Matthew’s Use of the Old Testament Scripture Essays

Matthew’s Use of the Old Testament Scripture Essays Matthew’s Use of the Old Testament Scripture Essay Matthew’s Use of the Old Testament Scripture Essay Matthew wrote his gospel with two purposes in mind: first, he wanted to prove that Jesus was the promised coming King-Messiah of the Old Testament, and second, he wanted to explain to his readers the kingdom program of God. The issues involved in the person of the Messiah are many during Matthew’s time. He had to deal with those concerns immediately in order for him to be able to prove his point beyond reasonable doubt (Constable 55).For one thing, the long-awaited Messiah had to be without question from the lineage of Abraham, and that, Matthew was able to establish in the very first chapter of his gospel. He not only had verified that Jesus came as a descendant of Abraham and therefore a bonafide Jew, but substantiated as well in the first chapter of his gospel, that Jesus also had descended from the ancestry of King David to show that Jesus was the Son of David, the coming King who would rule like David to restore Israel’s Golden Years under t he reign of David’s descendant who is the Messiah (Escalona 2). Jesus, according to Matthew, has fulfilled through the testimony of His background and life the requirements that would support the conclusion that He was indeed the promised Messiah and King (Walvoord 12).These points were very important to emphasize, so Matthew started right away with these very aims in mind. With these understanding, the modern-day readers will be better off intellectually, as they approach the book of Matthew. The problems posed by Matthew chapter 1 would immediately be eliminated such as the question of â€Å"Why the drudgery of mentioning names (mostly unknown) all the way back to Abraham?† It may bear no relevance for people today, but for those people to whom Matthew was directing his message, the identity of Jesus – as far as his pedigree was concerned – was of utmost importance (Family Bible Notes 1). The Messiah had to be first of all a descendant of Abraham and of David. And the only thing that could possibly remove this doubt from the minds of his readers was an established proof of Jesus’ Abrahamic and Davidic lineages – which of course Matthew had established very well (Geneva Bible Notes 1).DiscussionThis paper deals with responding to the inquirer’s mind concerning Matthew’s use of the Old Testament. Its position is to establish first the Messiahship of Jesus as seen in the eyes of the apostle Matthew and then lengthily discuss the kingdom agendum or program of God.I. Jesus: The King-MessiahAnother way that Matthew has employed was his heavy use of the Old Testament scriptures – particularly, prophecies. In chapter two, specific fulfilments of prophetic pronouncements were fulfilled as to certain places and events. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which according to the writer was a specific fulfilment of prophetic scripture (Barnes 2).   When Herod asked the chief priests and scribes where the Christ/Me ssiah would be born,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"they said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: But   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel’.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Applications like these of certain Old Testament scriptures are notable in all of the four gospels. They relied a great deal on prophecies, and therefore their frequent references to them further concretized the fact of Jesus’ identity. In all four gospels, different aspects of the Christ’s Person were explored and thus, by the time the inquirer has finished reading all of the gospels, there have to be no more questions left. In fact, even one of the gospels is enough to convince anybody of the Messiah’s identity (John 20:31) (Teacher’s Commentary 2).Matthew’s gospel is sufficient to present to its audience Jesus as their long-expected Savior. All of the circumstances surrounding His birth and childhood were clear realizations of Hebraic predictions. In Matthew chapters 3 – 4, Jesus’ royalty is presented. John the baptizer is here also introduced and for the said purpose – to introduce to Israel her King. During those times, it was customary for VIP’s or very important persons to have emissaries who would go before them to make preparations for their arrivals. Emissaries or forerunners would go and announce to designated destinations the royalty’s impending visit. Included to their task is to make sure that the place was in good condition to host the king. When there needs to be some repairs on infrastructure, sometimes those forerunners would go to such extent as do the work of â€Å"smoothing the highway† through which the k ing would take to reach his destination (Constable 56).John the baptizer prepared Jesus’ way and also proclaimed Him as a very important figure in that He was the most awaited person of the times – the coming King. When John announced that the kingdom of God was â€Å"at hand,† what he meant was that all or everything that were needed for the kingdom to be established among them (Israel) was to accept their King in Jesus. They rejected Him though. It was necessary for the predicted Messiah to be crucified for many Old Testament prophecies to be fulfilled (Psalms 22, Isaiah 53, Daniel 9, Zechariah 13). In Matthew 3:3, the writer identified God with Jesus as he quoted Isaiah 40:3. This clearly means that Jesus’ kingdom is also the kingdom of God. The two are not different but the same. This quote from Isaiah proves that Jesus is not a mere representative of God but more than a representative. Matthew’s point was Jesus is LORD. He makes his point very vivid by quoting from many passages over and over from the Old Testament (Constable 55).Again, in Matthew 3:16-17, the narrative pointed to the fact that at that juncture of Jesus’ life (and it was before He started His ministry), the Holy Spirit anointed Him. This event denotes that Jesus as a man would be reliant to the power of the Spirit as also the Scripture has attested in Isaiah 42:1. Of course, at the very start of His life, He was already filled with the Spirit. He was even conceived through the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20). The descent of the Holy Spirit at His baptism stresses the fact that Jesus would be accomplishing His messianic ministry totally dependent on the Spirit’s power. It specifies a point for understanding that Jesus’ authority through which He discharges His ministry was through the Spirit. Hence, empowered by the Spirit, Jesus acted as the instrument of God and spoke as God’s mouthpiece. The term â€Å"Son of God† was very familiar in the prophetic writings. It was used frequently to identify David’s descendant who would come after him to occupy his throne to become Israel’s king (2 Samuel 7:13-14, Psalms 2:7, 89:26-29). God’s approval and commendation of Jesus were both linked to the aspect of the Messiah’s work of saving His people from their sins as the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 42 53). â€Å"Son of God† is a messianic title (Clarke 1).II. God’s Kingdom ProgramThe first nine chapters of Matthew seemed to have shown not only the background of Jesus’ identity but also the pathetic condition of humanity as represented by those multitudes that followed Him. Thus, at this point, Matthew proceeded to lay out the program of the Kingdom of God. First, there is the need for workers in the field (Matthew 9:37-38). Jesus is shown here as one moved with compassion for the multitudes. It recalls for the readers the fact of God’s compassionate heart for H is people. In the book of Ezekiel 34, God is described as the true Shepherd of His people, whose compassion would not allow for His people to be taken advantaged of. The word â€Å"weary† is translated â€Å"distressed† (NASB) and â€Å"harassed† (NIV) in other translations of the Bible. These descriptions vividly depict the people of God – the Jews – as being intimidated and oppressed by their leaders. The people needed deliverance and there was no one able to deliver them. They’re as sheep without a shepherd (Constable 56).The Old Testament is replete with a description of God and the coming Messiah as the shepherds of His people. At this point in time (Matthew 9), Matthew presented the agenda or program of God for His kingdom. Jesus needed workers to continue on with the work which He has started (Barnes, 2001). There needs to be workers who would serve as workers for God’s harvest. But, first of all, the workers for the harvest mu st be sent by God. Therefore Jesus commands prayer. â€Å"Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.† This is similar to what Apostle Paul has stated in his epistle to the Romans, â€Å"And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’† (Romans 10:15). Only at this juncture that the twelve disciples of Jesus are called apostles (Matthew 10:1). He chose the twelve probably to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. The people who have spiritual sensitivity at that time must have detected that at Jesus’ appointment of the twelve He was launching them to execute His messianic programme (Barnes, 2001). The apostles were the first â€Å"sent out† ones. Although the title was exclusively theirs, they’re told by their Master to still pray for workers. During the time of the original apostles, God was continually hearing their prayers to send â€Å"workers† for the harvest. There was Barnabas (Acts 14:4), and Paul himself was designated as apostle and received his commission from Jesus directly. The primary agenda of the kingdom was to reach everyone in Israel with the message of the kingdom. Although the message had to be first proclaimed in Israel, it was to be later on extended to â€Å"all the nations† (Constable 56).Since the work had to be taken by them to all the â€Å"lost sheep of Israel,† and eventually to the â€Å"nations,† the Master foresaw its accompanying need in the part of the messengers. â€Å"And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his foo d† (Matthew 10:7-10). The nature of the work is extensive; they had to â€Å"teach† their converts â€Å"to observe all things† that Christ had taught them. The kind of work that God calls His servants to is definitely a kind of work which proves as well what kind of â€Å"Lord† He is: that He is an excellent Master, able to see (â€Å"the God Who sees†) the needs of His servants or followers before they even feel the need. This means that when an individual becomes a partaker of Himself He also has become a partaker of all His benefits (Teacher’s Commentary 2).Men who become Jesus’ followers must be taught to know concerning things that are God’s or what are called divine things. Not only will they benefit best when they know what the things that are God’s, they also become instructors fit to impart the goodness and the mind of God. In addition, they are promised that what are needed will be sufficiently met and thus the ir own experiences of God’s faithful attention the promises He made to His followers, both spiritual and material needs. The servants of God then, are enjoined to be faithful as well to be able to deliver His message in adherence to the rightful message as Jesus taught and delivered as well to the apostles, the first Christians and the succeeding generations of faithful believers of the gospel (Clarke 1).Doubters and unbelievers look with disdain, cynicism and scorn when the discussion revolves around these words of Jesus and the gospel. When the faithful talk about the promises that the Old Testament Scripture holds out for the people and these Jesus reinforced as well in the New Testament, they see only myth, and delusions on the part of the believers (Robertson’s NT Word Pictures, 2001). That is because they don’t have the eyes of faith, nor were instructed of the thousands of year’s proof of the veracity of the Bible, and have not experienced the trut h and reality of these Scriptures in their lives. The effectivity of Matthew’s work is found in the millions of followers who had tested Jesus’ Messiahship not only in their spiritual faith but in the totality of their finite experience (Clarke 2).In conclusion, Matthew not only and merely was acting as an evangelist-historian, but as biographer par excellence, whose work was without a blend of his own opinion or views, which has undoubtedly established its internal credibility in the gospel itself. Other apostles like Paul, did not have to add anything to what Matthew said or wrote, but enlarged on what this gospel writer witnessed and chronicled in his experiences with Christ.

