Religion, Poverty and Wealth Essay Example for Free

Religion, Poverty and Wealth Essay Describe how followers of this religion may put their ideas into practice. Helping others is a big part of being a Christian, because of the importance of the commandment Love thy neighbour. Since the 19th Century, Christians have been setting up homes for the poor and needy. However recently there has been an increase in awareness of poorer people, putting more pressure on people to help others. A very popular way of helping others is by setting up, and giving to charities. There are many different charities, both Christian and non-Christian, which offer a wide range of help. The Church of England Childrens Society helps to better the lives of underprivileged children; The Hospice Movement aims to help the dying spend their last days in a loving, caring environment; the LArche Community helps disabled people. Christian Aid is one of the most famous Christian charities. It was set up in Britain and Ireland at the end of the Second World War, with its main aims being to improve the quality of peoples lives, particularly those of refugees who were struggling to cope with the aftermath of World War II. It also funded Churches to help repair damage caused by the war. Gradually over time, the work of Christian Aid began to involve other countries around the world. It now has an income of approximately à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½40 million a year, and there are forty churches in the United Kingdom and Ireland who are a part of Christian Aid. Most of the money, which they make through door-to-door collections and donations from members of the public and various churches, is put towards development work to help people in the long term. Another famous charitable organisation is The Samaritans. The Samaritans was set up in 1953 when Chad Varah, a priest, was horrified to find out that three suicides took place every day in London. He believed that the best way to help someone who was contemplating committing suicide was to talk to them. So he set up a phone in his church and advertised that people could phone for helpful advice if they were feeling suicidal. Today The Samaritans speak to 2 250 000 people a year. Aside from charities, many Christians feel that they should give a small percentage of their wages to help the less fortunate. Sir John Templeton grew up in a poor family on a farm in Tennessee. He was educated at both Yale and Oxford University, after which he became a financial consultant in New York. Throughout his life he gave 10% of his earnings to help the poor (a process called tithing). Eventually he became very wealthy running a multimillion dollar investment company, where he successfully managed funds for over two million people worldwide. In 1972 he started the Templeton prize to be awarded for progress in religion, which is worth more money than the Nobel Peace Prize. Fifteen years later he was knighted for services to philanthropy. In 1992, he sold his investment company for a colossal $400 million. He still gives money to support projects around the world which further understanding of spirituality and the importance of the human character. George Macleod felt so strongly about helping others that, in 1938, he formed a Christian Community on Iona, an island off of Scotland. He found volunteers to learn building, stone masonry and carpentry skills and together they rebuilt Ionas ruined abbey. After that he opened a centre to provide shelter for young people from across the world, and to allow them to live in a close community. The people of the community feel it is more important to live like this and share everything than to be rich and not live as closely. They take it in turns to cook, clean, garden and work away. When they are not working, they pray. This is very similar to the ideas expressed by Jesus according to the Bible. The first Christians followed Jesus teachings very closely. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Not only are there many passages in the Bible that tell Christians how to treat the poor, there are also some in the Old Testament. Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear. Isaiah 58:6-8 Another example of how Christians helped the poor was the Liberation Theology movement. This started in the late 1960s when the poorer inhabitants of South American countries decided that they didnt want to be exploited any more. They made a decision to stand against the corrupt governments, with inspiration from the words of Jesus: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he has appointed me to preach good news to the poor. The Christian followers of Liberation Theology try to fight out against poverty, lack of human rights and the exploitation of certain peoples. Many Priests, especially Oscar Romero, involved in this endanger their lives by speaking out against their government. Romero knew he was in danger, but felt that it was his Christian duty to fight against oppression and injustice. He was shot dead in March 1980 whilst conducting mass. In South America, many people see him as a great martyr. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: God blesses those who come to the aid of the poor and rebukes those who turn away from them. All Christians feel it is their duty to God to help the poor and needy, and to be kind to those who need their kindness.

