Effects Of London Riots Criminology Essay

Effects Of London Riots Criminology Essay In august 2011 between 6th and 10th thousands of people in United Kingdom start rioting in several boroughs in London and many cities and towns even. This was began due to protest against the death of a local who was shot dead by police. There were many violence began with policing, destroyed many police vehicles, homes and business of civilians and even magistrates court of London. The results generated were arson, lootings and mass deployment of police. It was said this London riots were organised through mobile devises and other social media, so this is also called as the BlackBerry Riots. This report is based on the London Riots took place in 2011 in UK and this is addressed by a government advisor as his new assignment. Under this study it was discussed the background of the London riots, the real issue, solutions for the problem and finally provided recommendations for future activities to avoid such violence in London. London Riots Background of the London riots Several areas of London in August 2011 experienced episodes of large-scale disorder, comprising rioting, violence and looting. The riots spread to other parts of England including Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol and Birmingham. After the end of the riots, around 3100 people were arrested by the police where 1000 were charged. It is still remains unclear about the real reason and rational was grounded for these attacks, acts of arson, vandalism and cause death for five people. But it is clearly provide evidence of the power to challenging the authority and mobilized collective effort of people. As per Ryde (2013: p.119) this is a best example of a decline in deference but not one it would seem that has been accompanied by the aspirations, creative consequences or political believes associated with many other uprising or rebellions. As per Guardians (2013), the London School of Economies says in its report of Reading the Riots, the reason for these riots is a combination of poor treatments and engagement by the police of communities as well as harsh circumstances in economy and high rates of unemployment. Some interviews of the rioters explained that they were engaged in the riots due to the removal of the education maintenance allowance and the increase in tuition fees. Likewise different people have different reasons for the riots but still they gathered collectively to protest against the authority of England. Who engaged in riots? Based on the findings of Riots Communities and Victims Panel (2012) it was estimated that 13,000-15,000 people were actually involved in the riots, police was arrested nearly 4,000 people where nine out of ten are known by the police with their previous crime records. A total of 945 of the 1483 found guilty and sentenced for average of 14.2 months into jail. During this riots, in total more than 5,000 crimes were committed including 1860 incidents of arson and criminal damages, 141 incidence of disorder, 1649 burglaries, 366 incidents of violence and 5 fatalist deaths. Records indicate the followings; Majority of those who brought before court were male with previous conviction records. When it comes to the children, brought before court, tow third of them have special education needs and they are more likely to live in the 10% lowest income areas. Those children are receiving free meal at schools. It seems that there is a link between deprivation and the rioting as research findings indicate that 70% of those who brought before court were live in the 30% most deprived areas in the country. Figure 1.1 shows the number of riot-related crimes and deprivation levels in riot-affected local areas and figure 1.2 illustrates the deprivation areas where suspected rioter live. And also when it comes to unemployment who seek jobs is high among 16-24 years of ages and in riots postcodes the percentage is 7.5 and 6% in non-riot areas. Figure 1.3 illustrates the comparison of age distribution of suspected rioters and the age distribution of the population of England. C:UserspcDesktopUntitled.jpg Figure 1.1: The number of riot-related crimes and deprivation levels in riot-affected areas Source: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk C:UserspcDesktop11.jpg Figure 1.2: The deprivation areas where suspected rioter live Source: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk C:UserspcDesktop22.jpg Figure 1.3: The age distribution of suspected rioters and the age distribution of the population of England Source: Office of National Statistics (2010) Reasons for riots According to the report of Riots Communities and Victims Panel (2012) rioters were not a homogenous group of individuals that all were acting towards a same reason and particular rational. They have different reasons and they acted differently depending on what they want to gain. Based on the research findings this Panel breakdown the people who are presented at the riots as follows; Organised criminals these people were often come for the riots from outside the areas where riots occurred. Late night shoppers this was categorised the people who deliberately travelled to the sites where riots were taking place in order to burgle Violent aggressors these are the individuals who often committed most serious crimes including violent attacks of the police and arson. Opportunists people who are drawn into the riots areas with their sense of excitements Spectators there are some other category as spectators, people who just came to watch the rioting Following reasons can be outlines as basic reasons for the riots; Poor relationship between communities and the police, especially where a stop and search occurred Some are deliberately engages in the riots to loot without any consequences Some engaged deliberately to attack the police Researches indicate the basic reason for the riots was the feeling of people who expressed the view that tension between local communities and the police. This is due to the poor relationship and understandings between both the parties about their requirements. There are some other general causes too were outlined by the Riots Communities and Victims Panel (2012) as bellow; Poor parenting relationship between children and parents Feeling of hopelessness by the young generation in many areas The lack of ambitions, dreams and hopes among people These studies show some statistical evidence