Shakespeare’s Brilliant Use of Symbolism Essays

Shakespeare’s Brilliant Use of Symbolism Essays Shakespeare’s Brilliant Use of Symbolism Paper Shakespeare’s Brilliant Use of Symbolism Paper â€Å"To be or not to be that is the question† (Kittredge, 993). This is one of William Shakespeare’s best known and used quotes. Many who use it do not even know what piece it is taken from, or what exactly it means. It just sounds like a cool, tragic, Shakespearean quote to use to sound more intelligent. And that is the sad truth. Shakespeare’s works are filled with quotes, soliloquies, and experts, like this one, that are filled with innuendos, imagery, word choice, etc. One very important literary technique used by Shakespeare, in all of his works, is his symbolism, which portrayed Shakespeare’s life, time period, and messages he wished to get across to his audience. He also used his symbolism to satirize whomever he wished. Shakespeare’s works would not be complete without his symbolism, which is used throughout all of his works. One example of William Shakespeare’s brilliant use of symbolism can be seen in the play Macbeth. In this play Shakespeare uses symbolism to represent the overall theme of murder. The contrast of light and dark throughout the play symbolizes the good and evil that is being battled. During the time that Macbeth was written the king was associated with the sun. A sunset, then, represented the king’s death or overthrow of his rule in power. When shall we three meet again . . . and That will be ere the set of sun. (Shakespeare, Act I, Scene I, ll 1 and 5), are quotes that symbolize and foreshadow the coming death of the king. They, the witches, shall meet again when the king has been done away with. The contrast and symbolism between light and dark continues throughout the play. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires. (Act I, Scene IV, ll 50-51) symbolizes Macbeth’s step towards evil. He does not want anyone or anything to bring to knowledge his dark and evil plans. Another symbolism in the contrast of light and dark is nighttime. Whenever anything bad is occurring, or is about to occur it takes place during the dead of the night in the cover of darkness. The murders, Lady Macbeths sleepwalking, and the appearance of the witches all take place at night. Lady Macbeth’s sleeping walking shows a good contrast of the light and dark symbolism. At first she craved the darkness, but then she became afraid of it and carried a candle with her to drive away the darkness. In the line, She has light by her continually; tis her command. (Act V, Scene I ll 26-27), symbolizes her fear of the evil within the darkness. One very important symbol in Shakespeare’s Macbeth is blood in Duncan’s murder. The bloodshed represents Macbeth’s guilt and shame of the crime he has committed. After killing the king Macbeth says of the blood on his hands, As they had seen me with these hangmans hands. (Act II, Scene II, l 28). Macbeth’s guilt is portrayed after this act in that he refuses to return to the crime scene to smear the blood on the guards, because he thinks that the blood will only show his guilt and incriminate him further. Another way that the reader can tell that Macbeth is extremely uncomfortable and feeling guilty is because he immediately tries to remove the blood from his hands after killing the guards. He is very uncomfortable with the blood being on his hands, incriminating him through his guilt. Opposite of blood being a symbol of guilt, water is a symbol of purification from that guilt. After the murder of Duncan Lady Macbeth assures her husband that, A little water clears us of the deed; (Act II, Scene II, l 67). Throughout the later portion of the play Lady Macbeth repeatedly rubs her hands together, symbolizing her want and need to wash the deed from her hands. She wants to remove the â€Å"spot† physically from her hands and symbolically from her conscience, Out, damned spot! out, I say! . . . (Act V, Scene I, l 39). The water symbolizes the purification of the guilty conscience of Sir and Lady Macbeth. A common object used as symbolism throughout Shakespeare’s works are ghosts. In Hamlet the ghost that he sees is his father. Of course the ghost symbolizes his father’s death, but it also symbolizes that his father has come back for some reason. That reason, Hamlet later finds out is for revenge because his father was murdered. Ghost. â€Å"Revenge his foul and most unnatural murther. † Ham. â€Å"Murther? † Ghost. â€Å"Murther most foul, as in the best it is; But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. † (Act I, Scene V, ll 26-28). The ghost of Hamlet’s father plays a very important role in the play, as throughout the entirety of it Hamlet is trying to seek revenge for his father, which was first brought to his attention by the ghost. Another symbol used in Hamlet is the use of the word â€Å"dream† Throughout the play Hamlet is confronted with death, and his uncertainties as to the conditions of the existence of an afterlife (Rogers, 10). In his â€Å"to be, or not to be† soliloquy Hamlet questions as to whether it is worth it to live or die. He refers to death as some sort of dream that may come. He uses the reference of a dream to death because, as dreams are uncertain and often forgotten after they are through, so is death, although it is a dream that one will never be woken up from whether it be a nightmare or sweet escape. â€Å"To die to sleep No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to. ‘Tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish’d. To die to sleep. To sleep perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub! For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. There’s the respect That makes calamity of so long life. (Act III, Scene I, ll 56-69). Hamlet’s uncertainty of death is felt throughout this entire soliloquy. Later in it he says, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscover’d country from whose bourn No traveler returns, puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? (Act II, Scene I, ll 78-82). In this expert the traveler and the undiscovered country symbolizes someone traveling in death onto the unknown after life. This entire soliloquy symbolizes Hamlet’s uncertainties of death. One other example of symbolism that is used in Hamlet is a serpent. The serpent, which Hamlet’s father’s ghost refers his uncle to, represents the evil and deceit that the uncle used to get the crown. A serpent, many times in literature, represents something that is secretive, evil, and