nobody can hide their misdeeds since their own biological organs testify against them. Similarly, the Quran (24:24) states, Their tongues, their hands, and their feet will bear witness against them as to their actions (cited in Sakr, 2001, p. 98). Allah will grant our organs the ability of speech and as mentioned earlier the bliss or burden of our actions would have left impressions on all these organs, so they will be able to bear witness. Allah will condemn those who failed to abide by His laws to jahannam. The Quran (9:79) says, Those who on account of their own evil nature find fault with the contributions of obedient believers, who mock those who do not grudge spending in the way of God whatever they are able, God mocks them and He will punish them; a painful torment will be theirs. (cited in Lari, 1992, p. 192) The Quran (23:102-4) also says that a person whose scales are heavy with good deeds are prosperers while one whose scales are light has lost [his] soul in [jahannam] dwelling forever (cited in Coward, 1997, p. 59). After the harrowing interrogation, all will have to walk over the Bridge of Hell or the Al- Sirat (Sakr, 2001, p. 108). The path could be very wide for one and very narrow for another. If the path is narrow when one is crossing and he fears hell, angels will either dump him [in] Hell (p. 108) or guide his path for safe-crossing to heaven. Al-Ghazali describes the Al-Sirat: Sharper than sword and more subtle than hair. He who treads on straight and right path in this world will cross it easily and will get salvation. He who is misguided and saddled with sins will slip therefrom at the first step and will fall down into Jahannam (Hell). (cited in Sakr, 2001, pp. 108-109) The Quran (19:71-72) says that by Allahs decree, nobody escapes passing over hell (Sakr, 2001, p. 112). Only the righteous will be saved from falling into the wrath of the raging fire. The terrified sinners then embark on their [march] along the Path of Hell (sirat al-jahim) where they will meet with the wrath of the Blaze (Coward, 1997, p. 60). Said Prophet Muhammad, There is no creature that will not be overtaken by remorse and regret on the day of resurrection, but regret will be of no avail. When the blessed look upon paradise and the infinite bounties that God has prepared for the pure and the Godfearing, they will regret not having performed righteous deeds equal to theirs. As for the wretched, the people of hellfire, they will groan and lament when they see the fire and hear its roar, and they will regret not having atoned for their sins while still in the world. (cited in Lari, 1992, pp. 210-211) IV. The chastisement of jahannam Those condemned to jahannam will yearn for Allahs absolute love. The sinners will be tormented to an extent unimaginable by mankind. Esposito cites the Quran (18:29), explaining what the unbelievers go through: a fire whose sheets encompass them. If they should ask for relief, then water like molten copper shall be showered upon them to scald their faces. How awful is such a drink and how evil a resting place (p. 31). There are different categories of hell where depending upon the sins committed, one could both be banished to jahannam and deprived of Allahs love for eternity or stay for a period of time till he atones for his sins and earns Allahs mercy. Similarly, both Sakr and Al-Ghazali profess that there are seven gates in hell. Al-Ghazali explains that seven is the number of the parts with which a man sins (p. 222). The gates are positioned one above the other. The uppermost level is [the gate leading to] the Inferno [Jahannam], followed by the Blaze [Saqar], Flame [Laza], Furnace [al-Hutama], Fire [al-Sair], Hellfire [al-Jahim] and Abyss [al-Hawiya] (Al-Ghazali, 1995, p. 222). He explains the significance of the infinite depth of the Abyss by likening it to that of mans countless desires of this world (1995, p. 222). He also says that pain caused by fire is supreme which explains the blazing fire that consumes the condemned (p. 223). Sakr explores the various tortures of jahannam. He says that the banished are repeatedly clubbed on their heads with maces of iron to experience pain and humiliation (p. 116). Sakr explains, that dwellers of jahannam are punished according to the intensity of their sins, by citing a verse from the Quran (15:43-44) proclaiming hell as the promised abode for the sinners and unbelievers. To it are seven gates: for each of those Gates is a (special) class (of sinners) assigned. For example, one will be chained and hauled along boiling water on his face while another will be made to drink boiling water which will sever his intestines (Sakr, 