Religious Change Over Time in Latin America and Caribbean Essay

Throughout the years of 1450 to present, the religion of Latin America and the Caribbean went through a number of changes. Although the religious beliefs and practices of these areas were mostly animistic prior to 1450, they proved to be flexible and went through many alterations get to where they are today. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors, the Latin American people had never heard of Catholocism, which would eventually become a dominant religion. In the early centuries of Latin America, the religion was polytheistic. The people known as Aztecs, who lived in towns located along rivers, built sacred temples to honor their many gods. They worshiped at least 128 deities in total, including Tlaloc, the god of rain. Little distinction was made between the world of the gods and the natural world. The temples, some of which still stand today, were made of earth and/or large burial mounds. The burials included art such as pottery, paintings, and carvings and were often accompanied by rituals. These rituals contained human sacrifice, cannibalism, and executions. In the period after militarism, human sacrifice became much more prominent than before. It has been questioned whether the reason for the sacrifice was actually the result of religious conviction, or simply done as a tactic of terror towards rulers and priests. Aztec people had known nothing other than this lifestyle for centuries until a new culture made its way to their land. In 1492, Spanish Conquistadors such as Hernan Cortes sailed to the coast of Latin America, bringing their religious views along with them. Cortes and his army of 600 conquered the land, destroying precious temples in the process. They pulled down all the polytheistic idols, rearranging their stone to replace them with Christian architecture such as Catholic cathedrals. In this time period, art and architecture were prominent and intended to serve the glory of God. Dominican friar Bartolome de Las Casas replaced the Aztec’s long-practiced human sacrifice with Catholic mass. In addition to the conquistadors, there was another group called the Jesuits who sought new followers of their religion. The Jesuits offered special privileges to those who converted to Catholicism, while the Spanish convinced the people that their Catholic God would provide protection from diseases and harm. Although the majority of the people were won over by Catholicism, some chose to remain isolated and continued to practice polytheism. Regardless, all Aztec people remained devoted to their religion. Meanwhile in the Caribbean, Spanish and Italian merchants began to import African slaves to work on the few sugar plantations that operated on the islands. These slaves brought a mixture of religious beliefs along with them, their own pagan views mixing with Christianity. In both present day Latin America and Caribbean, Catholicism is the dominant religion. In modern day Caribbean, the small non- Catholic population consists of various forms of Christianity that were formed with the arrival of African slaves. One of these other religions is Rastafarianism. This is a form of Christianity with a distinct Caribbean style. It uses the Bible as its main text, but interprets it much differently than the more traditional Christian sects. On the other hand, the Latin American non-Catholic population consists of a small group of people who were not converted by the Conquistadors and chose to remain animistic. Throughout all the changing, some Latin Americans have had the same animistic beliefs despite what’s been going on around them. The Latin American people always have and always will be devoted to their religion, as we can tell by the great pyramids mounds they built that are still standing today. Prior to 1450, religious beliefs and practices in Latin America were polytheistic and included human sacrifice. When the Spanish Conquistadors and Jesuits came to the area, Catholicism was introduced and began to spread rapidly. Now, in present day Latin America and Caribbean, it is impossible to avoid Catholicism. It has become the major, dominant religion of the area and its followers are as devoted as ever. In addition to the large Catholic population, there continues to be a mixture of religions and practices of polytheism and voodoo throughout the area. Societies change for a number of reasons, one being foreign influence. If it wasn’t for the missionaries coming into the Latin American and Caribbean society, the people would most likely have remained polytheistic forever, because there would be nothing new introduced. For these reasons, religion in Latin America and Caribbean has changed drastically from its early years, while also staying the same in some ways.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 20

The Implied Ending That night I try to read The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Nikki used to talk about how important Plath's novel is, saying, â€Å"Every young woman should be forced to read The Bell Jar.† I had Mom check it out of the library, mostly because I want to understand women so I can relate to Nikki's feelings and whatnot. The cover of the book looks pretty girly, with a dried rose hung upside down, suspended over the title. Plath mentions the Rosenbergs' execution on the first page, at which point I know I'm in for a depressing read, because as a former history teacher, I understand just how depressing the Red Scare was, and McCarthyism too. Soon after making a reference to the Rosenbergs, the narrator starts talking about cadavers and seeing a severed head while eating breakfast. The main character, Esther, has a good internship at a New York City magazine, but she is depressed. She uses fake names with the men she meets. Esther sort of has a boyfriend named Buddy, but he treats her horribly and makes her feel as though she should have babies and be a housewife rather than become a writer, which is what she wants to be. Eventually Esther breaks down and is given electroshock therapy, tries to kill herself by taking too many sleeping pills, and is sent to a bad place like the one I was in. Esther refers to a black man who serves food in her bad place as â€Å"the Negro.† This makes me think about Danny and how mad the book would make my black friend, especially because Esther was white and Danny says only black people can use controversial racial terms such as â€Å"Negro.† At first, even though it is really depressing, this book excites me because it deals with mental health, a topic I am very interested in learning about. Also, I want to see how Esther gets better, how she will eventually find her silver lining and get on with her life. I am sure Nikki assigns this book so that depressed teenage girls will see there's hope if you just hold on long enough. So I read on. Esther loses her virginity, hemorrhages during the process, and almost bleeds to death – like Catherine in A Farewell to Arms – and I do wonder why women are always hemorrhaging in American literature. But Esther lives, only to find that her friend Joan has hung herself. Esther attends the funeral, and the book ends just as she steps into a room full of therapists who will decide if Esther is healthy enough to leave her bad place. We do not get to see what happens to Esther, whether she gets better, and that made me very mad, especially after reading all night. As the sun begins to shine through my bedroom window, I read the biographical sketch at the back of the book and find out that the whole â€Å"novel† is basically the story of Sylvia Plath's life and that the author eventually stuck her head in an oven, killing herself just like Hemingway – only without the gun – which I understand is the implied ending of the book, since everyone knows the novel is really Sylvia Plath's memoir. I actually rip the book in half and throw the two halves at my bedroom wall. Basement. Stomach Master 6000. Five hundred crunches. Why would Nikki make teenagers read such a depressing novel? Weight bench. Bench press. One-hundred-thirty-pound reps. Why do people read books like The Bell Jar? Why? Why? Why? I'm surprised when Tiffany shows up the next day for our sunset run. I don't know what to say to her, so I say nothing – like usual. We run. We run again the next day too, but we don't discuss the comments Tiffany made about my wife.

Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 3

Performance Management - Essay Example This paper presents a performance management system for retail sales associates of a clothing and fashion accessories retail store. The ultimate goal of the system is to help improve revenue and customer satisfaction. By virtue of you role, you will be the first contact the customer makes when they enter the store. As such, you will be required to possess adequate knowledge of the companys products. Your role will include, but not be limited to, the following: For a start, you will be remunerated at the rate of $8.00 per hour. However, based on your performance, this rate could be increased in the future. In addition, you’ll receive a bonus every time you exceed your weekly sales target by at least fifty percent. Several key behaviors are necessary first for successful job performance of sales associates then for the realization of the goal of the performance management system(Haines III & St-Onge, 2012). Three of them are discussed here. The first is the habit of the sales associate updating their knowledge of the company’s products. Clients are impressed by sales associates who demonstrate deep knowledge of the products they seek to sell. This impression goes a long way toward influencing the customer’s decision to buy. By contrast, sales associates who exhibit ignorance of their company’s products are a put-off. Given that that the company carries new brands of merchandise from time to time, it will be necessary that every sales associate acquaints themselves with these brands. The second desirable behavior is the habit of going the extra mile(Grffin & Moorhead, 2010). Most sales associates will be happy and satisfied with simply helping the client locate the product they ask for when they enter the shop. It is a well-recognized fact that with a little calculated â€Å"guidance† of the sales associate, the client is likely to end up buying more items than they had intended. For instance,

Difference Between the New Bases of Power in England and the Essay

Difference Between the New Bases of Power in England and the Traditional Structure of France - Essay Example At about 800A.D the Vikings frequently raided the Anglo-Saxons kingdoms. It is during this period that several rulers started attempting to unite the various Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms. Their attempts eventually bore fruit and the Kingdom of England emerged by the 10th century. Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity following which convents and monasteries were built all over England. In 1066 there was the Norman invasion of England this led to the defeat of the Anglosaxons and the Norman and French nobles replaced them as rulers. William the conqueror started ruling and introduced the feudal system at the same time abolishing slavery. France was traditionally a monarchy and It was during the final years of the ruler Charlemagne that Vikings started making advancements along the western and northern perimeters of his kingdom. Following his death the kingdom started to crumble since his heirs could not maintain political stability. The kingdom became divided through the treaty of Verdun of 843.Viking invasions became more common and still in 843 they advanced into the kingdom and murdered a bishop. Through a succession of several kings ,king Louis became a ruler of France in the 13th century .He was a ruler who desired justice for his subjects and he created tribunals. He also passed statutes against private warfare. During the twelfth and the thirteenth centuries, French culture power and authority started to move from the rural monastic areas to towns and royal court. Paris acquired the status of the kingdoms commercial hub as well as the judicial and administrative centre. In England in the 12th and 13th centuries, there was expansion of towns ,trade and cities. The population increased drastically to almost twice the earlier population. It was during the reign of king Phillip IV in France that subdivision arose in the church. Initially it was because king Phillip wanted to tax the clergy in a bid to fund the military. British and French clergy complained to the po pe who objected to the kings intention of taxing them though he withdrew his objection following loud arguments from the king. A second incident in which king Phillip accused the bishop of pampers of treason and heresy made the pope beat loggerheads with the king for a second time. This led t jailing and beating up of the pope who later died and was replaced by pope Clement V who was obedient to king Phillip. In England Christianisation of the Anglo-Saxons took place at around 600 under the influence of the Roman catholic church and the Celtic Christianity. Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury at around this time. Wars and pestilence caused major havoc in these societies .For instance, the great famine which caused millions of deaths all over Europe .It started with bad weather in spring 1315 lasting through 1316 to summer harvest of 1317.There was universal crop failures and due to lack of fodder for animals they died .Other than causing deaths of humans due to starv ation ,It had other consequences which included people losing faith in the church since no matter how much they prayed the Lord did not seem to answer their prayers’ her was increase criminal activity as individuals used all means possible to acquire food (Lynn et all 400). There was breakdown of the institution of family as children were abandoned to fend for themselves. People turned into cannibalism. Constant wars were another major problem. The hundred years wars affected both the kingdom of England and the kingdom of France. This started as a dynastic disagreement which is said to date back to King

