Is Utopia A Perfect Society - 822 Words

The book Utopia by Sir Thomas Moore, tells the concept of a â€Å"perfect† society. It is told from the perspective of a man Tomas moore is talking to. This man is Raphael Hythloday, who was a voyager and went to an island with very different rules and way of life. The book talks about the way these people live, and the way other countries live. Questions on this topic are what will be addressed. What are big problems that other countries have that Utopia doesn’t? What are some of the ways of life the utopians live by? Is this Utopia perfect, or achievable? What are big problems that other countries have? Raphael said, â€Å"...who took occasion to runout in a high commendation of the severe execution of justice upon thieves, who , as he said, were†¦show more content†¦Lastly, everyone gets what they need, because they make plenty for everyone. If one person mainly farms, others can come and take what they need, because the farmer is able to go and take what he needs from them, that he cannot produce for himself. With this, no one goes hungry, is cold, or has anything to complain about, because everyone is doing their part. This is very different from anywhere else, because money is used to buy what we need, and we earn that money from what we did or made, so if one doesn’t have enough, they go hungry. Is this Utopia perfect, or achievable? The idea of a perfect society comes into everybodys minds at some point in their lives. Not having to worry about getting a job, money, a house, or food, never arguing or disagreeing with anyone, or anything that causes people to stress or be sad. Raphael believes this is the answer, â€Å"...So easy a thing would it be to supply all the necessities of life, if that blessed thing called money ...was not really the only thing that obstructed their bing procured.†(Moore 80). It wouldn’t be impossible to get rid of all of the money in the world, but would it solve all of the problems? Even if life was like this book and all of our need were taken care of, people would still have disagreements on what is fair, the babies going to different homes, slavery, and other things. At the beginning of the book, Raphael said people were very idle and thatShow MoreRelatedA Perfect Utopian Society Is Not A Utopia850 Words   |  4 PagesIn a per fect utopian society everyone gets what they need because communication, understanding, and open mindedness of different ideas would be key. In order for a society to be a utopia, everyone has to be comfortable and be provided with their wants and needs and everything needs to function perfectly. In order for function and equality, people must compromise in thoughts and ideas to provide for everyone. To do that, one must have a good understanding of why others may think differently and haveRead MoreThe Perfect Society In Sir Thomas Mores Utopia790 Words   |  4 Pages What is a Utopia? When people think of the term Utopia they think of an ideal or perfect Society. In Sir Thomas More’s â€Å"Utopia† we are introduced to such a society. However, today’s reader can see that the society More’s mention’s is filled with many underlying problems that make it seem less ideal or perfect, because it puts too much stress on the freedom’s and rights of its citizens. Such an act is detrimental in creating a utopia, because if the citizens are not happy with their freedom’s andRead MoreThe Idea Of A Perfect Society, Or Utopia, By Sir Thomas More880 Words   |  4 PagesThe idea of a perfect society, or â€Å"utopia,† was first introduced in Sir Thomas More’s book Utopia, written in 1516. In the book, More described a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean through the character Raphael. On the island everything and everyone has a specific place and purpose. There is no private property, all of the houses on the island are the same; you can walk in the front door, through the house, and out the back door. All necessary items are stored in warehouses, where people onlyRead MoreUtopia is defined as a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social1000 Words   |  4 PagesUtopia is defined as a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions, (merriam-webster.com). Utopia is a mindset that people are conditioned to believe is achievable, when in actuality it isn’t. In a utopian society when people believe that they have reached idealized perfection, there will still be things or people that make the society imperfect. â€Å"Every utopia faces the same problem: What do you do with the people who dont fit in?† (Margaret Atwood, a novelistRead MoreEssay about There is no Universal Utopia1608 Words   |  7 PagesThe idea of a utopia is one which has spanned many millennia. The first example of a utopia was the Garden of Eden, and since then mankind has endeavored to reach this perfect existence, a world without problems, where everyone can abide in peace. Just the word ‘Utopia’ summons up a whole assemblage of images, images which differ from person to person. This is why the concept of a utopia has been so tossed around, because no one can truly say what a utopia is. From Platos republic in 380BC rightRead MoreHumans Are Naturally Born Imperfect1680 Words   |  7 Pagessinners, and we must make our way to achieve the idea of a perfect human being, whether it take our whole life time, or not. Throughout our life it is within ourselves, to use our free will to make morally good choices in order for us to be considered as perfect. However, along with our free will to make morally good choices in our life, the laws set by our government, and standards expected of by our community help shape us into this perfect human being. Though by the laws, and standards with liveRead Mo reEssay on Brave New World696 Words   |  3 PagesBrave New World George Santayana once said, â€Å"Ideal society is a drama enacted exclusively in the imagination.† In life, there is no such thing as a â€Å"complete utopia†, although that is what many people try to achieve. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is an attempt at a utopian society. In this brave new world, mothers and fathers and family are non-existent. Besides being non-existent, when words of that sort are mentioned, ears are covered and faces of disgust are made. In a report to theRead MoreSimilarities Between The Truman Show And Animal Farm1717 Words   |  7 PagesHow should power be balanced out amongst a society? What balance of power can result in a beautiful utopia? How can we all lead a good life without stripping others of their own? The answers to these questions must be known if we want to lead a good, functioning society today and the answers can be found in the book, Animal Farm, written by George Orwell and the movie, The Truman Show, directed by Peter Weir. Both fictional stories help us understand where we need to set boundaries in our lives andRead More Utopian Dreams Essay1391 Words   |  6 Pages Throughout the ages, man has come to idealize a word that is most commonly related to ‘heavenly’ or ‘perfect’ without actually picking up the book and realizing for themselves that there is no such thing. A Utopian society could never exist because man is made to want, to desire success. Man is competitive by nature and would never be happy in a society where everyone is equal and there is no chance of advancement. Sir Thomas More dreamt of a land that was much like England but could neverRead MoreUtopia, by Thomas More: Your Wost Nightmare Essay1419 Words   |  6 PagesUtopia is a brilliant novel written by Thomas More. The idea of a utopia seems impossible, how can anyone live in a perfect place when perfection is in the eyes of the beholder? The Utopia in this novel is nothing more than abundant of already established ideas therefore it can’t not truly be a Utopia. The abolition of private property is one of Mores chief criticisms of Utopia; it seems to mimic the common understandings of communism, which Thomas More’s character Raphael has been accused of protecting

