Resume a article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Resume a article - Essay Example 83) â€Å"Good Enough† products offer decent quality goods for a rapidly expanding group of value-seeking consumers with mid-level incomes. Any market producer that wishes to enter the Chinese market place must consider the evolving middle class demographic as the battle ground for the future of emerging markets not only in China but across the globe. According to the authors, the Chineses market is divided into three different segments: the premium segment, the low-end segment, and the exponentially expanding middle market or â€Å"Good-Enough† segment. The Chinese middle market has a thirst for gadgets and utility products such as LCD Televisions, DVD Players and MP3 players.(Gadiesh et.al. 2007, p. 83) The Chinese consumer is seeking product function without all the features that can be purchased for a rock bottom price. The key point for start-up companies in the Chinese market is an understanding that the Consumer in these markets is not driven by the products esthetics. Market producers do not need to deliver perfect products to engage the market; they need to deliver good products at a reasonable price. For international companies to establish, sustain or expand their presence in Chineses market, they must focus all efforts on their products’ value. There are three approaches to entering the â€Å"Good –Enough† market which are: attacking from above, burrowing up from below and mergers and acquisitions into the â€Å"Good-Enough† space.(Gadiesh et.al. 2007, p. 83) Burrowing-up is most often over-looked by multi-national corporations. The method is most commonly employed by local market producers who over the course of decades upscale their products from low-end regional products to â€Å"Good-Enough† national brands. Attacking from above is a not so inviting multinational tactic that can sometimes backfire and result in their premium product and market share being cannibalized by their marketing push into the â€Å"Good Enough†