Walden by Henry Thoreau. What Ann Dillard and Henry Thoreau has in Essay

Walden by Henry Thoreau. What Ann Dillard and Henry Thoreau has in similarities - Essay Example The book is a work of the author’s self-discovery, the discovery of individuality and the discovery of the right path to lead a life of peace and satisfaction. The author harps on how human being wastes their labor on â€Å"excessive toil† (Thoreau) but fails to acquire the â€Å"true integrity† (Thoreau). Taking a cue from the work of Henry Thoreau and inspired by the author, the book, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard revolves around the Dillard’s life about how she spent her life in the Tinker Creek of Virginia. Dillard spends her days in the lap of nature by walking through the woods, watching the cows, ducks, frogs, and observing the praying mantis pod which is evident when she talks about her spending time by sitting â€Å"on a fallen trunk in the shade and watch the squirrels in the sun† (Dillard, 6). She spends her life amidst the nature, â€Å"A couple of summers ago I was walking along the edge of the island to see what I could see in the water, and mainly to scare frogs† (Dillard, 7). The writing reveals her alternate revelation of the natural beauty and the philosophical muse. Through the book the author makes an attempt to explore the true characteristics of nature that surrounds the living world. The author pens down her thoughts as she observes the harmony of nature at the eponymous Tinker Creek during her stay at the place. The book is a work of chronicle, science, anthropology, myths, and way of life, divinity, and environmentalism. The book reveals the existence of the mixture of sublime character and a horrific character in the Nature. (Dillard) However despite the similar themes in the works, there are some differences in their approaches. Walden is a work of Henry Thoreau that mainly revolves around his stay at the woods by the side of the Walden Pond, where he went for the quest of self discovery, as he feels that human beings spent their time in â€Å"mere ignorance and mistakes† (Th oreau). On the contrary Anna Dillard’s stay in the forest has been mainly to understand the true character of the Mother Nature and discern her natural world. It is a book that navigates between the paradox of celebrating and mourning, â€Å"I used to have a cat, an old fighting tom, who would jump through the open window by my bed in the middle of the night and land on my chest†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Some nights he kneaded my bare chest with his front paws, powerfully, arching his back, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ And some mornings I’d wake in daylight to find my body covered with paw prints in blood; I looked as though I’d been painted with roses.† (Dillard, 3) Dillard’s writing explores between the true nature of the red stains- was it the bloodstain or the roses painted. She makes an effort to know the answer of whether nature is that harmonious and unified system that operates according to the principles of co-dependence and compassion or it is the force, which is h ardhearted and unthinking and has an eerie mystery and obscurity in it. (Dillard) Thoreau’s book is more about renouncing the worldly pleasures an idea of â€Å"get away from all† whereas, Dillard’s stay is more about finding the true aspect of Nature and to discover the mysticism in it. While Walden reveals that Thoreau was not living the life of a hermit, which is evident from the chapter â€Å"Visitors† when he says â€Å"I have had twenty five or thirty souls with their bodies, at once under my roof†, Dillard’s writing reveals that there was no connection with the community. Thoreau withdrew from the community to lead a life, which is prophetically outside the society, but the writing of Dillard reveals the escapist nature of the author when she says, â€Å"I shy away from the arts, from the emotional human stew†¦and I drive myself deeper and deeper into exile from my own kind.†

Development and Promotion at North Atlantic Hospital Analysis Essay

Development and Promotion at North Atlantic Hospital Analysis - Essay Example Moreover, they were more interested to work for their own development rather than helping physicians or junior physicians to get promoted. So Dr. Harris studied the methodologies that were followed in other departments. Dr. Harris along with Dr. Cook surveyed various physicians and conference leaders, to take suggestions on conducting career conference in their department regularly. Several piece of advice and complaints came up, for which solutions were found and a proper framework of managing career conference for the Department of Anesthesiology was prepared. The career conference is valuable because it would analyze the performance of the department as a whole and help them to set goals for future. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Question 1: Who should be the conference leaders? 5 Question 2: Would the meetings be uniform across all physicians? 6 Question 3: Once conference leaders were selected, how should they be paired with physicians? 7 Question 4: Should the conference discussions focus solely on physician development, or should they also consider issues of general performance and compensation? 9 Question 5: How would the department recognize conference leaders for their time and investment? 10 Conclusion 11 Reference 13 Appendices 14 Introduction Hospitals are institutions developed not only for the purpose of treatment but also for the personal career development of the clinicians and physicians. Similarly North Atlantic Hospital in Atlanta was also a medical college which was not only involved in treating patients but also in research and development programs for physicians, clinicians and educators. Dr. Elizabeth Harris became the chair person of the Anesthesiology department in the year 2009. This was among the biggest departments of North Atlantic Hospital. It was her job to ascertain the proper functioning of her department. Dr. Lesley Cook, the vice-chairman of the department assisted her in this task. Dr. Harris studied th e previous survey results to understand the fact that the doctors were not satisfied with their job because they were paid less for the work that they do. Moreover, there was no proper appraisal system prevailing within the department (Mondy 5). The seniors did not efficiently communicate with their subordinates. So there was a communication gap between the senior physicians and the assistant-physicians. This not only weakened the feedback process within the department but also deteriorated the quality of treatment. The department also lacked professionalism and they had no organizational goal or visions to lead them. Everyone was involved in promoting their own work rather than working towards the common goal of the department. In this scenario, Dr. Harris joined the hospital. It was very important to set things right because The North Atlantic Hospital had a very good reputation among the medical students and young researchers. They all aspired to join institutes of such status an d pursue their medical education and research. The department consists of mainly Clinicians also called physicians and Research Physicians. Clinicians- The investigators are physicians who spend 80 percent of their time in treating patients, investigating diseases and 20 percent of time in completing the administrative duties of the department. They also sometimes assisted the research physicians in research activities and co-authoring various books.