Saying to in German With Nach and Zu

Saying 'to' in German With 'Nach' and 'Zu' There are at least  half a dozen ways  to say to in German. But one of the biggest sources of to confusion comes from just two prepositions:  nach  and  zu. Fortunately, there are clear distinctions between the two. The preposition  nach, except in the idiomatic phrase nach Hause ([to] home, homeward), is used exclusively with geographic place names and points of the compass (including left and right). Most other uses of  nach  are in its meaning of after (nach der Schule   after school) or according to (ihm nach   according to him). Here are some examples of  nach  when it means to:  nach Berlin  (to Berlin),  nach rechts  (to the right),  nach Ãâ€"sterreich  (to Austria). Note, however, that plural or feminine countries, such as die Schweiz, usually use  in  instead of  nach:  in die Schweiz, to Switzerland.   The preposition  zu  is used in most other cases and is always used for to with people:  Geh zu Mutti!, Go to (your) mom! Note that  zu  can also mean too, functioning as an adverb:  zu viel, too much. Another difference between the two is that  nach  is rarely used with an article, while  zu  is often combined with an article or even contracted into a one-word compound, as in  zur Kirche  (zu der Kirche, to the church) or  zum Bahnhof  (zu dem Bahnhof, to the train station). Nach Hause  and  zu Hause Both of these prepositions are used with  Haus(e), but only  nach  means to when used with  Haus. The phrase  zu Hause  means at home, just as  zu Rom  means at/in Rome in that poetic, old-fashioned type of construction. Note that if you want to say to my house/place in German, you say  zu mir  (zu dative pronoun) and the word  Haus  is not used at all! The idiomatic expressions ​nach Hause and zu Hause follow the rules for nach  and zu  given above. Here are some more examples of the uses of  nach  and  zu  (as to): Wir fliegen  nach  Frankfurt.Were flying to Frankfurt. (geographic)Der Wind weht von Westen  nach  Osten.The wind is blowing from west to east. (compass)Wie komme ich  zum  Stadtzentrum?How to I get to the city center? (non-geographic)Ich fahre  nach  Frankreich.Im going to France. (geographic)Gehst du  zur  Kirche?Are you going to church? (non-geographic)Kommt doch  zu  uns!Why dont you guys come over to our place [to us]. (non-geographic)Wir gehen  zur  Bckerei.Were going to the bakery. (non-geographic) Direction/Destination The preposition  zu  expresses the idea of heading in a direction and going to a destination. It is the opposite of  von  (from):  von Haus zu Haus  (from house to house). Although both of the following sentences can be translated as He is going to the university, there is a difference in the German meanings: Er geht  zur  Universitt. (The university is his current destination.)Er geht  an  die Universitt. (Hes a student. He attends the university.) Those Tricky Prepositions Prepositions in any language can be tricky to deal with. They are particularly susceptible to cross-language interference. Just because a phrase is said a certain way in English, does not mean it will be the same in German. As we have seen, both  zu  and  nach  can be used in many ways, and to in German is not always expressed with these two words. Look at these to examples in  English and  German: ten to four  (score)   zehn zu vierten to four  (time)   zehn vor vierI dont want to  Ã‚  ich will nichtto my delight  Ã‚  zu meiner Freudeto my knowledge  Ã‚  meines Wissensbumper to bumper  Ã‚  Stoßstange an Stoßstangeto town  Ã‚  in die Stadtto the office  Ã‚  ins Bà ¼roto a great extent  Ã‚  in hohem Grad/Maße However, if you follow the simple rules on this page for  nach  and  zu, you can avoid making obvious mistakes with those two prepositions when you want to say to. German Prepositions That Can Mean To All of the following prepositions mean several other things besides to: an, auf, bis, in, nach, vor, zu; hin und her  (adverb,  to and fro) Note that German also uses nouns or pronouns in the  dative case  to express to:  mir  (to me),  meiner Mutter  (to my mother),  ihm  (to him).

