Controversial Subject Rebuttal Essay Example for Free

Controversial Subject Rebuttal Essay On August 29, 2005, the Gulf Coast was struck with one of the most unforgettable natural disasters in American History. The effects of Hurricane Katrina have been shattering and long-lasting. However, could the question been plausibly raised whether or not to rebuild New Orleans? Evidently it was. Lance Winslow, freelance writer, from California did just that in an article titled: Why did God Destroy New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina? Winslow states â€Å"Many people believe that God was real angry at mankind and got a wild hair up his butt and sent Hurricane Katrina into the Gulf Shore and New Orleans to teach people a lesson†¦and if it was a lesson did the little human learn anything? It appears they did not. Humans in their ultimate defiance are rebuilding the city under sea level as before† (Winslow, n. d. ). Winslow included no resources or data to back his opinion. There can be no reliability or credibility attached to this article; however; for those who have been victims of Hurricane Katrina these words create an emotional anger, which is verbally indescribable. Loss of personal possessions are only one aspect of devastation, but the loss of homestead, life as it once was, people and places, which once represented home, and the cultures that make each person a unique individual are characteristics that can never be replaced. History and People of New Orleans Historically the people who inhabited early New Orleans came from many groups including Native American, French, African, and Caribbean islands. No group was dominant in the early days and there was a mixing of the cultures. From this mixing came a unique culture that influenced food, music, architecture, and language. New Orleans became one of Americas’ most unique cities with its multicultural influence and it joie de vivre (joy of life) attitude (A Brief History of New Orleans, n. d. ). The Act of God In the Acts of God department: the catastrophe in New Orleans is the result of human error, not divine malice. Hurricane Katrina’s winds and rain were naturally disastrous, there is no question. However, the massive and catastrophic destruction that affected this beloved city was a result of flooding that occurred because of the failure of the levees. The primary responsibility for that tragic turn of events, and for fixing it, lies directly with the U. S.  Army Corps of Engineers, who have admitted as much (Piazza, 2006) . Anyone that asks the question should New Orleans be rebuilt needs to consider, what happens to the people in San Francisco when it gets destroyed again by an earthquake? Should the government tell them, Sorry, you should have not built on a fault line. What will be done when Los Angeles is ravaged by wildfires and mudslides? How should the government proceed in helping other citizen’s homeland or any other national treasure? Economic Reasons Those who argue the question whether to rebuild New Orleans also fail to consider the costs associated with abandoning New Orleans. The country would suffer economically with its abandonment: more than 500 million tons of cargo comes through the port of New Orleans each year, and 13% of the imported petroleum enters the United States through the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (Villere, n. d. ). Certainly anyone who relies on the import and export of grain, textiles, hard or dry goods of any sort, electronics, and automobiles, which is to say anyone in the United States, depends on the health of New Orleans as a port. Anyone who uses petroleum products should recognize the importance of New Orleans and Louisiana in general to supply oil. It would be amiss to forget to mention that the Gulf Coast is second only to Alaska as a source of seafood (Piazza, 2006). For those who have taken this attitude, it sounds as if they are just writing off the United part of the United States. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, â€Å"We must all hang together or we will certainly hang separately. † President George W. Bush on September 16, 2005, while standing in Jackson Square, in the heart of the French Quarter, stated â€Å"All who question the future of the Crescent City need to know: There is no way to imagine America without New Orleans and this great city will rise again† (Taipei Times, 2005) .

