Essays --

Though the definition of feasibility studies varies in every source, most of its defining characteristics can be found in Blanchard’s System Engineering and Analysis textbook [1]. The general goal of a feasibility study is to evaluate whether the proposed system concept is designed within the cost, schedule, and technical risk constraints that can work for the stakeholders needs. The feasibility study’s second function is to illustrate the possibility of acquiring potential solutions [2]. The third goal of feasibility is to draw out quantitative or semi-quantitative assessments, and finally, it identifies alternative technological approaches [1]. Feasibility studies may include exploration of alternative conceptual designs, operational functions, system components, and technology choices, in case the system’s components and concepts were indistinct; and its immediate consequences may include risk analysis of requirements [2]. The study is vital in the overall pro cess on team communication and initial evaluation should be done during the conceptual design process. Following the exampl...

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry

In 2014, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Eric Betzig and William Moerner who, working separately, laid the foundation for SMLM. In essence, this method relies on the possibility to turn the fluorescence of individual molecules on and off. Scientists image the same area multiple times, allowing only a few interspersed molecules to glow each time. By superimposing these images, a dense super-image can be resolved at the nanolevel. With the development of this technique, Betzig and Moerner were able to overcome Abbe's diffraction limit, allowing for the production of high resolution images that, before SMLM, had not been possible. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, Ernst Abbe and Lord Rayleigh formulated what is commonly known as the â€Å"diffraction limit† for microscopy. Roughly speaking, this limit states that it is impossible to resolve two elements of a structure that are closer to each other than about half the wavelength (?) in the lateral (x, y) plane and even further apart in the longitudinal (z) plane. Another consequence of the same diffraction limit is that it is not possible to focus a laser beam to a spot of smaller dimension than about ?/2. In the case of light (optical) microscopy, an important tool for the imaging of biological structures, this means that two objects within a distance between 400/2 = 200 nm (far blue) and 700/2 = 350 nm (far red) cannot be resolved. Although this is no real limitation for electron microscopy, in which the wavelength is orders of magnitude smaller, this method is very difficult to use on living cells. For instance, the length-scale of the E. coli cell is about 1,000 nm (1 ?m) which is larger than, but of similar magnitude, as the diffraction limit. This explains why, prior to the development of SMLM, it was difficult to image details of the internal structures of living bacteria. Perhaps this may be the reason why bacteria are considered to be â€Å"primitive† organisms with little internal structure. With single-molecule localization, more precise structures of bacteria and other small-scale entities, e.g. individual viruses, can be resolved.In SMLM, the photochemical properties of fluorescent proteins are exploited to induce a weakly emissive or non-emissive â€Å"dark† state. From the dark state, very small populations of fluorophores are returned to an emissive state by shining a weak light pulse that activates only a fraction of the fluorophores present. These fluorophores are excited and detected by glowing until they are bleached, at which point the procedure is repeated on a new subgroup of fluorophores. In order to be identified, however, the emission profile must exhibit minimal overlap in each image. The centroid position of each identified molecule is statistically fitted, often to a Gaussian function, and with a level of precision scaling with the number of detected photons. By imaging and fitting single emitters to a sub-diffraction limited area over thousands of single images, enough data is generated to create a composite reconstruction of all identified emitters. Single-molecule localization is a broad category consisting of specific techniques, such as STORM, PALM, and GSDIM, that operate using the conceptually similar procedure outlined above. The main difference between these types is the exact fluorophore chemistry used to turn the fluorescence of individual molecules on and off. The real breakthrough in single-molecule localization occurred in 2006, when Betzig and colleagues coupled fluorescent proteins to the membrane enveloping the lysosome, the cell's recycling station. By activating only a fraction of the proteins at a time and superimposing the individual images, Betzig ended up with a super-resolution image of the lysosome membrane. Its resolution was far better than Abbe's diffraction limit of 0.2 ?m, a barrier that previous microscopy techniques could not bypass. Since the ground-breaking discovery, SMLM has allowed organelles and single molecules to be resolved with an order of magnitude better resolution (with a localization accuracy of about 10 nm), in multiple color channels, and in 2D as well as 3D. Single-molecule microscopy allows quantification of the number of proteins within biological assemblies and characterization of protein spatial distribution, permitting the determination of protein stoichiometry and distribution in signaling complexes. For instance, for the ?2 adrenergic receptors, SMLM was used to show that the receptors are partially organized in mini-clusters only in cardiomyocytes but not in any other cell lines, and that these oligomers are not lipid raft related but rather depend on