WTO in international trade

WTO in international trade International Business Environment: Topic: Role of World Trade Organization in international business and the argument that whether WTO is helpful or a hindrance to international trade. The World Trade Organization is an intergovernmental organization that assists the nations in regulating trade in manufactured goods, services (including banking, insurance, tourism and telecommunications), intellectual property, textiles and clothing and agricultural products (Richard Schaffer, 1996). The World Trade Organization (WTO) is a replacement for GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade ) as the worlds global trading body in 1995, and the current set of governing rules resulted from the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations, which took place throughout 1986-1994. While WTO is relatively young organization the multilateral trading system was originally set up under GATT about 50 years ago. The GATT preamble (1947) states that trade and economic endeavour should be conducted with a view to raising standards of living, ensuring full employment and a large and steadily growing volume of real income. These basic objectives were reinforced in the Marrakech Agreement, which esta blished the WTO. The WTOs overriding objective is to help trade flow smoothly, freely, fairly and predictably (www.wto.org), its central principle is the dispute settlement mechanism, a system that underscores the rule of law and is based on clearly defined rules and timetables for settling disputes. WTO members agree that they will use the multilateral system to settle their trade disputes instead of taking unilateral action. Reducing the scope for unilateral action is an important guarantee of fair trade for less powerful countries (Yin and McGee, 2001). WTO aims to achieve its goals by, * Administering trade agreements * Acting as a forum for trade negotiations * Settling trade disputes * Reviewing national trade policies * Assisting developing countries in trade policy issues, through technical assistance and training programmes * Cooperating with other international organizations The role of WTO is to facilitate international cooperation to open markets, provide a forum for future trade negotiations between members, and provide a forum for the settlement of trade disputes. The WTO has a stature equal to that of the International Monetary Fund or World Bank and will cooperate with those agencies on economic matters. The WTOs membership includes those countries that previously belonged to GATT and is now open to other countries, if their membership is accepted by two-thirds majority votes of the members. The WTO has 153 members representing 95% of the total world trade and the observers are seeking membership. WTOs operating system is the best in settling disputes. Trade disputes are brought before the WTO at approximately three times the rate that had been handled by the GATT typically all throughout its existence. Recently, the United States has been the greatest proponent of this system. Many cases have been brought by the United States seeking fulfilment wi th trade agreements and market access. The United States has had a good deal of success in this forum, winning majority of its cases. U.S. trade advocates have achieved market access in areas ranging from agriculture to information technologies. In contrast, the WTOs predecessor, the GATT, often disdained as the ‘‘Gentlemans Agreement to Talk and Talk, failed to resolve many disputes and lacked credibility as a mechanism for resolving trade disputes. Parties to a GATT dispute could simply reject and block acceptance of the panel report. The case could be reargued numerous times until the parties tired of it and an agreement was reached. The WTO is built on the GATT principles of open trades which include trade without discrimination, gradual transition through negotiations, predictability through transparency and binding agreements, promotion of fair competition and encouraging development and economic reform. The GATT reduces the propensity of national governments to put tariffs on physical goods to protect domestic companies, and other institutions are furthering this opening process. Thus, the Uruguay trade agreement was reached by 68 countries committing themselves to liberalising markets in telecommunications. The WTO is negotiating for the removal of tariffs on other barriers on wide range of goods and services. It is also seeking a world agreement on rules governing foreign investment both to encourage it and, where thought necessary, to control it. Regional groupings have grown in economic importance in recent years like the EU, NAFTA, ASEAN being examples. An alternative to seeking trade liberalisation through the WTO is for countries to enter into trade agreements within the regional grouping. However, regional trade groupings must be notified to the WTO. Trade agreements within regional groupings are by nature discriminatory. Countries may decide to make reciprocal tariff reductions in their trade with each other, with these concessions not necessarily being extended through other countries. In this context regional groupings can be classified as Free Trade Area, Custom Unions, Common Market, Economic Union and Political Union. It should also be noted that regional groupings are strengthening relations with each other (e.g. ASEAN Latin American) and are signing inter-regional cooperation agreements. Thus, although the WTO has its goal of liberalising trade between all nations, today the majority of trade agreements are bi-l ateral. WTO claims that its predecessor GATT and the WTO itself have helped to create a strong and prosperous trading system contributing to unprecedented growth. According to WTO data, the world trade has experienced an exceptional growth during the past 50 years. Merchandise exports grew on average by 6% annually and total trade in 2000 was 22-times the level of 1950. Nevertheless, while the WTO role in world trade is obviously important, its contribution to world trade growth might be questioned. Particularly there is enormous controversy over the effectiveness and side effects of WTO regulations. Firstly, since the establishment of the WTO in 1995 the average annual number of international trade disputes has raised by more than 700 percent (Yin and McGee, 2001). Secondly, there is growing evidence that WTO has a limited ability to deal with rising conflict with developing economies and offer effective solutions to these disagreements. For example Kwa (2001) and Mattoo Subramanian (2003) provide an extensive discussion of this issue. Finally, Rose (2003) undertook a comprehensive empirical study employing gravity models and came to conclusion that there is no strong empirical evidence that GATT/WTO has systematically played a strong role in encouraging trade. The next section discusses the mentioned above issues in detail. It seems that majority of economists recognize GATTs/WTOs contribution to liberalization and promotion of trade between countries. For instance, Bagwell and Staiger (1999) noted that the central role played by the GATT in shaping postwar trade policy is widely accepted. Krueger (1998) writes: â€Å"†¦the growth and liberalization of the international trading system has been the most prominent success of the postwar period †¦ the great liberalization of tariffs and trade in the post-war period was achieved under the auspices of the GATT †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Furthermore, according to Bagwell and Staiger (1999) GATT has strong theoretical underpinnings for success in promotion of trade. Bagwell and Staiger (1999) employed general equilibrium trade model and came to conclusion that GATTs principle of reciprocity can be viewed as an effective mechanism for promoting trade. One of the underlying principles of WTO policy is agreement that WTO members will use the multilateral system to settle their trade disputes instead of taking unilateral action. Multilateral negotiations reduce the scope for unilateral action, which is an important guarantee of fair trade for less powerful countries. Nevertheless, Bagwell and Staiger (1999) stress that countries can implement efficient trade agreements only if they also abide the principle of non-discrimination. The recent developments show that there is growing number of disputes between the countries; majority of them directly concerned with polices that considered to give advantage to one country at the expense of the others. Yin and McGee (2001) notes that during the 47-year existence of the GATT, there were altogether 236 dispute cases reported to GATT an average of 5 cases per year. In contrast, there were 220 cases filed during the first six years of the WTO seven times the annual average reported to GATT. It is reasonably to expect, that growing number of conflicts will eventually result in decrease of WTO operation efficiency, since it becomes increasingly more difficult to find a solution that meets requirements of all parties. Therefore, the surge in trade disputes raises concerns about the WTOs ability to police world trade and to settle down conflicts. Nevertheless, Yin and Mc Gee (2001) argue that trade volumes, trade imbalances, trade dependence, and tariffs and non-tariff b arriers are the main factors in disputes. In addition, countries with large trade volume, large trade imbalances, high trade dependence, or that have more measures protecting their market are more likely to be embattled in trade disputes than other countries. Consequently, growing conflicts between the countries might be naturally related to increase in trade activities. While USA is accounted to be involved into majority of conflicts, role of the developing countered in WTO becomes increasingly important. According to Mattoo and Subramanian (2004) there are several challenges in accommodating developing countries in WTO. First small countries do not have much to offer to as trading partners; their opportunities to benefit from engagement into WTO the operations are quite limited. Second, the interests of these countries are only imperfectly aligned with liberalization of the multilateral trading system. Since, developing preferential access to the markets of the industrial countries, further liberalization of the trade and reduction of tariffs and barriers does not necessary increase access to these markets. The developing countries disputes are complicated by several factors. First of all, it is very difficult to measure effects the trade policies. Rose (2002) employed over sixty measures of trade policy and has been unable to find convincing evide nce that membership in the multilateral trade system is associated with more liberal trade policy. While he acknowledges that that members of the system usually enjoy slightly more economic freedom using the Heritage Foundations index. Secondly, there is ongoing debate among academics on the effect of free trade on economy growth. Easterly (2002) provides an extensive overview of this topic, he presents theoretical argumentations on both sides of free trade debate. According to Easterly(2002), those opposed to free trade argue that since the price of primary commodities tends to decrease over the long run, countries should put up barriers to manufactured imports and thus stimulate the development of their own industries. Free trade opponents believe in the â€Å"infant industry† argumentation, which stresses that there is a learning curve to developing industry and allowing manufactured imports would decrease chances of domestic industry to compete fairly. Supporters of free trade believe that economies should focus on the specialization of their production. It allows countries to export products, which can produce more efficiently and import other products they are not good at producing. Finally, trade barriers distort prices which lead to inefficient allocation of the resources. While there are several empirical studies that support the link between openness and economic growth, a comprehensive study by Rodriguez and Rodrik (2000) discredits majority of them. Rodriguez and Rodrik (2000) show that â€Å"the indicators of ‘openness used by researchers are poor measures of trade barriers or are highly correlated with other sources of bad economic performance† and often, â€Å"the methods used to ascertain the link between trade policy and growth have serious shortcomings.† Furthermore Rodriguez et al (2000) argued that authors in this literature have used inappropriate indicators of trade policy, the selection of indicators was biased , and therefore the results tent to show statistically significant relationship between trade liberalization and growth. Another controversial argument is historical evidence. Rosenberg (2002) notes that United States, Germany, France, and Japan all became wealthy and powerful nations behind the barriers of protectionism, while South Korea and other East Asian countries successfully used trade barriers to create export industries and built local know-how. Furthermore, Weisbrot, Naiman, and Kim (2000) show that â€Å"eighty-nine countries experienced decrease in per capita rate of growth by at least five percentage points from the period 1960-1980 to the period 1980-2000, the latter period is widely referred as the area of globalization. For example, Dollar and Kraay (2002), argue that globalization which started in 1980 has helped to promote economic equality and reduced poverty. Considering complexity of the problem, it is reasonable to conclude that free trade does not necessary lead to economical growth and countries are not likely to benefit equally from reduction of the trade barriers. Supporters of more liberal world trade argue that it brings access to markets and cheaper goods and services. The growth in trade that follows benefits both consumers and workers by encouraging innovation and investment. Others take much more critical view, pointing out that move towards liberalization through bodies such as WTO is driven by rich countries. They believe the agreements reached serve the interest of multinational businesses and richer economies rather than indigenous producers in local economies. Therefore, further globalization of trade is likely to bring up new conflicts, as the trade volumes grow regulation of disputes becomes increasingly complicated, which is reflected in the collapse of the negotiations in Cancun 2003 and tense negotiations in Hong Kong 2005. Finally, one of the most important questions is whether WTO is actually somehow related to the increase in the world trade. Rose (2003) stressed that GATT/WTO is not associated with substantially enhanced trade, once standard factors have been taken into account. Rose (2003) conclusion is based on analysis of gravity model, which is recognized by many practitioners as a useful tool for analysis of international trade. Rose (2003) give two possible explanations for GATT/WTO failure to promote trade. First is that GATT/WTO has not typically forced most countries to lower trade barriers, especially developing countries that have received â€Å"special and differential treatment. The second reason is that members of the WTO seem to extend most favored nation status unilaterally to countries outside the system, even though they did not have formal rights to do it. At the same time, Rose (2003) acknowledges that his analysis is based on assessment of GATT policies, and since WTO has more wide-reaching framework to resolve disputes about trade in goods, services, and intellectual property its impact on trade will be more substantial. Nevertheless, the recent research on the topic by Subramanian and Wei (2003) brings up new perspective on the subjects, according to their findings Rose (2003) analysis is incomplete and can be misread seriously. This conclusion was based on two grounds first of all Subramanian and Wei (2003) stress that econometric methodology should be refined to incorporate the country fixed effects identified by Anderson and Wincoop (2003). Secondly the non tariff barriers such as quantitative restrictions for the balance of payments should be taken into the account. Subramanian and Wei (2003) conclude that GATT/WTO has done a splendid job of promoting trade; membership in GATT/WTO is associated with 40% increase in imports for industrial countries. Nevertheless it is obvious that developing countries benefited to the far less extend. Developing countries in the context of trade are at the bottom of the value chain. Perhaps an exception being the recent developments in service industries particularly concerning I.T. In general they export low-value, primary products (e.g. metals, agricultural produce), whilst the developed economies trade in high-value products. Although, the WTO promotes the ideal of a level playing field in trade, developing countries make the case that the world trade system is stacked against them. They make the point that GATT barely touched barriers to developed countries markets in textiles and agricultural products, and challenge the WTO on protectionism. Developing countries make up more than 75% of the WTO membership, but the real muscle, as evident in many WTO adjudications, is exerted by the main trading nations/groupings (U.S., E.U., Japan). Discussion made above in context to issues with WTO is of prime importance but there could be few more issues in this context which cannot be neglected. Such as the issue of labor standards is one of the most controversial issues. The WTO is accused of casting blind eye exploitation of labor and of undermining efforts to protect the health and safety of the workers. Human Rights group and International Labor Organization (ILO) are pressing for action in form of multilateral agreements on labor standards. The debate at WTO is whether WTO is the right vehicle for enforcing labor standards, and what effect such action would have on the competitive advantage of labor-intensive industries. The WTO is now in discussions with ILO on enforcing the core labor standards. Another contentious issue for the WTO is that of environmental protection and trade policy. Several high profile cases on import bans for environmental reasons have been lost recently. The view held by many countries is that the WTO is not sufficiently sympathetic to the environmental issues. Those in favor of trade liberalization argue that environmental issues should be dealt with by proper labeling giving consumer the choice. As it follows from the above discussion, GATT/WTO played an important role in the world trade. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to evaluate the contribution of GATT/WTO to promotion of free trade in real numbers. Furthermore, it is important to stress that free trade does not ultimately leads to economical growth or creates value itself. Therefore, WTO attempts to manage highly sensitive issue, since countries are likely to promote free trade when they can somehow benefit from it and negotiate on tariffs and barriers whenever they aim to protect their own markets. Finding the right balance while accommodating WTO members requests becomes increasingly difficult as the number of disputes continues to grow. Therefore, WTO success will largely depend on the ability to offer a flexible framework, which would be able to consider positions of different parties involved into negotiations.

hatchet Essay -- essays research papers

The story The Hatchet is about a boy, Brian Robeson and how he gets stranded in northern Canada when the pilot of the plane he is on has a heart attack. He is left without food, water, and shelter. This is the story about how he survived. His dad lived up near the tundra in Canada. Brian was on his way to see him because his mother had cheated on his father and divorced him, so his father moved away. Brian’s mother didn’t know that Brian knew she had left his father for another man and the secret was killing him. His mother gave him a hatchet before he left to see his father. He then left and got onto the small bush plane. The pilot was going along merrily when he had a heart attack and died right in front of Brian. Brian didn’t know what to do so he sort of steered the plane and kept going. The plane had been turned a bit while the Pilot was having a heart attack so Brian had no idea where he was going. The radio wouldn’t work and he was looking for a lake to land in so he would have a slightly bigger chance of survival. Once he woke up he realized he was on a beach and insects were tearing him up. He had landed in a lake and drug himself up. He was still very tired and hurt from the crash so he just fell back asleep again. Once he woke up we went to the lake and got a drink, he was hungry. All he had to survive was a 20-dollar bill, the clothes on his back, and the hatchet his mother had given him before he left. He found a shelter and some berries. One night while he w...

College vs. High School Essay

Many students, especially those who do not have a family member who has been to college, think college is pretty much like high school, only bigger. But there are some very big differences. Many students who did not do well in high school blossom in college. Much of how college will differ depends on you. To be prepared, it helps you to know what differences lay ahead. Though academic requirements and student life vary depending on the college you attend, there are basic differences that apply in almost every case. One key step to a successful transition from high school to college is to anticipate and be prepared for the differences between the two settings. This is especially true for students with disabilities. In addition to dealing with the same transition issues that all students face, they also have the added challenge of changes in how support services are requested and arranged. In college, students must play a more active role and assume more responsibility. Because you will probably be over 18 years old in college, you will be treated like an adult. This is because you will be an adult. As an adult, you will have to make sure you do what you’re supposed to do, you will be responsible for the way you live, and you will have to meet greater expectations from others. Generally, there are fewer rules and regulations imposed by others in college. You will be expected to make and stick to your own schedule, as well as keep up on all your work. Professors expect you to be in class to learn. And whether or not you learn is your responsibility. Many students, after a brief period of adjustment, will settle into a balanced lifestyle of work and play. Those who don’t usually do not make it through their first year. In college, you will take on more responsibility for your decision, actions, and lifestyle. This is part of being on your own. Professors and administrators will probably not give you a hard time about your clothes, your hair, or your general behavior. But do be prepared to be held accountable for your behavior. There is no one to blame for not waking up on time, not eating properly, or not washing your clothes. People will expect more of you and expect you to develop in your own unique way in college. In high school, you are often expected to behave or perform to a minimum standard. Some people will expect you to go beyond minimal performance in college, so you can grow and develop as a person. You will also begin to realize what a great effect you can have – both positive and negative – on yourself, on others, and on the world around you. This can be both exciting and frightening. In college, you will be free to explore numerous paths and interests that were simply not open to you in high school. There are more foreign languages, arts, and sciences offered in college. Subjects like philosophy and religion are also taught at college but probably not in high school. Some subjects are taught differently in college. In high school, for instance, history may have been mainly names, dates, and places. You had to memorize facts and figures. In college, those facts are not nearly as important as why certain events and actions happened. In college English, less time may be spent on grammar and spelling (it is assumed you have mastered these) and more on writing creatively and criticizing literature. Many classes will be organized differently from the traditional high school lecture class. Some will be big lecture classes followed by small discussion groups. Some professors will have you read books, write papers, and discuss both in class. You may even have the chance to read independently with a professor or design your own research projects. Grading will be different, too. In some classes, you will have nothing but essay tests. In other, your entire grade will be determined by a single large paper or project. You may even have classes in which a group project is the primary grade. High school is a place you go to seven or eight hours a day, less than half the days of the year. Many colleges are set up to be your home – you will eat and sleep there, spend time off there, make new friends there, even do your laundry there. Therefore, chances are good that college will have an even greater effect on you than high school did. In fact, it will be a time in your life like no other.

How John Locke Inspired Maria Montessori Essay

Childhood John Locke was born on August 29, 1632, in Wrington, a village in the English country of Somerset. He was baptized the same day. Soon after his birth, the family moved to the market town of Pensford, about seven miles south of Bristol, where Locke grew up in an old fashioned stone farmhouse . His father was a county lawyer to the Justices of the Peace and his mother was a simple tanners daughter. Both his parents were Puritans and as such, Locke was raised that way. His early life was spent at home in the country, where he was taught by his father; this explains why he favored the tutorial form of education. Early Adulthood In 1647, John Locke enrolled in Westminster School in London where he earned the distinct honor of being named a â€Å"King’s Scholar†, a privilege that went to only select number of boys and paved the way for Locke to attend Christ Church University, in Oxford, perhaps Oxford’s most prestigious school . He studied medicine, which played a central role in his life. After graduating in 1656, he returned to Christ Church two years later and received his Master of Arts. He graduated with a bachelor’s of medicine in 1674. Educational Theory In order to fully understand Locke, it is necessary to realize that his aims and methods were largely determined by the place and time in which he lived, and by the schools in which he attended. John Locke’s theories center around the case that the human mind, at birth is a â€Å"Complete, but receptive, blank slate. † It is the experiences placed upon this blank slate throughout life that determine a child’s characteristics and behaviors. Locke rebelled against the traditional theories of original sin and did not agree that children were born into the world as evil beings but instead believed that things could only be added to a child’s blank slate through experience. John Locke believed that â€Å"The well educating of their children is so much the duty and concern of parents, and the welfare and prosperity of the nation so much depends on it, that I would have everyone lay it seriously to heart. † Locke’s Thoughts concerning Education occupy an important place in the history of educational theory. He believed that â€Å"the minds of children are as easily turned, this way or that, as water itself. † For Locke, â€Å"Educating children, required instructing their minds and molding their natural tendencies. Education develops the understanding, which men universally pay a ready submission to, whether it is well or ill informed† Because children are born without a natural knowledge of virtue, early education greatly shapes their development, where even little and almost insensible impressions on their tender infancies have very important and lasting consequences! † Locke’s method of education is meant to be observed by parents even from the time their child is in the cradle, long before the teaching that comes from books. He encourages parents to watch their children, for through observation, parents can understand their child’s distinctive inclinations. Specifically, they should pay particular attention to their child â€Å"in those seasons of perfect freedom† and â€Å"mark how the child spends his time† Once armed with such information, parents can better know how to motivate their children towards the right and can craft their methods of education accordingly. Above all, Locke believed that children could reason early in life and should be addressed as â€Å"reasoning beings† by their parents and not regarded as â€Å"only a simple plaything, as a simple animal, or a miniature adult who dressed, played and was supposed to act like his elders†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Their ages were unimportant and therefore seldom known. Their education was undifferentiated, either by age, ability or intended occupation. † Locke, on the other hand, thought of children as human beings and proposed the fostering of children’s education in a gradual manner. Locke urged parents to spend time with their children and to plan their children’s education according to their individual characters. He suggested using â€Å"play† as the chief strategy for children to learn rather than rote memorization or punishment. How did John Locke inspire Dr. Maria Montessori? John Locke’s theories on education influenced many educational theorists among those was Dr. Maria Montessori. Locke’s theories inspired and helped her to develop the Montessori philosophy of education, over 100 years ago which is still the basis for how children learn in Montessori programs all over the world. Maria was inspired by Locke’s belief that each Child is a Unique Person? and believed that every child is different and has different skills and needs for development. She believed that if an adult watches and listens carefully, the adult can prepare an environment in which a child can thrive. – Locke’s method of education is meant to be observed by parents even from the time their child is in the cradle, long before the teaching that comes from books. Maria Montessori believed that each child possesses a unique individual pattern that determines much of the child’s personality, temperament, skill and ability. Montessori called this pattern, â€Å"a spiritual embryo†, as it is determined before birth. This pattern, she believed is revealed only during the process of development, so a great importance is placed on the quality of a child’s environment, activities and the freedom to develop. – Locke, â€Å"for through observation, parents can understand their child’s distinctive inclinations. Specifically, they should pay particular attention to their child â€Å"in those seasons of perfect freedom† and â€Å"mark how the child spends his time† Once armed with such information, parents can better know how to motivate their children towards the right and can craft their methods of education accordingly. † ?While John Locke’s referred to a child’s mind being of that of a blank slate, Maria Montessori compared a child’s mind to a sponge that absorbs information. Children will absorb everything they see, hear, taste, smell and touch in order to gain knowledge. Every child has different life experiences, however all Montessori activities can build upon each foundation in an individual way to create memories, problem solving, reasoning, understanding and, of course, absorption. – Locke also claimed that all ideas came from experience and that there were two aspects of experiences – sensation and reflection. Sensation informs us about things and processes in the external world. Reflection refers to a human’s internal sense that informs itself about the operations in its own mind. Maria Montessori’s method focuses on the child’s environment and the teacher who organizes the environment and effectively outlined the six components to a Montessori environment as freedom, structure and order, reality and nature, beauty and atmosphere, the Montessori materials, and the development of community life. ? Maria Montessori set forth her philosophy and method as the way education should be presented to all children. She believed that in a Montessori classroom, children could achieve self-discipline and achieve freedom for their own development. Consequently, she saw her method of education as the way to insure that adults in the future would be thoughtful, independent, clear thinking problem solving individuals who contribute to society in a meaningful way. – Locke believed that education â€Å"made† the man. He felt that the impressions made in infancy have important and lasting consequences. Any association of ideas made in childhood has a critical and life-long effect on a person. Hence, negative association would be damaging for an individual. ) Although John Locke influenced Dr. Montessori greatly, they did not always agree on everything for example. Maria Montessori believed that children are empty vessels and learn by sensory. John Locke’s point of view about children is that teachers play an extremely crucial point in teaching. Because of the â€Å"Tabula Rasa† (empty mind) theory, teachers become the only source of information for the children. He also stated that the teachers â€Å"pour† knowledge into the students. This point of view is exactly opposite to what Maria Montessori believed. John Locke believed that children never play an active role in learning, they are just receivers – traditional school system. Yet, Maria Montessori believed teachers or directresses’ are only helping the students by awakening their potential powers and that children are the active learners, teachers are only the helpers. John Locke believed that â€Å"play† has an important strategy in learning. Maria Montessori never used the term â€Å"play† as we always â€Å"work! References 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Plato. standford. edu/entries/locke) 2. â€Å"John Locke,† The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, ISSN 2161-0002, http://www. iep. utm. edu/locke/, accessed December 27, 2012. 3. http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/locke/ 4. http://www. marxists. org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/en/locke. htm 5. http://oregonstate. edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/locke. html.

5 Ways to Eliminate Deadwood for Direct and Concise Writing

5 Ways to Eliminate Deadwood for Direct and Concise Writing I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil, Truman Capote once said. In other words, what we cut out of our writing is sometimes more important than what we put in. So lets continue to cut the clutter. How do we stop wasting words and get to the point? Here are five more strategies to apply when revising and editing essays, memos, and reports. Use Active Verbs Whenever possible, make the subject of a sentence do something. Wordy: The grant proposals were reviewed by the students.Revised: The students reviewed the grant proposals. Dont Try to Show Off As Leonardo da Vinci observed, Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Dont presume that big words or lengthy phrases will impress your readers: often the simplest word is the best. Wordy: At this moment in time, students who are matriculating through high school should be empowered to participate in the voting process.Revised: High school students should have the right to vote. Cut Empty Phrases Some of the most common phrases mean little, if anything, and should be cut from our writing: all things being equalall things consideredas a matter of factas far as I am concernedat the end of the dayat the present timedue to the fact thatfor all intents and purposesfor the most partfor the purpose ofin a manner of speakingin my opinionin the event ofin the final analysisit seems thatthe point that I am trying to maketype ofwhat I am trying to saywhat I want to make clear Wordy: All things being equal, what I am trying to say is that in my opinion all students should, in the final analysis, have the right to vote for all intents and purposes.Revised: Students should have the right to vote. Avoid Using Noun Forms of Verbs The fancy name for this process is excessive nominalization. Our advice is simple: give verbs a chance. Wordy: The presentation of the arguments by the students was convincing.Revised: The students presented their arguments convincingly. Or . . .The students argued convincingly. Replace Vague Nouns Replace vague nouns (such as area, aspect, case, factor, manner, situation, something, thing, type, and way) with more specific words- or eliminate them altogether. Wordy: After reading several things in the area of psychology-type subjects, I decided to put myself in a situation where I might change my major.Revised: After reading several psychology books, I decided to change my major.

Critically assess the historical sources relating to early Islam. The WritePass Journal

Critically assess the historical sources relating to early Islam. Introduction Critically assess the historical sources relating to early Islam. IntroductionThe Quran from Muslim perspective.The revelation.Quran critical   viewpoint.Language difficulties.Further Argument.Oral transmission.Muhammad Muslim perspectiveFurther commentSomething to reflect on.Bibliography;Related Introduction The Muslims form a nation over thirteen centuries old ,with more than six hundred million people in all parts of the world. The prophet Muhammad was the first citizen of this nation, it`s teacher and guide. In this essay we will attempt to outline and critically access the principle elements of the historical sources relating to early Islam: The Qur’an, Ahadith and the biographies of Muhammad. The Quran from Muslim perspective. The Qur`an is the sacred book of Islam, the word of God and his   final revelation.  Ã‚  Ã‚   To Muslim The Qur`an is the ‘mother of all books. It was revealed to Muhammad for guidance of mankind, He recited the verses, and then they were memorized and written down by others. The original books do not exist, most of them have been lost and only their translation exists today. The Qur`an is written in Arabic ,a language today recognised as a major language. It deals with many affairs in peacetimes and during war. It provides advice in matters like marriage ,divorce, birth and death, property inheritance, buying and selling, trade and commerce, civil and criminal law, in short the Qur`an is a book of complete guidance embracing all different aspects of life. (Fazlur ,1965,p.30) The revelation. According to Muslim tradition during the month of Ramadan,  Ã‚   Muhammad at the age of forty, tended to pray and meditate by himself in a cave on mount Hira outside the city of Mecca,   in year 610 A.D.,  Ã‚   he began to have visions,  Ã‚   and revelation, from God   through the angel Gabriel. Hence, each single word contained in the Quran is divine, free from human influence. Muhammad later preached these messages in Mecca where they were firstly rejected by the pagan worshipers and Muhammad was forced to escape to Medina where the first Muslim community was born. He and his followers later returned to Mecca and converted its inhabitants   to Islam before going on to conquer the entire Arabian peninsula, and further parts of the world . The Qur`an is written in the most perfect written Arabic, and the way in which it has been structured, help the audience’s efforts to recall the message of the text. According to Muslim tradition, the Quranic verses were originally memorized by Muhammads companions . the Qur’an is, for Muslims, the work of God, it has been interpreted in many ways For some, the ‘fundamentalists’ it is literally true For others, such as the Sufis, every verse has an inner and more important meaning. based on Q 2:23 : Muslims see the Quran as unsurpassable and unique â€Å"If you have doubts about the revelation we have sent down to our servant, then produce a single sura like it -enlist whatever supporters you have other than God- if you truly think you can†. and again: â€Å"Say, Even if all mankind and jinn came together to produce something like this Quran, they could not produce anything like it, however much they helped each other† Q 17:88 Quran critical   viewpoint. In recent years   there has   been a tendency on the part of Western scholars to accept what Muslims stated about the origins of the Qur’an. Western scholars and some Muslim scholars, are careful-ling questioning the traditional view of the Qur’an. The historical authenticity of   early texts has been the subject of great debate among scholars and the traditionalists that without any reliable font   that concern these text of early Islamic literature assert   as   complete and authentic works, while critics argue that the Qur’an is lacking in exactness and they doubt its historical reliability and accuracy of the hadith and the biographies of Muhammad, having been recorded so long after the facts. Language difficulties. Ancient Arabic was an early simple language, a mixed Arabic-Syriac language, the traders language of Mecca and it was based on Christian liturgical texts. Professor Luxenberg states that when the final text of the Quran was codified, those working on it did not understand the original sense and meaning of this mixture trading language any more, and they vehemently and casually turned it into classical Arabic.   livius.org/opinion/Luxenberg.htm Written Arabic only had consonants and there were no   defining vowels, Furthermore, when the Quran was codified a script was used in which several consonants shared the same signs. There were 28 consonants but only 17 symbols, which means that Only 17 signs were used to write 28 consonants. Early Islamic linguists, and since the 19th century also western scholars of Islam, have discovered loanwords in the Quran derived from various languages, mainly from Syriac. In the 7th century this was the spoken language of the Middle East, as well as Greek, that was mainly spoken in the Byzantine empire. Mecca, Muhammads home city was a trade settlement and Muhammad himself worked in the caravan trade for years. It is unthinkable that he had no knowledge of Syriac. So it is not surprising that Syriac loanwords are present in the Quran. Further Argument. textual exegesis of the Quran Based on form and in depth text analysis, we also notice an   untiring use of monotheistic similes with and   from Judeo-Christian sources, Mohammad   interpreted the rise of Islam as the development of what was originally a Judeo-Christian group. As this sect evolved and differentiated itself from its Judeo-Christian heritages, the Quran also progressed and was constantly in change for over a century. In trying to trace the sources and development of the religious ideas developed in the Quran recent study have decisively showed that the main external influences (together with the Old Testament resources) can be traced back to Syriac Christianity. It is now well recognized that there were structured Jewish and Christian churches amongst the established communities in the north, the south, and the east of Arabia. The Arab town of Hira on the Euphrates was the base of a Nestorian group which undoubtedly lead some kind of missionary activity in Arabia, and there are many references in old Arabic poetry to hermits living in isolated caves in the wilderness. With an outlook of the close commercial relations between Mecca and the Yemen it would be normal to say that some religious ideas and stories were carried to Mecca with the trading   caravans and there are details of vocabulary in the Quran which lead   to this assumption. Professor   Wansbrough In his book Quranic Studies Sources and Methods of Scriptural Interpretation concluded that the canonization of the text that we today call the Quran, and even the emergence of the concept of   Islam, probably did not occur till the end of the eighth century, more than 150 years after the death of Muhammad. Oral transmission. the Qur’an   was considered of principal importance in relations to safeguarding, and   many Muslims would memorize and learn to recite the Qur’an in its wholeness word by word. Tradition say that Muhammad and his followers could recite the complete Qur’an by heart .(Goldziher,1981,p. 23) For Muslims this would appear sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the veracity and reliability of oral transmission through the century is possible with great accuracy. Muhammad Muslim perspective The prophet Mohammad takes a special place in the life and conscience of Muslims today, just as he did in the past. (Tariq,2007,p.35). His mission was to get people at large to   believe   in One True God (Allah), the Creator of all, and also to show and teach the laws of moral, social, legal, ethical conduct and matters of importance for   humanity in general. Therefore   following Muhammad’s example and teachings   is an integral part of Islam   identity.   (Maxime, 1985, p.73) Mohammad for Muslims, is the ‘perfect person’, the sinless model When Muslims speak his name they will add ‘peace and blessings be upon him’ In Surah 33, of the Quran we find   the following statement: â€Å"Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but is the Messenger of God and the seal of the Prophets†. To the Islam world, this verse has been understood to mean that Muhammad was selected by God as the final prophet because of his qualities he was kind, considerate, wise and just and there will be no more prophets, there will be no new scripture. Hadith and and the biographies of Muhammad.- Critical perspective. The sira and hadith literature   provide further information on Muhammads life. A standard Islamic source that attempts to provide some sort of context to the Qur’an and also where most of the historical information about Muhammad is derived from are the hadith, a collection of authoritative traditions that were handed down orally and are considered to be the words and deeds of the prophet Muhammad and also what the prophet approved . This are short reports or narratives on the sayings and deeds of Muhammad which were collected by Muslims in the ninth and tenth centuries. The most famous was written by Ibn Ishaq, born   in 717 and died in 767   Life of Gods Messenger. This traditions   began to be written down during the reign of Umar But, strangely enough   none of these collections have survived, the work is lost, but was used word for word at great length by Ibn Hisham . The key problem however is, as just stated, there are no existing copies of this work the main source is the redaction of Ibn Hisham (d. 833) which according to scholars   was following his own desire to spread a positive message of Islam and its great prophet,   and so he   removed whatever he thought was inappropriate to the Messenger of God† (Peters, 2009. p. 23) giving   not a true reflection of the Prophet Muhammad’s life. He states at the beginning that he has edited it so as to omit: ‘things which it is disgraceful to discuss; matters which could distress certain people. Things or fact like the one   where Muhammad allowed his followers to raid the Meccan caravans in the month of Rahab   held by Arab tradition to be a sacred month when fighting was strictly forbidden. The Meccans were outraged at this act which was seen as cowardly. Muhammad himself seems at first to have been rather embarrassed by the raid, for he refused to distribute the loot which had been taken. Shortly after, however, another Qur’anic revelation was received to accommodate this matter. Further comment The biographies record at least 70 assassinations prompted by Muhammad against his opponents who disagreed with him. We know about his problems in Mecca, where they were initially rejected by the pagan worshipers and Muhammad was forced to escape to Medina where   the first Muslim community was born.   He and his followers later returned to Mecca where they subdued it’s inhabitants and by strength converted them to Islam before going on to conquer the entire Arabian peninsula, and then further battles and conquest lead to the proliferation of Islam around the world. Something to reflect on. According to the earliest sources Muhammad married at least eleven possibly fourteen   women after the death of Khadija . However or not political reason could be found for most of Muhammad marriages , personal desires definitely played a big part has is made clear by the early accounts of his life. A tradition preserved by   al Bukkhari states that   he satisfied nine of his wives in a single night . Most   people , regard sexual prowess as being incompatible with prophecy. In other accounts is said that Muhammad declared that he loved nothing better than prayer, sweet odours and women. In addition to all It was also was written some 200 years after the Prophet’s death and raises questions over its authenticity as the original source is lost and only fragments remain, leaving historians with the unpopular job of splitting real fact from creative writing. Problem with the Oral Transmission. Cook warns of the danger in accepting oral tradition as a reliable source when he states that if â€Å"the life of Muhammad was transmitted orally for a century before it was reduced to writing, then the chances are that the material will have undergone considerable alteration in the process (Cook, 1983. p.65) Kussas. Pre Islamic Arabs have a long tradition of storytelling Kussas who told tales modelled on the Biblical stories, which were popular at the time, as well as stories from Iran The main aim of the storytellers was the same as that of the tribal poets, the glorification of their tribe   entertaining   people with legendary â€Å"tales of the Prophets† (Peters, 2009. p. 27). This appears to be   rational assumption as the unreliability of oral transmission can be clearly seen in the number of variations in the traditions and furthermore historians do not exclude the possibility   that even the biographies   have very little historical foundation and owe more to the art of elaborated narration. Our Critic tend to view oral tradition with suspicion,   due to the opportunity of corruption and manipulation as there is no way of corroborating this with written evidence at the time of the events.   Non Arabic sources. The first documented Christian awareness of Muhammad is from Byzantine sources. They point out that both Jews and Christians saw Muhammad as a misleading prophet. In the Doctrina Jacobi nuper baptizati of 634, Muhammad is depicted as being devious for do prophets come with sword and chariot?   â€Å"You will discover nothing true from the said prophet except human bloodshed. Contradictory Hadiths. Muslim scholars   were faced with a huge series of traditions many of them clearly contradictory, and voluntarily agreed that there are numerous forged hadiths, however this does not weaken their relevance to Muslims. This muddle among early Muslims led Al Bukari, in an attempt to put an end the proliferation of forged hadiths, to compile an authentic authoritative text in the 9th Century In order to compile an authoritative text Muslim scholar   developed the ‘science of hadith’. Each hadith was accompanied by an isnad a chain of transmitters going back to the companions of the prophet   Muhammad The important questions were: Was transmission feasible? Were the transmitters reliable? The significant problem with this method is that the earliest hadith do not mention the chain of transmitters for its authenticity. Several western scholars and professors most of which are the authors of book indicated in the bibliography of this paper, have been far more critical of Muslim traditions and argue that there are no hadith   which are truly reliable. Most Muslims do not question the stories and are shocked by any who do A few Muslims are beginning to question the Muslim sources. The truth is we have found a lot of discrepancy on how   Islam came into existence. Bibliography; ABDULLAH, YUSUF ALI. 1937. The Holy Quran, Translation and Commentary. Lahore. AFZALUR R., 1992,Islam ideology and the way of life, Published by Seerah foundation, London. COOK, M. 1983. Muhammad. Oxford: Oxford University Press. FAZLUR R.,1965, Islam, Weindenfeld and Nicolson, London. GOLDZIER I, 1981,Introduction to Islamic theology and Law, Princeton University Press, Princeton ,New Jersey. KURSHID A.,1992, Islam its meaning and Message, Published by the Islamic Foundation, Leicester UK. MAXIME R..!985, Mohammed, Published by Pelican Books, Uk. PETERS, F. E. 2009. The Quest: The Historians’ Search for Jesus and Muhammad. Maryland: Recorded Books, LLC. SAYYD   A,1989,Towards understanding Islam, Published by the Islamic Foundation, Leicester UK. SELL, D. D. 1923. The Historical Development of the Qur’an, 4th ed. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent Co. TARIQ R.,2007,In the footstep of the prophet, Oxford university press, New York.    livius.org/opinion/Luxenberg.htmaccessed on 7/03/2011

Best Crucible Act 1 Summary

Best Crucible Act 1 Summary SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The first act of The Crucible sets the stage (literally, heh) for the disturbing sequence of events that will unfold in Acts 2, 3, and 4. Most of the major characters are introduced, and there are critical insights into various political and personal conflicts that threaten to disrupt the social order in the town of Salem. We also learn how the witchcraft craze got started and why it spiraled out of control. This article will go over the very important sequence of events and their thematic relevance so you can answer all the questions your English teacher throws at you. I'll provide both a short summary and a long summary. The short summary is just the bare bones of what happened without getting into too much detail about conversations that are less relevant to the central plot. It's more of a review to read after you've already gone through the play yourself. The long summary, which I'm choosing to call the "oops, I didn't read it" summary, is more in-depth. It goes through everything that occurs in Act 1 without getting too far into the weeds. Despite the title of the second summary, I urge you to actually read the play so you have a stronger understanding of the voices of the characters and the thematic points Miller is trying to make. Also, if you don't read it you'll miss out on some amazing stage directions that can be easily misinterpreted as giggle-worthy euphemisms if you're as immature as me and my fellow blog writers. The CrucibleAct 1 Summary - Short Version Ten-year-old Betty Parris has contracted a mysterious illness that renders her mute and bedridden. Her father, Reverend Samuel Parris, caught her dancing in the woods the night before with a group of girls. The group included his teenage niece, Abigail Williams, and his slave, Tituba. Rumors have spread around town that witchcraft is the cause of Betty’s illness, and people are now gathered at the Parris household. Parris questions Abigail about the rumors, but she claims the girls were just dancing. Ann Putnam says that her daughter, Ruth, who was with the group in the woods, is also afflicted with a strange illness. All of Ann’s children except Ruth have died as infants. Ann sent Ruth to Tituba in hopes that she would be able to communicate with her siblings and find out who or what was responsible for their deaths. To her uncle's dismay, Abigail admits that Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits in the woods. Abigail and two girls named Mercy Lewis and Mary Warren, who were also in the woods, are left alone with Betty. They try to wake her up as they get their story straight. Betty blurts out that Abigail drank chicken blood in an attempt to cast a spell that would kill Elizabeth Proctor, and Abigail warns her to keep quiet (or else). John Proctor enters the room, and Mercy and Mary leave Abigail alone with him. John and Abigail had an affair when Abigail worked as a servant in his house, and Abigail wants it to continue. John insists that he has recommitted himself to his wife, Elizabeth. Betty whimpers when she hears the Lord’s name in a psalm that people are singing outside the room. Everyone who is singing outside the room rushes in to check on her. Betty's distress is taken as additional evidence of witchcraft by Ann Putnam, and some of the others start to come around to this theory as well. An intellectual church leader named Reverend Hale arrives from the town of Beverly to investigate the situation and see if he can detect any signs of witchcraft. Abigail confesses that Tituba called the Devil after more details about the previous night are revealed. Tituba isn’t allowed to tell her side of the story (that Abigail was actually the instigator), and when she is threatened with hanging she confesses that she’s been forced to work for the Devil. She also names Sarah Good and Sarah Osburn as fellow witches after prompting by Parris and Hale. Abigail and Betty then admit their unwilling involvement in witchcraft and shout out the names of several other womenwho they claim to have seen with the Devil. I want YOU to join my plot to totally mess with a super lame town in Massachusetts. The CrucibleAct 1 Summary - â€Å"Oops I Didn’t Read It† Version Act 1 opens on a bedroom in Reverend Samuel Parris’ house in the spring of 1692.Parris’ daughter, 10-year-old Betty, is in a deep sleep as a result of an unknown illness, and Parris is kneeling in prayer next to her bed.A woman named Tituba is introduced as the Parris family's middle-aged slave from Barbados; she tries to check on Betty, but she is immediately ordered out of the room by Reverend Parris. Abigail Williams, Parris’ 17-year-old niece, enters the room.She tells him that Susanna Walcott is there with a message from the doctor.Susanna is a teenager a little younger than Abigail.She says that the doctor can't find anything physically wrong with Betty, and they should start to consider supernatural forces as a potential culprit.Parris is very concerned about damage to his reputation if witchcraft is discovered in his house. He urges Susanna to tell the doctor to continue looking for medical reasons for Betty’s condition. However, he has also summoned Reverend Hale from the neighboring town of Beverly to quietly investigate whether there is any truth to this supernatural hypothesis. Susanna leaves, and Abigail and Parris are alone with Betty.Abigail reveals that the rumor of witchcraft has already spread around town, and many people are gathered in the parlor of the house.Parris is reluctant to discredit these rumors because he fears they may be true.The previous night, he saw Abigail and Betty dancing in the forest with Tituba. He also saw a dress on the ground and a girl running naked through the woods. Abigail says that they were just dancing, but Parris knows that she’s not telling the whole truth.Parris demands to know whether witchcraft was involved. He thinks that his reputation is shaky in town and that there’s a group of people who would like to oust him from his position of power.He doesn’t want one of his enemies to find out what really happened before he does and use it against him.Abigail continues to insist that the girls were just dancing. Parris still doesn’t trust her, and he brings up another suspicious scenario.Abigail was dismissed from the household service of a man named John Proctor without explanation, and Proctor’s wife Elizabeth seems to strongly dislike her.Abigail says Elizabeth is just a big ol’ meany and she didn’t do anything to deserve this. At this point in the conversation, a tormented middle-aged woman named Ann Putnam enters the room along with her husband, Thomas Putnam.Ann’s only daughter, Ruth Putnam, is acting catatonic, and Ann thinks Betty is afflicted with the same apparently supernatural illness.Ann is a firm believer in witchcraft because seven of her babies have died in infancy, leaving her with only one living child. She sees no possible explanation for this that is not supernatural in nature. The Putnams are glad that Parris has summoned Reverend Hale to investigate the situation because Hale supposedly caught a witch in Beverley recently. Parris is still trying to shut down the witchcraft conversation because of the damage it might do to his reputation.Ann reveals to Parris that she actually sent Ruth to consult with Tituba the night before because Tituba can communicate with the dead.Ann wanted Ruth to talk to her dead siblings and find out who killed them.The Putnams say they are convinced that a baby-killing witch is running rampant.Abigail realizes that she can’t hide the truth completely now that Ann has revealed that she sent Ruth to Tituba to try and communicate with the dead.Abigail admits that Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits.Parris is convinced his livelihood is ruined now that someone who lives under his roof has been revealed to be a witch. ThomasPutnam tells Parris he should get ahead of the situation and make the witchcraft accusations himself so no one can accuse him first. A girl named Mercy Lewis, who is Putnam’s servant, arrives to check on how Betty is doing, and the Putnams and Parris leave so that Parris can lead everyone in a psalm.Abigail and Mercy are left alone, and they try to rouse Betty to no avail.The two girls decide their official story will be that they were just dancing, and there was no magic involved. Then, another teenage girl named Mary Warren enters the room.She was also with them in the forest the previous night, and she is convinced they must confess to what they’ve done because of the rumors swirling around. Suddenly, Betty gets a burst of energy.She reveals that Abby drank chicken blood in the forest in an attempt to cast a spell to kill Elizabeth Proctor.Abigail slaps her and tells everyone that they had better stay quiet about the details of what really happened. Abigail says that she's seen some stuff (i.e. her parents were murdered by Native Americans right in front of her), so she has no qualms about resorting to violence to force them to keep her secret. John Proctor, a farmer, then enters the room.He yells at Mary Warren, who is his servant, for leaving his house when he forbid her from doing so.Mary and Mercy both leave, and Abigail and John are left alone. Abigail and John had an affair that was discovered by his wife, which was the reason for her dismissal from their household. Abigail is still in love with Proctor, but he wants to distance himself from her and recommit to Elizabeth.Abigail is angry and frustrated that he won’t return her advances.She insults his wife and continues to insist that he still loves her. Their attention is diverted because Betty starts whimpering after the words â€Å"going up to Jesus† are uttered in the psalm people are singing in the other room. ReverendParris, the Putnams, and Mercy Lewis all rush in to check on her.Ann Putnam is convinced that they upset Betty by saying the Lord’s name and that her reaction clearly means that she is bewitched with black magic. Rebecca Nurse, and old and highly respected woman in Salem, enters the room along with an old man named Giles Corey.Rebecca stands calmly next to the bed,and Betty quiets down.Everyone is impressed with this, and the Putnams ask if Rebecca can also help Ruth, but Rebecca doesn't think there's anything supernatural going on. Betty is just acting up as kids are prone to do. John Proctor questions Reverend Parris on his decision to summon Reverend Hale. This action seems to imply that Parris believes witchcraft could be the source of Betty’s illness.Rebecca suggests that they should rely on the doctor and avoiding bringing Reverend Hale into the situation because it will cause unnecessary conflict.Thomas Putnam takes issue with this, and he tells Parris that when Reverend Hale arrives they must look for signs of witchcraft. Proctor says Putnam can’t tell Parris what to do just because Putnam owns a lot of land in the town.Putnam fires back that he hasn’t seen Proctor in church recently, so he clearly doesn’t care that much about upholding the integrity of their society.Proctor claims he doesn’t go to church because all Parris talks about is Hell.Parris says that a lot of people in Salem need to hear more about Hell because he hasn’t been properly compensated for his job based on his qualifications.He then implies that Proctor is the leader of a faction against him in the church.Proctor is unaware of the existence of this faction, but he says he would gladly join it because he’s fed up with Parris’ superiority complex. He expects Giles Corey to be on his side, but Giles unexpectedly suports Parris because he thinks there may be something to the witchcraft hypothesis.Giles has been in court six times that year for various lawsuits. He says that everyone has been suing each otherleft and right, so there must be some sort of dark magic going on behind the scenes.Proctor points out that Giles is the cause of many of these suits because he is always suing people for defamation for no reason. Proctor and Putnam argue briefly about who owns a certain tract of land near the woods where Proctor plans on gathering lumber.It turns out that there is a lot of ambiguity in Salem over who owns which tracts of land because in his will Putnam’s grandfather claimed land that he didn’t actually own. Reverend Hale enters the room with a stack of academic books.He speaks briefly with everyone, and it’s clear that he’s well-respected. Hale views the investigation of witchcraft as serious scientific inquiry.He makes everyone agree not to push the issue if he doesn’t find anything pointing to the Devil’s work.He brought the books because they explain all the different forms the Devil can take. With this information on hand, he's sure that he can find out whether Betty's illness is linked to the work of Satan. Rebecca Nurse is skeptical of the whole situation, and she leaves the room before Hale begins his investigation.Giles tries to consult Hale about his wife, Martha, who he says has been reading strange books.He is worried that this might signify something sinister because he was unable to say his prayers while she was reading.Hale is somewhat intrigued and says they can discuss the issue later. Hale addresses Betty, asking her if someone is bewitching her. Betty does not respond to his questions at first.Abigail is pressed with more questions about what exactly was going on in the woods.Parris says that when he came upon the girls, he saw that they had a kettle with a frog in it.Faced with this damning evidence of black magic, Abigail admits that Tituba called the Devil.Tituba is dragged into the room to face these charges.Immediately, Abigail places all the blame on her, claiming that Tituba made her drink chicken blood from the kettle.Tituba protests that Abigail was the one who instigated the meeting in the woods, but she is drowned out by further accusations from Abigail.Parris and Hale also talk over her attempts to explain herself. Parris says Tituba must confess to what she’s done or he will whip her to death, and Putnam says she must be hung.Tituba is terrified, so she breaks down and says the Devil forced her to work for him.She claims someone else is bewitching Betty because she’s seen other people with the Devil.Putnam, Parris, and Hale encourage her to tell them who she has seen (and plant the names of Goody Good and Goody Osburn in her mind as potential witches).They claim that after renouncing her allegiance to the Devil, she is now God’s instrument in the village sent to help them uncover the full extent of his Satanic plot. Tituba says the Devil told her to kill Reverend Parris, and he promised her a better life if she worked for him.She claims that she saw Goody Good (Sarah Good) and Goody Osburn (Sarah Osburn) with the Devil.Goody Osburn was Ann Putnam’s midwife three times, so this accusation confirms the Putnams' suspicions that witchcraft was involved in the deaths of their babies.Abigail soon chimes in with her own hysterical set of confessions, claiming thatshe saw the Devil and wrote in his book.Abigail adds more people to the list of the accused.Betty suddenly wakes up and joins her in shouting out additional accusations.Hale and Parris rejoice at Betty's apparent miraculous recovery.Putnam summons the marshal so that they can arrest the witches and bring them to justice. The Devil apparently has some kind of special friendship book that he makes people sign when they join his crew. Adorable. The CrucibleAct 1 Quotes In this section, I'll go over a few quotes that I think are important in establishing the themes and characterizations that emerge in Act 1. â€Å"I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character.† (Reverend Parris pg. ) This quote shows the gravity with which Parris views his position in the town and the degree of authority he thinks should accompany it.He’s less focused on spreading the word of God than on exploiting his position as a religious authority so he can gain greater power in the community. Now his reputation may be ruined, which means he’ll be back to square one and have to rebuild the control he has worked so hard to acquire. â€Å"My name is good in the village! I will not have it said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!† (Abigail Williams pg. 12) The value of a person's name is a recurring topic in The Crucible. Reputation is hugely important to these characters because it’s inextricably linked to respect and power in a highly interdependent community. Here Abigail shifts the focus away from her own reputation by trashing the reputation of Goody Proctor.If she can convince people that Goody Proctor is not to be trusted, the rumors about her own sins will lose credibility. â€Å"Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!† (Abigail Williams pg. 19) Abigail threatens the other girls with violence if they dare tell anyone that she tried to kill Goody Proctor with black magic. This quote tells us that Abigail has experienced severe emotional trauma in the past that almost certainly affects her current mental state.It also gives us a taste of how far she’s willing to go to achieve her desired outcome and/or exact revenge. â€Å"I look for John Proctor who took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew what lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes?† (Abigail Williams pg. 22) Abigail pleads with John Proctor to continue their affair, which she feels has enlightened her to the hypocrisy that permeates Salem’s culture.She can’t go back to her ignorant state after she’s already seen the light, and the affair is the only outlet available to her to feel special and different within a community where she has little power or outlets for honest expression.After John's rejection, her angst will find another, even more destructive path to follow. â€Å"There are wheels within wheels in the village, and fires within fires!† (Ann Putnam pg. 26) Ann Putnam says this because she’s convinced that there are supernatural Satanic forces conspiring against her that have led to her family misfortunes.However, this quote has a much broader secular meaning that applies to the events in the play overall.There are all kinds of underlying motivations that trigger accusations of witchcraft in Salem.Petty vengeance, greed, and jealousy are festering beneath the surface of an outwardly respectable community, and they’re about to find their release. â€Å"We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stone, and I must tell you all that I shall not proceed unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of Hell upon her.† (Reverend Hale pg. 35) From our modern viewpoint, this quote is a very strong example of irony. Bysearching for marks of the Devil’s presence in the first place, Hale has already subscribed to superstition.People are also condemned throughout the rest of the play for involvement with the Devil when there’s absolutely no hard evidence besides the word of one other person.Hale's adherence to scientific principles will give him just enough insight to see the injustices that have been committed in Salem after it's too late for him to turn back the tide of hysteria. I'm not sure what Hale expected to find. A pentagram ankle tattoo? A little souvenir pitchfork? A button that says "Satan 4 Prez"? Eh, I guess there are a lot of possibilities. The CrucibleAct 1 Thematic Analysis Let's go over some of the play's key themes and how they relate to the first act. Irony Irony and hypocrisy are recurring concepts in The Crucible. There are several exchanges in Act 1 that are rife with irony. Abigail claims that John Proctor opened her eyes to the pretenses of Salem (pg. 22). She realized all the lies she’d been told by people who supposedly adhered to the conventions of respectable society.However, in distress from Proctor’s refusal to acknowledge their relationship, Abigail creates her own lies that give her increased control over the society she resents.By putting on a false front to advance her status and get what she wants, she becomes just like the hypocrites she claims to despise. The most prominent example of dramatic irony in this act is the quote from Hale (pg. 35) that was explained in the last section. Hale claims that they must avoid superstition and hasty conclusions in their investigation of Betty’s affliction. We, the modern audience, know that searching for "the Devil's marks" as the potential cause of an ailment is an inherently superstitious practice. Hale, however, is convinced that a scientific inquiry based only on facts and reality can be conducted to detect a supernatural presence. Hysteria In Act 1 it becomes clear how mass hysteria can evolve out of desires for self-preservation. When Abigail admits that Ruth and Tituba were conjuring spirits, Thomas Putnam urges Parris to go on the offensive immediately with this information. If he makes his own accusations of witchcraft, he will prevent others from accusing him first and putting his credibility at stake. As rumors of witchcraft spread, this fear-driven philosophy will be universally adopted, leading to more and more accusations and an environment of paranoia. The speed at which rumors morph into accepted truths is too rapid for a few rational voices to contain them. Although Parris only calls Reverend Hale to examine Betty as a precaution, people assume that Hale’s involvement means there must be a supernatural element to her illness.Even as Parris tries to avoid supernatural explanations to protect his reputation, he is quickly caught up in the misplaced interpretations of others and forced to adopt them as his own so that he isn't gobbledup by the hysteria monster. It becomes abundantly clear that people see only what they want to see (i.e. whatever keeps them in the good graces of society) in situations that don't appear to have easy rational explanations. Ann Putnam, for example, will seize at any opportunity to blame supernatural forces for the deaths of her children.Extreme conclusions like Ann's "a witch murdered my babies with black magic" are accepted because rational people are too afraid to challenge this consensus and risk bringing accusations upon themselves. Reputation Reverend Parris' concerns about his reputation take center stage, so to speak, in Act 1. Parris initially insists that there are â€Å"no unnatural causes† for Betty’s illness, not because he’s devoted to science and rationality, but because he fears that he will be disgraced if witchcraft is discovered under his roof.He interrogates Abigail because he’s worried his enemies will learn the full story first and use it to discredit him. Once he gets confirmation from Abigail that some witchy business happened in the woods, he is quick to position himself on the side of the accusers and threaten violence on Tituba if she doesn't confess (pg. 42). He has no central belief system beyond a desire to do what makes him look best in the eyes of the majority. Abigail is also concerned about her reputation. She is enraged when Parris insinuates that there was something untoward about her dismissal from the Proctors’ service.She insists that she has done nothing wrong and tries to discredit Elizabeth Proctor to divert attention away from her own actions. "My name is good in the village! I will not have it said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!" (pg. 12). These actions and reactions in Act 1 establish the importance that characters place on maintaining respect for their names. A poor reputation can severely affect a person’s position in this small, interdependent society, whether the assumptions or rumors swirling around are true or not. Power and Authority The church has a great deal of power in Salem, and therefore much of the authority we see exercised in the play is associated with religion. Reverend Parris is currently in a position of power as the town's spiritual leader. However, he is convinced there is a faction in town that is determined to unseat him, and he will say and do whatever it takes to retain control.He demands unconditional respect for his authority as God’s instrument in the community. From his point of view,"There is either obedience or the church will burn like Hell is burning!" (pg. 28) Abigail, on the other hand, struggles to claim greater agency outside of traditional means. Her dominant personality doesn't fit with her low status in society as a young woman with no family. Initially, she sees a path to higher standing in society through becoming John Proctor’s wife. When he rejects her, she takes another route to power through accusations that exploit the fears of others to a point where even the most respected people in town are afraid to challenge her. The power structure in Salem is also responsible for the blame heaped on Tituba and the misinterpretations that follow.Tituba has the least authority out of anyone, so it’s easy for Abigail to use her as a scapegoat. IfTituba was permitted to explain what really happened, the tragic events of the rest of the play might have been prevented. However, she is only given a voice when she agrees to corroborate the version of events that the people in traditional positions of authority believe to be accurate.She becomes, according to Hale, "God's instrument put in our hands to discover the Devil's agents among us" (pg. 44) after she renounces her presumed allegiance to the Devil and accepts her role as a pawn to be used by those with greater power. As has been the case throughout history in both fiction and reality, the desire for power ends up costing way too many innocent people their lives. The Crucible Act 1 Summary:Conclusion In Act 1 of The Crucible, the roots of the witch hysteria are established, and we learn critical background information about many of the characters. Let's do a super short bullet point recap of the important plot points: The play is set in the town of Salem, MA, and the year is 1692. Betty Parris, a young girl, is sick, but no one can figure out why. Rumors spread around town that she's been bewitched. Betty's dad is Reverend Parris, the new-ish church leader in Salem, who is paranoid about his reputation amongst the townspeople. Abigail Williams, Reverend Parris' teenage niece and Betty's cousin, is questioned by Parris about the cause of Betty's illness. He knows that Abigail, Betty, and Parris' slave, Tituba, were dancing in the woods the night before and perhaps conducting some kind of ritual. Abigail claims there was no witchcraft involved. Abigail had an affair with a farmer named John Proctor while serving in his house, and she's still into him, but he wants to forget it ever happened. Betty says that Abigail tried to put a curse on John's wife, Elizabeth Proctor, in order to kill her and take her place, but no one else knows about this, and Abigail warns her to keep quiet. Reverend Hale, the church leader from the town of Beverley, is summoned to examine Betty because he's an expert on witchcraft. Tituba is accused of calling the Devil in the woods based on Abigail's testimony, and she confesses under pressure from Hale. Tituba names Goody Good and Goody Osburn as fellow witches after their names are suggested. Abigail plays the victim and accuses more women of witchcraft. Betty wakes up and makes accusations of her own, following Abigail's lead. In Act 2, you can look forward to learning more about the state of the Proctors' marriage and just how crazy things have gotten in Salem in the weeks after the initial accusations. Also, John Proctor throws a few more tantrums borne of emotional immaturity, so get PUMPED. What's Next? If you want a complete summary of the whole play rather than just one act, we've got you covered. Check out our holistic summary article to review what happens from start to finish. Looking for some in-depth analysis of characters in The Crucible? Read our complete assessments of John Proctor, Abigail Williams, Rebecca Nurse, Giles Corey, and Mary Warren. If you want some advice on understanding the ideas behind the play so you can write a killer essay or ace your next test, read our guide to the most important themes in The Crucible. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

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