Defenders Of Art And Life Differ On Everything In Between Free Essays

In Robert Browning’s â€Å"Fra Lippo Lippi†, a 15th century painter discusses the illogic of his patrons who want him to paint less of the real world—in turn for more spiritually uplifting scenes.   This poem gives Browning a platform to put forward his philosophy on art, which holds equal respect for the high and the low alike.   Similarly, in â€Å"Why The Novel Matters†, D. We will write a custom essay sample on Defenders Of Art And Life Differ On Everything In Between or any similar topic only for you Order Now H. Lawrence forms a postulation that there is more to life than just the label of â€Å"spirit†.   But he goes further to say that there is a difference between that which is alive, and that which is inanimate. He contends life is more important—and a well-written novel is the equivalent of life.   He puts novels on a pedestal, while everything else is lesser than the living things.   Browning’s character Lippi, however, while also detesting the barrier of the word â€Å"spirit† , does not go so far as to say the material mortar of the world is somehow more important than the soul.   He merely defends its equivalence.   He does not believe his paintings are more important than living things; he believes that they share equal value. Although Lawrence is willing to include the human body in with the word â€Å"spirit†Ã¢â‚¬â€he draws a line at the fingertips, and calls everything else (except for the novel) of lesser substance; alternately, Lippi is more liberal in his view, for he does not dwell overlong on the delineation between life and immaterial things—but just on their symbiosis.   Ultimately, Lippi is more humble about his art and life in general. For Lippi, painting for his patrons is only half of a life: carousing about town is the other part.   This is why he regularly escapes for release from the dogged work.   Although the religious service is a career for him, he cannot sustain it without proper romps on the town.   Therefore, by living in worlds both saintly and debauched, Lippi is able to see through the Prior’s facade, when he is asked to only paint the spirit—not the body.   The Prior says: â€Å"Your business is not to catch men with show †¦Ã‚   Your business is to paint the souls of men† (Lines 175-184).   Lippi, however, would rather include everything in his art, and therefore more accurately reflect the world—and make better use of art.   â€Å"Now is this sense, I ask?†(198) Lippi says. â€Å"Why can’t a painter lift each foot in turn, †¦ Make his flesh liker and his soul more like †¦ You should not take a fellow eight years old / And make him swear to never kiss the girls.†(224-225).   Lippi rails against simplifying existence into a word or an image: â€Å"The world and life’s too big to pass for a dream †¦Ã‚   The only good of grass is to make chaff†(251-257).   Lippi cannot settle for a narrow view of the order of things—while Lawrence only partly concedes that there is more to â€Å"spirit† than just vapor.   Lawrence contests that life’s ether is as vital as the shell—and by singling out, labeling—or falsely idolizing any one part of its essence, we are hindering ourselves from fully living.   For instance, Lawrence rants on the fallacy of labels: â€Å"We think of ourselves as a body with a spirit in it †¦ Mens sana in corpore sano.   The years drink up the wine, and at last throw the bottle away, the body, of course, being the bottle†(2446).   Indeed, Lippi’s dead shell of a horse is Lawrence’s empty bottle of spirits—and the two of them seem to agree that definitions of the â€Å"spirit† are just distractions from the truth of existence. Lawrence, however, sets aside one exception, being that the Bible itself, when read as an entire piece, achieves some spirit similar to that of the humankind: â€Å"The Bible †¦Ã‚   [It sets] the whole tree trembling with a new access of life, [it does] not just stimulate growth in one direction†(2448).   Herein lies one key difference, then, between Lippi and Lawrence, which is that Lawrence makes exception for the novel as being at the rank of a living entity—while Lippi does not go so far as to suggest that art is exclusive from the rest of the lifeless world, although he does believe it is as important as life.   After all, Lawrence says the novel can â€Å"make the whole man alive tremble. Which is more than poetry, philosophy, science, or any other book-tremulation can do†(2448).   Moreover, while he does not specifically call out painting as one of the lesser â€Å"tremulations†, it seems safe to say this is implied—since he even excludes poetry from his sacred circle of life—which, ironically, is the medium through which Browning’s Lippi is experienced.   In contrast, Lippi says that life’s everyday details are â€Å"better, painted—better to us †¦ Art was given for that†(300-304).—and again, Lippi does not put art above life—only beside it.   He says: â€Å"Do you feel thankful, aye or no, / For this fair town’s face, yonder river’s line, †¦ What’s it all about? / To be passed over, despised? or dwelt upon†(286-291). Of course, Lawrence, does distinguish the particularization of his own body, and how each part is equal to the whole—but nothing beyond himself: â€Å"Why should I imagine that there is a me which is more me than my hand is?†(2446).   But Lawrence’s â€Å"me alive† theory excludes the static objects of the order of things as merely props—that are not to be confused with life or novels. Ultimately, Lippi sees no place for the soul without the bodily elements, and rhetorically argues: â€Å"What need of art at all? A skull and bones, / Two bits of stick nailed crosswise†(321).   Lawrence, however, sees the various mediums of communication as â€Å"words and thoughts and sighs and aspirations that fly from [us], they are so many tremulations in the ether†(2447).   Lawrence merely concedes that the lifeless elements are â€Å"tremulations† that may â€Å"reach another man alive† and â€Å"he may receive them into his life, and his life may take on a new color†(2447). So, while Lawrence agrees with Lippi that the baser elements are important, he goes on at length to flesh out the reasons why life and the novel are substantially more important:   â€Å"All things that are alive are amazing.   And all things that are dead are subsidiary to the living†(2447).   He builds a wall between life and the novel—and the rest of existence: â€Å"I, who am man alive, am greater than my soul†(2447).   In this way then, while Lawrence agrees with Lippi that the parts cannot be distinguished from the whole, without excluding the essence—he differs in that he goes further to impose a privileged position upon the energy of life and novels, whereas Lippi simply thinks that art and the lesser units ought to have equal exposure in the spotlight life. So Lawrence is circular in his theory, insisting â€Å"spirit† is limiting in its language—while touting the transcending power of the novel.   Indeed, despite arguing that limitations abound under labels, and that any â€Å"particular direction ends in a cul-de-sac†(2448)–Lawrence is still making divisions: â€Å"A character in a novel has got to live, or it is nothing†¦.   We likewise, in life have got to live, or we are nothing†(2449).  Ã‚   Plus, he is proud of his specialness as an artist, in a way that Lippi is too humble ever to approach: â€Å"Being a novelist, I consider myself superior to the saint, the scientist, the philosopher, and the poet, who are all great masters of different bits of man alive, but never get the whole hog†(2448). Ultimately then, at the root of their respective philosophies on art and life, Lippi is more adverse to divisions of all kinds, not putting himself or his art above the world, put equal to it.   One senses that he is not likely anymore proud of himself than the subjects he paints about, while Lawrence is more proud of the novels he writes than the objects described in them. How to cite Defenders Of Art And Life Differ On Everything In Between, Essays