actin cytoskeleton integrity. Most importantly, the results of this study were different from those obtained from a similar report which used near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), demonstrating the better precision of SMLM over other techniques. An additional important aspect of SMLM is that it can be used with other imaging techniques to elucidate receptor complex structures. In one study by Nan et al. (2013), the powerful sensitivity of FRET imaging to detect receptor proximity was combined with the capability of SMLM to obtain direct visualization of receptor oligomers in studying RAF, a strategic protein involved in RAS signaling. By means of cluster analysis, Nan and colleagues were able to show how RAF exists between an inactive monomeric state in the cytosol and a multimeric condition at the cell membrane when activated. The results from single-molecule localization confirmed the importance of dimer and oligomer formation in RAF signaling, even though the precise biological role of these different multimeric states is yet to be determined.The better definition of biological structures in the nanometer range as a result of SMLM has had most relevance in the field of neuroscience, where the morphology of neurons composed of dendritic spines and synapses is not suitable for confocal microscopy. For example, Dani et al. (2010) used single-molecule microscopy to image presynaptic and postsynaptic scaffolding proteins in the glomeruli of the mouse olfactory bulb to show distinct punctate patterns that were not resolved by conventional fluorescence imaging. Lastly, the high resolution of SMLM has enabled a deeper understanding of chromosome organization and genome mapping. Wang et al. (2011) determined the distribution of nucleoid-associated proteins in live E. coli cells, while Baday et al. (2012) were able to label 91 out of a total of 107 reference sites on a 180 kb human BAC gene with a 100 bp resolution. DNA mapping with such resolution offers the potential to uncover genetic variance and to facilitate medical diagnosis in genetic diseases. Nonetheless, there are a few challenges that come with single-molecule microscopy, namely errors in detection efficiency and localization uncertainty. Since using fluorescent proteins as labels involves the complications associated with protein expression, errors in this step (e.g. misfolding, incomplete maturation, etc.) can lead to the production of label molecules that are not fluorescent. This can directly affect counting studies, as the number of counted molecules can be underestimated. However, it is possible to use the obtained count (after correcting for blinking artifacts) for the counting. In one study that involved identification of protein complex stoichiometry by counting photobleaching steps, Renz et al. (2012) accounted for errors in detection efficiency using a binomial model, which was found to provide accurate results. Incorporating detection efficiency into a model for the ratio between monomers and dimers can also rectify efficiency errors. In terms of localization uncertainty, each photon from the emitter molecule provides a sample of the point spread function (PSF) from the molecule. Based on these samples, single molecule localization algorithms provide an estimate for the position of the fluorescent molecule. This estimate is prone to uncertainties, especially due to limited sampling (i.e. the limited number of photons obtained from the molecule). By ensuring that the imaged molecules within a frame are spatially separated enough so that the localization algorithms can correctly identify them, however, it is possible to minimize the effect of localization uncertainty on counting measures. Despite its potential shortcomings, single-molecule localization enables high resolution imaging on the scale of nanometers, which defies Abbe's diffraction limit of 0.2 ?m. SMLM has been used to elucidate specific cell structures, as in Betzig's visualization of the lysosome membrane, and receptor complexes, as in the case of RAF. The technique has also been used to refute results of similar studies that used different imaging protocols, as shown when determining the specific location of ?2 adrenergic receptors. Overall, SMLM has ushered in a new era of high resolution imaging that not only allows for accurate insight into individual cell and protein structure, but also enables identification of abnormalities in cellular processes that ultimately manifest as genetic diseases.

Analysis Of The Film The Movie Get Out - 1121 Words

In America, racism as well as race relations are generally extremely sensitive subjects that are often brushed underneath the rug. Earlier this year, Jordan Peele’s Get Out graced the big screen, and left audiences with a great deal to digest. Peele’s first cinematic debut touched on the delicate topics of racism and the continuous devaluing of African American culture by â€Å"liberal† Caucasians in American suburbs. In this essay, one will explore the ways in which works written by modern political thinkers such as Nietzsche and Marx effortlessly add perspective through various theories on the difficulties brought to light in the motion picture, Get Out. The movie Get Out begins when a young interracial couple, Chris and Rose, go to meet†¦show more content†¦Conversely, Chris appears to resonate with the idea that the bourgeoisie did not necessarily free man from being bound to others, but the bourgeoisie improved conditions for individuals such as the proletariat who were destined to work underneath others. From Chris’s perspective, the symbolism of an affluent Caucasian family having colored help is a direct correlation to African Americans still being valued as second class modern proletariat citizens in the United States. Following the revelation of his girlfriend’s