Case studies Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Studies - Case Study Example There could be other test which could clarify the situation as to whether the patient has actually a lung cancer. Reason being giving the patient timeline of 6-9 months to live could have a huge physiological affect on him. Even though patient looks competent, as he/she only has 6 – 9 months to live, he would have no time to reflect upon this situation and fully comprehend this information. If the patient is told about the condition, it is necessary that it is burdensome neither to the patient nor to his family. It could be a good time for the patient to prepare his will if he hasn’t up till now which would definitely benefit his family financially. If the patient has been living a sound, happy life before being admitted to the hospital, his active life style could just go apart if told about his condition. This would in turn result in his family suffering. Its better not to inform patient about his condition if his family and himself would be well off as others around him would be unfamiliar with his situation. If his family members fully understand the situation he is in, which should at the first place not be in, filling a malpractice claim would be the way to go given that the physician would eventually be found. Even if the family goes to court, there are particular laws which would eventually help his family to charge the physician. If the hospital suffers a major liability, it could close down thus, making it difficult or impossible for other patients to be treated and could result in them loosing there life. The filling claim has something to do with financial issues of the family as they might have run out of insurance cover for the patient thus, having liquidity issues and might be looking to redeem via filling a lawsuit. The patient has had a similar medical problem that is GL bleed due to alcoholism. This medical status suggests that his issues are more linked to something he can

Managing new ventures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Managing new ventures - Essay Example This research will be carried out by the organization themselves or even by some external agencies. As customer is the â€Å"King† of any business and as the organization manufactures its products or offers its services only to sell it to the customers, they have to be studied as part of market research. That is, customer’s preferences regarding the products’ price, quality, packing, appearance, etc has to be studied and those information can be used while designing the product and also while formulating the marketing campaign. Berman (2007) state customer preferences, buying habits, their demographics, language and other trends of particular markets must be evaluated. Intensive market research can enable an organization to identify the strengths and weakness of its competitors. By understanding those aspects, organization can have good information about the things that were working out well for the competitors, as well as the things that has caused failures. With that information, the organization can design its products and its marketing campaign accordingly, thereby increasing its competitiveness. Moreover, the organization by avoiding the failed strategies can prevent any harm to them at an early stage. The process that can be used to do the market research is market positioning (McMahan 2006). According to McMahan (2006) market positioning process involves 5 steps: an identification of the target market, a understanding of the competitive environment, strategy formulation for improving competitive position, establishing strong brand image, and development of a supply chain program. This process can provide effective results because it focuses on all aspects of external environment and also the management of any organization. Unlike internal forces, external forces are not directly controlled by the management of an organization, so they need to be studied in-depth through this process to get effective

CURRENT ISSUES IN MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

CURRENT ISSUES IN MANAGEMENT - Essay Example that organizational crisis can be averted or at least minimized through managerial strategies that are visionary in their perspectives (Simola, 2003; Cheney & Christenson, 2000; Pearson, & Clair, 1998; Seeger, Sellnow, & Ulmer, 1997). It is important that strategic planning involves more proactive and innovative measures to meet the exigencies of competitive business. Scholars have asserted that irrational decisions in business are often motivated by false judgment, escalated commitment to previous course of actions where managerial leadership may be driven by financial investment, time and belief that something better would emerge (Bazerman and Moore 2008; Staw & Fox, 1977). The various social researches have revealed that organizations are willing to take risks and make decisions to avoid losses rather than with the desire to make profit. (Hallahan, 1999; Beach, 1997; Bailey & Alexander, 1993; Pease, Bieser & Tubbs, 1993; Frisch, 1993; McDaniel & Sistrunk, 1991; Devine, 1990; Fagley & Miller, 1987; Bazerman, 1984). Shapiro, Slywotzky and Tedlow (2000) believe that key factor that sustain the performance of the organizations through thick and thin are their strong leadership. Nutt (1990) believes that flexibility of approach and initiative in decision making is vital part of leadership as ‘strategic choices are influenced by the manager’s decision style’. Hence, the leaders who are able to make tough decisions and implement changes are able to revitalize the business. In competitive business environment, exemplary leadership effectively links the data, information and knowledge within the organizational goals to overcome hard times and gain competitive advantage. The organization must incorporate more aggressive but people friendly management strategies that encourage trust building amongst the work force for improved organizational results. The paper would analyze the various elements of change management and the role of strategic thinking and planning