Qatar and Bahrain Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Qatar and Bahrain - Research Paper Example The British had defined the national borders, but they did not demarcate most of these boundaries properly, which left prospects for conflict, particularly in regions that had the most expensive deposits of oil. In the Gulf, British- controlled forces saw to it that there was peace and order, and British officers settled local disputes. Nevertheless, this was not until the year 1971 when these influences as well as officials withdrew, resulting in the inception of suppressed ethnic hostilities as well as old territorial claims. The impetuous significance of boundaries in defining oil deposits’ ownership as well as the notion of the modern state that the European supremacy pioneered into the Gulf States stirred up heightened territorial disagreements (Library of Congress Country Studies, 1993). Introduction Boundary problems comprise one of a succession of dilemmas in the region of the Arabian Gulf. Moreover, they mirror tensions in the region. Amongst these problems, the confl icts between Qatari and Bahraini were the most serious. The source of this clash dates back to the nineteenth century when Great Britain fully controlled the Arabian Peninsula’s eastern region. This dispute affected the relationship between Qatar and Bahrain as well as threatened Gulf Cooperation Council’s existence (Karam, 2007). ... It has severally made them want to fight, and it has been an enduring problem not only for both emirates’ British protectorate but also for Saudi Arabia and Gulf Cooperation Council, endeavoring to maintain peace in the region (Theestimate.com, 2001). Although both parties concur with the fact that in the 18th century (prior to ousting the Iranians from Bahrain), the Arab clan of the Al Khalifa had inhabited Al Zubarah and that they inhabited Bahrain some years afterward, they differ regarding the prevailing subsequent legal circumstances. The Al Thani, Qatar’s ruling family, disputed strongly the claim by Al Khalifa to the ancient area of settlement presently in the hands of the Qatari over and above laying claim to the Hawar (inhabited by Bahraini) and neighboring islands, very close to Qatar mainland but over 20Kms from Bahrain (U.S. Department of State, 2012). According to Qatar, in the year 1937, Bahrain illegally and clandestinely occupied the Islands of Hawar. On the other hand, Bahrain insists that its leader was only carrying out legitimate works of exercising control in his own region. Qatar’s Ruler presented the British Government with protests through a letter dated May  10, 1938. He was protesting against what he referred to as Bahrain’s irregular action against Qatar and earlier in February  1938, he had already referred to this issue in Doha where he had a talk with the Political Agent to Britain in Bahrain. The British Political Agent later wrote Qatar’s Ruler on 20  May the same year, asking him to express his case on Hawar as soon as possible. The latter wrote back on 27  May  1938 and on 3  January  1939, Bahrain presented a counter-claim. Qatar’s Ruler then presented the British Political Agent with his

Taming Disability, Mastering Minds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Taming Disability, Mastering Minds - Essay Example I don’t wish to call him disabled, because he had a distinctive ability to mimic the teachers and almost all of the popular figures. He was rather short and pudgy when he was a little young boy and his growth was challenged by dwarfism in an early age of eight years. Jestin was excellent as a student and his ability to learn mathematics and physics was always a reference to all of us. He liked to play games with us; most of them were power demanding and involving a lot of athletic abilities. When he walked, it was a curious sight to new people. I met him when I was in the elementary school. Our teacher – Julie – introduced him, told us to look after him and then assigned me as his partner to sit together. He walks towards me, I then realized why Julie told us to look after him – he is disabled. I stared at him with a strange face – I have never been with a disabled person this close before. I think he knew I was staring, but he pretend like he did n ot know. Maybe he was used to strange people’s attention in public, maybe he is just do not want to look at me in the eye and see something he did not want to see – pity. He had his short limbs which were spectacular when he attempted running or boarding the school bus. We always observed him as different existence and that worried him a lot; someone occasionally called him names of goblins and teased him a lot. He was teachers’ pet as he used to be the most punctual and one of the most brilliant students in the school. Though his brain was sharp, his hands were too small to handle the writing board in the classroom and so, he was denied the opportunity of being the leader of the class. Altogether, â€Å"the link between his biological construction and inner self† was established that way (Mossman, 15). His small body contained much appetite and he used to eat a lot. The lunch hour of the school was seemingly inspiring to him as he would eat from a lunch box rather disproportionate to his size. While he attempted opening the lid of the lunch box, it was an amusing scene for other people to watch. The short hands grabbed a lot of food and rhythmically forced it inside his mouth in a rapid phase – he was interesting. I always observed him with absolute attention to understand how his body reacted to his requirements to cope up with the challenges of mingling with classmates and doing experiments in the science lab. He was never discouraged; rather, he developed the habit of exploring the secret abilities that differentiated from normal people. Dwarfism was a curse to him when he liked to play on field games; therefore, he managed to settle himself into mind games and excelled in the feats. His eye contact and the facial expressions were very mature, but they were not supported by his short limbs to give him a perfect identity. Most noticeable fact of his mannerism was the style he used in arguing with someone who is very tall; he would poke and punch the stomach of the contender and make him silly with his witty expressions. As I grow up, I realized that there are so many people who need help, and there is no way I could help them all. The other thing I realized is that there are so many fake beggars and they are just faking it so people would give them money. I have decided to not look at them in the eye when I pass by and continue to walk my way. I used to watch him working so hard on his homework, using his left hand –

Reading Comprehension Essay Example for Free

Reading Comprehension Essay Robots serve as entertainers, servers, greeters and receptionists at the Dalu Robot restaurant. Service with a smile also comes with an electronic voice at the Dalu Robot restaurant, where the hotpot meals are not as famous yet as the staff who never lose their patience and never take tips. The restaurant, which opened this month in Jinan in northern Shandong province, is touted as Chinas first robot hotpot eatery where robots resembling Star Wars droids circle the room carrying trays of food in a conveyor belt-like system. More than a dozen robots operate in the restaurant as entertainers, servers, greeters and receptionists. Each robot has a motion sensor that tells it to stop when someone is in its path so customers can reach for dishes they want. The service industry in China has not always kept up with the countrys rapid economic growth, and can be quite basic in some restaurants, leading customers in the Dalu restaurant to praise the robots. They have a better service attitude than humans, said Li Xiaomei, 35, who was visiting the restaurant for the first time. Humans can be temperamental or impatient, but they dont feel tired, they just keep working and moving round and round the restaurant all night, Li said. Inspired by space exploration, robot technology and global innovation, the restaurants owner, Zhang Yongpei, said he hopes his restaurant will show the world China is a serious competitor in developing technology. I hope this new concept shows that China is forward-thinking and innovative, Zhang said. As customers enter the dimly lit restaurant lined with blinking neon lights to simulate a futuristic environment, a female robot decorated with batting eyelashes greets people with an electronic welcome. During the meal, crowds of up to 100 customers, are entertained by a dancing and talking robot that looks more like a mannequin with a dress, flapping its arms around in a stiff motion. Zhang said he hopes to roll out 30 robots which cost $6000 each ($NZ8000) in the coming months and eventually develop robots with human-like qualities that serve customers at their table and can walk up and down the stairs.

