Salesforce Case Study

1 . How does Salesforce. com use cloud computing? Salesforce. com use clound computing software as a service . Many advantages and disadvantages come with using the software-as-a-service model. Some of the advantages include: Automatic updates- This means that the user will always be getting the latest version of the software, with no new downloads required. No installs- You don’t have to worry about installing software onto any of the computers. This leaves less room for compatibility issues for computers. Usually if you use a standard web browser, more than likely you will be able to use the service. Low Cost- The upfront cost of cloud computing is small. The user can space the payments out over a period of time, paying monthly payments. Doing this avoids any large upfront costs. There are also disadvantages of using this model. These include: Security issues- Since software-as-a-service is not run directly by the company using it, it is possible that the information can be seen and leaked by others who run the program. Online connection-An online connection is needed to run the system. Therefore if you are somewhere without internet service, you will be unable to use the program. Ongoing payments-Ongoing payments are necessary to keep the service going. Unlike regular software where you only pay one payment to install it, if you don’t pay for the services your account will be shutoff. 2. How does Salesforce. com use cloud computing? AnsSalesforce has come across several challenges throughout its growth. One of these challenges is competition from new businesses wanting to replicate Salesforce and also from traditional industrial leaders. A few of these competitors includes Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, and smaller companies such as NetSuite. Another challenge for Salesforce is deciding if it should expand its business into other areas. As of now, Salesforce is used mainly by sales staff to keep track of leads and customer lists. Salesforce has formed a partnership with Google to hopefully expand functionally. A third challenge for Salesforce is its availability. It has occasional outages, causing companies that depend on Salesforce to be available 27/7 to rethink their usage as software as a service. Salesforce is working very hard to overcome these challenges. They are doing their best to keep up with competitors and to expand their business. They are also providing tools to assure dependability to their clients about the systems reliability. They are offering an application that allows users to work offline, which is a big advantage in case a person is unable to have internet service and needs to use the system. 3. What kinds of businesses could benefit from switching to Salesforce and why? Ans. Just about any company could benefit by switching to Salesforce. com. Salesforce is a great way for companies to keep track of records and information. Almost every company needs a place to be able to manage these types of things. Salesforce gives companies a single place to store all their information and can only be accessed by authorized employees. 4. What factors would you take into account in deciding whether to use Saleforce. com for your business? One of the factors I would take into consideration when deciding if I would use Salesforce for my business is its reliability. If my company had a rough time with its internet service, then I probably wouldn’t use Salesforce, considering that internet service is a requirement. I would also determine if my company would have the money to continuously pay for the program. I would think about its security issues and how that could affect my business. I would also think about how no installation is needed. This means that it’s one less software I have to download on my computer to slow it down and take up storage space. I consider this to be a really big advantage to using Salesforce. 5. Could a company run its entire business using Salesforce. com, Force. com, and App Exchange? Explain your answer. Yes, a company could run its entire business using Salesforce. com and App Exchange. From what I have seen on the Salesforce. com website, it can accommodate businesses processes such as sales, marketing, finance, manufacturing, and HR. When I looked up all the different applications on App Exchange, I saw that there are apps for just about everything. Applications can support tasks such as emailing, creating documents, and e-signatures. Between Salesforce. com and App Exchange, a company has everything necessary to successfully run a business.

Black Poems Essay

In the past during apartheid being black meant you lost out in many privileges it also showed how black people where oppressed. In this poem we see that Mbongeni Khumalo uses the word black in connection to all the bad things. He highlights that there is this darkness associated with the colour black and that in the 1960’s when someone called you a black person it showed nothing good and that no one should be proud of being black. He also looks at all the words that start with â€Å"black† and if one looks deep into them then we see that there’s a deeper meaning to that particular word and that it has got something to do with wrong doing or bad happenings. The first line of the poem reads â€Å"you don’t need a BLACK-BELT to write blackpoems†, if one looks at this line and critique it then we see that he says that one doesn’t need a black belt to write black poem and the way it is written from the small letter at the beginning of the sentence to the to the black belt in a big font and black poems as one word this shows that as a black person no one really paid attention to the diction of the poem. â€Å"B/LACK† when one looks at this word and the way it has been written then you can interpret it as be lack, as if he’s trying to point out that when you are black you lack in something. He further one uses the word â€Å"prac-teasing† and instead of writing practising he uses the teasing showing that he was isolated for mocking black art but in his own right one can argue that he was not mocking it but just highlighting the points that were true and that there was a time when anything that was done by a black person was just done and not taken seriously, a black person could only go so far with their art. â€Å"Trampling my so(u)l/e/† the way he has chosen to break down the word soul in a way that one can say he is trampling the word himself and he also adds an â€Å"e† at the end which shows that he can do anything to this poem since it is a black poem. â€Å"Served sausages made from minced pork and call(ed) it BLACK PUDDING† one can say that it was called black pudding because in the black culture the only time that the families ever ate pudding which consisted of custard and fruit was during Christmas otherwise black people always feasted with meat he could also have been referring to himself as the black sheep because he did not eat meat and in that case being black and not eating meat meant that you were a different type of black person and therefore you were out casted and you were a black sheep. â€Å"I suffered a BLACK DEATH at the hands of a BLACK GUARD†, what the writer brings out in this line is how black people still killed each other regardless of the fact that they were all oppressed by the same people for the same reason. The guards were also said to be puppies for the oppressors so that the hit on them could be lighter and that they could spare them their lives. So it shows that black people were also turned against each other and killed each other just so that they can hold their own end. The language that he has chosen to use is simple but the was in which he has broken down his words and placed them in way that one could clearly see the point he is trying to make about black poems. As one carries on to read this poem you could say that this is not a black poem but a poem about black people. He uses a playful tone but at the same time the way he stresses some words to show his point and the double meanings behind them. He also used the words to show what was happening in that time to black people trying to pass on the torch of awareness so that people could stop being naive and actually know how things were done in that time. He attracts the reader by his title which is â€Å"BLAK POWEMS† which shows the way he wrote it as if he were a actually saying it in a Bantu accent, so he chose to write it the way he would say it because no one really paid close attention to the diction and the style of the way black poets wrote their poems because it always ended up being black people reading each others poems. The way this poem has been written it shows well that it is protest poem in such a sense as when one looks at the diction used in this poem and the style of writing that the poet has chosen to use. He plays with associations surrounding blackness to put his point across of how blackness is associated with bas things and in this case particularly back in the 1960’s during times of black oppression and apartheid. The tone of this poem is in a playful but honest manner, not harsh but it keeps one intrigued that there could be so many things associated with the colour black that represent a darker side of life and the poet does a good job of bringing them out and also highlighting them. This poem makes the reader see the problems that the past could add on to a simple phrase or word. The word black in this poem has been separated and put on a spectrum whereby we can all see the negatives that could and that are surrounding this one word in particular. The poet has also made us think of how history played out and he did this not by writing that in the 1960’s this is what happened but he used words that show or highlight the main events of the 60’s.

