Research and Development Methods Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

And Development Methods - Research Proposal Example E-commerce is fast becoming such a powerful tool in global business activity that businesses that do not have an electronic representation are not expected to be as successful as those that have electronic representation. Apart from the fact that e-commerce helps in giving a company a borderless trade opportunity, it also ensures that there an easy and more accessible means of promoting one’s business and consolidating a firm competitive advantage through brand equity (quote). By and large, e-commerce also meets the innovative needs of today’s consumer, who can be said to have been more informed and complicated in trade activity than he was decades back (quote). It is important to note that as much as e-commerce sets the tone for competitive global business activity to take place, e-commerce is only an end in itself that needs a means to success. The means or medium to undertake a successful e-commerce has been identified to be an online presence for a company (quote). This means that for a company or firm to successfully engage in e-commerce, it is important that that firm has an online presence through which it undertakes internet or electronic based transactions. There are a lot of ways in which online presence may be explained or defined, most commonly though, it involves and requires that a company will have a website that serves as a market place for the virtual consumer. Online presence may also involve a heavy use of the internet as a means of advertisement for a company through the use of the new media. Largely though, having an interactive website that serves as an online marketplace is the most ideal requirement. This research pa per therefore seeks to investigate the role of online presence in e-commerce for a mobile phone shop. By this, the research will thoroughly address the issues that ought to be considered when a mobile phone

Discussion Board 4-2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Board 4-2 - Assignment Example Credit cards can be used as well. Once the Board recommends the issuance of a license, the license issuance fee of $100 or $250 should be submitted. Also, A copy of one’s driver’s license or social security card and current fingerprint clearance from the Department of Public Safety must be provided as well as one’s Social Security number on the application form. An official copy of any required examination and a self-query form acquired from the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) and the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (HIPDB) should be submitted in their unopened envelopes with the application packet. To meet these requirements, I would need to study hard and review well for my board exam. I would also need to ensure I do not commit any criminal acts in order to have a clean result when I get my fingerprint clearance. I should also make sure that I have enough money saved up to pay for the required fees. Most importantly, I would need to make myself emotionally, physically and psychologically ready going through these steps because this is really the start of my

The Right to Bear Arms Essay Example for Free

The Right to Bear Arms Essay Introduction Firearms restriction, generally identified as gun control, is a fervently area under discussion in and out of the political arena. Supporting groups suggest more limitations, tighter restraints and severe penalties for felony. These proponents assert that violent behavior stems from guns and gun holders, gun producers and gun supporters are to charge. Opponent groups to gun control propose that lesser limitations, superior availability of diverse types of firearms and more restrained punishments should be put in practice. Anti- The Right to Bear Arms In modern years, gun control supporters, that is, those in errand of more limitations, have developed and been privileged by the media. Some of these groups include handgun Control, Inc., the National Coalition to Ban Handguns, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Violence, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Mothers Against Violence in America and the international Stop Handgun Violence. (Carter, 75) With growing media awareness with more and more school killings, supporters of gun control legislation have repeatedly detained that only federal laws can be effectual. If not, states with a small number of restrictions will persist to be fonts of guns that stream illegitimately into states with added limitations. (Edel, 76) Numerous proponents of gun restrictions have backed policy transformations on explicit sorts of firearms or components that come into view to be handy primarily for criminal intentions or purposes that masquerade abnormal risks to the community. Completely automatic weapons and short-barreled rifles and shotguns have been focus to strict directive since 1934. Entirely mechanical firearms have been expelled from personal ownership since 1986, apart from for those lawfully owned and recorded with the Secretary of the Treasury on May 19, 1986, the day the ban was approved. (Spitzer, 139) The proponents of gun control have offered a strong and solid case. Many resolutely consider that guns should be prohibited all through the country. Pro- The Right to Bear Arms Antagonists of gun control differ in their points with deference to detailed forms of control. In general, they embrace that gun control regulations do not achieve what is planned. The cluster leading the encounter in opposition to gun control is the National Rifle Association, or the NRA. The NRA began as an association to endorse the practice of target shooting. After World War II, despite the fact that the communal attitude on firearms turn out to be increasingly unenthusiastic, the NRA targeted its energies on anti-gun control. Gun control antagonists also refuse the postulation that the single lawful reason of ownership by a private citizen is entertaining. Andrews summarizes the dissimilarity in posture between Red (Republican and pro-gun) and Blue (Democrat and anti-gun) States. Andrews clarifies that numerous anti-gun control activists consider the matter from an ethical position where the gun control advocates see the subject from an erroneous interests point of view. (Andrews, p-9) Some opponents deem further that the Second Amendment comprises a right to maintain arms as a protection against potential government oppression, pointing to instances in other countries of the use of guns limitations to limit dissent and make safe unlawful government power. Whatsoever the case, the peoples leading the clash against the control and legislation against guns continue and never quit. They deem ethically and strongly that gun control is much too preventive and infringes upon rights given them by the Constitution. (Cothran, pp 13-19) Conclusion The discussion over gun control has been hard fought and concentrated. To gun control advocates, the resistance is out of touch with the times, misreads the Second Amendment, or is short of apprehension for the harms of crime and aggression. To gun control antagonists, advocates are inexperienced in their confidence in the authority of regulation to decipher social troubles, bent on enchanting the American citizen for ideological or societal reasons, or stimulated by unreasonable opposition to firearms and gun enthusiasts. Guns dont kill people, people kill people.(NRA Slogan, 1980-Present) References Andrews, Ned. Why Guns Matter. The American Enterprise 01 Sep. 2002: 9+. Carter, Gregg Lee. The Gun Control Movement. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1997 Cothran, Helen, ed. Opposing Viewpoints: Gun Control. San Diego: Green-haven Press, 2003. Edel, Wilbur. Gun Control: Threat to Liberty or Defense Against Anarchy. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 1995. Spitzer, Robert J. The Politics of Gun Control. Chatham, New Jersey: Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995.

