American Literature Essay Example for Free

American Literature Essay On learning that his gay lover â€Å"Prior Walter† was infected with AIDS, Louis Ironson being unable to cope quits the relationship. Joe is offered a good promotion by fellow homosexual and lawyer â€Å"Roy Cohn†, unknowing to Joe, Roy has AIDS, which he contacted from Prior. Angels and ghosts visited Prior and told him he was a prophet, Joe struggles to reconcile his religion with his sexuality; Louis blames himself for leaving Prior and begins a relationship with Joe. Harper who was mentally derailed due to her addiction to taking pills regularly and had her problems worsened as she realizes that her husband ‘Joe’ is gay. She is very sensitive and weak, but loves her husband and wants to keep her home. Joe’s mother, Hannah moves to New York to attempt to take care of Harper and meets Prior. Harper separates from Joe and Roy is hospitalized. Tony Kushner shows some heavy Biblical references and references to American society, as well as some fantastical scenes including voyages to Antarctica and Heaven, as well as key events happening in San Francisco and at Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. I think Kushner wants to show how unhappy people could be and have lots of secret and can’t trust themselves in the modern life.

Example Essay On Interprofessional Collaberation In Practice Nursing Essay

Example Essay On Interprofessional Collaberation In Practice Nursing Essay Section 1 According to Cullen et al (2003), in order to meet the demands of a modern National Health Service (NHS) professionals are encouraged to work collaboratively and form partnerships to ensure seamless delivery of care. Interprofessional Education (IPE) is advocated as a means to enable professionals to understand one another and break down boundaries between them. (p.427). The nature of nursing care is predicated on an idea of working within a team, and a premium is almost always placed on communication, not just as a means of caring for patients and ultimately saving lives, but also to alleviate the stresses and strains associated with frontline care. Whilst the idea of communication being important is not new, the formation of IP teams, particularly within the realm of nursing, is. Cullen et al set out in order to try and better understand what positive lessons could be learnt from such a process. This essay will seek to try and understand the thinking that went into this study, base d on the real life experiences of the author. Cullen et al conclude their study with the point that The development of IPE aided communication and collaboration between the academics and health professionals and helped to break down professional boundaries. Testing out new methods through action research has enhanced our understanding of the implications for students and teachers. (p.432). Whilst I ultimately found this to be the case, I would like to go into a bit of detail as to why exactly I came to these conclusions. Having met the group for the first time, we were all introduced and began to mingle. Given how short we had all known each other, it was difficult to establish any common points of reference. One imagines that within the workplace, where relationships are formed and cultivated over a longer period of time, always within a professional context, such relationships would be less artificial or constructed. Nonetheless, our different perspectives were in no way artificial, and it was useful to try and understand ever yones reasons for choosing to study what they do, even if few of us had had the chance to put those studies to consistent, long-term effect under the professionals rigours of frontline care. As such, many of the early discussions were very much more theoretical, idealistic even, than they might possibly be after a few years of experience within frontline care. There was however, a certain amount of agreement too. All of the students were aware of the positive benefits of IPE and felt that by virtue of being medical students, they were in some way isolated from the larger university student body as a whole. This had both positive and negative effects. Whilst some argued that it brought the students closer together, others admitted that they felt isolated at times. Either way, it is clear that stereotyping is not a positive factor in IPE. As Fraser et al (2005) acknowledge, Professional stereotyping is considered to cause barriers to effective working relationships and team approaches to care. Learning together at undergraduate level can promote different professional groups understanding and respect for one another and an appreciation of the importance of team working in the health sector. (p.271) This collaborative way of thinking helped us formulate our first group sentence, Poor communication is the lack of ability to articulate to and interpret information from other Health Care Professionals (HCPs), which then tied in closely with our second sentence: Negative attitudes towards other HCPs leads to a  breakdown in communication. As Koubel and Bungay (2010) showed, this is key for any multidisciplinary approach to have any sort of success. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to the question in hand, social work provides some useful analogues. Social workers form partnerships with people: helping them to assess and interpret the problems they face, and supporting them in finding solutions. They have to know how the law works and be fully up to speed with the social welfare system. They will liaise regularly with other professionals teachers, doctors, nurses, police, lawyers acting on behalf of the people they are working with. (http://www.socialworkandcare.co.uk) Furthe rmore, as Brayne and Carr (1999) point out,social workers are the creation of government; government is therefore accountable to the public for their work and obliged to regulate their activities. Second, social workers as caring professionals are themselves accountable to their users and to the public at large. (p.6) The same is very much true of healthcare professionals, and interprofessional relationships need to be understood in this context. There is a duty not only to provide the patient with the best care possible, but also to deliver value for money for the taxpayer. Accordingly, interprofessional relationships need to be fostered to deliver the most efficient and effective care possible. What exactly does this involve? Of course, in the professional arena, job roles are to a certain extent prescribed by job titles. However, within the stress of the workplace, roles can become muddled and confused. Accordingly, one of our major tasks involved role definition. It is not simply enough to be clear with one another: practitioners need to define their roles and act accordingly. As Skott (2001) notes, Professional nursing care is formed and carried out in a social cultural process. The discipline of nursing should study narrative communication to understand how individual and collective levels are connected in experiences of sickness and cure. (p.249) Nonetheless, Brereton (1995) has shown that there are still a great deal of holes in the critical thinking towards communication in nursing care: The theory-practice relationship and the use of communication and interpersonal skills in nursing have been recurrently identified as issues causing concernà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦there appea rs to be a reliance on mentors to assess student progress and determine whether they have knowledge underpinning practice. Classroom teaching was recognized as idealistic but the divisions in participants opinions led to difficulty in determining whether a theory-practice gap actually exists. (p.314). As a group, we all came to the conclusion that one of the key aspects of IPE is avoiding stereotypes. This was viewed as a fundamental basis for the following points: It is important to value each professions individual contribution to overall patient welfare. Varying perspectives exist, but any barriers must be overcome in order to promote holistic care. Pre conceived notions of any member of the Multi disciplinary team need to be challenged. Hierarchical states of mind have no place when a multi disciplinary team is working towards service user goals. Whilst communication and stereotyping avoidance may seem like natural bedfellows, it was interesting to be exposed to a group which arrived with preconceived notions of how the nursing profession worked. Whilst my experience of frontline care