World War II Essays (639 words) - Chancellors Of Germany

World War II Before World War II broke out the world took a backseat ride during Hitler's rise to power. The entire world didn't think that he would become as influential as he became. Hitler achieved his power by relying on the navieness of the world to sit back and allow him to do as he pleased. The world was too concerned about political, economic and militant unrest to worry about a yelling German who thought we would rule the world. Before and during the war, the world was concerned about the economic system. Since ever since World War I, the world countries have been in and out of depressions, no one wanted another costly war. The United States, which was in the Greatest Depression of all, was deep engulfed in its isolationist policy. The US didn't want war, especially after the last one they fought with huge causalities and huge amounts of money spent. The citizens of the US didn't want another war because they knew that another war would cause another depression and that was something that the people didn't want. Even thought the war would create jobs, and put the economy back into a war boom, the American public didn't want to have to deal with the downsides of a war. The major downside being the huge economic toll it would take on the government, which would be fighting on two oceans on different sides of the world. It would become very costly to maintain war and win too. The world also had enormous political concerns. The US was in a period of isolationism and they wanted no part of anything else in the world, except the Western Hemisphere. With Germany's rise of Nazism, the world responded with fascist parties popping up in every nation across the world. Hitler has spread his beliefs into every county in the entire world, exactly what he wanted. These parties responded to every action that their leader took, they helped him scout out a specific country and infiltrate that country's government. These parties believe in Hitler and did whatever he told them to do, including in the United States. After the countries realized Hitler's power they all formed different alliances. The German's allied with Italy and Japan. The US allied with Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. It seemed as though each day another country would sign up with either side. Sometimes, even, countries would agree not to fight each. The pre-war and during the war, militaries from all countries fought a war with superior equipment than in the last war. With the invention of the plane, tank, machine gun spread war supplies all over the globe and allowed each country to empower itself. The US prepared for war by passing a series of congressional acts that enabled the war budget to increase dramatically. These acts also allowed for the US to help other countries without actually engaging in the war. The US supplied Great Britain with supplies and ships without ever declaring war on Germany. Germany's invention of the Blitzkrieg they attacked nations and conquered them in single days. No nation had ever seen tactics like this before, and they worked for Hitler. Hitler's air force was the best in the world, he had the most planes with the best pilots. They were unstoppable. Japan's increase in military power proved itself with the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December. Japan showed off its massive air force that dominated and destroyed the majority of the United States Navy fleet. World War II was a war that brought the world together. There wasn't a place on the earth were this war wasn't fought. There wasn't a place on this earth were people didn't take sides, whether with the Allies or the Axis powers. The war brought countries like the United States and the Soviet Union together. However, the war did bring mass destruction the Europe and the massive demise of the people hated by the Nazi's. Hitler almost wiped out an entire race; however, he failed because the on dominance and perseverance of democracy upon the world.

Organized Crime Essays

Organized Crime Essays Organized Crime Essay Organized Crime Essay Organized crime can be a number of different types of things. According to Lyman Potter, (2007), â€Å"The NCIS describes organized crime as having four salient attributes: An organized crime group contains at least three people; The criminal activity the group engages in is ongoing and indefinite in duration; The group is motivated by a desire for profit or power; and, The group commits serious criminal offenses†(p. 15). The group we chose is the American Mafia families of New York City. This mafia family has been the top of organized crimes in New York City since 1930. There are five different families and they all have their own kind of power over the part of the city they live in. Organized Crime Group Analysis The America Mafia families of New York have one goal in mind and this goal is to make a profit off the weakness of other individuals in our society. The American Mafia family of New York has killed an estimated number of 400 people over a period of time. The American mafias ran several illegal operations that included charging high interest for loans and hard paybacks for not returning the money they borrowed. These mafia