impact of Poverty on Health

impact of Poverty on Health 1 Health Access to Nursing Health Assignment 2 Kirsty Lincoln Tutor Lis Footsoy This should be in the report format! Please follow Assignment Brief instructions carefully! According to Ogden (1996), there are many factors that impact on the health of individuals within society, some are more common than others such as poverty, unemployment, lifestyle and residential areas. Alongside these are medical factors, religion and differing beliefs in medicine and health. According to Ogden (1996) although these are all different areas to take into consideration they are all interlinked to one another and it is often thought that if an individual has any one of the above chances are they will have some degree of each one impacting on their general health and wellbeing. [LF1]Naidoo and Wills (2000) claim that there are many determinants also known as health inequalities, which can all be broken down into categories such as social, environmental, lifestyle and physiological factors, it can be suggested that social factors have a major impact on health and the way individuals live generally associating health with social class, lower working classes are seen to lead unhealthier lifestyles due to poverty or lack of employment which in effect will lead to poor housing and living in higher crime rate areas and less access to health services and very little means of leisure activity which will then result in poor nutrition as not many individuals in the lower classes can afford healthy food and 10 fresh fruit and vegetables a day which is needed to maintain a good level of health, this could also include high consumptions of alcohol and cigarettes. Naidoo and wills (2000) explains how all this then leads to physiological factors that impact on health like stress and depression, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity which then ends up costing the National Health service thousands and thousands of pounds each year. It can be suggested that this is just a vicious cycle and until poverty and unemployment levels decrease, society as a whole will continue to consume money in the NHS. The graphs above shows the unemployment rates in the united kingdom compared to other countries, it is suggested that although it is not at the higher end of the scale there is still a high number of unemployment which has a major impact on the National Health service and the united kingdom’s economy which will in turn effect the overall health of the general public through poverty. It is clear to see from this brief overview how all the determinants are interlinked and how each one individually affects health and wellbeing. Ogden (1996) states that what is clear is that ill health does not happen by chance or through bad luck, in order to maintain health, society as a whole should promote it. The Lalorde report published in 1974 helped identify four fields of health that can be improved these are: Genetics and biological factors which determine an individual’s disposition to disease, lifestyles factors in which health behaviours contribute to illness, environmental factors like housing or pollution and the health services provided. If an area has a poor health service than it is more likely that death rates are higher through disease and health will be effected. These show that factors other than genetic and biological all affect an individual’s health but it is possible to change it. Naidoo and w[LF2]ills (2000) explains that unemployment and low income is a major determinant of living standards and when studying levels of income and material deprivation through unemployment it has been found that it can tie in with ill health and premature mortality. The graph above shows the different ages and class groups of the working environment it shows the level of deaths are a lot higher in those who work in manual hard labour which is very hands on and demanding in comparison to those of other intermediate and higher professional backgrounds paying in higher wages than other lower class jobs. According to the Rowntree report in 1990, 24% of the population had an income of below the national average after allowing for housing costs (Rowntree foundation 1995), people most likely to be in this category are the unemployed, pensioners, lone parents and the low paid. Blackburn suggests that there are three ways in which low income and unemployment can affect health, Physiologically inadequate housing, lack of warmth, lack of food, psychological – stress lack of support network and behavioural – health damaging behaviours like excessive smoking, drinking alcohol, sweets for children instead of healthy foods, living in poverty can affect anyone and without the means to provide a healthy lifestyle many are forced to live unhealthy lifestyles to make ends meet, it is not a choice. According to Ogden (1996) one of the main challenges the National Health Service (NHS) has to deal with is the constant usage of money, as healthcare costs thousands each year and regions with poor housing and less deprived areas spend more due to leading unhealthy lifestyles, an issue with this is that those people who are unemployed who live in these poorer communities pay nothing into the system yet can still access healthcare with the same rights as people employed who do pay into the system and pay taxes, so people who are unemployed can claim benefits, healthcare should be free and accessible to everyone although there will come a time when there is no financial funding left to pay for healthcare, there have been suggestions of placing a charge for every time the individual visits the doctor or attends Accident and Emergency on a Friday night when they have been found too intoxicated to function. This in turn will promote a healthier living although it can be seen as discrimina tion as individuals in poverty or unemployment still will not have the means to pay for the healthcare visits resulting in poor health and diseases increasing, having a detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing within society. The graph above shows how the National Health Service funding has increased over the last 7 years reaching a high of just over  £105,000 in the years 2012 to 2013. As Naidoo and wills (2000) explains there are some factors that impact health that we cannot change for example: ethnicity, different race and ethnic backgrounds can determine an individual’s health for example: individuals with darker skin have a higher protection from diseases of the skin, caused by sunlight such as skin cancer and individuals with lighter more pale skin can burn easily and be allergic to the sun, this can tie