is limited, my brief experiences have shown that stereotyping is endemic. This may range from physicians making certain judgements about the role or usefulness of nurses, or even vice versa, but throughout the conference, it became clear that attitudes such as these had no place within the professional world of HCPs. Not only do they create a negative, hostile atmosphere, but they also prevent HCPs from doing their job properly, and ultimately, pose a threat to the treatment of patients. Word count 1195. Section 2: In many ways, learning about IPE has been a natural development from the direction my studies were already taking. Anyone interested in nursing is, almost by definition a communicator, as it is a profession in which discussion, listening, and mutual understanding are key. Nonetheless, the things I have learnt from IPE have helped me to understand previous experiences better. Reeves (2001) looked into the 15-month project which evaluated the effectiveness of interprofessional education (IPE) for first and second year medical, nursing and dental students on a community-based placement, using a process-based approach which tracked the education and social processes connected to IPE. Such an approach has helped overcome some of the problems of using before-and-after designs. (p. 269) He found that community-based IPE placements were deeply beneficial in aiding students development, as the on-the-job nature of the tasks they faced forced them to adapt on the spot, often needing to adapt with the help of other HCPs. In my experience this was also the case. When I was helping geriatric patients who were acutely ill, I found that IPE skills became increasingly important. Leff et al (2005) note that Acutely ill older persons often experience adverse events when cared for in the acute care hospital (p.798) Given the anxiety caused to elderly acutely ill patients, any efforts that could be made to accommodate them should be encouraged, and accordingly, the research is both worthwhile and timely. Whilst much literature exists regarding home nursing for end of life care, it is relatively sparse for elderly, acutely ill patients. Zarit (2004) in particular, using the case of disabled patients facing end of life care, note that family members provide a considerable amount of the care for people with terminal illnessesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and family caregivers must be recognized as an essential part of the treatment team. By clearly recognizing this role, physicians and other health care providers encourage caregivers to be more confident about their abilities to care for their loved ones. (p.170). Zarit goes on to argue that the role of family carer is not only beneficial to the part played by the healthcare professionals, it can also be a cost-effective way of giving patients the best palliative care that they need. He even argues that patient surviva l rates can be affected by paying close attention to family members at the front-line of care. Thus, he recommends that a psychologist or other health care professional familiar with end-of-life care included as part of the treatment team. Although time and effort are required, these strategies may help caregivers provide the care they want to and provide better home care at a reduced risk to their own health. (p.170). Furthermore, as Leff et al go on to point out, Patients, but not caregivers, had increased satisfaction with hospital-at-home care, and there was some evidence that substitutive models may be cost- effective. However, with some exceptions, most of these models would be difficult to distinguish from augmented skilled nursing services, community-based long-term care, or home-based primary care services in the United States. (p.798) As we can see, there are clearly a number of benefits associated with care at home. However, for the caregiver, such situations can also create a raft of potential problems. Whilst most academics agree that the influence of the family is generally a positive one, not much critical thinking has been devoted to what role the family play in allowing HCPs to perform their job as they should. Outside of the hospital environment, the familys role is much greater, and often, in my experience at least, they feel that this entitles them to a greater degree of say in the patients care. Whilst I would generally agree with this, I had one experience in particular which made me question this. Because of the increased role of the family in this case, they felt that they knew best about how to care for their acutely ill family member. However, there was evidence to suggest that they were not delivering the right level of care. Since returning home, the patients condition had deteriorated, and there was a strong argument to be made for readmission into hospital, something the family were completely against. Whilst the physician in charge was willing to watch and see how the situation developed, the critical care nurse was pressing for readmission, the difference in opinions shows the power dynamics between the physician and nurse and has been noted without in-depth discussion between the two, created a barrier to effective collaboration (Manias Street 2000). However, the family was a low-income family, and as such, used to receive visits from social workers. Accordingly, there was a great deal of IPE needed to deal with the situation. For example, whilst the social worker was not responsible for the health of the patient, and were visiting the family on other grounds, they were consulted on what they thought was occurring under the familys supervision. This involved the nurse in charge communicating with the social worker, an interdisciplinary approach that necessitated diffe rent public sector workers working alongside each other. The interaction between the nurse and social worker showed a co-ordinated effective collaboration between HCPs to provide a service to improve the quality and decision making process of patient care (Spry 2006). However, there were also certain problems at our end. The physician in charge of the patient seemed unwilling to get actively involved. He was well-known to be a poor communicator, and seemed more involved in other aspects of his work than dealing with the patients, particularly when they were no longer in the hospital. However, since nothing could be done without his authority, it was frustrating for myself and the nurse to get anything done with him dragging his feet. Likewise, although the social worker was very willing and able to perform their job, they felt put upon when discussing any problems that fell without their remit. As such, it was left to myself and the nurse in charge to orchestrate managing the problem. Cheek and Rudge (1994) look closely at the socio-aspects of nursing to deconstruct the power relations implicit within the socio-political context of the health care arena in which nursing operates. (p.583) They found that womens health and nursing practice were exem plars of the limiting effects of such discourses. (p.583) Seeing the reaction the female nurses inquiries, it certainly felt that her sex was a limiting factor on how she could get stuff done. The conference was very clear in that one of the major points of IPE was to avoid stereotypes. One of the largest stereotypes is that all nurses are women, and it felt like, the physician in particular, was labouring under some outdated view of nurses that was close to the era of Florence Nightingale than the present day. Of course, gender stereotyping works both ways. McDonald and Bridge (1991) found that Nurses planned significantly more ambulation, analgesic administration, and emotional support time for the male patient, despite the presence of individuating information. More accurate, effective nursing care is possible when nurses are aware of the effect of gender stereotyping on nursing care. (p.373) However, in this instant, it very much felt like the opinion of the nurse in charge was being undermined due to her sex. Although the patient was eventually readmitted, it wasnt done without much bureaucratic leg-dragging, and I was left feeling that this was a poor example of interdisciplinary care. It could have been improved by more willingness of those in charge to define roles clearly, avoid stereotypes, and place the care of the patient at the forefront of their concerns. I hope that in my future career I am able to learn from this, and apply the things I have learnt to an array of challenging real-life situations. Word count 1293.