2001, p. 116-117) The Quran warns Muslims by saying, Indeed, the friendship of Satan earns man perdition and misguidance (cited in Lari, 1992, p. 210). In general, jahannam is the ultimate torture chamber that executes the most excruciating punishments. Lari (1992) appropriately articulates that these chastisements function as alarm bells to warn wrongdoers and cajole them into reform[ing] themselves before it is too late (p. 44). V. The bliss of al-janna God promises the believers, both women and men, that He will cause them to enter a paradise where rivers flow beneath the trees, and have them dwell in splendid palaces. He will also bestow on them His pleasure and satisfaction, which is greater and loftier than material bounties. This spiritual reward is, in truth, the supreme achievement for the pure (Quran 9:72; cited in Lari, 1992, p.140). Lari (1992) reinforces the reward of being in al-janna by saying that above all, man will [attain] there the true object of his love which is being with Allah (p. 148). Leading a righteous life and fulfilling ones duties as a Muslim wholeheartedly, merit[s] admission to [al-janna] (Coward, 1997, p. 51). Unyielding belief in Islam and the fear of God are core aspects of righteousness (Lari, 1992, p. 193). Lari defines a good deed as one that develops from a pure motive which is done solely to please God and develop the individual morally (p. 190). The studies of both Hamid and Malik show that there are different categories of heaven. Malik concedes there are seven heavens. The seventh heaven [is] [t]he Garden of Firdaws Jannat al Firdaws (2002, par. 21). Al-Ghazali describes heaven as a beautiful garden where souls rejoice, eating of its various foods, and quaffing its milk, wine and honey from rivers whose beds are of silver, whose pebbles are pearls . . . (1995, p. 233). Just as sinners are tormented according to their varying degrees of sins, the blessed are rewarded according to their righteousness and resolute faith. As the seventh heaven is the closest to Allah and His infinite love, it is the ultimate recompense for leading a life in total submission and of unadulterated love for Him. This will be the paramount motivation to [walk] in the path of [Allah] (Coward, 1997, p.51). VI. The consequence of choice Man shapes his hereafter based on his positive and negative deeds in this life, so he should always be devoted to Allah in order to stay on His path. Lari says whenever man falls into the pit of sin, he should immediately feel polluted by his act of rebellion against God and reform before he gets the stamp of perdition (1992, p.167). Mans actions shall be weighed in Scales and a final consignment to Heaven or Hell shall be decreed . . . For the Godfearing shall be a triumph-gardens and vineyards, maidens for companions, and a cup overflowing. But man is not to forget that Hell lurks in ambush, a home for the profligate, where they shall abide for ages . . . (Winter, 1995, p. xiii) VI. References Ahmad, H. M. (1996). Teachings of Islam (M. M. Ali, Trans.). OH: Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha. Al-Ghazali, A. H. (1995). The remembrance of death and the afterlife. UK: The Islamic Texts Society. Bower, J. (2001). What Muslims believe. England: Oneworld. Coward, H. (1997). Life after death in world religions. NY: Orbis Books. Elias, J. J. (1999). Islam. London: Calmann King. Esposito, J. L. (1998). Islam: The straight path. (3rd ed.). NY: Oxford University Press. Haeri, S. F. (1997). The elements of Islam. UK: Element Books. Hamid, A. (1996). Islam: The natural way. UK: MELS. Keller, N. H. M. (Trans.). (1996). Al-Nawawis manual of Islam. UK: The Islamic Texts Society. Lari, S. M. M. (1992). Resurrection judgement and the Hereafter (H. Algar, Trans.). Iran: Foundation of Islamic Cultural Propagation in the World. Malik, K. M. (2002, April 6). Meem The Arabic letter [On-line]. Retrieved March 30, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.meem. freeuk.com/Meem.html Sakr, A. H. (2001). Life, death and the life after. India: Islamic Book Service. VII. Bibliography Esack, F. (1998). Quran, liberation and pluralism. Oxford: Oneworld. Guillaume, A. (1961). Islam. US: Penguin Books. Hixon, L. (1995). Heart of the Koran. IL: The Theosophical Publishing House. Husaini, S. W. A. (1980). Islamic environmental systems engineering. London: Macmillan. Kamali, M. H. (1999). Freedom, equality, and justice in Islam. Malaysia: Ilmiah. Nursi, B. S. (n. d.). Resurrection and the hereafter. Pakistan: Shalimar. Pearl, D. (1987). A textbook on Muslim personal law. (2nd ed.). NH: Croom Helm. Said, E. W. (1997). Covering Islam. NY: Vintage Books.