tempting, just as Lucifer, in the form of a serpent was in the garden of Eden. â€Å"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made† (Genesis 3:1). The ghost of Hamlet’s father says of his uncle, ‘Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark Is by a forged process of my death Rankly abus’d. But know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown. (Act I, Scene V, ll 35-39). And just as the serpent tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, Hamlet’s uncle tempted his mother and very soon after Hamlet’s father’s death they were married. O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power So to seduce! won to his shameful lust The sill of my most seeming-virtuous queen. (Act I, Scene V, ll 44-46). The king had stolen from him by the â€Å" serpent†, â€Å"by a brother’s hand, of life, of crown, of queen† (ll 74-75). In Shakespeare’s Othello there are many different symbols used throughout the play. One of these symbols is sight. Throughout the play Othello bases his beliefs on what he is told and hears, instead of what he sees. Therefore sight symbolizes Othello’s lack of proof with what he sees, but actually does not see. For example, Othello believes Iago when he tells him that Cassio was given the handkerchief he had given Desdemona, by Desdamona herself. Iago. Have you not sometimes seen a handkerchief Spotted with strawberries in your wive’s hand? Oth. I gave her such a one; ‘twas my first gift Iago. I know not that; but such a handkerchief (I am sure it was you wive’s) did I to-day See Cassio wipe his beard with. (Act III, Scene III, ll 435-438). The lack of sight, or blindness is vital to the play, as each character’s confusion bleeds off of one another’s lack of proof. Othello does not see any incriminating actions that Desdemona has committed, and Emilia does not â€Å"figuratively† see what her husband has done with his twisted words and actions. Another symbol in Othello is plants. In many of Iago’s speeches he talks about fruits and plants. What they symbolize is that the characters that Iago is manipulating are plants that are slowly growing more and more twisted, and Iago is the gardener that is making sure that they get more and more twisted and stay that way. Iago. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners; so that if we will plant nettles or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up thyme, supply it with one gender of herbs or distract it with many either to have it sterile with idleness or manured with industry why, the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills. If the balance of our lives had not one scale of reason to poise another of sensuality, the blood and baseness of our natures would conduct us to most prepost’rous conclusions. (Act I, Scene III, ll 323-334). Iago, through jealousy or some other motive, most manipulates Othello: Iago. The Moor already changes with my poison. Dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons Which at the first are scarce found to distaste, But with a little act upon the blood Burn like the mines of sulphur. (Act III, Scene III, ll 325-329). Another symbol used by Iago when he is talking about Othello besides plants is animals. Many times Iago refers to Othello as a Barbary horse, an ass, and an old black ram. These are innuendos Iago uses to make fun of Othello with. It reflects a level of racism that Iago has for Othello. Iago. The Moor is of a free and open nature That thinks men honest that but seem to be so; And will as tenderly be led by th’ nose As asses are. (Act I, Scene III, ll 405-408). Also, when Iago is talking to Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, he refers to Othello: Even now, now, very now, an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe. (Act I, Scene I, ll 88-89). And also: Iago. Zounds, sir, you are one of those that will not serve God if the devil bid you. Because we come to do you service, and you think we are ruffians, you’ll have your daughter cover’d with a Barbary horse; you’ll have your nephews neigh to you; you’ll have coursers for cousins, and gennets for germans I am one, sir, that come to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs. (Act I, Scene I, ll 109-118). One very important symbol in Othello is the handkerchief. It symbolizes different things for each character. For Desdemona, the handkerchief was the first love gift that Othello ever gave her, therefore it symbolizes Othello’s love. However, Iago manipulates the meaning of the handkerchief by making Othello see it as a symbol for Desdemona herself. By doing this, when the handkerchief goes missing Othello takes it as Desdemona is also missing from his bed and is in someone else’s. Oth. That handkerchief Did an Egyptian to my mother give. She was a charmer, and could almost read The thoughts of people. She tole her, while she kept it, ‘Twould make her amiable and subdue my father Entirely to her love, but if she lost it Or made a gift of it, my father’s eye Should hold her loathly, and his spirits should hunt after new fancies. (Act II, Scene IV, ll 55-63). The handkerchief itself symbolizes what Othello’s mother used to keep his father faithful to her. The handkerchief is supposedly made from silk of sacred worms and is dyed with extracted blood from the hearts of mummified virgins. The pattern of strawberries on the handkerchief on the white background suggests that the bloodstains left on the sheets on a virgin’s wedding night, therefore the handkerchief suggests a guarantee of virginity as well as fidelity (Crowther, 47). Another, more subtle symbol is the song that Desdemona sing in act five as she is preparing for bed. The song is about a woman who is betrayed by her lover. She was taught the song by her mother’s maid, who suffered the same misfortune as the woman in the song. The lyrics of the song suggest that both men and women are unfaithful to one another. To Desdemona, this song appears to represent a sad and resigned acceptance of her alienation from Othello’s affections, and singing it leads her to question Emilia about the nature and practice of infidelity. Des. My mother had a maid call’d Barbary. She was in love; and he she lov’d prov’d mad And did forsake her. She had a song of ‘Willow. ’ An old thing ‘twas; but it express’d her fortune, And she died singing it. That song to-night Will not go from my mind. I have much to do But to go hang my head all at one side And sing it like poor Barbary. (Act IV, Scene III, ll 26-32). Another work of Shakespeare’s that contains symbolism is Romeo and Juliet. One main symbol in this play is poison. When Friar Lawrence first appears he remarks that every plant, herb, and stone has its own special properties, and that nothing exists in nature that cannot be put to both good and bad uses. Therefore, poison is not automatically evil, but when put to bad use, it becomes evil in the hands of humans. In plants, herbs, stones, and their true qualities; For naught so vile that on the earth doth live But to the earth some special good doth give; Nor aught so good but, strain’d from that fair use, Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse. Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, And vice sometime’s by action dignified. Within the infant rind of this small flower Poison hath residence, and medicine power; For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each part; Being tasted, slays all senses with the heart. Two such opposed kings encamp them still In man as well as herbs grace and rude will; And where the worser is predominant. Full soon the canker death eats up that plant. (Act II, Scene IV, ll16-30). The sleeping potion that the friar gives Juliet makes her appear dead after she inhales it, however, when Romeo sees Juliet, thinking she is dead, he drinks the poison and is killed. Poison symbolizes society’s tendency to poison good things and make them fatal, just as the Capulet-Montague feud sours Romeo and Juliet’s love into poison. Another use of symbolism in Romeo and Juliet is thumb-biting. This gesture begins a brawl between the Montagues and Capulets. Samson, by flicking his thumbnail from behind his teeth, he shows an insulting gesture, which offends the other party. It is really actually a very juvenile action, and he does it because he wants to interrogate and get into a fight with the Montagues, but at the same time doesn’t want to be accused of starting the fight. Greg. I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as they list Samp. Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it. Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Samp. I so bite my thumb, sir. Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Samp. [aside to Gregory] Is the law of our side if I say ay? Greg. [aside to Sampson] No. Samp. No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I bite my thumb, sir. (Act I, Scene I, ll 46-58). Because Sampson is being timid, he wants to be annoying, but not challenging. The thumb-biting seems to be a rather meaningless gesture, and represents the entire foolishness of the entire Montague-Capulet feud, and also the stupidity of violence in general. One other symbol in Romeo and Juliet is Queen Mab. In the first act Mercutio delivers a speech about the fairy Queen Mab, who rides through the night on her tiny wagon delivering dreams to sleepers. The story says that she doesn’t generally bring the best dreams, but instead shows the dreamer dreams of vices that they are addicted to. An example would be greed, violence, and lust. Queen Mab does not only represent and symbolize the dreams of sleepers, but she also symbolizes the power of waking fantasies, daydreams, and even desires. Through the imagery of the story Mercutio paints suggests that all desires and fantasies are as nonsensical and fragile as Mab, and that they are also basically corrupting. This point of view greatly contrasts with that of Romeo and Juliet, who see their love as something real and ennobling. O, then I see Queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies’ midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate stone And in this state she gallops night by night Through lovers’ brains, and then they dream of love; O’er courtiers’ knees, that dream on cursies straight; O’er lawyers’ fingers, who straight dream on fees; O’er ladies lips, who straight on kisses dream, Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are. Sometimes she gallops o’er a courtier’s nose, And then dreams he of smelling out a suit; And sometime comes she with a tithe-pig’s tail Tickling a parson’s nose as a’ lies asleep, Then dreams he of another benefice. Sometime she driveth o’er a soldier’s neck, And the dreams he of cutting foreign throuats, Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades, Of healths five fadom deep; and then anon Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes, And being thus frighted, swears a prayer or two And sleeps again. This is that very Mab That plats the manes of horses in the night And bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs, Which once untangled much misfortune bodes. This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs, That presses them and learns them first to bear, Making them women of good carriage. This is she (Act I, Scene IV, ll 53-54 and ll 70-94). The symbolism described in this paper from William Shakespeare’s plays Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet are just examples of how Shakespeare uses symbolism throughout his works. While other literary techniques, such as imagery and diction, play an important role in Shakespeare’s works, symbolism plays just as great, if not a greater role in his pieces. Many times the symbols that Shakespeare used carried a theme throughout the entire work, and also, many times served as foreshadowing. Shakespeare’s life, time period in which he lived, messages he wished to portray to his audience, and people he wished to satirize all were sources in which Shakespeare derived his symbolism in his works from. Aronson, Alex. Psyche and Symbol in Shakespeare. Bloomington, London: Indiana University Press, 1972. Arthos, John. Shakespeare’s Use of Dream and Vision. Totowa, New Jeresey: Rowman and Littlefield, 1977. Faber, M. D. The Design Within, Psychoanalytic Approaches to Shakespeare. New York: Science House, 1970. The Holy Bible, Revised New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994. Kittredge, George Lyman. Sixteen Plays of Shakespeare. Boston; New York; Chicago; Atlanta; Dallas; Columbus; San Francisco; Toronto; London: Ginn and Company, 1946 Ludowyk, E. F. C. Understanding Shakespeare. Cambridge: At The University Press, 1964. May, Robin. Who was Shakespeare? The Man The Times The Works. New York: St. Martin’s, 1974. Matthews, Honor. Character Symbol in Shakespeare’s Plays. Cambridge: At the University Press, 1962. Rowse, A. L. Shakespeare the Man. New York; Evanston; San Francisco; London: Harper Row, Publishers, 1973. Rogers, L. W. The Ghosts In Shakespeare. Wheaton, Illinois: The Theosophical Press, 1966.