America and Multilateralism: A History

America and Multilateralism: A History Perhaps it is safe to surmise from the very beginning that there does not appear to be a country in the world that is not affected or has not been affected in one way or the other by the United States of America. Short of this, there most certainly does not remain in existence a country, people or society which has no knowledge, however limited, of the United States of America. No single day passes without the American power being addressed or diagnosed in one capacity or the other by the global media. Over time, but in particular, in more recent times, no other country’s political, domestic, economic defence or capabilities and abilities have been more studied or discussed than the extent at which America has been. In actual fact, it is safe to surmise that very few political issues today provoke such strong and diverse responses as the role of the United States of America in its attempt to re-shape world affairs.[1] The recent terrorist attack on America of grave consequence s, its reaction to it and the wars in Afghanistan as well as Iraq have intensified the debate about the nature and prospects of American super power. There remains a school of thought that continues to celebrate the United States’ achievements in proclaiming as well as bringing liberty, democracy and prosperity to every corner of the world. Others are more inclined towards condemnation of America’s pursuit of hegemonic status and its attempt to impose a single economic system and a narrow set of moral belief on other nations around the world. Whichever school of thought one belongs to re America’s performance on the international podium, most have arrived at the conclusion that the history of the twenty-first century will be determined to a large extent by the way American power is used, and by the way in which other major political players on the international front react to it. The nation has often been referred to as an imperial, an empire or hegemony. Most p eople still continue to perceive America as that democratic land of roses where ‘anything can happen’. Some still believe in, especially those outside the shores of the country and straining to one day be admitted into the great country, what they call the ‘American Dream’. It is supposedly a country where ‘anything is possible’. Often times however, America is no longer beheld with rose tinted spectacles. Given its recent history world over, this is hardly a surprise of any significance. The word which best comes to mind when America, that great nation is under discussion as it constantly is for diverse reasons, is hegemony. What, it might be useful to enquire at this juncture, is hegemony? In lay man’s terms, hegemony, succinctly put, is leadership by predominance (some might even say aggression) of smaller and weaker states or nations by naturally bigger nations in an effort to achieve world domination. Does America therefore stand ri ghtly accused of attempting to dominate the world through its conceptualisation of global politics, foreign policies and armed forces, or at least to dominate those nations which are considered smaller and weaker? It is common knowledge that while some countries practice communism or socialism, America was and remains a capitalist country where the motto right after ‘In God We Trust’ is a universally accepted but unspoken ‘survival of the fittest’. In the introductory words of G. John Ikenberry in his book ‘America Unrivalled’, â€Å"The pr-eminence of American power today is unprecedented in modern history. No other great power has enjoyed such formidable advantages in military, economic, technological, cultural or political capabilities. We live in a one-super power world, and there is no serious competition in sight†[2] These words immediately bring to mind perhaps the most controversial wars of all times and America’s gargantuan contribution or one might even dare say blatant single minded orchestration of the same, the Iraqi invasion (and on-going war till date) in 2003. It is worth reminiscing at this juncture how the world watched and waited with bated breath while the United Nations deliberated on whether or not the United States should be granted the authorisation to invade Iraq based on its reports about the so-called axis of evil and the weapons of mass destruction they supposedly had in the making which it further claimed posed un-foretold threats to the international world. It is yet another point in favour of the argument that America is fast becoming or indeed has all but attained the status of an hegemonic state that President George W. Bush announced to the world that regardless of the UN’s decision and that of its Member States, America will forge ahead in war against Ir aq and Afghanistan, alone if they had to. In his exact words, â€Å"†¦when it comes to our security, we really do not need anyone’s permission†[3] It was later argued that it would appear that even the United Nations, a so-called world moderator and international emblem of peace, is nothing but yet another tool in America’s already brimming tool box. Although at the time, this announcement from the Bush Administration sounded as arrogant and ‘above the law’ as it really was, there were many who felt America would be justified in its decision in the wake of the September 11 attack. September 11 2001 (hereafter referred to as 9/11) brought about the turning point in history, international law and the use of force against terrorism. The words of an American man considered very patriotic indeed comes to mind at this controversial stance of George W. Bush re brushing off the world’s opinion and/approval to its use of force in the name of figh ting terrorism. The man, none other than Richard Holbrooke, former United States ambassador to the United Nations, who once stated after careful observation, one should imagine, that the Bush administration threatens to make a â€Å"radical break with 55 years of a bipartisan tradition that sought international agreements and regimes of benefit to us†[4] Many years, loss of lives both civilian and military, reports of horrible treatments meted out to prisoners of war (PWO) by the American soldiers against every rule of Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention, America’s refusal to withdraw its troops even after the fall of Saddam Hussein (its greatest enemy) the question on everyone’s lips is whether the war was indeed for all the altruistic reasons quoted by America in its rather fabricated reports or for more reasons closer to home. The question can even be posed all the way back to Operation Desert Storm in the same Iraq in 1993. Did America invade Iraq on both occasions for economic gain and ultimately to place itself as the world’s super power. Although it appears now to the world that the Bush administration is the one responsible for dramatically drawing America away from multilateralism, a look back into the Clinton administration will confirm that this is not remotely true. Under the Clinton administration, America neither waited for the United Nation’s approval/authorisation before deploying the North Atlantic Treaty Operation (NATO) to Serbia in 1999 nor prior to its bomb attack on Iraq in 1998. There were also other Conventions, Acts and Treaties America rather conspicuously refrained from signing or ratifying such as the banning of further use of Land Mines (the Ottawa Convention of 1997). The difference perhaps would be where the Clinton administration adopted diplomacy in its delivery of such unilateral decisions; the Bush administration simply forges ahead with no regard for the world’s opinion, appro val or in most cases disapproval. In the era immediately after the World War (II), America’s strength was not only viewed during the war with the deployment of its armed forces, which later formed an alliance with the United Kingdom amongst others (the allied forces) but also after the war in its attempt to rebuild Germany as well as other war torn countries in the war aftermath. In this, America had strategised and was apparently successful in ensuring that the world did not revert to its closed regional dealings of the 1930s prior to the war. The founding of the United Nations on 24 October 1945 also saw to it that the beginning of what is now known as globalisation was established. A post war era of multilateral character and significance was thus built around economic and security agreements such as the Bretton Woods Agreement on monetary as well as trade relations among nations. The American-led NATO security pact followed much later. This international order which came into existence after the war (World War II) was effectively one which was multilateral in character. A more open system of trade and investments began to emerge, largely encouraged by America. Economic and security matters as well as political relations became indistinguishable and indivisible among nations in what is best described as an open world market or globalisation. This is evident in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) as well as the Bretton Woods agreement earlier mentioned. An alliance tie emerged between the United States and the Great Britain in particular and the European continent in general in a scenario one could simply put in lay man’s terms ‘rub my back and I will rub yours’. America’s economic as well as security assistance to the Asian region is also worth mentioning. America ensured and continues so to do, that weaker and smaller states are afforded security assistance, protection and granted access to its markets, technology and country in general. In th e wake of America’s Green Card Lottery scheme, the support and admiration of other smaller states for which the scheme was intended and who continues to benefit from the same was firmly secured. In a similar vein after the world war, citizens of many nations flocked in their thousands to America from world over and started life over again after the war. In what is not unlike the stone age ‘trade by barter’ arrangement, the participating states in turn continue to ensure that political stability is maintained in their relationship with the United States, making available to America their diplomatic, economic and logistical support in return. For instance, America has training grounds in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, perhaps as a lasting result of Operation Desert Storm. Going back in history however, it remains indelible that there were 5 world super powers including America itself. How then can Ikenberry infer that America has no competition in sight in its steady climb to the top in the international hemisphere? Who were the other four super powers and what became of them? The five major contenders when the United Nations was founded in 1945 were Russia, Great Britain, China, and France. It is accurate to say that the cold war put paid to Russia’s contention with America. The Great Britain, as exhibited more recently under the Tony Blair administration is more or less a lap-dog to American’s policies and remains a rather very friendly ally than a potential contender. Yet it will be nothing short of fallacious argument to say that America has no contender or is without competition in one form or the other. Worth remembering as well is Germany and France’s initial reluctance as well as refusal to throw their weight behind the Ir aqi invasion in 2003. America’s hegemonic state is therefore not without challenges as well as challengers, it is however the multifaceted character of America’s power that makes the country so far reaching, daunting, provocative and formidable to less equipped and smaller countries. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the Cold War saw an acute decline in rival ideologies and even tighter alliances formed between the United States and other regions. Following the Cold War, America continued to grow from strength to strength. In the 1990s its economy was commendably and successfully restructured. Also growing in significant progression alongside its economy is its armed forces and global recognition as a state to reckon with. By the turn of the millennium, America’s economic and military growth had wedged a seemingly insurmountable gulf between itself and other major players in world politics. While the late 90s saw Japan’s economy grow by 9 per cent, the European Union altogether by 15 per cent, American economy grew by a significant 27 per cent, nearly doubling and tripling that of the other regions.[5] This did not go unnoticed by the rest of the world. In fact literally doffing his hat to the United States in a speech in Paris (1999), the French Foreign Minister, Hubert Vedrine, observed that the growth witnessed by the world in America â€Å"is not comparable in terms of power and influence to anything known in modern history†[6] America’s devotion to its armed forces can by no means be ignored. America boasts an army that is better equipped and out numbers the armed troops of well over 14 countries put together. There are training grounds for the United States army in well over 40 locations world wide. This automatically means that when another weaker or slightly less advantageous state envisages itself in trouble, the first point of call for protection and assistance, when and if necessary is the United States of America. In its usual confidential, bordering on arrogant manner America’s National Security Strategy declared to the world that their forces will be strong enough to dissuade potential adversaries/would-be challengers from pursuing a military build-up in hopes of surpassing, or even remotely equalling, the power of the United States.[7] It is not impossible or even unthinkable for America to utilise its military capacity to impose its policies on other states in different regions of the world. It has been observed already that America spends on its armed forces more than the next fourteen countries combined and that the U.S. military expenditures will shortly be equal to the rest of the world combined.[8] Another scholar of repute, Paul Kennedy, also surmised that it is already the case that all the other navies in the world combined could not dent American maritime supremacy.[9] Still on the issue of security, expressing his own opinion and an opinion apparently shared by many others world over, Barry Possen has suggested that the United States’ command of the sea, space, and air forces is the ‘key military enabler of the U.S. global power position’.[10] Assuming its economic growth remains as healthy as it has been since the 90s, the concentration of world military power may continue for several decades yet. Even at the current level of U.S. capabilities, it is the general view that ‘the United States can shoulder the burden of maint aining global security without much help from Europe’ or the rest of the world for that matter.[11] It begins to appear obvious that perhaps America’s initial support for multilateralism in international trade and globalisation was borne of a grander strategic move to acquire and retain more power while legitimately promoting international reliance of one state on the other, one region on others for support, growth and assistance. A quick glimpse at major historical turning points such as 1919, the end of World War II in 1945 and the period immediately after the Cold War all but confirms this logic. It would appear that America promoted multilateralism in such a strategic way so as to signal restraint and commitment from other states.[12] This precipitated the acquisition of support, if not actual trust, acquiescence and cooperation of other weaker states. But surely when one country is placed so much higher than others in the case of all animals are equal but some more than others, there naturally arises the problem of balance of power or even equality before the law. What the majority of member states may attempt with the United Nations and come out facing adverse repercussions for is the same thing the United States will not only attempt but carry out and come out smelling of roses. For the sake of this discussion, should one be given to a flight of fancy however fleetingly and imagine or a moment that a member state such as Ghana or Nigeria threatens the use of force against Cameroon and declares to the world that the same will be effected whether or not the United Nations and indeed the world approves of its actions. At the very least, economic sanctions will immediately be placed on such a country. However in the name and under the umbrella of 9/11 it would appear that America is permitted to do and undo whatever catches its fancy and of course promotes its economic as well as military growth. How else can one begin to explain the issue of thousands held prisoner at the US military operated prison and indeed a recreation of Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay, for years with neither charges nor trial in the name of fighting terrorism? America claims not to have jurisdiction in Cuba to try these prisoners yet it has the power and the authority to imprison them in Guantanamo Bay. What, one is right to ask, happened to the universal (at least in democratic states) ‘writ of habeas corpus’? Another example of America’s marked shift from multilateralism to unilateralism and establishing itself as a super power above the rest of the world is again glimpsed shortly after the controversial invasion of Iraq in 2003, when America was quick to submit allegations against North Korea as well as Iran for also becoming threats to the international community as they were manufacturing nuclear weapons. In an ironical twist however, in 1998, Japan, perhaps once one of America’s closest allies, was reportedly furious with America when its officials unilaterally decided that funding for North Korean Nuclear reactors was to con tinue despite Japan’s complaints that North Korea was firing missile over its territory.[13] What then can possibly put an end to America’s domination of the international stage and its rise towards a super power of hegemonic characteristics? It has been established that the two most important factors in the growth of any nation; its economy and defence, remain the two areas where America continues to excel and prosper rendering it even more of a force to reckon with by other nations of the world. Is it then any wonder that many are of the school of thought that it is only a matter of time before America seeks to completely dominate the world and by so doing, simply crush out weaker states of the world. It is enough to alert the world that more than any other administration before it, the Bush administration is significantly departing from materialism especially on agreements dealing with arms control and proliferation. Multilateralism, as Ikenberry’s book posed the debate, does indeed seem to be on the decline in America’s policy and political stance. I t has become to America a selective game where multilateralism is embraced when it adds to the muscles in its already bulky biceps and unilateralism at every other turn. As America continues to systematically depart from multilateralism and promote more unilateralism in its foreign policies and decisions on security affairs affecting not only its boundaries (assuming such a word as ‘boundary’ exists in the American dictionary) but also spread ashore to other nations of the world, the world may very well be moving rather rapidly towards the final unravelling of America as a hegemonic nation. What and who in the world can then possibly challenge America’s hegemony? Surely it would take a large scale war or a crucial global economic crisis to challenge or even come close to threatening America’s hegemony. While this might be very well put and even precise in theory, surely either option will definitely have grave repercussions on the international community. However, Ikenberry argues in his book, ‘America Unrivalled’, that there are limits to the United States’ hegemony such as it stands at the moment. He is of the opinion that a complete hegemonic order would require not just preponderant capabilities but also some significant degree of acquiescence on the part of other states, especially the other major players in world politics for the maintenance of such order. Following the Cold war, America acquired the support and cooperation of one of the major players in that region, Japan. Japan was once America’s closest ally as a result of this, however even Japan is becoming resentful, as presumably are the rest of the world, at America’s increased unilateralism (as in the North Korean case mentioned above) and the selective choice of multilateralism only when it favours the nation in one form of economic or security purpose or the other. It is therefore not impossible that other major players in the world, on examining their alternatives on how to best rid America of its hegemonic status and by so doing release the unsuspecting world from American domination, may very well challenge its hegemonic position. Capitalising on the regional and international relationships once promoted by America, the other major super powers in the Asian Region and the European Union could orchestrate an over throw of America’s position as an hegemonic state or at the very least challenge the same. Not ignoring the power and importance of smaller or weaker states however, they would quite naturally also have to be involved. This however would be an all scale war, the magnitude, repercussion and significance of which will tremble the world perhaps more than every previous