into the environmental factors that affect health. Although in order to fit in to society in modern day it can be seen that there is a lot more pressure placed on young girls and women who feel the need to be perfect due to the mass media resulting in a rise in the use of tanning beds in order to gain a tan and darkening of the skin, this heightens the chance of skin cancer and other skin diseases. The graph below shows that in 2010, among men, white men had the highest rate of getting melanoma of the skin, followed by American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and black men. Among women, white women had the highest rate of getting melanoma of the skin, followed by Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, and black women. Melanoma of the Skin Incidence Rates* by Race/Ethnicity and Sex, U.S., 1999–2010 It can be suggested that along with this, studies have found to show that younger people particularly are at risk using a tanning bed as people who start using sunbeds before the age of 35 are 87% more likely to develop Melanoma compared to people with darker skin from different ethnic groups or those who never use sun beds. [LF3] It can also be said that on the other hand certain ethnic groups are more prone to specific diseases, darker skin is especially prone to sickle cell disease, and individuals who are prone to certain diseases can use the National Health Service at their discretion depending on their beliefs surrounding medicine. Although in some countries like America, certain ethnic groups do not believe in the health care system American Indians believe disease is an act of nature and should be allowed to follow its course. It can also be said that in third world countries medicine and healthcare is not easily accessible as there is little funding to provide the adequate care. It can also be suggested that some regions with less sunlight can also affect health due to causing psychological factors like stress and Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD) which is a disorder affected by seasons which in turn causes higher suicide rates in winter colder months in comparison to summer months. It is possible that all things in society affect health and although looking at this from a Marxist point of view unemployment and poverty are a root cause to most health issues. Marxists believe that everyone should be equal and that poverty helps maintain the domination of the Bourgeoisie (upper class) it serves the interest of the wealthy, although other sociologists disagree and argue that individuals are to blame for their own poverty or as groups they develop a culture of poverty. Marxists believe poverty is rooted to the structure of society rather than a specific individual therefore if an individual lives in a deprived area they are more likely going to adapt to the ways of that community leading to ill health through poor lifestyles. [LF4] Along with Karl Marx another sociologist Charles Murray (1989) [LF5]stated that poverty is caused by the lower class in the sense that the lower class do not want to work or find employment, he blames illegitimacy for this state of poverty in 1979 Britain had an illegitimacy rate of 10.6% but by 1988 this had risen to 25.6% he claimed that illegitimate children are more likely to come from women of the lower class and that they run wild due to the lack of a father figure and in effect he held them responsible for rising crime, property crime and violent crime. This in turn damaging communities making the residential area deprived with little amenities and also made people withdraw into themselves causing all kinds of illnesses mainly psychological. A critic of this is that there is no evidence to prove his conclusions and there are no significant differences between the lower class and the employed in their attitudes towards work and it can be seen that mothers with husbands/fathers spend more time claiming benefits than single mothers. Naidoo and wills (2000) suggests that the Marxist approach to poverty and unemployment ties in with the social scientists perspective on medicine, as they argue that medicine is closely linked to power and is still a powerful means of social control, as without medicine health would deteriorate and society would lack structure. [LF6] There are many medical models that look at the determinants of health. The behaviour change model aims to encourage individuals to adapt healthy behaviours which are seen as the key to improve health and wellbeing. It can be argued as this model does not reflect the understanding of poverty the approach is popular as it views health as a property of individuals, making it possible to assume that people can change their behaviours to make improvements to their health. It also states that individuals who do not care for themselves are to blame for the consequences of ill health. When looking at poverty and unemployment and this approach it is impossible to change behaviours and lifestyles for improved health when they are outside the individuals control, there has to be some amount of flexibility to be able to make changes, individuals living in poverty and who are unemployed know that changing bad lifestyles is not always as easy as it may seem. The above shows how the Behaviour change model works. On the other hand a health model that can be tied in with poverty is the Social change model the main aim of this approach is to enable people to gain control of their lives, it enables people to gain skills and confidence, and empowerment is also used as a way to describe a way of working which increases peoples power to change their social reality, an example of this in communities there are self-help groups and community based development like setting goals and community based development such as meeting in order to meet specific needs like clean-up programmes and such, this would help individuals in poverty and unemployment gain confidence to learn new skills in order to find a job which in turn would improve their health or even help individuals with depression or stress by meeting new people going through the same thing. [LF7] The picture above shows the different stages of the social change model. This approach also attempts to bring changes in the physical, social and economic environment this includes things like bans in public places for example smoking, which in turn will decrease or attempt to decrease smoking levels in more deprived areas which could result in saving money and starting the long road out of poverty. It can also be suggested that it could reduce air pollution as if the area of residence has high air pollution then this carries a more detrimental issue on health in regards to individuals who are medically unwell or have illnesses such as asthma or emphysema. Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health. By reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma. The lower the levels of air pollution, the better the cardiovascular and respiratory health of the population will be, both long- and short-term. The WHO Air quality guidelines provide an assessment of health effects of air pollution and thresholds for health-harmful pollution levels. Ambient (outdoor air pollution) in both cities and rural areas was estimated to cause 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012. [LF8] Some 88% of those premature deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries, and the greatest number in the WHO Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions. Policies and investments supporting cleaner transport, energy-efficient housing, power generation, industry and better municipal waste management would reduce key sources of urban outdoor air pollution. Reducing outdoor emissions from household coal and biomass energy systems, agricultural waste incineration, forest fires and certain agro-forestry activities (e.g. charcoal production) would reduce key rural and peri-urban air pollution sources in developing regions. Reducing outdoor air pollution also reduces emissions of CO2 and short-lived climate pollutants such as black carbon particles and methane, thus contributing to the near- and long-term mitigation of climate change. In addition to outdoor air pollution, indoor smoke is a serious health risk for some 3 billion people who cook and heat their homes with biomass fuels and coal (WHO, 2014) Very good discussion with clear evaluation of theories and models. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be seen that poverty is the main cause to ill health within society, regardless of age, ethnicity, religion, social class. It all comes down to poverty, as without the means to live a healthy lifestyle, individuals cannot change behaviours and attitudes towards healthier living. Poverty can cause disease and illness and affect general health through stress. Psychologically becoming depressed over money worries, poor living conditions and lack of nutrition or too much junk food and alcohol can cause obesity, diabetes and liver damage. If the area is industrial or run down an individual has more change[LF9] of developing lung disease and breathing difficulties. Poverty is a term which is defined as very wide spread and there are millions of implications to health and what living in poverty can cause. A very good report which discusses models, theories, concepts and issues well. To further improve: Make sure you ‘un-pick’ a concept thoroughly in order to give a greater level of evaluation. Take care with referencing – you need to review this practise (study skills handout and/or Cite Them Right) Make sure the sections of your report are clearly defined by way of section headings. Table of References Butterfield, W.J.H. (1968) ‘priorities in medicine’. London: Nuffield Naidoo, J. Wills, J. (2000) ‘Health promotion’ (2nd edition) London: Bailliere Tindal Ogden, J. (1996) ‘Health psychology’ Buckingham: University press Katz, J., Peberdy, A. (1997) ‘Promoting health, knowledge and practise’ Basingstoke: Open University press. World Health Organisation. (2014) ‘Ambient air quality and health’ [online] Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/> [Accessed 5th May 2014] Very good sources. Kirsty Lincoln [LF1]If this were an essay this would be allowed therefore this should have been a Report! Also I can’t identify where your Introduction ends and Discussion of Findings starts etc. [LF2]Capital Letter [LF3]It is important here to point out that you are basing this upon US statistics. [LF4]Source? [LF5]Source? [LF6]Good points made and evaluated here. [LF7]Very good discussion of models however where are you getting your information from [LF8]Sources [LF9]‘chance’

Andrew Jacksons Campaign to Destroy the Bank of the United States Essa

When Andrew Jackson decided to make his veto message regarding the Bank of The United States on July 10, 1832 one thing was on his mind: killing the Bank of The United States forever! This one event was the fuel Jackson used for his reconstruction of the U.S. It all started to unravel during his election of 1828. Several different "sects" within the different states were teaming up with one another to form a coalition of discontent for the President and his reconstruction. Like Thomas Jefferson before him, Andrew Jackson was a tried-and-true defender of American freedom committed to nothing so much as breaking the knot of political corruption and restoring integrity to republican institutions. With the shattering and affirming dimensions of presidential action so well coordinated in his initial claim to legitimacy, Jackson's invoking of original understandings bore the makings of an entirely new government and politics. This dependent authority to disclaim would prove to be Jackson's most remarkable leadership resource. Yet, Jackson did not simply repeat Jefferson's performance, the essential elements of their shared leadership posture being reshaped by the worldly changes that intervened between their presidencies. Jackson's early course of action suggests that he would have liked nothing more than to have led in the expansive manner of Jefferson. Reasons for this difference between these two reconstructions are not difficult to separate since both witnessed dramatic changes in both state and society. It is here-with an acknowledging authority bearing down on a more forceful set of institutions and a more complicated policy- that the two faces of Andrew Jackson merge into one. In this final analysis there is no c... ...ress, the Court, the cabinet, the states, the party, and the electorate. The executive officer gained political foundations positively more independent than it had enjoyed before, and a new regime of governmental commitments and political priorities held convinced. In the process of moving behind his campaign to destroy the bank, Congress had begun to see for itself the special attractions of the new system. Democrats now criticized the President's efforts to control the state banks through national regulation as identical to the imposition of a new national bank. In effect then, Jackson had merely substituted one irresponsible and uncontrollable financial system for another. Jackson left office just as the new order was taking on a political life of its own. It was left to his successor to brush aside his failed experiment while affirming his basic course.