Impacts of Placing Children in Foster Care

Impacts of Placing Children in Foster Care PLACING CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE All the children have a right to a better existence. It is the responsibility of the state to make sure that all the youngsters grow up in the best environment. Parents and guardians should always act as role models to their kids. Therefore, it is necessary to take away children from their homes and place them in the care of the state to guard them from exploitation and neglect from their parents. The new environment where they are placed would help influence their positive development. Potential ethical issues Protection of confidence: when implementing the new strategy many times the confidence among the two parties might be violated. There may be situations in which the information raised in a secret conversation with the child can be breached. In the circumstances of child abuse an individual may take the responsibility of sharing the information with other people in order to guard the child (Barber, 2004). One might decide to share the issue with another expert like the boss, and the child protection guide. Breaching the kids’ privacy might be a violation of the law, however, when the child makes a revelation of the abuse or the problems they are facing then one should be worried that the child is in danger of harm. The violation of the child’s privacy can be very essential at this point since the kid might be suffering from the offenses done by their parents or guiders. Therefore, the only way to make certain that the problem is addressed and the child is taken good care off is through reporting of the matter. Through the raising of the concern the youngster’s privacy would have been violated but for the benefits of the child. Conflict of interest: a conflict of attention entails the real mistreatments or the possibility of abuse of the faith that people have on other or experts. It is a state of affairs in which other individual considerations have the possibility to negotiate on the judgment and impartiality. The conflict of interest occurs when a person, for instance the parent or guardian believes that the expert ruling is probable to be cooperation (Bloom, 2010). The liable person might only think that the judgment made concerning the abuse of the child is a biased one. He or she might always want a consideration to be made and negotiations to be included in the procedures where they can be allowed to take back the child. They believe that the involved parties could easily be compromised into making a decision that best suits them. Unnecessary family division: when a home has many reported cases of mistreatments and child abuse the policy allows for separation. The child will be taken away from the family and they might be taken by a foster care service. They might be taken, it until when the offenders have been proven to be free of the charges they are facing (Pine, 2007). The taking away of the affected youngster is of great importance in enhancing the individuals’ growth. In addition, taking away the children from the residence helps to decrease the extent that the kid is uncovered to such violence. By this means, the technique will assist in reducing hostility in the young person. Representation for clients with reduced cognitive ability: during the implementation of the strategy measures should be kept in place to ensure that full representation is applied. The entire individual involved in the case should be signified in the judgment. Those customers who cannot speak for themselves should be symbolized by relative or legal experts (Zlotnick, 2013). There should be an expert who must be in a position to prove their client’s capability and if possible they should present some legal documents. When the children are very young to provide the details of the incident, then they require an expert or another person to represent them. Parents or guiders might also need a representative if they are mentally challenged or when they are not in the right state to represent them. With the proper representation, then the correct judgment that would be beneficial to the child can be achieved. Impacts Reduced juvenile offenses: the implementation of the policy will place a major role in decreasing youth crimes. By taking out the children from violent homes to the institutions where they can be brought up properly helps in enhancing their positive growth. The new environment where there are not incidences of mistreatments and all other forms of abuse make them less aggressive and hospitable. Therefore, when the youngsters are well brought up they would