parents having colored help, Chris is warmly greeted by Rose’s seemingly tolerant and friendly parents. Rose’s parents try to make Chris feel at home by telling him stories of the family patriarch losing a shot at the Olympics due to Jesse Owens. Similarly, they reassured Chris that they would have voted for Obama again for a third term if they could have. The Armitages were undoubtedly trying very hard to make Chris feel comfortable and relaxed, nonetheless it left Chris and audience members alike feeling as if the Armitages were purely trying too hard. It is a commonly acknowledged notion that whenever an individual is going above and beyond to give the impression of being relatable in order to make someone feel comfortable, they are commonly hiding something. As Nietzsche put it, â€Å"To talk much about oneself may also be a means of concealing oneself,† (Nietzsche 169). Rose’s parents give the audien ce the impression that there is something bizarreShow MoreRelatedEssay on Production Report1087 Words   |  5 PagesThriller Movie, a Children’s Television Programme, A magazine or a Radio Advert. After looking at them carefully, I decided to produce an opening sequence of a Thriller Movie. The sequence had to be at least two minutes long. For this I had to Analysis three existing Media Texts, make a storyboard for my movie, a script for the story, planning a schedule, making the actual production, etc. when I was thinking of the filming, I had to think of a thriller movie that wouldRead MoreAnalysis Of Divergent The Movie 1197 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of Divergent The movie Divergent can be interpreted and looked into deeply to discover the missing and hidden features within the film. Throughout the movie, there are many twists and turns. It takes the viewers on a journey. The movie is easy to understand with what is going on, but at times the plot is about mystery. When viewers go to the theater to watch the film, they tend to miss the hidden features of the movie. They only tend to focus on certain points, and by paying greater attentionRead MoreThe Gulf War And Its Effects On Character Portrayal1028 Words   |  5 Pagesmaking it one of the fastest growing films. The movie is based off of a young thief whom seeks a better life in Agrhaba, a city that very much resembles those of Arab countries. Aladdin ironically was being produced â€Å"during the 1991 Gulf War under the Bush administration. The war lasted six months. It was conflict between Iraq and 34 countries in the U.N., including the United States, trying to return order to Kuwait .† (Nelson, 2009, p.1) With the release of this movie coming just one year after the endRead MoreMovie Marketing Plan1393 Words   |  6 PagesMovie Marketing Plan Ideas and Images Private Limited Executive Summary Situation Analysis Ideas and Images Private Limited was founded in 2010 by students of film making with a vision to develop new trend, and improve film making in Nepal. The main objective is to align innovation and quality in Nepali movie making to help the industry grow and go international. Apabad is their first venture, with which they want to establish themselves as the institution with uncompromising creativityRead MoreEssay on Film Making1286 Words   |  6 PagesFilm Making Film production phases Film production is the process of making a film starting from the story or idea through scriptwriting, shooting to the distribution of the movie to the audience. There are four main phases involved in film making. Development phase In the development phase, the film is written from the story (Cones, p. 195). The story may come from a book, a play, another film or an original idea developed by the film producer. During the development of the film, the film producerRead MoreDepth Analysis of the Movie Crash2037 Words   |  7 Pagesa broad analysis of the movie Crash, and yet a specific picture of visual narrative techniques and audio techniques. The categories contributing to the nucleus and major movie components are theatrical elements, cinematography, editing, and sound. The Academy Award winning movie Crash is a story about society s controversial subjects projected in an in your face depiction of lives that in some way or another, cross. Depth Analysis of the Movie Crash The over-all theme of the film is racismRead MoreEssay about Developing My Critical Thinking Skills997 Words   |  4 Pagesfor exams and ended up in a bad place part-way through the semester. Thats when you offered an extra-credit assignment that required an analysis on Do The Right Thing. This e-mail is to express my deep gratitude for giving me any credit at all. I recently revisited the movie-- and my analysis -- and it was actually appalling at how poorly developed my analysis was. Instead of analyzing why Spike Lee would portray his characters in a specific way, I decided to analyze why I didnt like them, neglectingRead MoreEssay on Analysis of the Use of Film Trailers and Film Posters1090 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of the Use of Film Trailers and Film Posters Film posters come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colours. Some have appealing pictures on that target a particular age group, some are for a general audience, but they all use the same things on the poster. Anchorage, Alliteration and Eye catching devices. You can find them at a wide range of places, like at the cinema inside and out, or on big billboards, or even in town. But they all have one target in Read MoreThe Impact Of Movie Release On Tourism Demand Over Countries1612 Words   |  7 PagesTHE IMPACT OF MOVIE RELEASE ON TOURISM DEMAND OVER COUNTRIES: EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THAILAND TOURISM INDUSTRY Saisang Apichatvorapong (Management) Directed by Yeujun Yoon ABSTRACT The main purpose of this thesis is to find out more information about the impacts of movie release that has on the tourism demand in Thailand. Since it has been proved that movies can influence tourists to visit a location shown in the movies (Riley Van Doren, 1992), this paper will estimate the number of tourist arrivalsRead MoreWishful Thinking Meets Reality : Rhetorical Analysis964 Words   |  4 PagesWishful Thinking Meets Reality: Rhetorical Analysis Everyone can relate to a time in their life when they desired a â€Å"picture-perfect† life with lots of friends and all the material things they could wish for themselves. However, they realize that maybe the â€Å"picture-perfect† life isn’t what they expected once it becomes reality. In the films Freaky Friday and 13 Going on 30, the audience follows the lives of the protagonists as they face their wishes to have a â€Å"better life†. Throughout the

The Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller - 846 Words

A Dime a Dozen The Death of a Salesman is a tragedy written by playwright Arthur Miller and told in the third person limited view. The play involves four main characters, Biff, Happy, Linda, and Willy Loman, an ordinary family trying to live the American Dream. Throughout the play however, the family begins to show that through their endeavors to live the American Dream, they are only hurting their selves. The play begins by hinting at Willy’s suicidal attempts as the play begins with Linda asking if he crashed the car asking, â€Å"You didn’t smash the car did you?† (Miller 1183). This first line foreshadows Willy’s suicide at the end of the play as it foreshadows that he is not completely sane. Subsequently, Biff and Happy Loman are introduced as Linda and Willy’s two children. Biff has recently returned to his home, but his parents constantly criticize him for not having a good job. Willy and Biff do not get along, as Willy believes that Biff has failed him because he did not succeed in being wealthy and well known. Biff was the classic all American teenager in high school, being a star in football and admired by all his peers. Willy describes him saying, â€Å"I thank almighty God you’re both built like Adonises.† (Miller 1193). Willy builds his children up believing they are above everyone else which will eventually lead to p roblems later in their life. Later in the play it is revealed that Willy has been lying to his children and is not doing well in his job. HisShow MoreRelatedDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1387 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican play-write Arthur Miller, is undoubtedly Death of a Salesman. Arthur Miller wrote Death of a Salesman in 1949 at the time when America was evolving into an economic powerhouse. Arthur Miller critiques the system of capitalism and he also tells of the reality of the American Dream. Not only does he do these things, but he brings to light the idea of the dysfunctional family. Death of a Salesman is one of America’s saddest tragedies. In Arthur Miller’s, Death of a Salesman, three major eventsRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller888 Words   |  4 PagesDeath of a Salesman† is a play written by Arthur Miller in the year 1949. The play revolves around a desperate salesman, Willy Loman. Loman is delusioned and most of the things he does make him to appear as a ma n who is living in his own world away from other people. He is disturbed by the fact that he cannot let go his former self. His wife Linda is sad and lonely; his youngest son Biff is presented as a swinger/player while his eldest son Happy appears anti-business and confused by the behaviorRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1573 Words   |  7 Pagesrepresents a character with a tragic flaw leading to his downfall. In addition, in traditional tragedy, the main character falls from high authority and often it is predetermined by fate, while the audience experiences catharsis (Bloom 2). Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman is considered to be a tragedy because this literary work has some of the main characteristics of the tragedy genre. In this play, the main character Willy Loman possesses such traits and behaviors that lead to his downfall, and theRead MoreDeath of Salesman by Arthur Miller972 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play Death of a Salesman by the playwrig ht Arthur Miller, the use of names is significant to the characters themselves. Many playwrights and authors use names in their works to make a connection between the reader and the main idea of their work. Arthur Miller uses names in this play extraordinarily. Not only does Miller use the names to get readers to correlate them with the main idea of the play, but he also uses names to provide some irony to the play. Miller uses the meanings of someRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1628 Words   |  7 PagesArthur Miller wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning play Death of a Salesman in 1949. The play inflated the myth of the American Dream of prosperity and recognition, that hard work and integrity brings, but the play compels the world to see the ugly truth that capitalism and the materialistic world distort honesty and moral ethics. The play is a guide toward contemporary themes foreseen of the twentieth century, which are veiled with greed, power, and betrayal. Miller’s influence with the play spreadRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller949 Words   |  4 PagesDeath of a Salesman can be described as modern tragedy portraying the remaining days in the life of Willy Loman. This story is very complex, not only because of it’s use of past and present, but because of Willy’s lies that have continued to spiral out of control throughout his life. Arthur Miller puts a modern twist on Aristotle’s definition of