21st Century Architecture and Design Elements

21st Century Architecture and Design Elements The architectural design of the 21th century buildings has been redefined due to the advancement of our modern technology. In our modern society, the architectural design of buildings is changing the downtown landscape of metropolitan areas. Due to the change of technologies, it has changed the architectural design of buildings dramatically in terms of its function, design structures, heating and cooling systems and it social status in society. The basic function of the architecture is to provide a roof over peoples head. For instance the Taipei 101 in Taiwan, Taipei 101 has became the worlds tallest skyscraper in 2004.The Taipei 101 is located in the Hsinyi District of the city, the rapid-growing Manhattan of Taipei. This is the future center of financial power in Taiwan, and already home to a dynamic collection of retail and entertainment centers. The Taipei Municipal Government awarded development rights by tender for this Build-Operate-Transfer project, the first ever in Taiwan, to an unprecedented consortium of investors. The mission is to develop a state-of-the-art building that forms an integral part of the infrastructure for advancing Taipei towards becoming one of the Asia Pacific Financial Centers. This project symbolizes the outstanding achievements of Taiwans economic development. In many aspects, the new building is the most technologically advanced skyscraper constructed to date. The building feature fiber-optic and satellite Internet connections allowing speeds up to 1 gigabyte per second. It has the worlds fastest elevators which run at a top speed of 1008 meters per minute. Architectural Intention The architecture intention of Taipei 101 has been derived from early period in history. Associated with combination of style and culture from Greek, Egyptian, Gothic period, and most importantly the Roman architecture. The Greek column structures were used to build its structures, the gothic point arch, and pointed rib vaulted construction were used to build up its structure. There are many aspects about the gothic architecture that reflected in the making of Taipei 101, such as the architects would build high ceilings which would make the building look absolutely massive. Taipei 101 is no longer viewed as simple shelter to provide roof over peoples head. The architectural plan is designed with a more environmental conscious issue. The interior environment is designed according to the space of the structures. For instance, the interior are divided into segments such as malls, observatories, restaurants, and business offices. Form and Faà §ade The form of Taipei 101 is inspired by traditional Chinese architecture, with a shape resembling a pagoda. If look closely, the sectioned tower is also inspired by the bamboo plant, which is a model of resilience, elegance, and strength. The towers design specifications are based on the lucky number eight. Number eight is consider to be a lucky number, it features eight upward flaring sections, and all supported by eight super columns. Most aspects of the design, layout and planning were reviewed and approved by a Feng Shui master. The faà §ade material of the building is glass with curtain wall system. Symbolism Taipei 101 incorporates many features of symbolic significance. One of the representation, that Taipei 101 symbolized the axis mundi, which is a symbol representing the center of the world where the heaven or sky connects to the earth or more like Taipei 101 is the bridge from earth to heaven. The height 101 floors symbolized the renewal of time and Chinese saying being one more than one hundred, a traditional number of perfection. The main tower is divided into eight segments of floors. In Chinese the number eight symbolized lucky number or good fortune. The ruyi figures appear to be their motifs. The ruyi symbolized heavenly cloud; it implies defenders, fulfillment, and rejuvenation. Interior Spaces and Design In many aspects, Taipei 101 is the most advanced skyscraper ever constructed to date. The building features the fastest double-deckers elevators and the whole building is wired throughout with broadband access to the Internet and microwave and satellite transmission equipment. These modern systems are used to ensure uninterrupted communications with the outside world. The glass of the windows are sealed airspace, which coated to reflect sun rays keeping the occupants comfortable while still allowing them to see outside view from the window. There are total 34 double-deckers elevators that can carry 62 people at a time. They put that many and huge elevator to ensure that no one will have to wait more than 30 seconds for an elevator. The building has two floors of health and fitness centers, three floors of restaurants and observatory floors on levels89, 91, 101. The retail stores of the mall are world-class, reflecting Taipeis new global image within a traditional shopping marketplace . The basement has parking spaces for 1839 cars and 2990 scooters and motorcycles. Construction Technology We are now said to be entering the age of the super skyscraper, with tall buildings poised to take a giant new leap into the sky. Tall buildings must stand on firm ground, or else the risk of having earthquake is really high. Soil analysis is especially critical in facing the threat of earthquakes. The next obstacle in erecting a super skyscraper, and perhaps the biggest one, is wind. Tall buildings actually sway in the breeze, in much the same way that a diving board bends under the weight of a diver. Building an edifice that doesnt topple over in the wind is easy enough. The real challenge is keeping the structure