The Art In Cinema Film Studies Essay

The Art In Cinema Film Studies Essay Film is considered to be an important art form, a source of popular entertainment and a powerful method for educating   or indoctrinating   citizens. Film may be combined with performance art and still be considered or referred to as a film, for instance, when there is a live musical accompaniment to a silent film. The act of making a film can, in and of itself, be considered a work of art, on a different level from the film itself.. A road movie can refer to a film put together from footage from a long road trip or vacation. Intuitively, some films qualify as artworks and others do not. All film is art, though some of it is better art or higher art. This, it turns out, is not just a question for those with a special interest in film. It has interest for aesthetic value more broadly, because film can serve as a test case for definitions of art. Some theories of art seem too restrictive, because they prevent us from classifying certain films that are aesthetic masterpieces into th e category of art. The intentions of the creators in attaining status as art. Sometimes, however, creators do not conceive of their creations as primarily belonging to the class of artworks, but viewers come to recognize that they can be fruitfully regarded in this way. This is not to say that a work becomes art when its taken up by a art-consuming audience. A theory of that kind would face the difficulty of saying which audiences had the power of conferring art status. Moreover, audiences do not transform works into art, rather they discover that a works deserves to be regarded in that way. If this intuition is right, the key to understanding what makes a film count as art is what goes on in this discovery process. India is well known for its commercial cinema, better known as Bollywood. Almost every Indian is well versed with onscreen running around the trees singing songs, the fight sequences, twins meeting each other pachchees saal baad, topped with some dose of mush and lots and lots of spice. However there are other types of movies which focus purely on story- minus the masala. This genre is sometimes referred as Pheeka or Bina namak mirch wala (bland) kind of cinema. In addition to commercial cinema, there is also Indian art cinema, known to film critics as New Indian Cinema or sometimes the Indian New Wave. A true admirers of cinema and people who consider movie-making as an art call it the Offbeat or The Art House Cinema. Many people in India plainly call such films as art films as opposed to mainstream commercial cinema. From the 1960s through the 1980s, the art film or the parallel cinema was usually government-aided cinema. Such directors could get federal or state government grants to produce non-commercial films on Indian themes. Their films were showcased at state film festivals and on the government-run TV. These films also had limited runs in art house theatres in India and overseas. The Indian Art Cinema or the New Wave sometimes called has had a humble beginning. This genre doesnt boast of foreign locales, hopelessly expensive clothes or the big star cast. The sole strength of these kind of films is the story. The Indian Art Cinema has beautifully transformed and re-invented itself. From socially relevant topics of Child Marriage, Dowry, Female Foeticide, Widow Re-marriage to a simple love story. The Art film-makers have done it all. Its amazing to see how some of the very talented film-makers have gifted their audiences with some of their magnificent work. There is Shekhar Kapoor who beautifully told the story of a man struggling to make his illegitimate son a part of his family (Masoom) and we got one of the all time masala entertainers Mr India from the same director. The person who gave us Zubeida, Ankur and Manthan came up with something as entertaining as Welcome to Sajjanpur and the very recent Well Done Abba. The Gen-X today are more intelligent and open to a wide variety of topics. At the end of the day the purpose of the film and the audience should be served. The audience wants a good story and a really good way of putting it and thats what the film makers are supposed to do. Yes masala flicks are welcome but too much of masala can cause acidity! A good mixture of masala movies and intelligent cinema is what the audience wants. Brainless comedies work, but again not always. In this new context of art-house appeal to the mainstream, of limited box-office appeal is striking, if not, perhaps, inaccurate. On the other