ancient Greek tragedy when Willy Loman’s life story directly identifies the fatal flaw of the â€Å"American Dream†. Willy Loman’s tragic flaw can be recappedRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller Essay2538 Words   |  11 PagesSurname 1 McCain Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course: Date: Death of a Salesman Death of a salesman is a literature play written by American author Arthur Miller. The play was first published in the year 1949 and premiered on Broadway in the same year. Since then, it has had several performances. It has also received a lot of accordances and won numerous awards for its literature merit including the coveted Pulitzer for drama. The play is regarded by many critics as the perfectRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller2081 Words   |  9 Pages#1 â€Å"Death of a Salesman† by Arthur Miller is a tragedy, this play has only two acts and does not include scenes in the acts. Instead of cutting from scene to scene, there is a description of how the lighting focuses on a different place or time-period, which from there, they continue on in a different setting. The play doesn’t go in chronological order. A lot of the play is present in Willy’s flashbacks or memories of events. This provides an explanation of why the characters are acting a certainRead MoreDeath Of Salesman By Arthur Miller1475 Words   |  6 Pagesto death to achieve their so- called American dream. They live alone and there is no love of parents and siblings. They may have not noticed the America dream costs them so much, which will cause a bigger regret later. In the play Death of Salesman, Arthur Miller brings a great story of a man who is at very older age and still works hard to achieve his desire, which is the American dream. Later, he no tices that his youth is gone and there is less energy in his body. Willy Loman is a salesman, whoRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1517 Words   |  7 PagesArthur Miller’s play titled â€Å"Death of a Salesman† offers a plethora of morals pertaining to the human condition. One moral, shown in Aesop’s fable â€Å"The Peacock and Juno†, pertains to that one should be content with that of which they are given, for one cannot be the best at everything. In Death of a Salesman there is, without a doubt, a paucity of content and happiness within the Loman family. But what does it mean to truly be content? Aesop’s fable â€Å"The Peacock and Juno†, as the name suggests,

The Black Cat By Edgar Allan Poe - 2214 Words

A man who has abused his pets and killed his wife is sentenced to death, but were these transgressions made in the clarity of mind or was it an act of madness? In the short story THE BLACK CAT by Edgar Allan Poe, we follow the ramblings of a man who is sentence to death on the very next day for his act of murder. Do not take his ramblings to heart as he is an unreliable man but see for it what it really is. The beginning of the story starts out in a jail cell where the narrator is hours away from his death. He says that he wants to recount the events that placed him in this predicament. Since the day he was born, he has been noted for the docility and humanity of his disposition and these qualities flourished as he grew older. He marries a woman who shares his likeness of animals, and they have adopted abundance of pets. His favorite was a black cat named Pluto. The narrator starts drinking and his personality traits change to a detestable person. He begins to abuse his wife and pet s verbally and physically. One night while intoxicated, he believes the cat is ignoring him so he grabs it by the throat. Frightened the cat bit his hand, which angered the narrator so he took a pen knife and cut out one of its eyes. A few days later, he is overcome by a guilt and perverse impulse to hang the cat from a tree in the garden even though he knew it was wrong. That same night his house caught on fire and he lost everything. The next day he returns to the burned down house and sees aShow MoreRelatedThe Black Cat By Edgar Allan Poe1117 Words   |  5 Pages Edgar Allan Poe’s narrator in â€Å"The Black Cat† describes himself as a lover of animals and a man with a kind heart. But he uses his animals and alcoholism as an excuse for his perverse behavior. However, Poe drops hints though out the narrative to tell a different story. His violence towards animals tells the story of an irrational man who weeps while hanging his cat. Therefore, Poe employs the narrat or to show the human tendency to use scapegoats to shift blame for the wrong thing we do. The narratorRead MoreThe Black Cat By Edgar Allan Poe885 Words   |  4 Pagesobserve. An example of these observation and hands on applications would be Edgar Allan Poe, a writer and a poet, whom would be absolutely intrigued in these behaviors. His unique interpretation of the human mind could be seen in â€Å"The Black Cat.† In this short story Edgar Allan Poe embeds himself as the protagonist who are mere victims of the complexities of the mind known as revenge, anger, and perversity. â€Å"The Black Cat† shows the vital side effects of the mind recognized as revenge, anger, andRead MoreThe Black Cat By Edgar Allan Poe1778 Words   |  8 Pagesmonster up within the tomb† (Poe 32). This is the ending of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story â€Å"The Black Cat.