so stiff that it doesnt swing too far, cracking partitions, shattering windows and making the upper occupants seasick. Taipei 101 is designed to hold out against earthquakes and typhoon winds which are the most occurrence cataclysms in Asia pacific. The building will not move an inch even if the earthquake reaches 7 degrees on a Richter scale and the wind power never know n to man. To insure and prevent such cataclysms to destroy the building, the first 25 floors are reinforced by adding another four exterior walls and all eight segments were restructured, every one of them having the same exterior leaning angle of 90 degrees with the same dimension. This illusion creates the never ending column. Another support for stability of the building structure is the interior spiral stair and steel pillars filled with concrete to make the stiffness of the structure. Engineers also developed a new architectural concept called the mega column which derived from the Greek column structure. The mega column is the most durable structure, having two centers. The first one is made out of numerous steel columns filled with concrete, linked by the second segment the other columns is the neo-gothic girders which connect all column in a center resembling pyramid. Taipei 101 has a giant mass damper to keep building in balance. The damper will reduce the towers peak vibra tions by more than one third. The main purpose is to ensure that the steel ball stays in control and does not swing wildly. To prevent damage during earthquakes, dampers have a locking device that will be automatically triggered. The locking device will prevent damper from moving independently. The damper is visible from the restaurant and bar which encircles space around the ball. The overall structure is reinforced by a moment frame system linking all the columns on all floors. My Thoughts and Arguments Taipei 101 has a very distinctive design and look about it that makes it very striking. The design link to various significant shapes, numbers and other aspect of the culture. It looks like a massive bamboo and is just dazzlingly lit at night. Taipei 101 is a symbol of modern Taiwan. The construction of the building itself is marvel. It also has LCD windows to put some advertisement on top of the building. Some use to make love letter to their loves one and some use to make a big advertisement. On Valentines day most couple post their names and their loves one on these LCDs. Since Taiwan is a little island, it is very intellectual idea to build a tall building for an entertainment center and tourism. Its location is very convenient to any other attractions center. On the 91st floor is the outdoor observation area. The views at the outdoor observation area is not as open due to walls are built about slightly higher than a human height for protection purposes. There are binoculars to v iew the outside landscape and it is best place to take panoramic picture. The outdoor observatory, allows visitor to see the spire of the building. The idea of the spire building is derived from the gothic period. The most amazing thing is the steel pendulum, which serves as a mass damper, which suspends from the 92nd floor to the 88th floor. The movement of the damper will offset movement in the building caused by earthquake and strong wind, the damper reduce the overall movement of the building. The food court was an incredible, with a wide varieties of cuisines representedmany types of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese quick eats as well as weird fusion items (Chinese + cheese = Italian, natch). Everything looked so appetizing compared to the usual American mall food court, with the help of food models attractively displayed at each of the almost 100 stands. Overall Taipei 101 is one of the greatest entertainment center, business, and even shelter in the whole world with its modern constructive architecture look. It is safe to say that the influence of the classical style has had profound on the way we live today. Many aspects of life have evolved over time and have been fine tune to fit our preferences, which today we are able, the modern structure of our new building. Conclusion In the 21st century, both interior design and architectural design have reached a stage where there are few limitations, and styles cannot necessarily be neatly defined or categorized. Traditional rules are broken, and opportunities for originality and imagination are maximal. However, great respect for the classical styles and artistic achievements of the past not only remain, but also continually flourish. Revivals of many styles in architecture and interior design are, like revivals of styles in music, dance, fashion, and other aspects of our culture, making appearances as popular fads. References: Lee. C.Y. Taipei 101. New York: Images Publishing Group, April 15, 2009. Print Diana Mirei. Tall order: as worlds tallest, most technologically advanced building, Taipei 101 stand alones. Journal of property management. Thomson Gale May 1, 2006. Printed Micheal M. Deza, Elena Deza. Encyclopedia of Distances. Springer; 1 Edition August 11, 2009. Printed. Jeremy Leslie, David Roberts: Pick Me Up Encyclopedia, DK Children September 25, 2006 Printed Reginald Kwok. Globalizing Taipei The political economy of Spatial Development. Routledge June 16, 2005. Printed Taipei 101 SKY HIGH! http://www.go2taiwan.net/product.php?pid_for_show=54 December 9, 2009 Taipei 101, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101 December 9, 2009 Taipei 101. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 9 Dec. 2009 . Chen Wei. News Taipei 101 Tower Newsletter July 2005: Pages 1-6. Printed Chen Wei. News Taipei 101 Tower Newsletter April 2005: Pages 1-7. Printed Chen Wei. News Taipei 101 Tower Newsletter August 2006 : Pages 1-5. Printed