Hopeless Romantic free essay sample

Her friends know it, her parents know it even Laura acknowledges she lives either with her head In the clouds or buried in a romantic novel. Its proved harmless enough, even if it hasnt delivered her real-life dashing hero yet.But when her latest relationship ends n a disaster that cost her friendships, her Job and nearly her sanity, Laura swears off men and hopeless mantic fantasies for good. With her life in tatters around her, Laura agrees to go on a vacation with her parents. After a few days of visiting craft shops and touring the stately homes of England, Laura is ready to tear her hair out. And then, while visiting grand Charley Hall, she crosses paths with Nick, the sexy, rugged estate manager. She finds she shares more than a sense of humor with him In fact, she starts to think she could fall for him. But Is Nick all he seems? R has Laura got It wrong again? Will she open her heart only to have it broken again? Amoys pregnant, Laura Dan released her, and Laura could feel the dampness his hands left on the side of her face. We will write a custom essay sample on Hopeless Romantic or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He was quite sweaty, she thought as If watching this scene Idly from another room, another life. Laura, are you listening? Dan said sharply. Yes.. . Laura cleared her throat. You Her eyes filled with tears, and one ran down her cheek. She gave a tiny cough, almost a gasp, and sat up straight. No, she wouldnt cry. She would not cry. Laura I wanted to tell you, Eve been trying to- Laura. You know who its is. She hadnt seen Amy for so long, hearing her voice came as a huge shock. Sickly sweet, slightly rasping, scary. It didnt sound violent, or overly emotional, or hormonal. It sounded in control. Dont you hang up on me, bitchy, Amy hissed. Mimi fat, spotty, spineless bitchy. Dan finally told me who hes been screwing, like I couldnt guess anyway. Okay? Youre too bucking coward to talk to me after what youve done, are you? Fine. Let me spell it out for you. I know what you did. If you ever go near him again, Ill find you and Ill make your life misery. Even more miserable than it must be now. You fat, stupid dog.He told me how you chased him, how you egged him, Just like the ugly dog that you are. Like you were at school, always begging. Youre pathetic, Laura. You are pathetic. My darling girl, Mary said. Stop crying. Stop it. From what you tell me, I imagine you have luckiest of escapes. Now, dry your eyes, and sit still, and Ill get you another drink. Its over now, dont you see? Isnt that wonderful? What? said Laura, wondering what on earth she could mean. Its not wonderful. I feel like a complete fool. Eve lost my best friend, Eve lost my Job, Eve behaved like an idiot. l think its wonderful, said Mary, standing up.She went into the kitchen. Mimi fell in love, well, thats wonderful. All right, it was with a completely wrong man. But its over now, and the best of it is, no more secrets. No more living your life in half shadow, which is what it seems to me youve been doing these last few months. miss, Laura said, staring into the gloom of the kitchen. l hadnt thought of it like that. But Im always doing it, always falling for the wrong person. Im so stupid. No, youre not, said Mary. Muff Just havent met the right one yet. And until then, at least youre not lying to everyone you know anymore. The quality you castigate yourself most about your tendency to fall in love with the most inconvenient people is what I love about you darling. Oh Grand, said Laura, trying not to sound impatient. Thats Just not true. Its awful I should get a grip, not- Mary banged her ring hand on the arm of her chair, as if she were Elizabeth I inspecting the English fleet. No darling. You have a great capacity to love. Be careful. Use it wisely. But be proud of it. So much love in your heart. Thats why I worry about you. She coughed. Laura listened, relieved to be talking about it at last, but not really owing what to say. L worry you will walk away from that. That this will close you up, make you forget how wonderful falling in love can be. Dont. Right, said Laura. So I have to meet them to get started with - She stopped, suddenly remembering what she said before. Them And, and My boyfriend, I mean. Nick raised an eyebrow at her. He smiled sardonically, his eyes glittering with amusement. So you dont have a boyfriend ,then, he said, throwing his keys up in the air and catching them. miss, Laura said hotly. He likes tea towels too. Hes Just not here. Hes, ere Oh, God. Never mind. Never mind, Nick agreed politely.