Wilderness Survival :: essays research papers

Whether you are simply going camping at a commercial campground, taking a short hike, or backpacking into a pristine wilderness area... be prepared. Never leave to chance those few articles that may become lifesavers. Above all, always let someone know your itinerary and the time you plan to return. The following is a list of items that should be included in a basic survival kit: bodyOffer(17619)You May Be Owed Unclaimed Money To Find Out, Enter Your Last Name Here: 1.Waterproof matches (stick matches in a 35mm film container) or a disposable lighter. 2.Fire starter 3.Rigid blade knife (Preferably serrated on one side of the blade) w/ sheath 4.Folding saw 5.Compass 6.Map of the area you are in 7.Signal mirror 8.Flashlight 9.Plastic tarp 10.50 to 100 feet of nylon cord (1/8 inch is adequate) 11.First aid kit 12.Coins for pay phones (here again a 35mm film container works well) 13.Full canteen 14.Emergency food rations 15.Water purification tablets/filter. 16.Fish hooks and fishing line 17.Police whistle 18.Toilet paper Fire: When starting a fire find dry wood. Use the inner bark of trees, or look for the dead branches at the very bottom of fir trees. These are dead because they were denied sunlight by the branches above them. These same branches have probably protected them from getting wet. Start your fire small and gradually increase its size. Tinder will greatly enhance your chance for success. Take small branches and shred then with a knife o r your fingers. You can use dead grass, bird’s nests, wasp nests (unoccupied of course), inner bark from dead trees, or a strip of cloth from the tail of your shirt. Use anything that will ignite quickly. Place this in the center. Around this, build a teepee of small dry twigs. Once this is burning, slowly feed your fire with larger and larger pieces of wood. Always making sure the fire is burning freely before you progress to a larger piece of wood. Once this fire is burning do not let it go out. bodyOffer2() Shelter: Do not make the mistake of trying to construct a large shelter. Make it just large enough to accommodate you. This is important, especially in cold climates, because you are going to have to heat it. Use the materials at hand. Dig out a pit and line it with something to insulate you from the ground. Your body heat can be lost very quickly lying on the bare ground. Wilderness Survival :: essays research papers Whether you are simply going camping at a commercial campground, taking a short hike, or backpacking into a pristine wilderness area... be prepared. Never leave to chance those few articles that may become lifesavers. Above all, always let someone know your itinerary and the time you plan to return. The following is a list of items that should be included in a basic survival kit: bodyOffer(17619)You May Be Owed Unclaimed Money To Find Out, Enter Your Last Name Here: 1.Waterproof matches (stick matches in a 35mm film container) or a disposable lighter. 2.Fire starter 3.Rigid blade knife (Preferably serrated on one side of the blade) w/ sheath 4.Folding saw 5.Compass 6.Map of the area you are in 7.Signal mirror 8.Flashlight 9.Plastic tarp 10.50 to 100 feet of nylon cord (1/8 inch is adequate) 11.First aid kit 12.Coins for pay phones (here again a 35mm film container works well) 13.Full canteen 14.Emergency food rations 15.Water purification tablets/filter. 16.Fish hooks and fishing line 17.Police whistle 18.Toilet paper Fire: When starting a fire find dry wood. Use the inner bark of trees, or look for the dead branches at the very bottom of fir trees. These are dead because they were denied sunlight by the branches above them. These same branches have probably protected them from getting wet. Start your fire small and gradually increase its size. Tinder will greatly enhance your chance for success. Take small branches and shred then with a knife o r your fingers. You can use dead grass, bird’s nests, wasp nests (unoccupied of course), inner bark from dead trees, or a strip of cloth from the tail of your shirt. Use anything that will ignite quickly. Place this in the center. Around this, build a teepee of small dry twigs. Once this is burning, slowly feed your fire with larger and larger pieces of wood. Always making sure the fire is burning freely before you progress to a larger piece of wood. Once this fire is burning do not let it go out. bodyOffer2() Shelter: Do not make the mistake of trying to construct a large shelter. Make it just large enough to accommodate you. This is important, especially in cold climates, because you are going to have to heat it. Use the materials at hand. Dig out a pit and line it with something to insulate you from the ground. Your body heat can be lost very quickly lying on the bare ground.