Free Essays - Importance of Creativity in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Importance of Creativity in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn What would you do if you were a young teenager traveling down the Mississippi River, not knowing where to sleep that night or find food for your next meal? That is the dilemma faced by Huckleberry Finn, and Huck always found a lot of trouble. When most people are in trouble they either take the easy way out and lie, or they use their creativity and wit. The protagonist of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, uses more wit than most fourteen year old kids use in their lifetime. Whenever life hits Huck with a problem, he always conquers it by using awareness, cleverness, and insight. Before Huck starts his adventure down the river, he must fake his death to "escape" from pap. The first thing Huck did was to make sure that pap was far away before starting his getaway. At this point, many children of Huck's age would merely get in a canoe and head down stream, most likely getting caught the next day. Huckleberry Finn is smarter than that. Huck wanted to make sure that no one would come down the river looking for him, except to make his corpse rise. First, he collected all the supplies that he could find and loaded them into a canoe. After that, he went into the woods and caught a wild hog. He brought the hog in the Cabin, and slaughtered it, making sure that it left behind a pool of blood on the hard packed dirt ground. He disposed of the dead hog by throwing it in the river to float downstream. Huck also opened a sack of corn and left a trail leading to a shallow lake nearby. Before leaving the cabin, he filled another sack with rocks, and made a path toward the river. This was done to simulate the trail of the robbers dragging their bounty to the river bank. Huckleberry hoped that pap would think he was killed by a group of robbers that stole all his possessions. After using these tactics to avert any search parties, he floated down the river to Jackson Island. Huck made every attempt to make sure that he could sail down the river in Free Essays - Importance of Creativity in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays Importance of Creativity in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn What would you do if you were a young teenager traveling down the Mississippi River, not knowing where to sleep that night or find food for your next meal? That is the dilemma faced by Huckleberry Finn, and Huck always found a lot of trouble. When most people are in trouble they either take the easy way out and lie, or they use their creativity and wit. The protagonist of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, uses more wit than most fourteen year old kids use in their lifetime. Whenever life hits Huck with a problem, he always conquers it by using awareness, cleverness, and insight. Before Huck starts his adventure down the river, he must fake his death to "escape" from pap. The first thing Huck did was to make sure that pap was far away before starting his getaway. At this point, many children of Huck's age would merely get in a canoe and head down stream, most likely getting caught the next day. Huckleberry Finn is smarter than that. Huck wanted to make sure that no one would come down the river looking for him, except to make his corpse rise. First, he collected all the supplies that he could find and loaded them into a canoe. After that, he went into the woods and caught a wild hog. He brought the hog in the Cabin, and slaughtered it, making sure that it left behind a pool of blood on the hard packed dirt ground. He disposed of the dead hog by throwing it in the river to float downstream. Huck also opened a sack of corn and left a trail leading to a shallow lake nearby. Before leaving the cabin, he filled another sack with rocks, and made a path toward the river. This was done to simulate the trail of the robbers dragging their bounty to the river bank. Huckleberry hoped that pap would think he was killed by a group of robbers that stole all his possessions. After using these tactics to avert any search parties, he floated down the river to Jackson Island. Huck made every attempt to make sure that he could sail down the river in

Inventions: The Steam Engine and the Internet Essay -- Innovation

Despite originating more than two centuries and half a world apart, the steam engine and the Internet followed similar paths throughout their conception, development, and execution. In 1712, the first successful steam engine was built; it was bulky, inefficient, and partially hand operated. Two hundred fifty-three years later, the first major network connection was made, using slow, dedicated phone lines to carry information across the country from expensive, complicated computers in Massachusetts to their counterparts in California. Although these innovations were advanced for their time, their usefulness was limited by the scope of their execution. Fast forwarding to 1820, steam engines now used superheated, high pressure steam in order to yield more power in a smaller space, resulting in their widespread use in trains, boats, and cars. The engines operated under 13 times more pressure, using new technology to avoid explosions (CITE 3). Similarly by 1973, networking and networks ha d advanced at a frenzied pace. People now sent emails to people across the country and then heard the voices of those same people from terminals from universities and companies (CITE 2). The rapid pace of these improvements, coupled with their accessibility, resulted in two designs that profoundly changed the world view of people and businesses. These two designs are not only similar in their origins and historical progressions; they are also akin in the effect of their widespread use. Since their inceptions, they have both had extensive impacts on the world around them. Following the inventions of the steam engine and the Internet, the world was thrust into periods that are characterized as having â€Å"a succession of breakthrough inventions" and â€Å"a commo... ...of steam engines in factories freed the factories to go anywhere. Previously, machines had been powered by the swift flowing water of rivers. Once freed from that constraint, factories were built in more convenient locations, nearer to consumers. Works Cited http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=25442 http://history-world.org/Industrial%20Intro.htm http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3405300236.html http://www.cottontimes.co.uk/trevithicko.htm http://www.lk.cs.ucla.edu/data/files/Kleinrock/Information%20Flow%20in%20Large%20Communication%20Nets.pdf http://www.linfo.org/packet_switching.html http://library.thinkquest.org/17658/nuc/nuchistoryht.html http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar531140&st=history+of+steam+engine http://www.zakon.org/robert/internet/timeline http://www.inventionreaction.com/famous-inventions/Steam-Engine Inventions: The Steam Engine and the Internet Essay -- Innovation Despite originating more than two centuries and half a world apart, the steam engine and the Internet followed similar paths throughout their conception, development, and execution. In 1712, the first successful steam engine was built; it was bulky, inefficient, and partially hand operated. Two hundred fifty-three years later, the first major network connection was made, using slow, dedicated phone lines to carry information across the country from expensive, complicated computers in Massachusetts to their counterparts in California. Although these innovations were advanced for their time, their usefulness was limited by the scope of their execution. Fast forwarding to 1820, steam engines now used superheated, high pressure steam in order to yield more power in a smaller space, resulting in their widespread use in trains, boats, and cars. The engines operated under 13 times more pressure, using new technology to avoid explosions (CITE 3). Similarly by 1973, networking and networks ha d advanced at a frenzied pace. People now sent emails to people across the country and then heard the voices of those same people from terminals from universities and companies (CITE 2). The rapid pace of these improvements, coupled with their accessibility, resulted in two designs that profoundly changed the world view of people and businesses. These two designs are not only similar in their origins and historical progressions; they are also akin in the effect of their widespread use. Since their inceptions, they have both had extensive impacts on the world around them. Following the inventions of the steam engine and the Internet, the world was thrust into periods that are characterized as having â€Å"a succession of breakthrough inventions" and â€Å"a commo... ...of steam engines in factories freed the factories to go anywhere. Previously, machines had been powered by the swift flowing water of rivers. Once freed from that constraint, factories were built in more convenient locations, nearer to consumers. Works Cited http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=25442 http://history-world.org/Industrial%20Intro.htm http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3405300236.html http://www.cottontimes.co.uk/trevithicko.htm http://www.lk.cs.ucla.edu/data/files/Kleinrock/Information%20Flow%20in%20Large%20Communication%20Nets.pdf http://www.linfo.org/packet_switching.html http://library.thinkquest.org/17658/nuc/nuchistoryht.html http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar531140&st=history+of+steam+engine http://www.zakon.org/robert/internet/timeline http://www.inventionreaction.com/famous-inventions/Steam-Engine

My Best Friend Essay -- Friendship Essay

My Best Friend Have you ever had someone in your life who helped you figure out who you were? Someone who showed you the right path. Someone who was there right next you even if you did not take that path. Someone who always seemed to be right, but never held it against you when you were not. Someone whom without your life would most likely be entirely different. I have. Her name was Jessica.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jessica was more than my neighbor. She was more than my mentor. She was my best friend. Jessica lived three houses down from me when I moved into a new neighborhood. She made moving to a new neighborhood a lot easier. She was one of those people who was friends with everybody. She was friends with everyone because she was so special. She was always in a good mood, always had something pleasant to say, and no matter what was going on, she could get you to smile.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jessica was a few years older than me but we were both young. I was in the fifth grade and she was in junior high when we met. She was tall for her age and practically towered over me. She almost always kept her long golden hair pulled back into a pony tail because she was a bit of a tomboy and liked to be athletic. But when she let it down and it waved in the gentle breeze, there was no doubt she was a girl. Her facial features were very soft, yet if you met her once, you would never forget her name. She also had the deepest green eyes that would sparkle so bright when she flashed her pearly white teeth, s...

Impact of education on Iran post-revolution Essay

Iran’s capital is Tehran, which is also the largest city and acts as a center for the commercial, industrial, administrative, educational activities. Apart from Tehran, there are other cities like Esfahan, Mashhad, Tabriz, Shiraz, Ahwaz, etc. It was estimated in 2002 that the population of Iran was about 66,622,704, which was almost double than that of 1975 population. The population of Iran is made up of numerous ethnic groups; Persians being the dominant and largest group, who have migrated from Central Asia to Iran in the beginning of the 7th century BC establishing the first Persian Empire way back in 550 BC. they include Gilaki, Mazandarani. There are several other ethnic groups such as the Kurds and the Lurs. The official language of Iran is Modern Persian, which is derived from an ancient literary Persian language, which was written in the Pahlavi script; but in the 7th century, after the Arab conquest a new form written in the Arabic script developed during the 9th and 10th centuries; which formed the basis for the Modern Persian language used today. The official religion of Iran has been Jafari Shia Islam since the 16th century about 93 % of all Iranians follows Shia Islam, mostly of the Jafari group. In 1979 Iran’s constitution has assigned important political leadership roles in the government to the Shia clergy. Personal conduct and group behavior endurance of cultural values such as obligations to extended family, hospitality toward guests, and striving to act morally far predated the Islamic conquest of the 7th century and continued to influence the Iranian culture. In1979 with religious rhetoric revolution it was heavily imbued. The leaders barring different forms of entertainment activities such as casinos, nightclubs and dance halls, movies featuring nudity or sexual themes, and pop and rock musical genres. In spite of economic growth, strong Shia opposition led by Ayatollah Khomeini against the Mohammed Reza Shah has brought Iran closer to the situation of civil war; which was the beginning of Iranian Revolution resulting in the departure of Shah from Iran on Jan. 16, 1979. Finally on April 1, Ayatollah Khomeini declared an Islamic republic with a new Constitution reflecting his ideals of Islamic government. He also became Iran’s supreme spiritual leader (Valy-e-Faqih). As a consequence, many demonstrations were held to show dissent to the new rules, like extreme regulations on the code of dress of women. Iran’s Education system: In 1906 after the country’s first constitution was drafted, public primary education was introduced in Iran, primarily in urban system, gradually expanding, but did not included secondary education (until 1925). During 1979 Islamic revolution, enrolment of only 60% primary school age children, and less than 50 % of secondary school age, has taken place in the public schools of Iran; adult literacy rate accounting only to 48 %. The reform in 1960 is known as the White revolution and the reform in 1979 is known as the Islamic revolution. After the revolution, a reform in education system was brought up to fortify the nation through developing education . Education was included in the high priority list of the government, focusing on programs like adult literacy, constructions of new schools, and expansion of public colleges and other higher education institutes. As a result of that the literacy rate had reached for all Iranians aged 15 and older to 94. 6 percent by the year 2001; higher for males (96. 6 percent) than for females (92. 5 percent); and also higher in cities than in rural areas. Compulsory Education is made for children between the ages 6 to11. Every village consisting at least a primary school, by the expansion of both public and private education system; and in 1996, 89. 6 % of primary school-aged children and 74. 2 % of secondary school-aged children’s enrollment in schools has taken place. But dropouts are still high in the rural areas. Improvement in the educational opportunities for girls after the revolution has taken place but the dropout rate is still higher for girls which can be evident from the fact that 87% of eligible age of girls though attended primary school, only 69% percent attended secondary school. More than 30 tuition-free public universities apart from many other institutes of higher learning including medical universities, teacher training providing colleges, agricultural colleges, etc. are present in Iran. But up to 1996 only 17 % Iranians of relevant age were enrolled in higher learning institutions. The major center for higher education is Tehran, with more than 15 universities along with numerous colleges and institutes. Additionally, there are other Universities located in Hamedan, Esfahan, Shiraz, and Tabriz. Besides, Islamic Free University that has been involved in the development of campuses in the cities throughout Iran since its establishment in the late 1980s and a private system of higher education consisting of theological colleges. The number of young Iranian women getting admitted in to the universities has been raised dramatically in the recent years. More than 60 percent women entries have been registered in the Universities, only in the last five years in Iran that is a surprising development for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Education has a strong social value for the Iran’s women, according to experts who observe it as a way to achieve greater freedom. But some Iranian officials do still expression of concern about the trend. This growing trend of increase in number of the young women in Universities of Iran is regarded as a phenomenon in the male dominated society. University studies are used as a means to leave home, postponement of marriages, earning greater freedom and social respect by the Iranian women. According to Dr.  Said Peyvandi, a Paris-based professor, sarcastically, after the 1979 revolution and the country’s Islamization educational institutions the girls from traditional or conservative families began to go to school this may be due to the reason that the traditional families who would not sent their girls to school before, due to presence of men teachers or saying that the school was not Islamic has started sending them to school. As a result the girls took the maximum advantage from the schools’ Islamization, and also justifying their presence out of the home . This growing number of female university graduates started to impact on Iran’s labor market already. The women attending the higher education in Iran has been increased since 1989 . Women entering into a number of professions, public as well as private sectors; and also taking an active part in the business world currently making up to 10 % of the work force. About a third of the women who were working were laid off by the new regime in the earlier years of the revolution but now, Iranian women are returning as factory engineers and specialists, instead of those female office workers and secretaries. Which actually, is causing an influx of female specialists in Iran’s labor market, who can replace men. A labor force made up of women specialists can be seen in Iran presently that never existed in Iranian history. According to the managing director of an educational and cultural magazine ‘Lowh’ Mohammad Ghaed, the rise of many Iranian women to top professional positions that were previously dominated by men is observed; presenting a common scene such as women at the head of an office or a bank where they are capable of giving orders to their subordinates including men. Iran’s family structures are also presenting the change raising the average marriage, fall in the birthrate, etc. Which are considered as a direct result of the growing number of women pursuing university education causing the improvement in conditions for women in Iran; according to Peyvandi. Seeing the greater social demands from women some concerns are raised especially by the conservatives who argue that the shift represents a danger to traditional ethics. Recently a quota system was proposed aimed at limiting the number of women enrolling in courses like medicine, where predominance of female students can be seen; by The Education Ministry. Some conservatives and reformists are in trial to scale back the women’s overall access to higher education in Iran as it is resulting in the liberalization of women. Therefore they are also using economic excuses, trying to impose some restrictions, are even approaching for laws in order to limit the admission of women to universities. In recent years Iranian women have made many great achievements but a larger part of society is still not ready to accommodate them. Over the last 10-15 years the problem of unemployment has worsened both in men as well as women, consequencely, there are no jobs for university graduates. Social issues like the number of families with annual incomes below the poverty line have been reduced from 47% to 19% during1979 – 1996; yet poverty continues to be a major problem of the society. Measures like subsidies for food, fuel, and utilities to support low-income families have been taken up by the Govt. o decrease the impact of poverty. Inadequate Health care services in rural areas, widespread use of illegal drugs for recreation, especially among young people are some of concerns for the society. Various public social services including national health insurance program – providing free or low-cost health care in village clinics or city hospitals that are run by the government; providing pensions to the retired employees, survivor benefits to widows’ of Veterans killed in action or deceased retirees, disability payments, etc are going on successfully. Reading Lolita in Tehran: One of the Novels, ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books’ reflects the life of the narrator Nafisi, her personal and intellectual events in Iran after the revolution; she also narrates the dream of revolution among the Iranians and how that was shattered according to her. She also indirectly condemns the lowering of marriage age for girls to nine years by the Islamic regime, which took power in 1979 by referring to the incidence of a middle aged man becoming sexually obsessed with a 12 year old pubescent girl. It also mentions her refusal to wear veil causing her dismissal from the university of Tehran in 1980. Though she criticized the restriction of freedom in the Iranian regime, she also called for self-criticism in her speech at the National book festival in 2004, one has to see what he / she (people) has done to create a particular situation instead of blaming wholly on the Islamic regime.