Cloning :: essays research papers fc

Cloning, as of recent years, has become a very controversial issue. Society is firmly divided on the uses and ethics of cloning. Cloning can rang from producing copies of plants and animals to clones of humans and human organs. But cloning can have several positive effects for the well being of society. Cloning plants can have positive effects fo humans. Scientist can clone plants and alter them to produce healthier food. For example, oranges which contain an abundance of Vitamin C, can be altered to include Vitamin D and Calcium, which is found amply in milk. Cloning can also improve the status of hunger-stricken Third World nations. Fruits and vegetables can be cloned to produce large amounts of food without have to worry about growing season, climate, or any other environmental factor. They can also be alterd to be able to be grown in different environments or to produce more food and for a longer period of time. Cloning animals can have several ramifications. Foremost, is the be nfit of humans. This can be done in two ways. First, cloning animals can help us understand the way our cellss divide, multiply and operate. We can also learn how to fix ceratin disorders, thus leading to tests and research in similar human disorders. For example, sheep have a disease of the brain, called Scrapie, that causes tremors, loss of motion, and eventually death. This disease is very similar to the human disease called Parkinson’s disease. Scientists can try to stimulate new brain cells to divide and regrow damaged areas in the sheep brain first and then try similar procedures for humans. Animal cloning can also lead to better production of food. Ranchers can take one cow, the best out of the whole stock, and clone it. This would improve his sales and our health because we are given a healthier product. Endangered animals can also benefit from animal cloning. For instance, instead of doing lab monitored pregnancies and artificial inseminations for endangered animals, scientists can clone several embryos for the healthiest animal of that species. Working the way up the evolutionary scale leads eventually to cloning human organs and ultimately humans. This is the most controversial area of cloning, but despite the controversy, cloning of human organs and also humans can have some positive effects. To illustrate, kidney tissue can be used to grow a healthy kidney for patients with frequent kidney failures. Cloning :: essays research papers fc Cloning, as of recent years, has become a very controversial issue. Society is firmly divided on the uses and ethics of cloning. Cloning can rang from producing copies of plants and animals to clones of humans and human organs. But cloning can have several positive effects for the well being of society. Cloning plants can have positive effects fo humans. Scientist can clone plants and alter them to produce healthier food. For example, oranges which contain an abundance of Vitamin C, can be altered to include Vitamin D and Calcium, which is found amply in milk. Cloning can also improve the status of hunger-stricken Third World nations. Fruits and vegetables can be cloned to produce large amounts of food without have to worry about growing season, climate, or any other environmental factor. They can also be alterd to be able to be grown in different environments or to produce more food and for a longer period of time. Cloning animals can have several ramifications. Foremost, is the be nfit of humans. This can be done in two ways. First, cloning animals can help us understand the way our cellss divide, multiply and operate. We can also learn how to fix ceratin disorders, thus leading to tests and research in similar human disorders. For example, sheep have a disease of the brain, called Scrapie, that causes tremors, loss of motion, and eventually death. This disease is very similar to the human disease called Parkinson’s disease. Scientists can try to stimulate new brain cells to divide and regrow damaged areas in the sheep brain first and then try similar procedures for humans. Animal cloning can also lead to better production of food. Ranchers can take one cow, the best out of the whole stock, and clone it. This would improve his sales and our health because we are given a healthier product. Endangered animals can also benefit from animal cloning. For instance, instead of doing lab monitored pregnancies and artificial inseminations for endangered animals, scientists can clone several embryos for the healthiest animal of that species. Working the way up the evolutionary scale leads eventually to cloning human organs and ultimately humans. This is the most controversial area of cloning, but despite the controversy, cloning of human organs and also humans can have some positive effects. To illustrate, kidney tissue can be used to grow a healthy kidney for patients with frequent kidney failures.