Comment Etiquette

Comment Etiquette Comment Etiquette Comment Etiquette By Maeve Maddox Paul Krugman, in his capacity of Op-Ed columnist for the New York Times, recently felt the need to remind his readers to stay on topic when commenting on his posts. The admonition to stay on topic is found in every article on the subject of web comment etiquette. etiquette: the customary code of polite behavior in society; good manners. â€Å"Stay on topic† is one of the five basic rules offered by the editors at WordPress.com: 1. Be specific. 2. Don’t leave a link. 3. Stay on topic. 4. Be nice. 5. Keep it brief. In Online Community Management for Dummies, Deborah Ng offers a longer list of rules; â€Å"stay on topic† is in there, as are these two useful recommendations: Practice respectful disagreement, not personal attacks. Be brief and don’t turn every comment into your own personal blog post. In her article â€Å"Are You a Blog Hog?†, blogging coach Molly Greene gives this definition of a â€Å"blog hog†: You might be a blog hog if you hijack someone else’s blog and use your comment to toot your own horn, discuss your accomplishments ad infinitum without being asked, hog the thread, dominate the conversation vs. join it, or take it upon yourself to jump in and reply to every question or comment other visitors make. She follows this definition with specific remedies for bloghogitis. Two of her recommendations are to tailor comment length to the type of post being responded to, and to avoid turning the comment into a lengthy rewrite of what the author of the blog has already written. Although the term â€Å"blog hog† isn’t used, Leigh Alexander seems to be describing one in an article about the kinds of comment people leave: The Person Who Wants To Talk About Something Else Entirely. This individual typically devotes several paragraphs to a personal anecdote tangentially related to a sentence or two in the article. They seem oblivious to the fact that they are spiraling off into their own universe. Readers’ comments are a valuable addition to a blog. The most appreciated comments are the good-natured ones that focus on the post topic. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and ToesTelling a Good Poem from a Bad One13 Theatrical Terms in Popular Usage

Selflies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Selflies - Essay Example This practice lets some people to meet their need in community attention and acceptance especially if they are posted online. They gather approving likes and comments which nurture their self-confidence and confirmation of their physical beauty. If they are taken for personal use only, they can boost self-confidence as well; moreover, they can state the narcissist personality of the agent (Burns, 2014). For those who want to look even better, there are different apps which can improve one’s appearance by making the body slimmer, changing facial features or putting makeup on (Waterland, 2012). They only increase the value of physical beauty and create unrealistic beauty standards which are most painful for young people and women. Overall, this practice to post selfies everywhere is very annoying. People who regularly post their selfies online seldom think that this practice can be disliked by some people. In this way, they often react inadequately if someone asks them to stop doing that. Moreover, they tend to say that they do not care about what other people think; at the same time, it remains their primary purpose. I think that in some cases people just do not feel the limit of patience other people have concerning others self-representation. Some create Instagram profiles with a sole purpose to post photos of themselves there. The amount of photos they post is directly related to dependence on public opinion or narcissism. It can be easily defined either by hash tags people use or comments which follow their post. Some of them ask directly to comment on their makeup, clothing style, hairstyle etc. Others do not bother with such things and add hash tags me, beautiful or selfie to their posts. This practice will remain relevant even if people ban it in social media because it is the easiest way to boost self-confidence for some

Credit marketed to cunsumers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Credit marketed to cunsumers - Essay Example Emphasis is given to the following fact: the marketing plans that promote credit have a series of severe implications for consumers. These implications are analyzed below aiming to highlight the need for setting barriers to the marketing of credit around the world. One of the most critical findings of the study seems to be the following: in the past credit was regarded as a tool used under exceptional conditions; today, credit has become a key part of daily life. Thus, the terms of its marketing should be thoroughly reviewed as of their effects on consumers. In order to evaluate the potential consequences of the credit marketed to consumers it is necessary to refer primarily to the methods employed by marketers for promoting credit. Commonly, marketers who design the marketing plans promoting credit use themes and issues related to critical social incidents or problems. For example, in USA ‘the credit cards that aim to cover medical expenses’ (Scurlock 6) are quite popul ar. Another issue quite important for marketers developing these plans is the marketing means used for communicating with the public, i.e. for promoting credit to consumers. ... In other words, the marketing plans promoting credit can appear almost everywhere. It can be quite difficult for consumers to resist to the dilemmas set through the relevant advertisements. However, consumers have started to face these plans with skepticism, especially since the image that these plans present in regard to credit-related products have been proved as unreal (Scurlock 12). The introduction of the concept of credit score is considered as an effort of marketers to control the concerns of consumers towards the credit-related financial products (Scurlock 127). The positive credit report has been set as a prerequisite for the extension of existing credit or for the provision of credit; the last case refers to consumers who borrow money for the first time (Scurlock 127). The credit report is based on credit scores: a high credit score denotes a consistent borrower while a low credit score indicates the failure of the borrower to respond to his obligations in regard to his deb t (Scurlock 127). Today, credit score is used for checking the overall financial status of a person, a fact that has caused strong criticism; for example, a candidate for a specific job may be asked to bring his credit report before signing the employment contract (Scurlock 128). The above practice violates human rights since it justifies the access to private data (Scurlock 128). Although it is widely used, the credit report hides a series of risks: a) by emphasizing on credit report and on the importance of credit score authorities and organizations seem to promote a specific trend: consumers are urged to put all their efforts for protecting their credit score. In this

The Diary Of Anne Frank By Anne Frank :: essays research papers

In 1942, when the Nazi's began to invade their country, the Frank family went into hiding in an attic of a warehouse. The Franks' daughter, Anne, kept a diary through out their horrible ordeal. Minutes before the Frank's were captured in their hiding place after a two-year stay, Anne wrote in her diary the words, 'In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.'; Even though Anne suffered so much her courage and character only grew stronger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before Anne Frank went into hiding, she led a blissful and joyous life. She was always surrounded by friends and her family was well to do. She was torn away from her happiness and placed into the harsh and cruel reality of the Nazi agenda at only thirteen years of age. All this only because she was Jewish. She stayed locked up in the attic of the warehouse for almost twenty-five months, never being able to step outside. Such repression and life of fear would make almost any teenager completely depressed and more miserable that words could express. However, Anne managed to keep hope for a better tomorrow and her respect for the human race.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anne made a very powerful statement in her last words. To truly believe such a thing after being abused by the Nazis is quite remarkable indeed. I am very sure that most people, including myself, would have thought that the world was a completely corrupt and humans are naturally cruel if they'd have gone through such times. I believe that Anne has the ability to say such a thing because of her great unselfishness and love for all of G-d's creatures. I also believe that if Anne could have written in her diary after she had gone to the concentration camp, she would have said the exact same thing.