Lennie & George in Of Mice & Men Essay Example for Free

Lennie George in Of Mice Men Essay In the story Of Mice Men, John Steinbeck creates a pair of low-class companionship as the storys main character. This pair of companionship, George and Lennie is very different from each other, nothing alike, no matter talking about their figures, personality, IQ, etc, except that they both carry the same American dream as they spend their hard days traveling together and working in the ranch. Lennie is portrayed as being childlike. He looks up on George as a parental figure: Lennies lips quivered and tears started in his eyes. Lennie seek reassurance from George like a child does from their parents. He displays the excitement of a child: Tell me about the rabbits, George. Tell me about the rabbits. Steinbeck suggests that Lennies dependent on George and that we all need companionship even if the relationship is unequal. Not only is Lennie portrayed as being childlike, but also very forgetful: I forgot, tried not to forget. Honest to god I did George. Lennie always gets in trouble, and always needs George to help him out.: Course you did. Well, look Lennie if you jus happen to get in trouble like u always done before, I want you to come right here and hide in the bush. Not only does he make himself in trouble but also gives trouble to George: An whatta I got, I got you! You cant keep a job and you lose me ever job I get. Steinbeck wants to give the readers a hint or preparation that a serious event is going to occur with Lennie, he also wants to convey that although Lennie is big, it doesnt mean that he has a big brain nor can he be independent and look after himself. Lennie is also being put in a character with characteristics like an animal: His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse. Lennie enjoys keeping mice, but as a result always kills it: They were so little, Id pet them, and pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinch they heads a little and they was dead because they were so little. Steinbeck wants to show that a big man also has a sensitive side, and that being strong also has disadvantages, especially for Lennie who enjoys to pet mice and as a result kills it very quickly due to his big, strong hands. Lennies physique is described by Steinbeck as being big, strong looking, but is also described to have body parts in which imitating an animal: A huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. Although Lennie is very immature, but he is a very helpful and great worker : Say, you sure was right about him. Maybe he aint bright, but I never seen such a worker.He damn near killed his partner buckinbarley. There aint nobody can keep up with him. God, awmighty I never seen such a strong guy. Steinbck points out that even an immature, childish man like Lennie with low IQ, can also work better than a normal man, and that we should always give a chance to people like Lennie to work like a normal person with no prejudice against them. Lennie is a very simple minded man, and does whatever George tells him to do. He never thinks for himself and wont bother to rate if it was dangerous or not, he simply just does as he says, like master and servant: Tell you what made me stop that One day a bunch of guys were standin around Sacramento River.I was feelinpretty smart. I turned to Lennie and says Jump in and he jumps, couldnt swim a stroke. He damned near drowned before we could get him. Not only does Lennie always listen to Georges demands, but he also never rejects him and never dares to argue with him. He never got mad with it neither. Ive beat the hell outa him, and he could bust every bone in me just with his one han, but he never lifted a finger against me. Steinbeck expresses to readers that Lennie looks up at George at a higher status, like an idol and believes that whatever George tells him to do, is  for his own good, which is why he listens to George not minding if it is dangerous or not. Where as the other main character in the story Of Mice Men, known as George, is totally different from Lennie. George is suggested to protect Lennie too much, and that he doesnt let Lennie talk when he is suppose to. When he sells Lennie too much, people might mistaken that George is hiding something about Lennie.: Then why dont you let him answer? What you trying to put over?. George also uses a special technique to make Lennie listen to him, from this technique he gives pressure to Lennie so that he will always keep Georges words in mind.: But you aint gonna get in no trouble, because if you do, I wont let you tend the rabbits. Steinbeck points out that George is protecting Lennie too much, and that he should always let him try and let him communicate more, socialize more and approach the outside world more, or else he would depend on George too much and takes it as an advantage. George is also suggested to be smart, and has a lot of common sense. He uses his sensitive sensitivity to teach and lead Lennie to the right track: Tastes all right, dont really seem to be running though. You never oughta drink water when it aint running, Lennie. Not only is George sensitive but he is also very smart in the ability to judge correctly: You never had none, you crazy bastard. I got both of em here. Think I let you carry your own work card? Steinbeck shows the readers that it is an advantage for Lennie to be looked after by George, for George has the power to untie him from troubles he makes, and knows whats best for him. Steinbeck also tells the readers, that the people with the same problems as Lennie should always be helped and be guided to the right way, instead of being discriminated. George also gets very fed up with Lennie sometimes, having to escape with Lennie from the troubles Lennie has caused from time to time.: God amighty, if I was to live alone I could live so easy. I could get a job and  work, and no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want. But on the other hand, he also cares a lot about Lennies feelings, and always persuades him to think towards the positive side when Lennie is depressed.: Aw, Lennie! I aint taking it away jus for meanness. That mouse aint fresh, Lennie; and besides, youve broke it pettin it. You get another mouse thats fresh and Ill let you keep it a while. Steinbeck suggests that in order to be companionships, we will have to care for one and anothers feelings, Steinbeck also coveys that there arent any perfect pair of companionship, for there has to be arguments between people, since humans are born with these characteristics. George having to be a trustworthy companionship with Lennie, always believes in his partner no matter what happens. He will always trust Lennie for whatever he does, and the decisions he makes.: Lennie never done it in meanness. All the time he done bad things, but never done one of them mean. George makes the relationship between Lennie and him like a family, George tells Lennie about their dreams, and how they are different to other people, as if its going to come true. George gives hope to Lennie making him feel better and have a target so that he wont feel that he is working for nothing and that they are working to make their dream come true.: But not us! An why? Because because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and thats why. Steinbeck tells the readers that although these low-class workers are poor and lonely, they havent got a stable home. But George and Lennie are different. For they carry a hope, a dream. This is why George and Lennie are never lonely. Steinbeck also suggests that an American dream in those days, does not come true easily. Overall I think that John Steinbeck wants us to know that we should use Lennie and George as an example to how we should treat people with the same problems as Lennie is facing. Instead of discriminating them, we should always give them a hand of trust to help them. John Steinbeck also suggests  that although Lennie may have mental problems, but from this information, it doesnt mean that Lennie is useless. He may be stupid, but he is very hard working and may be better than most normal workers working in the ranch. John Steinbeck also wants us to know that although people like Lennie often creates serious problems due to his stupidity, this doesnt suggest that he can use his low IQ, and stupidity as an excuse to not face the problem and just find another job, not caring what he had done before.