Porphyria’s Lover Analysis

Porphyria’s Lover by Robert Browning – An Analysis The finest woks of Browning endeavor to explain the mechanics of human psychology. The motions of love, hate, passion, instinct, violence, desire, poverty, violence, and sex and sensuousness are raised from the dead in his poetry with a striking virility and some are even introduced with a remarkable brilliance. Thanks to the changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution, so many people living in such close quarters, poverty, violence, and sex became part of everyday life.The absence of family and community ties meant newfound personal independence; it also meant the loss of a social safety net. The mid-nineteenth century also saw the rapid growth of newspapers, which functioned not as the current-events journals of today but as scandal sheets, filled with stories of violence and carnality essay writer program. Hurrying pedestrians, bustling shops, and brand-new goods filled the streets, and individuals had to take in mi llions of separate perceptions a minute.The resulting over stimulation led, according to many theorists, to a sort of numbness. Notably many writers now felt that in order to provoke an emotional reaction they had to compete with the turmoils and excitements of everyday life had to shock their audience in ever more novel and sensational ways. Thus violence also became a sort of aesthetic choice for many creative people. Browning can be charged of also employing violence as a tool for evoking aesthetic brilliance but this is only at the superficial level.Because when it comes to the use of violence in his poems we find them as close to reality as reality itself. His poems show us the human passions in flesh and blood and he was not going to be one who denied the presence of violence as a potent human passion or one who presented it as something out of proportion just to create sensation. His incorporation of violence with other human passions was real just and fully understandable. M any of Browning's more disturbing poems, including â€Å"Porphyria's Lover† and â€Å"My Last Duchess,† reflect this notion.In his poem â€Å"Porphyria’s Lover† we find Browning at his best. The poem is a love poem†¦ but has a lot more to offer than just the bright sunny side of love. For Browning love was a passion, which had its destructive side as well. But this did not in anyway lessen or tarnish its reputation as being the purest emotion. In fact the destruction that mostly love brought on the characters of Browning’s poems was mostly due to other reasons like violence, may be.Porphyria's Lover also demonstrates several of Robert Browning's defining characteristics as a poet. It contains his criticism towards the beliefs and practices of self-restraint and his traditional use of dramatic monologue to expose a single character's personality, which in turn often provides an additional depth to his works in coordination with his use of unpoe tic language. Also taking into account the author's own personal experiences with his wife, the poem can also be perceived as a representation of the development of their relationship.Browning's criticism of the idea of self-restraint is evident throughout the poem â€Å"Porphyria's Lover† as it was shown in the internal debates both characters underwent as they decided whether or not they should consummate the love between them. In Robert Browning's dramatic monologue, â€Å"Porphyria's Lover,† the love-stricken frustrations of a nameless speaker end in a passionate, annihilating response to society's scrutiny towards human sensuality.Cleverly juxtaposing Porphyria's innocent femininity and her sexual transgression, Browning succeeds in displaying society's contradictory embrace of morality next to its rejection of sensual pleasure. In an ironically tranquil domestic setting, warm comfort and affection come to reveal burning emotional perversions within confining soci al structures. The speaker's violent display of passion ends not with external condemnation, but with the matter-of-fact sense of a duty fulfilled.Porphyria's lover sits next to his murdered love without any regretful aftermath or consequence; from the narrator's viewpoint, a perception wholly distorted by the forced internalization of his feelings for Porphyria, not even the ultimate hand of God can rob him the serenity of a moment free from judgment. Porphyria’s Lover is his first dramatic monologue in which we are witness to the union of two lovers. This union, as the poem reaches its end, culminates in to a unique eternal nirvana.Browning's presentation of an unreliable narrator is necessarily so, for in the ironically ordinary setting of Victorian simplicity, the speaker's insanity is justified and accounted for. With traditional notions of nature's wrath and God's omnipotence framing the start and finish of the scene, Browning employs the narration's natural poetic flow in order to heighten the blow of the unexpectedly unorthodox turn of events. The speaker's great passion comes to parallel that of God, nature, and ultimately, social expectations, thus embodying the force of the â€Å"sullen wind† (Line 2) itself.Moreover the very beginning of the poem shows a setting where the nature is presented in wrath and fury- violence marks its presence from the very onset. This is in fact a sign of forces other than ‘love’ at work. As the young goddess is shown gliding across to meet her lover, the forces of nature rage around. They represent the various odds going against the two lovers. The use of nature as an opposing force by the master poet is a splendid technique. The reason being only nature in its enormity would have been potent enough to match the magnanimous stature of love.And Browning did want to convey this message across that despite its pure magnanimity love was overshadowed and forced to change its direction because of o ther forces. And the consequences of such changes though ending up in the final victory of love did cast rather painful shadows. The first line of the poem, ‘The rain set early in tonight,’ is indicative of the fact that there was something that was not right. Something that was unusual. Something that was just not befitting the sacredness of the meeting of the two lovers.The very word ‘early’ provides that desired effect and the reader at once realizes the inevitability of fate. The word also signifies that there was a certain degree of expectation and hope; that the rain would set in late at some other expected time. The feeling of hope that things might have worked the way love wanted them to! In the next line the use of ‘sullen’ is actually the word that cements the fact that there are opposing forces working against love. Moreover the sheer potency that the force of wind represents shows the odds that the passion of love is up against.Even though the reader has no idea what the poem is going to bring but the mention of the force of wind is enough to make us realize that there is s tension from the very outset. The whole feeling is further substantiated by the word ‘vex’ in the third line. More over water symbolizes femininity and the line, ‘and did its worst to vex the lake’ shows that Porphyria was made to face the worst possible odds. Just like the wind tore across the elm tops and tried its utmost to disturb the waters†¦ so did the forces of fate tried their best to stop her from meeting her lover.Browning grants certain credibility to the narrowness of the speaker's viewpoint in that it displays the most extreme result of lifelong subservience to the world's own confining expectations. Introducing nature's unpredictability at the onset of the poem, Browning suggests the detrimental effect of an outside force and foreshadows the speaker's equally spiteful gesture: â€Å"It tore the elm-tops down for spite, / And did its worst to vex the lake: / I listened with heart fit to break† (3-5).Here the speaker muses about his apparent powerlessness to weather's force, the symbolic obstacle of the outside world that keeps Porphyria away. The next line is the point where very cleverly the poet manages to change the focus of attention of the reader to the lover without losing any of the effect that the imagery and settings has created so far†¦ ‘I listened with heart fit to break. ’ This line is indicative of another thing and that is that the lover was waiting desperately and has reached a certain degree of impatience when his beloved enters the sordid cottage.The room where the lover is waiting also signifies a certain level of pathos that is underlying throughout the poem. The next few lines are simply drenched in love and tenderness that the lover has for Porphyria in these pathos-ridden surroundings. First the use of the word ‘straightâ €™ shows the level of devotion the two lovers have. It shows how keenly and decisively the poet was waiting for her that he noticed every single detail- as how she came in straight to him and how dearly Porphyria wanted to meet him. The next line is simply fantastic in its construction as it shows the love between the two in its totality. She shut the cold out and the storm,’ The poet does not use the word of door anywhere though it is understood that she must have shut the door when she came in. But does this imply that before she came the doors were open. I would not agree to that; but rather it signifies the fact that the sheer presence of Porphyria had barged out the cold, dreariness and the ‘storm’ – the storm here carries dual meaning of one that was raging outside and the other one that was the barrage of questions twisting and swirling in the mind of the lover.Thus her arrival had brought to peace the storm outside and the storm inside; or to p ut it in more appropriate terms the lover no longer cared for the storm outside as the storm inside him had been pacified by her person. Further as the poem proceeds we realize more of the purity in the love of the two characters. Porphyria kneels down and all the grim shadows of uncertainty and confusion fade away†¦ her sheer presence had provided the lover with all the warmth he needed to bring him back to life. The line is suggestive of a motherly feeling especially as well; the word ‘warm’ marks the motherly essence in the love.The motherly feeling here is presented in the broader sense of the word, as one of selfless love. Further more the use of this word also amplifies the fact that her motherly tenderness for her lover had endowed upon the dreary cottage a home like aura. Browning is a master of senses. At his best he is like a painter who uses simple actions, simple images, and everyday feelings to represent vaulting passions and towering emotions. In the next lines that follow, we find the poet using simple images of Porphyria to display her sensuous facet or to be more exact her feminine element ‘Which done, she rose, and from her form’These lines present a beautiful scene of a young maiden getting up. Now the impression one gets from these lines are those of a young girl standing up with her slender physique, her chiseled limbs, and her proud manner in which she carries herself. All the actions that follow are multifarious in their implications. For one they show a young girl going through motions that are indeed a compliment to her physique ‘Withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl,’ A young girl taking off her cloak and shawl would be going through the motions that would amplify her beauty in a very sensuous manner.Moreover they also show that the girl is absolutely at ease with her beloved meaning there by that she felt completely at home. Furthermore the way in which she takes off her gloves and then her hat†¦ all show that she meant to spend some time and was not in a rush and that she felt comfortable with her lover. And then finally after done with all that she sat by his side. Thus Browning’s genius is evident here, as he has used simple actions to highlight two different facets that fully substantiate the feeling of love between the two characters- one of sensuousness and the other of trust and purity.Love is a strange emotion. In fact it is one of the most puzzling emotions ever. And yet it is the simplest. Considered in its entirety it is an insatiable desire for satiation, an ever increasing thirst for more and yet it gives you that little joy that is suffice enough to keep you going for a life time, it fills you with that unique pleasure which though lasts for a moment but leaves you with an ecstasy, so full and complete. ‘And, last, she sat down by my side’ These lines are followed by remarkable lines that exude the aura of such passionate and tre mendous love.From the moment she sat by his side we find a strange tinge of sensuousness amalgamate itself