Movie Critique Alexis Zorbas

Antonis Papantoniou 19 November 2009 Anthropology 263g Alexis Zorbas: the man who has enough fight in him to devour the world. Many film attempts have been made aiming to portray the abundance of life within a man on the cinema screen. One of the most successful ones would be â€Å"Zorba the Greek† (1964), directed by Michael Cacoyannis and with Anthony Quinn as the leading role. The plot of the movie originated form the novel â€Å"Zorbas The Greek† by Nikos Kazantzakis, that was first published in 1946. The film portrays the culture of the time in Greece, and more specifically the culture of Crete, the largest Greek island, where the plot unfolds. Zorbas t he Greek† successfully depicts situations of extreme anger, sadness, lust and joy that conquer humans during their course in life. Alexis Zorbas reactions to such feelings define the movie and give the viewers a diachronic sense of admiration and amazement towards the main character. â€Å"Zorbas the Greekâ⠂¬  is a social drama whose plot focuses in the friendship of Alexis Zorbas, a Greek middle aged man of mysterious past, and Basil, a half-English half-Greek writer who has been raised in Great Britain and has all the characteristics of an edgy, middle-class Englishman.The story begins at the port of Piraeus when Basil is trying to get on a ship to Crete, where he owns some land and an old mine, which he wishes to revive. While in the port, Basil meets Zorbas. Zorbas with a peculiar way attaches himself to Basil and asks him for a job, listing all his â€Å"qualifications† from past occupations such as miner, cook and santuri player (Cretan musical instrument). Basil is intrigued by the character of Zorbas and agrees to take him along as his right-hand. Together they arrive at Crete where they stay at an old French widow’s house and later on move in at Basil’s land and start operating the mine.Throughout the story Zorbas is the person in charge of the mine and has several ideas for improving the mining process with the purpose of making more money. Basil seems to trust Zorbas and supports his ideas. But Zorbas ideas and â€Å"practical approach† prove disastrous – at the end this â€Å"collaboration† leads to the demise of the mine and everything they have worked for. The story ends with the separation of Zorbas and Basil with no hard feelings left behind. Zorbas takes his own way and Basil returns back to London having his character greatly influenced through the experiences he shared with Zorbas in Crete. Zorbas the Greek† should be seen in the context of the Greek/Cretan history and culture at the time. Crete had just been gained its independence from the Ottoman rule and joined Greece (1913). The French, Russians, Italians and British were generally helping Greece gain its independence from the Ottomans. However Cretans viewed newcomer foreigners as â€Å"outsiders† and generally alienated them. Furth ermore the citizens of Crete had a notion of self-justice and a sense of self-instituted law.Throughout the film there are several violent events that take place but there is no involvement of police or any form of public officers. Basil, who is considered a â€Å"foreigner† despite being half-Cretan, at some point holds a love affair with a lonely young widow (played by Irene Papas). She is brave, beautiful and, most importantly, independent. The men of the village despise her because according to Zorbas â€Å"they all want her, but no one can have her†. Such a statement was unheard of in a strongly patriarchic society such as Crete.When this relation between the foreigner and the widow was revealed, a young local boy who loved the widow and was trying to marry her was so devastated that committed suicide. The male population of the village was full of anger and jealousy so it took action. The widow was marked as a traitor and was publically lynched despite the attemp ts of Zorba to protect her. This incident to the viewer may be seen as meanness and ignorance on the part of the people of the village, however it was quite common at the time to bestow such judgments to the women who didn’t follow communal rules. M.Cacoyannis, staged this event with realism and intensity that transfers to the viewer the agony of this woman and the gruesomeness of the actions against her. Fast paced music is played during the scene, and the men of the village chase the widow for several minutes in a manner that can be compared to the way many cats chase a mouse. The only voices that are heard are the agonizing small shouts of the widow and the fast paced footsteps of her pursuers. The faces of the villagers are almost without emotion and when they finally trap the woman there is no hesitation in their actions.The only man who tries to oppose the intended murder is Zorbas. Through his determination he manages to stop momentarily the flow of villagers violent a ctions. Nevertheless he ultimately failed as the widow was murdered in a cold-blooded manner right in front of her lover’s eyes. This event depicts an aspect of Zorbas character, the bravery to â€Å"swim against the flow†. Unlike his friend and employer, Basil, he didn’t cower behind the crowd in fear of the potential reactions to his actions. Instead he stepped up against the mob and defended the justice he believed in.Nonetheless he did not mourn the deceased, nor did he mention the event again. In the film M. Cacoyannis touches the subject of death with a rather unconventional manner for the time. The subject of death is brought up in two occasions within the film. The first is with the death of Basil’s lover, the widow, and the second is with the death of Zorbas lover. When Zorbas and Basil first arrived at Crete they stayed at Madame Hortense’s hotel. Madame Hortense was a French woman who arrived at Crete with the French military after the e nd of the Othman rule.Within the film she claimed to be the lover not only of the French Admiral but also of the Russian, Italian and English Admirals. The fact that she was French and had multiple lovers was unheard of at Crete, and as a result she was the mocked and alienated by the village. After the departure of the European forces Madame Hortense was left alone back in Crete. In order to survive she created her own version of the famous French hotel, â€Å"Hotel Rich†, which was nothing more than a run-down house. At that hotel Zorbas decided to stay after arriving to Crete and soon he established intimate relationships with his hostess.Madame Hortense as presented from M. Cacoyannis arouses negative feelings to the viewers sometimes almost reaching disgust. She is viewed as a relic of the past always reminiscing about her Admirals and considering herself charming and irresistible. Zorbas quickly recognizes that aspect of her character; yet he maintains their relationshi p claiming â€Å"It is a shame to every man if a woman