Sunday, December 29, 2019

Raymond Carvers Neighbors Essay - 462 Words

In Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Neighbors† the speaker’s attention seems to be more directed on the Bill and Arlene Miller. The Millers are a married couple who were once a happy couple but as the years went along they felt grew apart. It seems as though they are too busy comparing their lives to the Harriet and Jim Stone, which are their neighbors, that they don’t have time to fix their marriage. The Stones do what married people should do and that’s â€Å"go out for dinner, or entertaining at home, or traveling about the country somewhere†¦(70).† The Millers are given the responsibility of looking after the Stones apartment for ten days, while they are on a pleasure trip. During these ten days they have to feed their Kitty, and water the plants.†¦show more content†¦The first occasion he found a container of pills in the medicine chest labeling â€Å"-Harriet Stone. One each day as directed (70).† He took it and put it in his pocket. When I read that I asked myself, ‘why would he need a woman’s prescription?’ Then he drank some liquor and went across the hall to his wife. He played with her breast and asked her to come to bed. For some reason Bill started to act differently ever since he went to the Stone’s apartment. The longer he stayed in the apartment the more his sex drive would go up. He would come home early from work or even not go. â€Å"In the morning he had Arlene call in for him (71).† The story didn’t really focus on what his wife would do when she went to the Stones apartment but she herself liked going in there. Som ething unusual happened when Bill went to the Stones apartment one day. â€Å"He rummaged through the top drawers until he found a pair of panties and a brassiere. He stepped in the panties and fastened the brassiere, then look through the closet for an outfit(72).† At the end of the story Arlene stated â€Å"I just remembered. I really and truly forgot to do what I went over there to do. I didn’t feed the cat of do any watering (73).† This gives out that she was doing something else in the apartment other than what she should be doing. Come to find out she was looking at some mystery pictures, but Bill couldn’t see the pictures cause she locked the keys in the apartment. Hence, asShow MoreRelatedCritical Analysis of Raymond Carvers Neighbors757 Words   |  4 PagesAll We Really Need in Life is Each Other Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Neighbors† is a moral based story. In the beginning of their marriage Bill and Arlene were very content with one another’s companionship, but now they live in envy of their neighbors, Harriet and Jim. It seemed to the Millers that the Stones live a much more fulfilling life. When Harriet and Jim are away on business/vacation trip they would entrust Bill and Arlene to feed Kitty, water the plants, and look after their apartment. The Miller’sRead More Themes in Raymond Carvers Literature Essay743 Words   |  3 PagesThemes in Raymond Carvers Literature In Short Cuts, by Raymond Carver, characters experience trials and problems in their lives, whether extreme such as in A Small, Good Thing and Lemonade or nominal such as in Vitamins. They all seem to depict these struggles as uphill battles which the characters cannot and mostly do not overcome. The characters throughout Carvers Short Cuts struggle through their lives in private desperation, often to ultimately realize that they are bound toRead MoreThe Most Important American Fiction Writer1661 Words   |  7 PagesRaymond Carver has been called â€Å"the most important American fiction writer in the second half of the twentieth century† and â€Å"the most influential American short story writer since Ernest Hemingway† (Kleepe vii). He was very successful despite his many difficult life experiences. Carver grew up during a very difficult time in America. However, early on, Carver and his wife believed their hard work would eventually pay off despite the challenges in the world around them. They thought it would fix almostRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book What We Talk About When We Think About Love `` And Englander s `` Essay1244 Words   |  5 Pagesstories are very similar to one another. Carver’s â€Å"What We Talk About When We Talk About Love† and Englander’s â€Å"What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank† are no exception to this. Both share a common element, which is morality. Both stories focus on the morality of their respective characters. However, Englander’s story expands on this more than Carver’s story. By this we mean that Englander’s story has a much higher level of morality in it rather than Carver’s tale because he expands on everythingRead MoreRaymond Carver Neighbors Essay1975 Words   |  8 PagesNeighbors Neighbors is a short story written by Raymond Carver in 1988. It is from the collection of short stories Short cuts. The short story is in brief about the married couple Bill and Arlene Miller, who lives opposite the married couple Harriet and Jim stone. Bill and Arlene constantly see themselves in the light of the Stones happy life. Bill is a bookkeeper and Arlene is a secretary, while Jim is a salesman for a machine-parts firm. In the story the Stones are going on a business tripRead More Robert Altmans Film Adaptation of Raymond Carvers Short Cuts4363 Words   |  18 PagesRobert Altmans Film Adaptation of Raymond Carvers Short Cuts The characters in Robert Altmans film adaptation of the Raymond Carver anthology Short Cuts think theyre islands entire of themselves. They suspect their lives and their worlds of isolation, alienation, separation, in