Natural Disasters and Their Effect on the Macro Economy Essay

Natural Disasters can have both a positive and negative impact on the local, national and the global economy. However it is rare, but not out of the question, to see the positive impact it may have on an economy. For instance, when disaster struck in Haiti from the 7. 3 magnitude earthquake in 2010, between 200,000-250,000 people were killed. That is 2 percent of the total Haitian population of only 10 million. Comparatively New York City alone totals nearly as much as the entire population of Haiti with about 8. 2 million people (U. S. Census Bureau, 2010). The Inter-American Development Bank estimated that it cost 8.5 billion dollars in damage to Haiti’s economy. The earthquake caused the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to contract 5. 1 percent that year. Considering that Haiti’s economy only produced 12 billion dollars in 2008, 8. 5 billion dollars is a huge deficit to the overall production and functionality of their economic and social growth. That is less than a tenth of a percent of U. S. GDP of 14 trillion dollars, but Haiti’s GDP per capita is only 1,300 dollars compared to over 40,000 dollars per person in the U. S. (CIA. gov). With all of this said, Haiti brought in nearly fifteen billion dollars through donations. So although there was catastrophic and disastrous losses to both the social and economic stimulus, on donations alone, Haiti was able to receive three billion dollars more than even their best year in 2008 with only twelve billion dollars. Proposing a theoretical situation, if an earthquake destroyed capital stock but left the labor force intact, the real rental price of capital would increase. The real rental price equals the marginal product of capital and having less capital stock available raises the marginal product of capital and therefore, raises its real rental price. This situation would also make the labor force larger in relation to available capital. Since this would lead to a declining marginal product of labor as workers have less equipment to use, the real wage would decrease as well. Due to rising world population, climate change, and environmental degradation, natural disasters are increasing in frequency. They are also becoming costlier and deadlier, according to Swiss Re, a reinsurance company; the U. S. suffered a cost of 145 billion dollars in 2004, which was up from 65 billion dollars in 2003. In 2009, natural disasters cost insurers about 110 billion dollars. In 2010, the cost was double that, at 218 billion dollars. So as you can see, in the past 10 years there have been jumps nearly doubling the cost that a country suffers to natural disasters from year to year. According to the World Bank, there are several factors that affect a country’s vulnerability to natural disasters: its geographic size, the type of disaster, the strength and structure of its economy, and prevailing socioeconomic conditions. In a globalized economy, all these factors, as well as others, also play into how the world’s finances will be affected. A common belief is that short-term economic hits after a disaster, even those as large as this year’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan or Hurricane Katrina in the U. S. in 2005 are more than offset by the reconstruction boom that follows. However this is only in countries that are large and rich enough to have short-term stabilization to the immediate economic hit. The nature of the disaster and the size of the victim count in an economy are key when determining whether or not natural disasters have a negative impact on macroeconomic growth. So in a country such as Haiti and their disastrous earthquake, although a lot of money was pumped into the economy in order to help in the rebuilding, that does not do much when they are still in need of the proper man power that can produce new development or ideas for rebuilding the structures that were destroyed. Incidences of natural disasters have increased by 30 percent since the 1960s, and risk-modeling companies have raised the likelihood of a Katrina-like event happening once every 20 years, rather than once every 40 years (SKOUFIAS, 2003). Because of the possibility of large natural disasters happening more often as well as more frequent smaller natural disasters occurring, how will the economy be affected? Especially if before the reconstruction both socially and economically is finished from the original disaster, another strikes in the same area. Another problem that is faced with economic downfalls due to natural disasters is how other countries may view the stability of that country. For example, 75 percent of Haiti’s national income came through the export of retail apparel to the United States. If Haiti were to have any kind of smaller disasters before they can properly rebuild their economic and working communities, then other countries will only see them as a reoccurring high-risk investment and will no longer look to invest in Haiti, only deepening their turmoil from an economic stand point. Droughts cannot be forgotten either. 2010 set records as the hottest year in one of the hottest decades in history. Climate change, exacerbated by the effects of El Nino, sparked off a series of global heat waves. In Pakistan, temperatures rose to 128. 3 degrees Fahrenheit on May 26, the highest temperature seen in Asia. Russia was plagued by a series of wildfires, destroying crops and woodland, and blanketing cities in smog. People across Europe had to be hospitalized for heat strokes and dehydration as air-conditioning failed to bring relief. Asia had one of the most severe droughts across the globe. The drought caused an estimated 3. 5 million dollars in immediate damage, both to agriculture and to the country’s hydroelectric sector. There are also other uncounted losses, but still very real costs from the drought: a drought can lower the overall productivity of land due to erosion and topsoil loss. It can reduce the numbers in livestock herds, which most of Asia relies on for everyday living needs as well as economic income. Before the end of the summer, the death toll would rise into the thousands. 