A Rose for Emily Analysis

2) What does the title of the story suggest about the townspeople’s feelings toward Miss Emily? Why do they feel this way about her? (Or: What does she represent to them? ) Is there anything ironic about their feelings? The title of the story suggests that the townspeople have some sort of caring feeling towards her, since a rose is usually a symbol of care or love. They feel some sort of respect to her and her family, since they are the last remnant of the traditional south and the only ones who embrace it the most. The townspeople actually have a pity for her, because after her father died, the association of her being higher class lowered. Then, it was lowered the most when she started to spend time with Homer Barron because he was from the North and a day laborer, and thought Miss Emily should have been with someone of higher status, as she was brought up. 3) Describe and discuss the symbolism of Miss Emily’s house. The dust all over the interior of Miss Emily’s house symbolizes the traditional south which Miss Emily continues to embrace mentally through her actions and visually through the looks of her house. The traditional south ways are being abandoned, but Emily refuses to go along. The traditional south ways are old, and Emily wants to stay attached to them, so they linger throughout her home in the visual form of old dust. The portrait of her father symbolizes also that Emily does not want to adjust to the new times. He lived his life in the traditional times, and she did not want to believe that he was dead. The portrait symbolizes his everlasting presence in Emily’s life, even after his death. 4) What is the role of the â€Å"smell† incident in the story. What other problems has Miss Emily caused the local authorities? The role of the smell incident gives suspicion as to what it is in Miss Emily’s house that is causing it. It gives suspicion that it is something like a dead body, because only such things like a dead body can have such a permeating odor able to reach outside. Miss Emily also has not paid the taxes and thinks she is still entitled to the tax waiver that Colonel Sartoris gave to her, even though he is dead. 5) How do the townspeople know what they know about Miss Emily’s life? What is the source of their information? The townspeople know what they do about her house from when the Aldermen visited the inside of her house. They were the ones who saw how dusty and creepy it was inside of the Grierson house. They also get the minister’s wife to get in contact with her relatives, who then come and visit. They also know most of the information they know by simply keeping track of her and seeing her do the things she does, such as buy the poison, and buy the wedding gifts. They all find out by gossiping and sharing the things they see, especially the older women. 6) Consider the mixed quality of the townspeople’s reactions to Miss Emily’s â€Å"failures†. 7) What is the significance of Miss Emily’s actions after the death of her father? Miss Emily tried to keep the body of her father with her in her house. This signifies that she did not want to accept the fact that he was dead. She was lonely, and did not want him to go too, like her lover that had recently left her. He was part of the last of the Grierson family and had shaped her whole life, so she did not want to let him go. 8) What role does Homer Barron play in the story? Is there anything ironic about a match between him and Miss Emily? Homer Barron plays the newcomer to town who Miss Emily succeeds with in her ruesome plans for him. The irony in their relationship is that they are from different regions, which did not have a good relationship back then, because of the Civil War. Homer was from the North, and represented the new innovation of the coming future. Miss Emily has remained in the South all her life and wishes to stay practicing her values and not adjust to changes in life. It is also ironic that after all of the upbringing from her father sending away men who were not â€Å"high enough in class† for her, that she would choose Homer as her partner. Her father would have never approved of him. 9) Look closely at the second paragraph in section five. What does this paragraph suggest about the nature of the people’s memories of the past? 10) What is the horrible revelation about Miss Emily that the story ends with? How is this related to the overall meaning of the story? The horrible revelation about Miss Emily is that she actually used the rat poison to kill Homer, and even more grotesque, she kept his body frozen in time so that he could stay with her forever. We also find a gray hair from Miss Emily, which means that she laid down next to the body in the bed for her own satisfaction. This is related to the overall meaning of the story because it shows how Miss Emily was determined to live life and have things the way she wanted them, and she didn’t care that the times were changing or that her actions were socially unacceptable. She lived the rest of her life devoted to the traditional ways of the south, and did not want to accept any changes. A Rose for Emily Analysis 2) What does the title of the story suggest about the townspeople’s feelings toward Miss Emily? Why do they feel this way about her? (Or: What does she represent to them? ) Is there anything ironic about their feelings? The title of the story suggests that the townspeople have some sort of caring feeling towards her, since a rose is usually a symbol of care or love. They feel some sort of respect to her and her family, since they are the last remnant of the traditional south and the only ones who embrace it the most. The townspeople actually have a pity for her, because after her father died, the association of her being higher class lowered. Then, it was lowered the most when she started to spend time with Homer Barron because he was from the North and a day laborer, and thought Miss Emily should have been with someone of higher status, as she was brought up. 3) Describe and discuss the symbolism of Miss Emily’s house. The dust all over the interior of Miss Emily’s house symbolizes the traditional south which Miss Emily continues to embrace mentally through her actions and visually through the looks of her house. The traditional south ways are being abandoned, but Emily refuses to go along. The traditional south ways are old, and Emily wants to stay attached to them, so they linger throughout her home in the visual form of old dust. The portrait of her father symbolizes also that Emily does not want to adjust to the new times. He lived his life in the traditional times, and she did not want to believe that he was dead. The portrait symbolizes his everlasting presence in Emily’s life, even after his death. 4) What is the role of the â€Å"smell† incident in the story. What other problems has Miss Emily caused the local authorities? The role of the smell incident gives suspicion as to what it is in Miss Emily’s house that is causing it. It gives suspicion that it is something like a dead body, because only such things like a dead body can have such a permeating odor able to reach outside. Miss Emily also has not paid the taxes and thinks she is still entitled to the tax waiver that Colonel Sartoris gave to her, even though he is dead. 5) How do the townspeople know what they know about Miss Emily’s life? What is the source of their information? The townspeople know what they do about her house from when the Aldermen visited the inside of her house. They were the ones who saw how dusty and creepy it was inside of the Grierson house. They also get the minister’s wife to get in contact with her relatives, who then come and visit. They also know most of the information they know by simply keeping track of her and seeing her do the things she does, such as buy the poison, and buy the wedding gifts. They all find out by gossiping and sharing the things they see, especially the older women. 6) Consider the mixed quality of the townspeople’s reactions to Miss Emily’s â€Å"failures†. 7) What is the significance of Miss Emily’s actions after the death of her father? Miss Emily tried to keep the body of her father with her in her house. This signifies that she did not want to accept the fact that he was dead. She was lonely, and did not want him to go too, like her lover that had recently left her. He was part of the last of the Grierson family and had shaped her whole life, so she did not want to let him go. 8) What role does Homer Barron play in the story? Is there anything ironic about a match between him and Miss Emily? Homer Barron plays the newcomer to town who Miss Emily succeeds with in her ruesome plans for him. The irony in their relationship is that they are from different regions, which did not have a good relationship back then, because of the Civil War. Homer was from the North, and represented the new innovation of the coming future. Miss Emily has remained in the South all her life and wishes to stay practicing her values and not adjust to changes in life. It is also ironic that after all of the upbringing from her father sending away men who were not â€Å"high enough in class† for her, that she would choose Homer as her partner. Her father would have never approved of him. 9) Look closely at the second paragraph in section five. What does this paragraph suggest about the nature of the people’s memories of the past? 10) What is the horrible revelation about Miss Emily that the story ends with? How is this related to the overall meaning of the story? The horrible revelation about Miss Emily is that she actually used the rat poison to kill Homer, and even more grotesque, she kept his body frozen in time so that he could stay with her forever. We also find a gray hair from Miss Emily, which means that she laid down next to the body in the bed for her own satisfaction. This is related to the overall meaning of the story because it shows how Miss Emily was determined to live life and have things the way she wanted them, and she didn’t care that the times were changing or that her actions were socially unacceptable. She lived the rest of her life devoted to the traditional ways of the south, and did not want to accept any changes.

Criminal law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Criminal law - Essay Example ocedure of trial of a criminal case through the federal court system usually takes place with the following: 1) Grand Jury Indictment, 2) Arrest and Bail Hearing, 3) Arraignment, 4) Discovery of Evidence and Filing Motions, and 5) Trial or Guilty Plea. State Court Prosecution Process. State Court prosecution process is considered to be a â€Å"typical criminal case progress† that basically goes â€Å"through the system†. However, the procedures and terms may differ in some ways depending on the state’s or country’s jurisdiction. The procedure begins after the crime is committed. I think it is necessary that accused citizens should undergo a centralized prosecution process instead of classifying them if federal or state court. Having simplified prosecution process will be liken as measuring the case in the standard measurement every accused in order to get the desired result in prosecution. However, due to the sensitive and subjective nature of crimes being committed by different citizens, the various procedures that are designed into federal and state courts are considerable even it takes the prosecution in multi-layer pace. Lindsey, David. â€Å"Colorado Federal Prosecutions Lawyer.†David Lindsey Attorney At Law. 2011

Marketing campaigns of pepsi versus coca cola internationally Dissertation

Marketing campaigns of pepsi versus coca cola internationally - Dissertation Example However the weakened buying power of the consumer has also affected the consumer goods and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FRMCGs). This is because in general due to reduced jobs and lack of earning opportunities the consumers have reduced their spending on luxury items. This is even more evident in weaker economies and badly hit markets. As can be expected with an economic downturn, the reduced demand leads to more vigorous sales tactics. The companies try to increase sales or keep the sales levels on pre recession levels by introducing newer products. Many industries even face their worst nightmare of price wars. In order to increase sales the competitors try to reduce their gross profit margins. This strategy however mostly leads to suffering of the entire industry. The cola industry has evolved much over the last few decades. There was a time when the cola wars were in their full might. The competition between Coca Cola and Pepsi is an old rivalry. The battle for international domina nce is now not being fought in United States or Europe. This was the case during the cola wars. The new turf for this battle is none other than the emerging markets with their large populations and booming economies. The two giants have deployed interesting and diversified marketing strategies to dominate global markets. The term diversified here describes the unique strategies adopted for each different region. A very interesting example is the diversified portfolio of Pepsi China which will be studied and analyzed in detail. Literature Review Pepsi and Coca Cola (Coke) have always been at war with each other and this war has made their numerous encounters known as The Cola Wars. Today, both brands are well recognized all over the world where everyone has heard of the both brands at least once in their life. Whether its intense penetration strategy by flooding the market with their drinks or branding the logo on events and even celebrities, these two cola drinks have made sure peop le never get tired of them. It’s interesting to see how the two launched themselves initially and later transformed themselves into global warriors. Both used different strategies for this purpose and even though both of them have had their ups and downs, they have remained persistent which has left the brand impression on the minds of the masses. The very first marketing campaign in 1969 that Pepsi launched was based on the idea to attract youth and the young generation so that the drink would have something â€Å"cool† to associate themselves with (Bachmeier, 2009). The slogan â€Å"You’re in the Pepsi Generation† led the brand itself later on as well when the company continued to associate itself with the media and the popular entertainment figures so that it can maintain its hip image. Pepsi’s association with Michael Jackson and his famous Billie Jean song was one of the best decisions that the brand made which led the drink to be propelled to unlimited heights. The slogans of 1984 till 1997 which played on the notions of being young and hip made the brand launch itself with the same theme outside its physical borders as well geographically. With the logo of the â€Å"

Documentary film Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Documentary film - Movie Review Example I thought that Ben Bernanke and Henry Paulson were correct in wanting to prevent institutions such as Behr Sterns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Lehman Brothers from going bankrupt. It appeared that if one financial institution was allowed to fail than a domino effect would begin to occur. In many cases, that did begin to happen when there was a refusal to bail out Lehman Brothers. When Lehman Brothers failed, it froze a lot of money for banks to lend out for short-term loans, which in effect halted a lot of the commerce that occurs within the country on a daily basis. The compromise of preventing Behr Stern from going bankrupt by selling their stock shares off to JP Morgan for $2 per share seemed like an extreme measure initially. However after some thought, it was probably the best option for both the company, the economy and the Federal Reserve. While all parties wanted to avoid adverse effects of Behr Stern going bankrupt, selling off the shares for such a low price definitely sent a message that this type of assistance from the Federal Reserve to fix these types of faulty business practices would come with consequences. There was also a lot of criticism towards the idea of giving capital injections to bail out large institutions, such as giving $80 billion to AIG to prevent them from going bankrupt or covering the $30 billion in toxic assets to Behr Stern. I understand the arguments against the idea, however I do not think that some of the arguments were made on fact and were made more on political principle. For example, many in Congress did not want to support the bill to give money to bail out the financial companies because they felt it went against the idea of free and open markets. While giving money to private companies did go against the idea of a free market economy, there were many experts and evidence showing that a bailout

Qualitative Methods in Research Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Qualitative Methods in Research - Case Study Example Exeter City Council is unhappy on certain counts about the way in which the festival is being conducted. The Council is interested to find out which events of the festival is being liked by the visitors, and what improvements in the opinion of the visitors must be done to make the festival more effective from the cultural and economic point of view. The Council is un-desirous of using the questionnaire survey method. It is interested in engaging some social research method that can provide an in-depth analysis of the views and opinions of the visitors and on that basis want to devise new programmes for conducting the festival in the future. In general the qualitative research is being supported by different research methods such as ethnography, participant observation, direct observation, unstructured interviewing, case studies, content analysis, and focus groups. The method of ethnography is used normally in research issues connected with the anthropological issues where the method entails an extended period of participant observation, it is considered unsuitable for this study. ... (2) To outline the programme of research for the method selected to do the research and also to detail the features of the research method that makes it suitable for the study (3) To present the final report to the City Council on the recommendations of the research method and the ways in which the qualitative data can be interpreted 4.0 Method In general the qualitative research is being supported by different research methods such as ethnography, participant observation, direct observation, unstructured interviewing, case studies, content analysis, and focus groups. The method of ethnography is used normally in research issues connected with the anthropological issues where the method entails an extended period of participant observation, it is considered unsuitable for this study. Next came in to consideration is the research based on more or less exclusive interviews which is considered as a better alternative for the collection of qualitative data. However interviewing, the transcription of the interviews and the process of analysing the transcripts are all very time consuming. Hence the focus groups and group interviewing is considered as the best suitable method for conducting the research for gathering the qualitative data for advising the Exeter City Council on the possible issues in conducting the festival in the perspective of the visitors. 4.1 Focus Groups Academic literature has provided various definitions to the term 'focus group'. The following are some of the important elements which the focus group method has contributed to the field of social research: Organised discussion (Kitzinger, 1994) Collective