learn to stay away from criminal activities (Wilgocki, 2002). This development most likely to be reflected in the future when they become adults. Since the youngsters will be well brought up, then there can be no cases of crimes in the society in the prospect. Good child growth: the children, who are brought up in homes with domestic aggression and where that parents abuse alcohol or other drugs have a bad growth. They tend to have a negative development where they adopt their parents or guardian behaviors. However, when the youngsters are removed from those houses they associate with other children and populaces. Through the process of interaction they learn and acquire good behaviors which positively impact of their developments. Negative consequence One, the unexceptional cost to the taxpayers: when the society starts to remove the youngsters from their houses and placing the complete load of raising them to the government. Only because an individual in the residence had drug charge and a domestic violence crime, the government would rapidly run out of areas to house the children. The state would be left with no other option rather than to raise the price of taxpayers in order to sustain the children and to house them. Two, putting the kids in an overcrowded situation that might happen from the execution of this rule would do more damage to the children than good. Not all adolescents that are placed in advanced care are there owing to awful parenting. Some of these children end up in that place since their parents could no longer manage their actions (Pine, 2007). All parents or guardians who misplace their kids might not have similar amounts of crime. With this the children from improved environment run the danger of being skilled via a similar social theory actions and violence from the other children. Because people and their performances, they take are resulted from the information increased from watching others and life experiences. Three, the complete disentanglement of the family unit: the children that are placed in these circumstances would mature with a reduced sense of family belongings and worth. The reduced sense of family is because more kids could be taken away under this rule than they could have wished to be located as districts of the state. Many could have wanted to be located with those children from their regions whose relatives would have loved and taken better care. According to Bloom (2010), the Texas further care change plan, notes that when youngsters attain 18 years they are denied government assistance. In addition, they also lack the support schemes to rely on. This frequently pushes them into the criminal justice scheme, since they do not get sufficient education while in the organization to be able to purpose separately. The majority of them have mental and emotional issues yet they are freed into the world to find themselves. They have difficult moments not submitting to poverty, homelessness, criminalization, unwanted pregnancies and illnesses. The impacts of persons engaged in these circumstances are big. Criminals might have to get time out of job to finish all the agendas that could be needed. The kids of otherwise caring parents removed from them and propelled to odd settings getting mental challenges along the way from being shifted to diverse areas (Barber, 2004). They could also get a negative sense of personality value. The cou rt schemes would be very packed than they previously are sourcing extra taxpayer’s cash to be used on more workers. Therefore, considering the above scenarios, this rule should be deemed as ethical. Because there are many dangers of revolving a partially bad state into a much inferior circumstance for the child concerned. The department misinterpreted the theory since it botched to take into thought that some youngsters learn bad behavior and violence other sources beside their parents. References Barber, James G., and Paul H. Delfabbro. (2004) . Children in foster care. Routledge Bloom, Debra. (2010). Foster care. Green haven Press Pine, Jeune, and Suzanne McCall. (2007) Understanding looked after children an introduction to psychology for foster care. Jessica Kingsley Wilgocki, Jennifer, and Marcia Kahn Wright. (2002). Maybe days: a book for children in foster care. Magination Press Zlotnick, Cheryl. (2013). Children living in transition helping homeless and foster care children and families. Columbia University Press

Analysis of Act II, Scene I of Othello: Iago’s Character, Motivations,