Causes of the Collapse of the Weimar Republic

Causes of the Collapse of the Weimar Republic Collapse of the Weimar Republic To what extent can it be said that the Great Depression and the overburdening of the German welfare State were the main causes of the Collapse of the Weimar Republic? When considering the importance and extent to which the Great Depression and the overburdening of the German welfare state were the main causes of the collapse of the Weimar, it is necessary to assess other factors which also added to its failure. This essay intends to argue, the Great Depression and overburdening of the welfare state were prominent reasons in the latter stages of the Weimars collapse, they accelerated its failure in 1929 and by 1932 arguably the Weimar Republic was realistically unworkable. Despite this, the main cause of the collapse was the continuous poor economic state of Germany which hindered the success of democracy and finally resulted in the failure of the Weimar. The legacy of the First World War, the effects of the Treaty of Versailles and the 1923 hyperinflation crisis significantly worsened Germanys economic problems. The Great Depression and the overburdening of the welfare state derived from this constant financial strain that the government suffered under and eventually spiralled the situation out of control which proved unmanageable for the government. This created a cut back in support from those who were in favour of democracy and produced resentment amongst the radical Right and Left wing party members themselves. Finally, much attention will be given to the Weimars inability to deal with the crisis via unsuccessful decision making and the long term traditional attitudes of the elites within the government that were also highly important contributions to the collapse of the Weimar. Consequently with detrimental ongoing economic crisis and contributing political factors, the Weimar Republic was doomed from the outset[1], resulting in its collapse. Arguably the Great Depression and the overburdening of the welfare state played a vital role in the collapse of the Weimar but was not the main reason. The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic crisis that began in the United States with the Wall Street Crash on October 29th, 1929. International trade, incomes, and profits plummeted. The Depression had massive repercussions on Germany as they relied on loans from America to facilitate their prosperity, pay off their reparations and revive their economy. Arguably the Depression was prominent in the very last stages of the Weimars life as it was not until after 1929, the economic outlook changed from gloomy to distinctly stormy[2]. The use of the word gloomy indicates that previous to the Depression, Germany was already struggling economically and thus this statement adds weight to the notion that the Depression acted as a catalyst to the eventual breakdown of the government. Furthermore, the outburst of the Depression in 1 929 had a disastrous impact on the German economy [3] as almost one third of German production was exported by 1920. However after this time, exports had decreased. As imports had fallen by two thirds, this had linkage effect on German workers as many lost their jobs between 1929-1933. Official figures in January in 1928 stood at 1,862,000 unemployed and by 1930 when the Depression had taken real effect in Germany, this increased to 3,218,000.[4] These statistics indicate that even before the Depression Germanys unemployment rate was high, thus Germany was in a financial crisis before the Depression and the Weimars reputation was already on the verge of failure. Although the government attempted to resolve the problem of unemployment for example, chancellor Heinrich Brunning who introduced a series of policies to deal with this fiscal crisis. He cut down wages, salaries and prices in an effort to restore confidence in the German financial and industrial system.[5] His efforts were unsuccessful and ineffective as subsequent to this by 1931 there were nearly 4.5 million people out of work, thus illustrating the Weimars inability to deal with the crisis contributing to its own collapse. This initiated further opposition and bitterness towards the Republic. Clearly the depression contributed to the Weimars unpopularity and more so its collapse. Additionally both liberal parties, the DVP(Germans People Party) and DDP (German Democrat Party) witnessed a decrease in votes during the 1930 election as much of their support rested on the middle class; these white collar workers with status, who were monetary advantageous to the average class man felt humiliated, betrayed and angry towards the Weimar Government.[6] Consequently faced with insoluble economic problems many people turned to force and coercion[7], (the Nazi party) in hope of a radical solution to their troubles. This strengthens the argument that economics was central to the collapse of the Weimar, the Depression added the final touches. Furthermore with large firms dependent on USA loans and German banks that also had taken out loans to invest in businesses, when the depression struck it destroyed the relative stability of the financial system and hence placed an overwhelming burden on the welfare state. The welfare States purpose was to provide benefits for the unemployed, pensioners and disabled. In 1927 the welfare state introduced the unemployment insurance Act. By 1929 as a result of the depression it was unable to provide unemployment insurance for the amount of unemployed people. Arguably these two factors were linked as without the Great Depression the welfa re state would not have suffered an overwhelming burden. This is evident as the percentage of unemployed supported by the unemployment insurance declined from 80 per cent at the beginning of 1929 (before the Depression) to 30 per cent in January 1932 when six million people were unemployed. The welfare states failure to deliver this unemployment Insurance during this crucial period reflected the weakness of the Weimar system itself. Henig agrees with the concept that the welfare state played a key role in the collapse of the Weimar arguing, ironically this major achievement of the unemployment insurance threatened to engulf the government in a major financial crisis.[8] Additionally as people expected a great deal from the welfare state, when these expectations were not met they became sour and anti-democratic.[9] On the other hand Bookbinder challenges this argument that economic crisis was the main reason to the Weimars failure proclaiming, in times of crisis such as the 1923 hyperinflation, these difficulties endangered the order and resilience of the Weimar but did not make the Republics failure inevitable.[10] However one may say the fact that these economic problems persistently occurred, suggests that this was the Weimars governments downfall and resulted in its failure; the Great Depression and overburdening of the welfare state were just the last straw. Evidently economic instability was the main reason of the Weimars collapse as the inflation problem was announced before the First World War had ended.[11] More so, on top of the colossal debt incurred from financing the war of around 150 milliard marks, Germany was even more devastated when they received their reparations bill of 6.600 million pounds.[12] With the country already in social and political ruin, the economic reparations ultimately destroyed the foundations of the Weimar. This proved too much for the Government to handle and by 1922 they declared themselves unable to make payments.