wars put together! Any would-be hegemonic challenger would most naturally have already arrived at the very same conclusion. Apart from the fact that every single one of these would-be challengers rely on the United States for one as pect of its sustenance or the other, it would take a lot of consideration, meetings, strategising and concrete persuasion to convince every member state of the necessity of such a global war. With its present and ever growing resources both at home and abroad, it is therefore only a matter of time before America, at whom the war is intended, becomes aware of the plans and builds up enough or adequate defence against the same. While it is not impossible that several nations of the world may come together and challenge America’s build up to hegemony, to say that the world may never recover from such a large scale war may perhaps be the understatement of the existence of mankind. In a brief state of fantasy, were one to assume that this large scale war does take place and does remove America from the pinnacle of power it currently occupies, there is no telling how many decades or even centuries it would take to rebuild a world of international trade and globalisation. Another da nger in that is another country seizing the opportunity and rising very rapidly to the throne of hegemony, in this instance however, a country not so democratically inclined as America, for instance, China. The world as we know it now may cease to exist as a result of such a war. It is now 2008 yet traces of the Second World War still remain evident in some areas in the Eastern part of Germany as one imagines it does in other affected parts of the world. If the argument here is then that a full blown war against America’s hegemony may do the world greater harm than good, what then can possibly stop America’s climb to the top of the world? As mentioned earlier, the strength of any nation lies in its economic as well as military growth. One, quite naturally, is not devoid of the other however as training camps, gears and facilities will be difficult to procure without a booming economy. Should the world then experience a global economic crisis, the like of which it is yet to ever experience, perhaps this will in a way also bring America to the same level as other countries or at least less dominant? In this present day, at least the European Union and America are experiencing an economic crisis that has been likened to the worst in many decades till date. The Great Britain’s Royal Bank of Scotland recently announced that the country is indeed in recession. China and Japan have also reported major decline in sales and poor performances on their Wall Street equivalent. Japan has actually announced to the world, like Great Britain, that it is indeed in the middle of a torrid recession. While this economic crisis may very well be unpleasant and indeed wrecking a lot of harm on the economy of the countries involved, it will take much more than this to cripple America or to reduce its hegemonic status. Even at this point in time, the US Dollar continues to rise against the British Pound and the Euro. Should the world experience an economic crisis of such negative significance that all the major states as well as even the ones considered smaller and weaker are effectively affected, America’s hegemony, in my humble opinion, will most certainly be thoroughly challenged. This will be brought about by the fact that the international community in a bid to survive and revert to some semblance of normality will be forced to depend one on the other for that means to survival, America included. Such a scenario will almost take the world back in history to the early days when the advantages of globalisation and inter dependence of nations on one another was first discovered. Such an economic crisis w ill render it almost impossible for states to continue to concentrate on military training and equipments. One should imagine that nations will be more concerned with the immediate welfare of their people such as housing, medical care and social services as undoubtedly unemployment will rise astronomically in the face of an economic crisis of any significant magnitude. From everything hereinabove appearing and the examination of different (learned) opinions as well as scenarios, it is therefore perhaps appropriate to conclude by agreeing with the debate that should a full blown war orchestrated by would-be challengers of America’s hegemonic state fail, surely an economic crisis of significant global scale will not only challenge but also probably, however temporarily, bring an end to America’s hegemony. America will be forced to revert to the multilateralism way of international politics and to abandon unilateralism in a bid to promote globalisation and a closer knit international community. Bibliography John, G. Ikenberry, ‘America Unrivalled: The Future of the Balance of Power’ (Cornell University Press, 2002) John, Ikenberry, ‘Is American Multilateralism in Decline?’ Perspectives on Politics 1:3 (2003) ‘Hegemony or Empire’ The Redefinition of US Power under George W. Bush, Edited by Charles-Philippe David and David Grondin (2006) Richard Little, Michael Smith, ‘Perspectives on World Politics’ Ikenberry, G. John, ‘Liberalism and Empire: Logics of Order In The American Unipolar Age’, Review of International Studies (2004) Stephen M. Walt, ‘Keeping the World â€Å"Off-Balance†: Self-Restraint and U.S. Foreign Policy’, in Ikenberry, America Unrivalled, pp. 121-154. Charles A. Kupchan, ‘Hollow Hegemony or Stable Multipolarity?’, in G. John Ikenberry (ed.), America Unrivalled: The Future of the Balance of Power (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2002), p. 72. According to Kupchan, the European Union is emerging as the main competitor of the United States in a future multipolar international system. Whither American Power? David Held and Mathias Koenig-Archibugi Published in: American Power in the Twentieth-First Century, edited by David Held and Mathias Koenig-Archibugi, Cambridge: Polity Press, 2004. Kennedy, Paul, ‘The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers’ 1987 Footnotes [1] David Held and Mathias Koenig-Archibugi, ‘Whither American Power?’ In American Power in the Twentieth-First Century [2] G. John, Ikenberry ‘America Unrivalled’ Pp 1 [3] Quoted in Balz 2003, A1 [4] Purdum 2002., 1 [5] Ikenberry [6] Quoted in Craig R. Whitney, ‘NATO at 50’ With Nations at Odds, Is It A Misalliance? New York Times 2, 1999 [7] President of the United States, The National Security Strategy of the United States of America (Washington D.C.: White House, September 2002), p. 30. [8] G. John Ikenberry [9] Paul Kennedy, ‘The Greatest Superpower Ever’, New Perspectives Quarterly, 19 (2002). [10] Barry R. Posen, ‘Command of the Commons: The Military Foundation of U.S. Hegemony’, International Security, 28 (2003), pp. 5-46, p. 8. [11] On the durability of U.S. supremacy see William C. Wohlforth, ‘The Stability of a Unipolar World’, International Security, 24 (1999), pp. 5–41. [12] Argument was developed by Ikenberry 2001 [13] Marshall and Mann, ‘Goodwill Towards the United States is Dwindling Globally’

The Lust For Power: How Politics And Personal Relations Become One Essa

The Lust For Power: How Politics and Personal Relations Become One   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The stories of the Bible reveal a pattern of â€Å"ups and downs† for the nation of Israel. A period of prosperity, faithfulness and fearing God would almost always be followed by a period of destitution, lawlessness and idolatry. This recurring cycle can be linked to political authority, and the level of separation of political authority from other influences. The successful struggle for liberation under the leadership of Moses and the glorious conquest of Canaan under Joshua instilled a fresh breeze of hope and a renewed faith in God in the nation of Israel. Guided by God, the nation of Israel met with unprecedented success as they journeyed to the promised land. During this time, political authority among the Israelites rested in the hands of patriarchs, or prominent members within the tribes. These men were righteous figures of authority, chosen by God, to lead His people and to teach His ways. The success that swept over the Israelites was short-lived, however, and for the next two hundred years the people of Israel struggled against neighboring tribes. The new generation of Israelites â€Å"knew neither the Lord nor what he did for Israel† (Judges 2:10). They began to â€Å"do evil in the eyes of the Lord† by worshipping other gods and engaging in various sexual activities. To save His people from their enemies and from their â€Å"evil ways,† God â€Å"raised up† judges to rescue them (Judges 2:16). These so-called judges had the political authority vested in them to lead the people of Israel and to save them from their sins. They mobilized the people of Israel against invasions of the tribes all around them. At this time, the nation of Israel was nothing more than a loose confederation of twelve tribes. Israel had no central authority, which meant no unity, no organization and no power. During the period of the judges, there was no need for a central government, because the people of Israel were able to defend their tribal territories effectively against adjoining peoples. Whenever there was a threat from a neighboring tribe, God sent a judge to lead the Israelites against their enemies. As this era came to an end, however, the Israelites were faced with a much larger problem - the Philistines' military threat. As the Israelites were elimina... ... fighting for it. The judges were sent to lead the Israelites in times of need and emergency. Their leadership was only ephemeral, and thus not one of them were able to gain an exorbitant amount of political power. When the period of the monarchy was firmly in place, however, there was a system of succession of power. Even before the king muttered his last words, there were peopleeagerly waiting in line to take his place. And if that wasn't enough, people were plotting against the king in hopes of succeeding the throne, even his own sons. This feature of the period of the monarchy allowed for the mixing and intertwining of politics and personal relations. The use of women as symbols of power and dominance became abundant as kings challenged the prospective successors, and as prospective successors challenged the kings. Events took place that can be compared to episodes of TV soap operas or Melrose Place. Politics and personal relations became interrelated, and above all else, the underlying reason was power. As people began to lust for power, for wealth, and for recognition, the association of the two became imminent, and the separation of the two became impossible.