Significance of Festivals Essay Sample free essay sample

India is a multilingual and a multicultural state. The civilization alterations from State to State. the linguistic communication is different from one province to another and the people have many manners of frock. In diverseness we find unity. This is the curious nature of India. Just because there are people belonging to assorted faiths. there are assorted sorts of festivals. each denoting the spiritual religion of the broad assortment of people. The astonishing assortments of spiritual religions which co-exist in the Indian sub-continent hold given rise to multi spiritual festivals. What a assortment. what a assortment and yet what a fantastic integrity! Despite the occasional violent incidents originating out of the high quality composite of some people belonging to a higher caste the underlying cloth of integrity is still strong. The legion festivals of India lend an enrapturing coloring material to it as its otherwise dressed people. as its people of bright. We will write a custom essay sample on Significance of Festivals Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page brown and dark skin color. as its people of lingual differences. as its people of different civilizations. unrecorded together. The assorted festivals of the assorted spiritual communities that we all. as Indians celebrate. uncover the illustriousness of the One Supreme Almighty. who is manifest as different Supreme beings and Goddesses. The one-year festivals are reminders to us of the illustriousness and glorifications of the assorted signifiers of God. There are Hindus. Christians. Muslims. Jains. Buddhists. and Parsees etc. But the Hindus have the largest figure of festivals. The Hindus worship a figure of Gods and Goddesses like Rama. Krishna. Siva. Vishnu. Subramanian. Ganesha. Surya. Durga. Lakshmi. and Saraswati and so on. Each God and Goddess is worshipped on an auspicious twenty-four hours in a twelvemonth. And so there are Pooja and festivals for the Hindus throughout the twelvemonth. Sri Rama Nava. a ten-day festival celebrated in honor of Sri Rama. is a festival when supplications are offered and vocals are sung. Sri Krishna Jayanti which falls in the month of August is celebrated with much osten tation. Sivarathri in honor of Lord Siva is a sacred twenty-four hours when Pooja are conducted in the Siva Temples. The Navarathri. a nine- twenty-four hours festival in honor of Goddess Lakshmi. Goddess Durga and Goddess Saraswati. is besides a expansive juncture. In south India an exhibition of dolls is held in most of the houses during the nine yearss. The temple festivals are besides expansive occasions when the divinities of temples are taken in a profession on the streets and fans in big Numberss worship them. The auto festival. when the divinities are seated in tall. big fantastic chariots. which are drawn through many streets by the fans. attracts big crowds. Deepavali is a national festival. The Christians celebrate Christmas with midnight service in Churches and banquet. Christmas is a festival celebrated all over the universe. The Sikhs celebrate the birthdays of their spiritual leaders. Among them the martyrdom of Guru Argon Dev is important. The Parsees celebrate Navroz. The Jains celebrate Mahavir Jayanti. The Buddhists celebrate the Buddha Poornima. the twenty-four hours of enlighte nment of Lord Buddha. The Muslims fast during the Raman month. They celebrate Milady Nab. Barked and Muharram. All the festivals of India have a great significance. Diwali. a spiritual Hindu festival Diwali as 1000000s of people in India know it ; is one of the chief spiritual festival’s that take’s topographic point in the Hindu calendar in India. It marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year and is celebrated with great enthusiasm for over a period of 5 yearss ( In some topographic points in India ) by people of Hindu faith all over India. It is celebrated in assorted ways in different parts of India ; though it is celebrated everyplace with the same spirit. It signifies a new beginning for people. some people consider their wickednesss for the twelvemonth to be washed one time the rites and celebrations associated with Diwali are completed. The narrative behind â€Å"why diwali is celebrated† is really graphic. Diwali celebrates The Hindu God Rama’s homecoming that is his return to his hometown Ayodhya after the licking of Ravana and his enthronement as the male monarch. The fable related to the festival is that of King Dashratha’s three married womans viz. Kaushalaya. Keykayee and Sumitra and his four boies Rama. Bharat. Laxmana and Shatrughan. Rama was the boy of Kaushalaya and Bharat was the boy of Keykayee ; Keykayee wanted Bharat to be the following King of Ayodhya. while King Dasharatha wanted Rama his eldest and wisest boy to be the future King. Queen Keykayee made full usage of the two wischaracter and are associated with some topographic point. saint or pir. The carnivals and festivals pulling big assemblages are taken advantage of by Government. spiritual and societal administrations. and concern houses. for making promotion. As in the adjoining territories. the spiritual festivals are cel ebrated with great enthusiasm in the territory. Gurpurbs are the largest spiritual festivals of the Sikhs which are celebrated with great devotedness and love for the Gurus. A big figure of Hindus besides participate in these jubilations. Large divans are held on the birthdays of Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Gobind Singh and on the martrydom yearss of Guru Arjan DEV and Guru Tegh Bahadur. RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN BANGLADESH Bangladesh is a little state in Asia. with the major population to be Muslim ( 80 % ) . However. it is besides the place of other spiritual groups. chiefly Hindu. with a population of approximately 16 % and besides Christians and Buddhists with little per centum. Minorities include Biharis and tribal ; among the tribal Chakma is the largest. In general. this state neer had major issues sing spiritual diverseness ; but to cognize the sentiment of people in general. we interviewed a Muslim homemaker. a Christian adult female working at a beauty parlour. and a Hindu university pupil. We asked them a figure of inquiries about their spiritual festivals. religion. and sentiment on other faiths and cultural differences. Harmonizing to our collected replies. the chief two festivals for Muslims are- Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul_Azha ; for Hinduism- Durga and Kali puja ; for Christians- Christmas and Easter. Overall they all showed respect towards other faith and said that Bangladesh is receptive to diverseness. The pupil felt that faith is so a major cause for unrest around the universe. The sentiment of the Muslim lady and the Christian pupil matched as they said that to maintain peace integral. we should non knock other faiths and non state anything violative about them. Everyone has their ain belief and they are right on their places. Therefore. we should non experience ourselves superior to others. Sing civilization. there are a figure of differences in eating wonts. dress up and day-to-day life. Bangladeshi people are fond of rice. veggies and fish fundamentally. However. Hindi people are fond of chapati ( a signifier of staff of life ) and sweet dishes ; Christians like wine a batch and they eat bread and imbibe vino to retrieve Jesus. this is called- Communion. Muslim ladies wear saree or salwar kameez chiefly. and at times they wear a head covering ( knowh as nakab ) to cover their faces.

The Fallof the Wiemer Republic essays

The Fallof the Wiemer Republic essays The Weimar Republic was created in the aftermath of World War I to govern a defeated Germany. Although its constitution was designed to make the state a liberal parliamentary democracy, certain inherent political and economic factors combined to make Germany a dictatorship within fifteen years. Several factors undermined popular support for the new republic, while within the constitution itself lay avenues for the seizure of absolute power. This essay was written 4/23/96 in my tenth grade AP European History class. It describes the years between the two World Wars, when a suffering Germany turned to Hitler to alleviate its economic pain. The events that led up to this event are presented here. Germany was the losing state at the end of the First World War, and although the Weimar Republic was born in 1919, the government carried substantial negative baggage from the previous era. Chief of these were the reparations paid by Germany to the victors, initially set at five billion dollars annually until 1921. The economic hardship caused by these reparations payments spread themselves throughout German society. Even more devastating and sudden was the invasion of the Ruhr by France in 1923, and the government policy of passive resistance set off runaway inflation that made money worthless. Middle-class savings were wiped out, and contributed to the strong desire for stability that brought the Nazi party into power. There had never been very much popular support for the Weimar government. Germans accused the Social Democrats, reviled before the war, for the onerous postwar reparations; although the government itself was modeled after liberal institutions, the stigma of having signed the Treaty of Paris continued to count against it. This was reinforced by the propaganda of the German military, which continued to suggest that the German military defeat was caused by treason at home. The constitution of the Weimar Repu...