Hw Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hw - Speech or Presentation Example Compute the results from a hypothesis test of p1=p2 (with a 0.05 significance level) and a 95% confidence interval estimate of p1-p2 A study investigated survival rates for in- hospital patients who suffered cardiac arrests. Among 58593 patients who had cardiac arrest during the day, 11604 survived and were discharged. Among 28155patients who had attacks at night, 4138 survived and were discharged. We want to use 0.01 significance level to test the claim that survival rates are the same for the days and nights. .In a randomized controlled trial in Kenya, insecticide treated bed nets were tested as a way to reduce malaria. Among the 343 infants using bed nets, 15 developed malaria. Among 294 infants not using bed nets, 27 developed malaria. (Based on data from sustainability of reductions in malaria transmission and infant mortality in western Kenya with use of insecticide treated bed nets. By Lindblade et al. Journal of the American medical Association.) We want to use a 0.02 significance level to test the claim that the incidence of malaria is lower 9n infants using bed nets. The results are statistically significant since they provide the information required for statistical estimation. However, the results are not practical since it is not easy to estimate and improve the

British Airways Logistics and Operations Management Assignment

British Airways Logistics and Operations Management - Assignment Example Some of the respective areas where the organization has ventured include investing in latest modern technology that has since brought considerable improvement in terms of flexibility, dependability, quality and cost (Greasley 2013). Thesis statement: British Airways has implemented innovative approaches in its logistics and operations management. Communication and coordination technology According to Greasley, (2013), for an effective and efficient coordination, an airline company must consider reliable communication systems, which are made available at the control towers or throughout other respective departments. The British airways has invested heavily in technological personnel and the expatriates responsible for the management for the flight operations, dispatch of cargo to and from the airport, ground maintenance staff and members who assist the passengers with the reservation amongst other issues. Firstly, the organization has put in place integrations of information systems t o the center of control that facilitates coordination and effective communication throughout all the branches. For instance, the automation improves dissemination of information relevant both at the internal operations and to external operations. Consider personnel such as air traffic controller, the pilot on board and the rest of the colleagues who are actively involved with maintenance at the hangers. The use of information systems allows them to have faster exchange of data or any other relevant information more rapidly and efficiently. Through the integration of the information systems, British Airways has succeeded in reduction of miscommunication either from the center to the centers of controls or, the employees of the other departments since the information is available in real time to almost all the relevant bodies concerned. Moreover, automation has also led to economical advantages such as conservation of fuel, proper usage of time and appropriate time management through effective planning of cargo handling. This process of operations has successfully led to the total improvement of returns based on reception of new cargo on transit and those under dispatch (Slack et al 2011). Automated flight dispatch British Airways has an automated flying dispatch intercepted through special tracking device systems in almost all its active flights. The flight dispatch systems have enabled efficient conservation of flight fuel through the modern planning mechanisms. The use of this technology helps in the moderation of navigation of planes automatically. Moreover, such systems are interconnected to the flight management system on board a craft and are capable of calculating the flight speed based on the weight of the plane and the current atmospheric pressure thorough cost indexing. In addition, through the vertical integrations of the minima, the system is able to locate fuel-efficient routes of the planes. In this case, the automated flight dispatch help in econ omizing fuels by avoiding extended duration of waiting before a plane is dispatched. The use of global positioning systems has also helped in the control of winds and turbulence associated with international flights (Christopher 2011). Resource management system The British airline has implemented a resource management system that incorporates intelligent technologies to enable all people involved in this organization to access and