sleeps alone at night†. Through a misunderstanding Madame Hortense misinterprets that Zorbas wants to marry her while he had no intention to.Zorbas was not very affectionate about Madame Hortense, since he was badmouthing her when she wasn’t around, and cheating on her with other women. However when he learned about the misunderstanding he decided to marry her for the sole purpose of making her happy. Shortly after the marriage Madame Hortense became ill and died. The village people â€Å"celebrated† this event by stripping her house from all her possessions. The older women of the village are presented almost as vultures waiting for the pending death of the victim.Just about she was to die they rushed in and started stealing all the valuable objects from the hotel. Zorbas disgusted by this behavior he tried to stop it as long Hortnese was still alive, and until the end he stayed by her side acting as a lovi ng husband and keeping her company at the last moments of her life. Through this event the viewer understands an unknown until then aspect of Zorbas character, his immense kindness. With no apparent self-profit he selflessly tried to preserve Madame Hortense happiness by agreeing to marry her and staying with her until the end.However after the death of Madame Hortense he refuses neither to mourn her nor to take any actions to protect her possessions or her reputation. He steps out of the room letting the villagers take her possessions and he does not bother with funeral arrangements or other religious rituals. His views on death were openly opposing the ones of Orthodox religion and church that believed in Hell, Paradise and Judgment day, he simply stated â€Å"All people have one thing in common, in the end they all become food for worms. Along with the views on death, in the film M. Cacoyannis somehow mocks the Greek Religion and church. Before discussing the matter of Religion within the film, one must understand the importance of the Church for Greece at the time. As mentioned before Greece was released by the Othman rule and greatly influence by the major European forces. Within this chaos of different cultures interfering with the Greek culture, the Greeks struggled to maintain their identity and preserve their culture on which they take great pride in.Many actions were made such as an attempt of purification of the Greek language through the extraction of all the foreign words and creating a new dialect named â€Å"Katharevousa† which is rarely used in the film. Along with other actions a great power and land was given to the Greek Orthodox church, supporting the Christian religion which was much different than the Muslim religion, the one that Othmans believed in and thus enhancing the ethnic identity of the Greek population. In the film the Church appears as the owner of a big mountain that Zorbas wanted to exploit in order to support the lum ber needs of the mine.When he suggests his idea to Basil he is shocked and refuses by saying that he will be subjected to the accusation of theft, when trying to convince him Zorbas states that â€Å"This land belongs to the church, the church belongs to God and God belongs to everyone thus everybody can take their share of the land†. While arguing with Basil, Zorbas maintains a mocking tone when referring to the church and God, however in the end he agrees to â€Å"cut a deal with them†. The first meeting of the Church’s monks and Zorbas happened by chance in the mountain forest.Knowing their gullibility Zorbas deceives them into initially believing that he is a devil, and then in secrecy he replaced some water with wine. The priests believed the apparent miracle, that was incredibly similar to the one Jesus performed, and so viewed Zorbas as a blessed person. They drank the wine with him until they were completely drunk and so Zorbas gained their friendship an d his desired access to the mountain trees. Further appearance of the priests in the movie was almost in a comical manner; either being a target of Zorbas mockery, or cowards running away from some falling trees while praying to God.This presentation of the Church by M. Cacoyannis is quite contrevential to society’s image of the church at the time. The priests who were considered wise and virtuous figures within the society were portrayed as gullible drunks who were easily manipulated, and thus within the film the powerful image of the church was completely crumbled. One of the most dominant themes in the film is the contrast between the Apollonian and Dionysian way of life. Basil representing the Apollonian way of life is the personification of order and rationality.On the other hand Zorbas represents the Dionysian way of life with an ecstatic spirit and spontaneity in his actions, which provide him an undying will to live. Zorbas philosophy of life is constantly depicted in the movie. When he first meets with Basil and convinces him to work together he sets only one condition; that while he dances and plays the santury(a traditional Greek music instrument) he is on his own, he is free. M. Cacoyannis portrays Zorbas character through the frantic traditional Greek dance that Zorbas starts when his emotions are overflowing.The fist dance happens when Basil approves the plan of Zorbas in order to improve the mine. Zorbas filled with happiness unties his tie, unbuttons his shirt gets on an empty table and starts dancing. When his feet start to move traditional Greek music starts playing, in the beginning slow passed and as times goes by it becomes incredibly fast as Zorbas reaches his dance climax. The camera shifts very vigorously from his face to his feet and again to his face and transfers the feeling of frenzy to the viewer. The dance goes on until Basil confused stops him and Zorbas collapses from exhaustion.Basil’s character as acted by Alan B ates is presented as a weak bookworm who has no great aspirations for his future. He rarely laughs and shows no desire to grab the opportunities life offers him. Throughout the film the contrast of their characters is constantly being depicted. When Zorbas describes to Basil his plans for life and his dreams of becoming rich along with him, Basil is greatly intimidated and cuts of Zorbas by saying, â€Å"aren’t you going a bit to fast? † Zorbas answer to this question is well in line with his Dionysian way of life.He states with great vigor that â€Å"I’m to old to be going slow, people say that as a person ages his will to live goes away, that he opens the door and welcomes death. That’s a big pack of lies, I have enough fight in me to devour the whole world†. As expected, Zorbas influence on Basil’s character is becoming rather obvious throughout the film. From a passive manner of life Basil starts desiring things from life and after sever al prompts from Zorbas he decides to take the first step in creating a relationship between