New Trends in Digital Marketing for 2016

New Trends in Digital Marketing for 2016 New Trends in Digital Marketing for 2016 Content marketing. That’s the term for anything that is done online to promote a company, and its products/services. Also known as digital marketing, it has been going on for years. Companies of all sizes utilize online marketing, and it is in many ways the great equalizer – it is cheap and allows a small startup to grab a huge audience with well-placed, catchy, and engaging content. But digital marketing keeps changing, and those changes are coming more rapidly than many marketers even realize. Here are the new trends that we are already seeing as we move into 2016. What is not changing is this: Consumers will only do business with companies that know and trust. Efforts to build trusting relationships and to get one’s brand to be the one shared and recommended are all intertwined and will continue to be so. Visuals will increase in importance – all kinds of visuals. Photos, images, infographics, and such will become more sophisticated and allow interaction. Interactivity: When consumers are engaged, they remember the brand. And if they are engaged by interacting, they are more inclined to share that interactivity with their communities. Surveys, polls, quizzes and even interactive videos will capture viewers, engage them in fun ways, and cause them to share. Videos: 2016 will be the year of the video. This is the most popular medium for getting information and entertainment to customers and potential customers. Research shows they share videos more than any other content. Marketers will need to meet this demand. Live-Streaming: New apps like Meerkat and Periscope will begin to revolutionize marketing and many other things as well. Consumers demand immediate information, news, and entertainment, and marketers can adapt to this demand by live-streaming their events, their new products, their happy customers, etc. Tracking Technology: Technology will provide big data – data that will continue to let marketers know where their targets are, both digitally and physically. Currently, technology informs marketers when their targets are online, where they are online, and what devices they are using. Now, those targets will be tracked physically as well. Thus, when a known customer of Starbucks walks close to one of their cafes, s/he will receive a tweet that tells him he can get a discount right now on his favorite latte. (Yes, tracking also knows what his favorite latte is). Privacy: Because of the new tracking technology, consumers will become increasingly concerned about their privacy rights. Marketers will have to tread very carefully so as not to offend or look creepy as they continue to target customers. Storytelling: This has been important for some time now, but it will continue to drive effective marketing efforts. People are drawn in by stories, and they are now told in ways other than words. Instagram, for example, has introduced its carousel – a venue for marketers to have a sequential picture/image story to tell. Social Responsibility: Consumers will also demand that the companies they do business with have a sense of being of help to people and to the environment. Marketers will need to publicize the good works that their companies do. It promotes trust, relationships, and good will. Social Media will continue to be the single most important venue for marketing. Marketers will have to stay â€Å"current† as social media changes. For example, Facebook 360 will become a reality, and marketers will need to jump in quickly. It’s difficult to stay on top of all of the major and rapid changes in technology. And every single one of the impacts digital marketing in some way. Successful strategies to promote a brand, develop relationships, and widen a company’s reach will be challenging indeed.

Human resource management in Marine & Shipping Industry - Research Proposal

Human resource management in Marine & Shipping Industry - - Research Proposal Example ts in world trade balances and through market consolidation which require the implementation of well formulated processes and strategies, more especially in the human resource department. In view of the above facts, human resource management is no longer the simple task it used to be in yester years. With the ever dynamic global environment of today, companies must brace themselves and make changes whenever such needs arise in order to maintain their competitive edge. In fact, instead of waiting for other organizations to set pace, successful companies take charge and make proactive changes that continuously keep the competitor on its toes. Given its nature, the marine shipping is one of the oldest and most internationally diverse industries in the world and includes the famous voyage made by Christopher Columbus in search for a new world (Subhash and Divya, 2007). The shipping industry involves transportation of virtually everything including containers, bulk goods, petroleum products, human beings and special products such as armory. The last 50 years has seen massive expansion in demand of the shipping industry which clearly reflects that how much growth has occurred in the capacity of seaborne trade. This growth has been boosted by growth in technology such as seen in the introduction of gas-carrying capacity and containerization. Organizational structures of shipping companies have changed combined with changes in seafarers’ recruitment strategies. Despite the comparatively fast and amazing changes in the shipping industry, the human resource remains its primary production factor and is still based on steep hierarchical structure of ratings and officers (Subhash and Divya, 2007). Currently, job profiles in the shipping industry are changing faster that it was in the past. This requires the continuous performance of job analysis failure of which can dearly cost the organization. Human resource managers are often faced with the challenge of human resource

The Role of Family and Women in the Short Story Everyday Use by Alice Essay

The Role of Family and Women in the Short Story Everyday Use by Alice Walker - Essay Example For this to be possible, the author in her story employed powerful literary techniques resting upon concepts of setting, symbolism, and irony, which are important for any piece of literature. In the particular case of Walkers short story, this set of literary tools is combined to provide an examination of the role of family and women in society. In fact, Walker typically emphasizes in her works struggles of African American women who are shown in their opposition to racism and sexism, often in their violent manifestations, that are still present in the modern world. At the same time, she also often traces in her writings roles that women of color have played in history and culture, and ponders over their understanding of those roles (White 2005, pp.455-464). In this light, it would be even more interesting to take a closer look at how the ever urgent theme of the role of family and women in society is covered by the writer and the feminist activist Walker in this short story. First of all, the plot of the story should be overviewed in order to understand what story line, setting, and characterization of the protagonists the author chose as the means to present and develop her ideas. The events in "Everyday Use" take place in the end of the sixties or the beginning of the seventies between members of an African-American family consisting of mother and her two daughters. In this regard, it is important to remember that this period of time was marked by widespread social debates about the need for African-Americans to redefine their personal and cultural identities. It was at that time that old terminology was being replaced by politically correct words, such as the substitution of the term Negro with black, and, correspondingly, new notions like black nationalism emerged. At that time many African-Americans rushed to find out about their African origin and cling to it instead of being defined solely by their past life in America that was rife with episodes of injustice and suffering (Van Deburg 1993). So, an attentive reader should from the very beginning of the story keep in mind the atmosphere that dominated in the American society during the time to which the narrative refers. The story itself is basically the account of an episode of life of the mentioned family which depicts the difficult and even strained relationship between a mother and children. The mother, named Mrs. Johnson, is living with one of her daughters Maggie, and is visited by her another daughter Dee along with her boyfriend or husband Hakim-a-barber. As Dee spends time with them, readers witness the open opposition between two sisters, and a latent opposition between Mrs. Johnson and Dee, which in the end breaks into Mrs. Johnsons protective support of Maggie. More specifically, as the stumbling block serves the bold striving of Dee to take away with her some family artifacts that are very dear for both Mrs. Johnson and Maggie. For