The Mayor of Casterbridge Essay Example for Free

The Mayor of Casterbridge Essay This essay will demonstrate and analyse how Thomas Hardy uses the first two chapters of this book as a prologue to the rest of the novel. To establish this, this essay will include Hardys style and use of language. This sort of style is quite unique, which is probably why he used it. Other important elements are the setting and how they are linked to Hardy himself, the themes and the way he exemplifies characters. The main character, Michael Henchard, is said to be of fine figure and swarthy. He wore a short, brown corduroy jacket, a fustian waistcoat, tanned leggings, white horn buttons and white breeches. Also, he wore a straw hat. At the beginning of the narrative, Michael is holding a tool-bag. This shows that Michael is a man of the trade. This flows with what Hardy says about Henchard being a skilled countryman. Michaels entrance to the story is palpable, but until later on in the novel, we dont actually know his name. Until the 6th page, 3rd paragraph, Michael is referred to as, amongst other things, the man. This gives a bit of suspense as the reader wishes to read further to find out who this person is and what his name. The reader discovers that he is indeed the husband of Susan; the woman he is accompanying. He doesnt play the role of a husband or a father at all (we also find out that he and Susan have a baby called Elizabeth-Jane. He remains using similar behaviour until chapter two. The first time he actually opened his mouth to talk, was, when addressing a worker around Weydon-Priors. The second time, one page later, was when he briefly replied to Susan in pg 4/5, when Susan is telling him to go to the Good Furmity Sold Here tent at the fair, instead of the Good Home-brewed Beer, Ale and Cyder tent. His disinclination to go to the furmity tent is shown when he says, Ive never tasted it. At this point, he finally shows some responsibility as he gave way to he representations ; the her being Susan. His carelessness is again shown on page six, where he gets drunk from the excessive rum in his furmity. He then goes on further, when he states how he got married too young. Michael puts himself and Susan in great shame when he auctions her. At this point, we dont know whether its the drink talking, or if he really feels this way. We are persuaded that Michael really wants to rid of his wife, when, on pages 8/9/10, he pursues his selling, until finally a bidder puts the money on the table and the exchange is made. Hardy shows that Henchard really is a malicious man, without any thought to his responsibility. We know this by the language used; he talks badly of Susan; I married at 18, like the fool that I was; and this is the consequence ot. We finally see the back of Susan, telling us that the exchange was true and complete. Overall, we see that Michael is a man who doesnt see his responsibilities and likes to live a single persons life. He is careless in most of actions and is easily taken under the influence of drink; the reason why he auctioned his wife. In Chapter Two, however, we discover, that Michael didnt have the slightest clue of what he did the previous night. This is shown as he thinks back of what he had done, and showed great regret. We know this as he travels around the fair in search of his wife and later takes a serious oath, for such an alcoholic as Henchard especially. Michael then travels around the Fair in search of Susan. Later, around page 17, we discover Henchard to be making a vow as to not drink spirits for 21 years, as spirit was the reason why he lost his ex-wife; I, Michael Henchard, on this morning of the 16th of September, do take an oath before God here in this solemn place that I will avoid all strong liquors for the space of 21 years. His pledge is significant to the play because it changes his outlook; he becomes a less rowdy person; a Mayor. This also allows him to find Susan, as his perspective is broadened; he can sort out his priorities. Susan is first introduced at the same time as Michael. Shes described as being pretty and having a half-apathetic expression. Michael and Susan have a declining relationship. Susan doesnt converse with Michael and just saunters along with him silently. As with Michael, we dont discover Susans name at first. This is probably because Thomas wants to set the scene first, then the characters, etc. Although we dont know that Susan and Michael are in wedlock, we o know that Susan is the mother of young Elizabeth-Jane. She and Michael dont converse until the dialogue where Susan encourages Michael to go the furmity rent, instead of the alcoholic tent; page 4. This proves that Susan is the most sensible out of the two. Although Susan may have made the most sensible choice, she still didnt escape shame and pain. She discovers Michaels bad side, as he has too much rum in his furmity. We know that this isnt the first time, Henchard has behaved this way previously, as Hardy writes, The young woman his wife, who seemed accustomed to such remarks She isnt mentioned much, until the auction scene, when she tells Michael how his behaviours is inappropriate and irresponsible and is just making a fool of himself. Later on in page eight, Susan gets more serious, realising the great significance of Michaels actions; Come, come, it is getting dark, and this nonsense wont do. If you dont come along, I shall go without you. Come! The repetition shows her concern and desperation to avoid the situation. Susan tries to maintain her dignity and pride by agreeing to all of the selling, probably to rid herself of such humiliation and torture. We know instantly that Susan regrets the whole ordeal as she went out of the tent sobbing bitterly. Although the furmity lady, only has a brief part to play in the story, she is still quite important. She is first mentioned in page five. She is described as haggish and is said to be of fifty years of age. She was wearing a white apron, reaching almost all the way around her waist. Her only actions were to stir the large pot of furmity, which consists of grain, flour, milk, raisins, currants, etc. She seems to be just a furmity lady, but Hardys crone-like description of her fits nicely with her slyness as she laces the furmity with quite a lot of rum. She appears again at the bottom of the page when she served Michael and Susan a bowl of furmity. She has a quite a persuasive character as she convinces Michael to have some rum. This meant more profit for her. Apart from the above, her last appearance was when the auction was maturing; she told Susan that it was the drink talking and that Michael didnt mean what he was saying. The furmity lady represents the working-class of Weydon-Priors. Especially as she is part of the fair, she seems to have a nomadic life; always moving around to different locations. As she is reacquainted with Susan later on, Hardy skilfully relates the furmity lady to the downfall of rural life, The turnip-hoer first had an appearance on page 3. He told Michael about the type of work available in Weydon-Priors. The turnip-hoer had a very brief appearance in the novel indeed. He did have quite a significant part, as the reader discovers that there was a lack of work for the working-class and that Weydon-Priors was a changing area, good for some, bad for most. He represents the economic state of the village and is a typical countryman. The mention of the Fair almost automatically implies that it has some connotation in the anecdote. He had a hoe on one shoulder and a dinner-bag suspended from it as well. Hardy describes the turnip-hoer as being a pessimist. This shows that he just saw things from the bad side and didnt really look for any good in anything. He probably used that word as he replied negatively to anything Henchard asked. Then, he mentions the Fair Day; the only way of getting any money in most cases. We learn quite a lot about Wessex and the way of life there in the first few pages of Chapter One. This is due mainly to the turnip-hoer. From him, we learn that there is a shortage of jobs. Due to the time setting, it is quite obvious to those with knowledge of history, that it is the time of the Industrial Revolution. The chronicle fits in efficiently with the time setting, before the nineteenth century had reached one-third of its span ; this was during the pinnacle of the Industrial Revolution 1709 to 1853. We then discover that homes are being knocked down to make way for the industrial buildings. Therefore, life must be quite hard for the working-class. This is shown by the turnip-hoer saying how there is a lack of employment; lack of money. We know this because, Weydon-Priors is at the threshold of being an industrial city. The only way of making money outside the industrial side, it seems, is to work in the Fair or sell horses. The Fair is packed with people and full of life. Different activities and different fairs to visit, for example, toy-stands, waxworks, medicine men, and so forth. Hardy uses a varied form of vocabulary in this text, but most of the book uses a sophisticated range of vocabulary. Examples of sophisticated choices include: Hardy uses this wide range of lexis effectively to make an effective description of an object or person. By using efficient language, Hardy creates a good picture in the mind of the reader. He does this by describing something with great detail. For example, when he first introduced Michael, he used great detail in order to produce sufficient imagery. The man was of fine figure, swarthy, and stern in aspect; and he showed in profile a facial angle so slightly inclined as to be almost perpendicular. He goes on to use analogous detail in describing his attire. It is quite obvious that Hardy likes to use detail in his descriptions. This is required to produce a vivid image for the reader. The result of this is a strong and almost exact picture of the object or person in question created in the mind. This can help the reader understand further things mentioned in the story and the relevance and significance of things mentioned. The structure of Hardy sentences varies occasionally, but the overall lengths of the sentences are long. This is typical of the time period; early 1900s This provides a neutral atmosphere, as shorter sentences or pauses give a tenser ambience. A good example of the use of shorter sentences, is during the auctioning of Susan, The sailor hesitated a moment, looked anew at the woman, came in, unfolded five crisp pieces of paper The lengths of the paragraphs also vary, but most of them are long, which is typical of the time period. When a more important scene is written in The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Hardy uses very long paragraphs to create a significant flow in the action. Apart from the narrators language, there is the language used by the characters. The characters language varies from their class, but is quite similar. They use northern dialect and they dont pronounce all of the letters; this emphasises the setting of the novel. This presents the way northerners speak. An example of this vernacular is, and this is the consequence ot. There isnt much dialogue until the auction scene. This creates quite a tense atmosphere with some suspense. A very significant factor of language, is the relationship between Michael and Susan. They dont speak habitually at all. They converse a small amount at the Fair, only to talk about things like lodging. This is imperative as it clearly depicts the relationship between the two Henchards; they dont have a close affiliation and only communicate when necessary. Most of the early chapters are based on the theme of marriage. This is because, Michael and Susan were married and Michael sold Susan because he was saying how fed up he was with marriage. The further actions made by Henchard were reflections to what he had done; he swore to give up spirits for twenty-one years, he went in search for Susan due to marriage and possibly love. At the scene of the auction, the only people who seem to have some reverence for the sacred bond of matrimony, are Susan and the furmity lady. Susan is the only person who tries to put the whole state of affairs to a halt, Mike, Mike, this is getting serious. O! too serious! The repetition shows her concern. The furmity tries to reassure Susan that Michael is just under the influence of drink, Others just encourage Michael, Theres them that would do that, this shows that they find such an offer common. For the rest of the customers in the tent, it appeared to be a sort of entertainment. The economy plays quite an important part in the tale as well. This is because Michael and Susan first went towards Weydon-Priors, because Henchard was in search of employment. Change is evident in the area of Weydon-Priors as the turnip-hoer told Michael of the knocking down of the houses, lack of vocation. The quality and style of life will obviously be changed by this new revolution. By mentioning or hinting the industrial revolution, Hardy sets the time and setting of the anecdote well, making it more realistic. Hardy uses the theme of nature in The Mayor Of Casterbridge, but only occasionally in the first two chapters. An example of Hardy doing this, is on page two, half-apathetic expression of on who deems anything possible at the hands of Time and Chance except, perhaps, fair play. The first phase was that work of Nature As you may notice, Hardy used capital letters for the beginning of the three words Time, Chance and Nature. He might have done this to make the three words stand out and allow the reader to see their significance. Time and Chance seem to control occurrences. Time; things are going to happen, its just a matter of time when. Chance; sometimes. People can be lucky and have chance on their side. Nature; the contrasts between man and nature. Fate seems to play a small, but quite important role in the anecdote. Hardy uses this element skilfully. It assists the auction scene with the entrance of the sailor. It would have been quite hard for the sailor to hear the auctioneers voice from outside; he was destined to meet and purchase Susan and Elizabeth-Jane. Hardy shows how Henchard develops quite quickly in the prologue. He begins as a man who seems to be oblivious of his duties to his wife and infant. The main event which convinces Michael he has to revolutionize his conduct. After getting under the influence of spirits, he humiliates his wife and then puts her on the market. When he becomes abstemious, he realises his faux pas and falls in to a state of remorse. The next day, he starts to search for his spouse. After failing to locate Susan in the Fair, he makes an oath to avoid all strong liquors for the space of twenty-one years This shows that he has realised that the main cause of the whole dilemma was the alcohol. Another example of him following a new route, is the narrators text, seemed relieved at having made a start in a new direction. This is a sort of quest for Michael; to give up alcohol and to find his lost partner. The type of narration used is third person narrative. The reader is only given limited information as to whats happening. The conscious narrator decides what and how information is revealed. An example of this is the concealing of Henchards name. We dont have full knowledge that Susan and Henchard are married; their relationship together. This makes the reader want to continue reading to discover the role and significance of the character. Hardy uses language effectively to get the appropriate mood and atmosphere. He uses sufficient imagery when he wants to give the reader a detailed description of the scene. He uses symbolism to assist this, e. g. at the Fair, Hardy refers to the horses to represent Susan, as the horses are also being sold. He uses varied sentence structure to achieve tension. Although most other writers would use shorter sentences to create anxiety, Thomas uses commas as well. An example of this, is at the end of CH 1. Hardy uses prolonged sentences, but with commas to create a depressing atmosphere. The whole of the story after the auctioning of Susan, is founded on that very act. The main outline of the first two chapters is quite simple. Firstly, the couple enter Weydon-Priors. Then, they visit the Fair and go to a furmity tent. Michael gets drunk and offers to sell his wife, Susan. After much pondering, a sailor approaches Henchard and purchases Susan, who is accompanied by Elizabeth-Jane. Michael, the next morning, realises what he did in his drunken rage. He makes a vow to never touch any spirits for 21 years. Michael finds that he has lost Susan forever, or so he thinks After the selling of Susan, all of Michaels actions were based on that event. Before CH. 3 continues, a lot time passes; Hardy likes to use time in his writing. As you can see in the brief plot of the story above, all of the actions made reverberated the auction. Michael made a vow due to the auction, he went in search of Susan because of the sale, etc. Hardy cleverly makes an impression in the readers mind at the beginning of the story. This makes the reader want to read further to discover the following events. From this essay, I have learnt about Hardys style, his use of things like Nature, Time and so on. I have learnt of Thomas lexis and structure. The overall language he uses is different to other authors in the sense that he uses very sophisticated expression and refers to seemingly irrelevant things to achieve sufficient effects; symbolising. Also, we learn how Hardy develops characters and their identity, e. g. Michael. His description also fluctuates to other publishments, as he refers to things like nature, chance and time; he uses elements that might be relevant to him. Hes a unique author.