hand, general conceptions of art house have come to describe films simply on the basis of their production outside the Bollywood system, regardless of their status as conventional dramas or slightly offbeat comedies. Surely a film with a 30-crore budget, Bollywood stars, and wide release does not fit the standard art-house profile. And yet a documentary about global warming w ith art house written all over it-complete with its charisma-challenged star, Al Gore-enjoyed sold-out screenings at huge multiplex theaters across the globe. From the very inception of this genre, there has been a difference between art and commercial cinema. However with changing times this gap has been bridged. The themes of art movies have witnessed a change. The earlier trends in Indian Art movies were more specifically related to the Indian audience, while the recent incline is towards the global concept. Quite ideally therefore the Indian Art cinema has gradually emerged itself as a reflections of the happenings in the society. Now many of these Art Movies or small films are grossing major profits and competing for space at the big multiplexes as well as finding their audiences at the small cinemas devoted to specialty fare. What will be ideal is an exclusive chain national art house cinema multiplexes to mark the new era of these specialized cinema. The audiences today look out for good films rather than the serious or popular films. Hence once a while a multi-starrer movie bombs and a small budget movie like Aamir is much appreciated by the cine goers. The need for better subjects, the desire to watch something more feasible on the screen and the boredom that has set in with the regular candy floss cinema are some of the reasons for this apparent change. If this trend continues then the day is no far when there will be no commercial cinema or art cinema, but just good cinema and bad cinema. India is full of art and that is depicted in Indian movies. But a commercial or non commercial movie, both need art. Commercial movies need art in form of background, sets, getting a shot right. Both have got distinct way of describing art through movies. There are a number of genres and styles of Indian cinema that a viewer encounters, such as, romantic comedies, gangster films, horror films, westerns, melodramas, musicals and historical films. While some of these genres are present in Indian cinema, often as a consequence of the impact of the western films, the Indian filmmakers have also created some styles of their own, that are acknowledged as their own. This is clearly discernible in the popular tradition of filmmaking in India. The knowledge of Indian cinema provides an entry into the thought-worlds and performance-worlds to the people interested in this art. Many Indian film directors, right from the pioneers such as Dadasaheb Phalke to the modern ones like Yash Chopra, have deployed their creativity along with traditional forms of dance mime, folk classical music to enhance the communicated experience. Indian popular cinema has evolved into a distinctively Indian mode of entertainment by imaginatively amalgamating music dances also and the works of veteran directors like V.Shantaram. Guru Dutt and Raj Kapoor bear a testimony to this fact. So, through Indian cinema one can also enter the larger world of Indian aesthetics. Film makers like Ketan Mehta has made a movie on the life of 19th century painter Raja Ravi Varma named it as Rang Rasiya. Its a very artistic movie showing us the reality of the society in the 19th century. He had also directed Mangal pande which was againg very artistic from the sets to costume everything gave you the feel on the 18th century. Aushitosh Gowarikars Jodha Akbar is another epic story in which art played a very important role. To add on the list is devdas Sanjay Leela Bhansali did a brilliant job with art direction. Indian cinema has presented a detailed version of India from its different historical movies to its present scenario movies. The distinct genres of films depicted by the different filmmakers have helped in the study of India from a different and distinct angle of vision. Thus, one cannot help but realize the fact that indeed it has been the old traditions and the cultures that have actually framed the Indian cinema, which have been an encouragement to uplift India and make it one of the renowned countries in the world. By seeing the cultures and traditions of the distinct societies, people can examine their own country`s culture with fresh eyes and with a special vision and approach.