Experiment in Proxemics Essay Example for Free

Experiment in Proxemics Essay Proxemics as a terminology is a form of non-verbal communication. It deals with the structuring of the distance/space that exists between individuals while communicating with each other. Edward hall argued that the distance between people while communicating goes a long way to determine interpretation of messages and the meaning of messages being sent. On the other hand, kinesics is a concept under proxemics that deals with the use of body movements and gestures in non-verbal communication. In this experiment, I made a study of the difference between the use of kinesics and proxemics among different genders. In my first research, i choose a nearby basket ball court as a specimen. The group comprises of fifteen males. I noticed that in this group, kinesics was typified. The players communicated more through body movements and although there were occasional physical contacts most of the communication was via gestures. In addition to this, i choose the cheerleading group as a specimen of study representing the female group. Unlike what i noticed at the basketball court, there was more physical contact and more body movements. The use of space here was minimal as compared to what i noticed of the group that was predominantly male. Finally, i chose the choir in my church as my object of study because both genders are fully represented. Here, i noticed that there was more space and less use of body movements. Apart from this, there were fewer physical contacts. From the result of my study, i conclude that there are gender differences in proxemics. This might be due to the physiological makeup of both genders. Apart from this, i believe there could be an explanation from the cultural perspective, in that the male specie is often seen as the reserved and tougher specie while the feminine specie is seen as more flexible and accommodating. Reference: Mulvaney, B. (1994) Gender Differences in Communication: An Intercultural Experience http://www. cpsr. org/cpsr/gender/mulvaney. txt

Pluralistic Extension System :: Politics, Government Programs

Definition Pluralistic extension system is provision of extension services for a community which is conducted by more than one source of extension services (Okorley, Grey, & Reed, 2010). According to Rivera & Alex (2004), pluralistic extension system may hold complex providers like non-governmental organizations, private companies, farmers’ organizations, commercial individuals, extension specialists’ associations, and public extension services at municipal, state, and national. Non-pluralistic extension system, by definition, is single provider of extension service which is conducted by only public extension agents. It is clear that pluralistic extension system do not eliminated the public extension workers from the system, but the system adds other potential extension agencies along with the existing public extension agency. Why is it necessary? There are several reasons why pluralistic extension system is required. One of the reasons is that previous single provider of extension system, mainly Training and Visit (T&V system) was criticized for its limited advantages. As the case in India, the T&V system was blamed for only boosting commodity and supply-driven but not generate income. It was also criticized as the cause of the fall of commodity price, disintegration among sub-sectors, and poor focus on farmer organization development (Singh & Swanson, n.d.). Former extension system was occasionally considered as inefficient, having unclear and incompatible objectives of state intervention, vague rules for implementation; it also provides limited incentive for extension workers, and lack of financial transparency (Rivera & Alex, 2004). Moreover, the pluralistic extension system is expected to reduce financial burden of national government due to large institutional structures and perceived ineffectiveness of former extensio n system (Swanson & Rajalahti, 2010). Earlier extension system was also blamed for not giving much attention in involving farmers to define and solve their own problems, while having poor linkage of extension-research-farmer system (Davis, 2008). The support of farmers’ group as possessing power for extension provider comes from Davis’ research in Kenya (n.d.), in which she found that farmers’ groups were considered by local farmers as credible source of agricultural information provider (Davis, n.d.) What are the main dimensions? Rivera & Alex (2004) maintain, â€Å"extension is not necessarily a government program, but rather the complex set of institutions whereby rural people obtain new knowledge and information† (p. 339-340) and it allows the possibility of differences extension system among different countries. This proposition has led to the implication that the dimension of (pluralistic) extension system could cover variety of issues like policy implementation (for rural change or mobilization), information collection, particular salient issues (like health problem: HIV/AIDS, etc.

Living by Numbers

Living By Numbers-Value Creation Or Profit? Case Summary This case basically explains about MarineCorp Sdn Bhd leads by Hafiz Hashim who has position as a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in MarineCorp. It is also a subsidiary of SURIA. MarineCorp is a maritime solution provider for its SURIA and have two subsidiaries which are Green Port Sdn Bhd and Sungai Emas Sdn Bhd. MarineCorp has their responsibility in manage and conducting both subsidiaries.The financial statements of the three companies will end by twelve months on 31st December 2009. The problems have arise in managing the three of the company in terms of Key Performance Indicator (KPIs) that will used in the three of company as President of SURIA wanted Value Based Management(VBM) to be used in itself and in three of the companies. Under VBM, performance of the company will be seen through performance evaluation and appraisal of employees while the value of the company will valued based on economic earnings.But, there is cont radiction between President of SURIA and CFO of MarineCorp, Hafiz Hashim since he thought that value company performance should be measured based on investment make by equity and debts holders. It means that they need to see investment based on expected return and cost of capital incurred by company. Next discussion is about dilemma faces by Hafiz from the problems arising. We found that there are three of dilemmas from discussion.Firstly, uncertainty in using economic earnings as required by the Group or used profits as practiced by MarineCorp to report financial statements. Secondly, Hafiz also in dilemma when the president asked him to ranked the three companies in terms of their performance and prepares suggestions on how to improve the performance of the company. Thirdly, Hafiz also pressured with General Manager of Green Port Sdn Bhd and MarineCorp about the issues of accounting in terms of maintenance costs, and the payments of dividends.The protagonist in this case is Hafiz Hashim because he is the person who is responsible in decision making for determining which performance value that could be used by the company. Furthermore, he should follow instruction of the president to use economic earnings to measure performance value of three companies. But, decision making make by Hafiz quite different with the requirement asked by the president since he thinks the best way to evaluate performance value should linked with the investments’ expected return based on cost of capital