Democracy in Nigeria Challenges

Democracy in Nigeria Challenges NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY TODAY: THE EXPECTED DIVIDENDS AND CHALLENGES BY FRANKLINS A . SANUBI, Ph.D Abstract After a long period of military interregnum, the anxiety and high expectations which characterized the disposition of the local Nigerian polity shortly before 1999 had almost waned in barely a decade of the country’s democratic experiment due to bad and corrupt governance resulting in some fresh pessimism about the workability of democratic governmentt in the country These expectations which have been encapsulated into a new paradigm in Nigerian politics known as â€Å"dividends of democracy† have aroused some academic and policy concern about the claims of those who professed to have secured some â€Å"dividends† for their people and those who believed that such acclaimed dividends are a ruse. Using a structural-functional analytical framework in a descriptive research design, this paper presents some of the relevant arguments for and against the claim to the dividends of democracy in Nigeria, pointing out some of its key challenges. It observes among others, th at while the claim to attaining dividend of democracy may be arguable under the platform that the adoption of democratic governance in Nigeria may have secured some favourable external image for the nation in recent years, there are ample evidence that much of the claims by political actors to dividends of democracy are not supported by tangible functional structures of an enduring democracy The paper recommends among other things, a vigorous pursuit of the institutional fight against corruption and an expedited reform of the country’s electoral system. Introduction The peculiarities of a nation’s practice of democracy distinguish it from another’s. As a social process, democracy should naturally be expected to respond to the dictates of its immediate milieu while as much as possible it aspires to some universal principles or standards in its practice. From its definitions as ‘a government of popular sovereignty’ democracy permits the majority of the governed to have its â€Å"will† enthroned in governance at least in deciding who should direct its own affairs in political authority at elections. In Nigeria’s barely half-a-century of political independence, some attempts at democratic governance may have totalled up only to nineteen years of its nationhood. Of this however, much will be desired of any one to identify the boundaries of a ‘true democracy’ as defined above if any, that is existing in the Nigerian experience. Typically, a democracy is characterized among others, by a regular general election, a highly defined electoral procedure, a high degree of the rule of law (with an independent and transparent judicial structure) and a people whose human rights is optimally guaranteed by existing executive, legislative and judicial institutions. While it may be argued at some academic forum that no ideal (true) democracy can be found in any nation today, there is however much compelling impulse to associate some current western democracies with a high degree of ideal democratic phenomenon. The Nigerian democracy would, comparatively rank very low in such continuum in terms of both practice and dividends. Democratic Dividends: A Definition Our discomfort with the use of the term â€Å"dividend† in the analysis of political performance, and especially in Nigeria where self-interest seems to vehemently override nationalistic aspiration, lies not in its auspiciousness but in its origin. The term â€Å"dividends† is a business one, particularly in the area of investment. To expect a dividend in future is to invest today. Investment is seen from the point of view of economics as â€Å"part of present income spent on goods or services in order to generate a high future income†. Such goods however are investment goods as distinguished from consumer goods. This view of investment sees the process as a â€Å"risk taking† endeavour. To assure a risk-taker of a dividend is to minimize his risks elements while investing. Higher risks bring higher dividends. The most successful investors therefore belong to the class of high risk takers. By importing this process into politics, Nigerian politicians may b e described as political investors who see their attainment of political office as a management of political investment rather than a call to service for one’s fatherland. Hence, when you hear an average political office holder talk of dividends of democracy, he is implicitly referring to the size of the national cake he is able to cut for himself, albeit his people. Democratic dividends in Nigeria may therefore not be seen merely as yielding a desired purpose of attaining national good governance for the benefit of the entire polity but particularly as an expression of a competitive struggle for natural economic resources to the satisfaction of competing individuals or groups often defined in ethnocentric terms. Yet this term â€Å"dividend† of democracy has been a household one in the language registers of political actors in Nigeria. Structural-Functionalism and Democracy: A theoretical framework An auspicious social theory under which the analysis of the â€Å"dividends of democracy in Nigeria† may be comfortably made is the theory of structural-functionalism. The functionalist school believes that the understanding of a given system (under this circumstance, the Nigerian political system in the democratic dispensation) must necessarily comprise not only the understanding of the institutions (or structures) which make up the system but also their respective functions1. The adherents of structural-functionalism insist that these institutions must be placed within a meaningful and 1 Igwe, O. (2007) Politics and globe dictionary, New ed., Aba: Eagle Publishers dynamic historical context if they are to be properly understood an idea that stands in sharp contrast to the prevailing approaches in the field of comparative politics such as the state-society theory and the dependency theory. The structural-functional approach is based on the view that a political system is made up of several key components including interest groups, political groups and branches of government. According to Almond Powell, a political system performs some key functions such as political socialization, recruitment and communication2. Socialization may be seen as a process by which a society passes along its values and beliefs to succeeding generations while from a point of view of politics, socialization (and hence political socialization) may be described as a process by which a society inculcates civic virtues, or the habit of effective citizenship. Political recruitment on the other hand may be seen as a process by which a political system generates interest, e ngagement and participation from citizens while communication describes a process by which a system promulgates its values and information. A variant of structural-functionalism based on the analysis of Gabriel Almond sees all political systems as comprising four major characteristics namely: that all political systems including the simplest ones have political structures; that the same functions are performed in â€Å"all political systems even if they may be performed with different frequencies and different structures; that both the political structures of the primitive and the modern societies are multifunctional no matter how specialized they are and; that all political systems are mixed in the cultural sense†3. 2. Almond, G.A. Powell Jnr. B.G.(1966) Comparative politics: A development approach, Boston: Little Brown.. 3 Offiong, O.J. (1996) Systems theory and structural functionalism in political analysis. In A.O. Oronsaye, (Ed.) Nigerian government and politics, Benin City: United City Press. As a political system in transition (as Nigeria,) moves from one state of equilibrium to another, the various political institutions or structures should be expected to bring about a required social change in their performance of the socialization, recruitment and communication functions. A social change according to Talcott Parsons occurs through four distinct and inevitable processes namely: differentiation ( that is, the increase in the complexity of social organizations); adaptive upgrading (that is, social institutions becoming more specialized in their processes) inclusion ( where groups previously excluded from a society because of such factors as race, gender, social class etc are now accepted) and; value generalization (that is, the development of new values that tolerate and legitimate a greater range of activities) 4. The application of democratic governance in Nigeria should therefore be seen from a structural-functional perspective as a desire to effect a required social change in our political development by the various democratic institutions performing their required functions in that respect. The Nigerian democracy therefore will be not meaningful, that is, not structurally functional, if it is not performing its required social functions (or yielding the expected dividends). The Dividends of Nigerian Democracy and the Challenges If any thing else, Nigerian democracy should be directed at fulfilling the nation’s philosophical goals as expressed in the official document of its Second National Development Plan (1970-1974) namely: â€Å"the creation of a free and democratic society; a just and egalitarian society; a united, strong and self reliant nation; a great and dynamic 4Kuper, A. (1988) The invention of primitive society: Transformation of an illusion, London: Routledge economy and, a land of full and bright opportunities for all citizens†5. Expectedly, Nigerian democracy should ensure the enthronement of a national consciousness, integrity and service. There should be strong desire to build one’s own nation by its citizen rather than a plunge-it-down syndrome typical of much of our current dispensation. Democracy should provide equal opportunities to genuine service-minded individuals to express themselves in seeking political office through elections. Democracy should be a platform for the provision of political enlightenment for the teeming apathetic and economically-emasculated people of the countryside and metropolises. Democracy is expected to guarantee an un-biased allocation and application of naturally determined national economic resources for the benefit of the entire polity while providing relevant opportunities for component region or states to harness local potentials for healthy competitive development initiatives. Democracy should provide relevant safeguards against corruption and unauthorized acqu isitions of national resources by individuals and groups who see themselves high above the corporate goals of the nation. Judicial safeguards in terms of regular prosecution and punishment should especially be adequately entrenched into such a political system. Democracy should provide relevant and adequate checks and balances between the three organs of government and as much as possible a freer press as the fourth estate in the realm. The phenomenon of wanton arrest, detention of journalists and the forceful closure of media-houses whenever they purvey any information acclaimed by political authorities 5. Federal Republic of Nigeria, (1970) Second National Development Plan 1970-1974, Lagos: Federal Ministry of Information,,p.32 as inimical to their existence (albeit the corporate existence of the nation) typical of our current democratic experiment will therefore require some policy refinement and for policymakers to demonstrate subtlety. Democracy should be expected to yield the above ascribed â€Å"dividends† to Nigeria through its practice over the years. Alternatively, the Nigerian democracy has yielded few, if any, of the ascribed dividends to its citizens. The typical dividends however has remained the propagation of ethnic dominance in the appropriation of national resources through what Deutsch6 describes as aa zero-sum game approach in form of appointments to vital national and state positions, regional self determination through the core vs. peripheral perception of resource allocation7, , thus engendering a clamour for regional economic independence popularly called â€Å"resource control† by the oil bearing peoples of the Niger Delta. Notwithstanding and on the positive side, democracy may have succeeded somewhat in sensitizing the citizens in appreciating the need for good governance among political office holders. There is a growing wave of civic awareness among people in Nigeria today than it had ever been. The increasing quest for probity and accountability and the adoption of due process principles (even with its default) may be regarded as a vital recipe for the re-branding of our local democratic culture and practice. But for the seeming inadequacies such as the area of official responsibility and accountability, and electoral malpractice, the Nigerian practice of democratic governance may have helped to 6 Deutsch, M. (1973), The resolution of conflicts: Constructive process, New Haven: Yale, 7 Noel, C.L. (1969), A theory of ethnic stratification: Social problems. Journal of Sociology, Vol. 16.(2). grow the nation’s international image as a major regional power in the African sub-region. The United Nations has often called on Nigeria to lead its team in the execution of its major international (especially African regional) economic, social and military initiatives. Nigerian’s growing involvement in regional peace keeping and other humanitarian missions and the African continent derives mainly from its recognition not only primarily as an economically-endowed nation, but also as a democratic entity with abundant hope. This perhaps may be adjudged as the most important dividend of the Nigeria’s democracy so far. Much however is yet to be desired of this image as its electoral process undergoes reform. The impetus provided by Ghana and South Africa in their respective recent elections have further strengthened the national call for electoral reforms and political transparency. The relevance of such call is underscored by a growing optimism in the national popu lace about the possible workability of the democratic arrangement as a better alternative in governance after having been overwhelmed by military dictatorship (with it accompanying slow pace of economic development) for over two-thirds of its nationhood. By a tacit recognition of the â€Å"expected† and â€Å"perceived† dividends of the Nigerian democracy, it becomes a little easier to identify some of the major challenges of the Nigerian democratic experience so far. At the apex of the challenges is the issue of electoral reforms. The want of a credible independent electoral process has unfortunately created institutional safeguards for political parties (especially incumbents) to exploit the existing political machinery for their electoral advantages. The office of the president has most often exploited its advantage as the appointing institution to impact significantly on the activities of the successive electoral commissions in the country. The result is that electoral rigging have been institutionalized often with threats of arrests on credible opposition. In the 2007 state and federal elections particularly the former, this anomaly was not only typical of but also rampant. Democratic government are expected to be less prone to corruptive tendencies since there are supposedly more institutional safeguards against them than the military regime. Unfortunately, the Nigerian democracy is yet to vindicate itself as a better alternative in this respect. Phenomenally, what may be regarded as some institutional arrangement created by government against corruption and other economic crimes though looked initially very impressive and praiseworthy during the moribund Obasanjo’s civilian regime, were later overrun by the same political structure (particularly the executive and legislative arms) which had seen such an arrangement as an erosion of their political and economic ambitions. Thus, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC) became after an initial euphoria, figments of their creator’s imaginations. Corruption still remains a major challenge to Nigeria’s democracy. The ethnocentric clamour for economic self determinism, especially by the people of the Niger Delta has aroused a new awareness about the inevitability of good governance in the area of equitable distribution of natural resources especially in a plural society like Nigeria. The hydra-headed problem of the Niger Delta crisis is a logical aftermath of governments’ inability to address the special environmental and economic needs of the Niger Delta peoples and symptomatic of the continuing absence of agreement on a workable revenue sharing formula after a trial of several sharing principles over the years. This phenomenon has created additional challenges for the attainment of the expected dividends of democracy. Conclusion and Recommendations The claim to the attainment of democratic dividends by political actors in Nigeria will remain as contestable in certain areas as there exist elements of political inadequacies in the three key theoretical areas of political socialization, recruitment, communication. By consolidating on its growing international image as a regional centre of hope, Nigerian policymakers should invest much energy on the institutional fight against corruption by allowing the relevant statutory agencies already created for this purpose to exercise their mandate without unnecessary executive intervention. The pursuit of electoral reform in an attempt to enthrone a great degree of (if not total) internal and external credibility in our public elections should be more vigorous and expeditious so that as early as 2011, fresh and enduring dividends in that aspect can be become visibly clear. Until democratic practice in Nigeria provides more functional evidence in terms of enhanced political participation, eq uitable and acceptable process of resource allocation, credible electoral practice and a political culture of national integrity and transparency, it will remain sharply contestable to lay claim to the attainment of a meaningful dividend of democracy in Nigeria. 1

Analysis of Air Deccan :: essays research papers

Analysis of Air Deccan Air Deccan was established in 2003 and started operations in August that year with regular scheduled flights from Bangalore to Mangalore and Hubli. The following month, it opened a second hub at Chennai. Air Deccan became the first private Indian operator to fly Airbus aircraft when it deployed the first of 5 leased Airbus A320s in July 2004. It was the first airline in India to link second rung cities like Coimbatore, Hubli, Madurai and Visakhapatnam to metros like Bangalore and Chennai. Barely two years into its operation the no-frills airline, Air Deccan, has grown from one aircraft to 19 and from one daily flight to 123. It has placed a $1.1 billion order with Airbus and will get an aircraft a month for the next 64 months. In its first full year of operation, ending in March, the company flew 1 million passengers and had revenues of $75 million. Projected revenue for this year: $250 million. Also, in 2004 the company raised $40 million in private equity from ICICI Venture Funds Management, India's largest private- equity player, and Capital International, an arm of the huge Los Angeles money manager Capital Group. Air Deccan is looking to go public over the next few months. "This is not the story of Air Deccan's growth--it's the story of the growth of India," says Gopinath. His success in the fast-growing aviation industry has set off a gold rush. Two new airlines--Delhi-based SpiceJet Limited and beer baron Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines--started flying in recent months. Several new players are waiting in the wings--including Indigo, backed by U.S. Airways' former chief Rakesh Gangwal, and GoAir, which is backed by Jeh Wadia from the controlling family of the giant Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing. "Everybody knew that India was a big market--but Gopinath went out and actually proved it," says Kapil Kaul of the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, a consultancy. "He led the way--and led it successfully." The man behind the upstart airline traces his roots to a village in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, where his father was a schoolteacher. His own education veered into nearly eight years in the Indian army. Tired of regimentation, he veered again, into silk farming on a family plot. The transition from the cocoon to the cockpit came in 1995 when he teamed up with a friend from his army days, Captain K.