which support for the reasons and major causes of the riots. But, while it has been possible to quickly establish an accurate timeline of the riots as they spread from Tottenham to all other areas of London, and then into number of other cities in England as well, it is much more needed to have more independence concentration on the causes of the community. As indicated by Whitehead and Crawshaw (2012: p.121) the areas where the riots were occurred are not only among the hardest hit by the ongoing economic crisis but also they possess a long record of economic hardships, unemployment and poverty. All of them are large ethnic minority communities who always experience the economic disadvantages and also they have a severe tension with the police and the criminal justice system of the country. As per Riots Communities and Victims Panel (2012) many of the young people who were involved with the riots in 2011, were found that the lack of their hopes and dreams for the future. It is obvious that the unemployment puts them into much more tension and they feel that they do not have a clear path to work and to develop themselves through a career. Riots areas were relatively poor and suffered from higher crimes and lower level of employment than the average. Records indicate that the rioters came for the riots were ranked 69th most deprived by employment, 60th by income. As per London Centre for Social Impact (2013) residents in riots areas also have been expressed their views on the riots and they told that there are too many people who are leading chaotic lives for their neighbours. They also need to see this riots are been punished but meantime they believe that the government should take necessary actions to correct them and ensure that this individuals also take a positive r ole in society in the future. The reasons that will lead for a poor life outcomes and their relationship can be shown as figure 1.4. C:UserspcDesktop333.jpg Figure 1.4: Link between factors that can lead to poor life outcomes Source: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk Suggestions To avoid future riots, it can be suggested following activities to ensure and establish community that work; Where everyone feels that they have a stake in the society Ensure that everyone respect each other and also the places where they live Public service should work together with the help of some volunteers to stop those who are struggling at an early stage and assist them to overcome their problems Employment opportunities should be available adequately to all the people especially for the young generation The crime justice system also ensure to punish those who are engaged with crimes but meantime they must take steps to correct them to not to do the crimes again Establish a proper understanding among community and the police where the people and police work together to support the maintenance of the civil and criminal laws, regulations and orders Ensure a great relationship between parents and children and also schools and children to make sure that the children are developing not only their academic knowledge but also developing skills, values and character behaviours to make right decisions and choices at critical situations. Recommendations It was said that the ground reason for this riots was the death of local named Mark Duggan. The problem was with the police in handling this case and also how they communicated the death message to his family which indicated the breakdown of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) protocols. Rumours were rapidly spread telling that the shooting were not conducted effectively and causes for a huge violence among the country. It is recommended to the police to review their existing protocols to ensure the deliberate false rumours and unintendended inaccuracies do not happens in the future. Another major cause for the riots was the poor live conditions of the people of the areas where the riots were happened. Government should take necessary actions to up fill the lives of them. They can take part with business organisations where the young people are provided with employment opportunities. This is the main duty, that to provide employment opportunities for the people. As per Riots Communities and Victims Panel (2012) the links with the local employers are very poor. It is recommended for the entrepreneurs and businesses that they should work closely with the local schools, volunteers and public to promote youth employment. Another problem that was raised by the Riots Communities and Victims Panel (2012) that 85% of the people feel that the advertising puts a much more pressure on young people to own latest products and services which actually unaffordable. It recommended for the government and Advertising Standard Authority to conduct some programmes in schools to make children aware about the impact on advertisements and some branding techniques. The major cause for the riots in 2011 was the lack of trust and understanding of people about the police. Trust in police is very important for a community and it helps by; Leading them getting more involved with police Ensure the police can understand the needs of community and vice versa. Help to break down the cultural barriers Community is willing to support police by reporting crimes. It is recommended that the police should engage proactively with the community regarding the issues that might impact on integrity. And also they should improve the quality of minority to improve the relationship with community. Conclusion Riots happened in London in 2011 was a major issue that cause many damages to public, businesses, police and local government. This brief report was based on the 2011 London riots to address the overall picture of what has been happened and what the impacts for the society. Records indicate that many who involved with the riots are for areas who suffered long term by the economic disadvantages and unemployment issues. This may caused for a poor life style of those communities and caused for a huge riots which occurred for 5 days in England. This report discussed the reasons for the riot, parties involved with the riots and provide some solutions for the issues identified through Panel reports and other survey researches. Finally recommendations were made for the government and other local parties based on the findings and observations to overcome the issues and for the future actions.