15 million people were evacuated, and over a million homes destroyed. Nearly 34 million acres of crops were affected by floodwaters, with at least two million completely destroyed. By August, direct damage from the floods was estimated at $41 billion. This is something that affected the worldwide agricultural need and demand (PreventionWeb, 2010). Proving the destructive power of natural disasters, even in highly developed nations, Hurricane Katrina crushed the gulf coast. Just east of the Bahamas on August 24, 2005 a small, unlikely tropical depression intensified into a tropical storm which was given the name Katrina. This storm slowly made its way to Florida’s southern coast on the 25th where most experts believed the storm would dissipate. Unfortunately, Katrina’s path took it over the everglades allowing it to maintain its category 1 standing that it had acquired before it first made landfall, then entered the Gulf of Mexico. The warm waters of the Gulf fostered the rapid development of Katrina (Kempler 2010). The above image shows Hurricane Katrina at the height of her power. Estimates had Katrina making landfall as a category 4, but thankfully it weakened a bit and before it rolled in as a strong category 3. Katrina became been responsible for an estimated 1,800 deaths, as well as 100 billion dollars total in damages, of which about 60percent were uninsured losses. Some economists would put the total economic loss at around 250 Billion dollars (Amadeo 2011). That made Katrina the most destructive natural disaster ever to hit the United States. With all of Katrina’s destruction, the short term effects on the economy were very evident. Only one year after the disaster the United States, the economy was back to normal. In the first three quarters of 2006 the United States had GDP growth of 5. 6 percent, some of the most rapid growth in recent years (Herman 2006). Even though the nation as a whole made a quick economic recovery after Katrina, locations that were struck directly, like New Orleans, did not make the turnaround quite as rapidly as hoped. The first few months after Katrina the United States economy went into a downward trend. The GDP growth rate dropped from the 4. 2 percent that it had experienced in the first three quarters to 1. 8 percent in the last quarter of 2005. The reason for this impact goes beyond the destruction of property and the primary economic concern; the loss of goods and production capabilities (Herman 2006). Perhaps the most important resource that the gulf region produces is oil. The gulf makes up about 30 percent of America’s oil production and distribution. The effects of Katrina resulted in the destruction of 113 offshore platforms, and nearly 500 oil and gas pipelines (Amadeo 2011). The loss of this production led to a drastic increase in gas prices soaring to over 4 dollars per gallon. This drastic rise in prices created a panic, and people rushed to the gas stations to fill up before prices rose again, creating massive lines and much talk about the gloomy forecast of economic woes come. The only positive result from the increasing gas prices was when the Federal government opened the strategic petrollium reserves. This increase in gasoline prices surprisingly did not have as much of an impact as speculators feared, other than people’s outlook on the situation. There were some effects.mthough mostly food price centered. The three main goods that saw a notable impact were the prices of bananas, rice and sugar (Leibtag 2006). The primary reason for the increase in the rice and sugar prices is because the Louisiana Mississippi area is responsible for 85 percent of the sugar cane production, and 14 percent of the rice production in the United States (Leibtag 2006). The drastic loss in production from that area was softened by short-run increases in the other producers of those crops. This ability to increase short-run production is a factor that contributes to the resiliancy of free-market economies. Though the nationwide effects were not all that staggering, the effects in New Orleans the months following Katrina were devastating. With 80 percent of the city flooded, hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee the city of New Orleans, many never to return again (Blackburn 2010). This drastic loss in population coupled with the destruction of approximately 200,000 homes and businesses led New Orleans and the surrounding areas into a dire economic situation. In the first few months after Katrina, Louisiana lost 12 percent of the state’s 214,000 jobs (Herman 2006). One result of the loss of jobs was a drastic raise in mortgage delinquancy rates (Herman 2006). This inability to pay is more than likely a contributing factor to the very low rate of return from people who were forced to evacuate their homes by Katrina. Those that did find the resolve to return to stay were in a desperate situation. New Orleans, whose primary industry is tourism, suffered great losses after the storm. They desperately needed to be able to find a way to bring back the American and foreign tourist in order to fuel the creation for more jobs. The drop in tourism is best reflected by the attendance rates in New Orleans famous Mardi-Gras and Jazz Festivals. Both events had roughly a 30 percent drop in attendance from previous years (A year after Katrina, New Orleans desperately seeking tourists 2006). Part of the reason for the delay in the return of the tourism industry is the mass clean-up that had to take place first. Before anyone could return and maintain normal operations, there was still 118 million cubic yards of debris to be cleaned up.(Amadeo 2011) Thanks to efforts by FEMA, the Red Cross and many church ministries across the country, there was much help to be found. However, despite the efforts of all these groups, New Orleans a year after the incident was still working its way very slowly towards full recovery. With the aid that had come into the city, organizations were able to rebuild infrastructure and make great improvements to both education and government. In fact, post Katrina New Orleans has experienced steady growth in almost every way, including education levels, over the last 6 years as shown by the chart below Though it took about a year for it the effects to show and recovery to really make a strong step forward, the relief money that came into New Orleans and the other areas affected by Hurricane Katrina did what the nation was hoping it would; help restore one of Americas cultural and industrial centers. The economic turnaround in New Orleans shows how an initial investment in the form of government aid, insurance claims, and private donations can improve the economy of an area affected by a natural disaster. If this idea can hold to be true with the most costly natural disaster in American history, it should work with other costly natural disasters as well. Though maybe part of New Orleans success lay in the restructuring of their government and school systems in addition to the monetary support. Though the economy of the areas affected improve without bringing down the rest of the nation’s economy, suffering this type of event might not prove to be true in countries with weaker economies. Also, if a disaster like this was to hit a city like Los Angelas or New York, like Irene almost did, it is still speculator to say if there would be similar results. One thing can be said for certain, America’s ability to maintain long term economic growth despite short term impacts, like Katrina shows the resiliency of America as an economic super-power. Other economic super powers, like Japan, are trying to find this same formula for economic recovery. In the case of Japan’s 9.0 magnitude earthquake on March 11, 2011, the loss of clean water, electricity, infrastructure, production lines, financial institutions, and more than 15,000 lives caused what the Prime Minister of Japan called the â€Å"The most difficult crisis for Japan† since World War II. However difficult it has been, people have been recovering from the loss of loved ones, injury, and the general trauma of the disaster. Perhaps the greatest and most uncertain long term effects brewing are the econ omic impacts on the world market. Many large industries and economic functions have been hurt, causing price inflation in those industries throughout the world. Since March 11, 2011, nations around the world have had to adjust their consumption in accordance with the loss of production in Japan. Several car companies, such as Toyota and Honda, had their production of car parts slowed, and electronics producers experienced the same effects (Syed, 2011). This has been felt worldwide. For example, Toshiba, who produces roughly 30 percent of the world’s computer chips that store data in smart phones, cameras, and laptops, closed down several factories due to economic losses and physical damages. Events like this are what caused the average price of a chip with eight gigabytes of memory to rise from 7. 