families describe themselves as more of businessmen instead of gangsters because they ran a lot illegal businesses. The families killed or do other criminal activities to make a profit to help support the mafia. Prohibition provided the families with the majority of their wealth in the past and in the current future. In the past Prohibition included manufacturing alcohol or other liquors. These families gathered raw materials for marketing and paid police for the freedom to avoid interference with their operations. In the past they sold alcohol, which they called rot- gut to make a profit. According to Messick (1972), â€Å"In those first years the Mafia in America was similar to the Mafia in Sicily; it preyed on nonmembers among its own countrymen. Immigrants unaccustomed to the laws, traditions, and language of the United States were easy victims of extortion and could be forced to contribute a percentage of their small earnings as they had done in the old county. † (Pg. 11). The American Mafia family made a majority of the profits from victims that were weak and that could be taken advantage of. These mafia families fought in streets over street corners and used brass knuckles hen needed. This mafia family used strong-armed goons to provide use in prohibition when distributing drugs or hurting other individuals that took advantage of them. This group includes a group of criminal syndicates that engaged in counterfeiting, prostitution rings, and drug distributions. Today these criminals organize illegal activities with the Sicilian Mafia to remain one of the l argest mafia families. Various Business Interests When people think about organized crime groups, in particular the mafia, they generally think about violence and murder. These thoughts would be legitimate in regards to affiliation to the mafia. The mafia, the American Mafia in particular, has changed over the years in regards to business interest. The one thing that has not changed is the fact that all the activities are generating from illegal business and crime based activities. Business interest and principles have transitioned with time in the American Mafia families. During the 1930s Charles â€Å"Lucky† Luciano and his allies, which included Jewish crime boss Meyer Lansky, were at the top of the New York crime scene. The older mafia bosses focused on settling old vendettas, not on making money. Luciano and Lansky concentrated entirely on making money and killed anyone who got in their way. (law. jrank. org, 2010) That point isn’t to misconstrue what the mafia stood for. The mafia still worked to earn money, but the focus wasn’t geared entirely on what the next business venture would be. It was more of a power and respect issue early on. The same still holds true, but years ago, it meant more to the group to prove a point and throw around their weight. The groups didn’t care if they were seen and known. In present day, it is more beneficial for the organized groups to run efficiently, but more so behind closed doors. Some major interest that the American Mafia has been focused on is gambling, loan sharking with very high interest rates, prostitution, and drug distribution. Labor racketeering was another popular criminal activity. Members of the groups worked their way into positions of power in a labor union and then stole from the union’s retirement and health funds. (law. jrank. org, 2010) Organized crime groups have become very business savvy and managed to masks their illegal activities behind very legitimate business fronts. There have been all types of business ventures that were financed with illegal monies from organized crime groups. In an article focusing on the Rochester Family of Rochester, New York, it detailed activities of Angelo Morachino. Morachino ran a construction company that specialized in fraudulent contracts and corrupting labor officials. Rosario Chirico, a member of the same mafia family, specialized in operating a stolen car ring and providing weapons for the gang. He removed serial numbers from guns and fitting them to silencers. (www. americanmafia. om,1999) Business interest for the American Mafia families has been totally based around money. The basis for the criminal activities has been inspired by the greed and love of money. If there is no gain to be made then the interest of the American Mafia probably has not been there. Conclusion Organized crime and the Mafia’s have been around for many centuries, it will be very hard to completely take them out of commission. Thes e groups are around for much reason, to give people product or control over things that they can’t get legally. They use their power to have control and wealth so they can support themselves and their families. The members of the American Mafia had to do many things to earn certain roles that they hold. They did not care if they had to hurt anyone to get there; they just knew what they had to do to succeed for their Mafia. Until we can find a way to prevent some of these illegal things from going on in our cities, then the organized crime groups and the Mafia’s will continued to do what they have to do to keep their groups going. References Goldblatt, Burt Messick, Hank. The Mobs and the Mafia. (1972). Toronto, Canada: Fitzhenry Whiteside Limited.

