Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - Essay Example Satrapi's focus is on her life from when she was eight to fourteen, covering this time period with the historical concepts in the background. She begins with a powerful idea; a school photo, and this photograph demonstrates many young girls in their veils. These girls would usually remove these holy veils to play on play breaks (Book Review). The author is finally able to leave the mess of the war, with her parents seeing her off at an airport, so that she can head to the safety of a school in Austria. However, the war did affect her for the rest of her life, and through adulthood we see the scars that are attributed to this experience. From the beginning to the end of her experience in Iran, the author's young life is veiled with the feelings of the oppressive, war-like life in Iran. (Book Review). It becomes quite apparent that like her own parents, many of the young children of this time were encouraged to leave the country in order to find safety. The country was in such an uphea val that even young, promising children of the next generation were not safe. Therefore, this had a profound effect on the author's life, and this effect would change her life forever. Growing up with a war at her doorstep, the author had to consider on a day to day basis how to survive, and had to also worry about her parents' survival. The emotional descriptions present in the book leave readers with a very strong sense of emotion in themselves. For example, I was quite affected by the knowledge that such a young child had to quickly grow up in order to understand the issues around her. Many of the terrible things Satrapi witnessed should never have to be witnessed by a young child. As a reader, I experienced a strong sense of a lost innocence, destroyed because of a war that the child did not necessarily understand. This certainly makes me, as a reader, feel sympathy and sadness toward the author, and this feeling continues for the narrator throughout the novel. The emotions are continually conjured up in the readers as the novel progresses. The book is presented in a very simple way, as small details are introduced to reflect on powerful concepts of emotion in the novel. By doing this, Satrapi shows how much the little things can matter, and how the slightest action can demonstrate a type of emotion (Book Review). The emotions present in all the characters, as they are all affected by the war going on in the background, is very obvious throughout the book. However, it takes some skill to be able to learn to read these small, simple, signs; as for many of us in secure western countries, we do not always see this kind of response in the individuals that surround us. Satrapi herself, as a young child during this time, often depicts the emotions of astonishment and confusion. She is chronically bewildered at having to wear a veil at only ten years old. She also becomes confused upon seeing the picture with her Uncle's former wife's head defam ed (Book Review). She is further confused by the notions of justice and God (Book Review). Because the war was going on for so long in the background of her life, it must have seemed to her that God was unjust, and this would have greatly confused a young girl. She has to deal with the change all around her demonstrated in politics, and it was noticeably difficult for a young girl to understand the

The Metamorphosis & Existentialism Essay Example for Free

The Metamorphosis Existentialism Essay Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis is a masterfully written novella about Gregor Samsa, a man who devotes his life to his family and work, for nothing in return. Only when he is transformed into a helpless beetle does he begin to develop a self-identity and understand the relationships around him. The underlying theme of The Metamorphosis is an existential one that says that any given choice will govern the later course of a person’s life and that a person has ultimate will over making choices. In this case, Gregor’s choices of his part in society cause him to have a lack of identity that has made him to be numb to everything around him. One morning Gregor awakens to find himself transformed into a beetle. Although the reader is never enlightened on how Gregor morphed into a beetle, or shown that Gregor gives much thought to having a body of an insect, Kafka gives the strong impression that Gregor is very devoted to his work and is the sole support of the family, none of which work themselves. Gregor devotes himself to a life of work and self-sacrifice, â€Å"[d]ay in, day out- on the road† (Kafka 4), following ever order, and expectation to a scurrilous degree. His life could be linked to that of a drone in an ant colony, and thus gives an explanation to Kafka’s logic when he is transformed into an insect, and thinks nothing of it. In fact upon finding himself transformed he immediately prioritizes his work above everything else; The next train left at seven o’clock; to make it, he would have to hurry like a madman, and the line of samples wasn’t packed yet, and he himself didn’t feel especially fresh and ready to march around. (5) Through his transformation into a beetle, Gregor abandons his mislead obligation to society and instead devotes the rest of his life to himself. Because of this Gregor’s family quickly grows to resent him as a burden to the household. Society and his family had no further use for him, so Gregor starves to death is his bedroom. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Gregor’s father began the story as a lazy and non-productive human being. He relied solely and completely on his son. After Gregor’s transformation, his father followed suit. He became a proud and productive individual of the lower bureaucracy. He found the balance between work and leisure that Gregor could not. According to Kafka and existentialism, people have both an individual side and a side with the commitment of society. It is our choices that must be in moderation of the two, to maintain balance. If a person chooses himself over society, he will lose the support of society; however, if a person chooses society, he will lose his individuality. Gregor initially chooses society over himself, which in turn transformed him into the working drone he was. After his physical transformation, he is forced reassert his focus to himself, and society abandons him. Through Gregor’s plight, his family became cohesive and productive in society, each contributing through work and leisure. Gregor learned to live for himself too late to become a whole person. Gregor begins to look for entertainment and fun in the form of a bug, a form that knows nothing but work, by crawling up to the ceiling and hanging from there, or from wall to wall over the various objects, this gave him a feeling of â€Å"almost happy absent-mindedness† (32). Haven given up any hope of returning to his human form or being a civilized working part of society ever again, this was one of the only joys Gregor had left in his life. By ignoring the purpose of being an insect, Gregor defeats the purpose of living in his new form of life, and in effect, dies. The Metamorphosis advances the existential view that choice is the opportune of the individual. It is the responsibility of the individual to maintain a balance between work and leisure. The Metamorphosis lends the idea that, if one chooses to devote their life entirely to work, they are no more than droning insects, yet if they devote their lives to leisure, they are no better off. A balance needs to be found. As rational beings, the burden of moderation between value to society and value to self must be assumed by the individual. One must be productive in order to be valuable to society, and one must have leisure in order to be valuable to them.