An Experience of a life time

â€Å"Get to bed, Dharam,† my mother shouted. The excitement, the adrenaline pumping in me, kept me awake all night. I was trying to imagine myself in India, wondering what it was going to be like: the people, the country, the weather, I couldn't keep the energy inside of me; I just wanted to get there and see it for myself. The following morning, I gave my love and best wishes to my family and departed from Manchester International Airport. I then found myself on air India Flight heading to my destination Delhi. It was 5:00 am when we arrived in India. The smell hit me straight in the face, the heat firing at 36'Celsius came gushing at me; the people were rushing around like ants on a summer's day! I was in the fourth dimension it was nothing like I had imagined. The hooters and revving engine of the cars that cluttered the busy streets merged in a great cacophony of sound. There were people begging for money, there were people making food on stoves on streets having lived in England it was a sight I was not familiar with. Music came from all directions not just of songs it was the engines of cars and there hooters. I was amazed how different it was compared to England; it was hot, sticky, and noisy and overpopulated. Although I was extremely tired, I was also excited because this was a different atmosphere from what I had seen before, it wasn't just another holiday; it was my first time out of the country. At that time I didn't really think about England, I was too concerned about what my dad's family were going to think about me because this was the first time I had seen them in my life. Then questions started to come into my mind like will they like me? Will I like them? What do they look like? Would I fit in with them? As I got out of the airport I heard someone shout my dads name I didn't have a clue who it was but I realized it was someone from my dad's family I didn't ask who it was because I was too concerned about what was going on, but one thing I noticed straight away was that the people and animals were walking on the roads without a care in the world. My first reaction was, â€Å"God, where have you bought me†? That was the first time I missed home but as my journey progressed I was then fascinated with the way the country was. As the week ended I had settled in and got used to the environment. In one hot week I visited most of New Delhi and all the temples in New Delhi, but as the week ended my heart started to pound just as it was when I arrived at the airport. I knew the time had come to visit my other relatives. As I sat on the train staring out of the window, the sun was hitting me straight in my face. I started to think what I going to say to them. As the train stopped at Kurukshetra, we caught a taxi to my aunt's house. I took a deep breath and went in. There were my cousins sitting down watching cricket; they got up and greeted me. I felt like I had met them before, I got a warm feeling from them. My cousins introduced me to all their friends and showed me one of the biggest zoos in India where you could a touch baby lion. At first I didn't touch it because I thought to myself that it was a lion. But my cousin finally persuaded me too. My two days in Kurukahetra went so fast but I knew that I would return. My next stop was at Patiala in the northwest in the state of Punjab, to see my dad's grandmother. This time I wasn't as nervous as I was before. As I came off the bus I felt different. I was used to the road and cars everywhere. Patiala was different from Delhi and Kurukshetra, it was cleaner and there were no animals running around there was also no pollution. I stayed in Patiala for a week because I found it clean compared to the other cities. I visited my Dad old school and saw where he had worked. As he was showing me I could see that he felt very emotional leaving his home country. After a week in Patiala, I headed back for Delhi to visit my mum's parents who were visiting from England I couldn't wait to see them because I new they could speak the same language as me. Two days later we went to Agra to see the TajMahal; I was so amazed to see how magnificent the marble brickwork was and by the stunning architecture. There were people visiting from all over the world. As we went inside the TajMahal, it was dark the guide with a torch came over and told the story behind the TajMahal. He told us that Shah Jahan made this for his beautiful wife as a memorial; Shah Jahan chopped the hands off his workers after the building was completed so that they couldn't make another building like the TajMahal. I was beginning to realize why Shah was so obsessed with the TajMahal and why he didn't want it duplicated. As I went to my hotel I then thought to myself, â€Å"Now I can understand why so many people visit the TajMahal† Before, I'd thought it was just another building. I was now my third week in India time had passed by very quickly. As I was looking out of the window I was thinking about England, thinking, â€Å"What are they doing back at home? † I was missing my bed and fish and chips also the toilets, the Indian toilets were just like a whole in the ground. In that week I didn't want to stay in India, I was home sick, I was fed up looking at people with no legs or no arms and families with children who were only five or four years old asking for money, the poverty was too great, I just wanted to go home. As the week ended my dad and I decided to go back to Kurukshetra where my cousins lived. I stayed there for two weeks and went to the golden temples in Amritsar. As we got to Amritsar it was dusty and had animals all over. As we walked in side the golden temples it was amazing and peaceful, you could not hear any of the noises from outside. I felt like I was in heaven I was amazed with the beauty I hadn't seen anything better before in my life this also made be proud to be a Sikh. My dad woke me up at five o'clock in the morning to have a Shannon (which is a bath). It is said to purify you of your sins. We stayed there for two days and went to Patiala. As we got to Patiala it was holy this was a festival of colours happens once a year on March 3. As I was new, the town people decided to get me, to show how they play hoily. One man came from behind and threw a bucket full of colours. After 12 o'clock hoily was finished so I decided to have a bath. As I went in no water came I then started too appreciate that I was from a richer country, they told me the water comes on at five o'clock. As time went on the colours started to dry and crumble, it made me feel itchy and irritable. As the week ended there were two weeks left for me to go home. I knew time was coming up to go back. One part inside of my wanted to stay and the other didn't. 48 hours! The clock was ticking. I looked at the calendar and my emotions ran I had the feeling that someone was taking pieces of my heart away. Will I ever come back? Will I ever see these people again? I felt depressed. I didn't want to go home, well not yet. I enjoyed myself so much that I didn't want to leave. I sat in the room where I slept and looked at all four walls of the room and said,† Dharam you're going home to your family. † I checked again to see if I was missing anything. I then went out and spent the rest of the day with my friends also enjoyed the Indian food. I bought some gifts for my family and got ready for my journey to Delhi airport. I said my final farewells and realized the adventure was over and I was returning back to reality, back to England. When I got into the aeroplane, my tears ran down my face as I looked out of the window all I could manage was a wave.