The most horrific thing a villain can do is commit a crime that results in several casualties and provide no explanation for the anguish he causes. Human nature drives people to yearn for the knowledge of why something occurred, and when a person thinks he is in possession of such knowledge, the illusion that controlling future events to prevent any further disruption in the natural order of things arises. If such a thing were possible, the answers criminals have provided over centuries past would have allowed governments to completely rid society of crime. However, people do not see this and still desire complete control, which, in turn, brings comfort to the soul. Unfortunately for the characters in William Shakespeare’s Othello, none of them are in control. The infamous villain Iago controls the other characters with such precision that they might as well be marionettes. He is the cause of several deaths at the conclusion of the play, and commits the ultimate crime by refus ing to provide an explanation for his actions. Since Shakespeare’s Othello was printed in 1622, critics have gone back and forth about what Iago’s motives were, about who he was, and about why he was so very successful in carrying out his devious plans. So many countless people, so many countless ideas, and so many countless hours have been spent trying to answer these questions when Shakespeare answers them all in Act Two, scene one of Othello. Act Two, scene one of Othello provides insight into Iago’s motives, character, and reasons for success through character interactions. Many spectators view the scene between Iago, Desdemona, and Emilia as a simple exchange of wit-combat that was common in Shakespeare’s day, or as another scene in which Iago express... ...ny longer. The manipulation of the insecurities of these characters allowed him to gain back his confidence. The last thing Iago does to gain confidence and power over people was to keep his motives a secret, for the insecurities of the remaining characters is that they yearn for answers as to why he committed his crimes in hopes to control the future. They are searching for comfort, and he refuses to give it to them. He gains his power and validity back in this last heinous act. Once the victim of villains who stole his self-worth, Iago turns the tables and becomes the villain himself. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Othello. Penguin Group Inc., 2001. Sproat, Kezia Vanmeter. "Rereading "Othello", II, I." The Kenyon Review (1985): 44-51. Zender, Karl F. "The Humiliation of Iago." Studies of English Literature 34 (1994): 323-339. April 2014.

Dombey and Son :: Free Essays Online

Dombey and Son Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son: Wholesale, Retail, and for Exportation Dombey and Son was Dickens’s seventh novel, and was written in 1848. Martin Chuzzlewit precedes it, and David Copperfield follows it. Even though most people are not too familiar with Dombey and Son, this novel was well received by its readers, and is considered to be the first novel that reflects Dickens’s artistic maturity (Schlicke, 280). The novel begins with the Dombey family, which is comprised of Fanny Dombey, her husband Paul Dombey, their little daughter Florence, and their newborn son Paul. Shortly after Paul’s birth, Fanny dies, and Mr. Dombey is forced to hire a nurse to take care of the children. Mr. Dombey sends little Paul to school so that he may be well educated and someday work at Dombey’s firm. Dombey does not view little Paul as a son or a loved one; rather, he views him exclusively as a business partner. While Dombey puts all of his energy into Paul, he neglects to love his daughter. She is of no value to him; therefore, he has no regard for her whatsoever. As a result of Dombey’s cold nature, Florence, and little Paul realize that they only have each other. The love between these two siblings is so great, and the bond they make is tight. Sadly, within the first 300 pages of the novel, little Paul becomes sick and dies. The rest of the story is focused on Mr. Dombey and his daughter. Florence constantly shows her father affection, but he constantly acts cold towards her. Dombey and Son explores relationships between business and private life, parent/child relationships, wealth and poverty, old and new, and male/female relationships. Dombey and Son was serialized in nineteen monthly parts that ran from October 1846 through April 1848 in London's The Graphic magazine. It was illustrated by Hablot Browne, and was published in one volume on April 12, 1848 by Bradbury and Evans (Page, Companion, 149). Dickens wrote Dombey and Son while residing in Switzerland and Paris. Supposedly, he was having trouble with Dombey during the first few stages, so he decided to relocate to Paris for some inspiration.