† This story is one of the many famous short stories Poe has written in his life time. However, this story, in particular, captivities the horror and frightening works of his display. Having his personal history and short story at hand, will help his audience to understand some of his guilty pleasures. In this Critical Analysis Essay, the composition of â€Å"The Black Cat† will be revealed by connectingRead MoreThe Black Cat, By Edgar Allan Poe1240 Words   |  5 PagesLiterature, D.H. Lawrence condemns Americans for dodging their true selves by means of intellectualization and idealization. Both Edgar Allan Poe’s short story â€Å"The Black Cat† and Nathaniel Ha wthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† feature allegorical representations of characters deceiving themselves in order to deny the darker aspects of their inner selves. In Poe’s â€Å"The Black Cat,† the narrator denies the darker aspects of his soul by abstracting his horrific actions with spectral evidence in order to externalizeRead MoreThe Black Cat By Edgar Allan Poe Essay917 Words   |  4 Pagesreality.† - Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe is known for his dark and thought-provoking horror stories. In particular, The Black Cat does just that. The story focuses on the rationalizations of the horrific actions of the narrator. A black cat is introduced to pounce down on the rationalization of the narrator’s actions. Edgar Allan Poe also constructs a story where the main basis of the narrator’s decisions are ethical egoism and the principles of conscience. Poe constructs the black cat as the conscienceRead MoreThe Black Cat, By Edgar Allan Poe1900 Words   |  8 Pagesportion of his life writing these kind of stories. Edgar Allan Poe was influenced by his own life experiences, social normalities of the early 19th century, and used literary devices to write horrific works such as The Black Cat, The Raven, and Berenice. Edgar Allan Poe wrote the short story The Black Cat in 1843. The story starts out fairly normal, but very quickly spirals into a horrendous chain of events. The narrator of the story has a cat that he adaores at first, but then he grows irritatedRead MoreThe Black Cat By Edgar Allan Poe Essay1503 Words   |  7 PagesThe Black Cat Gothic Analysis In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story â€Å"The Black Cat† (1843), Poe creates a gothic narrative that exceeds the suspicions of the audiences predeterminations. Throughout the entirety of his piece Poe creates a scene that continuously leaves his readers wondering what was happening next. Suspicion being a key factor in gothic tales is only one strategy Poe used to illuminate the story of an unnamed psychopath and his attempts to either clear his conscious or set the recordRead MoreThe Black Cat, By Edgar Allan Poe871 Words   |  4 Pages Edgar Allan Poe is a world famous author who writes suspenseful/thriller story that keeps everyone interested. Three of his stories that we have read is â€Å"The Black Cat,† â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†. The five questions that will be discussed is how/why does Poe have his narrator plan the murder of his victim, what is the narrators reason for killing his victim, how does the narrator dispose of the body, does the narrator know the difference between right and wrong, and finallyRead MoreThe Black Cat, By Edgar Allan Poe1202 Words   |  5 PagesEdgar Allan Poe is prominent for his literacy style of horror and mystery, in which he had written an innumerable number of short stories and poems in his lifetime. Evidently, many of his writings like, â€Å"The Black Cat,† â€Å"William Wilson,† and â€Å"The Raven,† share the same style, as their protagonists’ demonstrated a paucity of reliability. Readers often become engaged with how the main character of each text showed their rivulet of tales that seem to be quite fictitious. Available evidence suggestsRead MoreThe Black Cat By Edgar Allan Poe1142 Words   |  5 Pagescharacter survives eight shots to the torso, all happy endings. Edgar Allan Poe isn’t like that. Most of his characters are dark and insane. They have one last shred of sanity then they refuse to keep it and then they end up going insane, much like the characters in The Black Cat, The Raven, and A Tell-Tale Heart. All three the men reach insanity. In The Black Cat a man expresses his passion over all animals. He has a gorgeous black cat named Pluto,his prized possession. Years later this man has a

Lord of the Flies, Coral Island and the Role of Adults Free Essays

It is known that to fully appreciate the novel â€Å"Lord of the Flies† (1954) by William Golding (1911-1993) it is necessary to have read Robert Michael Ballantyne’s (1825-1894) â€Å"Coral Island† (1858), or at least to understand its theme and treatment. And so, since it was Golding’s intention to set himself to write an island story that deliberately challenged Ballantyne’s model in â€Å"Coral Island† -by inverting its assumptions and values- we can explore multiple angles from which the two novels can be compared and studied. An item which seems quite interesting when analysing both texts is that one related to civilization and its adult exponents. We will write a custom essay sample on Lord of the Flies, Coral Island and the Role of Adults or any similar topic only for you Order Now After a thorough reading and focusing on very clear and specific elements we happen to notice the differences -as well as some similarities- among the roles and the significance of these adult characters in each novel. We will first refer to Golding’s â€Å"Lord of the Flies†, in which there are various examples of the complexity of the adult figure. But we must first refer to Golding’s own experience at war in order to get a clearer picture of his position towards our central concern. From the first years of his life, he faced the atrocities of war when he took part in the Second World War by joining the British Navy at 1940. The war, as a physical result, changed a lot Golding’s view of life. He could not believe in man’s innocence any longer. He found that even the children are not innocent. No one is innocent. The ideas of W. Golding’s view of human nature can be found in almost any of Golding’s books and particularly, in his first and most famous book, â€Å"Lord of the flies† 1. So, let us now focus on the novel itself. At a moment of uncertainty-anguish the boys beg desperately for a signal from the world of grown-ups: (â€Å"Grown-ups know things† said Piggy. â€Å"They ain’t afraid of the dark. They’d meet and have tea and discuss. Then things ‘ud be all right—† â€Å"They wouldn’t set fire to the island. Or lose—-† â€Å"They’d build a ship—-â€Å" The three boys stood in the darkness, striving unsuccessfully to convey the majesty of adult life. â€Å"They wouldn’t quarrel—-† [†¦] â€Å"If only they could get a message to us,† cried Ralph desperately. â€Å"If only they could send us something grown-up†¦ a sign or something. 