Heart of Darkness Symbolic Analysis

In the novel Heart of Darkness the focus is mainly about the situation of imperialism in that time period. It describes the hypocrisy of imperialism, the madness as a result of imperialism, and the absurdity of evil. In reality the book is about much more than that. Marlow is the narrator and throughout the novel his visions and thoughts about himself change greatly as he endures the journey of self-discovery. In the beginning Marlow feels lost in his life; the main focus in life to him was being a sailor on the steamboat. Marlow is very naive and has not seen as much of life as he should be seeing in order to expand his overall knowledge of the world. Marlow describes the ship and the ocean as if it was the only thing he had ever seen in his whole life. (Part 1) The fact that the beginning starts with Marlow’s description of the sea, and the facts of imperialism do not start until later indicates that imperialism was not the only reason Joseph Conrad wrote the novel. Imperialism is the policy of extending authority of a nation over foreign countries. In this case Marlow is traveling up the river to the Inner station where he encounters cruelty and torture of the salvages. (Part 1) The men who work for the Company describe what they do as â€Å"trade,† and their treatment of native Africans is part of a benevolent project of â€Å"civilization. † In reality what they are doing is taking the ivory by force in command to the orders that Kurtz demands. Kurtz knows what he is doing but he makes the other men believe it is not out of cruelty or imperialism. Through all of this Marlow is stuck in the middle because he is blinded by the good that is said of Kurtz and he refers to him as a remarkable man (Part 3), which ends up hurting his relationship with the rest of the company because they know the truth and they strongly disagree. Marlow does not know until the end of the book exactly how mad and narcissistic Kurtz really is and the damage he is doing by trying to get everything his own way. All of the problems that accumulate because of the imperialistic actions of Kurtz make Marlow less close-minded and he finds within himself his own voice and opinion. Another reason why I feel that the book is not just about imperialism, but also about Marlow’s journey to self-discovery is that Kurtz is an unknown character to Marlow and he learns more about him as the story goes forth. â€Å"I had heard about some man named Kurtz who was ill but I did not know what exactly he did or how important he was,† (Part 1&2). At first, very little is known about Kurtz, the only description Marlow has of him was that he was an important person to the company. Kurtz was the way that the author incorporated the idea of imperialism into the novel because he was trying to rule an export from a foreign country which would eventually lead to the rule of the country itself. †You know Kurtz, he is very important and he is ill right now but he must get better,† (Part 2). The station manager states something like that to Marlow which tells him exactly how important Kurtz really is in the company. When Marlow finds two men conspiring (Part 3) it gives him more insight into how different reality was in comparison to his thoughts of how the world worked. Marlow changes a lot throughout the novel. At first he is very naive and inexperienced, but by the end he becomes very brave and strongly opinionated. Although the book seems to be mostly about the concept of imperialism it was actually something that Marlow had to endure in order for Marlow to grow intellectually. All the things that he saw on the journey to â€Å"civilization†, everything he encountered was a new experience that taught him a life lesson. The novel Heart of Darkness was not solely a book about the Congo and Imperialism. It was about a boy who became a man in the trials and tribulations of the attempt of his Company’s head man to rule a country under his command. By the end of the imperialistic battle, between all the hardships of life at sea, conspiracy against the boss, and the extremely cruel and controversial concept of imperialism, Marlow found his true identity.