Free Essay - Hester as Mother of the Year in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter - Hester as Mother of the Year No one is perfect. Especially when it comes to parenting. Even Book characters have trouble being good parents. One example of this is Hester Prynne. She is a book character for the book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Now, Hester is not the worst mother, but she is not the best either. How can you be the best mother in the world with a heathenish daughter like Pearl? Still, Hester does her best, and that's all anyone should ask for. Hester is a good mother because she looks out for Pearl's future, she knows when to be stern and she is a great role model. When people think of a good parent, the usually think of someone who is always looking out for their child's future. Sometimes, that means lying. Unfortunately, Hester runs into this problem when Pearl asks her mother why she wears the Scarlet letter. "'Silly Pearl,' said she, `what questions are these? There are many things in this world that a child must not ask about...I wear it for the sake of its golden thread.'"117 Truly, Hester lied to Pearl about why she wears the scarlet letter. She lied for a good reason. She lied because as you are growing up you adjust to things. If Hester told her the truth, Pearl would have just shrugged off the comments that she heard about her mother. By not telling her, the impact of those harsh comments would effect her more and perhaps stop her from committing the same sin her mother did. Therefore, save her from suffering. But there is much more to parenting then just looking ahead to the child's future. Being a good parent also means looking at the here and now as well as the future. The here and now can be a code word for discipline. Sometimes, discipline means scaring the child into behaving. This is what Hester has to do on one occasion. "'Do not tease me: else I shall shut thee into the dark closet!'"178 Admittedly, this seems as if Hester is an awful person to threaten her own daughter. At the same time, is it not necessary if the child will not behave?

Health Risks Posed by Preservatives Present in Processed Food

Food additives are used in processed food because of the following: 1) to keep the consistency of a certain product, for instance, to prevent it from separating, to keep its even texture, to assist salt to freely pour; 2) to keep the product’s nutritional value; 3) to keep the food’s delectableness, for instance, to prevent it from getting spoiled; 4) to regulate acidity or alkalinity level in the product; and 5) to improve the color and flavor of the product (Benivia.. , 2006). There may be a number of advantages for food additives on processed food; however, there are numerous disadvantages that go along with it as well (The.. 2006). These disadvantages include the following:1) some bring about cancer; 2) some may cause allergic reactions; 3) some may pose hazard to those individuals who are pregnant, those with certain sicknesses like hypertension and kidney trouble, as well as, those who are only between 1 and 12 months old; 4) etc. (The.. ,2006). That being said, a ny researcher will only be left with the question, â€Å"How do I deal with the health risks posed by food additives present in many processed food? There are several things that can be carried out including the following: 1) as much as possible, avoid purchasing and eating processed food by consuming only organic/freshly picked ones, setting up one’s own garden, etc;2) if too busy to purchase organic/fresh food everyday, then read the labels of the processed food, do a little research and check if such are safe, tested not only in animals but humans, as well; 3) read â€Å"health† updates, typically, the â€Å"Food and Drug Administration† issues advisory on food additives proven to be hazardous to one’s health; 4) familiarize oneself with the most common food additives that have been positively associated with negative effects, for example, remember that intake of nitrites results in nausea, or that natural flavors may have free glutamates that may rui n the nervous system, etc; last but not least 5) include antioxidants in the daily diet, since such fights off and releases free radicals in the body which include the preservatives or food additives mentioned (The.. ,2006).