Essay --

This paper will address recent trajectories of college tuition, fees, and financial aid in order to assess the extent to which fiscal assistance has kept pace with increases in tuition. Agenda setting constructs will then be used to contexualize this relationship, as well as student loan debt in general, and to identify applications of this issue to macro level social work practice. Trends in Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid Among public four-year institutions, the average cost of tuition and fees has increased by 2.9 percent for the 2013-2014 academic year, rising to $8,893 for in-state students. This trend was mirrored among out-of-state public four-year institutions as well; tuition and fees increased by 3.1 percent from $12,887 to $13,310. With regard to private four-year universities, the average cost of tuition and fees increased by 3.8 percent, a difference of $1,105. Although it appears as though the momentum of tuition increases has continued, it is important to note that the ascension of published costs between the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 academic years is the lowest proportion in increase over the past 30 years. That is, tuition and fees are continuing to increase with each academic year, however the percentage by which they do so is actually decreasing (Baum & Ma, 2013). When assessing college affordability, it is important to not only understand trends in tuition costs, but it is also necess ary to differentiate between the published costs of schools and the net prices that full-time students actually pay throughout their enrollment. Tuition and fees might vary according to reciprocity agreements between adjacent states, duration of enrollment, and student aid disbursements; these are all factors which could impact th... ...tarian education policies that make college more affordable and accessible in order to promote a competitive labor market and cultivate a proficient workforce. Conclusion Although the inflation of tuition and fees among post secondary institutions has begun to subside, the trajectory of federal financial aid and grant assistance has become increasingly unable to compensate for this trend. Increases in tuition and, subsequently, student loan debt can be attributed to agenda setting initiatives that supplement revenue losses, but simultaneously marginalize many students and increase the inaccessibility of higher education. In effect, the byproducts of tuition increases underscore the importance of macro-level social work practice and its ability to critically reframe fiscal education policies that best promote the economic welfare of students and their communities.

How does John Steinbeck use animals in ‘Of Mice And Men’? Essay

For the duration of Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck makes references to animals and animal behaviour in portraying the characteristics of the characters. Not only does he do this, but also uses actual animals as a medium in which to show emotions and symbolisms. It is this theme which I plan to explore in this short essay. In the title of the book, Steinbeck chose to mention mice, taken from part of a poem by Robbie Burns, who wrote: ‘The best laid plans of mice and men Gang aft aglee and leave us naught But grief and pain for promised joy’. This is quite apt considering what happens in the book and it could be said that the book revolves around the poem. Steinbeck lets the reader know that the story will contain animal references from the beginning of the book. On the first page, rabbits are mentioned coming â€Å"out of the brush to sit on the sand in the evening.† Later in the chapter, Lennie says to George, â€Å"I remember about the rabbits, George†, to which George responds, â€Å"The hell with the rabbits. That’s all you ever can remember is them rabbits.† It is strange that rabbits are mentioned both in nature and in converse dialogue in the same section. However, it is not so much the rabbits that Lennie is looking forward to, but the dream of something better, his ideal world. George takes it upon himself to ground Lennie, bringing him back to reality. Their relationship is complex and we only get glimpses of their history together. This technique is used by the author so that the reader can come up with their own interpretations. Lennie is described further on â€Å"dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws†, creating imagery that Lennie is like a bear. When the majority of people hear the word ‘bear’, they immediately think ‘vicious’, ‘ferocious’, or even ‘wild’. Steinbeck makes it clear that Lennie is none of these things but is in fact a gentle giant who is unaware of the impression he makes upon others. The imagery of a bear is contradicted later on when Lennie is again described to have animal characteristics, those of a terrier. When he is slowly coming towards George, he approaches, draws back, and approaches again. When the pair arrive at the ranch, a whole batch of characters are introduced, including Candy and his dog. This is not the only dog on the ranch, as Slim also owns one, one which is pregnant. Candy’s dog symbolises old age and the past while Slim’s represents life and things to come. When Candy is bullied into having his dog shot due to it’s annoyance of others on the farm, it is the separation of a connection to the past, a tie that has been severed. Around the same time, Slim’s dog gives birth and puppies are introduced into the world. The killing of Candy’s dog is a determined action to begin to erase the old and to celebrate for the future. It could be said that this is reflected in the American Dream that happened during the Great Depression. The characters in Of Mice And Men are all working towards a goal or aspiration. George and Lennie realize this when they arrive at the ranch and they see that what they have now is a fresh start. A chance to clear their past and work towards the future. The theme of life being reflected in nature is not uncommon for the rest of the book, and John Steinbeck makes several other references to death and how life continues to move on despite it, as though death is an integral part of life, how it is unavoidable and should be honoured, not mourned. This theme plays an important role in the scene where Curley’s Wife meets Lennie in the barn. Before she even enters, George has already killed one of Slim’s puppies by stroking it too hard. This is reinforcing the image of him being bear-like, how he doesn’t know his own strength. When the naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve character of Curley’s Wife begins to ‘flirt’ with him, he says that he likes to stroke soft things and so begins stroking her hair. When she begins to struggle, Lennie gets scared and doesn’t realize that he breaks her neck. In the book, it says that her â€Å"body flopped like a fish†. The reader is now left with the image of a bear with a flailing fish in it’s paws, not in a malignant way, but in one that is trying to calm it down. When Lennie rushes off to the brush where George told him to hide if anything goes wrong at the start of the book, he is met by two apparitions, one of his aunt Clara, and one of a giant rabbit. The rabbit is a connection to the dream that Lennie held at the start. Steinbeck is trying to convey to the reader that the dream that these people in the Great Depression held was too unrealistic, how a series of unfortunate events leads to the compete destruction of the dream.

Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway Essay

Ancient and modern societies have deployed wars as a means of solving conflicts or advancing certain interests. The Infamous wars in the world are the World War I and World War II which happened in the 20th C. These two wars took place for the purpose of advancing political and economical gains of the participating countries. Countries wanted to gain powerful control over others on military, economic resources and even resizing the countries boundaries by capturing other nations. A win in war guaranteed superiority hence opportunity to rule over the subdued nation. War and literature Literature, has borrowed a lot from the occurrence of the World War 1 and World War II. Literature is considered as a mirror of the society. The events that took place during these wars have shaped authors of the ancient and modern society. The authors aimed to bring into light the true picture of what went on in the course of the war. The significance of these wars to literature thus can be observed in the aspect of the style and content form of literary writers. Literature art saw the emergence of several literary authors during the world wars and after. Some of the notable literary writers who have voiced their thought on negative effects world wars had on the society include: Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway First Casualty by Ben Elton Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas All Quiet on The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque Content forms a significant aspect in identification of war literature. It is the message that authors want to present to their audience. In war literature the above authors used their creative arts as writers to show the world that although these wars presented massive growth to countries in regard to military advancements and economic gains, the social, cultural, economical and political society setup systems suffered immensely. This research analyses some of the negative effects of war as presented in these creative writings. Despair, grief and disillusionment Despair, grief and disillusionment are some of the psychological effects that wars submit Citizens and the soldiers to. These effects can have a lasting scar to the people involved influencing the way they think and act. Hemingway’s Farewell to Arms presents a picture of soldiers and citizens disillusioned with the war. The soldier with Hernia admits to having thrown away his truss in order to avoid returning to the war front. He says â€Å"I threw away the goddam truss so it could get bad and I would not have to go to the line again† (Hemingway 37). Henry then offers to help him â€Å"You get out and fall down by the road and get a bump on your head and I’ll pick you up on our way back and take you to a hospital.† By offering to help, Henry is demonstrating his lost will to pursue the course of the war as he considers the war to be out of his interest. Sentiments of Henry are echoed by Rinaldi who does admit to the fact that war has made him depressed â€Å"This war is killing me,† Rinaldi said, â€Å"I am very depressed by it (Hemingway 177). Miss Barkley in Hemingway’s Farewell to Arms is a woman filled with grief. Miss Barkley’s boyfriend who was a soldier is killed in the war. His death does not only cause Miss Barkley grief but it leads her to desperation in finding someone who can comfort her. Her desperation is evident in the way she easily falls for Henry at their first encounter. She tells him â€Å"you are sweet†¦ I’d be glad to kiss you if you don’t mind.† (Hemingway 27).Barkley would love forgetting the nasty experience. In addition, throughout Farewell to Arms novel, soldiers indulge in alcoholism and drug abuse. Their main reason is to get the troubles of war out of their mind. This illustrates the psychological turmoil that the soldiers are subjected to. Feelings of happiness have eluded them and alcohol and drug abuse present their only choice to refilling their minds with that ‘feel good’ moment. Ben Elton’s First Casualty novel also presents elements of disillusionment among the soldiers. In discussion between one of the soldiers and the inspector, the soldier notes â€Å"Oh don’t get me wrong inspector, we all know that he is right, the War’s gone Mad, nothing could possibly be worth the price we are paying.† (Elton 129). The soldier’s believe in the war has been shattered completely. The fighting is considered as madness as there isn’t any benefit apart from the country and the Kings’ pride. It is mad fighting when you have no reason for the fight. Decay of moral values War literature seems to amplify the fact that during war period, non-soldiers and soldiers are so much concerned with themselves that they become complacent, lack care for others and general decay of moral values. This is attributed to the harsh climate of wars which lead to basic human moral values and ethics being degenerated. War climate is a climate that is hard to separate an enemy from a friend. People are usually preoccupied in trying to save themselves rather than trying to help others. Medical practitioners and first aid providers are expected to demonstrate kindness and tender care to their patients. These professionals act in contrary in the novel Farewell to Arms by Hemingway. Henry on arrival in Milan for specialized medical care, the ambulance drivers hold him clumsily as they put him in an elevator. This causes him a lot of pain. Moreover, one of them is drunk â€Å"His breath came in my face metallic with garlic and red wine (Hemingway 87). He is also bandaged with dirty bandages â€Å"When I woke up, I looked around†¦my legs in the dirty bandages†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hemingway (90). The hospitals are not able to acquire proper facilities for war victims despite being new. In Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves, the author displays a group of men joking over a dead body â€Å"Out of the light, you old bastard, Do you own this bloody trench.† (Graves, 100). This context portrays a society that has become so used to death that death does not illicit fear anymore. This complacency is further heightened when there is heavy bombardments and Graves is only concerned with his cup of tea which is spilled (Graves 188) During the retreat in Farewell to Arms novel Henry and the companion pick up two girls who were in desperate help to run away from the war front. One of the soldiers Bonello does not demonstrate the virtue of kindness. He wants to take advantage of the girls to advance his sexual urge â€Å"he put his hand on the girl’s thigh and squeezed it in a friendly way. The girl drew her shawl tight around her and pushed his hand away (Hemingway 208). Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas novel by Thompson presents a society that is punishing what is right and condoning what is wrong, As the Duke continues to read the newspaper, a small article talks about how Mohammed Ali has a final appeal of a case in court which he had been sentenced to five years in prison for refusing to kill â€Å"slopes.† This illustrates the moral decay of the society. A criminal was likely to get a shorter jail term than a person who had refused to join the military and aid in killings. What is right is considered a serious offence. Discrimination Discrimination refers to isolation of an individual on basis of race, religion, color and sex. The war era period was characterized with a lot of discrimination. Discrimination led to hatred which fueled the wars. Notable forms of discrimination included nationality and sex/gender War discriminates the human race based on nationality and patriotism to warring parties. Hemingway’s Farewell to War is a classic example. While in Italy for specialized treatment, Henry requests for a barber. He is mistreated by the barber whom we come to understand that had mistakenly identified Henry as an Australian. The porter says that the barber would have gone as far as killing Henry but fear prevented him. In addition, the doctor to Henry refers to Australians as ‘sons of bitches’ he even asks Henry how many he had managed to kill (Hemingway 101). The Italians and Australians are enemies during the war. Patriotism and allegiance to each country has created a segregation gap among citizens of these nations. Fear and Loathing Las Vegas reveals racist nature of the American military during thje Vietnam War decay of moral values. This is portrayed in a copy of the Las Vegas Sun newspaper the Duke was reading. â€Å"†¦she was just a slope anyway.