What is a Hero? :: Hero Heroes Definition Essays Papers

What is a Hero?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In today's modern times we hear the word hero all of the time. The news media throws the term around as if it is an everyday word. What exactly is a hero? Who, or what, can be classified as heroic? The correct definition of the word hero is: One invested with heroic qualities in the opinions of others. That is a fine definition for books and intellectual minds. To the average person, however, a hero is much more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To better understand what a heroic quality is it may be easier to describe what a hero is not. Nearly everyday on television people talk of athletes and celebrities as being heroes, but are they? To put it mildly, they are not heroes at all. Possibly role models, but for the most part, not in possession of heroic qualities. When Michael Jordan and Bruce Willis, by risking their lives, save an abandoned child from a typhoon they will possess the qualities to be called heroes in my opinion. Policemen and firemen are at times classified as heroes. Until they prove themselves they are just ordinary people. The title heroic is not given by occupation, rather by achievement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So what exactly is a hero? Parents are true heroes. Most parental units sacrifice time, money, love and everything else for their children. When times are tough good parents do all they can to make things better for their children. Mothers and fathers often work two jobs, late at night, or on weekends to provide for their kids. My mom is always there for me when I am sick, telling me she wishes she were the sick one. She also reassures me that she always has an extra kidney if I happen to need one. I personally view my parents as true heroes for all they do, have done, and will do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A local hero emerged recently in Flint Police Officer Leslie Keely. Plainly put, Officer Keely gave his life, for us, the residents of Genesee County. Les Keely died while in the line of duty. Involved in a high-speed pursuit of a vehicle, Keely was killed when his cruiser was struck broadside by another police car, driven by a Michigan State Trooper. At that point in time, Officer Keely became an instant hero. He lost the most important thing in the world, his life, doing what he was paid to do, serve and protect the public.

Prosecution Of Macbeth (if He Was Tried For The Murder Of Duncan) :: essays research papers

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, we have heard the defence glorify Macbeth in an effort to cloud the horrible acts of murder that he committed. The question that we are here to answer today stands, ?is Macbeth guilty of the murder of our beloved king, Duncan?. Many questions cloud our judgement today. Did Macbeth have a motive to kill the king? Did Macbeth meticulously premeditate the murder of Duncan? Did Macbeth carryout, then cover up the murder of King Duncan? Ladies and gentlemen it will be difficult, nay impossible for you to deny any of these allegations of murder against Macbeth, because simply put, he did commit these vicious acts of murder. Members of the jury, King Duncan was ruler of Scotland in a kingdom which the Scottish lineage to the throne moves from father to first-born son. However a member from within the same bloodline could lay claim to the throne if Duncan had no living sons. Therefore a question ponders in your mind. Why would Macbeth murder king Duncan? Macbeth had no legitimate claim to the throne However ladies and gentleman, what some of you may not know is that Macbeth was in-fact the King?s cousin. Before Duncan?s untimely death he stated to Macbeth: ?O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman? (pg 32) which confirms that Macbeth was in-fact Duncan?s cousin. Therefore Macbeth was in the same bloodline as Duncan, and therefore could take the throne if Duncan had no sons who were able to ascend to the throne. But since Duncan had already named Malcolm as heir to the throne, Duncan had to be murdered. This was always in the back of MacBeth?s mind from the very beginning. The prophecy of the three witches, only fired his imagination to confirm the terrible deeds he was already planning, the death of king Duncan and tearing the throne from his dying hands. Macbeth stated ?I am settled, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show: False face must hide what false heart doth know.? (Pg 55) This demonstrates that he was resolute and determined to use all the powers of his body to commit that terrible murder. He was to deceive the world by framing two innocent servants and appearing distraught by Duncan?s untimely death. The death of a king, who was a kind-hearted man, was aided by the blatant mis-use of his own love, loyalty and trust for his closest friends