[13] Additionally due to heavy taxation which, was also an effect of inflation meant students, pensioners and people with savings lost all their money; thus the governments status deteriorated amongst these groups.[14] Even more, German agriculture was fiancially tarnished as farmers suffered from the fatiguing effort to supply Germany during the war and by 1920 they were experiencing low crop yields and diminished number of livestock.[15] Heavy industrial owners were also financially effected as they witnessed a decline in their profits and what is more they were a vital part of the anti- republican bloc and made life difficult for the republic.[16] Peukart also holds economics responsible for the main cause of collapse arguing, these problems hindered the new Republic from guaranteeing their survival.[17] Post-war inflation further affected German political parties, for example the liberal parties who struggled to afford paper and stamps by 1920 and suffered extreme financial difficulties.[18] The First World War deteriorated the economic situation in Germany even more, as Weitz argues, the legacy of World War One was the republics greatest obstacle. It hobbled developments at every turn and gave the enemies of democracy endless rounds of ammunition.[19]Bookbinder strengthens this opinion stating, before the war Germany was a strong nation producing 13.1 million tons of pig iron and 13 million tons of steel. Arguably it was there involvement in the war which initiated their national debt and an inflated currency.[20] Germanys decision to finance the war through borrowing money instead of increasing taxations accelerated their economic downturn even more , this programme of war financing precipitated the monitory inflation which was to continue through to 1923.[21] Subsequently wages increased but for some people this did not match the increase in the cost of their living.[22] White collar workers, who in pre war years had great prestige, were now experiencing economic har dship due to the war and inflation.[23] The Treaty of Versailles was also a result of the First World War and had disastrous impact on the German economy contributing to the Weimars failure. The government accepted responsibility of the war and signed the War Guilt Clause (article 231), this encouraged social unrest in Germany and resentment especially amongst the Right wing nationalists. Mckenzie claims that Versailles presented the Nationalists with a persuasive pretext for mounting the blame of Germanys troubles on the Republic, they felt betrayed and stabbed in the back[24]. During this time, the fact that the Weimar was a newly established democracy meant it was vulnerable and under threat. It is important to remember that for a newly established democracy to survive, it must have the support of the people in especially in turbulent the most times. However the Weimar government lacked this assistance as Mommsen notes, German people did not really support democracy from the beginning, instead they viewed it as the onl y possible outcome for the new state. [25] On the other hand it could be argued that German people were in favour of democracy but lacked the principle foundations of it, as many envisioned a progressive reform of their previous monarch system. Never the less it is clear that the Weimar was never whole heartedly supported even before it came into practice. Additionally Right wing groups also attacked democracy mainly because of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, because their members were incredibly powerful being were highly integrated into the major institutions of state, society, business, civil service, army, universities and churches.[26] This highlights a flaw in the Weimar government, because the coalition parties were not united with a common goal this was proved difficult to implement policies and deal with opponents. Attacks from the Left wing radicals also endangered democracy. In January 1919 an attempt was made from the Left wing group, the Spartacuss who attempted to overthrow the government, however this was crushed by the army and the Freikorps. Although the Weimar did survive these attacks, arguably these uprisings only failed not because these opposition groups lacked clear aims and an alternative system. Even more the economic burden created by the Treaty, made continued reforms and tax policies difficult.[27] Thus Germany was now economically weaker then previously in 1914 as they had increased national debts, inflated currency and reparation stood at the value of 132 billion marks.[28] On the other hand Hobsbawm disagrees with the view that the radical Right wing oppositions came about due to the resentment of the Treaty of Versailles and states, The rise of radical Right after the First World War, was undoubtedly a response to the danger.of social revolution and working class power in general, to the October revolution and Leninism in particular. Without these, there would have been no fascism[29]. Despite this, it is evident that the Right wing movements were an outcome of the First World War. Hyperinflation in 1923 another crucial disaster brought the inflationary situation to its final crisis phase[30]. The economic effects of the occupation were catastrophic. Kolb also agrees with this opinion describing it as a miracle[31] the Weimar survived. However, chancellor Stresemann rescued Germany and introduced new currency and borrowed loans from America to facilitate Germanys finances, following on from this it could be argued that the German economy did experienc e a period of prosperity. However the solution was temporary and one that depended on international loans.[32] Again reflecting a grave decision made by the government as having provided a permanent solution, this would have prevented the severity Great Depressions impact on Germany. Stresemann himself described this period of affluence as dancing on a volcano[33] , this exemplifies that too was aware that depending on American loans was risky. Still in 1929 when the Depression hit, Germany was once again faced with economic problems. Economic historian Borchhardt believes that even without the occurrence of the Depression Germanys economy was abnormal and would not have been able to continue in the same way.[34]This reinforcing the view that economics was the main cause of the collapse of the Weimar. Clearly, the Weimar governments failure to take firm action played a vital role to the collapse of the Weimar. This is particularly evident with invasion of the Ruhr, as previous to this the SPD (Social Democrat Party) had the backing of the working class who were protected from the inflation via trade unions and also the support of large landowners who were able to pay of their debts which if made the efficient decisions could have excelled on this support. However in 1923 their misguided efforts to print money steered them in to hyperinflation. Hinton and Hite strengthen this argument claiming, although some of the problems were beyond Germanys power to control, the collapse came about due to the Weimars weak policies and lack of decisive action.