multiple senses of the words. They fail to see, or perhaps purposely ignore, connections between themselves and those around them, between their actions and the ramifications of those actions. And while a typicalRead MoreThe Idea, By Raymond Carver And The Death Of Justina1225 Words   |  5 PagesIn both postmodernism short stories, â€Å"The Idea,† by Raymond Carver and â€Å"The Death of Justina,† by John Cheever, the authors critique middle-class and suburban values. In the 1950’s-1960’s the United States and the Soviet Union were at international conflict, which caused the Pro-American/anti-communist defense line in America. In order not to get hunted down by the FBI the family units needed to project that they were â€Å"good guysâ⠂¬  by living in a suburban community with the traditional roles of theRead MoreIt’S Interesting How Everyone Has A Differing And Personal1659 Words   |  7 Pagesyour dog. Why is this question so hard to answer? I perceive love in a positive way but on the other hand Raymond perceives love differently. That’s okay because we all have different definitions. Throughout Raymond Carvers short stories he uses disconnection, distrust, and doubt to portray the idea that bad relationships and negative emotions can lead to misconceptions about love. In Carver’s story, â€Å"What We Talk about When We Talk about Love† he highlights the difficulties that can come with tryingRead MoreLove in Literature2486 Words   |  10 Pagesthe forms of love used in literature. In Simon May’s â€Å"Love: A History†, May mentions agape love, defining it, stating that â€Å"This love is compassionate and giving: the love of neighbor shown by the Good Samaritan† (May pg.177). The use of agape love as a catalyst for positive character development is evident in Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral†. The narrator of the story, who is ignorant and closed–minded, encounters a blind man whose name is Robert. Robert recognizes the narrators closed-mindedness, but

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Tax Reform Two Sides of the Same Coin - 700 Words

Tax Reform: Two Sides of the Same Coin Tax season is upon us and many Americans are scrambling around trying to get theirs finished by the end of the dead line. This time of year is not a joyous occasion, everyone on edge most of them pondering how much they will have to pay. While others are wondering if they will get as much as they thought they will, or are they going to be one of the unlucky few to be audited? I am one of those people, anxious, and waiting at the edge of my seat for that hammer of reality to come crashing down over my head. With each new election year comes new arguments and battles fought within the halls of Capital Hill, but who is right and is there a middle ground? I will present you with the facts as I have†¦show more content†¦This approach has been used in the past, it was used by Ronald Reagan, back then it was called â€Å"Reaganomics†, or supply-side economics. Reagan, once in office cut income taxes from 70% to 50%; by cutting taxes and putting more money right into the hands job creates you take the government out of the equation. A good example of this is comes from the National Tax Journal article â€Å"Changes in the Organization of Business Activity and Implications for Tax Reform† written by George A. Plesko and Eric J. Toder, in the article they talk about The Tax Reform Act of 1986 (TRA86), which helped begin to put things in motion to change in the corporate world, TRA 86 allowed corporations to change what type of tax bracket they wanted to be in with the only real changes was to how much they would end up paying in taxes. On January 20th President Barack Obama was sworn in again for a second and final time, with his first term done and his Health Care Act â€Å"Obama-Care† loosely in place President Obama set his sights on tax reform. His answer to the deficit we as a nation face today was the â€Å"American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012†. President Obama has thrown his weight behind the middle class, â€Å"We have to set priorities. If we want a strong middle class, then our tax code must reflect our values†. His tax policies have shown this to be true, theShow MoreRelatedThe United States Is Home To About 42 Million Immigrants.1097 Words   |  5 Pagesfreedom, employment opportunities, better education, etc.). They say that they exploiting all the benefits offered by the government such as healthcare without putting in the work. This caused a lot of taxpayers to be angry for since they are paying in tax dollars for immigrants to get these benefits for free. Systemic Power can be defined when a system for example the government has full control over something. This relates to the topic of immigration polices because they are in the hands of theseRead MoreEssay On Gst1904 Words   |  8 PagesImpact: Are we ready for this change? Abstract: Goods and Service Tax is a comprehensive tax levy on manufacture, sale and consumption of goods and services. GST is termed as biggest tax reform In Indian Tax Structure. It will not be an additional tax, it will include central excise duty, service tax additional duties of customers at the central level, VAT, central sales tax, entertainment tax, octroi, state surcharge, luxury tax, lottery tax and other surcharge on supply of goods and services. The purposeRead MoreNational Prescription Drug Take Back Day1477 Words   |  6 PagesSaturday September 26, 2015 or so called National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a small part of the up and coming criminal ­justice reform that the nation has been raving about. From