Theory and Development-M1A2 Q2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Theory and Development-M1A2 Q2 - Essay Example In addition, firms realized that motivation contributes towards productivity and eventual profits because motivated employees possess satisfaction in their work. Besides, companies invest in motivation because satisfied employees are an ideal brand to a company. Motivational strategies of today stretch beyond monetary rewards. Modern organizations, however, ensure that employees attain monetary benefits that are commensurate to the responsibilities they handle. In addition, impressive pay is a key retention factor in a contemporary organization. Building a consultative environment is a way of making modern employees feel as a part of an organization (Gagne & Deci, 2005). Organizations currently invest in staff training as a way of making employees feel competent in their work. Besides, organizations establish autonomous human resource departments that ensure there is constant communication between the employees and management in an organization. Motivation continues to be a challenge to today’s organizations. Technology has altered the expectations of employees. This suggests that traditional methods of motivation have to adapt to technological attitudes of modern employees. In addition, intrinsic motivation is a current issue that challenges contemporary firms. In turn, organizations strive to create the environments that encourage intrinsic motivation (Michie & Gooty, 2005). Companies, therefore, have to ensure that employees engage in responsibilities that synchronize with their

Flexible Citation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Flexible Citation - Essay Example In his article â€Å"Godmother of cocaine gunned down in Colombia†, Lee Ferran of ABC news does acknowledge all his sources. He does it in an informal but effective way by using both hyperlinks and mentioning his sources in sentences. Lee must have been aware of the consequences of plagiarizing material hence using this approach. This approach saves a lot of space as well since there is no need for a bibliography. The method is effective in the sense that many readers prefer to click on a link than go through a bibliography and type long URL’s in their browser. Another writer who does not cite or acknowledge her sources is Hariette Surovell in her article â€Å"Queenpins of the Cali Cartel†. The article does not conform to any specific citation technique as well. It looks more of a blog post thus explaining why Harriet did not follow any citation technique. This technique is in a way effective since at the end of the post Harriet states that she is from the U.S library of congress. This maybe explains her source of

Automatic Stabilizer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Automatic Stabilizer - Essay Example Automatic stabilizers primarily deal with minor shifts that could harmfully affect one or more sections of economic classes. They are unable to cope with major changes, as those are usually resolved with legislations that utilize greater funding. The population assisted by the shift becomes aware that their situation is not as deeply affected by a change in the economy while the process remains publicly unnoticed. Its action can be best illustrated during recession, wherein income employs displays multiplier effect on progressive tax for it not to drop exceedingly. Correspondingly, transfer payments and services for the poor increases in multiplier effect as well. Automatic stabilizers work as a means to reduce fluctuations in GDP. During recession, the size of the government deficit tends to increase keeping the national income high through a multiplier. Moreover, recession tend to keep imports low, keeping more money in the domestic economy. Being progressive, government tax revenue tends to fall in proportion to national income. In as much as corporation tax, with greater regards to profits than turnovers, decreases with lesser economic activity. There are instances when transfer payment and government purchase increase as opposed to income decline. This becomes apparent when government expenditure consequently increases during recession. Government's unemployment and welfare benefits serves can be describe as such. This is e

The Images In The Novel Oliver Twist English Literature Essay

The Images In The Novel Oliver Twist English Literature Essay The aim of the following thesis is to present the image of a child in Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist. On the strength of this novel, the author will attempt to discuss the importance of a childs psychological, physiological and emotional needs, and ways of their fulfilment in the process of a childs development. Children are innocent and defenceless human beings and to ensure their safe and proper growth, they need to be provided with an environment conducive to their healthy development. Adults often overlook the importance of their childs needs, they are simply unaware of their existence, and in consequence, children mature into troubled and unstable individuals. The lack of parental support, which often results in neglect, abuse and childs humiliation, may in fact seriously injure the childs psyche. Most Charles Dickens novels feature an image of a child Pip, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield; in his portrayals Dickens argues that children and adults perceive the world differently. In spite of their limited knowledge and experience children are acute and sensitive observers. In his novels, Dickens shows children, who struggle with the adversities of adult life, children who have no childhood and must survive against the hostile society of the Victorian England caught in the frenzy of the Industrial Revolution. The author relies often on his own experiences, his childhood was disturbed by the tragedies in his own family, which gives his novels a sense of authenticity. Charles