Differentiation in the Marketing of Fashion Clothes

Differentiation in the Marketing of Fashion Clothes Consider current practices of differentiation in the marketing of fashion clothes Report on: a) The current situation in the UK and regional markets (market segments, key players, sales practices, trends, opportunities and threats) The UK clothing market is essentially mature, following changes in the profile of the UK retail market for clothing during the 1990s. There was a major shift away from traditional sources of purchasing, such as department stores, clothing independents and variety stores, in favour of discounters, supermarkets and sports outlets. This reflects the ‘casualisation’ of the UK and the downward pressure of cheaper, imported products on retail price levels. Shopping for clothing and footwear is increasingly moving away from the traditional high street locations to out-of-town shopping centres, where families may typically spend a good part of a day browsing and shopping in a wide range of stores, rather than visiting their local high street to shop in specific outlets. Mainstream women’s clothing is still strongly populated by private labels from variety stores, such as Marks Spencer or Bhs, and clothing specialists, such as Next, River Island and Principles. Premium product ranges remain focused primarily on department stores and there is some degree of â€Å"trading up† to labels such as Alexon, Planet, Viyella or Jaeger by consumers with greater disposable income levels (Global Market Information Database, 2005). Discounters significantly strengthened their share of consumer purchasing over the last two decades, largely due to the success of the Matalan and Primark chains. However, there are indications in the last two years that strong growth in the position of supermarket groups, largely due to their expansion into fashion wear, is beginning to shift value-driven purchasing in their favour away from discounters, though this shift is not yet decisive. Supermarkets are becoming increasingly involved in clothing; with companies suc h as Asda, Tesco and J Sainsbury have all launched clothing collections under a brand identity during the past few years. For example, J Sainsbury commissioned fashion designer Jeff Banks to launch a clothing range and Asda’s George at Asda range quickly became well-established, making supermarkets increasingly key players in the market. However, supermarkets still tend to focus on price, rather than fashion, and are thus not yet truly key players on the scale of Marks and Spencer, Next and Matalan (Global Market Information Database, 2005). The UK consumer increasingly regards an item of clothing or footwear as a disposable item, rather than an investment and this has affected both consumers’ approaches to purchasing decisions, and the fashion marketers’ sales practices. Whilst quality remains important, as an item must be fit for use, fashion styles play a much greater role in everyday purchasing than previously, so that a piece of clothing may not be expected to last longer than one season. This, in turn, places an emphasis on price levels; and the significantly increased availability of ‘value’ brands in supermarkets and discounters, which stimulates volume purchasing without contributing to value sales development. There is also a growing emphasis on purchasing clothing for leisure use, which has a direct impact on the sales practices used, and on their styling. The dramatic increase in purchasing of sports clothing and footwear during recent years was largely underwritten by fashion marke ting, rather than by a significantly higher level of participation in active sports. Although a necessary requirement of life, which requires regular replacement for functional reasons, let alone in response to fashion trends, clothing sales show an increasing trend of been strongly affected by price discounting during recent years (Global Market Information Database, 2005). Increased competition at retail level, particularly due to the growing involvement of supermarkets and discounters, is causing deflation on prices in most UK clothing and footwear. This situation has been further exacerbated by the growing globalisation of product supply, with formerly UK production increasingly relocated to low-cost production units in the Far East and Eastern Europe. This major shift of production of clothing away from the UK to low-cost production locations, primarily in Asia-Pacific or Eastern Europe, has raised marketing threats for several UK companies over ethical issues surrounding the reported exploitation of cheap labour in these overseas production units. There was extensive media coverage of Marks Spencers decision to abandon its previous strategy of sourcing the majority of its products from UK production (Global Market Information Database, 2005) To compensate for this shift in production, leading UK manufacturers began to emphasise their extensive expertise in product design, which adds value to the finished product. This offers an excellent opportunity for companies with the necessary experience to design and market new ranges of products with lower production overheads. b) Your assessment of the marketing strengths and weaknesses of the key players in terms of branding, reputation, differentiation and elements of the marketing mix. Marks Spencer has historically had a reputation as a leading retailer in the UK’s clothing sector, and this is a position that the company undoubtedly aspires to maintain. The bulk of its turnover is attributable to clothing, approximately 50%, and food, with 44%, (Global Market Information Database, 2005). However, as competition in the apparel sector intensified in the late 1990s, Marks Spencer struggled to maintain market share. Marks Spencer has always positioned and differentiated itself as offering reasonably priced, high quality and well-fitting clothes, but this marketing strategy received something of a battering at the end of the 20th century, as designers and commentators alike criticised the company for the very aspects of its brand which had traditionally attracted customers to the chain. However, Marks and Spencer’s marketing mix, primarily its design and quality, has received far more favourable press in recent years, and a renewed focus on casualwear and the core womenswear ranges, Per Una and Blue Harbour, have helped the company improve performance and regain market share (Strategic Direction, 2005). Matalan’s combination of low overheads, due to low cost out-of-town locations and overseas direct product sourcing, has enabled the chain to