the war on drugs, to the prison system; the president along with congressmen and woman have been discussing this so called â€Å"reform†. Take Back Day plays a small part in the want to dispose properly of leftover drugs which can be hazardous to the environment and not allowing unused medications to be distributedRead MoreStructural Adjustment Policies Require Borrowing Countries1513 Words   |  7 Pagesreduction. Typical adjustment policies include reduction of trade barriers, privatization, cut in social spending, increased free trade. Situation in Greece is totally opposite to that of Jamaica. Budget deficit, balance of payment deficit and pension reform is the main reason due to which Greece is looking for third bailout in last 5 years. Accepting bailout program will help Greece to exit the system of supervision and regain market access. But, if policies related to pension, anti-corruption and fiscalRead MoreThe Modernization Theory, The Dependency Theory And The Globalization Theory1552 Words   |  7 Pagesglobal inequality and stratification. Three of the most important theories are the modernization theory, the dependency theory, and the globalization theory. While the first implies that the Western European socioeconomic model is superior, the o ther two make no such insinuations; however, they do reflect different point of views. Moreover, while the most pertaining theory for explaining inequality moving forward seems to be the globalization theory, there is a need to view them separately first andRead MoreThe War Of The American Revolution Essay2260 Words   |  10 Pagesbecause their liberties and rights were infringed. This paper will discuss the acts and reforms the British initiated following the Seven Years War that led to the American Revolution. I will also discuss how the colonists’ rights were infringed by these reforms. The Seven Years War took place from 1756-1763 and it was a â€Å"global war,† meaning every major European power was involved.1 Europe was divided into two groups, the Kingdom of Great Britain and their alliances and the Kingdom of France andRead MoreLimiting the Power of the Federal Government Essay1842 Words   |  8 PagesWhy do they not come forth to save their Country?† George Washington once inquired to his fellow man, now, many Americans may find themselves asking this same question as the country continues its spiral downwards (Mizell). The overall expansion of the federal government in the past decade has proven to be detrimental to the welfare of the same American citizens it vows to be â€Å"for† and â€Å"by† in the United States Constitution. Reckless spending, childish bickering and â€Å"half-baked† politicians proclaimRead MoreThe Indian Insurance Industry : India1946 Words   |  8 Pagesto the country being economically weak an d was suspected to be on the verge of bankruptcy. After the privatisation of the banking sector was looked into, the government setup a committee led by Chairman R. N. Malhotra in 1993 to propose change and reforms to be made in the Insurance Industry. The findings and recommendations of the committee in 1994 eventually led to the formation of the Indian Insurance regulator, the minor yet significant changes to the Insurance Act which enabled the entry of privateRead MoreByzantium and Sassanid Empire1999 Words   |  8 PagesIn the early start of the post-classical era two empires existed that were among the first wave of post-classical empires. They were the Byzantine Empire and the Persian Sassanid Empire. They Byzantine Empire was known to be a continuation of the Roman Empire that lasted for one-thousand years. Although this sounds like an achievement the one-thousand year Byzantine Empire was not as great as it is expected to be. The Sassanid Empire that lied just east of the Byzantine Empire, or in presentRead MoreThe Affordable Care Act, A Topic Of Great Controversy Among Americans1978 Words   |  8 Pagesinsurance plan, and there is a cap to what they can make you pay out of pocket in deductible plans. These alterations to health care laws are headed in the right direction, but there are two sides to this coin. With great change, comes great cost and there will be many financial side effects that come from this reform. For many Americans the cost of health care is something they cannot easily afford, however these individuals make too much to obtain Medicaid. Usually these Americans are young and generally

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Punishing Individuals Committing Crimes

Question: Discuss about the Punishing Individuals Committing Crimes. Answer: Introduction: Prisons as a form of punishing individuals committing crimes have existed from the earliest human societies. The extent to which prisons have been successful in reforming criminals has been a topic of debate for long, with opponents claiming that education can be more effective in curbing crimes. My opinion is this regard is that prisons are required for taking crime rate in control and education cannot be the solely successful in curbing crimes. Individuals when having a fear of imprisonment have the tendency not to commit crimes. The fear works as a significant disincentive. Education is noteworthy in creating general awareness among the population regarding the impact of crime. However, I do not agree with the fact that education has the potential to solve all the issues that plague the society due to crime. Individuals when educated and made aware of the impact of the consequences of crime are less inclined towards committing the crime. However, having the belief that education a lone can reform the criminal mindset and entire humanity is