Using RFID Technology to Replace Bar Codes and Scanners in the Harley-D

Overview of the Case Study Harley-Davidson (H-D) and other companies that have many manufacturing plants or production units and various dealerships may consider implementing RFID technology as a means of increasing the efficiency of all parts of its supply chain. An abstract from Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia describes Radio-frequency identification (RFID), as a technology that uses radio waves to transmit data and uniquely identify an animal, person or thing. This case study looks at the potential use of RFID technology to replace bar codes and scanners in Harley-Davidson supply chain. It indentifies some pros and cons of its implementation and addresses the question – What are some of the issues Harley-Davidson will face in comparison with those experienced by other companies such as Wall-Mart when they tried to implement RFID in their supply chains. Finally it will present a timetable for the adoption of RFID technology by Harley-Davidson in its supply chain. Problem Statement â€Å"It was over a period of several years, Harley-Davidson reduced its number of suppliers from 4000 to fewer than 350† (Schneider, 2009), despite this reduction, it still has a significant spread of its operations. For a company incorporating such a supply chain in its sales of motorcycles and related product yearly, reducing or maintaining costs is very important. In such a situation the need to find more efficient ways to conduct the various aspects of the business in its supply chain is ongoing. â€Å"The part of an industry value chain that precedes a particular strategic business unit is often called a supply chain† (Schneider 2009), p. 230. Harley-Davidson supply chain will include all the companies involved in the design, production, ... ...and-Held-2D-Bar code-Scanner---Advantages-and-Disadvantages http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Field Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com Radio-frequency Identification (10/1/2009) Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition p1-1,1p Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com Database: Primary Search Roberti, M. (n.d.) New to RFID Journal, Welcome to RFID Journal http://www.rfidjournal.com/ Schneider, G. (2009). BUS 107 Electronic Commerce (8th edition) Course Technology, Cengage Learning, Strayer University Technologies: RFID/ What is RFID? http://www.aimglobal.org/technologies/RFID/what_is_rfid.asp TIBCO’s Solution for RFID implementation and integration http://www.hoffmanmarcom.com/docs/rfid_whitepaper-updated.pdf Works Cited `Schneider, G. (2009). BUS 107 Electronic Commerce (8th edition) Course Technology, Cengage Learning, Strayer University

Obama VS Chamberlain

When Chamberlain went to Munich on September 29th, 1938, to ask Hitler to discontinue, as he would have said, his plans to take over Poland, Chamberlain had good intention, but bad execution. He claimed that the appeasement was for, â€Å"The peace of our time,† and that his agreement with Hitler, that which Hitler biblically disregarded 7 days later, would allow Europe to continue war-free, sparing It from the trauma and anxiety associated with war. It Is well known that Chamberlain failed utterly to accomplish anything with the appeasement, and war did in fact break out he following year.Recently, President Obama went to Geneva to negotiate peace terms with Iran regarding them physically possessing nuclear weapons, and failed to accomplish anything. In fact, Iran slapped America in the face by completely undermining America's request, and this is the cause for much controversy and ill feelings toward Obama as of late. In comparison to Chamberlain's utter failure at Munich, B eam's inability to impose his country will Is far more severe than what happened in 1938.While It Is rue that both Britain and the US practically surrendered to Germany and Iran, respectively, Nazi Germany was much larger of a world power In its day when compared to modern day Iran. In addition, Brutal was In a weak state economically and militarily, while the united States, although Isn't In tip-top shape economically due to the recent recession, has one of, if not, the largest and most powerful militaries in the entire world. To have to surrender to a country whose inferiority on the world scale of sovereignty is an obvious step in the wrong direction.In defense of Chamberlain, he didn't have the power of hindsight in terms of WI. The same cannot be said for Obama and Iran. Obama had clear historical evidence and resources to show that appeasement, in large part, does not work. Ben Shapiro, who hosts his own radio talk show and is author of a bestseller, said â€Å"The deal with Iran Is Worse than Munich' in part because In 1938 Hitler had not made known his plans to exterminate European Jews, while Iran has explicitly expressed a desire to completely wipe Israel off the map.How, then, could Obama simply request that Iran hand over one of Its most prized possessions, that being nuclear weapons, which are clearly documented as present in the country, when America's greatest ally is at risk and is the direct victim of Iran's plans? This isn't acceptable, and is a clear sign that Obama, who was supposed to be America's FAD, is becoming America's Nixon. Obama VS. Chamberlain By Broadband disregarded 7 days later, would allow Europe to continue war-free, sparing it from the trauma and anxiety associated with war.It is well known that Chamberlain failed impose his country's will is far more severe than what happened in 1938. While it is respectively, Nazi Germany was much larger of a world power in its day when compared to modern day Iran. In addition, Britain wa s in a weak state economically and militarily, while the United States, although isn't in tip-top shape economically deal with Iran is Worse than Munich' in part because in 1938 Hitler had not made that Iran hand over one of its most prized possessions, that being nuclear weapons,