undercut high street competitors by as much as 50% on its own brands, and by as much as 35% on external branded products. Complementing its low price differentiation, Matalan also has an astute marketing mix. It operates as a clothing club: customers pay a mandatory  £1 membership fee for the privilege of shopping at the stores. Membership information also enables Matalan to use direct marketing and to target customers with catalogues and tailored clothing lines to meet demand (Rowley and Haynes, 2005) The potential of the discount clothing market remains significant. Marginally larger than its leading competitor, New Look, Matalan looks relatively well placed to make the most of burgeoning opportunities in the discount sector. However, the recent slowdown in the clothing market does not appear to have been to Matalan’s advantage . The company should be in a position to benefit from trading down by consumers in the event of economic down-turn, but recent figures suggest that consumers are shopping elsewhere to get the best deals on designer names, and that Matalan’s bargain image now counts against it in the increasingly celebrity image-driven fashion markets Next is one the major success stories of the upper end of the UK clothing mid-market. A retailer of fashionable, moderately priced clothing, for trendy men, women and children, Next offers products targeted at the top end of the mass market, and aims to combine individual styling with quality and value for money. Resisting the temptation to be overly trend setting, opting to differentiate itself by offering sensible and stylish clothing, rather than highly fashionable items, Next has maintained strong consumer loyalty. Since the early 1990s, Next has resisted all attempts to increase the number of clothing brands that it operates, convinced that diversification would ultimately be to the detriment of the Next brand. The success that it has achieved over many years as a result of product development, the progressive move to larger stores and the increase in the number of home shopping customers has convinced both the retailer itself and investors that it is right to continue with this marketing mix (Datamonitor, 2005) c) Your marketing recommendations for any organisation wanting to enter the market. In 2009, the United Kingdom apparel retail industry is forecast to have a value of $45.8 billion, an increase of 18.5% since 2004. The compound annual growth rate of the industry in the period 2004-2009 is predicted to be 3.4% (Datamonitor, 2005). This indicates that there will be space for new retailers to enter the market for clothing. However, consumer purchasing of clothing and footwear is now moving away from traditional outlets, such as department stores, variety stores and high street specialists, towards grocery supermarkets and discounters. This reflects a general move to out-of-town shopping, with consumers particularly attracted to the convenience of purchasing all their clothing items at the same time, and in the same store as they regularly buy groceries (Global Market Information Database, 2005) The brand name of an item of clothing also acts as a strong influence on the purchase decision, particularly among younger consumers. Peer pressure means that it is critically i mportant to be seen wearing the â€Å"right† brand of sportswear, and sales of children’s wear have been boosted by this fact in recent years. At the same time, parents are typically enjoying a greater degree of disposable income during the review period, which is increasingly focused on spending on fashion items for their children (Coughlan, 2006). Equally, the downward pricing trend in the UK fashion retail industry has led many retailers to focus upon profitability, rather than sales growth in recent years. Companies are continually trying to cut costs by utilizing measures such as larger retail formats, and by shifting production or changing their suppliers to lower cost regions in Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Some retailers have cut production and entered into niche markets in an attempt to add value to their business and improve margins. The UK retail industry is thus undergoing significant changes; traditionally dominated by high street retailers, supermarket chains such as ASDA and Tesco are expanding their clothing lines aggressively and gaining an increasing share of apparel sales. Originally the supermarkets purely focused on price to make their apparel attractive to British consumers and subsequently there was a certain stigma attached to their garments. However, as time has passed and supermarket labels have beco me more widely accepted, they are moving their range of clothes more upmarket, placing increased pressure on to traditional apparel retailers. Given this, any organization wanting to enter the UK fashion retail market is likely to have to differentiate itself based on brand, rather than quality or price. As new entrants will almost undoubtedly lack the buying power and reach of MS, Next, Matalan or Tesco, they would be better advised to concentrate on building a profitable niche, and the best way to do this is to make themselves a desirable brand. Given the preference for the latest fashions, at reasonable prices, with clothes only intended to last for the season they are purchased, the ability to react rapidly to changes in the market is also vital for any new entrant. This would differentiate them from the large chains, which often have structured, lean, and slow supply chains. Finally, although the need to base production facilities abroad, to take advantage of low labour costs, is now widely recognised as being vital to profitability, there have been high levels of negative publicity over potential â€Å"sweatshop† working practices. As such, a significant advantage can accrue to an organisation which differentiates itself on the basis of providing good wages and working conditions to its overseas workers, provided that the price of the clothes can still be kept competitive. References: Coughlan, S. (2006) Spoilt for choice. BBC News Magazine. Accessed 14th June 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5071222.stm Datamonitor (2005) Apparel Retail Industry Profile: United Kingdom. Global Market Information Database (2005) Clothing and Footwear in the United Kingdom. Euromonitor International. Rowley, J. and Haynes, L. (2005) Customer Relationship Management: The Matalan Way. Marketing Review; Vol. 5, Issue 2, p. 175. Strategic Direction (2005) Will the real Marks Spencers stand up?: Searching for that winning brand. Vol. 21, Issue 9, p. 28.

Comparing Heroes and Villains in Measure for Measure, Othello, and Haml

Comparing Heroes and Villains in Measure for Measure, Othello, and Hamlet According to John Steinbeck, "Heroes are innocent; villains are cunning." This statement likely regards the internal aspects of characters, such as intellect, reasoning/motivation, and morality/responsibility, as indicated by consistency in action and/or articulation, as in direct speech or soliloquy. An examination of the heroes and villains in Measure for Measure, Othello, and Hamlet can determine whether Steinbeck's generalization is applicable. Although Measure for Measure is not a tragedy by standard conventions, Angelo can be considered a tragic hero since he falls because of his hamartia, hubris. While he fits into Steinbeck's generalization of "innocent" as a victim of the circumstances created by the Duke, Angelo is responsible for his own fate. When asked "Whether you had not sometime in your life/Err'd in this point which now you censure [Claudio]," (14-15, II.i) Angelo affirms he has never felt love or passion, nor had sex. Thus, being a man of virtue, Angelo believes he has the right to impose morality upon the city: he unquestioningly enforces the law forbidding fornication. Since he is righteous, Angelo's motivation is not wrong or immoral; however, once he begins to manipulate sexual morality in his favor, his innocence decreases. Angelo offers to spare Claudio's life should Isabella engage in sexual relations with him; he claims to be tempted by Isabella's virtue, and does not recognize his own hypocrisy in pro posing there is charity in sinning to save Claudio. The reduction of Angelo's virtue and righteousness continues as he sends Claudio's death warrant after he has had sex with Mariana, who he believed to be Isabella. In additio... ...le to comedies, when considering A Midsummer's Night Dream, As You Like It, and Measure for Measure, in which the heroes are mostly virtuous ("innocent"), and the villains are devious ("cunning"); however, since the Duke and Iago are both cunning villains, Steinbeck's notion of villains is also appropriate for tragedy. More importantly, though, as previously noted, these â€Å"heroes† are directly responsible for their fall, and therefore challenge readers to consider the roles of heroes and villains in tragedy less traditionally; Othello is not cunning, nor is he innocent, and so Steinbeck's parameters exclude him. Thus, a more encompassing generalization would be that tragic heroes are responsible, and "villains are cunning" (Steinbeck). Works Cited Shakespeare, William. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Ed. Alfred Harbage. 1969. Baltimore: Penguin, 1994.

Ghost Story of Manresa Castle at Port Townsend, Washington :: Urban Legends Ghost Stories

Manresa Castle at Port Townsend, Washington The story I was told concerns the Manresa Castle at Port Townsend, in Washington State. The myth surrounding the castle is the usual belief that the castle is haunted. People go to the castle just to hear the cries and feel the tingles of staying there over night. People have also reported that when they have taken pictures while they stay there, they will be surrounded by glowing orbs in the background. The story pertaining to this castle I first heard in a coffee house on Capitol Hill, in Seattle, Washington. Capitol Hill is known for being the stomping grounds of a wide variety of people. There are bohemians, hippies, homeless people, drag queens, and lots of college students due to the fact that there are five colleges in the city of Seattle alone. It is also not so full of tourists, who spend more of their time at Pikes Place Market (also said to be haunted) and the Center. I spoke to the storyteller around two in the afternoon on Friday, March 23rd during my spring break. She works at a local hospital and is finishing up medical school. She is recently married, twenty-four years old, and she grew up in West Seattle. Her mom is Ukrainian and is the principal of an elementary school. She knows of the story after hearing it from fellow students at the University of Washington, where she went for her undergraduate studies. The story was told during a regular hangout, by a girl from a town near Port Townsend. The person I heard the story from doesn't really pay the myth and "ghost story" idea any attention because of its common presence in that area. Washington state is a region known as the "Haunted North West." Capitol Hill has so many "ghosts" that companies offer ghost tours year round. [During the telling of the story there were no meaningful gestures, just pauses when the storyteller couldn't remember certain details, or when she wanted to take more sips of her macchiato. The storyteller did not relate the story with intonation or pitch changes, nor did her rate change. It was more like the stating of facts she knew.] Hmm, one that is still going strong is about†¦ well I don't remember the name but it's this castle in Port Townsend, overlooking the bay.

Gender Bias in the courtroom Essay examples -- essays research papers

Although there have been many changes in our society concerning discrimination against one’s gender, there is still one area that has yet to change. If we take a man and a woman convicted of the same crime, it is very likely that the man will receive a more callous sentence. Since the beginning of the colonial era, 20,000 people have been lawfully executed in America, but only 400 of them have been women, including 27 who were found guilty of witchcraft. In the 23 years since the Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment, 5,569 total death sentences have been given out by courts, 112 to women. Of these 112, only one has been executed, compared with 301 men. Leigh Beinen, a Northwestern University law professor who studies the gender bias in capital cases nationwide, thinks the reason so few women face execution has to do with the symbolism that's central to the death penalty. She said, â€Å"Capital punishment is about portraying people as devils, but women are usually seen as less threatening." In 1977, Guinevere Garcia murdered her daughter, and later received a 10-year sentence for the killing. Four months after her release, she killed her husband during a robbery attempt. This time, the court imposed the death penalty. Garcia had refused to appeal her sentence, and opposed efforts to save her. Death penalty opponents turned to Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar who as a state legislator, voted to restore the death penalty. The facts of the case sway...

J. D. Salinger and Catcher

Rye went into 14 printings within a year of publication and continued to have a large sale. The book had been translated into 30 languages and had sold more than 65 million copies. After his divorce with his second wife, Claire Douglas, he went to New Hampshire to be alone and be isolated. He stopped writing books and cut off most public contact. He would only write in private and enjoyed his time alone. Slinger died on January 27, 2010, of natural causes at his home in Cornish, New Hampshire. (American Decades. Deed. Judith S. Bushman. StudentResources in Context) Critics say that The Catcher in the Rye is a quest story but Holder's quest is aimless and incomplete. The Catcher in the Rye is most frequently compared to Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The Catcher in the Rye was received enthusiastically by the reading public. The Catcher in the rye was a rapid success, The Catcher in the Rye was mostly praised by critics but others thought it was a failure. It was als o controversial for its adult language and situations. The Catcher in the Rye became a classic coming of age tale about maturing from childhood to adulthood.Slinger filed a lawsuit against Ian Hamilton for writing â€Å"J. D. Slinger: A Writing Life. † Slinger wanted to protect his privacy. Slinger influenced many people like Lynda Barry. I find J. D. Clinger's writing fascinating. His themes are powerful and relatable in The Catcher in the Rye. I really enjoyed the novel and I would love to read some more of his works. (Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit. Student Resources In Context. )