† This is in reference to killing of Asiatic origin person. His killing is considered right for simple reason that he from the race of the enemy camp. A ‘slope’ referred to Asiatic community. The massive killings during the Vietnam War were ironically regarded as success by the American government. Disruption of Human lives Wars disrupt the social political and economical functioning of a society. During the World War 1 as brought by Henry Hemingway in Farewell to Arms, these fundamental pillars of the society were disrupted. The process of love between a man and woman cannot hold. As a soldier, Henry believes he cannot fall in love with a woman just because of her job nature. When we meet Henry on his first encounter with Catherine, Henry paints a picture of hypocritical demonstration of love. Secondly, Henry in Farewell to Arms by Henry Hemingway novel states that. â€Å"There were riots twice in town against the war and bad in Turin (Hemingway 142) this illustrates that the daily activities of people were disrupted as they came out to air their views in regard to war proceedings. All Quiet on the Western Front author Erich Maria Remarque portrays soldiers who have been cut out from the society and deprived fundamental physiological needs such as a need to have a romantic sexual experience. Recruitment into the army in this novel happens at a very young age of around 20 years. The young men are at a ripe energy of starting to experience romantic life when they are enlisted to war. This illustrated by Paul who poses a statementâ€Å"we can hardly credit those things happen.† (Remarque 141) in reference to a poster of a woman wearing a white dress and a red belt Paul Bauner in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front represents a figure alienated from the rest of Civilians. War has profound effects on people. Not only does it damage the souls of people but also the physical body. Paul Bauner is the novel’s protagonist taking part in the World War 1 as a German soldier. He witnesses the horrifying death of his fellow soldiers through grisly bullet wounds and explosives. He is affected by these events and can be seen by his inability to relate to other civilians while on leave. Migration of residents During the war period, families and residents of the war areas are forced to migrate to safer areas. On page 200 in Farewell to Arms, Henry Hemingway narrates that Gorizzia town was almost empty. â€Å"In the night many peasants had joined the column from the roads of the country and in the column there were carts loaded with household goods; there were mirrors projecting up between mattresses, and chickens and ducks tied to carts. There was a sewing-machine on the cart ahead of us in the rain. They had saved the most valuable things† (pg 211) The above quotes paint a picture of people migrating away from their homes. People have saved belongings they believe are most important. Moreover there were several houses that were abandoned. The narrator says â€Å"The whole country was moving, as well as the army (Hemingway 233) Senseless murder and brutality Wars are usually filled with senseless murder and brutality. The killing of one of the two sergeants by Henry who refused to help get out Aymo’s car that had stuck in mud is a clear example. The sergeant is killed for failing to honor an order which is not from their leader and to which they see no reason to respond to. â€Å"I opened up my holster, took the pistol, aimed at the one who had talked the most, and fired. I missed and they both started to run. I shot three times and dropped one† (Hemingway 218). Bonello sees no crime in this act and not only does he offer to finish up the wounded sergeant; he finds it a special accomplishment. The irony in this killing is that they still had to abandon the car after it failed to come out. Soldiers with the rank of a colonel, a major or a higher rank are killed for crimes of abandoning their troops. This act is brutal in that the officers are not given a chance to defend themselves. They were convicted to death without trial. â€Å"He was not allowed to make an explanation† (Hemingway 240). We the readers are aware that these soldiers had not abandoned their troops and these murders have no basis. Aymo an Italian soldier is also shot by fellow Italian soldiers. These soldiers are acting out of fear of Germans who are perceived to have broken barriers. Remarque in the novel All quiet on the Western Front describes World War 1 as beastly. The Germans are actually enjoying killing the enemy soldiers and even call it a game of Germans. The soldiers are transformed from being humans into animals/beasts. â€Å"†¦ We reach the zone where the front begins and become the instant human animal (Remarque 56) Fear In the course of war, fear is instilled not only to the area residents but also the soldier. Bonello a soldier with the Italian troops has surrendered to the enemy soldiers. From discussion of Henry and Tenente, we realize that his main reason to surrendering was fear of being killed. â€Å"He was afraid we would get killed.† (Hemingway 232). Bonello viewed being a prisoner as a better option to death. Residents and former soldiers leave in fear of being arrested. â€Å"If you have nothing to fear an arrest is nothing. But it is always bad to be arrested — especially now.† (Hemingway 283). Henry after escaping the war front, fear haunts him when he is told that he was being sought after to be arrested for having been earlier an officer and was now out of uniform. He and Catherine are forced to flee. Soldiers in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front present a picture of soldiers who leave on constant fear of physical danger as the prospects of blown up are so high. Paul the protagonist says that he wished that one day he woke up and found all that had been gone forever. Paul is referring to the wars and shows how soldiers dreamt of the end to the war but still woke up to it Destruction of property World War 1 was characterized use of heavy machinery and explosives. Farewell to Arms by Henry Hemingway illustrates the destructive nature this war brought to the native peasants. The narrator says â€Å"The night we helped empty the field hospital that had been set up in the least ruined villages of the plateau† (Hemingway 200). In addition Henry notes that there were blown up bridges (Hemingway 223) which hindered accessibility to some areas. There are many abandoned farm houses. Loss of life War is usually characterized by massive loss of life due to involvement of weapons. Farewell to Arms by Hemingway is a classic example. Catherine says that his former boyfriend was killed in the war. Catherine describes his death as a ghastly show (Hemingway 18). Soldiers too are not spared to the war onslaught. Rossini and many other Italian soldiers when their camp is hit by a trench mortar shell from the enemy camp. Henry on page 79 says â€Å"when they lifted you up out of bed to carry you into the dressing room you could look out of the window and see the new graves in the garden.† The presents of fresh graves seem s to amplify the concept of loss of life. Conclusion The various novels analyzed in this research have shown that Wars despite having been used to advance political and economical, communities and societies that were involved in this war were left with more harm than good. The research has looked at the World War 1, the World War II and the Vietnam War. Wars create fear, disillusionment, massive migration of people, murder, loss of life, decay of moral values and discrimination among several others. Reference Thompson, Hunter S. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. London: Flamingo, 1972 Hemingway, Ernest (1929). Hemingway, Seà ¡n, ed. A Farewell to Arms (The Special Edition ed.). London: William Heinemann. Elton, B. (2006). The first casualty. London: Black Swan. Graves, R. (2011). Goodbye to all that. London: Viking. Remarque, E. M., & Murdoch, B. (1996). All quiet on the Western Front. London: Vintage. Source document