Common Ion Effect in Equilibrium

Dissolution and precipitation reactions are very important chemical reactions because it is applied to many aspects of the industries in medicine, food, water etc. The objectives of this laboratory experiment is to become familiar with dissolution and precipitation equilibria, develop a lab technique suitable for the determination of the solubility for a sparingly soluble salt, Ba(NO3)2 (s) at room temperature and measure the common ion effect in solubility of Ba(NO3)2 (s) in an acidic solution, HNO3 (aq). Procedure: In this lab, the evaporation technique was used to determine the solubility of the salt at room temperature in water. First a 250ml beaker was weighed and the mass was recorded. Then 5. 0g of barium nitrate was weighed into the beaker. Next, 50ml of distilled water was added to the beaker with the barium nitrate sample. The sample was mixed for ten minutes using the magnetic stirrer. Afterwards, as much as possible of the barium nitrate solution was decanted without losing the solid barium nitrate. To get rid of the excess water, the beaker placed onto a hot plate to evaporate the remaining water I the beaker. One the sample was dry, the mass of the beaker with the dry barium nitrate was weighed, and the mass of the barium nitrate dissolved was calculated. This procedure was repeated for the barium nitrate in acidic solution, HNO3(aq). All data was recorded and the mass of barium nitrated dissolved in acid was calculated. Results/Discussion: From the evaporation technique, 4. 39g of barium nitrate dissolved in water and 2. 4g of barium nitrate dissolved in the acid. From that the concentration of barium nitrate in its saturated solution in water was 0. 336mol/L and 0. 179mol/L in HNO3. The concentration of Ba2+(aq) ions in saturated solution is the same as the concentration of the saturated barium nitrate solution by dissociation of barium nitrate ions into one mole of Ba2+ (aq) for every one mole of Ba(NO3)2(s). The NO3- concentration however is double the concentration of barium nitrate due to the dissociation of 2 moles of NO3- for every one mole of Ba(NO3)2(s) plus the concentration of  NO3- due to the dissociation of HNO3(aq). This came out to be 0. 672mol/L in water and 0. 858mol/L in nitric acid. The solubility of barium nitrate in water was calculated to be 87. 8g/L and 46. 8g/L in HNO3 acid. The molar solubility of the barium nitrate was by definition the same as the concentration of barium nitrate in its saturated solution which was 0. 336mol/L solubility in water and 0. 179mol/L for the solubility in acid. The solubility product constant for barium nitrate in water was calculated using the experimental data to be 0. 52 in water and 0. 132 in HNO3 acid. From the results, it can be seen that the concentration of dissolved barium nitrate in water is more that the concentration of dissolved barium nitrate in nitric acid. And from that it is also seen that the solubility constant of barium nitrate in water is also more than the solubility constant of barium nitrate in nitric acid. These results prove that the common ion effect had decreased the solubility of barium nitrate. The presence of NO3- ions in nitric acid and in barium nitrate caused the common ion effect because even before the barium nitrate dissolution in nitric acid, it already has the initial concentration of NO3- ions produced by nitric acid dissociation. The deviation of experimental values for solubility of barium nitrate in water and in nitric acid was 44. 7% and Ksp deviation was 13. 2%. This is correct because the solubility of barium nitrate in water is supposed to be greater than the solubility in nitric acid. Conclusion:  From the experiment, it can be seen that the solubility of barium nitrate in water is greater than the solubility of barium nitrate in nitric acid. This is due to the common ion, NO3-, in barium nitrate and nitric acid. The acid dissociation yielded a concentration of this ion already, so the dissociation of this ion from barium nitrate is an additional concentration of the ion. This is called the common ion effect. The experiment took the evaporation technique approach, but there are other ways to carry out this experiment to determine the solubility of barium nitrate. One of such was is by using a specific amount of barium nitrate and dissolving it slowly in water until precipitation occurs. From that the amount that was dissolved will be known by taking the mass of the remaining amount of barium nitrate. This procedure was carried out as well during the lab experiment to test the experiment’s accuracy. From the results, it showed that more barium nitrate was dissolved using the evaporation technique. This is because in the alternate technique, it is hard to determine when the salt begins to precipitate; therefore it is not as accurate as the evaporation technique.