MIC :: essays research papers fc

MIC   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Products and machines made of steel have long been considered to be solid, strong, and very durable. The effects of general corrosion, â€Å"rust†, were considered to be the only factor limiting a steel product’s ability to last forever. It is thought that the general corrosion of steel is recognizable and its effects are easily limited by the application of various coatings and paints. Only in more recent years have the destructive effects of Microbiological Influenced Corrosion, â€Å"MIC† been discovered. Today MIC, whether it is on the bottom of a barge, in a water pipe, or in a nuclear power plant’s cooling tower, has evolved into a billion dollar problem. To cure this problem, I have created a device that cleans MIC out of the bilges of barges operated on the Mississippi River system. The bilges or confined void spaces have never been able to be cleaned due to the extremely tight or inaccessible area in which you would have to work. I found that most barges have a coating on the steel which provides a food source that the MIC bacteria absorbs (eats) and the bacteria’s resulting acid actually can penetrate the steel barge. Businesses that clean these barges to rid them of the MIC and the organic coating can charge as much as $10,000 to do just the ends of the barges, which is an area less than a tenth of the entire barge. The inner bottom void spaces which take up the remainder of the barge’s area are only 15† high, 27† wide, and 28’ long. Some barges have as many as 90 of these confined spaces, and none of them have been cleaned because their limited size makes them inaccessible. With the completion of my product it will be the first time the inner bottom void spaces of a barge can be cleaned. This will mean the MIC and its food source, the organic coating; will be completely removed from the barge for the first time since its original construction at the ship yard. For many years, MIC was incorrectly identified as the corrosive effects of saltwater on steel in ocean going vessels. Although salt certainly does have a corrosive effect on steel, it was not until more recent years that the term MIC was originated, and its effects are only starting to be discovered. MIC is responsible for the accelerated corrosion in ocean going ships, water storage tanks, fire protection sprinkler systems, commercial and military aircraft, and most recently discovered affecting the inland river barge fleet.

Creative Nonfiction by Jhoanna Lynn Cruz Essay

On our first Valentine as a couple, he gave me a bowl of white nondescript flowers. They had a distinctly sweet but faint scent. I had never been a fan of Valentine’s Day nor of love like a red, red rose; but that day, I became a believer. He told me they were papaya blossoms from his mother’s garden. At that moment, I knew I would one day marry him. We had started dating only three months ago, but I knew I would be Maria to his Leon. Why, he even had a younger brother the same age as Baldo! And even though they didn’t live in Nagrebcan nor owned a carabao, the town of Itogon, Benguet was remote enough for me. I have always enjoyed teaching the Arguilla story for its subversive take on the role that one’s family plays in a marriage; but having been born and raised in Pasay City, I had no idea what papaya blossoms smelled like. I imagined that my new boyfriend had read the story in his Philippine literature class and meant for me to recognize his gift as an allusion. In fact, I imagined we would defy societal norms and prove that love conquers all. Instead of a â€Å"theme song,† our relationship had a story to live up to. It was a disaster waiting to happen. In the story, Leon brings his city-girl wife, Maria, home to meet his parents for the first time. His surly father orchestrates several tests of Maria’s suitability through Leon’s younger brother Baldo, who is quickly won over by her papaya blossom scent. The first time I met his parents was on the wedding day of his eldest brother. By then, we had been seeing each other discreetly for seven months, somehow knowing that no one would approve of our relationship. In the midst of the beating of gongs and best wishes, his Kankanaey father only wanted to know two things about me: where I was from and what language I spoke. I gave the wrong answer on both points. I was a Manilena and I couldn’t speak Ilocano yet, having only recently moved to Baguio City to rebuild my life after becoming disillusioned with the institution that had once nurtured my desire to excel. But no love lost, I was only their son’s â€Å"gayyem† (friend), after all. It didn’t help that I was wearing a leopard print spaghetti-strapped dress, which exposed the tattoo on my back. I reasoned that the Cordillera culture has a long tradition of body art; so they should appreciate the significance of mine. None of us knew at that time that I was already carrying a half-Igorot child in my womb (which, I imagined, somehow made