The War of the Roses

The War of the Roses was a series of dynastic civil wars fought between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. Theses two houses fought for the English throne, and both thought it was theirs to take. The houses both claimed the throne due to the fact that they had decent through the sons of Edward Ill. So they both felt that they were deserving of the throne. This wasn't the first or the last time that these two houses fought each other, but this was by far their biggest encounter. One reason that these two started fghting was the aftermath of the Hundred Years War.The inancial and social troubles hit hard and they thought they could do better Job running things. People during this time started to panic and they all wanted a piece of the pie. Prior to the war, heirs to the throne started dying so the number of aristocrats started dropping slowly. Some people suggest that the English aristocracy was destroyed due to the War of the Roses, but I would argue differently. The fact that all these men were fghting over the throne does suggest that there were some deaths, but I don't believe that it was the cause of the removal of the English aristocracy.Before I make my argument on why I believe the aristocracy was not destroyed by the War of the roses, I want to give a brief outline of the war. The hostility rose after the death of Henry V and the infant Henry VI was in line to take over. Richard, Duke of York, challenged the right of Henry VI's crown because he wanted it for himself. He had descent through Edward Ill's surviving sons. There is evidence that shows how important the throne was to the people during this time and they were willing to do anything to try and get it. There was obviously some history behind the people who fought in the war and how the title of the war was amed.The Heraldic badges that associated themselves with the two houses, York and Lancaster, were roses. The House of York was a white rose and the House of Lancaster was a red rose . Early in the conflict, the York picked the white rose as their symbol, but the Lancaster rose was not introduced until after Henry Tudor won the battle of Bosworth. So the war was not called â€Å"War of the Roses† until years later after the war. During the war the participants wore badges to show which lord or patron that they were associated with. One example of this that I read was the white boar of Richard Ill worn by the Yorkist army.The houses were named after the cities York and Lancaster of course, but the houses didn't have much to do with the city it was named after. The House of Lancaster was established in 1399 by Henry of Bolingbroke. Henry of Bolingbroke was later crowned as Henry IV after he deposed his cousin Richard II. The next Lancaster king was Henry V and he died in 1422, but there was some hostility on who would take over the crown. When Henry V died he only had an infant son to take over. This is when Richard Ill challenged Henry VI's right to the cr own like I mentioned before.Richard Ill was a very powerful man and eld very important offices within the state. This was the first political disagreement between the two houses and the beginning ofa feud that would start a war. In 1453 Henry VI (by now he was old enough to take the throne) went into insanity. â€Å"Henrys condition was non-violent: as a result of depressive stuper he lost control of his limbs York, to take over as the protector of the realm. Henry recovered in 1455 and took over his duties, which forced York to take up arms of self-protection. The fighting started with the battle of St.Albans in 1455. â€Å"Their numbers were vaguely estimated t 3000 men, while the Duke of Norfolk and other friends were hastening to their aid; the Kings force was estimated at 2000 men. â€Å"2 Richard, Duke of York and the Earl of Warwick defeated the Lancastrians who was led by Edmund. Edmund was the Duke of Somerset, and he played an important role before the war for the Lanca strians. He was killed in this battle and Henry VI was captured which resulted in Richard being appointed Lord Protector. The queen, Margaret of Anjou, kept pushing the Lancastrians to challenge the York House.Things were pretty quite over the next few years, but it started heating back up in 1459. York and his followers were forced out of the country, but he would retaliate sooner than people thought he would. One of his strongest followers invaded England and captured Henry at the Battle of Northampton. The heavy rain played in the favor of the Earl of Warwick during this battle and capturing Henry was much easier than people think. This battle resulted in four years of truce between the two houses, but they still didn't like the other one.There wasn't any major conflict during this time, but it was still uneasy between them. The civil wars between the two houses continued in 1459. York returned to the country becoming the Protector of England, but was not able to take the throne. York moved north with his son Edmund, but the Lancastrian nobles surprised and killed both of them in the Battle of Wakefield. The Lancastrian army went south afterwards but was unsuccessful in the taking of London. York had an eldest son named Edward, Earl of March, who was later named King Edward IV.He was best known for winning the Battle of Towton. In Anthony Goodman's book he states, â€Å"At Towton Edward could muster probably fewer than half the peers that Henry could. â€Å"3 This goes to show ow big of a victory it was for Edward. He crushed the Lancastrian army in March 1461 by gathering the Yorkist armies resulting in a strong force that was too much to handle for the Lancaster's. It was the bloodiest battle of the war, which resulted in Henry, Margaret, and their son fleeing to Scotland. The next series of battles was over disputes within the Yorkists ranks.Warwick and his followers felt like they were a powerful group, and when they got looked over at Edward's court, it didn't make them very happy. Warwick didn't agree with a foreign policy that the king was putting n place and the tension grew greater. This resulted in another civil war in 1469, where Warwick and the Duke of Clarence instigated risings in the north. Then they defeated the kings supporters at Edgecote. There he held Edward prisoner, but nothing really came out of it. Edward had regained control by 1470 and made Warwick and Clarence fled to France. While in France, they allied themselves with Louis X'.Here is where things get a little tricky because they also allied themselves with their former enemy Margaret of Anjou. Working together, they went back to England in September of 1470. There, they forced Edward out of his throne and restored the crown to Henry VI. After being stripped of the crown, Edward fled out of England to the Netherlands with his supporters. There he got Burgundian aid and returned to England a year later. Edward outsmarted Warwick due to the fact that he kn ew the land, and talked Clarence into Joining his side. Then he easily defeated that Warwick was defeated and her and her son fled west to the safety of Wales.Edward anticipated that Margaret would do this and beat her there. She was captured as a prisoner, and her supporters were defeated. There her son was killed and Margaret didn't have much power or support after these series of events. Very soon after these events, Henry VI was murdered in the Tower of London. It is thought that Henry heard of the death of his son, and when Edward IV was re-crowned, he ordered Henrys death. Edward's throne was secure for the rest of his life and was never challenged or taken away. When Edward died in 1483, hostility begins again.Richard Ill took over the throne and he first moved to prevent the unpopular Woodville family of Edward's widow from participating in the government. Richard sed the suspicious Edward IVs marriage as pretext. To stop Richard, Henry Tudor (a distant relative of the Lanca strian king) was brought in and defeated him at Bosworth. He was then crowned Henry VI', and married Elizabeth of York to unite the two rival houses. Yorkist revolted and these were the last few battles of the war, but nothing really came out of it. These battles weren't very big or important; it was Just the fact that the Yorkist were upset that they were united.Many historians like to believe that the Wars of the Roses were the result of the English aristocracy being destroyed. After reading material on these wars and reading Kington Oliphant's article, I can't help but to think otherwise. According to Oliphant there are 27 historic houses. † There are about twenty-seven great historic houses that belong to the former division, if we adopt a fair test for the term â€Å"Historic House,† and excluede from it all those families which have not held an Earldom in the male line continuously for at least one hundred years, or thereabouts, before the Reformation. 4 The house s in the 13th century really started getting recognized, and this is the period that begins hostility between houses. This also is the period that you see a rapid decline in houses. † The Earls of Albermarle had died out so early as the Twelfth Century, and four great historic Earldoms dropped in the Thirteenth. The Century of Edward the Third swept away at least seven Norman Houses of the very first class; amoun which were those of Clare, Bigod, and Bohun,- names intertwined with the brightest achievements of our early history.In the first and more peaceful part of Henry the Sixth's reign, before Englishman had dreamt of civil war, the process of decay was Just as rapid. The last Mortimer, Earl of March, the rightful heir o the crown died a prisoner in 1424; the last Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, was struck down by a cannon ball at the siege of Orleans, not long before the appearance of the immortal Maid; the last Beauchamp, Duke of Warwick, passed away in 1445. â€Å"5 So w hat Oliphant is getting to is the fact that there were 12 houses that were already disappeared before the war even started.Well you might ask well there are still a number of houses to be counted for during the war so what is your point? Well from the start of the war (1455) to the end of the war (1487) there were a number of ouses that died that was unrelated to the war. Oliphant mentions the houses that died during the war but not because of the war. â€Å"Foremost in this category comes the name of Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal of the realm, who died in 1475. To this we may add the less known names of Bromflete, Harington, Scales, and Sudeley. The Wars of the Roses had nothing to do with the extinction of these five houses in Roses.The Bonville, Tiptoft, Beaufort, Holland, and Lovell all died during the strife. Oliphant tells the story behind each of these names and how they died to end their ouse. The point that I want to make clear throughout this paper is the fact th at the number of houses that had died out before the Wars of the Roses, clearly outweigh the number of houses that have failed since the beginning of it. Well you might ask, Why did this happen? YouVe gave me numbers and the fact that the Wars of the Roses didn't cause the fail of the English aristocracy, but how did it happen.Oliphant does a great Job of comparing another countries aristocracy to England's. He uses old Scottish houses and what they did compared to what the old English houses did. Two causes have preserved the old Scottish houses from sharing the fate of their English brethren. The first was the prejudice in favour of heirs male, which would not allow the lands of a noble family to be split up among co-heiresses; the second cause was the practice of allotting small estates to younger sons, whereby the chance of always having an heir male at hand was much increased. 7 Showing the old Scottish houses and how they did things like this proves that there was a way to sav e the old English houses, but they failed to do so. Land was a big issue back then and it still is today. The Scottish houses knew that and knew they had to do something to preserve that land. They had to find a way to keep in the heir's family so it wouldn't eventually die out like most of the old English houses did. The next way the Scottish â€Å"preserved† their houses was the practice of allotting small estates to younger sons.The probability of always having a male take over the heir was a lot higher than if they didn't do this. These are Just some ways that the Scottish houses did to ensure that they didn't run into the same mistake that the English did. To me the English houses didn't invest in themselves very much. They didn't have a back up plan in case something happen to them and they died out. Historians studying this era tend to think that the Wars of the Roses wiped out these houses so they weren't really thinking about investing in themselves.Oliphant proves t hat most of these houses were already died out ten years prior to the war so that assumption is inaccurate. There was a lack of effort in making sure that the houses never died out, but there shouldn't be any excuse for it. They should be prepared for the freak accidents or the natural causes that may come their way for the sake of the house. I believe that it was a little about pride, and the old Scottish aristocracy had that. They were proud of their houses and they wanted to keep it going.The English were to caught up in other things to think about, what happens to the house if something happens to me? What I wanted to get out of this paper was to know more about the War of the Roses and to dig deeper inside the war. I wanted to find something worth arguing about and giving evidence on my point of view. I found out that the English houses started to die out and historians had suggestions for why this was happening. Some had the ame mindset I had, and others thought it was because of the war.I believe that the war had an effect on some of the houses during time, but it didn't have the extinction effect that people said it did. The Wars of the Roses was a great time period and had a lot of conflict that went with it. I'm positive that the conflict did have a little effect on the old English aristocracy dying out, but to say the war was the reason why it was destroyed makes no sense at all. In my opinion it was irresponsible of the men to not something special like the Scottish did, and who knows what the English could have been today. The War of the Roses British Studies THE WAR OF THE ROSES †¢ Introduction †¢ Name of The War of the Roses †¢ Famous people in The War of the Roses †¢ Causes of The War of the Roses †¢ The War of the Roses †¢ The result and impact of The War of the Roses †¢ The summary †¢ Bibliography I. INTRODUCTION T he Middle Age considers one of the most exciting periods in English history. One of the most historical events of medieval era is the Wars of the Roses in the fifteenth century. The Hundred Years’ War , in which England lost practically all its lands in France, ended in 1453, but there was no peace in the country.The feudal struggle had broken out and the atmosphere in this country was instable and uncertain leading to the civil war in the fifteenth century. The War of the Roses was a series of dynastic civil war for the throne of England between supporters of two rival branches of the royal house Plantagenet: the house of Lancaster (whose badge was red rose) a nd York (whose badge was white house) from 1455-1485. These thirty years of warfare was even more destructive to England the Hundred years’ War that had been in the previous century. Most of the fighting in the Hundred Years’ War took place in France, which meant most of the military damage affected in French peasantry rather than the English. In the War of the Roses, most of the fighting occurred in England, and thus the loss of the life and property was much greater for England citizens). Why was the called The War of the Roses? Why did the War of the Roses happen? How it happened? And what was the result? There are many interesting things about this famous war. Let’ discover together. II. THE NAME OF THE WAR OF THE ROSES: ? It is really an exciting name. Why was called the war of the roses?This name was given to the Wars by Tudor historians. The name â€Å"Wars of the Roses† refers to the Heraldic badges associated with the two royal houses, the White Rose of York and the Red Rose of Lancaster. [pic] ? However, it is not thought to have been used during the time of the wars. – The White Rose was one of the many emblems which were used by King Edward IV as a symbol of his father's right to some lands and a castle in the North. Generally he preferred to use the emblem of the sun and its rays, a reference to the three suns which appeared at the dawn of the day of the battle of Mortimer's Cross 1461.The White Rose only later became accepted as the symbol of the House of York, particularly when Elizabeth of York married King Henry VII, but before then other emblems were in general use by the Yorkists. – The Red Rose was the emblem of the House of Tudor, and the Tudors only played a substantial part in the Wars during their final stages. The king Henry Tudor united the two roses to create the Tudor ‘rose which contain both white rose and red rose after marrying Elizabeth of the York. > That‘s why the war betwe en them got the name the War of the Roses. III. FAMOUS PEOPLE RELATING TO THE WAR OF THE ROSES During the war of the Roses, there are kings or Dukes who contributed main roles in the war. Let’ begin our discovery with the first king of the house Lancaster. †¢ THE HOUSE OF LANCASTER 1. THE KING HENRY IV Reign: 30 September 1399 – 20 March 1413 Coronation: 13 October 1399 Predecessor: Richard II Successor: Henry V Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland (1399–1413). He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet. He became the first King of England from the Lancaster branch of the Plantagenet, one of the two family branches that were belligerents in the War of the Roses. 