with the tone of love so dominating in the whole poem. Porphyria sat beside her lover just like a child snuggles beside his mother. She could feel the same calm and repose that a child feels at the side of his mother. But from here starts the strange union of sense with feelings, of adoration with desires†¦ as she reaches out to her lover and finds him not responding to her, she at once realizes that he was going through the motions of that emotion which a child encounters when after getting noticed by his mother he wants to be pampered. She put my arm about her waist, And made her smooth white shoulder bare,’ Paradoxically, the warmth of Porphyria's love appears to the narrator to be so temporary that it incites his own predominant passion. Innocently seeking to comfort her afflicted lover, Porphyria forces him to embrace her and makes â€Å"her smooth white shoul der bare† (17). Abruptly, Browning's scene of chilling weather interrupted by warm companionship becomes a picture of overt sexual expression amidst the cottage's roaring fire.The initial presentation of traditional domesticity, a comforting shelter from a raging storm, turns quickly now to unstoppable, passionate pace. These lines that follow are of one of the most critical nature as they are hinging on the two extremes of love and physicality. A little turn towards either could make a complete mess of the scene, a total collapse of the expression, and a break in the rhythm. But this juncture shows us Browning in his full splendor. This is the point that distinguishes him.Like a seasoned doctor he carries out the dissection of the emotions, bringing forth the two elements of love and physicality in complete balance and striking fusion. Porphyria’s action of putting her arms around his waist is indicative of the trust she had on him. But then the very next line is maste rfully interwoven in this aura and presents a picture of conditioned yet subtle lure. She bares her shoulder before her lover. Now the use of a bare shoulder is one of the most intelligent symbols to represent sensuousness as a bare shoulder has a very unique shape.It is ‘smooth’ and ‘white’, and moreover it has a ‘curving shape with soft flesh’ around it. Now such a physical image is enticing because it incorporates in itself strong feminine quality as the ‘curves and soft smooth flesh’ speak of the untold story about the girl†¦! Illicit sex out of wedlock presented a major concern for Victorian society; the famous Victorian â€Å"prudery† constituted only a backlash to what was in fact a popular obsession with the theme: the newspapers of the day reveled in stories about prostitutes and unwed mothers.Here, however, in â€Å"Porphyria's Lover,† sex appears as something natural, acceptable, almost wholesome: Porp hyria's girlishness and affection take prominence over any hints of immorality. The odyssey continues in this land of strong passion of love and we find the lines heightening in the physical imagery showing love in its full splendor. Porphyria made her lover lay his cheek on her bare shoulders and let her hair fall loosely around †¦This whole image speaks volumes about the balance in the motions of love that the two lovers had. To add the final touches to this fine picture of perfect love Porphyria softly re-confesses her love for the young man. Here brilliantly the poet explains the feelings of the young lady as she expressed her love for her lover †¦ by using the word ‘murmuring’, Browning is hinting to the eventual femininity that underlines her heightened feelings. She is after all a girl whose vaulting passions are tamed down by her femininity.The poet speaks out the lovers mind here as well, saying that he perceived this softness in confession to be the cooing down of her feminine self in the face of opposition from ‘pride, and vainer ties’, instead of giving herself to him in the powerful flow of her emotions. But this at no point suggests that the lover had any grievance or doubt on her love for him. Thus these lines points out the basic feminine psyche, that a girl is basically weak when it comes to facing the world but this in no way suggests that her passions are not strong enough.And moreover they also hint at the Victorian society’s respect for hollow ideals like ‘pride’. Browning's poem cannot be seen merely as a character analysis of a nameless speaker; its events frame not only the speaker's apparent insanity but the primary source of his distorted emotions. The narrator's own â€Å"struggling passion† (23) impedes his ability to think and act in a way that society views appropriate; yet, paradoxically, it is society's limited notion of what is appropriate that kindles the ultimatel y fatal fire of his passionate endeavor.The next few lines are splendid example of Browning’s genius as the lover answers his own views about the femininity of her beloved, prevailing over her passion with the realization that her passion had prevailed at least that night as she came gliding through the rain and thunder with in and without to her lover. The whole notion of his beloved coming to him despite the unfavorable odds makes him feel proud of her and the way Browning conveys this notion also reminds the reader of the typical male psyche! ‘Happy and proud; at last I knew Porphyria worshiped me†¦. The lover feels a strange sense of relief as if he has regained a sense of surety that he stills possess his possession†¦ so much typical of the male psyche. Now we enter the point of debate where the love of the lover is rattled by the conflict that starts to grow in his heart. This line of Browning is so violent as it is filled with all the conflict, anguish, fear, disturbance, which one can imagine ‘That moment she was mine, mine, fair, Perfectly pure and good:’ The line is filled with a strange amalgam of relief, achievement, anguish, and fear.The first two words ‘that moment’ have been very dexterously placed and they fulcrumize the two extremes of anguish and relief†¦ as if something that is there and one feels so relaxed and then the very next moment the heart is gripped by the fear that will it be there the next moment. So fighting it out in the middle the lover finally resolves to eternalize that moment when she is there with him. Further more importantly, â€Å"When glided in Porphyria† (60), the narrator's weakened heart has already been broken many times if not once, both by social restrictions on his love ffair, and the subsequent limitations on Porphyria's love for him. Therefore, the speaker's distance from the world outside becomes also an inability to respond to Porphyria upon her ent rance; he sits in the cottage wanting only her love, without need of explanation, so that when he is spoken to, â€Å"no voice replied† (15). Soon, Porphyria's gift of comforting warmth within the storm exacerbates his obsession to the point of insanity-driven violence. This is a very revealing stage. The violent love shines out in its total brilliance.He takes a string of her hair and winds it around his beloved’s neck three times†¦ the line is so blatantly clear; he is going to kill her†¦ he is going to kill the one thing he would be willing to die for! ‘Three times her little throat around, And strangled her. ’ The over mounting horror has been cleverly dealt with the next line in which the lover reveals his conviction of his belief that she felt no pain. First he says, ‘No pain felt she; And then as if to substantiate his view he adds I am quite sure she felt no pain. ’ This line perhaps encompasses the whole love of the loverâ⠂¬ ¦. is belief that what he desires would be the same thing desired by his beloved. Somehow the line acts as a balm to the stressful event maybe. Such is the intensity his conviction that may be the reader is even drawn to the belief that this is the right to thing to do. Or maybe this line in a way sanctifies the whole act. His strong faith in his conviction exudes a feeling of satisfaction and consummation as well on the part of the lover. But seen in another light the speaker's lust for precedence over other forces in Porphyria's life evidently leads to her fatal end.His ecstasy at her new, momentary devotion leaves him at the gate of attaining his dream, but without any sense of trajectory: â€Å"Porphyria worshipped me; surprise / Made my heart swell, and still it grew / While I debated what to do† (33-35). On the instantaneous realization of Porphyria's love, the speaker's requited passion and rational mind still stand separate to some extent. However, it is not long b efore his heated desire to keep her â€Å"Perfectly pure and good† (37) lead him to find â€Å"A thing to do† (38).The narrator's being situated above social law, if but only once, proves to be so stunningly empowering that he loses rational ability to decipher anything but a self-centered whim. The complacency of Browning's speaker in carrying out his murderous deed ironically reflects the complacency of society towards the sexual, aesthetic, and sensual pleasures of life. Exhibiting no definite regret beyond the weariness of having taken what was the only available path, the speaker points to the painlessness of his lover's necessary death: â€Å"No pain felt she; / I am quite sure she felt no pain† (41-42).However, Browning's presenting the reader with an unreliable narrator serves only to intensify the psychological effects of his unrequited love, and says nothing for the supposed convictions and yearnings of Porphyria. While Porphyria finds her way to the s peaker through the symbolically oppressive weather of the outside world, the speaker kills her upon realizing not only society's restrictions on their relationship, and maybe also his belief of Porphyria's own unwillingness to love him fully but for the present moment.Browning presents the justifiability of the murder only through the stricken eyes of the narrator; while the poet points to social confines as the cause of the speaker's insanity, he does not discount the narrator's moral responsibility for the deed. The next actions that follow this act also amplify these notions. He opened the lids of her eyes and saw them as laugh as freshly and sweetly as they were before. Such was the intensity of his love for her that he could not see any change that the violent blow of death had brought on her, but does this at nay stage justify the murder.Calmly he untied the firm hold of her tresses around her neck and passionately kissed her on her cheek. It is evident that the social barrier s had made his love hinge on madness. For him that moment is forever when Porphyria was his own. But under all these charges of insanity, the intensity of his love is undeniable as he propped his darling’s head on his shoulder and as they sat in that calm†¦ he realizes that may be this was what Porphyria wanted too†¦ and so both had the love they wanted†¦ such was the union that not even the heavens had not said a word. Thus in freezing the oment and liberating the two of them from social structures, Browning distorts the deed to a point where it appears to be a divine event foreseen even by God. In toying with Porphyria's dead body, the narrator relates not the coldness of sudden death, nor the warmth of sitting with his love, but the blazing, untouchable serenity of enacted passion: â€Å"her cheek once more / Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss† (49). In the moment of Porphyria's death, the existence of her heated love for the speaker appears to hi m to be so infallible that God cannot even intervene: â€Å"All night long we have not stirred, / And yet God has not said a word! (59-60). Browning presents the viewpoint of a speaker educated in the divine workings of an ultimate force, yet the long-stifled yearnings of an unjustly socialized man color the intensity of the situation. In Browning's dramatic monologue, God's hand of judgment shifts away from the murderer himself and onto the culture that first inhibited the speaker's rational thought. Browning's characterization of a nameless speaker in â€Å"Porphyria's Lover† forms an unexpectedly conclusive response towards the sensual numbness of Victorian society.While the suggested insanity of the speaker would traditionally indicate the narrator's unreliability in a moral sense, Browning constructs the isolated scene such that the lover's emotional internalization is not only understandable, but divinely justified. The musings and actions of this unreliable narrator s erve to illustrate the consequence of society's confines in a shockingly violent release. Through naturally flowing language, this poetic account of burning emotion within a setting of tranquil domesticity presents the all-consuming power of human sensuality in its bleakest attempt to override social structures.