2) In the next chapter what they get is a dead body of a man hanging from a parachute, a corpse which gets rotten as the story advances. Is this the adult figure they were waiting for? Or, should the question be: Does this ‘gift’ from air help the m in any way to strengthen their boundaries with civilization? The answer seems to be ‘no’. On the contrary, it makes them panic, slowly driving them mad and irrational. It unleashes violence, leads them to sacrifices and murder, and takes them back to a primitive stage. So up to now the adult figure does not seem to be associated with a positive role. However, there is another character in the novel who also becomes very important as regards our analysis of the adult figure. Finally, when on the last pages, Ralph is lying on the sand, ready to accept the blow which will kill him, and he hears the silence around him, and he looks up †¦ up†¦ , he can first see some emblems of power, some symbols of the grown ups’ world and also of his father authority, and only then he can see a man – a naval officer. This man happens to stop Ralph’s brutal chase just by chance. Grown-ups have been dropping bombs and planes, and it was an atomic war which had made the children’s evacuation necessary in the first place. Who have gone crazy and been having an atomic war but the grown-ups themselves? 3 Again, a new question should be made: Is this a real symbol of salvation? Or, How can an ambassador of an atomic war stand for the pa rental protection or even a mature model to be followed? The naval officer’s ignorance, his lack of understanding of what has been going on, is ironical. Furthermore, what Golding is trying to make clear at this instance is the decadent figure of the human adult, and by extension, of the whole human civilized world. Let us now turn to R. M. Ballantyne’s â€Å"Coral Island†. Here, the concern about civilization, seems to be very well defined as well as good and evil are so clearly separated that there cannot be any conflict between them. 5 In spite of this, when we come to a closer look we find a special complexity within a number of characters. Everything about Ballantyne’s boys, who are older by some years than Golding’s boys, is confident and positive. The novel as a whole, pictures the assumptions and values of the Victorian period in affirming progress, imperialism, self-reliance, the Creator, the goodness of nature and of human nature- when Christianised at least 6 Actually, this is quite an interesting item to focus on. On the one hand there are the dark-skinned people referred to as â€Å"the savages†, who are in fact the native inhabitants from the neighbouring islands. They are a kind of primitive adults, constantly characterised as cruel, uncivilised inferior beings. Their rituals, their form of life, the whole of their culture is described as barbarian and demoniac and Ralph, our young narrator, is deeply horrified at seeing them. They represented a menace to the boys, and they tried to escape from them or to stay in good – but distant- terms with them, so as to keep them away from their coral island. On the other hand there are the pirates, who, paradoxically, are –like the rest of the fair-skinned characters- superior ; their ways are civilised, their clothes being the main symbol of their superiority. What is interesting about these last ones is that they are at first described as representing a dangerous element –as had already been the shark or the very ocean. Nevertheless, as the novel goes on, we are made to think that this wandering adults who travel overseas, robbing ships, conquering all that they found at their pace and kidnapping people, are actually ‘not that bad’. Even the pirates are â€Å"better † than the natives, more intelligent, cleaner, etc. But also, as we reach the end of the novel, we suddenly meet some educated peaceful missionaries who work a miracle when they get to the island the boys are captured in and manage to convert the wild savages into Christians and they embrace our Lord’s Gospel. It must be understood that the priest’s reason for being there is to abolish the beliefs of an entire human group and the pirates are traditionally thought of as being thieves, kidnappers and violent conquerors. But, somehow, this is not the image Ballantyne depicts towards the end of the novel. Given, thus, the complex nature of these beings, a new different question arises. What is the true nature of adults-civilization for Ballantyne? How come that adults like the priest and the pirates can be representatives of good or salvation? Are the adults capable of completely changing their previous evil nature all of a sudden? Obviously, the answer seems to rely on the moral outlook, the Victorian ethos, which bathes the whole novel. The didactic intentions are clear. His intentions are to teach his readers, not only to inform them about the wonders and terrors of the Pacific Islands, but also to make them reflect on the power, goodness, glory of God and make them better people. As a result, by comparing and contrasting both novels from the opposed perspectives of the two authors , we identify the key elements inherent to each one as regards our main topic. Basically, while in Ballantyne’s â€Å"Coral Island† the prevalent view of man was that based on the confidence of the white man 9 in Golding’s â€Å"Lord of the Flies† the thesi s is based on the man’s fallen nature myth, expressing through it his belief in man’s other nature, the dark and guilty nature. 