2. THE KING HENRY VReign: 20 March 1413 – 31 August 1422 Coronation: 9 April 1413 Predecessor: Henry IV Successor: Henry VI Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second English monarch who came from the House o f Lancaster. After military experience fighting various lords who rebelled against his father, Henry IV, Henry came into political conflict with the increasingly ill king. After his father's death, Henry rapidly assumed control of the country and embarked on war with France. Henry IV was a very brilliant king. 3. THE KING HENRY VI Reign :31 August 1422 – 4 March 1461Coronation: 6 November 1429 Predecessor: Henry V Successor: Edward IV Henry VI (1421 – 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. His periods of insanity and his inherent benevolence eventually required his wife, Margaret of Anjou, to assume control of his kingdom, which contributed to his own downfall, the collapse of the House of Lancaster, and the rise of the House of York. 4. THE KING HENRY VII (HENRY TUDOR) Reign: 22 August 1485 – 21 April 1509 Coronation: 30 October 1485 Predecessor: Richard III Successor: Henry VIIIHe nry VII (Welsh: Harri Tudur;1457 – 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henry won the throne when he defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Fiel. He was the last king of England to win his throne on the field of battle. He was successful in restoring the power and stability of the English monarchy after the political upheavals of the Wars of the Roses. He founded a long-lasting dynasty and was peacefully succeeded by his son, Henry VIII, after a reign of nearly 24 years. THE HOUSE OF THE YORK: I. THE KING EDWARD IV Reign: 4 March 1461  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 3 October 1470 Coronation: 28 June 1461 Predecessor: Henry VI Successor :Henry VI Edward IV (1442  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England. The first half of his rule was ma rred by the violence associated with the Wars of the Roses, but he overcame the Lancastrian challenge to this throne at Tewkesbury in 1471 to reign in peace until his sudden death. 5. THE KING RICHARD III Reign 26 June 1483 – 22 August 1485 Coronation 6 July 1483Predecessor Edward V Successor Henry VII Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. III. CAUSES OF THE WAR OF THE ROSES ? There are three main causes leading to the War of the Roses. ? The first reason is the political crisis (dynastic problems) – In 1215, the Norman barons were united with the Saxon nobles and the growing bourgeoisie of the big towns and they took park in the governing in the country.During the Hundred years’ war, they built castles with high walls and kept private armies of thousands of men . Realizing the danger with big barons represented to the crown, Edward III tried to marry his sons to their daughters, and the heiresses of the House but this not help to strengthen the position of the House Plantagenet. Then, Henry Bolingbroke seized the crown and became the first king of the Lancaster dynasty, Henry IV (1399- 1413). ; It marked the end of the line of the Plantagenet monarchy and the beginning of the Tudor reign; the end of Medieval England and the beginning of the country’s Renaissance. However, Henry IV‘s reign was not an easy one. Having taking the throne by force, he had made many enemies, especially those whose legitimate claim to the throne he had ignored. Henry ‘s oldest son ( who would became Henry V ) was a brilliant and courageous warrior and was responsible, on many occasion, for putting down major rebellions against his father–rebellions that came from the other side of the family who wanted the throne. Beginning in 1405, Henr y IV suffered from a recurring illness that finally took his life in 1413. – Henry V (1387-1422) would go on to secure English-held lands in France and trengthen the bond between the two countries by winning the right to the French, as well as to the English, Crown. Henry V died at a young age in battle in France, leaving a nine-month-old son–King Henry VI. While Henry V was busy fighting wars in France and accumulating wealth for his country, the feudal between the York and Lancaster Houses was subdued. Only one rebellion occurred, and the leader of that rebellion was tried for treason and killed. – However, with Henry V's death–and only a baby for king, and Henry V's wife, who was not only young but of French blood–members of both Houses began maneuvering again for power. Henry VI was a weak man, surrounded by poorly managed counselors. Not only did Henry suffer from mental illnesses, he lost most of the land that his father had won in France. Al though Henry VI technically was king of France, he lost all authority in that country. Many English nobles, each with his own powerful army, grew discontent with Henry VI's rule. The interests of the House of the Lancaster supported by the big barons collided with the interests of the lesser barons and merchants of the towns, who support the House of the York. As a result, the feudal struggle grew into an open war between the Lancastrians and the Yorkist.William Shakespeare offers one poetic endorsement of this view: â€Å"My Lord of Hereford [Henry IV] here, whom you call king, Is a foul traitor to proud Hereford's king[Richard II]: And if you crown him, let me prophesy: The blood of English shall manure the ground, And future ages groan for this foul act; Peace shall go sleep with Turks and infidels, And in this seat of peace tumultuous wars Shall kin with kin and kind with kind confound; Disorder, horror, fear and mutiny Shall here inhabit, and this land be call'd The field of G olgotha and dead men's skulls. O, if you raise this house against this house, It will the woefullest division proveThat ever fell upon this cursed earth. † ? The second reason, in my opinion, is financial problems and societal changes. – The fifteenth century had many changes in society that seriously affected to the war of the roses. The issues increased from the beginning of Henry VI's reign in 1422 with the corruption, public disorder, riots and the maladministration of justice.. After the leadership of King Henry V, â€Å"The Flower of Chivalry† and the â€Å"Mirror of all Christian Kings,† the weak and placid Henry VI was a great disappointment. >We can see that it was a bad government, militarily ineffective and financially irresponsible.His fool and weakness in governing directed his country down the bloody road of civil war. The king loaded his ministers and friends with gifts and pensions. Many people who were owed money at the Exchequer, such as military commanders, could not collect on their debts because there was not enough money to go around. People lost faith in the courts and turned to threats and violence to gain victory in their disputes. The result is a social climate approaching gangsterism. The social violence before and during the Wars of the Roses is often blamed on a phenomenon known as â€Å"bastard feudalism. † ?Finally, I consider the hundred year’ war affecting to the war of the roses, too. – The Wars of the Roses began soon after the Hundred Years War ended. The suggestion that nobles were trying to retrieve fortunes lost in the withdrawal from France does not agree with the evidence. Few major families lost much by the English defeat – most of the major magnates were growing wealthier. – However, the end of the Hundred Years war did remove one reason for unity within England: foreign war tends to unite people at home. The end of the War also left many unemployed soldier s – a destabilizing group in society.Medieval knights and nobles were a military caste, and it was as easy for them to engage in domestic as foreign warfare. IV. THE WAR OF THE ROSE T he war of the roses, which lasted for thirty years (1455-1485), turned into a bitter struggle for the Crown, in which each party murdered every likely heir to the throne of the opposite party. It was a dark time for England, when the Kings and nobles were busy fighting and murdering each other and no time to take care of the common people, who suffered greatly. ? The opening battle of the Wars took place at St Albans in 1455. Richard of York leads a force of about 3,000 on a march toward London.Henry VI moves from London to intercept the Yorkist army. Henry halts his march in the town of Saint Albans and waits. Richard attacks and defeats Henry inflicting about 300 casualties. The Queen and her young son Edward flee into exile. The Yorkist faction also kills the Lancastrian ally Somerset, the pr imary supporter of Henry VI. ? After that, the queen rebelled at these actions, gathered an army around her, and positioned herself outside of York. When the duke learned of this, he went after her, although the queen's troops were double the size of the duke's. The duke's army was easily defeated.In 1459 Richard was killed at the Battle of Wakefield. ? In 1461, the Battle of Towson, one of the bloodiest battles ever fought on English soil at the time, was fought with an estimated 25,000 people dying. Edward's army greatly defeated the queen's army, forcing the queen and king, with their son, to flee to Scotland. That same year, Edward was officially crowned king of England, becoming Edward IV. ? Edward enjoy a few years of peace, but when he married Elizabeth Woodville in secret, he embarrassed Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, who was working to arrange a marriage for Edward with the French king.Edward also disallowed his brothers, Richard and George, to marry Neville's daughters. In 1469, Neville and George fought against Edward. They won a decisive battle, held Edward hostage, killed Edward's father-in-law, and forced Edward to have parliament recognize Edward as an illegitimate king and to give the crown to George. Edward's younger brother, Richard, rescued the king, and Neville and George had to flee to France. ? In France, it was King Louis XI who suggested the alliance of Queen Margaret and Neville. The two agreed, Neville promised his daughter as wife to the queen's son, and returned to England with a powerful army.Edward was defeated and had to flee to Holland and then to Burgundy. Edward, supported by the king of Burgundy, returned to England. Shortly after Neville had paraded Henry VI all over London as the restored king, he was defeated by Edward's new army in 1471. Henry as well as his son were then killed, strengthening Edward's claim to the throne. ? Edward died young, in 1483, leaving his twelve-year-old son heir to the throne. Edward V's reig n lasted only a couple of months. Richard, the uncle to the young king, claimed that his brother (Edward IV) had married Elizabeth illegally and therefore his heirs could not be crowned king.Parliament agreed, and crowned King Richard III in 1483. Edward V was placed in the Tower of London, along with his younger brother, and was never again seen. ? Two years later, in 1485, Richard would meet his death in a battle against Henry Tudor of the House of Lancaster; he would become King Henry VII. Henry married Elizabeth of York, the strongest claimant for the throne from the York house, thus securing his position and ending the long Wars of the Roses. [pic]The map of the battles in the War of the Roses (1455-1485) V. THE RESULT AND EFFECTS OF THE WAR OF THE ROSES Historians still debate the true extent of the conflict's impact on medieval English life, and some revisionists suggest that it leaded to many profound changes in England. The most obvious impact is the collapse of the Plantag enet and the raise of the Tudor dynasty. ; Moreover, with their heavy casualties among the nobility, the wars are thought to have continued the changes in feudal English society caused by the effects of the Black Death, including a weakening of the feudal power of the nobles and a corresponding strengthening of the merchant classes, and the growth of a strong, centralized monarchy under the Tudors.It marked the end of the medieval period in England and the movement towards the Renaissance. VI. SUMMARY ? In my opinion, Middle Ages encompass one of the most exciting and bloodthirsty periods in English and European History with two important events. They are the Hundred Years’ War and The War of the Roses which seriously affected to the society, politics, economy and other aspect of England at that time especially the War of the Roses. It marked the end of the line of the Plantagenet monarchy and the beginning of the Tudor reign (118 years) and even the end of Medieval England a nd the beginning of the country’s Renaissance.It was really an exciting period. I hope that some information above will be useful for all of you during this course and later. VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY ? The War of the Rose Evans, HT (introduction by Ralph A Griffiths) – Sutton Publishing 1998 ? The Wars of the Roses Gillingham, John – Weidenfeld ; Nicholson 2001 ? The Wars of the Roses Griffiths, Ralph A – Sutton Publishing 1998 ? Lancaster ; York Ramsay, JH – Oxford University Press 1892 QUESTION: 1. Which is considered the first main battle in the war of the roses? a. The battle of St. Albans b. The battle of Barnet c. The battle of Tadcaster d. The battle of Blore Heath 2. enry IV had a famous wife , depends on your point of view, who was this powerful women. a. Margaret of Anjou b. Mary de Guise c. Eleanor of Aquitaine d. Matida of Flanders 3. Richard duke of York was killed at which major battle? a. battle of Doncaster b. Battle of Wakefield c. Battle of Tacaster d. Battle of Sedgemoor 4. how long did the War of the Roses last? a. 10 years b. 30 years c. 50 years d. 100 years 5. this battle is widely thought to have the bloodiest ever fought on England soid. It marked a major Yorkist victory in 1461. which of these is it? a. battle of Hexbam b. Battle of Towton c. Battle of the Tadcaster d.Battle of the Hedgley Moor 6. what color rose was used to represent Lancastrians? a. white b. red c. blue d. black 7. In which century did the wars of the Roses take place ? a. 14th century b. 15th century c. 16th century d. 17th century 8. which foreign power sided with Edward IV during the wars a. Italy b. Spain c. France d. Bungery 9. which of these people was on the Lancastrians side during the war of the Roses? a. Thomas Cromwell b. Margaret of Anjou c. Richard Neville the king maker d. Richard Duke of York 10. Who was the first king of House of Lancaster? a. Richard Duke b. Henry Bolingbroke c. Henry Tudor d. Edward II END [pic][pic]