him and the village widow.As the story unfolds Basil starts laughing more and more and attempts to dance in the same manner as Zorbas does. His timid way of dancing in the beginning is accompanied by slow Greek music that is constantly interrupted by the missteps in Basils dance. The complete transformation of Basil’s way of life is viewed at the final scene of the movie, where after the disaster of Zorbas plans, instead of being angry he decides the next course of his life, laughs, and dances magnificently along with Zorbas by the Aegean Sea. The final theme of the movie is about the ability of humans to cope with failure.The film is full of failures; failure of Basil to protect his lover, failure of Zorbas to revive the mine, and finally the greater failure, the disaster of the project to bring down lumber from the mountain. This project was financed by the last money of Basil and de signed by Zorbas. The trees were supposed to be transferred from the top of the mountain to the bottom with the help of a large construction. At the first demonstration of the project, the construction is destroyed to the point that nothing was standing anymore.The crowd that was observing quickly dispersed and all that was left in the scenery was Zorbas and Basil watching their failed investment. Nevertheless they both sit down by the already prepared celebration fire, eat their lunch without frustration or negative emotions. They both discuss their future plans as nothing has happened. They decide to separate and they have one of the most affectionate conversations that are present within the film. Finally they both get up and dance by the ruins of their failure hopping for the best and aiming for a better future.The film’s setting, Crete, is realistically depicted throughout the film and the Cretan culture is represented very accurately. The plot unfolds in a remote villag e of Crete close to the major city of Chania. M. Cacoyannis tries to express the Greek culture not through Zorbas but through the people in the village that have secondary role to the plot. The clothing of the male citizens was usually black representing their masculinity, and their forehead was covered with a traditional black cloth, which made them look even more aggressive.The majority of the male citizens carried daggers, a weapon that until today is considered, by the Cretans, to represent honor and bravery. The murder of the young widow is done with the use of a dagger, since it was considered an act that would reinstate the village’s honor. In the progress of the film no young woman except Irini Papas is presented, this may be the way of M. Cacoyannis to emphasize the power of the male population in the village of Crete. Nevertheless many elder women are seen through the course of the movie, all of them presented with ugly and selfish personalities.All the Greek women on the film wear black clothes that cover most of their body. This clothing in the Greek culture represents the grief of a widowed woman, and in the past widows in Greece where forced to dress like this for the rest of their life. On the other hand men did not have to change their lifestyle in any way after the death of their wife, this again signifies the difference of power between men and women in the Cretan society. The events that are described in the film as mentioned before are a few decades after the liberty of Crete from the Othman domination. Since then many events have transformed Crete’s culture.With Greece’s entry to the European Union at 1981, western influences started stirring Crete’s culture. The clothes, which are commonly worn in the film, have now become almost extinct and are only used occasionally in traditional events such as marriages. Tourism, which was considered a rare occasion among the villagers, has flourished in Greece since the 19 70’s. Ironically â€Å"Zorbas the Greek† and its success in the movie theaters was a great contributor to this radical increase in tourism. Today tourism is one of the most profiting industries in Greece, and no part of the country has remained unaffected, and Crete is no exception.The standing’s in society between women and men have become today almost equal, and the action of alienating foreigners has completely disappeared. However some things have not yet changed through the years. Cretan’s have still the same sense of honor and pride, and especially in the villages native Cretan’s continue to institute their self-instituted justice. Daggers continue to be a method of solving disputes, and feuds between families can continue for many generations, and occasionally have a morbid conclusion. The influence of the Orthodox Church on the community has also been decreased in the past decades.The Church is still extremely wealthy, however parts of the land have been returned to the Greek State, and Greek communities have become much less religious over the years. It can be said that the community and culture that Zorbas lived in has been almost completely transformed and become unrecognizable at the 21st century. It is crucial to mention however that throughout the film Zorbas shows no attachments to that specific culture or any culture. He is presented as a man with his own culture that has lots of experience from traveling the world and can adapt himself in any situation that occurs.That is one of the factors that make him a diachronic character. â€Å"Zorbas the Greek† is a film that depicts the Greek culture in its transition from being influence by the East to being influenced by the West. The film itself was a turning point for Greece since it was one of the big factors that attracted tourism to the country. Nevertheless the differences in cultures and the audience of the movie have not changed its diachronic message s that are represented through the friendship and characters of Zorbas and Basil.The need to combine the Apollonian and Dionysian state of mind, to laugh at the misfortunes and failures that emerge in life and fight through them with vigor and the ability to dream. These are just some of the philosophies that are promoted through the film, and perhaps the 21st century is when they are needed the most. Maybe along with some madness because as Zorbas mentioned at the final scene of the movie: â€Å" A man needs some madness, or else he dare not to cut the rope and be free†. ——————————————- [ 1 ]. â€Å"Crete History: A description of history of Crete, Greece . † 1. Web. 19 Nov 2009. . [ 2 ]. â€Å"The Greek Language Controversy . † Focus on Language (2000): 1. Web. 19 Nov 2009. [ 3 ]. Kreis, Steven. â€Å"Nietzsche, Dionysos and Apollo. † (2000): 1. Web. 19 Nov 2009. . [ 4 ]. Lanz, Barbara. â€Å"Mourning Dress . † Social Expression of Grief by Barbara Lanz. (1983): 1. Web. 19 Nov 2009. . [ 5 ]. † One dead, many hurt in Cretan family feud Dress . † Ekathimerini (2009): 1. Web. 19 Nov 2009. .