Somalia Piracy

Outline Thesis: Modern seaborne piracy off the coast of Somalia can be controlled by making Somalia more safe and stable, improving the infrastructure, and finding individual or private solutions. Introduction I. Making Somalia more safe and stable A. Starting an effective government B. Establishing higher demands of security II. Improving Infrastructures A. Forming a steady and firm framework B. Creating and enforcing treaties III.Finding individual or private solutions A. Hijacking ships back B. Providing private security (undercover) Conclusion Currently, â€Å"[t]he International Maritime Bureau (IMB) considers the Somalia coast to be the most dangerous stretch of water in the world†. (Zijlma 1) Piracy has been an ongoing problem off the coast of Somalia of the Indian Ocean for many years now. The country of Somalia is in the need of a quick and effective change to rapidly decrease and eventually eliminate modern seaborne piracy.Somalia will need several solutions and back -up plans in order to help make a quick and clear stop to this modern seaborne piracy. Modern seaborne piracy off the coast of Somalia can be controlled by making Somalia more safe and stable, improving the infrastructure, and finding individual or private solutions. Any of these solutions can help play a role in fixing and eliminating these unbelievable criminal acts on the sea. The first goal to help solve the problems taking place on the sea is to get Somalia going in the direction of being more safe and stable. â€Å"[N]ow that American crews† have stepped in to help out Somalia, action â€Å"against†¦piracy† will be â€Å"taken by the international community†. To help destroy piracy, a reasonable solution would be making Somalia safer and more stable. To begin this process Somalia will need to get â€Å"an effective government in place (Zijlma 15). The Somali government didn’t use to take action because they were a â€Å"barely functioning gov ernment, and a few years before that there was no government at all†. Zijlma 11) The current Somali government would love to get involved and help out, but they don’t know where to exactly start. The Somali government should start by gaining â€Å"complete control of the capital Mogadishu and regions like Puntland† (Zijlma 11). They will also need to begin taking greater action as a whole in order to decrease the piracy going on in the region. An effective government would consist of taking chances, realizing and accepting it could possibly take more than just a few solutions to totally wash away the pirates, and have multiple plans in case one fails.Throughout this whole process, maintaining patience while gaining control will be the biggest challenge they will most likely face. While putting together an effective government, higher demands of security will need to be put into the equation. The demands of high security is in high needs because â€Å"Somalia is among one of the most important shipping lanes dealing with piracy on these lanes cause lot’s of chaos and commerce† (Arons 2) without the high security ships are now paying â€Å"nearly twice what they would have paid a year ago for ransom insurance†. Arons 2) The security will need to protect the ships on and off the Somali coast of the Indian Ocean and perhaps they might need to attempt to try and take control by maneuvering the speedboats containing pirates. A step to this may deal with hosing them down with fire-hoses and firing back at any given time. However, this is up to the â€Å"captains because the pirates are operating in an area approximately four times the size of Texas, there are slim to no chances to ensure that every ship in this area will obtain a safe passage. (Zijlma 13) The other concern with raising the security and possibly taking action is keeping the captains and crew safe along with the captured crew they may fire at. Once again itâ₠¬â„¢s taking chances and figuring out the most effective way for the government to take action that will lead to great success in resolving piracy. No matter what solution or route the Somali government chooses to take, improving infrastructures will be in the equation at one point or another.To start, we will need a firm and steady framework in order to begin any process and complete any process in the hopes of getting rid of the piracy and keeping it gone and off the seas of Somalia. The first framework should be the government and working to save as many hostages taken by the pirates in a non criminal and least harmful way as possible. â€Å"The assets of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), acting with the support of an Amphibious Ready Group, are perfectly suited for this type of operation. (Lloyd 5) To begin this you will need to improve the framework of how, when, where, and take into consideration how many you will save and how many you may possibly have to let go if the infr astructure is not operating to the fullest potential possible. A way to begin improving infrastructures would be to create a well formatted treaty that can be agreed and signed by both parties.