[35] Consequently endless economic disasters became too unmanageable for the government to keep combating, as with any government this repeated economic crises would too inevitably lead to their failure. Another equally significant factor w hich contributed to the collapse of the Weimar Republic, was the traditional attitudes of the ruling elites and a lack of bureaucratic culture. Furthermore because democracy was introduced the most inauspicious circumstances[36] , the old elites such as the DVP and the DNVP ( German National Peoples Party) were monarchs at heart and never fully fledged their support to the Republic or the notion of democracy [37] , consequently they wanted a reversion back to the old system. However the KPD (communist party) and the NSDAP (The Nazi Party) was determined to unify the people of Germany. Germany had always been an imperialist country and headed by constitutional monarch, this meant the long term values of democracy were deficient in order for the Weimar to be successful. Subsequently by 1930 there was a powerful current of opinion in Germany demanding a more authoritarian government.[38] The elites could not regard the new republic as a rightful descendant to the pre-war imperial regim e,[39] thus if the ruling class were not in favour democracy how was the rest of the country going to support it? The Weimar was unable to accomplish unconditional support of these traditional elites such as the Junkers and army officers.[40] Kocka reinforces this notion and believes the failure of the Weimar was due to the bourgeoisie who seemed relatively weak and unbourgeois .[41] Consequently with the combination of old and new political forces present in the government, this halted the triumph of democracy. In conclusion it is clear that economics was the foremost reason to why the Weimar collapsed as even before the Great Depression which was followed by the overburdening of the welfare state, Germany was constantly faced with financial constraints that was caused by the damage of the First World War, this meant straight away the Weimar was forced to introduce a new democratic way of life in the most unpromising conditions. Even more, the reparations of the Treaty of Versailles and the exacerbated the governments financial pressures, thus resulting in a decline of support of the Weimar and the rise of radical Right and Left wing parties which threatened democracy. Lastly the major hyper inflation crisis in 1923 meant money completely lost its value, subsequently as demand rapidly decreased many people lost their jobs. However the introduction of a new currency and loans form the America temporarily revitalised their economy. Yet when the depression hit, America could no longer assist t hem and as Germany had no money of its own to aid its finances, this resulted in the unemployment of six million people. This placed a overwhelming burden on the welfare state and led to severe poverty as by 1932 people who had worn out their entitlement to state benefit and were thrown on the streets to beg for food.[42] The Depression tore apart the fragile political compromise that the Weimar had made via the welfare state and placed an enormous burden on to it. No doubt, the actions of the government themselves contributed to their own downfall as incremental thoughtlessness decisions decreased their popularity and status amongst Germany. Alongside this attribute lies the ruling elites for example the DNVP as their failure to support the vulnerable democratic meant the regime itself lacked confidence. Together these were a vital contribution to the collapse of the Weimar Republic. It is evident t .hat economic hurdles occurred throughout the Weimars life and led to abnormalities within the system and eventually its collapse. This concludes me to suggest that the Weimar Republic itself was the special path that Germany followed (the Sonderweg), as this failed experiment of democracy ultimately caused Germany to propel towards the Nazi regime. BIBLIOGRAPGHY: Hobsbawm .E, The Age of Extremes 1919-1941 (London 1995) Baldeston .T, The Origins and Course of the German Economic Crisis, (Berlin, 1993) Jones .L, German Liberalism and the Dissolution of the Weimar party system, 1918-1933, (Chapel Hill, 1988), Kocka .J, Asymmetrical Historical Comparison: The case of the German Sonderweg, History and theory, 38, (1999), p.40-50 Henig. R, The Weimar Republic 1919-1933 (London, 1998) Mckenzie P. R. J,Weimar Germany 1918-1933 (London 1971) Bookbinder . P, Weimar Germany, The Republic of the Reasonable, (Manchester, 1996) Weitz E.D, Weimar Germany Promise and Tradgedy, (New Jersey 2007) Hidden .J, The Weimar Republic 2nd Edition (London 1969) Hinton .C and Hite . J , Weimar and Nazi Germany, (London, 2001), Kolb .E The Weimar Republic, Second Edition (New York, 2005) Childs .D, Germany Since 1918, (London 1971) Stachura .D P (ed.), Unemployment and the Great depression in Germany, (London, 1986) Mazower. M, Dark Continent, (London, 1999) Evan. J. R, and Geary D (eds), The German Unemployed, (London, 1987) To what extent can it be said that the Great Depression and the overburdening of the German welfare State were the main causes of the Collapse of the Weimar Republic? [1] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.78 [2]Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.61 [3] P. Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, The Republic of the Reasonable, (Manchester, 1996), p.178 [4] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 174 [5] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 146 [6] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 167 [7] E. Hobsbawm, The Age of Extremes,(London, 1995), p.136 [8] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.60 [9] J. Kocka, Asymmetrical Historical Comparison: The case of the German Sonderweg, History and theory, 38, (1999), p 46 [10] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 161 [11] J. Hidden, The Weimar Republic 2nd Edition (London 1969)p.30 [12] Hidden, The Weimar, p.30 [13] Hidden, The Weimar, p.31 [14] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.166 [15] Hidden, The Weimar, p. 34 [16] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 171 [17] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.83 [18] L. Jones, German Liberalism and the Dissolution of the Weimar party system, 1918-1933, (Chapel Hill, 1988), p. 165. [19] E. D. Weitz, Weimar Germany Promise and Tradgedy, (New Jersey 2007)p.127 [20] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.163 [21] Bookbinder:164 [22] Bookbinder: 164 [23]Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 166 [24] J. R. P. Mckenzie,Weimar Germany 1918-1933 (London 1971)p.71 [25] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.78 [26] Weitz, Weimar Germany Promise and Tradgedy, p92 [27] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.164 [28] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.164 [29] E. Hobsbawm, The Age of Extremes 1919-1941 (London 1995)p.124 [30] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.167 [31] E. Kolb, The Weimar Republic, Second Edition, (New York, 2005), p.35 [32] Hidden, The Weimar, p.32 [33] C. Hinton and J. Hite, Weimar and Nazi Germany, (London, 2001), p.74 [34]C. Hinton and J. Hite, Weimar and Nazi Germany, p.75. [35] Hinton and John , Weimar and Nazi Germany, p.103. [36] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.78 [37] Weitz, Weimar Germany Promise and Tradgedy, p.92 [38] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.62 [39] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.79 [40] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.84 [41] Kocka, Assymetrical Histroical Comparison, p. 42 [42] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.67