Pros and Cons of Social Studies Teaching

Characteristics of Short Stories [pic][pic] References Alphonse, M. , (2011). Naturalism in Literature. Retrieved November 20, 2012 from http://www. buzzle. com/articles/naturalism-in-literature. htmlom. Vaux, R. (2012). What Are the Basic Characteristics of Realism. Retrieved November 20, 2012 from http://www. ehow. com/facts_5714410_basic-characteristics-realism_. html. [pic] ———————– Dramatic Structure Exposition: Introduction to setting, situation, and main characters. Complication An event that introduces the conflict.Rising Action Crisis: Crucial moment for the protagonist to commit to a course of action. Climax The highest interest of conflict, the most action. Resolution The point when the conflict is resolved. Naturalism Realism Pessimism: When a character tends to repeat a phrase by having a pessimistic outlook, this sometimes emphasizes the inevitability or quality of death, or the end (Alphonse, 2011). Detachment: Th e author tries to maintain an objective tone by achieving a detachment or change through nameless characters.This focuses mainly on the plot and character rather than focusing on the character only (Alphonse, 2011). Determinism: The notion that individual characters have a direct choice on their lives is replaced by a focus on fate or nature; this is the opposite of the belief of free will. The author makes the reader believe that the fate of the character has already been predetermined by certain factors, especially environmental factors and he can do nothing to change it (Alphonse, 2011).Twist at the end: There is an overwhelming sense in the naturalist stories and novels that nature is not affected by human struggle. The key themes, survival, determinism, violence, and taboo, have been ideally portrayed in all the works of this literature genre (Alphonse, 2011). Accuracy: Realism strives for total accuracy in the depiction of its subjects. Devoid of any unnecessary dramatics or a rtistic affectation. Realistic works refrain from undue embellishment, and strive for a natural tone (Vaux, 2012). Read more: What Are the Basic Characteristics of Realism? eHow. com http://www. ehow. com/facts_5714410_basic-characteristics-realism_. html#ixzz2CmwKmoVv Honesty: Realism seeks the depiction of honesty. Avoid hiding things behind distortions or opinions. Unpleasant facts or images are presented as they are, as are plain or unassuming details about the content (Vaux, 2012). Independence: Philosophical realism stresses the independence of objects from the reader. The author gives a life and an existence separate from anything else, which will continue regardless of anyone's opinions the matter (Vaux, 2012).Ordinariness: The subjects of realistic works are defined not by their exceptional nature, but by how ordinary they seem. This allows ordinary to have a voice (Vaux, 2012). Difficulties: Realistic protagonists are often beset by great forces beyond their control or the natural world. Through indifference of a larger society, and in many cases they do not find triumph in their struggle. Unhappy endings are not always the norm in realistic stories, but they are fairly common. Happy endings often involve compromise and larger than life victories (Vaux, 2012).