me an acceptable quarter-Igorot for the nonce). Against better judgment, we decided to get married. We were under the influence of hormones, of pregnancy, of the Catholic church, of Manuel Arguilla. We would have gotten a quickie secret wedding if he were old enough, or I, wais enough; but by law we needed his parents’ consent. Which they refused to give. For perfectly good reasons. They could have said, â€Å"You shouldn’t marry because he is too young† (and you are ten years older). Or â€Å"You shouldn’t marry because he is still studying† (and you were even his teacher). Or â€Å"You shouldn’t marry because he has a calling† (and you are snatching him from God). But instead his mother said, â€Å"We can’t give you permission because his brother had just gotten married. In the theology of the Cordilleras, if siblings marry within the same year, one of the marriages will fail. The community will blame us if we allow you to marry. † So I called my mother, who promptly came to my rescue, writing them a demand letter based on a fallacy: â€Å"If your child were the woman in this situation, you would rush to marry them! † I’m sure she was so eager to get me married off because she knew it was a fluke. What was most ridiculous (though I refused to see it at that time), was that I was a self-proclaimed lesbian feminist. Despite all the tragic relationships I had had with women, I still believed that it was worth fighting for the right of a woman to love another woman. What business did I have getting married to a very young man? And for all the wrong reasons. Must have been oxytocin overdose sponsored by the baby in my womb. Or a planetary alignment exerting mysterious forces on my consciousness. Or, gasp—Love! Whatever it was, it came to pass. My mother didn’t have to bring my grandfather’s rifle. But I had to do it all on my own: filing the license, finding the Judge, buying the rings, reserving a restaurant, paying for everything. It was a good thing his parents didn’t allow us to tell anybody about the marriage – that way I didn’t have to invite anyone — which lessened my expenses. I had to understand that they had spent all their savings for his brother’s recent wedding, where they had butchered eight pigs for a traditional Igorot wedding feast. And after all, lest we forget, we were getting married against their will. But hey, there they were, on hand to sign the marriage certificate in the sala of the Honorable Judge Fernando Cabato of La Trinidad, Benguet. The ceremony itself was quick – but peppered with omens. First, when the court clerk asked for my mother-in-law’s name, I told her â€Å"Constancia† – because I figured that was where her nickname â€Å"Connie† came from. When I asked my nervous groom, he agreed. When the Judge confirmed the information, â€Å"Constancia† objected because her name is actually â€Å"Conchita. † Judge Cabato made the correction and lectured us about how important it is not to make errors in a legal document. Then, when it came to my father-in-law’s name, the Judge refused to believe that â€Å"Johnny† was his real name. When he asked for the rings, my groom gave him the little box, but when the Judge opened it, it was empty. The elderly honorable Judge sat down and asked, â€Å"Is this a prank? † It turned out that the rings had slipped out of the box and were floating in my groom’s pants’ pocket. When it was time for the wedding kiss, the Judge â€Å"got even† with us. He pronounced us husband and wife and then said, â€Å"No more kissing, it’s obvious there’s a deposit in there! † Then he laughed hearty congratulations. I wonder now how many times he has regaled a party crowd with our story. At the reception in a Chinese restaurant, we occupied only one round table, with only ten guests. The pancit canton was very good. We didn’t get any gifts, except for a framed copy of 1 Corinthians 13: â€Å"Love is patient, love is kind†¦ love does not keep a record of wrongs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It wasn’t the wedding of my dreams, but the whole event cost me only Php 2,500. It was as do-it-yourself as DIY could get. That didn’t include the cost of the wedding rings, for which I had to sacrifice some of my old gold jewelry. The irony of it escaped me at the time; but for a modern woman on a budget, there was no room for finesse. Thus we began our married life: full of contention, confusion, and concealment. We couldn’t live together immediately; nor was I allowed to be seen in their little neighborhood, where everyone knew everyone. A very pregnant stranger ambling up and down the steep Upper Mangga Road would have been a conspicuous mystery. I continued to live alone in my apartment, with my husband staying weekends, and I pretended in school that my husband is from Manila. I’m not sure anyone actually believed the drama, but I was bathing in first-baby-love, so I couldn’t care less. My other Igorot friends assured me that when the baby is born, my in-laws would finally accept me as the mother of their grandchild. But as I