â€Å"The treaty process has evolved over the last 50 years into the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Today, almost every country on the planet has ratified the convention†¦except the United States. (Porter 4) This solution may take several trial and errors to get the treaty that is right and equal full all parties involved. â€Å"The United states needs to show the pirate ringleaders that they will lose life, limb, and property if they continue with their piratical ways. † (Lloyd 11) This is no game to play, improving the infrastructures and finding solutions that work is the best way to change the rules and not give up without a win over piracy. â€Å"Only by changing the rules of the game will the international community succeed in tackling Somali pira cy. (Lloyd 11) Perhaps, just trying to hijack one of the Somalia ships back could be a fresh start to eliminating the violent acts on the seas of Somalia. In order to do this there needs to more negotiators who will be needed to watch out for any ships getting hijacked when they are to be left alone or are already Somali’s. The only problem with attempting to hijack ships back is the worry of losing American fighters and or hostages. â€Å"These activities seem to be overshadowed and will only treat the symptoms rather than the disease itself† (Lehr 3).Hijacking back ships without the knowledge of the pirates will give the Somalia’s a better chance of losing as many men as possible because the pirates will be unprepared and not have a framework in place to take action. â€Å"The legality of different security measures (as well as their effect on insurance claims and premiums), the negotiation process with pirates and, ultimately, how to secure the safety of shi ps, cargoes, and crew, take priority when a ship is at sea and a threat is imminent. †(Lawyer 8) However, this action could possibly cause harm and chaos, that Somalia must be fully ready for and be able to take ction against it. The last and final solution to modern day seaborne piracy would be to put private security around and on the seas of Somalia. These means of security will have no labels and will remain as seldom seen as possible. They will need to partake in a â€Å"list of services which include specialized antipiracy and maritime counter-terrorism operations. † (Lehr 3) The problem is significant, and the approaches to it varied. The best way to defend against the piracy is at their point of attack  Ã¢â‚¬â€ aboard the ships they approach and attempt to board.Well-armed security teams will need to be aboard them and they will need to be able to sink approaching speedboats and other vessels deemed a threat before they can come alongside, and  can kill pir ates as they attempt to board if that fails. Somalia needs to deal with this problem from the beach side, in concert with the ocean side, but we don't have an embassy in Somalia and limited, ineffective intelligence operations. With no government there was no hope chance in trying to make peace among the criminals participating in the violent acts on the sea.On the flip side, now that the Somalia government is back into action and ready to be in full control of the situation, it will make the process of eliminating the pirates go smoother because working together as one can help build and put together an effective government. Together they will be able to help create a safer and more stable reliable boating experience, along with the society supporting and encouraging the actions of the government. The society should be willing to fight for what it takes to help make their seas safer and more enjoyable without the risk of outrageous acts happening right in front of their eyes.After the â€Å"welcoming release of Captain Phillips, President Obama stated his resolve to halt the rise of piracy† in the Somalia region. By taking â€Å"four immediate steps the U. s. international partners to crack down on pirate bases and decrease incentives to engage in Piracy; develop an expanded multinational response; engage with the Somali government and regional leaders in Puntland to take action against pirates operating from bases within their territories; and work with shippers and the insurance industry to address gaps in self-defense measures. (Library 2) With this being said by the United States president, within a couple years there should be a stop to the outrageous and violent acts happening on the seas and Somalia should be in full control with an effective government on its side.Works Cited Arons, Matt. â€Å"Stopping Somali Piracy: Addressing the Hidden Environmental Causes. † afpprinceton. com. 15 Feb. 2010. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. . â€Å"Legal Solutio ns to Illegality on the Seas. † The Lawyer 4 May 2009: 6. Academic OneFile. Gale. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. Lehr, Peter. Violence at Sea: Piracy in the Age of Global Terrorism. New York: Taylor and Francis Routledge, 2007. Print. Library, The National Defense University. â€Å"Piracy Off the Coast of Somalia. † merln. ndu. edu. 23 Jan. 2010. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. . Llyod, James. â€Å"An Expeditionary Solution to Somalia Piracy. † U. S. Naval Institute Proceedings 135. 11 (2009): 8. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. ;lt; http://merln. ndu. edu/index. cfm? secID=263;pageID=35;type=section;gt;. Porter, Keith. â€Å"Law of the Sea Treaty. † About. com. 4 Sept. 2007. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. . Zijlma, Anouk. â€Å"Somali Pirates: A Guide to Somalia’s Modern Day Pirates. † About. com. 2010. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. .