Dickens was born on 7th February 1812 in Portsmouth in England as a son of John and Elizabeth Dickens. His fathers irresponsibility and lack of ambitions were the reasons why his family situation was often uncertain. He was always in debt and, as a consequence, in 1824, when Charles was only twelve years old, his father was imprisoned, together with his family. However, through his uncles instigation, young Charles found employment at a newly opened blacking factory and was spared from the prisons sentence. Michael Slater, Dickenss biographer, shows how this experience influenced small Dickens: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Dickens leaves no doubt as to the degree of the psychological and emotional earthquake suffered by his twelve-year-old self: It is wonderful to me how I could have been so easily cast away at such an ageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ No advice, no counsel, no encouragement, no consolation, no support, from any one [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] I might easily have been, for any care that was taken of me, a little robber or a little vagabond.  [1]   Dickens is an expert at childrens feelings and emotions, and through his works, he urges adults to be sensitive towards their fragile personalities. His novels, and his child characters, witness the abuse of children in the Victorian Period. His works were to give voice to children who desperately needed help and who rarely were able to communicate their needs and even more seldom obtained the help they needed. The first chapter of the following thesis is divided into four parts. In the first part, the author will describe the importance of childrens psychological needs necessary to their proper growth. The emphasis will be placed upon the needs fulfilment methods and the consequences of not fulfilling them: a lack of a childs psychic stability, problems in adolescence, etc. In the second part of Chapter One, the author will discuss violence against children in the Victorian Period and its consequences. On this occasion, the ideas of a Polish psychologist, Aleksandra Sobkowska will be presented in the context of the recent findings of New Psychology. Still in Chapter One, I will introduce Abraham Maslows psychological theory of the hierarchy of human needs. At the end of the same chapter, the author of the thesis will present the figure of Charles Dickens as a victim of the Victorian epochs Industrial Revolution, a victim of social injustice and economic deprivation, a victim of childhood i nterrupted. The Second Chapter will focus on the characterization of and the role of children in the Victorian society in the period of the Industrial Revolution. On that occasion, Oliver Twist, Dickenss portrayal of children in the historical and socio-economic context, will be discussed in detail and placed in the context of the Maslowian theory of the hierarchy of needs. In this chapter, the author will also ponder on Dickens involvement in the struggle against a childs exploitation; it is not clear whether in his books, the author aimed at evoking sympathy for the children and their plight, and thus he wrote mainly for the adult readership; or attempted to elucidate children on the causes of their unjust and despicable conditions. Chapter One Childrens needs and violence against children. The aim of the following chapter is to present the importance of needs in childrens psychological growth. In the course of Chapter One, the author of the thesis will refer to the foundations of Abraham Maslows theory of the hierarchy of needs. The author will also discuss different types of violence against children as the most detrimental element in a childs psychological development. Finally, Charles Dickens life will be placed in the context of the Victorian period. Childrens psychological needs Psychological needs of a human being are of great importance first and foremost for children, however, adults very often forget about it. Satisfying a childs material needs such as clothing, feeding, etc, they are convinced that they adequately fulfil their parental responsibility. In the light of modern psychology such an attitude is viewed critically. Though easily convinced that material goods are all they need, children become increasingly dissatisfied. Disturbing signals in our daily life children committing serious crimes, children becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs, adolescents dropping out of school; are all but proof of the existence of an area in a childs psyche that remains overlooked and neglected. Children differ significantly from one another; therefore, each child has to be treated separately whether it is by its parents or educators. Adults usually realize far too late how important they are for their childrens development, generally when their children start misbehaving and cause problems.  [2]  In order to prevent such a situation, it is necessary to study the mechanism of the needs formation; then consciously new and positive needs a need to discover, to know, to feel good about oneself can be created. As far as the mechanism of creating new needs is concerned, they are formed first through satisfying the needs that already exist. It is very important to offer children the opportunity to develop new and valuable needs, and rewarding responses of the environment have a great influence on childrens psychic growth. One of the main needs that are worth mentioning here is the need of emotional contact between a mother and a child. At the beginning, this contact has a more physical character, but in time, the character of this contact changes. It has a more psychological sense and needs another form of fulfilment.  [3]  Parents are able to create proper conditions to form a childs personality; to achieve this aim, parents must continuously observe and recognize their childs needs and try to understand them. Many factors have an influence on a harmonious course of a childs development, including all psychophysical processes, and affect the childs future stance point of view, and the way she or he is perceived by the society.  [4]   Human needs are divided into: material, biological, organic and psychological ones. Generally, psychological needs are additionally divided into: A need of safety shaped in ontogenesis A cognitive need An activity need A need of independence and personal development An emotional and social interaction need A sense of belonging and acceptance need A possession need b. Violence against children as the negation of proper development A child who is harmed is the one who is suffering due to improper behaviour of other people, mainly parents and guardians, and who experiences injustice and a sense of powerlessness. This process, whether intentional or unintentional, and resulting from adults actions, may have a negative influence on a childs physical or psychological development.  [5]   Dickens stories abound in episodes involving both psychological and physical abuse among children. Children rob one another of dignity and belongings. They accumulate anger and frustration in themselves. They are weak and dominated by adults and find abusing their equals or weaker ones as the only possible way of venting their anger. Violence against children leads unavoidably to violence in children. This too is a result of a childhood interrupted, of a thwarted development. Violence against children is the most perverted form of violence; children are defenceless and innocent human beings at a formative stage, who are susceptible to a physical and to psychological injury. Though violence may reside in children themselves, for example, in unwanted, problematic, chronically ill or disabled children; in the majority of cases, children are victims of violence perpetrated by adults. Violence occurs in many different circumstances, and may have different forms, but generally three groups of reasons for its occurrence may be distinguished: violence in children directed against others (children as well as adults) is a result of the childrens frustration with their own health (disabled and chronically ill children), with their social and indirectly economic status (orphaned children, children of alcoholics, etc.) and, importantly, often is a consequence of war; violence in parents directed at children which often is a result of social pathologies dysfunctional families; violence being a result of a familys social isolation owed to their religion, ethnicity, social or economic status, etc. According to Aleksandra Sobkowska, a Polish psychologist, there is a conventional division of violence against children based on its type: physical, psychological and sexual abuse. Negligence of children is sometimes considered to be the mildest form of violence, however, it is most common, and it is extremely harmful and just like any other form of psychical abuse beatings, torture, etc. extends its effects into the sphere of a childs psyche. Therefore, the distinction between physical and psychological abuse, at least in terms of their lasting effects psychical and psychological scars overlap and blur. In Sobkowskas view, psychical abuse of children has cognitive, emotional and behavioural consequences a childs abuse syndrome may be manifested by: a lack of a sense of security a lack of a sense of belonging to the closest people a lack of or low self-esteem spiritual loneliness a feeling of being harmed a feeling and consciousness of guilt and shame difficulty in forming relationships. In Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, there are many examples of child abuse and violence ranging from the very basic lack of alimentation: Unfortunately for the experimental philosophy of the female to whose protecting care Oliver Twist was delivered over, a similar result usually attended the operation of her system; for at the very moment when a child had contrived to exist upon the smallest possible portion of the weakest possible food, it did perversely happen in eight and half cases out of ten, either that it sickened from want and cold, or fell into another world, and there gathered to the fathers which it had never known in this.  [6]   through terrible living conditions; An unfinished coffin on black tressels, which stood in the middle of the shop, looked so gloomy and death-like that a cold tremble came over him, every time his eyes wandered in the direction of the dismal object: from which he almost expected to see some frightful form slowly rear its head, to drive him mad with terror. The recess beneath the counter in which his flock mattress was thrust, looked like a grave.  [7]   resulting in a sense of fear and spiritual loneliness: He was alone in a strange place; and we all know how chilled and desolate the best of us will sometimes feel in such a situation. The boy had no friends to care for, or to care for him. The regret of no recent separation was fresh in his mind; the absence of no loved and well-remembered face sank heavily into his heart.  [8]   Psychological violence is a conscious destruction or significant limitation on a childs possibility of proper development. Ranging from insults, as can be seen in the following episode from Oliver Twist: Get downstairs, little bag o bones. With this the undertakers wife opened a side door, and pushed Oliver down a steep flight of stairs into a stone cell, damp and dark, forming the ante-room to the coal-cellar, and denominated the kitchen.  [9]   It is hard to draw any conclusive ideas as to what future awaited Oliver, and whether his childhood filled with pain brought to bear on his life as an adult. There is a note to the preface of Charles Dickens Oliver Twist which say: It tells the story of an unfortunate orphan boy from his early years in the harsh environment of the workhouse, to his struggle for survival in the dangerous world outside its gates.  [10]   A parallel between the story of Oliver Twist, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a boy who dares to ask for more  [11]  and the life of Charles Dickens is evident. As a young boy, Dickens was forced to work in one of Britains infamous sweatshops, or as they were often referred to, children factories. His fathers debts put the whole family in prison; only young Charles was spared his freedom, however, in exchange for hard labour in a blacking workshop. In a way similar to most children from poor neighbourhoods of London, Dickens suffered pains of poverty hunger and all things most children his age would take for granted. Hunger haunted little Charles, something that is echoed in the story of Oliver Twist, but what pained him more was his hopelessness against the odds set by the cruel society of the 19th century Britain. Britain was undergoing a period of transformation; the Industrial Revolution was at its peak; many people fled the impoverished countryside and settled in big cities. There, they we re exploited by the capitalist industrialists. Slavery was by then outlawed in Britains overseas colonies, importing cheap labour was out of the question, yet the growing economy needed hands, many hands, inexpensive hands. In such circumstances, children became a commodity cheap and easy to manage. Factories soon filled with little children whose parents, all the while working themselves to near death, still failed to make ends meet. This is an era of Britains great economic expansion; this is an era that witnessed the birth of communism. Britain was getting rich, or at least the rich were getting richer; for the rest the society was falling apart. Many children faced a very bleak future; orphaned (mostly through abandonment); deprived of any possibility for social advancement, just like Oliver Twist, veered onto the dangerous path of crime. Dickens resisted the temptations of becoming a criminal; perhaps, in that sense, he was lucky; his contacts with Londons underworld remained luckily within the confines of his fantasy. I might easily have been, for any care that was taken of me, a little robber or a little vagabond  [12]  Dickens, a literary giant of the Victorian England, was first and foremost, its victim. As a child, he suffered all the deprivations shared by most of his books characters Nicholas Nickleby, Oliver Twist, Pip and David Copperfield; whose lives stories became a great testimony of Britains shameful past a past tainted by abuse against the innocent and the weakest children. c. Maslows hierarchy of needs This part of the thesis is based on the psychological theory authored by Abraham Maslow. Among other things, he wrote about human nature being good or at least neutral. It cannot be assumed that a child is born with a bad nature.  [13]  Because of its pessimistic, negative and restricted conception of human nature, Maslow became very critical of psychology. Unlike other scientists, he conducted his tests on healthy people, people without, for example, brain injuries; and he reached a number of new and innovative conclusions concerning personality. He claimed that psychology is much more occupied with peoples weaknesses rather than strengths; that the main focus of psychological studies is sin, and virtue tends to be omitted.  [14]   Maslows hierarchy of needs is represented by the following diagram: Maslow recognises, and illustrates his notion by means of a pyramid, that human needs can be divided into five levels, four of which represent deficiency needs (referred to also as basic needs) and are associated with human physiology. Only when those needs are satisfied, a human develops a need of self-actualization (referred to also as growth needs). d. Society in the Victorian Age Dickens hero, Oliver Twist, lived in a difficult time characterised by changes and the resulting serious crisis in the politics, economy and religious life. Victorians expected progress, rapid changes that were to improve their daily lives; apart from the elite, life in the nineteenth century was very hard for most of simple citizens, especially for children. Many peasants, driven away from the countryside by the prospects of better lives in the cities, fell victim of industrial exploitation and the capitalist system of economy. Cities grew in population too rapidly, forcing many to live in squalid neighbourhoods filled with filth and crime. Urbanization meant more places of work, but the cost of living in big cities often exceeded an average familys means. Families were large or too large; people lived in overcrowded houses in hand-to-mouth conditions. Industrial production was carried on at great risks and causing suffering of men, women and children. Britains status as the worksho p of the world was achieved at a great human cost  [15]  . People including small children worked fifteen or sixteen hours a day in, most of the time, unbearable conditions. The majority of people the so-called working class, which ironically included the unemployed, lived in the scruffiest of households. The industrialists treated the less fortunate, especially children, simply, and only, like objects, manpower. Children were exploited more than adults, because they never dared to ask for more. What is more, parents willingly agreed to this exploitation, even of very small children (often younger than six years of age), because they, too, could earn a few pennies. This extra income for starving families was at times a matter of life and death. Children employed in industry, suffered and often fell ill, at times irreversibly. Their childhood was taken away from them, but what is more, the precarious working and employment conditions, often forced them into the streets where they begged or stole to survive. Most children were denied the stability of having a home, being abandoned by their parents. Sometimes they were subjected to violence or solitude, being under-nourished or even starving, covered with rags, sleeping in empty cellars. Deprived of love and support from adults, they were neglected and lonely among others. The working class children had no rights and their hardship earned them no respect. People in Victorian England believed they were doing what was best for their children. But they were gripped by an idea which was widespread at that time that children were empty vessels, containing nothing worthwhile until filled with what adults judged best.  [16]   Dickens in his novels depicted the Victorian societys major problems. The writer portrayed the society in all its variety, touching all their problems but the theme to which he always returned, was the family, childhood, injustice, inequality, crime, corruption, scandals, poverty, as well as the suffering of children. Whatever he wrote was written with passion, because he experienced seeing life, from the point of view of the poor people and abused children. In his time, few people understood children as well as Dickens did, and he was the first writer who described childrens thoughts and feelings capturing the way they spoke, behaved, and suffered. Chapter two Childrens needs and violence against children based on Dickens novel Oliver Twist. The aim of the following chapter is to present the connection between a childs needs and life in the Victorian Age on the basis of Dickens novel Oliver Twist. Oliver Twist is the first novel in which Dickens speaks out against social injustice and an inadequate economic system that condoned the plight of the poorest, yet the largest, segment of British society. His, is not a portrait of a happy and harmonious family, but a debt-ridden, broken family where children, unless employed in Britains worst workshops, are viewed as a burden. The author tries to show terrible conditions in workhouses where poor people were forced to live and work if they could not pay their debts. In his novel Oliver Twist, Dickens also draws a critical picture of charitable foundations and their involvement in childrens orphanages. Additionally, Dickens sheds light on Londons dangerous criminal underworld. The main character of the novel, Oliver, is a neglected, illegitimate child. He does not know his father and his mother died at his birth. He is brought up as an orphan in cruel conditions in an orphanage typical of the Victorian Age. This small and lonely child is drawn into the world of brutality and violence. The fact that he does not have parents increased his loneliness and difficulties in life because he is deprived of their support which is very important, especially at the beginning of everyones life. Having a normal life is important for a child, but for Oliver that proved an unattainable dream. Oliver spends the first nine years of his life in a badly run home for young orphans and later he is transferred to a workhouse for adults. There, not only does he lack means to secure himself a decent upbringing, but is constantly short of the essentials such as sufficient amount of food, a room to sleep or clean clothes. When he is nine, he is still a child and he does not understa nd the world around him, especially his own status. Once, he asks an adult what it means to be an orphan: Boy, said the gentleman in the high chair, listen to me. You know you are an orphan, I suppose? Whats that, sir? inquired poor Oliver. The boy is a fool I thought he was, said the gentleman in a white waistcoat.  [17]   Oliver is afraid of adults; he does not understand why strangers decide about his future and his life, and in their presence he often trembles and cries. One of the most important and memorable images in the novel is the moment when Oliver feels extreme hunger and asks for something more to eat: Please, sir. I want some more.  [18]  This famous scene is symbolic in that sense that it expresses Olivers revolt against his situation. He does not understand that such behaviour is unacceptable in the workhouse and he is beaten as a result and then put up for sale, like an object, not a human being. Oliver acts against the rules because the situation in the workhouse is abnormal; his basic needs are not satisfied. The living conditions in the workhouses of the 19th century Britain were very severe and often these harbingers of modern day sweatshops resembled more prisons than houses. The treatment of children was terribly bad, some of them even starved to death. The sufferings of children in the Victorian Age indicate that their basic needs were not satisfied. The fundamental, basic needs which are essential for our survival, such as proper nourishment, a place to sleep, warmth were not met then. According to Maslow, food occupies the lowest level of the pyramid in the hierarchy of needs, and belongs to the very primitive group of needs, which are essential for survival; refusing proper nourishment to hungry people, especially children is the negation of humanity. What is more, Oliver Twist is denied safety and stability; he is an unloved and lonely child thrown into unsympathetic adult world, where he lacks parental love, affection and protection. In Maslowian theory, Oliver is denied access to the second developmental level and his need to feel safe remains unfulfilled. At the beginning, Oliver is not aware of his situation; gradually, however, he comes to realize his standing: I am a very little boy, sir; and it is so- so à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ So what? inquired Mr Bumble in amazement. So lonely, sir! So very lonely! Cried the child [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦].  [19]   This small boy feels he should have some rights as a human being and he seeks love. It is only natural for a boy like Oliver to look for love and a sense of belonging, a feeling that gives people a sense of stability. Again, the fundamental need, the third level of the Maslowian pyramid representing the hierarchy of needs necessary for a childs proper physiological and psychological development remains unfulfilled. Although he leaves the workhouse, his circumstances never improve; he moves in with Mr. Sowerberry, an undertaker. Subjected to moral and physical oppression, Oliver continues to feel lonely, cold and abandoned; in his new home he has no place to sleep: Then come with me, said Mrs Sowerberry, taking up a dim dirty lamp, and leading the way upstairs; your beds under the counter. You dont mind sleeping among the coffins, I suppose? But it doesnt much matter whether you do or dont, for you cant sleep anywhere else.  [20]   Another boy, named Noah Claypole, who too is a worker at Sowerberrys workshop, constantly abuses Oliver, but the main character endures his fate without a word of complaint. One day however, acting on an impulse, Oliver fights off Noahs attacks. He fights in defence of his mothers name but despite his innocence, Oliver is severely punished. This situation illustrates the Maslows notion of violence being a result of a thwarted development in an environment where a childs basic needs remain unfulfilled; violence and other forms of anti-social behaviour are a consequence. In other words, a child who is deprived of an opportunity to fulfil his needs uses aggression, turns to aggression; he/she does not act like a normal child. This moment in the novel marks another important transition; Oliver demands to be respected he reacts with violence against the insults used with regard to his mother an action that points to the fourth level of the Maslowian pyramid, the need of esteem. Oliver decides to escape because he refuses to endure his treatment. He chooses London hoping to change his life for better. In spite of being exhausted and hungry; he does not give up and is still full of hope and determined. He meets Dodger, who offers him a helping hand. Unaware, Oliver joins a gang of juvenile pick-pockets, run by a Jewish emigrant named Fagin. Dodger and other young boys, and now Oliver, roam the streets of London stealing, when they can, hanging out, laughing. Fagins gang creates an authentic society and provides these unwanted boys with security and a sense of belonging. Oliver has never known this kind of life; he is drawn to it to gain respect amongst peers, but also to feel accepted, relied on, and needed. At the beginning, Oliver does not realise that he has joined a criminal group. He does not understand the whole situation but tries to be a quick learner and to acquire new skills, i.e. pick pocketing. However, because he has little experience, or simply because he still is a naÃÆ' ¯ve little boy, he gets caught and arrested. Fortunately for Oliver, Mr. Brownlow, one of the gangs victims, recognizes the boys innocence, exonerates the boy during the investigation and takes him into his custody. Oliver leads now a better life, at last, but he is not sure if his benefactor will not one day send him back into the streets of London. He asks Mr. Brownlow: Oh, dont tell me you are going to send me away, sir, pray! [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] Dont turn me out of doors to wander in the streets again. Let me stay here and be a servant. Dont send me back to the wretched place I came from. Have a mercy upon a poor boy, sir!  [21]   Mr. Brownlow, however, reassures the boy of his true devotion to his upbringing: My dear child, said the old gentleman, moved by the warmth of Olivers sudden appeal, you need not be afraid of my deserting you, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [22]   A few weeks later, however, Oliver is kidnapped by Nancy a prostitute who is incited by Fagin. What is more, he vanished precisely when Mr Brownlow entrusts him with money and sends him shopping. Oliver does not think about himself but is afraid that Mr. Bro

Legislation and Prostitution: Do They Coincide? :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

'Legislation and Prostitution: Do They Coincide? Throughout research the question: 'What exactly is the definition of pornography?,' has been asked several times. This is the answer to this very common question, "according to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1973), pornography is 'Written, graphic, or other forms of communication intended to excite lascivious feelings.'" Pornography being such a broad topic as it is has been reduced and in this reading the basis of pornography, will be centered around, Legislation in part with Prostitution. Prostitution. What comes to mind when one hears this word? Cheap, degrading, trashy, offensive,...any other adjectives come to mind? What about accepted? Shocking as it may seem, but research has shown that in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries, prostitution was accepted. Prostitution is defined as "a socially identifiable group of women (who) earn their living principally or exclusively from the commerce of their bodies." There were certain rules however, a prostitute was not allowed to be with good men and could not be near the church. Prostitution became institutionalized by the Fifteenth Century and if a prostitute lived on a public street she was punished. Their punishment for their first offense was only a fine, but by their third offense they had to pay a fine and were also punished by "running the town, beating, and banishment from the town." These were the laws and if disobeyed, that was the punishment. At the time this book, Bad Girls and Dirty Pictures, was written there were no laws against pornographic material in any form. In fact, 'The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution' states that, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. This right is either absolute or it does not exist." Anywhere in the First Amendment was there any violation of what pornography stands for? There was not any laws that prove the violation of pornography. These are laws against things that are considered obscene or too explicit. If there were no laws, movies would not be rated and magazines of any sort, would be available anywhere and to all age groups. Some