said, I couldn’t care less. I was a Manila girl – I truly believed that our marriage would succeed even without his parents’ approval of me. I was used to flouting norms and not needing anyone. And for his part, my husband argued existentially that we should live by the integrity of our own little family. You see, he was a Philosophy major under the tutelage of two young Jesuit-educated instructors, who had come to the mountains from Manila to indulge their fantasies about love and teaching (in that order). We, the migrant teachers, smiled at each other in the College of Human Sciences silently acknowledging each other’s foolishness; ignoring the fact that most of the other â€Å"native† faculty members looked askance at the three of us. When our daughter was born, we decided it was time to move into the family home. In the innocent presence of the new half-Igorot baby, all would be forgiven. It seemed the most practical thing to do. But I soon realized how naive we were. We didn’t take into account all the new wrongs that could be committed while sharing one household. Before I got married, I had a dog – a black mongrel I had named â€Å"Sapay Koma,† which is Ilocano for â€Å"sana. † It is both a wish and a prayer – difficult to translate into English, unless in context. Koma was my companion throughout the two years I had lived in my dank, quirky apartment – the mute witness to the drama and dilemma preceding my decision to marry. We took him along with us in our move, of course. But the five other dogs in the new household didn’t like him all that much and they all raised such a nonstop racket, none of the humans could sleep, particularly the newborn baby. The neighbors offered to buy him for Php 500. Igorots like black dogs because the meat is tastier. I was aghast. He was my dog, my loyal friend. If anyone was going to eat him, it should be family. So my husband invited his friends over to put Koma out of his misery. I locked myself in our little bedroom with the baby, while they did it. But despite the closed windows, I could still smell the burning hair and later, the meat cooking. The putrid scent seemed to stick to my nose for days after, accusing me of betrayal. I wept for Koma and for all that was dying in the fire – all the wishes that had no place in my new life. I decided that this was the price for what Filipinos like to call â€Å"paglagay sa tahimik. † It took two hours for the meat to be tender enough to eat and when we all sat down to dinner, I was glad they didn’t expect me to partake of the canine feast. Yet I did. I took one mouthful, which I swallowed quickly without chewing, so I wouldn’t have to relish the flavors. I may have had the stomach for it, but I didn’t have the heart. I only wanted to show them that I respected their culture, even though in fact, I would never belong. Also, I was hoping that this way, Koma would forgive me for having failed him, for offering him as a sacrifice at the altar of my marriage. This way, we could be truly together. For weeks after, every time I overheard my husband reply â€Å"Aw, aw† to his father, I would shiver at the prospect that we would have dog for dinner again. They had five other dogs, after all. Luckily, it turned out that â€Å"aw† only means â€Å"yes† in their language, Kankanaey. Besides, they only butcher dogs on very special occasions. Ordinarily, there was always the savory chicken soup dish, Pinikpikan, which features a similar charred skin aroma and taste. I was quite relieved to learn that his father did not require beating the chicken to death with a stick before cooking, as is customary in the Igorot culture. To this day, I have not been able to care for another dog. I do, however, have another child. By the same man. Accidentally. It happened on Father’s Day, when we thought having sex was a nice distraction from the confusion that arose from our growing discontent with the marriage. When we found out about the pregnancy, we agreed, albeit reluctantly, that it was Divine Intervention – a sign that we should keep trying to save the marriage. It was not just the food that was strange. I couldn’t understand why everyday, some relatives would come over and expect to be fed. I had not been raised in an extended family, and even within our nuclear family, we pretty much kept to ourselves. In my mother’s house, we were trained to share through â€Å"one for you, one for me, then stay out of my bag of goodies. You can imagine how I felt the day they served my Gardenia whole wheat bread to the â€Å"relatives,† who promptly wiped it out, because my peanut butter was delicious. Not that I was being selfish. Aside from the fact that I didn’t have any bread for breakfast the next day and the house being a ten-minute hike uphill plus ten kilometers to downtown Baguio City, I fumed about not even being introduced to these relatives as the wife of their son. They would introduce my daughter and her yaya, but I remained a â€Å"phantom of delight† flitting about the house. When I confronted my husband about