Managerial Economics Example

Managerial Economics Example Managerial Economics – Assignment Example MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS 24 February MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS a. Scatter plot Using excel software, the following scatter plot with a quadratic line fit is obtained.The scatter diagram suggests a second-degree polynomial. This is because the points of the plot are evenly distributed along the fitted quadratic line of fit. The scatter diagram therefore suggests a function of the form: AVC= a + bQ+ cQ2b. Estimated parameters for regression modelParameters of the regression model can be estimated using excel. The following extract shows the regression coefficients as obtained from excel,Regression statisticsRegression StatisticsMultiple R0.855374R Square0.731665Adjusted R Square0.672035Standard Error121.9364Observations12From the regression statistics and based on the high values of R square, 0.73, the predicted quadratic model explains a large percentage of the data. As a result, it can be assumed that the set of data significantly obeys the quadratic trend. Similarly, the following ANOVA tabl e shows that there is a significant relationship between the model’s dependent variable and the explanatory variables, Q and Q2. This is due to the low probability value, 0.00269, which leads to the conclusion of existence of a significant relationship.ANOVA tableANOVA  dfSSMSFSignificance FRegression236487518243812.27010.00269Residual913381614868.5Total11498692  Ã‚  Ã‚  Based on the table of coefficients bellow, it can be concluded that the parameters for the model AVC = a + bQ + cQ2, are a = 2967, b = -4.28 and c = 0.003. The model therefore assumes the following equation,AVC = 2967 – 4.28 Q + 0.003 Q2Table of coefficients  CoefficientsStandard Errort StatP-valueIntercept2967335.388.848129.8E-06X Variable 1-4.281.5608-2.74380.02271X Variable 20.0030.00172.068830.06849c. Evaluation of the regressionThe positive sign of the parameter c indicates that the average variable cost decreases with quantity before its value starts to increase as quantity increases.d. Est imated costs functionsAverage variable cost= AVC = 0.003 Q2 – 4.28 Q + 2967Total variable cost= 0.003 Q3- 4.28 Q2+ 2967QShort run marginal cost= ∆(short run total cost)/ ∆quantity= 0.009 Q2 – 8.56 Q + 2967.It is the derivative of total cost.e. Minimum value for average variable costMinimum value of average variable cost is realized at an output level of 713 units. This point is important in determining the shut down condition because it coincides with shut down point. Its analysis is important because average variable costs increases with increase in quantity beyond this point (McGuigan, Moyer and Harris, 2010).f. AVC and SMC at 200 unitsFrom the formulae above, AVC= 0.003 (200)2 – 4.28 (200) + 2967=120- 856+2967= 2211SMC= 0.009 Q2 – 8.56 Q + 2967= 0.009(200)^2- 8.56(200)+2967=360-1712+ 2967=1615g. Nature of AVC curve at 200 unitsAVC is falling. This is because its value is higher that SMC. The observation is consistent with the identified shu t down point of 713 units (McGuigan, Moyer and Harris, 2010).h. The level at which SMC is equal to AVCSMC is equal to AVC at 713 units of output. This is because the two variables intersect at this point.i. Optimum level of production and maximum profitThe optimum production level is at 713 units. The expected profit would be 713*2200-(20000+1027053)=1568600-1047053= $ 521547j. When the market price is $ 1500The optimal level is when,SMC= 0.009 Q2 – 8.56 Q + 2967=1500And 0.009 Q2 – 8.56 Q + 1467=0Solving the equation leads to an optimal level of 224 or 727 units. 727 is however unrealistic.Maximum profit would be given by,224*1500- (20000+483573)= -167573The minimum loss would be $ 167573k. Long run profitability of the industryProfitability in the industry will reduce in the long run. This is because more firms will be attracted into the industry leading to lower selling price (McGuigan, Moyer and Harris, 2010).ReferenceMcGuigan, J., Moyer, R., and Harris, F. (2010). Managerial Economics. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning

Ampex VTR organization Essay Example for Free

Ampex VTR organization Essay After the second world war, the introduction of televisions opened way for the technological innovation of video recording. In the 1950s, there were major inventions in the video recording industry in the US and Japan. This case study involves the technological advancement in the video cassette recorders (VCRs) manufacturing industries. Six pioneering companies will be considered, namely; RCA and Ampex of USA, Japan Victor Company (JVC) and Sony, Toshiba and Matsushita all of Japan. JVC, Sony and Matsushita had the competitive advantage of management in this industry. They emphasized on opportunities that were more rewarding, productively positioned their technical efforts and executed these efforts in more productively. These companies learnt the market technological demands for videocassette recorders and produced in mass at limited costs. To prove their technological competence, these firms produced equipment with utmost sound clarity and consistently adhered to this. JVC was under pressure to come up with a common standard for its products which led to the advent of VHS system. RCA engineers came up with a video recording machine moving a narrow tape very fast past magnetic heads. At Toshiba, a recording head was made to rotate fast while the tape moved past at relatively slow speed (helical scanner). Despite these efforts, Ampex was the first to come up with a commercial video recorder. This VTR technology was patented but was soon shared out to other companies like RCA. Ampex failed to come up with a manufacturing capability for mass production despite the high performance designs. Ampex engineers opened up the helical scanner technology for broadcast recorder but Sony, JVC and Matsushita overtook them in this technology. RCA suggested the introduction of a television magnetic tape player but this was not considered by the management until later in 1958 in the design of VTR. Sony did not employ the method of market research but instead chose to insist on high technology and innovation. In 1950, Sony introduced the first Japanese magnetic recorder for sound and tape, followed by a TV camera and stereo tape recorder. In 1961, it unveiled the first fully transistorized VTR in the world. Matsushita was a diverse company dealing with a range of electrical appliances. To beat this company’s success, the rivals developed cheaper appliances. The diversities in technology led to a need for international standards to govern this. Sony wanting to outdo its foreign rivals collaborated with JVC and Matsushita in the establishment of ? inch tape cassettes. Sony, JVC and Matsushita made strategic management of technology by learning through trials. These companies were persistent and flexible. Ampex and RCA in America lacked consistency in their strategic direction making them fail to sustain technical development. The Japanese companies had stable technical teams which ensured stability in the organization. Top managers were involved in making critical decisions. Ampex VTR organization was however marred with instability (Rosenbloom & Cusumano, 1987). The basic VCR technology originated from the US and Europe although the Japanese industries have been successful in the industry. The success attributed to the Japanese industries was achieved by more improvements on the basic technology rather than just copying what the West had to offer. The advent of transistors, semiconductors and microchips greatly boosted the electronic industry in Japan. Ampex VTR organization. (2017, Jan 04).

Girls and women in children's fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Girls and women in children's fiction - Essay Example and motherhood that run counter to the mainstream views of their time, but that the earlier book uses distancing narrative techniques to disguise this fact while the later book uses intimate narrative techniques to celebrate it. The difference in approach is due to the social pressures, or absence of them, which had an effect upon the authors in their respective historical situation. The three children labelled â€Å"the railway children† are introduced as part of a prosperous middle class English family who have fallen on hard times due to the mysterious removal of their father, Mr Waterbury. It emerges later that he was imprisoned on a false charge of spying. The father is therefore absent, and the children’s mother removes herself also for much of the time in order to write and presumably earn a living for the family. This leaves the three children Roberta, Peter and Phyllis, free to roam around the railway area and get to know Mr Perks, a working class station porter and and old gentleman who travels on the trains. The story is in many ways typical of Victorian children’s fiction because it is highly didactic and promotes moral behaviour and adherence to the rather stiff and formal rules of society. What is unusual about the book for its time is the way that the railway children switch social class for a time, and in a spell of relative freedom from middle class observation and control, experiment with autonomy, devising their own amusements and coming face to face with harsh economic realities and the limitations of conventional society. The children confront class prejudice in the episode of coal stealing with Mr Perks, race prejudice in the encounter with Mr Sczepansky and gender prejudice particularly in the character of Bobbie. The main character Goggle Eyes is a primary school child called Kitty whose parents are divorced, and who consoles a distressed classmate by telling her about the experience of having parents who divorce. The book shows how