not justified. This statement is supported by the fact that many people who commit the crimes are well aware of the impact of such needs on humanity. Lack of education does not prompt them to commit such crime. To conclude, awareness can be created through adequate education; however, there is a need of prisons for curbing crime in the society. With an increase in the population across the globe, there is a proportionate increase in the garbage that is being accumulated from the household. The result of this is an increasing area of landfills in these countries. It is necessary to highlight the causes of this imperative problem and the necessary strategies for combating it. The trash from the households is taken to the landfills where they get buried under the soil in layers. Decomposition of these trashes may take hundreds of years in some cases. The proportion of materials taking comparatively more time for decomposition is more. Household garbage includes food wastes, glass materials, plastic materials, metal pieces and fabric shreds. Since the decomposition takes many years, the landfills get overloaded every year. Since lack of education and awareness is a concerning factor, awareness campaigns are to be run at grass root levels for combating the issue. A proper dumping and collecting system would be beneficial for dif ferent kinds of materials. Non-bio-degradable materials need to be taken out from the household wastes and put in the recycling plant. Natural wastes can be composted as an outstanding solution. To conclude, since land filling and waste deposition is a rising issue in the present era, a number of beneficial approaches are to be made for making reducing he impact on society. In the contemporary world, technology has evolved to play the role of human interpreters and translators. This may have proven to be helpful in the process of reducing language barrier; however, I have the belief the human translators and interpreters hold more importance. Though an electronic translator may be fast, it fails to convey the accurate intention and message that speech in context holds. Electronic translators are not capable of translating the manner in which speech is given. It is therefore not capable of expressing the real intention of that comment made. The misunderstanding may arise due to his approach. Another disadvantage is that body language cannot be translated through an electronic translator. Body languages are very important when communication happens. Moreover, automated applications and software used for translation are dependent to a large extent on the internet for their function, which needs human translators. In spite of the fact that electronic transl ators increase self-reliance and independency, it cannot be considered as the preferred option always. From the above discussion, it can be concluded that electronic translators fall short of delivery and accuracy, indicating that it is not better than human translators and interpreters. A major challenge that the workforce in the present time faces is the lack of interpersonal skills among the newly graduates. Businesses are found to be facing problems due to the incapability of new employees to exhibit these skills. The chief reason can be attributed to the educational organisations failing to provide training to the students adequately. Interpersonal skills are required for effective interaction and communication between individuals in all organisations. It has been reported that young professionals who enter the workforce do not have much ability to go beyond the level of academics. Some areas where they are found to be lacking appropriate skills are an ability to work collaboratively in teams, ability to have a proficient demeanor, ability to communicate properly. All these factors lead to loss of productivity in the business. A major reason for this is that universities do not focus on independent research skills, critical thinking, and communication. This resu lts in the absence of required soft skills. A solution for this can be an administration of skills assessment after delivery of training. Another valuable approach can be a partnership between colleges and business organisations. In closing, it can be said that practical solutions are to be taken up for a development of interpersonal behaviours among new employees. Conclusion: Constructing buildings has always been considered as a complex process as there is the need of fulfilling the basic purpose of construction as well as the need of making it look distinguished. While success has been achieved by some buildings in integrating both the aspects, a section of them are inclined towards only one of the two aspects. There are some prominent examples of buildings that are rich in artistry as well as strong in the construction. Palace of Westminster in England and the Taj Mahal in India are cultural symbols with sturdy construction. It can be therefore stated that constructing a structure with both art and purpose is possible. On the other hand, there have been architectural disasters due to improper construction and inadequate planning though the intention was to make a symbol of artwork. Important features of construction have not been given attention while putting the emphasis on their outer appearance. Buildings have collapsed due to miscalculations in the ir planning. These examples highlight whether appearance is to be sidelined for the sole reason of structural stability. As per my opinion, any building must possess a combination of stability and style. Equal importance needs to be given to appearance and purpose of construction while planning a building.