the bread, he explained that n the Igorot culture, everything belongs to the community. So I took a permanent marker and wrote my name on my next loaf of bread. It was a Saussurean signifier of sorts – and it was unforgivable. My father-in-law was a man of few words. In fact, my daughter was already two years old when he decided it was time to acknowledge my existence and say something to me. In the past, he would use an intermediary (usually my husband) if he wanted to get information from me. It wasn’t too difficult because by this time we had already moved to Manila and were living in my mother’s house – which was another disaster and another story. It was Christmas Eve and we were spending the holidays in Baguio City. He was watching a replay of a boxing match and I was playing with my daughter in the living room. He asked, in Ilocano, â€Å"Do you have a VCD player at home? † I was so shocked I couldn’t reply immediately. He repeated the question in Tagalog. It turned out he was giving us the VCD player he had won in a barangay raffle. That night, as the entire family sang their traditional â€Å"Merry Christmas To You† to the happy birthday tune, I felt I was finally getting a fair chance to prove that I was worthy of being in their cozy family. In our six years together, I can think of more instances in which our separate worlds collided and caused aftershocks in my marriage. But none of it rivaled what I thought was the worst affront to me. My mother-in-law is Cancerian, like me, so her house is a pictorial gallery of her children and their achievements. She had a wall with enlarged and framed wedding photos of her children. Through the years, her exhibit grew, and expectedly, I and my husband didn’t have a photo on this wall. I figured it was because we had not had a church wedding. In fact, when we told them I was pregnant with our second child, they requested that we hold a church wedding already. They even offered to share the expense. But I preferred to save my money for the birth of the baby. However, given my theater background, I once tried to convince my husband to just rent a gown and tuxedo and then have our â€Å"wedding† photo taken so we’d finally get on â€Å"The Wedding Wall. † But he has always been the more sensible half of our couple. One day, though, a new picture was added to the wall. It was a studio photo of his eldest sister, her American husband, and their baby boy. It wasn’t â€Å"The Wedding Wall† anymore; it was now the â€Å"Our Children and their Acceptable Spouses† wall. It was their version of the Saussurean signifier. The message was loud and clear – to me and to other people who came to visit. I wonder now why it so mattered to me to be on that wall. I guess I felt that after all those years, we had been punished enough for defying the culture. Maybe I actually believed in 1 Corinthians 13. Or perhaps I also needed to be reassured that I was indeed happily married. I confronted my husband about it and demanded that he finally stand up for me and our family. And he did – he wrote his parents a letter that made his mother cry and beat her breast. We each tried to explain our sides, finally coming to terms with the bitter past. They told me that they are simple folk and didn’t mean to ostracize me; that when they agreed to the marriage, they accepted me as part of the family, no matter what. I believed them. I told them I was never going to be the woman they had probably wanted for their son; but that I am a perfectly good woman, most of the time. We tried to make amends. Our family picture was up on the wall within three days. Our kids were quite pleased. But it was too late. By then, my husband and I had been grappling with our own issues for the past five years. He had gotten tired of my transgressions and sought solace with his friends. After coming home late from another â€Å"Happy Hour† with them, I screamed at him, â€Å"What happy hour? Nobody is allowed to be happy in this house! † It was then we both finally realized that we had to face the truth about our marriage. By the time his parents were willing to start over in our journey as a family, we had given up on ours. Most couples find breaking up hard to do. It was particularly hard for us because we had to convince his parents that it was not their fault. On the other hand, I had to deal with the fact that maybe my marriage did fail because of the â€Å"curse† of the superstition â€Å"sukob sa taon† – that maybe we were wrong to insist on our choice. Yet on good days, I am pretty sure it was a perfectly â€Å"no fault divorce,† if there ever was one. â€Å"Kapag minamalas ka sa isang lugar, itawid mo ng dagat† goes the Filipino proverb. Perhaps the salt in the sea would prevent the bad luck from following you. So today I live with my two Igorot children in Davao City – fondly called â€Å"the promised land. † Everyone is astounded when they learn that I had moved even though I knew only one person here – who didn’t even promise me anything. I just wanted a chance to start over. When we moved into this house, it had a small nipa hut in the backyard. The kids enjoyed staying there during the sweltering hot Davao afternoons, especially when their Daddy called them on the phone. But it was nearly falling apart and was host to a colony of termites that had actually begun to invade the house as well. My generous landlady soon decided it was time to tear down the structure. When I got home one day, it was gone. All that was left was a dry and empty space in the yard; yet everything looked brighter too. We missed the â€Å"payag;† but soon the grass crept into the emptiness and we began to enjoy playing Frisbee in the space that opened up. It was a Derridean denouement of sorts. Last year, we spent our first Christmas without any family obligations. It was liberating not to have to buy any gifts for nephews, cousins, in-laws. All the shopping I did was for my children. I was determined to establish my own Christmas tradition with them. I wanted to show them we were happy. I wanted them to grow up never having to sing â€Å"Merry Christmas To You† ever again. I decided to cook paella for noche buena as if my life depended on it. I thought it was simply a matter of dumping all the ingredients in the pan and letting it cook – like the aftermath of a failed marriage. The recipe was so difficult I ended up crying hysterically, asking myself over and over, â€Å"what have I done? † My kids embraced me and said, â€Å"Nanay, stop crying na. But I couldn’t. It seemed as if it was the first time I had let myself cry over what I had lost. I noticed though, that the kids did not cry. Embarrassed with myself, I picked myself up from the river of snot that was my bed and finished what I had set out to do – as I always have. It even looked and tasted like paella, despite the burnt bottom. But next year we’ll just order take-out from Sr. Pedro (Lechon Manok). That night, my mother-in-law sent me a text message saying they are always praying for us to get back together, especially for the children’s sake. I do not know how to comfort her, except to keep saying that we had all done the best we could at the time; that we are always trying to do the right thing; that despite what happened, or perhaps because of it, we will always be a family. Of a kind. We are, after all, inextricably linked by a timeless story and â€Å"sapay koma. † Each of us in this story nurtures a secret wish to have done things differently – to have been kinder, more understanding of each other’s quirks and shortcomings. But it takes less energy to wish it forward. Sapay koma naimbag ti biag yo dita — to hope that your life there is good.

Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen Essay - 1156 Words

Stay True Few novels go down in history, and even fewer are remembered as symbols of social change. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a novel remembered by many, and through the decades, as such a novel. The tale of Elizabeth as she overcomes various oppressions has become a classic. Women throughout Jane Austen’s time period were constantly oppressed by social codes and expectations.These social codes included requirements from chaperoned dates to a limit of expression of emotion. Elizabeth’s strength of character penetrates these obstacles prompted by a largely patriarchal society and truly exemplifies the need for feminism in the novel and in Austen’s time period. Elizabeth, throughout the novel, is the foil for the rest of the society portrayed in Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Bennet comments at the beginning of the novel â€Å"‘They [the remaining four Bennet sisters] have none of them much to recommend them...they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters’† (Austen 3). From this point on, Elizabeth is the opposing force to the rest of society. While initially this opposition may at first seem more like a criticism of women, it is rather a criticism on how women are supposed to act. This use of character is also a way in which to draw out the stance Austen was wanting to take with Elizabeth, as stated by Hui-Chun Chang from the School of Humanities at Tsinghua University, â€Å"Austen’s skillful writing utilizesShow MoreRelatedPride And Prejudice By Jane Austen Essay1724 Words   |  7 PagesThe 18th century novel, Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, is a fascinating book about a young woman’s struggle with family and love. Pride and Prejudice was originally published in 1813, but, the most common version of the story, and the one used for this research, is from the version published in 1892, still by only Jane Austen, though many other authors have contributed to this book over time. Austen often references the class system at the time, often noting one of the multiple heroine’s struggleRead MorePride And Prejudice By Jane Austen1467 Words   |  6 Pages Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a classic novel that has remained relevant even years after its release. Its themes and symbols are understandable to even the most modern of reader. One of the many themes is sisterhood, something that is focused on constantly throughout the novel. Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of the novel, finds many of her decisions to be based upon the actions of her sisters. Making sisterhood a main driving force. Whether they are conf iding in each other for marriageRead MorePride And Prejudice By Jane Austen872 Words   |  4 PagesIn my personal cherished novel, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, the worlds of two immensely divergent people display the marxist idea of the importance of social status and its affect on the people. The two main characters seem to be on opposite ends of the earth in terms of an affluent Mr. Darcy being so privileged while on the contrary, Miss Elizabeth Bennet is of a lower class. Throughout the novel, there is a fine distinction between their clashing opinions and actions that are highly influencedRead MorePride And Prejudice By Jane Austen Essay1711 Words   |  7 Pageshe 18th century novel, Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, is a fascinating book about a young woman’s struggle with family and love. Pride and Prejudice was originally published in 1813, but, the most common version of the story, and the one used for this research, is from the version published in 1892 , still by only Jane Austen, though many other authors have contributed to this book over time. Austen often references the class system at the time, often noting one of the multiple heroine’s struggleRead MorePride And Prejudice By Jane Austen1285 Words   |  6 PagesPride and Prejudice Analysis I.Introduction Jane Austen wrote her novels during the time period known as the Regency. The Enlightenment and the Age of Reason, a time where ideas like democracy, secularism, and the rise of developing sciences were making their way across Europe had come to an end.It was replaced with the wave of horror that was the French Revolution, a once minor revolt that escalated into a violent war, concluding with the rise of Napoleon, which whom England fought against the majorityRead MorePride And Prejudice By Jane Austen1384 Words   |  6 PagesNicole Voyatzis Professor W. Acres HISTORY 1401E May 26, 2015 Discussion Paper - Pride and Prejudice Pride and Prejudice written in 1813 by Jane Austen tells the story of The Bennet’s and their five unmarried daughters. The family live as part of the lower gentry in early 19th century England. With that being said, Mrs. Bennet’s primary focus in life is to ensure that all her daughters are married, preferably to wealthy men. The book begins with Mrs. Bennet seeing an opportunity for her daughtersRead MorePride And Prejudice By Jane Austen1570 Words   |  7 PagesThe comical novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen depicts the love life of women in the early 1800’s. Austen shows the hardships young women in that time period had to go threw to find their place in this world. Women were thought of as objects to the men, they were supposed to be stay at home mothers, or simple just a accessory to their partner. Women were the subordinates in life, as they still are today. Austen tells the story of how Mrs. Bennet (a mother of 5) works tirelessly to get her daughte rsRead MoreJane Austen: Pride and Prejudice 1086 Words   |  5 PagesJane Austen, born December 16, 1775, was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction earned her a place as one of the most widely read authors in English literature. Austen’s novels critique the life of the second half of the eighteenth century and are part of the transition to nineteenth-century realism. Though her novels were by no means autobiographical, her fictional characters do shed light on the facts of her life and but more importantly, they offered aspiring writers a model of howRead MorePride And Prejudice By Jane Austen914 Words   |  4 Pages Bell 1 Natalie Bell Pedersen English 4 honors 29 February 2016 Pride and Prejudice Essay Jane Austen s novel, Pride and Prejudice, focuses on the social conflicts of England during the 1800s. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy fall in love, and face social criticism. Mr. Darcy struggles with the ideology of societal expectations while falling in love with Elizabeth Bennet. After persistent self-reflection, Mr. Darcy overcomes the stereotype of whom he should marry, and marries ElizabethRead More Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 1104 Words   |  5 Pagesrate of over 50% from 1970-2010. However, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, marriage was often one of the few choices for a woman’s occupation. Reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen from the twenty-first century perspective might make some matters that are stressed in the book seem dated or trivial. As Pride and Prejudice was set sometime during the Napoleonic Wars, it is only fitting that finding a proper marriage is on the minds of many of the women in the book. Marriage and marrying