30 dollars to around 10 dollars just three days after the earthquake and tsunami struck (Helft, 2011). Obviously, the price of computer chips is not the only price that has risen. Because computer chips are more expensive, new phones, laptops, televisions, cars, cameras, electronic billboards, and complex machinery will have a rise in price to cover the cost of parts and production. This effect will be felt for months, and maybe even years in an already instable world economy. Many of these products are produced in Japan; the world export market has been greatly affected because of that. Japan’s exports have decreased, causing increased economic uncertainty. The macroeconomic result of this is that investors tend to pull away from the increasing risk of pumping money into Japan and look for safer and smarter industries and nations to try to grow their profits (Kihara, 2011). One of the most fascinating things about today’s economy is that everything is so globally connected. Because of this and the slow in Japanese exports, the United States level of consumption of Japanese goods dove 3.4 percent following the earthquake (Guardian. uk, 2011). If this trend continued throughout the year, then the Japanese economy would have lost 4. 2 billion dollars from 2010 levels of United States consumption alone (State. gov, 2011). The disaster and surrounding effects not only caused a decrease of funds going into Japan, but the economic instability caused by the earthquake was devastating in its timing. Japanese and other Asian stock markets plunged as the news of the disaster spread, and this is coming on the heels of the U. S.stock market falling nearly 2 percent the date before. Not only that, but the earthquake caused struggling European stocks to fall to three month lows (CBSnews. com 2011). This goes to show that natural disasters can cause a myriad of negative factors in an economy, and that a spike in uncertainty can be one of the most demoralizing. That uncertainty does not just surface in the stock markets, but also in global financing. The Japanese currency, the Yen, had a significant surge the day after the massive earthq uake struck (Bloomberg. com, 2011). This is said to be credited to the immediate cleanup, repair, and reconstruction needs that Japan incurred following the damages. The long-term effects of the boost in the value of the Yen are still unknown, but it has made the Yen rise in demand in recent months, despite fluctuations since the initial rise in trading worth (Bernard, 2011). The Yen is currently becoming stable once again, eight months after its spike in March then fall in April. Japan has done well in its recovery considering that the Yen hit recent year record lows in April. This graph shows the trading value of the Yen in the past year (Forexblog.org, 2011). The value of the Yen is not the only financial issue at stake. Japan is one of the major foreign holders of U. S. government and corporation debt. With Japan’s Debt-to-GDP ratio at 200 percent, and massive amounts of government spending looming in the rebuilding of the thousands of buildings and roadways lost, Japan is in great need of more money (CIA. g ov, 2010). Because of this, the current interest rates that U. S. corporations are paying on their international loans could increase in an effort to generate more revenue in Japan (Nanto, 2011). In turn, corporations would not be able to borrow as much money for new capital investment, thus hurting the consumption and job creation in the United States at a time when jobs are greatly needed with unemployment rates near nine percent (BLS. gov, 2011). Jobs are a big issue in Japan too. With many of the more than 15,000 killed and nearly 6,000 injured people being a part of the Japanese work force, and tons of cleanup and construction to be done, companies and the government have had to hire thousands of new workers to satisfy the demand for work (Japanese National Police Agency, 2011). After a brief climb in unemployment because of the direct aftermath of the earthquake, numbers dropped to a recent history record low of 4. 1 percent (Tradingeconomics. com, 2011). Once organization was restored, Japan began to utilize its workforce to combat the challenge of rebuilding cities. It is perhaps a gruesome yet effective means of increasing job demand in a nation when its economy was unsettlingly devastated. Since the record drop in unemployment, Japan has had what could be considered a â€Å"Recovery boom. On November 14, 2011, a news article stated: Gross domestic product grew at an annualized 6 percent in the three months ending Sept. 30, the fastest pace in 1 1/2- years, the Cabinet Office said today in Tokyo. At 543 trillion yen ($7 trillion), economic output was back to levels seen before the March 11 earthquake, the report showed. Japan’s return to growth after three quarters of contraction was driven by companies including Toyota Motor Corp. making up for lost output from the disaster. A sustained rebound will depend on how much reconstruction demand can offset a slowdown in global growth as Europe’s debt crisis damps global confidence and an appreciating yen erodes profits (Sharp, 2011). The fact the Japan is now back to its pre-earthquake GDP level is remarkable. It initiates again the idea of what is known to economists as â€Å"The Broken Window Fallacy. † The theory is that an economy can create jobs and achieve higher employment levels though the destruction of the current goods that exist. However, the destruction comes at a cost of replacement that, in the end, is not going to create a net gain, but will instead create a loss or â€Å"quick-fix† break even because businesses will be stimulated, but run less efficiently in the long run. Only time will tell if Japan’s growth over the last few months is simply a rebound or if the disaster caused a rethinking of how things should be done and built, therefore creating a more efficient, productive Japanese economy. Economists will be watching closely to spot trends. Another disaster that could have the same categories of effects on a much smaller scale is Hurricane Irene. The northeastern U. S. experienced the worst flooding since the existence of many towns and buildings of the region. Since only three months have passed since Irene made landfall on the New England area on August 28, 2011, the long term impact of the estimated 45 billion dollars in losses are still speculative (Morici, 2011). Given the current status of the American economy, any damages of the storm are probably being felt most nationwide right now, if compared to the time table of Japan’s economic fall and rise with respect to the earthquake in March. The U. S. may see a slight drop in unemployment and a rise in capital investment as part of the restoration of Irene’s damages, but most likely, no real growth will come out of it. However, the increase in consumption in order to rebuild the damaged parts of the northeast may spark a rise in consumer confidence, and that is what America desperately needs. A natural disaster in a third world country might bring in more money in aid than that country’s economy could have ever produced on its own, making a very positive economic impact. But, as far as the number go, in a developed nation like the United States or Japan, natural disasters cause little more than a large scale broken window fallacy case study. A hurricane, earthquake, or other disaster can bring forth events that build intangible benefits such as consumer confidence, improved organization of infrastructure, or more efficient ideas, but most real development and confidence comes from ingenuity, not devastation. However, it is hard to argue against the fact that necessity is the mother of invention, or in this case, restructured success. Works Cited

Ambiguity In The Scarlet Letter - 1424 Words

In the Puritan society the outlandish mindset of the leaders caused more harm than good with the witch trials in Salem to the events mentioned in The Scarlet Letter. Sin and evil the new world cloud the vision of the citizens, yet they are two separate actions and have different definitions. Hawthorne explains the difference between the two in the novel and also shows off his famous skill of questioning a society’s rules, regulations, and social structure. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses his writing style of ambiguity, and ornate word choice to relay his opinion of the puritan society. Characters, quotes, and symbols give us a snapshot of the time and thoughts on events and ideas during the era. Hawthorne’s characters are a†¦show more content†¦Using such extensive imagery can hide symbols within objects and places. The three main characters in the novel are Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, and Dimmesdale. Hester is an adulteress and has a baby named pearl and she is convicted and her punishment is to wear a scarlet letter â€Å"a† upon her chest and to wear it until her death where it will be marked upon her grave as well. Her husband who she cheated on was Roger Chillingworth, which was his alias in the new world. He discovers Hester’s ignominy and is set on finding her partner in the â€Å"crime† they committed against him. Dimmesdale is the man who Hester had an affair, although he is the minister and that is a huge scandal for the preacher who speaks against infidelity. Hawthorne makes the relationship acceptable by showing that Hester and Dimmesdale actually love each other opposed to Chillingworth and Hester’s fake love.Chillingworth convinced Hester into marrying him which she never wanted to do in the first place, he only wished to own someone not love the m. Chillingworth can be associated to evil because of his wish for revenge and torture to Dimmesdale which are considered the worst kind of sins. Chillingworth is also referred to as a leech which is whatShow MoreRelatedEssay on Morally Ambiguous Characters in The Scarlet Letter746 Words   |  3 PagesIn Nathanial Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the deceptive Roger Chillingworth could most certainly be considered a morally ambiguous character. Throughout the novel, Roger Chillingworth everlastingly remains misleading as to whether he lies on the side of good or evil. Even at the end of The Scarlet Letter, the knowledge of Roger Chillingworth is extremely nebulous. The mysterious Roger Chillingworth, although ultimately emanating to be evil, attests to be a challenge when determining his moralityRead MoreBeing Earnest By Oscar Wilde1332 Words   |  6 Pagesquote is indirectly connected to the idea of moral ambiguity that The Scarlet Letter portrays. Nathaniel Hawthorneà ¢â‚¬â„¢s classic novel The Scarlet Letter depicts the actuality of romance, sin, and revenge rooted in the 17th century American society. Strong Puritan beliefs of the characters in The Scarlet Letter created many different forms of moral ambiguity that can be described as illustrating both good and evil. Among the characters in the Scarlet letter with such moral struggle, Dimmesdale is presentedRead MoreMoral Ambiguity By Nathaniel Hawthorne1291 Words   |  6 PagesHarris AP English Language and Composition 12/1/2015 Ms. Burridge Moral Ambiguity Nathaniel Hawthorne, as an admirer of psychology, uses a distinctive theme of moral ambiguity amongst his characters in the novel The Scarlet Letter. The characters, in particular Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth, are rather difficult to classify as either good or bad; they are simply human. 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Focusing mainly on the characters Hester and Pearl, Carrez’ article brings symbolism to a new light as she interpretsRead More The Benefits of Sin Revealed in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter1661 Words   |  7 PagesThe Benefits of Sin Revealed in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter, each of us is born with original sin we have inherited from the misdeeds of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. As Eve bit hungrily into the apple from the Tree of Knowledge, starving for wisdom, little did she know that the entire human race would thereafter be tainted by her sin. Hawthorne and many others believe that ever since, human beings have been inclined to evil, moreRead MoreCompare And Contrast Scarlet Letter And Young Goodman Brown1485 Words   |  6 Pageshopelessness after seeing people he trusts conversing with the devil. 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Puritans rely on the concept of predestination, the belief that God has decided whetherRead MoreSin : A Necessity Of Puritan Society1678 Words   |  7 Pageswhat is wrong and right, sin is beneficial to society because it allows people who have sinned to more effectively serve their community. In The Minister’s Black Veil, Mr. Hooper’s black veil represents sin because it is described as covering â€Å"an ambiguity of sin or sorrow† (Hawthorne, 5), and that he covers his face â€Å"for secret sin† (Hawthorne, 5). The sin that Mr. Hooper committed all ows him to serve as a better minister to his community. The narrator describes Hooper’s veil by saying, â€Å"the black