Civilization the Romans Essays

Civilization the Romans Essays Civilization the Romans Essay Civilization the Romans Essay Ancient Rome civilization is one of the classical antiquities beside ancient Greece. It grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula 10th century BC. It cantered on city of Rome and located along the Mediterranean Sea. It became one of the largest empires in the ancient world. Body Law Ancient Romans had developed an excellent law system. Until the end of the 18th century, most of Western Europe used this legal system. The root of Romans Law is called Twelve Tables. Today, Roman law is no longer applied in legal practice. However, Roman law is indispensable to understand the legal systems of today. Language Latin was the native language if the Romans. It was an Italic language the grammar relies little on word order, conveying meaning through a system of affixes attached to word stems. Its alphabet was based on the Etruscan alphabet, which was in turn based on the Greek alphabet. It consists almost entirely of Classical Latin. Roman Empire spoken language was Vulgar Latin, which significantly differed from Classical Latin in grammar and vocabulary, and eventually in pronunciation. Technology The Romans had impressive technological. The most outstanding parts are Romans civil engineering and military engineering. Romans use those technologies to construction hundreds of roads, bridge, aqueducts, baths, theatres and arenas. Even today, Colosseum, Pont du Gard, and Pantheon, still remain as testaments to Romans engineering and culture. Conclusion Ancient Rome civilization contributed greatly to the development of law, language and technology in the Western world and its history continues to have a major influence on the world today. The Roman civilization was one of the greatest civilizations in ancient world and it has major impacts on the world today.

History of the Second Congo War

History of the Second Congo War The first phase of the Second Congo War led to a stalemate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On one side were Congolese rebels backed and guided by Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi. On the other side were both Congolese paramilitary groups and the government, under the leadership of  Laurent Dà ©sirà ©-Kabila, backed by Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, the Sudan, Chad, and Libya.   A Proxy War By September 1998, a month after the Second Congo War had begun, the two sides were at a stalemate. The pro-Kabila forces controlled the West and central part of the Congo, while the anti-Kabila forces controlled the east and part of the north.   Much of the fighting for the next year was by proxy. While the Congolese military (FAC) continued to fight, Kabila also supported Hutu militias in rebel territory as well as pro-Congolese forces known as  Mai Mai. These groups attacked the rebel group,  Rassemblement Congolais pour la Dà ©mocratie  (RCD), which was largely made up of Congolese Tutsis and was supported, initially, by both Rwanda and Uganda.  Uganda also sponsored a second rebel group in the northern Congo, the  Mouvement pour la  Libà ©ration du Congo (MLC).   In 1999, a Failed Peace In late June, the major parties in the war met at a peace conference in Lusaka, Zambia. They agreed to a ceasefire, exchange of prisoners, and other provisions to bring about peace, but the not all of the rebel groups were even at the conference and others refused to sign. Before the agreement even became official, Rwanda and Uganda split, and their rebel groups began fighting in the DRC. The Resource War One of the most significant show downs between Rwandan and Ugandan troops was in the city of Kisangani, an important site in the Congo lucrative diamond trade. With the war stretching on, the parties began focusing on gaining access to the Congos wealth of riches: gold, diamonds, tin, ivory, and coltan. These conflict minerals made the war profitable for all involved in their extraction and sale, and extended the misery and danger for those who were not, mainly women. Millions died of hunger, disease, and a lack of medical care.  Women were also systematically and brutally raped. Doctors in the region came to recognize the trademark wounds left by the torture methods used by the different militias. As the war became more and more overtly about profit, the various rebel groups all began fighting among each other. The initial divisions and alliances that had characterized the war in its earlier stages dissolved, and fighters took what they could.  The United Nations sent in peacekeeping forces, but they were inadequate for the task. The Congo War Officially Draws to a Close In January 2001,  Laurent Dà ©sirà ©-Kabila was assassinated by one of his bodyguards, and his son, Joseph Kabila, assumed the presidency.  Joseph Kabila proved more popular internationally than his father, and the DRC soon received more aid than formerly. Rwanda and Uganda were also cited for their exploitation of the Conflict minerals and received sanctions. Finally, Rwanda was losing ground in the Congo. These factors combined to slowly bring about a decline in the Congo War, which officiall ended in 2002 in peace talks in Pretoria, South Africa. Again, not all of the rebel groups participated in the talks, and the eastern Congo remained a troubled zone. Rebel groups, including the Lords Resistance Army, from neighboring Uganda, and fighting between groups continued for more than a decade.   Resources and Further Reading Prunier, Gerald.  .Africa’s World War: The Congo, Rwandan Genocide, and the Making of a Continental Catastrophe  Oxford University Press: 2011.Van Reybrouck, David.  Congo: The Epic History of a People. Harper Collins, 2015.

Chocolate Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Chocolate - Research Paper Example It played an essential role in the Aztec and Maya religious and royal events. Cocoa seeds in native America were used as an offering to deities, as well as serving chocolate drinks in sacred occasions. The American settlers from Europe fattened and sweetened it through the addition of milk and refined sugar, two ingredients that were not known to the Native Americans. In contrast, they did not infuse it into their diet, although, later, it was integrated into their desserts and sweets (Drowne & Patrick 27). It was in the 18th century that John Cadbury came up with the process of emulsification to create solid chocolate, which was the beginning of the modern chocolate bar. While cocoa was, originally from the Americas, West Africa, today, produces more than 65% of the cocoa in the world, half of which is planted in Cote divorce. The chocolate industry in the United States forms part of the largest food and beverage companies. They are in charge of the manufacture of cacao beans, the s ale of raw chocolate, and the manufacture of other chocolate related products (Allen 67). The chocolate industry has undergone numerous changes in both production and market trends over the years, which affect the industry in either a positive and negative manner. Production Based on the cocoa grinding reports released for cocoa traders, which was produced by the NCA in cooperation with the New York Board of trade, the grinding in the first quarter amounted to 119,022 metric tons - a decrease of 4.04 percent (5,006 mt) over 2011. The Unites States market on chocolate or candy stands in a shaky position. In North America, there has been a 2% decrease since quarter 3 in 2011 (124,621 metric tons) (Taylor & Akila 43). There is a rather decreased demand for chocolate in the market currently which means the producers need to correct where the problem lies. Cocoa, which originated in South America, was first planted in the US state of Hawaii by William Hillenbrand, a German physician, in 1850. While cocoa was long considered, as a crop to be grown in the plantations, the biggest challenge in the American market has been making money from it (Taylor & Akila 50). The plant is suited to the climate in Hawaii, although it is tricky to grow, requiring a lot of expertise in chocolate processing. Competition with low-cost producers in South America, Africa, and other countries is not easy because Hawaii has high costs of labor and land. However, Hawaii cocoa has been proven as a gourmet product for which a buyer can pay premium prices. Local cocoa farmers can also gain added value through the creation of farm tours around the popularly romanticized product (Taylor & Akila 50). Currently, dried cocoa seed sales, also referred to as cocoa beans, is estimated at a cost of $200,000 every year based on production per acre estimated for fifty acres, as well as a price of $2.47 dry bean price a pound (Taylor & Akila 52). Much higher sales can be derived by those planters who proc ess their product into chocolate at prices of approximately $40 a pound for retail. Industry growth, in the absence of expansion on a plantation scale, over the last few years, has been from small farms with a few of these farms having processing plants for their cocoa. Advances over the last ten years have increased the economic sense in the processing of chocolate from cocoa on a small scale sans specialized