0 Mainly, both Ballantyne and Golding’s perceptions about adulthood and civilization vary not only because of a completely divergent perception on the world -which derives from their personal experiences- but also because of the time when each novel was written and the totally different socio-political scenery in which they were developed. 1 Material obtained from http://www. geocities. com/Athens/Forum/6249/bio. htm 2 â€Å"The Lord of the Flies†, by William Golding (p. 117) Faber and Faber Limited (1954) 3 Notes provided by the teacher on â€Å"The Lord of the Flies† by William Golding. Notes provided by the teacher on â€Å"The Lord of the Flies† by William Golding. 5 Notes provided by the teacher on â€Å"The Lord of the Flies† by William Golding. 6 Notes provided by the teacher on â€Å"Coral Islandâ₠¬  by R. M. Ballantyne. 7 Macmillan Master Guide, The Lord of the Flies, 1986 8 Notes provided by the teacher on â€Å"Coral Island† by R. M. Ballantyne. 9 Notes provided by the teacher on â€Å"Coral Island† by R. M. Ballantyne. 10 Notes provided by the teacher on â€Å"Coral Island† by R. M. Ballantyne. 11Macmillan Master Guide, The Lord of the Flies, 1986 How to cite Lord of the Flies, Coral Island and the Role of Adults, Papers

Risk Management and Treasury

Question: You are working in the foreign currency desk of a British bank in the UK. Your superior believes that the currency market has not correctly incorporated the recently announced USA annual inflation rate into the forward exchange * between the US dollar a. the British pound. At present the inter. rate to be earned on 10 million for a month would be 5% per annum in the UK and 0.5% per annum in the USA. You have a. gathered the following information: Exchange rates: Spot $1.5700 per 30-Day Forward rate at premium (swap $0.01 per ). Annual inflation rates: UK () 3% pa; USA () 0.1% pa. Required: A) Given the present inflation an exchange rates above calculate expected spot rate in 30 days' time for the market to be in equilibrium. What do relative *rest rates suggest should be the direction of the forward rate? Compare the quo. forward rate and the expected spot*. Is. market in equilibrium.? (b) If the market is not equilibrium in part (a) above, .ate what an UK trader* 10 million at her disposal should da to take dva.ge of the situation. Calculate total (arbitrage and opportunity) gain made by the trader if she follows your advice.(C) Briefly discuss the risk of the above strategy in deriving the total gain. What would be the breakeven exchange rate for this strategy? Answer: (a) Calculation of expected spot rate:- The formula of expected spot rate is E = S * (rf / rd) Here, E = Expected spot rate S = Spot rate = $ 1.5700 rd = domestic currency interest rate = 3.5 % rf = foreign currency interest rate = 0.5 % Therefore,E=1.5700*(0.5%/3.5%) = 0.2242 We know that if the rate of interest is high in a country, then the country currency is a lot stronger. This is because the investors from the foreign countries will invest more for the countrys high rate of interest. If this happens then the direction of the forward rate will also increase. (b) The calculation of Forward rate: The formula of Forward rate F = S + swap rate Here, F = Forward rate S = Spot rate = $ 1.5700 F = 1.5700 + 0.01 = 1.5800 The forward rate is 1.5800 No, the market is not in equilibrium. 1. If the market is not at equilibrium, then according to the given question the UK trader should invest her 10 million pound in the UK market because the interest rate of the country (UK) is much higher than the USA interest rate. It is known that if the rate of interest is high in a country, then the country currency is a lot stronger. This is because the investors from the foreign countries will invest more for the countrys high rate of interest. In spot rate: If the trader wants to invest in UK in spot rate then the trader will earn = 10 million * 3.5 % = 35000 pound Therefore if the trader invest in UK the trader will earn = 30000 pound If the trader wants to invest in USA the trader will earn =10 million * 1.5700 * 0.5% =$ 7850 In forward rate: If the trader wants invest in the trader will earn =10 million * 3% =30000 If the trader wants to invest in forward rate then the trader will earn = 10 million * 1.5800 * 0.4% = $6320 Therefore, the arbitrage gain earned by the trader is = $ (7900 7800) = $ 1530 If the trader earns $ 1530 more if she invests in forward market then the trader should invest in the forward rate. (c) The risk of the above strategy in deriving the total gain is when the trader invests in the forward market the countrys interest rate may fall down for the economic conditions of the country. The inflation rate may rise due to the economic condition of the country. If this occurs then the trader will face loss from her earning. Break Even Exchange Rate: The USA interest rate is 0.5 % and the UK interest rate is 3.5 %, it may happen that US dollar can be change into the UK pound and can invest in 3.5 %. If this process is done without doing forward coat, then the interest profit of 3 % can be derived. Then the investor can face a loss of 3 %. Reference: Bajlum, C. and Tind Larsen, P. (2008). Capital structure arbitrage. Aarhus: University of Aarhus. Aarhus School of Business. Bragg, S. (2007). Business ratios and formulas. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Dubil, R. (2004). An arbitrage guide to financial markets. Chichester, West Sussex, England: John Wiley Sons. Whistler, M. (2004). Trading pairs. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons