Twentieth Century Fiction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Twentieth Century Fiction - Assignment Example Under ordinary circumstances, petite narrative happens to be less intricate than work of fictions. In most cases petite narrative is oriented towards a common incident; it has a distinct background, a small numeral of attributes, and stretches for a very minimal interlude. In protracted forms of fiction, stories happen to contain various core elements of dramatic configurations. These include explanation (backdrop preamble, scenario as well as central characters); impediment (this is when the conflict is introduced); mounting accomplishment, crisis (this is a critical moment when interest in terms of the conflict as well as the point with the most accomplishment); climax (this is the point of elevated interest with regards to the conflict and the point with most action); declaration (this is when the conflict is resolved) as well as ethical, DiMaggio R. S (1976). Additional emblematic, nevertheless, is an immediate establishment, with the story that begins in the hub of the accomplishment. In the case of longer stories, plots of stumpy stories do have climax, conflict, or turning point. Nonetheless, the conclusions of most short stories are abrupt and open and might or might not have an ethical or pragmatic lesson. Petite narrative fall under fastidious subordinate-grouping referred to as parables especially when conveying particular moral as well as ethical point of view. This form of stumpy narrative has been employed by spiritual as well as religious cream of the crop globally to instigate, inform, consider, and also in refining their admirers, DiMaggio R. S (1976). Length Establishing what exactly differentiates a diminutive story from longer fictional shapes is anomalous. Standard description of a petite narrative is based on the fact that it should be read in a given session. An allusion of reference for the science fiction genus author; the methodological fiction as well as Fantasy authors of America illustrates dumpy chronicle span in its Nebula Awards for methodological literature. The terminology dumpy narrative in modern application refers to a work of fiction that does not stretch beyond 20,000 words and not less than one thousand words. Accounts that are less than 1,000 words are normally known as petite dumpy fiction or diminutive, The post-war era The interlude subsequent to World War II witnessed an enormous blossoming of fictitious dumpy fiction in the history of the United States of America. The New Yorker continuously distributed to bring out the works of the form's leading mid-century practitioners, in addition to Shirely Jackson, with the story, The sweepstake, published in 1948, elicited the strongest rejoinder in the magazine's chronology to that moment. When life magazine published Ernest Hemingway's elongated petite chronicle (otherwise novella) the elderly chap and the aquatic in 1952, the subject that constitutes this narrative, the issue restricted in this chronicle sold over five million copies in 24 hours. Literary as well as communal uniqueness played an extensive function in much of the diminutive narrative in the sixties in the previous century. Phillip Roth in addition Grace Paley cultured idiosyncratic

Confucianism, Legalism, Daosim Essay Example for Free

Confucianism, Legalism, Daosim Essay China was built by three ancient philosophies. Each has its own meanings; each had its own ways of seeing the nature of human beings, society and the universe. These three philosophies were Legalism, Confucianism and Daoism. Although they each have many differences their purpose is the same, to make society better, to end conflict. Confucius started Confucianism. He felt that if rulers were honest and children respected their parents everything would fall into place. Human nature was considered neutral and it was what you did that determined whether it was good or bad, each person had a role that they must follow. Freethinking was encouraged. Legalisms approach was much more forceful, books were burnt and freethinking was discouraged. People were not inspired by their leaders but scared of them, human nature was considered bad; therefore rules and harsh punishments took place. Unlike the rest of the philosophy’s Daoism’s approach is much less focused on politics. The idea that humans needed to be in harmony with nature took place; it’s all about the balance of good and bad, yin and yang. Each Philosophy has its own view of what human nature should be. Daoism believes that human nature is good, Legalism believes that human nature is bad and people need to be controlled by laws and punishments in order to prevent them form doing wrong. Confucianism believes that human nature is neutral, and its is what you do in life that determines whether it is good or bad.

Protection of Health Information Privacy

Protection of Health Information Privacy The Necessity of Developing a National legal Framework Introduction: A concise factual review of â€Å"privacy† indicates this concept accentuated since Hippocrate, s affidavit, firstly (1ØŒ 2). afterwards, defined by Samuel Warren and Louis Brandies as â€Å"the right to be let alone† in 1890s, subsequently, evolved as â€Å"informational privacy,† defined by Allen Westine considering as individual’s right to control personal information(3). Generally, privacy covers intermixed concepts including confidentiality and security of Personal health information (4). .Patients have an expectation of appreciation of privacy and security in connection with health information(5). Further, patient-provider reciprocal confidence form a cornerstone of medicine and privacy has the main role in this regard(1). Protecting information privacy is imperative since health records whether paper-based or electronic, encompass crucial information such as demographic, occupational, social, financial and personal information simplifying individuals, recognition(6). Moreover, it becomes paramount with the influx of an immense number of computers and information systems in health care industry, the growth of health research needs as well as the increase of information demands (7). Unfortunately, confidentiality may be exposed chiefly due to staff imprudent behaviors out of curiosity than malice(8). Studies reveals that some providers may violate confidentiality whenever speaking about a known case loudly with other colleague riding elevators or walking across the passage ways(9). Personal health information Security breach influential in patients and health care organizations so that according to literature, medical identity theft, inflict over 7 billion $ on U.S. health care industry every year. Further, victims may be high sensitive regarding confidential records and be doubtful about information piracy(10). Moreover, the disclosure of personal health information may impose economic losses and psychological influence on patients. in addition, sociological status may be at stake(11ØŒ 12). Remarkably, serious effects may be shown as the negligence of privacy protection by health care providers resulting in partly concealment of medical history; patient reluctance to go to physician; an increase of anxiety and aggressive behaviors(13) particularly in regard to growing trend in digitized health data (14). This study was investigated legal frameworks in relation to personal health information in leading countries to develop a customized national framework treating sensitive health information aptly. Methods: This study was performed as a preliminary step of a multi-stage research to develop a national framework on protection of the privacy health information. It sought the existing legal frameworks in leading countries such as Canada, Australia, United States, and European Unions to provide the insight into the necessity of development of legal framework governing the conservation of health information privacy in management information cycle consists of data collection; storage; retention; use and disclosure and destruction. The study environment has been selected for the precedence and perfection of privacy activities. Two approaches were used to locate relevant literature. Firstly, we search PubMed-Medline and Science direct (by September 2014) and Scientific Information Distribution database. Separated searches were carried out using following terms â€Å"principle†, â€Å"Act†, â€Å"Law†, â€Å"regulation† AND â€Å"framework†, â€Å"model† AND â€Å"health information†, â€Å"health data†, â€Å"medical information†, â€Å"medical data†, â€Å"patient information†, â€Å"patient data† AND â€Å"privacy† framework†. Secondly, a search was conducted on the internet search engine using the free text â€Å"health information privacy Act† AND â€Å"Personal Health Information Act†. Out of extracted literature the most prevalent frameworks investigated. Results: The considerable findings have outlined in three following tables which the first one indicates sequential review of Privacy legislation in general and particularly in health information among the selected countries. As seen in Table 1, these countries are the pioneers of law making apropos of health information privacy protection. furthermore, literature review suggested several protection of health information privacy Acts in federal and provincial levels Table 2 (15-17). Likewise, a number of guidelines, policies and frameworks developed as self-regulatory effort Table 3 (18-31). Generally, free information Act passed in 1966 in The U.S justifying individual’s right to request information from federal institutions, considers nine exceptions regarding to records generated in federal organizations which the sixth one relates to personal and medical information considering unjustifiable privacy breaches as disclosed. The privacy Act has enacted in 1974 in order to protect patient confidentiality in governmental health care institutions (e.g. institutions affiliated Veterans Affairs). Policies and laws on disclosure of health information in response to jurisdiction requests are under part 164/512 Code Federal Regulation and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act(32). Entirely, in Canada, privacy Act have enacted in 1983, while, the history of the concept of privacy of the personal information date back in 1997, when the Royal Commission of Inquiry investigated privacy of personal information in reply to police request for having access to medical records free from obtaining individuals informed consent(33). The concept of privacy has originated in the ratification of the Freedom of information Act in 1982(34) and Privacy Act in 1988 in Australia. Along with, The common wealth’s Information Privacy Principles has been set out to protect personal information from potential threats which may be occurred during collection or storage based on Section 14 of the Privacy Act in 1988 and â€Å"The Australian Standard AS 4400 Personal Privacy Protection in Healthcare Information System† defined requirements protecting PHI integrity and confidentiality in health information system usable for anybody involve in Health information systems development and implementation. It is developed based on the common wealth’s information privacy principles, Organization Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) guidelines with regard to privacy protection and concerning council of Europe conventions and regulations(35). As with U.S. and Canada, many Australian legislations govern on personal information collection, use and disclosure(36). For instance, 10th and 11th principles of Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) and 2nd principle of National Privacy Principles (NPPs) govern information use and disclosure. According to the 10th IPPS information use especially health information use is permissible in terms of the purposes for which data was collected, otherwise obtaining an informed consent is compulsory. Furthermore, with reference to 11th IPPs, notifying people about the probability of information exchange among individuals and organizations is required before the disclosure, albeit, some exceptions are made regarding permissible conditions for information disclosure(37). Further, supplementary activities were conducted in this regard, for example; Royal Australian College of Physicians published a manual of health information management useable for private practice properly modelling best practices related to respect for legal and ethical requirements of health information privacy and confidentiality. In addition, The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care bills of right was approved by Health Department which on the basis of one of them, protection of health information privacy and confidentiality is a must(38). Data protection in the EU enacted in 1995 due to different laws related to protect data privacy throughout the EU and the lack of pertinent laws among some members(39). It approved since enacted Organization of economic cooperation and Development principles towards data protection in 1980 were not imperative in legal view. EU directive 95/46 is not a part of national regulation on privacy but it is actionable on the basis of national regulations(40). Overall, These principles categorized in five groups specifying principles governs data quality, determination the scope of purposes of data collection and use, protection of data security, explicitness, and responsibility to control conditions in terms of measures relevant to each principles purposes of data use, minimal limitation implemented in nationwide and cooperated in the globe. with reference to Article 8 EU/directive 95/46 health information is among protected information and processing them is not permissible except for speci fied conditions(41). In electronic environment provision of health care services and products needs more data processing activities, therefore, sensitive personal information should be processed under both directives of data protection and electronic privacy to ensure the respect for individual right to privacy and network security and communication. In this particular case, a guideline relevance to patient privacy in Transborder health care environment issued to e-health care providers comply with EU directive requirements(42). In Iran, the right of privacy is not determined clearly either in the constitutional laws or the common laws, but achievable through laws interpretation. conservation of medical information during storage, process and dissemination in cyber space has been determined merely in Electronic Commerce law(43) privacy has been expressed in 3rd paragraph of patients’ bill of rights accordingly, individuals have right to request their own crucial diagnostic, therapeutic information directly. Patients have right to ensure that their medical records (e.g. the results of examination and clinical consultation) retained confidentially and their privacy protected. Furthermore, patients have the right to access complete medical records; request a copy of medical information and correction of the mistakes(44). Discussion: Individual health information (e.g. medical records) is declared highly sensitive personal information in Supreme Court of Canada view and under the Australian Privacy legislations, therefore, individuals could control over their own information (15ØŒ 45). The findings indicate peculiar Acts regulate sensitive health information. Nonetheless, internal literature indicate that respect for confidentiality principles is required in view of the significance of medical records confidentiality and broad use of medical records in legal and jurisdictional domains(46). According to literature, the enactment of different laws for ensuring the confidentiality of medical records is a must. Furthermore, national official authorities have major role in setting out clear rules pertinent to patient data access; announcing them as actionable directives to all health care organizations as well as determining criminal and civil penalties for disrespect for patent records confidentiality and unauthorized disclosure and also data breaches(47). Given the aforementioned, considering the national requirements in regard to maintain the patients right of privacy and confidentiality of health information, health care workers both clinical and administrative staff should comply with a general framework guiding collect, use or disclose health information in a safe manner. Development of this framework illuminates the pathways for better health information management and lower patients concerns about health data breach. For this end, formation of a multidisciplinary team composed of health information managers; medical laws and ethics and experienced health information custodians is required. Normally, executive health care administrators, health policymakers influence on appropriate and actionable policy making or develop a comprehensive framework. In summary, review of the pioneers’ legislations is enlightening in this regard.

Man vs. Woman in A Streetcar Named Desire :: Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire

During the time period Tennessee Williams, author of the play A Streetcar Named Desire, lived in, men were typically portrayed as leaders of the household. Through Williams' usage of dialogue, specific descriptions of each characters, as well as sound, he illustrates to readers of today's society how differently a man and woman coexisted in the mid-1900s, compared to today. Through the eyes of a topical/historical theorist, who stresses the relationships between the story and the time period it takes place, the distinction between today's society and that of five decades past, can be observed with depth and precision. Â   Stanley Kowalski, a main character in A Streetcar Named Desire, is a common man who is simple, straight forward and brutally honest. He treats his wife with no respect, for she does not deserve it because she is a woman. To him, her duties are to obey his commands and tolerate his intolerable actions. If she chooses to disobey or challenge his orders, it is then his duty to abuse her physically if he deems it necessary. He insincerely apologizes for it afterwards, and expects his wife to learn from her mistakes and to continue with her duties as though he did nothing wrong. During this time period, domestic violence is not uncommon and is widely accepted as a means in obtaining a desired behavior from one's wife. Stanley is clearly aware of this. Â   After an attack, his wife states to her sister, "He was as good as a lamb when I came back and he's really very, very ashamed of himself (Williams, 2309). Due to human nature, he does show that he feels sorry for his wife, in order to make sure she doesn't get any ideas to leave. Stanley is unaware of this, but the fact that he fears his wife's departure is an insecurity we will never admit to (psychological/psychoanalytic approach). Â   Stella, Stanley's wife in the play, is a passive woman. She is displayed this way through how she responds to the people and situations around her. When she is beaten by Stanley, she understands that his drunkenness takes hold of him and he has no control over his actions. She knows he never means her harm and his intentions are good.

Medical Ethics Abortion Essay

Most moral issues in medicine and healthcare will instigate lively debate, but no subject seems to inflame tempers more than the question of abortion. The gulf between pro-life and pro-choice can be an uncompromising stance of deeply held beliefs and principles. On the one hand, there is the claim that the foetus is a human being with the same right to life as any other human being, and abortion is therefore nothing less than murder. On the other hand, it is argued that a woman has a right to choose what happens within her own body, and is therefore justified in deciding to have her foetus removed if she so wishes. Even a liberal view is problematic; these tend to take the view that it is permissible for an abortion to take place before a certain stage in the foetuses development, but not beyond that given point. Such an arbitrary perspective does seem difficult to quantify; how can anyone determine the criteria that would navigate a decision that finds termination acceptable today but morally reprehensible tomorrow? It is sometimes argued that the foetus reaches personhood well before birth. â€Å"By the tenth week, for example, it already has a face, arms and legs, fingers and toes; it has internal organs, and brain activity is detectable.†[1] But does this undermine a woman’s right to self determination—can it still be reasonable for her to choose abortion, given its level of development? We shall explore this question; not from the perspective of whether the foetus is human, but from the premise â€Å"that the woman’s rights over her body are more important than the life of the person or part person in her womb.†[2] A Woman’s Right to Self-Defence Judith Jarvis Thomson presents the following hypothesis:[3] a woman becomes pregnant and then learns that she has a cardiac condition that will cause her death if the pregnancy continues. Let us grant the foetus personhood, with a right to life. Obviously the mother too has a right to life, so how can we decide who’s right to life is greater? A way of answering this question could be to say that an abortion is an act of aggression with the sole intention to kill. Whereas to do nothing would not be an attempt by anyone to murder the mother, rather to just let her die. The passivity of the latter could be seen as morally preferable than directly killing an innocent person. Thomson argues that â€Å"It cannot seriously be said that†¦she must sit passively by and wait for her death.†[4] There are two people involved, both are innocent, but one is endangering the life of the other. Thomson believes that in this scenario a woman is entitled to defend herself against the threat posed by the unborn baby, even if ultimately this will cause its death. I feel Thomson is correct in her appraisal. If an impartial judgement was sought by an individual as to whose life has greater worth; the foetus or the woman, they might not feel able to choose—both lives could be seen to hold equal value. But there is nothing objective about the woman’s situation—her life is endangered. If a person threatens my life—even if they are not conscious of their actions—I have a right to kill them, if that is the only course of action I can take to repel the attack. The scenario becomes less clear when we consider if a woman holds the same right to defend herself if the continuation of her pregnancy causes her serious health problems that are not terminal. Again, I would assess the situation in terms of an attack. Do I have a right to kill an assailant if he attempts to wound me? The answer, I think, is dependent upon degree—the injury that would be inflicted. It seems reasonable that the degree of retaliation should be proportional to the severity of the attack. Similarly, a woman has the right to terminate her pregnancy if its continuation instigates a degree of illness that is severe enough to warrant that decision. The problem then is quantifying such comparatives. It might seem reasonable to nominate the woman involved as the person best qualified to make that decision, but shouldn’t such judgments emanate from an objective source? After all, should I be able to ‘take the law into my own hands’ and choose whatever reprisal I thought necessary against my attacker? A Woman’s Right to Ownership A woman holds ownership of her own body; therefore she may abort her foetus if that is what she chooses â€Å"it is in a very real sense her own—to dispose of as she wishes.†[5] Professor Thomson analogises: it is not that the woman and foetus are like two tenants occupying a small house that has been mistakenly rented to both of them—the mother owns the house.[6] But not all claims of ownership hold an automatic right to dispose of their property. John Harris gives an example[7] suppose I own a life-saving drug, and have nothing planned for its use other than placing it on my shelf. If I meet a person who was dependent on that drug otherwise they will die, I would not be morally entitled to withhold the drug—it would be wrong of me to exercise that right. What Harris is expressing is that a woman may have the right to do what she wishes to her own body, but it would be wrong of her to exercise that right. The question then is; does the value of ownership of your body take precedence over the value of the foetus? Property is sometimes commandeered during war, and this action is usually justified because national security is thought to take priority over an individual’s right to ownership.[8] Another compelling, and I think decisive, argument comes from Mary Anne Warren. She states that ownership does not give me a right to kill an innocent person on my property, furthermore, it is also immoral to banish a person from my property; if by doing so they will undoubtedly perish.[9] If one does not accept that a foetus is a human being, then the woman may have it removed from her body, similarly to having a kidney stone taken out. But if the foetus is believed to be a person, then I do not think any argument of ownership can hold up against the soundness of the given examples. A Foetuses Right to its Mothers Body Can a woman’s right to choose abortion take priority over the foetuses right to life? Professor Thomson argues that â€Å"†¦a right to life does not guarantee having either a right to be given the use of or a right to be allowed continued use of another person’s body—even if one needs it for life.†[10] Thomson goes on to give an example[11], that if she was terminally ill, and the only thing that would save her life was the touch of Henry Fonda’s cool hand on her fevered brow, she would have no right to expect him to travel to her side and assist her in this way. No doubt, Thomson adds; that it would be frightfully nice of him, but she holds no right against him that he should do so. An obvious criticism is to argue that a woman has a special responsibility to her foetus, simply because she is its mother—a responsibility that ‘Henry Fonda’ does not owe, so the analogy, is rendered useless. But Thomson postulates that â€Å"we do not have any such ‘special responsibility’ for a person unless we have assumed it, explicitly or implicitly.†[12] Thomson therefore argues that if a pregnancy is unwanted, and the woman holds no emotional bond to the foetus, there is no attachment and so no responsibility. A possible dispute to Thomson’s idea is to suggest that the ‘special responsibility’ is bonded through genes rather then emotion. If a child is born and the mother abandons it, her culpability is held through their ‘mother and baby relationship’ rather then what the mother ‘thinks’ of her baby. Another argument that can give claim by the foetus to its mother’s body is one of contract.[13] It could be said that by voluntarily engaging in sexual intercourse a woman—even if using contraception—risks the chance of pregnancy. By understanding the possible consequences of her actions, she must be seen as responsible for the existence of the foetus, because no method of contraception is known to be infallible. Since the woman is accountable for bringing the foetus into the world (albeit in her womb) she assumes an obligation to continue to provide nourishment for its survival. Michael Tooley offers an example that he believes analogises this argument[14] there is a pleasurable act that I practice. But by engaging in it, it can have the unfortunate risk of destroying someone’s food supply. This will not cause the person any problem, as long as I continue to make such provisions, even though it causes me immense trouble and expense. Tooley says that he arranges things so that the probability of the ‘pleasurable act’ having such an effect is as small as possible (contraception). But he says that if things do go wrong, he is still responsible for the person needing food, and therefore obligated to supplying the food needed. Tooley believes that once we engage in an activity that can potentially create a child, then we assume responsibility for its needs, even if bringing that child into existence was accidental and precautions were taken to prevent that outcome. Professor Thomson offers her own powerful analogy in contrast to the above view: If the room is stuffy, and I therefore open a window to air it, and a burglar climbs in, it would be absurd to say, â€Å"Ah, now he can stay, she’s given him a right to the use of her house—for she is partially responsible for his presence there, having voluntarily done what enabled him to get in, in full knowledge that there are such things as burglars, and that burglars burgle.† It would be still more absurd to say this if I had had bars installed outside my windows, precisely to prevent burglars from getting in, and a burglar got in only because of a defect in the bars.[15] Abortion, Due to Rape As already stated, most views against abortion base their position from the value they place on the foetuses life. Even so, in the case where pregnancy had occurred through rape, most opponents of abortion would believe that there would be sufficient justification for termination. Obviously, there is something paradoxical about this—if the foetus is valuable because it is human, it is obviously no less human because its mother had been raped. So how can some opponents of abortion hold such contradictory ideas? Janet Radcliffe Richards’ explains that when a woman is forced to continue pregnancy until childbirth, â€Å"†¦the child is being used as an instrument of punishment to the mother, and that talk of the sanctity of life is being used to disguise the fact.†[16] The only thing that a woman that wants to abort for reasons of accidental pregnancy has done differently, is to of engaged willingly to sex—and that is what she is being punished for.[17] Richards’ offers an interesting approach to the apparent inconsistency stated, although I don’t find its supposition altogether convincing. I think the ‘double-standards’ described, portray an individual that holds only a relative opinion to the value of life that is held by the foetus. That is, the foetus is human, with rights, but not as human and not as much rights as an adult human being. And this is how I feel critics of abortion consider priority to women in rape cases. A Father’s Right To what degree, if any, does the father’s opinion count on whether his unborn child should die at the hands of the mother? After all, the foetus is very much a part of him—sharing his genetic make-up. It is noted by John Harris[18] that a man is not entitled to violate a woman for the purpose of impregnating her—that is rape—so then it follows that he must not violate her by forcing his wishes for a pregnancy to continue until birth. The counter argument is that by agreeing to sex, a woman has tacitly agreed to carry the man’s child. Ultimately the woman’s opinion must take priority over the man’s—because she has to carry the foetus, but, once a foetus is formed, one can have a degree of sympathy for the man’s situation. If copulation had taken place for the purpose of impregnation, then why should the man suffer a feeling of loss just because his partner changes her mind? Where contraception is used, his argument may be weakened—they did not intend parenthood. But if both were planning for a baby, is it fare that once that child exists, the mother can take it away from its father, even though he has done no wrong? A Right to Death If a pregnancy is terminated during its early stages, the foetus will undoubtedly die. But if an abortion takes place later in pregnancy, and by some miracle survives, the mother has no â€Å"right to secure the death of the unborn child.†[19] If the baby was still unwanted, the â€Å"woman may be utterly devastated by the thought of a child, a bit of herself, put out for adoption and never seen or heard of again†[20] but she can only demand her separation from it; she may not order its execution. I guess there would be few opponents to this assertion; but it is interesting to understand why. If a person accepts the permissibility of abortion, how is it so different to kill a child that survives its attempted termination? Presumably the foetus has acquired rights that it didn’t hold inside the womb, or perhaps the woman loses her rights during that transition. It seems strange that location should alter the foetuses perspective so drastically—after all, it is the same being. It could be argued that it is independence that qualifies the foetus for its right to live. When it no longer needs its mother for survival, and is not ‘reliant’ upon her in any way, she loses the right to decide its fate. Professor Thomson’s explanation is somewhat different; she too agrees that there is no justification for a woman to order the death of a foetus that lives following an abortion, but her reasoning is not dependent upon any acquisition or loss of rights. Thomson argues that a termination is just the right for a woman to detach the foetus from her body. This is not an act of murder (even though its death is inevitable during its infancy) but an entitlement to liberation, whatever its outcome.[21] Professor Thomson presents an account that would be reasonable if the act of abortion was purely an attempt of separation. But in fact the procedure used is an attempt, not only to detach and remove the foetus, but to kill it.[22] If the abortionist fails in this task, then Thomson allows the baby a right to live. But as the method of termination is designed for the foetus to die, I believe it renders Thomson’s point unsound. Conclusion Professor Thomson concedes that â€Å"It would be indecent in the woman to request an abortion, and indecent in a doctor to perform it, if she is in her seventh month, and wants the abortion just to avoid the nuisance of postponing a trip abroad.†[23] So, even staunch defendants of feminist ethics feel compelled to consider the foetuses interests once its development reaches a mature stage. It could be argued that the foetus has become a baby, and abortion is therefore tantamount to infanticide. I believe that anyone can exercise their right to self-defence if their life is threatened, and a woman can use her prerogative against the unborn baby at any stage of its development without recrimination. However, I feel that a woman’s right to expel her foetus for any other reason has only relative justification. Relative: because a woman’s rights to abort become less valid as the foetus develops. There is, in my opinion, a necessary correlation between foetal development and a woman’s right to termination. A woman may exercise her choice without compromise during early pregnancy, because the foetus is nothing more then potential, but justification becomes less palatable as potential becomes actualised. Can a woman really hold the same rights to ‘choose what happens within her own body’ when the foetus is twenty five weeks old, as she did when it was ten weeks old? As previously mentioned, arbitrarily choosing a point in the foetuses life and exclaiming ‘before this point the thing is not a person, after this point it is a person,’ does appear contrived. But its comparison with ‘before this point a woman can choose, after this point she can’t; does seem vindicated against less satisfactory views. The purpose of this essay was to assess a case for abortion that was not dependent on the foetuses right to life, but instead to appreciate a woman’s right to choose. I don’t believe that either position can be considered without respecting the rights of the other. Therefore, in my opinion; a woman holds considerable rights; but they are only relative to the foetuses level of development. BIBLIOGRAPHY Dwyer, Susan, The Problem of Abortion. London: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1997 Glover, Jonathan, Causing Death and Saving Lives. London: Penguin Books, 1997 Harris, John, The Value of Life. London: Routledge, 1985 Info on Abortion â€Å"Abortion†, Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopaedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion#Other_means_of_ abortion Richards, Janet, The Sceptical Feminist. Harmondsworth: Pelican, 1982 Sherwin, Susan, No Longer Patient. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1992 Thomson, Judith, â€Å"A Defence of Abortion†, Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1971: pp. 47-66 Tooley, Michael, Abortion and Infanticide. London: Oxford University Press, 1983 Warren, Marry Anne, â€Å"On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion†, The Monist, 1973

Amst 301

AMERICAN STUDIES 301 MIDTERM Please include a title for the midterm, TA name, and staple Description of assignment: Compose an anthology of thirteen quotations drawn from the materials assigned for the first three sections of this course (Parts I, II and III). The anthology will consist of a preface, short commentaries on each quotation, and a conclusion. The anthology should be governed by a theme (or a set of two topics aligned to the concerns of the first four sections of the syllabus) that offer a way to unite together the diverse materials for this course.The best anthologies (those that will receive an A or A- grade) will be ones where the theme enables the student to inquire into the complexities of American culture and where both the structure and content of the midterm manifest democratic thinking (i. e. , examining an issue by looking at it from multiple points of view) and integrative thinking (i. e, finding similarities or making syntheses between separate, diverse voices ). Texts for the assignment: Draw one quotation from each of the following texts or set of texts.Present the quotation and cite the text and page number of the quote (if the page number is available). Then provide your analysis of the quotation. Note: You should feel free and encouraged to arrange the quotes and commentaries in whatever order you find most appropriate and compelling. It’s best not to arrange the quotes in the order presented in the list of texts that follows. Compose an arrangement that allows you to create the most interesting and revealing conversation—or dialogue and debate–among the texts. . Carroll, ed. , Letters from a Nation 2. Katz, ed. , Why Freedom Matters 3. Smith, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 4. Cumings, Dominion from Sea to Sea, chapters 2, 10 or 11 5. O'Hearn, ed. , Half + Half: Writers on Growing Up Biracial and Bicultural 6. Essays on Los Angeles by Christopher Isherwood, Sonora McKeller, Wanda Coleman, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Lynell George, or Bill Bradley. 7. Political oratory or writings by John Winthrop, Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson or Frederick Douglass 8.Herman Melville, â€Å"Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street† or Nathaniel Hawthorne, â€Å"A Gray Champion† 9. Black, Our Constitution: The Myth That Binds Us 10. Political oratory by Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr. , Thurgood Marshall, Mario Cuomo, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, or Bernie Sanders. 11. Essays or Speeches by Tony Kushner, James Baldwin, Stanley Crouch or Cornell West 12. Poetry by Pat Mora, Gloria Anzaldua, Ariana Waynes, Beau Sia, Steve Connell, Langston Hughes, or lines from comedy skits and writings by Culture Clash 13.John Leland, Hip: The History, David Brooks, On Paradise Drive: How We Live Now (and Always Have) in the Future Tense, or any quotation of your own selection drawn from American music, film, literature, history, politics, including lines from movies or lyrics from a so ng. Analysis of the texts: Write a commentary on each quotation that is between 3-5 sentences in length. The commentary should be more than a paraphrase of the passage: it should seek to illuminate the significance of the passage and connect the passage to other passages through comparisons and contrasts.The commentary should develop the theme or governing idea of the anthology as a whole. It is vital in these commentaries to explicate the passage first and foremost from the point of view of its author rather than to offer your personal opinion of it. Consider the commentary an act of empathic listening and of comparative or contextual analysis. Seek to understand the passage in its own context rather than just declaring its personal significance to you. Comment on the language and specific details of the passage and make both comparisons and contrasts to other texts in the anthology.Preface : Write a 1-2 page Preface to this anthology in which you introduce and explain the orchestr ating theme or themes of this anthology—-the topics, concerns, issues, arguments that govern selection of the quotations you use to compose this anthology. The Preface should be similar to a presenting a thesis to a 5-7 page critical essay in Writing 140 or 340. Conclusion: Conclude the anthology with a paragraph in which you briefly explain which text or reading assignment was most important for your education so far.Select the one text or assigned reading that you feel should definitely be included in the syllabus when I teach this course in a future semester. The task of this anthology (beyond revealing that you have studied the wide range of materials assigned so far for this course) is to find sources of unity in the diversity of the materials. Advice for the Midterm When commenting upon texts for the midterm and when choosing a theme or set of themes to orchestrate your midterm anthology, I recommend that you keep in mind the approaches of Anna Deavere Smith and Michael Kammen to American culture as described below.Smith believes that words can be â€Å"the doorway into the soul of a culture,† and in Talk to Me: Listening Between the Lines (2000), she writes, â€Å"I set out across America, on a search for American character. My search was specifically to find America in its language. I interview people and communities about the events of our time, in the hope that I will be able to absorb America†¦. This is a country of many tongues, even if we stick to English. Placing myself in other people’s words, as in placing myself in other people’s shoes, has given me the opportunity to get below the surface—to get ‘real. † When you comment upon these texts, try to place yourself â€Å"in other people’s words† as if placing yourself â€Å"in their shoes. † Listen to what is said and what may be hidden between the lines, and comment upon both. Consider also what might be revealed about a te xt by comparing and contrasting its words with voices from other texts or by juxtaposing its words against the words of a different text. Compose this anthology, in other words, by â€Å"downloading† and â€Å"mixing† and â€Å"sampling† voices to burn your own CD representing and reflecting upon the â€Å"American sound. And just as in Hendrix’s version of â€Å"The Star Spangled Banner,† your anthology can give us sounds and voices of dissonance as well as harmony. Smith also writes in Talk to Me: â€Å"My pursuit of American character is, basically, a pursuit of difference. Character lives in that which is unique. What is unique about America is the extent to which it does, from time to time, pull off being a merged culture. Finding American character is a process of looking at fragments, of looking at the unmerged. One has to do the footwork, one has to move from place to place, one has to stand outside. Your anthology will be composed of a s et of 12 quotations, and each quotation can be considered a fragment. When commenting upon each fragment or text, try to relate the fragment to other fragments. Seek out and explain places of merger or agreement among the fragments. But also be willing to see each fragment as unique, as a different take or look or perspective on your theme. The various quotations will come from different places, different times, and along with noting the specific time and place of each quotation, you should note on occasion how the quotations differ or disagree with each other.The anthology should, in effect, create a conversation and dialogue and debate—or a drama or a jazz performance–among the texts, playing one text off another. Consider each voice a solo or a monologue whose performance you analyze, but let your commentaries and the structure of the anthology as a whole be a jazz orchestra, or a play, or a congress of voices checking and balancing each other. A crucial part of the anthology will be your selection of a theme or themes that will enable you to unite together the different materials for the course.If you conceive of the anthology as part of an attempt to understand some aspect of the â€Å"American character,† you can follow the path of Michael Kammen who advises us to seek out paradoxes and contradictions within American culture. He notes that many have tried to provide a master key to unlock the mystery of the American character, proposing such single explanations as the Puritan sense of mission, the westward movement of the frontier, the desire for opportunity and open land, the effects of immigration, or the story of freedom.But any â€Å"quest for national character, culture, or style,† Kammen cautions, â€Å"plunges one into a tangle of complex historical considerations,† and he draws upon the writings of Erik Erikson to remind us, â€Å"It is commonplace to state that whatever one may come to consider a truly America n trait can be shown to have its equally characteristic opposite. † There is no simple answer and no one right answer to the question: â€Å"What is the American character? You might say that America is a place of â€Å"mixed messages† and that it will take some â€Å"hard work† to understand the complexity of the struggle for democracy, freedom, justice, equality, and a more perfect union in America. Godfrey Hodgson in his book, More Equal Than Others: American from Nixon to the New Century (2004) gives us an wonderful update on Kammen’s attempt to see Americans as a â€Å"people of paradox. † Hodgson writes, â€Å"At the beginning of of the twenty-first century, the United States was a mature civilization marked by striking, well-rooted contradictions.It is (and the list of pairs by no means exhausts the difficulties facing anyone who attempts a simplistic analysis) generally pacific but occasionally bellicose; religious yet secular; innovative but conservative; tough but tender; aggressive yet reluctant to incur casualties; egalitarian by instinct but stratified in tiers of wide and growing inequality; puritan yet self-indulgent; conformist but full of independent-minded people; devoted to justice, but in many ways remarkably unfair; idealistic yet given to cynicism. (â€Å"Nice guys finish last† is almost a national motto. At some times it can be self-confident to the verge of complacency, at others self-doubting to the point of neurosis. † When choosing a theme for you anthology, I recommend that you search for a topic that allows you to study America by highlighting at least one or two of the contradictions or paradoxes within its â€Å"character. † You can draw upon the list of contradictions/paradoxes/ tensions/conflicts as possible topics of themes for your anthology. Freedom vs. Tyranny Liberty vs. Slavery Equality vs. Hierarchy (or Supremacy) Democracy vs. Monarchy/Aristocracy or Imperialism/Em pire Democracy vs.Racism/Sexism (or the Tyranny of the Majority) Tradition vs. Revolution/Innovation Purity (or virtue) vs. corruption Exclusion vs. Inclusion Culture clash—culture merger Memory (studying the past) vs. Forgetting (letting go, living in the present) Born to Run/Born to be Wild vs. Stability/Civilization/the Home The Founding Fathers Know Best vs. The Sins of the Fathers Democracy vs. Theocracy Church—State Religion—politics Letter of the law—spirit of the law (or a higher law) Unity—-diversity Melting pot—-mosaic Assimilation—roots Majority–Minority Insiders—outsiders (outcasts) More perfect union—individualismSelf-interest vs. fraternity (brotherhood) Care for self vs. Care for others (caritas) Materialism—-spirituality Gold—God Success-failure Happiness—misery Blues–gospel Mobility-fixity Tradition—innovation Conformity—revolt Parents—children (gen erational conflict) Machismo—feminismo Country—city Civilization—savagery Hope—-fear Privilege—equality Reverence–irreverence Authority—-rebellion Provincialism—cosmopolitanism Country-city Myth vs. history Stories we want to hear vs. stories we need to hear Format: Title Preface 1. Anna Deavere Smith, Talk to Me: Listening Between the Lines (2000):I set our across America, on a search for American character. My search was specifically to find America in its language. I interview people and communities about the events of our time, in the hope that I will be able to absorb America†¦. This is a country of many tongues, even if we stick to English. Placing myself in other people’s words, as in placing myself in other people’s shoes, has given me the opportunity to get below the surface—to get ‘real. ’ (p. 12) 3-5 sentences of commentary 2. Author, title quotation: xxxxxxxxxxx 3-5 sentences o f commentary Conclusion